Anastasia's barely managed to escape the nefarious clutches of C.R.U.D. when they are brought to the undergrown Cavelands, where she finds out she's Caveland royalty and her family figures into a centuries-old scandal that began with the disappearance of her grandfather.
“WONDERFULLY WITTY.” —Chris Grabenstein, New York Times bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and coauthor with James Patterson of House of Robots and Treasure Hunters Take one part Roald Dahl, a pinch of Mysterious Benedict Society, and a dash of Lemony Snicket, then add a league of adventurous children, a little magic, and a centuries-old feud with witches, and you get this quirky and hilarious middle-grade series! After their narrow escape from a NEFARIOUS kidnapping ring, Anastasia, Ollie, and Quentin (aka the League of Beastly Dreadfuls!) are looking forward to a relaxing vacation from DANGER! INTRIGUE! CATASTROPHE! Sadly, they’re not going to get one. Because Anastasia makes the SHOCKING discovery that her family is at the heart of a centuries-old WAR with WITCHES, a war that began with the dastardly disappearance of Anastasia’s very own grandfather. Can the league track down Anastasia’s grandfather and find out who Anastasia really is? Gentle Reader, BEWARE! The trail of clues leads to spine-tingling surprises. Read on . . . if you DARE!
Declaring that movies grant psychopaths much more power and fascination than they deserve, Wilson (psychology, Stephen F. Austin State U., Nacogdoches, Texas) profiles the various types portrayed, beginning with the computer HAL in 2001. He also discusses evil's imperfections, breach of character, mood and circumstance, the power within, justice, and other aspects. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
This book examines the manner in which Shakespeare's Hamlet was perceived in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and represented in the available visual media. The more than 2,000 visual images of Hamlet that the author has identified both reflected the critical reception of the play and simultaneously influenced the history of the ever-changing constructed cultural phenomenon that we refer to as Shakespeare. The visual material considered in this study offers a unique perspective that complements biographical, critical, and theater history studies by showing how a broad spectrum of the literate and not-so-literate absorbed and responded to Shakespeare's works, not necessarily in academic libraries or at play performances, but in their homes, when browsing in print shops, when reading in coffee houses, or (a far rarer experience) when visiting an art gallery or exhibition.
Careful writers and speakers agree that clichés are generally to be avoided. However, nearly all of us continue to use them. Why do they persist in our language? In It's Been Said Before, lexicographer Orin Hargraves examines the peculiar idea and power of the cliché. He helps readers understand why certain phrases became clichés and why they should be avoided -- or why they still have life left in them. Indeed, clichés can be useful -- even powerful. And few people even agree on which expressions are clichés and which are not. Many regard any frequent idiom as a cliché, and a phrase regarded as a cliché in one context may be seen simply as an effective expression in another. Examples drawn from data about actual usage support Hargraves' identification of true clichés. They also illuminate his commentary on usage problems and helpful suggestions for eliminating clichés where they serve no useful purpose. Concise and lively, It's Been Said Before serves as a guide to the most overused phrases in the English language -- and to phrases that are used exactly as often as they should be.
Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in Coventry takes the reader on a sinister journey from medieval times to the twentieth century, meeting villains, cut-throats, traitors, witches, martyrs and suicidal lovers along the way. David McGrory records crime and punishment in the city in all its shocking variety. Among the many awful episodes he recalls are the brutal execution of a regicide as well as martyrdoms and a witchcraft murder in the medieval period. He retells the story of a triple execution at Gibbet Hill, chronicles poisonings and drownings in the Georgian and Victorian eras, and describes a murderer's lonely suicide in much more recent times.
True tales of betrayal, robbery, and murder across Worcestershire, from Redditch to Upton-on-Severn—includes illustrations and photographs! Though the Battle of Worcester brought an end to the English Civil War in 1651, it was not the end of the bloodshed for the West Midland county of Worcestershire. Known for its rolling hills and abundant farmland, it has also been fertile ground for thieves, murderers, and scoundrals of all sorts. Foul Deeds & Suspicious Deaths Around Worcester takes readers on a journey through centuries of sinister crimes, from the infamous to the stuff of local legend. Worcester’s dark past goes back to the seventeenth century, when highwaymen haunted the surrounding forests. In this chilling volume, crime historian and Worcestershire resident Anne Bradford chronicles the county’s history of forgery and betrayal, highway robbery and murder, riots and public executions. She also uncovers instances of domestic cruelty that resulted in death. From premediated crimes to desperate acts of passion, a range of human drama is covered in stories such as “The Gentleman who Murdered his Mother,” “The Lovers’ Pact,” and “Death of a Hop-picker,” among others.
Wondrous Deeds of Bygone Days – Illustrated by Harry Theaker is written by M. Dorothy Belgrave and Hilda Hart. This book contains a beautiful collection of short stories and legends from England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland. Harry G. Theaker (1873 – 1954) was a British illustrator, painter, designer, and decorator for pottery. Born in Wolstanton, Staffordshire, he was the son of George Theaker whom was headmaster of the School of Art in Burslem from 1869-94 and designer for pottery. Theaker was also best known as a successful illustrator, particularly of children’s books. His first known published works date from about 1911, and most of his further illustrations date from the 1920’s and 1930’s. These include works such as; The Ingoldsby Legends, Children’s Stories from The Arabian Nights, The Water Babies, and Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Theaker also made hand-coloured plates from Sir John Tenniel’s original illustrations to Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass for editions published between 1911 and 1930.