Fiction

Spellbound before his own portrait, Dorian Gray utters a fateful wish. In exchange for eternal youth he gives his soul, to be corrupted by the malign influence of his mentor, the aesthete and hedonist Lord Henry Wotton. The novel was met with moral outrage by contemporary critics who, dazzled perhaps by Wilde's brilliant style, may have confused the author with his creation, Lord Henry, to whom even Dorian protests, 'You cut life to pieces with your epigrams.'. Encouraged by Lord Henry to sub...

Come back in time 900 years, to the fierce and desolate Northern lands, where Norsemen ruled with ax and sword. A dying king, a shocking death-wish, his heirs divided with an oath of blood . . . In this fast-paced new novel by the highly popular Susan Peek, the conflict unfolds between Magnus Erlendson, a heroic young prince aflame with the love of God, and his outlawed cousin Hakon, who blames Magnus for his banishment from their kingdom. What follows is a tale of betrayal and revenge, brave...

And then, just like that, it happened. Twenty-four-year-old Rebecca Veritas is a clinical psychologist, quickly establishing herself as a young success with her own thriving practice in a comfortable area of town. Reeling from the painful reality of recent events, she settles into her new life with neat precision, a practical choice conveniently removed from memories that her childlike nature and romantic heart might otherwise indulge. When an unexpected visit from an old friend one fateful s...

75th Anniversary Edition  The gorgeous 75th-anniversary edition of Brideshead Revisited, the novel selected by Modern Library as one of the 100 best of the century and called "Evelyn Waugh's finest achievement" by the New York Times. The wellsprings of desire and the impediments to love come brilliantly into focus in Evelyn Waugh's masterpiece -- a novel that immerses us in the glittering and seductive world of English aristocracy in the waning days of the empire. Through the story of Charles...

One of the most coldly calculated acts of Henry VIII during the Reformation was the dissolution of the monasteries. Monks and nuns were driven from their cloisters; the abbeys were plundered and turned over to greedy courtiers. From these ignoble proceedings came Robert Hugh Benson's inspiration for this great historical novel, the story of a house divided against itself. The Torridon brothers are sworn to serve different masters; one is a monk, in love with the Mass and the Faith of Ages, t...

The sacrifices to the gods have ceased.A wicked king thirsts for power.A forbidden love threatens everything.Raised from birth to fulfill the duties of his role as Envoy, Wes Cervos had always known where his place was in the Four Kingdoms. But ever since meeting his best friend-a dragon called Celesyria-everything has changed.After escaping the prison where he'd been held on charges of blasphemy, Wes finds himself facing new challenges. The Codex Veritatis is still missing. Violent crime has...

Shy Roland West, who fears speaking up, attends high school with gossips and troublemakers. After panicking in speech class and becoming the subject of gossip, his best friend, Peter Brant, pushes him to uncover the vandals of an outcast's house before they strike again. With the Catholic youth group, he helps repair the damage to the outcast's house and questions fellow students, but he draws more negative attention to himself. In his search, Roland finds himself ridiculed and challenged abo...

Book 1 in the Chasing Liberty Series Set in the not-so-distant future where faith, family and freedom do not exist . . . Liberty 554-062466-84 of Aldonia lives in a responsible society that cares for the earth and everyone on it. They have learned to balance resource consumption with replacement initiatives, unavoidable pollution with clean-environment efforts. Science ensures that every baby born is healthy. The government ensures that every baby born is needed. All are cared for, taught, an...

Her Frankish mother dead, 17-year-old Aemilia arrives at Soissons in Roman Gaul in search of her Roman father whom she has never met. She knows only that his name is Tarunculus and that he is a former centurion. She finds a firebrand, derided by the townsfolk, trying vainly to ignite a spark of patriotism in his fellow Romans.Soon, Aemilia is caught up in her father's schemes and the intrigues of the Roman nobility in Soissons. But in the end, which side will win her loyalty? In the war betwe...

Why should we study literature? To learn truth, answers Margaret Summitt, and "in so far as a story, poem, or play is true, it is literature - and the deeper the truth it gets at, the more Catholic it is. In other words, the more deeply the author pursues truth, the more likely he is to find his way to the mysteries and dogmas of the Church." Summitt explores authors like Chesterton, T.S. Eliot, Evelyn Waugh, Flannery O'Connor, J.R.R. Tolkien, and other great writers. This book will satisfy y...

The Conversion of Saint Camillus de Lellis At last . . . a saint for strugglers! Soldiering, gambling, brawling, drinking. As a young man, Saint Camillus excelled at them all. Add to that his fiery temper and innate knack for getting in trouble, and Camillus de Lellis seems the last person who could ever achieve holiness! But God had plans for the stubborn young soldier, whether Camillus liked it or not . . . "This novel for adult and young adult readers will introduce them to a great saint -...

The turbulent historical masterpiece of Norway's literary master A Penguin Classic In her great historical epic Kristin Lavransdatter, set in fourteenth-century Norway, Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset tells the life story of one passionate and headstrong woman. Painting a richly detailed backdrop, Undset immerses readers in the day-to-day life, social conventions, and political and religious undercurrents of the period. Now in one volume, Tina Nunnally's award-winning definitive translation brin...

A mass-market paperback edition of Prince Caspian, book four in the classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia, featuring cover art by Cliff Nielsen and black-and-white interior illustrations by the original illustrator of Narnia, Pauline Baynes. The Pevensie siblings travel back to Narnia to help a prince denied his rightful throne as he gathers an army in a desperate attempt to rid his land of a false king. But in the end, it is a battle of honor between two men alone that will decide...

A mass-market paperback edition of The Silver Chair, book six in the classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia, featuring cover art by Cliff Nielsen and black-and-white interior artwork by the original illustrator of the series, Pauline Baynes. Through dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, a noble band of friends is sent to rescue a prince held captive. But their mission to Underland brings them face-to-face with an evil more beautiful and more deadly than they ever expected. The S...

The Happiest Summer of Her Life Her whole life, Jane had believed her father was dead. It was, therefore, quite a shock to receive an invitation to stay with him for the summer on Prince Edward Island. From their very first meeting, Jane falls in love with her charming father and his whimsical cottage on Lantern Hill. A whole summer of fun and adventure, meeting neighbors, and making friends--far away from her grandmother's dreary house in the city. If only she could get her mother to come to...

The complete collection of Sherlock Holmes's adventures in crime, including all four novels and fifty-six short stories featuring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic hero Volume I includes the early novel A Study in Scarlet, which introduced the eccentric genius of Sherlock Holmes to the world. This baffling murder mystery, with the cryptic word Rache written in blood, first brought Holmes together with Dr. John Watson. Next, The Sign of Four presents Holmes's famous "seven percent solution" and...

Italy's greatest novel and a masterpiece of world literature, The Betrothed chronicles the unforgettable romance of Renzo and Lucia, who endure tyranny, war, famine, and plague to be together. Published in 1827 but set two centuries earlier, against the tumultuous backdrop of seventeenth-century Lombardy during the Thirty Years' War, The Betrothed is the story of two peasant lovers who want nothing more than to marry. Their region of northern Italy is under Spanish occupation, and when the vi...

Island of the World is the story of a child born in 1933 into the turbulent world of the Balkans and tracing his life into the third millennium. The central character is Josip Lasta, the son of an impoverished school teacher in a remote village high in the mountains of the Bosnian interior. As the novel begins, World War II is underway and the entire region of Yugoslavia is torn by conflicting factions: German and Italian occupying armies, and the rebel forces that resist them--the fascist Us...

A mass-market paperback edition of The Horse and His Boy, book three in the classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia, featuring cover art by Cliff Nielsen and black-and-white interior artwork by the original illustrator of Narnia, Pauline Baynes. On a desperate journey, two runaways meet and join forces. Though they are only looking to escape their harsh and narrow lives, they soon find themselves at the center of a terrible battle. It is a battle that will decide their fate and the f...

When Digory and Polly are tricked by Digory's peculiar Uncle Andrew into becoming part of an experiment, they set off on the adventure of a lifetime. What happens to the children when they touch Uncle Andrew's magic rings is far beyond anything even the old magician could have imagined. Hurtled into the Wood between the Worlds, the children soon find that they can enter many worlds through the mysterious pools there. In one world they encounter the evil Queen Jadis, who wreaks havoc in the st...

Death Comes for the Archbishop is a 1927 novel by Willa Cather. It concerns the attempts of a Catholic bishop and a priest to establish a diocese in New Mexico territory. The novel portrays two well-meaning and devout French priests who will encounter a well-entrenched Spanish-Mexican clergy after the United States acquired New Mexico in the Mexican-American War. As a result of the U.S. victory, the dioceses of the new state were remapped by the Vatican to reflect the new national borders. Se...

A powerful cabal has fallen.A princess has chosen duty over love.An ancient threat waits amid the shadows.Wes Cervos has recovered a new portion of the Codex Veritatis, but his increased knowledge of the High One comes at a terrible price. Whitespire has been destroyed, and the realm of the dragons has fallen into chaos.Wes and his friends have once again sought refuge in the city of Auranth, but this time, they are no longer willing to hide. Across Kaveryth, confidence in King Ursa has begun...

Introducing The Enchanted Sonata, a delightful and captivating retelling of the classic ballet story with a magical twist. Written for the enjoyment of readers of all ages, this charming novel takes you on a journey to an enchanted empire where handsome princes and beautiful palaces await. Our protagonist is Clara Stahlbaum, whose life is an intricately planned path towards her dream of marrying the talented pianist, Johann Kahler. That all changes when she receives an unexpected gift – an en...

When teenaged Rachel Durham finds a way that she and her eleven stepsisters can sneak out of their Chesapeake Bayside home after midnight, their troubled fundamentalist father enlists the help of Paul Fester, an ex-soldier and traveling juggler, to find out what the girls are up to. A modern retelling of Grimm's fairy tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses."

Book 4 in the West Brothers contemporary Christian young adult fiction series. When the path is not clear... When temptation is near... When God speaks in a whisper you can barely hear... Ever since that life-changing night in the canyon, Jarret has felt the presence of the Lord in his soul. Now that presence is fading. Is it his fault? How will he remain faithful without it when he still struggles against the same temptations? Questioning whether he has a true calling, Keefe reads everything...

After three heartbreaking miscarriages, Tom and Jenny Callahan are happily anticipating the birth of their sixth child. Their neighbor, however, is secretly hatching a sinister plot which will find Jenny and her unborn baby fighting for their lives.

Love is worth fighting for in this captivating retold fairy tale from Regina Doman. Waking Rose: A Fairy Tale Retold is the third book in the Snow White and Rose Red Trilogy and it finally tells the story of Rose's long-lasting love for Fish. Rose has been madly in love with Fish for years, but he always seems to keep his distance. Unbeknownst to her, Fish has been struggling with problems that make him want to stay away from her. But when they are thrown together by circumstance, Fish starts...

Book 2 of the Chasing Liberty Series Hidden no more. Imprisoned by the all-controlling government. Slated for Re-Education. Liberty must escape from a high-security facility to rescue the colonists who lost their freedom. Their capture is her fault. Set in the not-so-distant future, where the government controls society through indoctrination, population control, and the eradication of the family, Liberty bides her time in Aldonia’s Re-Education facility. If she fails to escape and rescue the...

"Please Don't Remove MarGreat's Glasses!" is an inspirational tale of redemption for young adults which demonstrates the healing power of God's immeasurable grace. Timothy Clement was like every other high-privileged teenager.  The only thing that mattered to him was parties, girls, money and his ride into Harvard Law School.  Life was good.  After a night of drinking and gambling, Timothy found himself on the wrong side of an illegal gambling scheme which would change his life forever. Losin...

Past Suspicion is a gripping story of dangerous secrets and hidden lives. When Robin Finley is uprooted from everything she’s ever known, she’s forced to her mother’s old town to live with an uncle she’s never met. This small town is anything but quiet, as burgeoning questions about her mother’s past surround her. As she ventures closer towards the truth, deep-rooted lies and dark doubts come into play that threaten to destroy her future. This unique novel will take readers on an emotional jo...

Federal Agent Roger Quarston returns in the sequel to The Search for Melchizedek. As an ancient god rises from the sands of Egypt, Quarston and his compatriots stand horrified as modern military technology fails to stop him. Forced to again seek out Melchizedek, Quarston enlists the now-chastened Michelle Andover in a redemptive bid to stop Osiris. But none of them are prepared for the revelation that awaits them as they learn just who Melchizedek truly is.

Book 2 of the Fairy Tale Novels Series In a city where the nights are long and the lights never seem to go out, seven friars who work with the homeless find a runaway girl named Nora. While Bear Denniston searches for his missing girlfriend, Blanche, the friars must overcome their own personal demons as they try to help Nora.But this is not just any ordinary city, and Nora is not your average girl. This is a world where the line between reality and fantasy is blurred. And as the friars soon d...

"'Better be without sense than misapply it as you do.'" Emma Woodhouse— "rich, handsome and clever"— is every bit that rich and that handsome, but perhaps not as clever as she believes. Residing in the quietness of rural England at the turn of the 19th century, the young heiress has as yet no intention of marrying, but enjoys playing the matchmaker among her acquaintances. Supposing she arranged her governess's marriage, she then takes for a protégé Harriet, a simple-minded girl of humble and...

In this third title in the Father Gabriel Mystery series, the detective priest is less than pleased to find himself the reluctant guest at a wealthy local family's Christmas party. Only the excellent - and probably black market - food softens the horror of meeting the odious Victor Gladstone, a veteran reporter, an ardent anti-clerical and the only witness to a wartime massacre no one wishes to hear about. When Victor is found dead on the Martin estate the next morning, the apparent victim of...

Father Gabriel spends a few days of relaxation at his old Cambridge College, the guest of friend Arthur Kingsley from his student days. Kingsley is now a respected scientist and a Fellow of St Stephen's College, but after an enjoyable evening dining at High Table, Gabriel receives the shattering news that Daphne Silverton, Kingsley's brilliant young protégée, has been found dead in her laboratory after what appears to have been a tragic accident. Daphne was universally loved, but Gabriel's in...

The Wedding of Magdeburg is no ordinary wedding. Germany, 1630: a world turned upside down by the Reformation. In the Free Imperial City of Magdeburg, one young bride is jilted on the eve of her nuptials, but as she waits for her groom to return, an even darker cloud looms: the Holy Roman Empire stands at the gates, ready to take the Protestant city as its own political "bride". Will Magdeburg accept the proposal for the sake of peace, or will she rebel--and risk losing the battle altogether?...

A young Roman soldier falls in love only to discover that his sweetheart belongs to a strange new cult--a group that meets in secret to worship their one and only god. The romance of Marcus Vinicius and Lygia unfolds amid the decadence of ancient Rome, where bloodthirsty crowds flock to gladiatorial contests and a mad emperor sets fire to his own city. With its captivating blend of fictional and real characters, this historical novel contrasts the worldly opulence of the Roman aristocracy wit...

It has been said, quite correctly, that we write as well as we read. It can also be said that we think as well as we read. Since reading well is so important, it is good to get into the habit of reading good books. The better the book, the better will be our ability to think well and write well. In Classic Literature Made Simple, literary expert Joseph Pearce takes the reader on a guided tour of fifty great works of literature. The author of over thirty books, Pearce uses his experience of te...

The Plaque Journal by Michael D. O'Brien This is Michael O'Brien's fourth novel in the Children of the Last Days series, the third book in a trilogy. The central character is Nathaniel Delaney, the editor of a small-town newspaper, who is about to face the greatest crisis of his life. As the novel begins, ominous events are taking place throughout North America, but little of it surfaces before the public eye. Set in the not-too-distant future, the story describes a nation that is quietly shi...

Meet Rose Wilder... the last of the Little House girls. Rose is turning nine years old, and it's an exciting time on Rocky Ridge Farm. The Wilders have settled into their new home in the Ozarks, and Rose is helping as all their Mansfield neighbors bring in the harvest. The year is filled with danger, excitement, and joy, as Rose battles an ice storm, starts her second year as the top student in her class, helps to build the family's new farmhouse, and celebrates her first real Ozarks Christma...

Bankrupt and with his reputation in ruins, Oscar Wilde wrote the astonishing letter, "De Profundis" to his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, while in prison. Editor Colm Toibin, the acclaimed author of The Blackwater Lightship, The Master, and Brooklyn, describes it as Wilde's "greatest piece of prose writing." Also included is "The Ballad of Reading Gaol," Wilde's most famous poem and one of the greatest ballads in the English language, as well as other letters Wilde wrote from prison that reveal ...

A mass-market paperback edition of The Last Battle, book seven in the classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia, featuring cover art by Cliff Nielsen and black-and-white interior artwork by the original illustrator of Narnia, Pauline Baynes. During the last days of Narnia, the land faces its fiercest challenge--not an invader from without but an enemy from within. Lies and treachery have taken root, and only the king and a small band of loyal followers can prevent the destruction of al...