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  River Spirit

  Leila Aboulela

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  When Akuany and her brother Bol are orphaned in a village raid in South Sudan, they’re taken in by a young merchant Yaseen who promises to care for them, a vow that tethers him to Akuany through their adulthood. As a revolutionary leader rises to power—the self-proclaimed Mahdi, prophesied redeemer of Islam—Sudan begins to slip from the grasp of Ottoman rule, and everyone must choose a side. A scholar of the Qur’an, Yaseen feels beholden to stand against this false Mahdi, even as his choice splinters his family. Meanwhile, Akuany moves through her young adulthood and across the country alone, sold and traded from house to house, with Yaseen as her inconsistent lifeline. Everything each of them is striving for—love, freedom, safety—is all on the line in the fight for Sudan. Through the voices of seven people whose fates grow inextricably linked during the Mahdist War of nineteenth-century Sudan, Leila Aboulela’s latest novel illuminates a fraught and bloody reckoning with the history of a people caught in the crosshairs of imperialism. River Spirit is a powerful tale of corruption, coming of age, and unshakeable devotion—to a cause, to one’s faith, and to the people who become family.

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  Seizing Power

  Janet MdGiffin

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  This gripping third installment of the Empress Irini Series is set in the cutthroat world of 8th-century Byzantium, where power, betrayal, and ambition collide in a deadly game for the throne. 
  When Constantine’s father dies unexpectedly, the nine-year-old is thrust onto the imperial throne, with his mother, Irini, assuming the role of Regent. But as Irini consolidates power and ruthlessly blocks her son’s attempts to rule, Abbess Thekla finds herself torn between loyalty to the ambitious empress and a growing allegiance to the rightful emperor, Constantine. 
  Irini forces Constantine into an unwanted marriage to the unpopular Maria, prevents him from gaining his full authority at eighteen, and has him imprisoned when he dares to challenge her dominance. But Constantine’s loyal army rallies to his side, freeing him and overthrowing Irini’s reign. Now, the battle for the throne intensifies as a resourceful and relentless Irini vows to stop at nothing to reclaim her power. 
  Thekla must navigate a dangerous web of deception and intrigue—can she prevent the mother and son from destroying each other, or will Irini’s savage ambition tear the empire apart?

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  Top 10 Short Stories The - The...

  Virginia Woolf, D H Lawrence, A...

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  Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart.  A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. 
   
  In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?  
   
  The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme.  Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature. 
   
  Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made.  If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something. 
   
  In this volume the decade reveals some who are doing very well and the many who are not; underfoot, underpaid and under-represented.   
   
  Our writers of many hues and telling talents bring both their stories and their characters to bear on the decade between the two world wars with searing clarity. 
   
  01 - The Top 10 - The 1920's - The English - An Introduction 
  02 - The String Quartet by Virginia Woolf 
  03 - The Horse Dealer's Daughter by D H Lawrence 
  04 - Rats by M R James 
  05 - The Resurrection of Father Brown by G K Chesterton 
  06 - Miss Ogilivy Finds Herself by Radclyffe Hall 
  07 - Running Wolf by Algernon Blackwood 
  08 - Mrs Amworth by E F Benson 
  09 - Smee by A M Burrage 
  10 - Young Magic by Helen Simpson 
  11 - Decay by Marjorie Bowen

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  James: Book summary & analysis

  Alexander Pike

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  This content is an independent and unofficial summary created for informational and educational purposes only. It is not affiliated with, authorized, approved, licensed, or endorsed by the original author or publisher. All rights to the original work belong to its respective copyright holders. This summary is not intended to substitute the original book, but to offer a concise overview and interpretation of its main ideas. 
  James follows a successful executive who’s lost sight of what truly matters—trading endless meetings and metrics for a chance encounter that sparks a bold detour into the mountains. As he swaps boardrooms for forest trails, he rediscovers curiosity beneath towering pines, improvises breakthroughs in high-pressure simulations, and learns to lead with empathy rather than authority. Through guided meditations by waterfall, time-boxed ideation sprints, and rituals of reflection, listeners will uncover how intentional pauses ignite creativity, how constraints fuel innovation, and how shared vulnerability builds unshakable teams. Perfect for anyone craving more than frantic hustle, James delivers a dynamic roadmap for reclaiming agency, aligning daily habits with core values, and sustaining momentum on the journey from reactive busyness to purposeful mastery.

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  The Problem Club

  Barry Pain

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  Welcome to The Problem Club, where logic takes a holiday and wit is the law of the land. In this delightful collection of early 20th-century comic tales by Barry Pain, twelve eccentric gentlemen gather regularly in an upscale London club to tackle bizarre, imaginative challenges—each one a “problem” designed to confound, amuse, and showcase their cleverness. 
  From the unforgettable “Giraffe Problem”—in which each member must devise a scheme to make a woman say, “You ought to have been a giraffe”—to other equally ludicrous puzzles, Pain’s sharp humor and dry British charm shine through. 
  Narrated with elegance and flair by Mike Polischuk, this audiobook is a perfect escape for lovers of clever banter, satirical storytelling, and tales that celebrate the absurd.

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  No Lookin Back

  Ted Riddle, Linda Riddle

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  No Lookin' Back was brought to life early one Sunday morning in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, where the authors Ted and Linda Riddle lived. Ted sat straight up in bed and said, "I know how I died." That startled Linda, who was asleep next to him. His story flowed in such a way, it brought tears and laughter to her. She grabbed a yellow tablet and pencil and began writing. He did not slow down, so she could catch up. Soon, she found a tape recorder and began recording this saga. Linda knew that this was not a dream. The tone of his voice was different and even the dialect was strange, as Ted continued well into the morning. Later, when they both realized that this "gift", had to be published, Ted asked Linda to "add the sunsets and the eagles flying." She went to libraries as they travelled, even to Alaska twice, with their work and researched for facts for the book. She took pictures of locations where the story took place and drew illustrations. Names of their family members and friends were added, as the story developed. The story begins during the Civil War, when Thomas Jefferson Summers and his brother John, join the Union Army. As Ted continues with his tale, he even knows the name of his wife, children, places and events. He knows how he died, so that is the first chapter in the book. The journey takes Tom and the reader through many life-threatening adventures, at every turn. Based on facts from Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma Territory, Texas, Kansas and Colorado, and a timeline of early western history, you feel that you are living each moment. 
  There has never been a time or place like the early American West. Freedom was the quest of all who sought her.

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