Mechteld Jansen Knihy

From the author of The Absolutist , a propulsive novel of the Russian Revolution and the fate of the Romanovs. Part love story, part historical epic, part tragedy, The House of Special Purpose illuminates an empire at the end of its reign. Eighty-year-old Georgy Jachmenev is haunted by his past—a past of death, suffering, and scandal that will stay with him until the end of his days. Living in England with his beloved wife, Zoya, Georgy prepares to make one final journey back to the Russia he once knew and loved, the Russia that both destroyed and defined him. As Georgy remembers days gone by, we are transported to St. Petersburg, to the Winter Palace of the czar, in the early twentieth century—a time of change, threat, and bloody revolution. As Georgy overturns the most painful stone of all, we uncover the story of the house of special purpose.

Deze verhalenbundel belicht op lichtvoetige wijze alle aspecten van het vaderschap. Openhartig, warm, maar vooral herkenbaar.

Set in 1891, the story follows Tilly Kirkland, who, after being orphaned, finds solace with her grandfather in Dorset. As her grandfather's health declines, she meets Jasper Dellafore and marries him, believing she has found happiness. However, her life takes a dark turn when she discovers that her new husband harbors secrets. Alone in the Channel Islands, Tilly's dream of a loving marriage transforms into a chilling reality, highlighting the struggles of women in a harsh Victorian society.

One hundred years old, with a sharp memory for every jewel she owned and every conquest she made, Mathilde Kschessinska—prima ballerina assoluta of the long-vanished Russian Imperial Ballet—sits down to write her memoirs. And what a life it has been. The greatest dancer of the age, her scything technique caught the eye—and heart—of one Nikolai Romanov when she was only seventeen years old. When Nikolai ascended the throne as czar and was forced to give up his mistress, she turned her gaze on his cousins, the grand dukes; despite betraying each man with the other, her loyalty to Niki never wavered. As the last czar presided over a fatally crumbling empire, her devotion to the imperial family was tested in ways she could never have foreseen. In Adrienne Sharp’s richly imagined novel, we see the seething beginnings of revolution and the blind giddiness of a doomed court. Based on fact, The True Memoirs of Little K is historical fiction as it’s meant to be written: passionately eventful and alive with emotions that resonate today. It is a magnificent entertainment.

We all know the main characters in Angela Sommer-Bodenburg’s vampire books. But in the English version we find them with other names: Anton Bohnsack is called Tony Prasbody. Rüdiger von Schlotterstein, the little vampire, is called Rudolph Sackville-Bagg. We also meet Anna the Toothless, Gruesome Gregory (= Lumpi der Starke) and nightwatchman McRookery (= Friedhofswärter Geiermeier). And what about the story? Tony loves reading creepy stories about vampires. But when one night he finds a real vampire sitting on his window-sill, he is very surprised and terribly frightened. Luckily the little vampire turns out to be friendly and they have a lot of fun together.

Tiffy a Leon sa delia o byt, dokonca aj o posteľ. Tiffy Moorová si po nepríjemnom rozchode s priateľom hľadá nové bývanie. Čo najrýchlejšie a čo najlacnejšie. Lenže ponúkané londýnske byty sú príliš drahé a so svojím nízkym príjmom pomocnej editorky si ich nemôže dovoliť. Je taká zúfalá, že odpovie na inzerát, v ktorom sa hľadá spolubývajúci. Leon pracuje na nočné zmeny v hospici a byt vtedy nepotrebuje. Tiffy by ho teda mohla využívať v noci aj cez víkendy. Leon bude doma len v čase, keď sa ona bude zdržiavať v práci. V skutočnosti sa teda nikdy nemusia stretnúť. Tiffy a Leon si začnú nechávať odkazy – najprv o tom, kedy sa odvážajú odpadky, postupne sú však odkazy srdečnejšie, jeden druhému nechávajú jedlo či koláče, debatujú o všeličom možnom. Hoci sú rozdielni, čoskoro sa spriatelia. A možno medzi nimi vznikne aj niečo viac. Ibaže zaľúbiť sa do svojho spolubývajúceho asi nie je dobrý nápad, najmä ak ste sa s ním nikdy nestretli!

Anglicko, rok 1583. Krajina sa zmieta strachom a podozrievavosťou, zároveň je však bezpečným úkrytom pre mnícha na úteku. Giordano Bruno, ktorý hlása prevratné astronomické učenie, uteká pred inkvizíciou pod ochranné krídla Alžbety I. a spriatelí sa s Francisom Walsinghamom, hlavným prenasledovateľom a zaprisahaným nepriateľom katolíckych buričov. Bruna s tajnou úlohou vysielajú na Oxfordskú univerzitu, do hniezda katolíckeho odboja, kde chce nájsť staroveký rukopis, v ktorom sú obsiahnuté mocné tajomstvá, schopné zničiť kresťanstvo. Čoskoro ho zatiahnu do intríg akademických kruhov a krážov prekrásnej mladej ženy. Pokojným životom na fakulte však otrasie séria surových, premyslených vrážd, ktoré obviňujú obete z kacírskych myšlienok. V honbe za neúprosným vrahom Bruno v temných uličkách Oxfordu pochopí, že ani múdry človek niekedy nevie rozlíšiť pravdu od lži. Niektorí sú však pre ňu ochotní aj zabiť...

Stará pani Maud Horshamová postupne stráca pamäť a zároveň aj schopnosť postarať sa o seba. Napriek tomu odmieta zabudnúť na svoju najlepšiu priateľku Elizabeth, o ktorej je presvedčená, že sa stratila a že jej hrozí veľké nebezpečenstvo. Nikto ju však nechce vypočuť, ani dcéra Helen, ani polícia, a už vôbec nie Elizabethin panovačný syn Peter. Maud sa vyzbrojí lístočkami, kde si všetko pre istotu zapisuje, a rozhodne sa konať na vlastnú päsť. Verí, že Elizabeth potrebuje jej pomoc, preto sa odhodlá zistiť pravdu a zachrániť milovanú priateľku. Touto myšlienkou je priam posadnutá, až tak, že pomaly stráca zmysel pre realitu a súčasnosť. Stopy, ktoré objavuje, ju vedú stále ďalej do vlastnej minulosti a k ďalšiemu neobjasnenému zmiznutiu – jej sestra Sukey sa stratila krátko po skončení druhej svetovej vojny. V zmätenej Maudinej mysli sa vynárajú živé spomienky spred vyše päťdesiatich rokov a pri pátraní po Elizabeth postupne objavuje nové nečakané skutočnosti. Mohlo by tajomstvo Sukeinho zmiznutia byť kľúčom k nájdeniu priateľky?

Na een catastrofale fout die het eind van haar carrière betekent, verruilt Isabelle Lee de bladenwereld van New York voor die van het hippe Beijing. Een overgang die minder makkelijk is dan ze denkt, want hoewel Isabelle van Chinese afkomst is, weet ze van de taal maar weinig. Haar woordenschat reikt niet verder dan huis-tuin-en-keukenchinees. Gelukkig is dit keukenchinees nét genoeg om aan de slag te kunnen als culinair recensent van het plaatselijke expatblad. Maar naast de cultuurschok die Isabelle te verwerken krijgt, dient zich nog een uitdaging aan: haar zus Claire, een gevierd advocate die zich moeiteloos begeeft in de jetset van de stad. Isabelle heeft haar al jaren niet meer gezien maar nu woont ze, bij gebrek aan geld, zelfs bij haar in huis. De tegenstelling tussen de zussen had niet groter kunnen zijn. Tel daarbij de nodige hilarische misverstanden en een halfbakken affaire en Isabelle vraagt zich af of haar vertrek uit New York wel zo'n verstandige keuze is geweest...

With this spellbinding first novel about the destructive lies three immigrant generations of a Pakistani/Bangladeshi family tell each other, Roopa Farooki adds a fresh new voice to the company of Zadie Smith, Jhumpa Lahiri and Arudhati Roy. Henna Rub is a precocious teenager whose wheeler-dealer father never misses a business opportunity and whose sumptuous Calcutta marriage to wealthy romantic Ricky-Rashid Karim is achieved by an audacious network of lies. Ricky will learn the truth about his seductive bride, but the way is already paved for a future of double lives and deception--family traits that will filter naturally through the generations, forming an instinctive and unspoken tradition. Even as a child, their daughter Shona, herself conceived on a lie and born in a liar's house, finds telling fibs as easy as ABC. But years later, living above a sweatshop in South London's Tooting Bec, it is Shona who is forced to discover unspeakable truths about her loved ones and come to terms with what superficially holds her family together--and also keeps them apart--across geographical, emotional and cultural distance. Roopa Farooki has crafted an intelligent, engrossing and emotionally powerful Indian family saga that will stay with you long after you've read the last page.

1867. Eliza Caine arrives in Norfolk to take up her position as governess at Gaudlin Hall on a dark and chilling night. As she makes her way across the station platform, a pair of invisible hands push her from behind into the path of an approaching train. She is only saved by the vigilance of a passing doctor. When she finally arrives, shaken, at the hall she is greeted by the two children in her care, Isabella and Eustace. There are no parents, no adults at all, and no one to represent her mysterious employer. The children offer no explanation. Later that night in her room, a second terrifying experience further reinforces the sense that something is very wrong.

Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky, who has been taken by the Society to his certain death

Simone Simmons, a healer by profession, but with a strong analytical mind, formed a unique bond with Diana during the last five years of her life. In 1997, she told Simone she wanted her to write a book which revealed the truth about her, to 'tell it like it is'. This book is the result, and it truly is the last word.....

'He did kill. Kill and kill and kill.' Tess's number one priority has always been her three-year-old daughter Poppy. But splitting up with Poppy's father Jason means that she cannot always be there to keep her daughter safe. When she finds a disturbing drawing, dark and menacing, among her daughter's brightly coloured paintings, Tess is convinced that Poppy has witnessed something terrible. Something that her young mind is struggling to put into words. But no one will listen. It's only a child's drawing, isn't it? Tess will protect Poppy, whatever the price. But when she doesn't know what, or who, she is protecting her from, how can she possibly know who to trust . . . ?

Nikki mag meedoen aan een schooluitwisseling. Cool, toch? Nou, niet helemaal. Want wie zit er sinds kort op de school waar Nikki een week naartoe gaat? Precies! Aartsvijand MACKENZIE! Nikki kan wel janken. Zal MacKenzie haar de ellendigste week OOIT bezorgen of gedraagt ze zich voor één keer?

De auteur schrijft over zijn leven en zijn pogingen om meditatie daarin te integreren.