Keep your enemies close. . . . For the first time since moving to New Salem, Cassie Blake feels normal. She's dating her soul mate Adam and making new friends in town. But between the secret coven of witches she belongs to and the incredible power she holds within her, Cassie is leading a far from ordinary life. When tragedy strikes the Circle, Cassie realizes being extraordinary can be a curse. The Circle is being hunted by an unknown enemy—and anyone could be the next victim. As they struggle to protect themselves, alliances are formed and relationships are tested. No one knows who to trust or who to fear. Will Cassie be able to save the Circle . . . and herself? Or will her choices break it apart forever?

With love, witchcraft, and spellbinding drama, the Secret Circle series is perfect for fans of The Vampire Diaries. This special collection contains the first book in the Secret Circle series, The Initiation, as well as part one of the second book in the series, The Captive; from L.J. Smith, the New York Times bestselling author of The Vampire Diaries. When Cassie is forced to move from California all the way to the small New England town of New Salem, she’s miserable. And yet, she feels a powerful kinship to the town, and to a terrifyingly beautiful group of students who always seem to get their way. Charmed by the Secret Circle, Cassie is initiated into a coven of witches whose power has controlled New Salem for hundreds of years. But when she falls for the mysterious and intriguing Adam, she is faced with the most pressing danger of her life—and one wrong move could ultimately destroy her…

From the bestselling author of The Vampire Diaries L. J. Smith, comes a dangerously exciting tale of love, witchcraft, and the supernatural, perfect for fans of the Beautiful Creatures series. This collection includes all seven books in the series. The Secret Circle: The Initiation and The Captive Part I: Forced to move from sunny California to gloomy New England, Cassie longs for her old life. Even so, she feels a strange kinship to a terrifying group of teens who seem to rule her school. But when she falls for the mysterious and intriguing Adam, Cassie must choose whether to resist temptation or risk dark forces to get what she wants—even if it means that one wrong move could ultimately destroy her. The Secret Circle: The Captive Part II and The Power: Cassie has joined the most alluring—and deadly—in-crowd imaginable. But power comes with a price, and it's more dangerous than she knows. In the ultimate battle between good and evil, will Cassie's supernatural powers be strong enough to lead the coven out of danger? The Secret Circle: The Divide: For the first time since moving to New Salem, Cassie Blake feels normal. She's dating her soul mate Adam and making new friends in town. But the Circle is being hunted by an unknown enemy—and anyone could be the next victim. As they struggle to protect themselves, alliances are formed and relationships are tested. No one knows who to trust or who to fear. Will Cassie be able to save the Circle . . . and herself? The Secret Circle: The Hunt: Cassie's life is far from ordinary. Her best friends are a coven of witches and her relationship with her boyfriend, Adam, is written in the stars. But then Cassie's evil half sister surfaces, determined to take Cassie's place in the Secret Circle. And a band of powerful witch-hunters begins targeting the group, determined to destroy them. Will Cassie survive this ultimate battle between good and evil? The Secret Circle: The Temptation: Black John's curse has been unleashed on the Circle, and it is up to Cassie to set things right. As Cassie's heart is tested once more, she is forced to finally choose between Nick and Adam, and she faces the ultimate test of her power in this gripping showdown between good and evil.

The Temptation is the spellbinding conclusion to the dangerously exciting Secret Circle series from L. J. Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Vampire Diaries and inspiration for the massively popular TV show from CW. As the leader of the Secret Circle, Cassie is faced with impossible choices and new dangers at every turn . . . and one wrong move can break the Circle apart forever. Now, as Cassie battles her evil half sister, she faces a new and terrible danger. Black John's curse has been unleashed on the Circle, and it is up to Cassie to set things right. As Cassie's heart is tested once more, she is forced to finally choose between Nick and Adam, and she faces the ultimate test of her power in this gripping showdown between good and evil.

With love, witchcraft, and spellbinding drama, the Secret Circle series is perfect for fans of The Vampire Diaries. This special collection contains part two of the second book in the Secret Circle series, The Captive, and the final book in the series, The Power; from L.J. Smith, the New York Times bestselling author of The Vampire Diaries. Lured into the most powerful and deadly in—crowd imaginable, Cassie has learned that her power comes with a price—and it’s more dangerous than she knows. Torn between the dueling desires of the two most powerful members of The Secret Circle, she must ultimately choose between saving all of New Salem, and her own love for the bewitching Adam, which threatens to tear the circle apart. In the ultimate battle between good and evil, will Cassie’s supernatural powers be strong enough to lead the coven out of danger? Or will she fall prey to the dark forces within?

Why our obsession with truth--the idea that some undeniable truth will make politics unnecessary--is driving our political polarization. In The Divide, Taylor Dotson argues provocatively that what drives political polarization is not our disregard for facts in a post-truth era, but rather our obsession with truth. The idea that some undeniable truth will make politics unnecessary, Dotson says, is damaging democracy. We think that appealing to facts, or common sense, or nature, or the market will resolve political disputes. We view our opponents as ignorant, corrupt, or brainwashed. Dotson argues that we don't need to agree with everyone, or force everyone to agree with us; we just need to be civil enough to practice effective politics. Dotson shows that we are misguided to pine for a lost age of respect for expertise. For one thing, such an age never happened. For another, people cannot be made into ultra-rational Vulcans. Dotson offers a road map to guide both citizens and policy makers in rethinking and refashioning political interactions to be more productive. To avoid the trap of divisive and fanatical certitude, we must stop idealizing expert knowledge and romanticizing common sense. He outlines strategies for making political disputes more productive: admitting uncertainty, sharing experiences, and tolerating and negotiating disagreement. He suggests reforms to political practices and processes, adjustments to media systems, and dramatic changes to schooling, childhood, the workplace, and other institutions. Productive and intelligent politics is not a product of embracing truth, Dotson argues, but of adopting a pluralistic democratic process.

L. J. Smith, New York Times best–selling author of The Vampire Diaries and inspiration for the massively popular TV show from CW, returns to her thrilling Secret Circle series in this fourth installment, following Cassie as she battles good and evil within her coven of witches. Keep your enemies close. . . . For the first time since moving to New Salem, Cassie Blake finally feels normal. She's dating her soul mate, Adam, and making new friends in town. But between the secret coven of witches she calls her best friends and the incredible power she holds within her, Cassie is leading a far from ordinary life. The Circle is being hunted by an unknown enemy resistant to their magic—and anyone could be the next victim. No one knows who to trust or who to fear. Will Cassie be able to save the Circle . . . and herself? Or will her choices break it apart forever?

“An extraordinary novel . . . a triumph of insight and storytelling.” —Associated Press “A true masterpiece.” —Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed An extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from the celebrated number one New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings In her mesmerizing fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. An encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything. Their marriage evolves with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, and their mother, Mary. Ana's pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to Rome's occupation of Israel, partially led by her brother, Judas. She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. When Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in peril, she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold, and she finds refuge in unexpected surroundings. Ana determines her fate during a stunning convergence of events considered among the most impactful in human history. Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus's life that focuses on his humanity, The Book of Longings is an inspiring, unforgettable account of one woman's bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place and culture devised to silence her. It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! “If you liked Where the Crawdads Sing, you’ll love This Tender Land...This story is as big-hearted as they come.” —Parade The unforgettable story of four orphans who travel the Mississippi River on a life-changing odyssey during the Great Depression. In the summer of 1932, on the banks of Minnesota’s Gilead River, Odie O’Banion is an orphan confined to the Lincoln Indian Training School, a pitiless place where his lively nature earns him the superintendent’s wrath. Forced to flee after committing a terrible crime, he and his brother, Albert, their best friend, Mose, and a brokenhearted little girl named Emmy steal away in a canoe, heading for the mighty Mississippi and a place to call their own. Over the course of one summer, these four orphans journey into the unknown and cross paths with others who are adrift, from struggling farmers and traveling faith healers to displaced families and lost souls of all kinds. With the feel of a modern classic, This Tender Land is an enthralling, big-hearted epic that shows how the magnificent American landscape connects us all, haunts our dreams, and makes us whole.