The Magpie and the Wardrobe - A Curiosity of Folklore, Magic and Spells, is a lovingly curated compendium of time-honoured traditions and curious customs that have bewitched us for generations.Discover simple magic, heirloom recipes and forgotten fairytales in this eclectic treasury. The twelve chapters, representative of the seasons, present the celebrations, superstitions and folklore that shape our year. From cherished traditions like Valentine’s Day to the lost excitement of May Day, The Magpie and the Wardrobe reveals a calendar bursting with history, imagination and curious facts. Take a closer look at your favourite homespun rituals and the magic we conjure every day; make a candle wish, mix a moon oil elixir, and hang your romantic hopes on the predictions of an apple peel. Illustrated by a unique collection of ephemera and embellished with trinkets and charms, this sumptuous volume will appeal to the creative and curious.Digital version available in an enhanced eBook format.

When the Pied Piper enchanted the children of Hamelin and led them away, Mari and her brother, Jakob, followed his song. Now they are trapped in a beautiful but cruel world inhabited by a horrid Beast. Finding a way to escape will require some wild magic, in this powerful story of a family torn apart by tragedy, and the magical adventure that heals them.

Don’t miss Magpie Murders on PBS's MASTERPIECE Mystery! "A double puzzle for puzzle fans, who don’t often get the classicism they want from contemporary thrillers." —Janet Maslin, The New York Times New York Times Bestseller | Winner of the Macavity Award for Best Novel | NPR Best Book of the Year | Washington Post Best Book of the Year | Esquire Best Book of the Year From the New York Times bestselling author of Moriarty and Trigger Mortis, this fiendishly brilliant, riveting thriller weaves a classic whodunit worthy of Agatha Christie into a chilling, ingeniously original modern-day mystery. When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan’s traditional formula has proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job. Conway’s latest tale has Atticus Pünd investigating a murder at Pye Hall, a local manor house. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but the more Susan reads, the more she’s convinced that there is another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript: one of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition, and murder. Masterful, clever, and relentlessly suspenseful, Magpie Murders is a deviously dark take on vintage English crime fiction in which the reader becomes the detective.

Sam McKechnie's new craft book invites readers to lose themselves in the incredible world of Miss Violet. Whether they have a doll's house, some shelf space or an unwanted shoebox, Sam has created 25 makes that are perfect for any miniature residence. In addition to the makes there will be a pop-out paper Miss Violet doll (and outfits to dress her in) at the back of the book.Readers will also find a shoebox house project and a chapter of scraps (to photocopy or download) so that every room in their house can be embellished with fabulous paper furnishings – from cooking pots and carriage clocks to picture frames and paper pansies.Chapters include:Introducing Miss Violet – Meet the star of the show. Includes a wealth of ideas for clothing and accessories for readers to make themselves. Moving in – learn how to select a home (traditional doll’s house, shoebox, cupboard or shelf), make a shoebox house, and create a name plaque. Kitchen – makes include clay food, embroidered tablecloth and bobbin table and stools.. Parlour – makes include a chandelier, fireplace and Christmas tree.? Bedroom and bath – makes include pressed flower wallpaper, playing card bath mat and a fairytale mattress.Garden – makes include a pond, instant flower garden and clothes line.Miss Violet’s Doll's House includes everything needed to imagine and create? a miniature world.

Magic can take many forms, whether it be a desire, a wish, or a spell. It can even be a simple act of kindness for friends and family, and importantly for yourself too – like a lovingly hand-made object, a comforting meal or a home-cooked gift.

A compact guide to shopping for spectacles, offering practical information. This is one of the small format titles in the Chic Simple series of guides to living in the 90s.

Discover how French women look so effortlessly good with this lively guide by a Parisian fashion insider. Bring a Parisian je ne sais quoi to your style, wherever you live. Dress Like a Parisian is a wise and witty guide to finding your personal style, taking inspiration from how real Parisian women dress. With personal stylist and fashion blogger Aloïs Guinut as your guide, you can explore which colours, shapes and styles work best for you, whatever the occasion. Aloïs reveals Parisian style secrets, rejects restrictive fashion rules and shares her favourite shops and brands, demonstrating how you can use fashion to enhance your personality rather than shaping your personality to fashion. In the words of the patron saint of Parisian women, Yves St. Laurent, 'fashions fade, style is eternal.' This book is illustrated with photography shot on the streets of Paris plus illustrations by acclaimed fashion illustrator, Judith van den Hoek, who has worked with Elle, Hermes, Vogue, Prada and Grazia.

Carla Coulson had it all, or so everyone told her--a glamorous inner-city apartment, a successful business and a designer wardrobe. One lonely Christmas Eve, however, she realized what was missing: excitement, work she was passionate about and, most of all, love. So, Carla packed up her life and boarded a plane. Italy was her first port of call and became her true destination. With a camera and nothing to lose, she found herself immersed in Florence, tasting the food, learning the language, meeting the people, discovering a new career and country--and photographing her new life. Carla's evocative text and rich photographs bring alive the laughter, warmth and passion of Italy. We meet the people who have embraced her; we see the streets, bars, churches and markets that have enchanted her; and we feel her gioia (joy).

Enchanted by Narnia's fantastic world as a child, prominent critic Laura Miller returns to the series as an adult to uncover the source of these small books' mysterious power by looking at their creator, Clive Staples Lewis. What she discovers is not the familiar, idealized image of the author, but a more interesting and ambiguous truth: Lewis's tragic and troubled childhood, his unconventional love life, and his intense but ultimately doomed friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien. Finally reclaiming Narnia "for the rest of us," Miller casts the Chronicles as a profoundly literary creation, and the portal to a lifelong adventure in books, art, and the imagination.