For those short on time but long on cookie love, Slice & Bake Cookies comes to the rescue! Elinor Klivans, the baking expert behind Big Fat Cookies and Cupcakes!, shares fifty recipes that are quick to mix up, stash in the refrigerator or freezer, and have at the ready to slice and bake whenever a sweet craving strikes. From classics such as old-fashioned oatmeal raisin cookies and Linzer hearts to modern takes on savory cookies and crackers, the recipes collected here fit the bill for any impromptu get-together. With a rundown of ingredients and baking equipment—plus tips on decorating, serving, storing, and even shipping—freshly baked, warm-from-the-oven cookies will always be on hand.

A rake escorts an orphaned young Scottish woman into a thrilling adventure in this historical romance inspired by Stevenson’s classic Kidnapped.

If I accept his offer to be his mistress, I could have the finest silks, the best carriage and be transformed from ugly duckling to a pampered, pretty swan! And although I would feel a virtuous pride in turning down the wicked rake, I also have an unmaidenly interest in exactly what the role would entail. . . .

Catriona is doing her best to resist the skillful seduction of the scandalous heir to the Earl of Strathconan. But kidnapped and shipwrecked with only this rake as company, her adventure has just begun. . . .

It’s summer 1270, and England is as weary as its aging king, Henry III. The Simon de Montfort rebellion is over, and in the small priory of Tyndall on the remote East Anglian coast, the monks and nuns of the Order of Fontevraud long to return to their tranquil routine. But then the young, inexperienced Eleanor of Wynethorpe is appointed their new prioress. It’s a political move and not popular.

The day after she takes up her office, a brutally murdered monk is found in the cloister gardens. Then Brother Thomas arrives. Sent to investigate the Order’s shaky finances, the young priest is also paying the price for a crime that could see him burn. As Thomas battles to accept his new life, Eleanor, struggling to gain the respect of her terrified and resentful flock, must cope with violence, lust, and greed to find a vicious killer.

The award-winning chef invites you into her kitchen to share her time-tested techniques for making dozens of soups, bisques, chowders, and purées.

Soup, beautiful soup—the most basic of cooked foods, the universal cure-all, a nourishing way to use small amounts of food or leftovers, a dish that can always be stretched to feed more . . .

From the basic foundation of stocks to the older, European-inspired concoctions, such as Zuppa Pavese and French Onion Soup, Aliza Green outlines the origins, ingredients, and steps necessary to create a warm and satisfying culinary experience every time. Explore more than 100 soup recipes, plus variations on each one, from all over the world, and in every style of soup you might want to eat. Recipes include:
Hungarian Woodlands Mushroom Soup with Sour Cream and Paprika
Tuscan Pappa al Pomodoro
Senegalese Peanut and Yam Puree with Ginger
Provencal Soupe au Pistou with Savoy Cabbage, White Beans, and Leeks
Wild Salmon Chowder with Sweet Corn & Gold Potatoes
Tom Kha Gai (Thai Chicken Coconut Soup)
Cream of Cauliflower with Nutmeg and Chives
Kerala Red Lentil Soup (vegan)
Vietnamese Pho Soup with Beef Brisket
Caribbean Callalou Soup with Crabmeat and Coconut

King B., the world’s most admired filmmaker—winner of a string of Oscars and awards from Cannes to Venice—takes on a new project: the most expensive, star-studded, high-quality, X-rated film ever made. He joins forces with producer Sid Krassman, who’s made a fortune with B movies, and Angela Sterling, a misunderstood sex symbol who longs to do “serious” work. After convincing the principality of Liechtenstein to host the production in exchange for a distribution exclusive to boost tourism, King B. and Krassman arrive with cast and crew to make The Faces of Love. While keeping the nature of the film secret from American bankers, King B. lines up a host of European and American big-name stars. But word leaks out to the local religious groups and possibly even the Vatican. Between the Cardinal’s attempts to sabotage production and the big egos and even bigger libidos behind the scenes, the enterprise plummets into hilarious anarchy.

Diana Wells, author of 100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names now turns her attention to something bigger—our deep-rooted relationship with trees. As she investigates the names and meanings of trees, telling their legends and lore, she reminds us of just how innately bound we are to these protectors of our planet. Since the human race began, we have depended on them for food, shade, shelter and fuel, not to mention furniture, musical instruments, medicine utensils and more.

Wells has a remarkable ability to dig up the curious and the captivating: At one time, a worm found in a hazelnut prognosticated ill fortune. Rowan trees were planted in churchyards to prevent the dead from rising from their graves. Greek arrows were soaked in deadly yew, and Shakespeare’s witches in Macbeth used “Gall of goat and slips of Yew” to make their lethal brew. One bristlecone pine, at about 4,700 years old, is thought to be the oldest living plant on earth. All this and more can be found in the beautifully illustrated pages (themselves born of birch bark!) of 100 Trees.

Fast food doesn’t have to be unhealthy. The Slimming Foodie in Minutes has a choice of over 100 low-calorie recipes, all of which can be prepped or cooked in 30 minutes or less.

One of the biggest obstacles to healthy eating is time – after a long day it can be tempting to cave into a takeaway or rely too heavily on processed foods for that quick fix. However, the Slimming Foodie’s new cookbook contains over 100 speedy, delicious and nutritious recipes, all under 600 calories and made with everyday ingredients that won’t break the bank.

The Slimming Foodie is an expert on simple cooking. She has already shown us that we don’t have to forgo flavour to eat better and has now made slimming even more convenient with these quick and tasty meals. With mouth-watering, low calorie food this fast, The Slimming Foodie in Minutes will ensure cooking for the family never takes away from your evening!

Do verb tenses make you tense? Does “affect” vs. “effect” put you in a panic? Help is here!

This easy-to-use guide to grammar explains just how the English language works—especially the many ways it can trip you up—so you can write and speak with confidence. You’ll find:

•Thorough coverage of key areas of grammar
•Easy-to-understand explanations and plenty of exercises to test and refine your skills
•An answer key at the back of the book to encourage you to work at your own pace and check your answers as you go
•A glossary for a quick review of any grammatical term discussed in the book

Better Grammar in 30 Minutes a Day allows you to customize your learning—so you can use it even if you have as little as five minutes a day to spare. Like its companion guides in the Better English series, this book is just what the teacher ordered—and will have you on your way to being grammatically correct!