Böcker

Aged thirteen, Theo Decker, son of a devoted mother and a reckless, largely absent father, survives an accident that otherwise tears his life apart. Alone and rudderless in New York, he is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He is tormented by an unbearable longing for his mother, and down the years clings to the thing that most reminds him of her: a small, strangely captivating painting that ultimately draws him into the criminal underworld. As he grows up, Theo learns to glide between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love - and his talisman, the painting, places him at the centre of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle. The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America and a drama of enthralling power. Combining unforgettably vivid characters and thrilling suspense, it is a beautiful, addictive triumph - a sweeping story of loss and obsession, of survival and self-invention, of the deepest mysteries of love, identity and fate.

William Shakespeare found dozens of different ways to kill off his characters, and audiences today still enjoy the same reactions - shock, sadness, fear - that they did more than 400 years ago when these plays were first performed. But how realistic are these deaths, and did Shakespeare have the knowledge to back them up? In the Bard's day death was a part of everyday life. Plague, pestilence and public executions were a common occurrence, and the chances of seeing a dead or dying body on the way home from the theatre were high. It was also a time of important scientific progress. Shakespeare kept pace with anatomical and medical advances, and he included the latest scientific discoveries in his work, from blood circulation to treatments for syphilis. He certainly didn't shy away from portraying the reality of death on stage, from the brutal to the mundane, and the spectacular to the silly. <br/><br/>Elizabethan London provides the backdrop for Death by Shakespeare, as Kathryn Harkup turns her discerning scientific eye to the Bard and the varied and creative ways his characters die. Was death by snakebite as serene as Shakespeare makes out? Could lack of sleep have killed Lady Macbeth? Can you really murder someone by pouring poison in their ear? Kathryn investigates what actual events may have inspired Shakespeare, what the accepted scientific knowledge of the time was, and how Elizabethan audiences would have responded to these death scenes. Death by Shakespeare will tell you all this and more in a rollercoaster of Elizabethan carnage, poison, swordplay and bloodshed, with an occasional death by bear-mauling for good measure.

It&apos;s the busiest time of the year, and Forest Manor Hotel is quite literally falling apart. So when sworn enemies Izzy and Lucas are given the same shift on the hotel&apos;s front desk, they have no choice but to put their differences aside. The hotel won&apos;t stay afloat without some sort of miracle. But when Izzy returns a guest&apos;s lost wedding ring, the reward convinces management this might fix everything. With four rings still sitting in lost property, the race is on for Izzy and Lucas to save their beloved hotel - and their jobs. As their bitter rivalry turns into something much more complicated, Izzy and Lucas begin to wonder if there&apos;s more at stake here than the hotel&apos;s future. Can the two of them make it through the season with their hearts intact?

The next book in an addictive new adult romance series from TikTok sensation, Ana Huang<br/><br/>Read Twisted Hate now for a steamy enemies to lovers romance. He hates her . . . almost as much as he wants her. Gorgeous, cocky, and fast on his way to becoming a hotshot doctor, Josh Chen has never met a woman he couldn't charm - except for Jules f**king Ambrose<br/><br/>The beautiful redhead has been a thorn in his side since they met, but she also consumes his thoughts in a way no woman ever has. When their animosity explodes into one unforgettable night, he proposes a solution that'll get her out of his system once and for all: an enemies with benefits arrangement with simple rules. No jealousy.<br/><br/>No strings attached. And absolutely no falling in love. ***Outgoing and ambitious, Jules Ambrose is a former party girl who's focused on one thing: passing the attorney's bar exam.<br/><br/>The last thing she needs is to get involved with a doctor who puts the SUFFER in insufferable . . .<br/><br/>no matter how good-looking he is. But the more she gets to know him, the more she realizes there's more than meets the eye to the man she's hated for so long. Her best friend's brother.<br/><br/>Her nemesis. And her only salvation. Theirs is a match made in hell, and when the demons from their past catch up with them, they're faced with truths that could either save them . . . or destroy everything they've worked for.<br/><br/>Twisted Hate is a steamy enemies with benefits/enemies to lovers romance. It's book three in the Twisted series but can be read as a standalone. Warning: It contains explicit content and profanity.<br/><br/>Recommended for 18+

He has a heart of ice . . . but for her, he'd burn the world. Alex Volkov is a devil blessed with the face of an angel and cursed with a past he can't escape.<br/><br/>Driven by a tragedy that has haunted him for most of his life, his ruthless pursuits for success and vengeance leave little room for matters of the heart. But when he's forced to look after his best friend's sister, he starts to feel something in his chest:A crack. A melt.<br/><br/>A fire that could end his world as he knew it. <br/><br/>Ava Chen is a free spirit trapped by nightmares of a childhood she can't remember. But despite her broken past, she's never stopped seeing the beauty in the world . . . including the heart beneath the icy exterior of a man she shouldn't want. Her brother's best friend. Her neighbour. Her saviour and her downfall.<br/><br/>Theirs is a love that was never supposed to happen - but when it does, it unleashes secrets that could destroy them both . . . and everything they hold dear. <br/><br/>Twisted Love is a brother's best friend/opposites attract romance with a hint of suspense. It's book one in the Twisted series but can be read as a standalone.

She can never be his . . . but he's taking her anyway. Stoic, broody and arrogant, elite bodyguard Rhys Larsen has two rules: protect his clients at all costs and do not become emotionally involved.<br/><br/>Ever. He has never once been tempted to break those rules . . . until her. Bridget von Ascheberg.<br/><br/>A princess with a stubborn streak that matches his own and a hidden fire that reduces his rules to ash. She's nothing he expected and everything he never knew he needed. Day by day, inch by inch, she breaks down his defences until he's faced with a truth he can no longer deny: he swore an oath to protect her, but all he wants is to ruin her.<br/><br/>Take her. Because she's his. His princess.<br/><br/>His forbidden fruit. His every depraved fantasy. Regal, strong-willed and bound by the chains of duty, Princess Bridget dreams of the freedom to live and love as she chooses.<br/><br/>But when her brother abdicates, she's suddenly faced with the prospect of a loveless, politically expedient marriage and a throne she never wanted. And as she navigates the intricacies - and treacheries - of her new role, she must also hide her desire for a man she can't have.<br/><br/>But when her brother abdicates, she's suddenly faced with the prospect of a loveless, politically expedient marriage and a throne she never wanted. And as she navigates the intricacies - and treacheries - of her new role, she must also hide her desire for a man she can't have.<br/><br/>Twisted Games is a contemporary royal bodyguard romance. It's book two of the Twisted series but can be read as a standalone.

<b>PRE-ORDER THE FOURTH BOOK IN THE JACKSONVILLE RAY SERIES!<br/><br/></b><br/><b>In the latest spicy novel in the internationally bestselling Jacksonville Rays hockey romance series, a desperate situation ends with a quick trip down the aisle. Now the team physical therapist has to smile for the cameras and prove he's in love with his new superstar hockey husband . . .</b><br/><br/>My name is Teddy O'Connor, and I just made a terrible mistake. It's been six years since I was an intern for the Jacksonville Rays NHL team. Six years since I was wrapping ice packs on knees and playing Mario Kart on chartered planes. And it's been six long years since I first met <i>him</i>. Henrik Karlsson, star forward of the Rays...and king of my heart.<br/><br/>Oh god, I've <i>got</i> to get over this crush! I'm a doctor now, a respected professional in my field. And Henrik doesn't even know I exist. As the Rays' newest physical therapist, I have a chance to launch my career. So you tell me why I'm risking everything to follow this man halfway around the world!<br/><br/>After receiving news of his sister's tragic death, Henrik must fly to Sweden to retrieve his young niece. She's injured and grieving, but a new hockey season is about to start. Henrik can't possibly care for her alone. In fact, the Swedish government won't let him. He needs me. They both do. I'd be heartless <i>not</i> to help...right?<br/><br/>Well, that's what I told myself last week as I signed our Swedish marriage license. It's what I told myself yesterday as I moved my stuff into his apartment. And it's what I'm telling myself now as the Rays PR Director stares us down. They want this marriage to look real. The team's public image, our jobs, and his niece's custody agreement all depend on it.<br/><br/>But the Rays don't need to worry. My problem isn't that I don't love my new fake husband. God help me, my problem is that I <i>do</i>.<br/><br/><b>PUCKING STRONG is a spicy, slow-burning MM workplace hockey romance. This is Book Four in the </b><b><i>USA Today</i></b><b> and Internationally Bestselling Jacksonville Rays hockey series.</b><br/><b>TROPES</b><br/><ul><li>Hockey romance; </li><li>Sports romance</li><li>MM romance</li><li>Single guardian romance</li><li>Multiracial romance</li><li>Workplace romance</li></ul>