Lavanya Shanbhogue-Arvind is the winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Special Prize (2011). Her short story, ‘The Crystal Snuff Box and the Pappudum’, was adapted for radio by the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association and was broadcast in all the Commonwealth countries. Other short pieces include ‘Those You Cannot See’ that appeared in the Griffith Review, Australia, ‘Blueprint’ that appeared in Blink, the year-end fiction edition of the Hindu Business Line and ‘The Idiot’s Guide to the Indian Arranged Marriage’ that appeared in an anthology of New Asian Short Stories being published by Silverfish Books, Malaysia. Apart from a master’s degree in Business, she holds a master’s degree in Creative Writing (Fiction) from the City University of Hong Kong. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Women’s Studies from the Tata Institute of Social Science, Mumbai and is working on her second novel. She lives in Mumbai with her banker husband Arvind Narayana.

"Heroism is having to do something drastic to keep from getting killed." That's what security consultant Pete Avakian tells his dinner date, Dr. Judy Rose, on a night out in Beijing. Little does he know that his words are about to be illustrated in graphic detail. Just as they are getting to know each other, chaos erupts in the street. China has launched missiles at Taiwan; a long history of tension has given way to war. Suddenly Pete and Judy are confronted by hostile youths, and an act of self-defense puts them on the run from the authorities in a country crazed by war. Pursued by the Chinese police, the Americans race toward the Mongolian border. Their only chance of survival is to work together to escape a country gone mad…even if that means taking drastic action.

A New York Times bestselling author—and “a mythmaker for the millennium, a wiseacre wiseman” (New York Times Book Review)—delivers a surreal and elaborate quest that takes readers from Tokyo to the remote mountains of northern Japan, where the unnamed protagonist has a surprising confrontation with his demons. An advertising executive receives a postcard from a friend and casually appropriates the image for an advertisement. What he doesn’t realize is that included in the scene is a mutant sheep with a star on its back, and in using this photo he has unwittingly captured the attention of a man who offers a menacing ultimatum: find the sheep or face dire consequences.

A “thrilling adventure story" (San Francisco Chronicle) that brings to life the astronomers who in the 1700s embarked upon a quest to calculate the size of the solar system, and paints a vivid portrait of the collaborations, rivalries, and volatile international politics that hindered them at every turn. • From the author of Magnificent Rebels and New York Times bestseller The Invention of Nature. On June 6, 1761, the world paused to observe a momentous occasion: the first transit of Venus between the Earth and the Sun in more than a century. Through that observation, astronomers could calculate the size of the solar system—but only if they could compile data from many different points of the globe, all recorded during the short period of the transit. Overcoming incredible odds and political strife, astronomers from Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Sweden, and the American colonies set up observatories in the remotest corners of the world, only to be thwarted by unpredictable weather and warring armies. Fortunately, transits of Venus occur in pairs; eight years later, they would have another opportunity to succeed. Thanks to these scientists, neither our conception of the universe nor the nature of scientific research would ever be the same.

From the outside, Everest has it all, but there’s only one person who can see him for who he truly is . . . and it changes his life forever. In this tender, poignant debut novel by newcomer Sky Chase, two teenagers on the cusp of adulthood learn to embrace life in ways neither of them ever anticipated. Everest is the most popular boy in school. He’s handsome, wealthy, and captain of the football team—he has the world at his fingertips, but he’s desperately unhappy. And when those feelings become too much to bear, he tries to take his own life. On the surface, Beverly’s different from Everest in every possible way. She’s quiet, shy, hard working, and keeps to herself on campus, focusing on her schoolwork and her part-time job, distracting herself from her less-than-perfect upbringing. When Everest returns to school after his attempt, he’s in more pain than ever. Discarded by his friends, he draws little empathy and too much attention from those who surround him. But when Beverly and Everest meet unexpectedly in a dusty corner of the old library, they discover together just how rich life can be when given the freedom to just be yourself.

Between Heaven & Hollywood is David’s inspirational journey from the wheat fields of his Mennonite home outside of Dodge City Kansas, to the bright lights of Los Angeles. This story of perseverance will assure you that your dreams aren’t frivolous. They might be the most important part of your life. White has starred in more than twenty-five movies and produced forty films, including the blockbuster God’s Not Dead. He serves as a Managing Partner of Pure Flix, the largest faith-based movie studio in the world. With his signature wit and sidesplitting hilarity, David’s story of faithfulness, grounded in the biblical truth that no dream is too big for God, will inspire you to relentlessly pursue your dreams, and in the process, bring the reality of God’s kingdom a little closer to the here and now. God has planted a dream in your heart that is both unique to you and essential to the world. White reminds us that there is no one too common, too uneducated, too poor, too inexperienced, or too broken that he or she cannot be used by God.

Su Ming grew up dreaming about becoming a Berserker even though he knew that the chances of him becoming one were close to nil. One day, he found a strange piece of debris, and it allowed him to walk the path of becoming a Berserker. But would it be enough for Su Ming to become just another Berserker to protect those he cares about? Would he be satisfied with leaving everything in fate's hands? *This novel was originally named Beseech the Devil, but due to the author's wishes, it was changed to Pursuit of the Truth.

The author recalls how, after her near-death visit to Heaven, her life changed and she embraced a life of love, faith, and passion in this world, and advises readers to adopt the path of faith in order to make the most of the time they have.

Do you remember the 1980s animated classic All Dogs Go to Heaven?To some, it's a simple cartoon, but among the millions of devoted pet owners out there, the film's premise-the goings-on among animals in the afterlife-resonates strongly. Do wild animals have immortal souls? Will we see our household pets in the hereafter? In Will Dogs Chase Cats in Heaven?, Dan Story, a graduate school-trained Christian apologist, offers a resounding "Yes!" But don't just take his word for it. Dan does far more than wax sentimental about our furry friends. His unique style pairs anecdotal experience with animal-behavior studies and biblical commentary. In fact, Dan's conclusions are backed by an impressive list of references-from Dinesh D'Souza to Martin Luther. Academics and theologians both ancient and modern have long discussed the validity of an animal resurrection, and Dan's new book puts it all together in a delightfully cogent yet readable way. Most importantly, Will Dogs Chase Cats in Heaven? tells us something about the nature of God: his eye truly is on the sparrow, and his overwhelming love for all creation is perhaps best reflected in the significance he places not just on man-but also man's best friend.

Collecting the work of a poet whom Publishers Weekly called "a major voice in contemporary poetry."