Boulevard Wren and Other Stories is the stunning follow-up to the bestselling Gospel According to Blindboy, and a warped mirror held up to the Irish psyche. Provocative and unsettling, the stories rove through the centuries, from the barren fields of Famine-struck Meath to the chaotic landscape of the near future, where social media has colonised the deepest recesses of the human subconscious. This is a world populated by characters lost and at odds with the demands of contemporary life, for whom the line separating redemption and madness has grown impossibly fine. Razor-sharp social satire, it is an era-defining work from one of Ireland's most anarchic satirists and a quietly devastating portrait of a society in disarray.

The Gospel According to Blindboy is a surreal and genre-defying collection of short stories and visual art exploring the myths, complacencies and contradictions at the heart of modern Ireland. Covering themes ranging from love and death to sex and politics, there's a story about a girl from Tipp being kicked out of ISIS, a van powered by Cork people's accents and a man who drags a fridge on his back through Limerick. Whip-smart, provocative and animated by the author's unmistakably dark wit, it is unlike anything else you will read this year. 'Mad, wild, hysterical, and all completely under the writer's control – this is a brilliant debut.' Kevin Barry 'There is genius in this book, warped genius. Like you'd expect from a man who for his day job wears a plastic bag on his head but something beyond that too. Oddly in keeping with the tradition of great Irish writers.' Russell Brand 'One of Ireland's finest and most intelligent comic minds delivers stories so blisteringly funny and sharp your fingers might bleed.' Tara Flynn 'Essential, funny and disturbing.' Danny Boyle

Bestselling author John Connolly's first collection of short fiction,Nocturnes,now features five additional stories -- never-before published for an American audience -- in a dark, daring, utterly haunting anthology of lost lovers and missing children, predatory demons, and vengeful ghosts. In "The New Daughter," a father comes to suspect that a burial mound on his land hides something very ancient, and very much alive; in "The Underbury Witches," two London detectives find themselves battling a particularly female evil in a town culled of its menfolk. And finally, private detective Charlie Parker returns in the long novella "The Reflecting Eye," in which the photograph of an unknown girl turns up in the mailbox of an abandoned house once occupied by an infamous killer. This discovery forces Parker to confront the possibility that the house is not as empty as it appears, and that something has been waiting in the darkness for its chance to kill again.

Boulevard Wren and Other Stories is the stunning follow-up to the bestselling Gospel According to Blindboy, and a warped mirror held up to the Irish psyche. Provocative and unsettling, the stories rove through the centuries, from the barren fields of Famine-struck Meath to the chaotic landscape of the near future, where social media has colonised the deepest recesses of the human subconscious. This is a world populated by characters lost at odds with the demands of contemporary life, for whom the line separating redemption and madness has grown impossibly fine. Razor-sharp social satire, it is an era-defining work from one eland's most anarchic satirists and a quietly devastating portrait of a society in decay

This carefully edited collection has been designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Percival Christopher Wren (1875-1941) was an English writer, mostly of adventure fiction. His novels and short stories mostly deal with colonial soldiering in Africa. While his fictional accounts of life in the pre-1914 Foreign Legion are highly romanticized, his details of Legion uniforms, training, equipment and barrack room layout are generally accurate, which has led to suggestions that Wren himself served with the legion. Table of Contents: The Novels SNAKE AND SWORD THE WAGES OF VIRTUE DRIFTWOOD SPARS CUPID IN AFRICA (The Baking of Bertram in Love and War) Short Stories STEPSONS OF FRANCE Ten little Legionaries À la Ninon de L'Enclos An Officer and—a Liar The Dead Hand The Gift The Deserter Five Minutes "Here are Ladies" The MacSnorrt "Belzébuth" The Quest "Vengeance is Mine..." Sermons in Stones Moonshine The Coward of the Legion Mahdev Rao The Merry Liars

The Collected Works of P. C. Wren: 4 Novels & Stories from the Foreign Legion is a captivating anthology that showcases Wren's evocative storytelling and intricate characterization. Set against the backdrop of the French Foreign Legion, Wren's works explore themes of honor, camaraderie, and sacrifice. His prose is marked by vivid descriptions of exotic locales and intense action sequences, making the reader feel as if they are right in the midst of the Legion's adventures. Wren's literary style is a blend of adventure, drama, and romance, appealing to readers who enjoy historical fiction and military narratives. P. C. Wren, a former British officer, drew upon his own experiences in the military to craft his gripping tales of courage and loyalty. His deep understanding of the human spirit shines through in his nuanced characterizations and realistic portrayals of life in the Foreign Legion. Wren's background adds a layer of authenticity to his narratives, lending them credibility and emotional depth. I highly recommend The Collected Works of P. C. Wren to readers who appreciate well-crafted historical fiction and thrilling adventure stories. Wren's mastery of storytelling and his unique perspective as a former soldier make this anthology a must-read for fans of military literature and classic novels.

What to read next is every book lover's greatest dilemma. Nancy Pearl comes to the rescue with this wide-ranging and fun guide to the best reading new and old. Pearl, who inspired legions of litterateurs with "What If All (name the city) Read the Same Book," has devised reading lists that cater to every mood, occasion, and personality. These annotated lists cover such topics as mother-daughter relationships, science for nonscientists, mysteries of all stripes, African-American fiction from a female point of view, must-reads for kids, books on bicycling, "chick-lit," and many more. Pearl's enthusiasm and taste shine throughout.