Collection: Adult

In the ancient world, if you needed a love charm, wanted to contact your dead wife, or needed the ability to fly like a bird, the magicians of Egypt were the ones who could make it happen. In Ancient Egyptian Magic, Christina Riggs explores how the Egyptians thought about magic, who performed it and why, and also helps readers understand why we've come to think of ancient Egypt in such a mystical way.

Readers will learn how to cure scorpion bites, discover why you might want to break the legs off your stuffed hippopotamus toy, and uncover whether mummies really can come back to life. Readers can also learn how to save a fortune on pregnancy tests--urinating on barley grains will answer that question-- as well as how to use the next street parade to predict the future or ensure that an annoying neighbor gets his comeuppance.

Was magic harmless fun, heartfelt hope, or something darker? Featuring demons, dream interpreters, the Book of the Dead, and illustrations from tomb paintings and papyrus scrolls, Riggs breathes new life into ancient magic and uses early texts and images to illuminate the distinctions between magic, religion, and medicine.

El nuevo libro de la autora del fenómeno editorial Donde viven las musas.

Sumérgete en un poemario interactivo en el que el amor, los reencuentros y los mundos paralelos son posibles.

¿Qué pasaría si aquella decisión que no tomaste se hubiera materializado en una realidad alternativa?

¿Y si existieran universos paralelos con las vidas que anhelaste y los seres queridos que ya no están?

¿Te atreverías a viajar a esos otros mundos?

Este poemario rinde homenaje a un amor que sobrevive a todos los universos y perdura en el recuerdo para siempre.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

The new book by the author of the bestselling Land of Muses.

Immerse yourself in an interactive poetry collection where love, second chances and parallel worlds are possible.

What if the decisions you didn't take were playing themselves out in an alternate reality?

And if there were parallel universes with all the lives you wished you'd led and the loved ones you've lost?

Would you dare to visit those other worlds?

These poems pay tribute to the loves that endure through all universes and stay in our memories forever.

'A revelatory masterpiece, a true alternative history of our times' - Simon Jenkins, former Chair of the National Trust

LGBTQ+ histories and identities come out of the National Trust's properties in these touching, poignant and revealing stories.

National Trust houses and landscapes might seem to embody conventional family values, but for generations some very different stories were hidden away. These belong to owners now considered queer for defying the norms of sexual orientation or gender identity - sometimes blatantly, occasionally as open secrets, but most often very discreetly.

Michael Hall explores not only the best-known examples of sexual difference, such as Lawrence of Arabia at Clouds Hill, Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst and the 'Dancing Marquess' at Plas Newydd; he also covers more recently unveiled stories, such as the lesbian community at Smallhythe and the homosexual scandals associated with Clumber. Then there were the quietly confirmed bachelors, keen to pass their properties and collections to the Trust for posterity...

These stories are set against the queer history of the National Trust itself, such as its foundation in 1895 against the backdrop of Oscar Wilde's trials; hidden queer influences within the Trust in its early days; and the role of homophobia in its reorganisation in the 1960s; and the evolution to inclusivity and understanding in the twenty-first century.

Is Your Makeup Aging You?

If you've been doing the same makeup routine since 1999, it's time for an update. Erica Taylor--a world-renowned makeup artist with over 30 years in the industry and millions of followers who live by her tips and tricks--is here to give your beauty routine the refresh you deserve.

Erica has worked with the biggest and best in makeup, but her focus is all about easy, accessible, and effective tips for everyday women. Revolutionize every part of your routine from picking a hydrating foundation so you don't look dusty and crusty to learning where to place your lip liner for fuller lips and how to apply eyeshadow to mask hooded lids.

Looking radiant isn't just for the young. With this book, Erica will take you by the hand and teach you all the secrets to achieve a beautiful, confident, glowing look at every age.

"Joyful, generous and smart."
--Holly Gramazio, New York Times bestselling author of The Husbands

A March Book of the Month pick!

Take the uncertainty out of love with Pattern, it's more than just a dating app!

Eve wants to make music that's fueled by love, passion, and rage (feelings!). She trusts her gut and her friends and in no way wants to rely on technology, let alone AI, to tell her how she feels. Danny is anxious--about his dad, his dating life, his coffee order (why is it twelve dollars?), and about the dating app he helped create, which seems determined to serve him terrible matches.

When Eve and Danny start dating, it feels like the solution to all of Danny's worries--except when it doesn't. Is she happy? Should he be doing more? Or less? This becomes the catalyst for a revolutionary new version of Danny's app that promises to quantify relationship health and potential, helping users understand what's really going on. Problem solved!

As Pattern and Bug, the ever-so-friendly AI assistant, catch fire, users everywhere begin outsourcing major life decisions to Danny's algorithms. But as Danny reckons with his newfound success, Eve--whose career relies on her ability to write her emotions into song--grows increasingly skeptical of the app's impact on genuine connection. Their relationship becomes the ultimate modern experiment: How do you fall and stay in love in the digital age?

Despite how far heroes travel or how many times they save the day, there are always new monsters lurking just around the corner. Pathfinder Monster Core 2 is a 278-page sourcebook bursting with brand-new creatures as well as updated Pathfinder classics waiting to find a place at your table. The lavishly illustrated tome also includes guidelines for reading monster entries and adjusting existing monsters to tailor-fit your story! This book is a must-have for Game Masters ready to bring new and exciting challenges to their games!

Pathfinder Monster Core 2 makes use of the updated rules for the fully remastered Pathfinder Second Edition RPG! These rules are compatible with previous Pathfinder Second Edition rulebooks, incorporating comprehensive errata and rules updates and some of the best additions from later books into new, easier-to-access volumes with new presentations inspired by years of player feedback.

Pathfinder Monster Core 2 includes:

• Over 300 individual monster writeups, including common foes, like dangerous animals and mighty elementals, to deadly creatures that can threaten even the most hardened heroes, such as the unsettling swarm striders and the devastating obcisidaemon!
• Eight brand-new dragons to challenge your players, including the powerful cinder dragon, the terrifying despair dragon, the steadfast requiem dragon, the clever rune dragon, and more!
• Classic monsters drawn from mythology, like the coatl and the garuda, as well as creatures drawn from the legends of Pathfinder's Lost Omens setting, including favorites like the majestic dweomercat and the unstoppable Spawn of Rovagug!
• Simple templates that allow you to customize a monster, making it more or less powerful with just a few simple adjustments.
• Guidelines for reading and using monster statistics, ensuring you get the most out of a creature both in and out of combat.
• Lists of creatures sorted by both type and level, making it easy to find the monster you need when you need it.
• Fully integrated errata from the first 5 years of Pathfinder Second Edition, including new balance adjustments to ensure that every creature presents a thrilling level-appropriate challenge!
• Hundreds of beautiful full-color creature illustrations!
• Published under the new Open RPG Creative (ORC) license, giving players and Game Masters even more freedom for making their own creations based on Pathfinder Second Edition.

This deluxe special edition is bound in faux leather with metallic deboss cover elements and a bound-in ribbon bookmark.

Featuring the contributions of Alexander Augunas, Jesse Benner, Joshua Birdsong, Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, James Case, Jessica Catalan, John Compton, Paris Crenshaw, Adam Daigle, Katina Davis, Jesse Decker, Darrin Drader, Felix Dritz, Brian Duckwitz, Robert N. Emerson, Scott Fernandez, Eleanor Ferron, Hexe Fey, Benjamin Fields, Keith Garret, Scott Gladstein, Leo Glass, Matthew Goodall, Alice Grizzle, T.H. Gulliver, Sen H.H.S., Steve Hammond, Tim Hitchcock, Joan Hong, Vanessa Hoskins, James Jacobs, Brian R. James, Michelle Jones, TJ Kahn, Mikko Kallio, Jason Keeley, Joshua Kim, Avi Kool, John Laffan, Lyz Liddell, Luis Loza, Colm Lundberg, Ron Lundeen, Mahpiya, Philippe-Antoine Menard, Jacob W. Michaels, Patchen Mortimer, Dennis Muldoon, Andrew Mullen, Quinn Murphy, Dave Nelson, Jason Nelson, K. Tessa Newton, Tim Nightengale, Samantha Phelan, Randy Price, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, BJ Recio, Jessica Redekop, Mikhail Rekun, Patrick Renie, Alex Riggs, David N. Ross, Simone D. Sallé, Michael Sayre, David Schwartz, Mark Seifter, Chris Sims, Rodney Sloan, Shay Snow, Kendra Leigh Speedling, Amber Stewart, Jeffrey Swank, Tan Shao Han, Russ Taylor, William Thompson, Jason Tondro, Clark Valentine, Ruvaid Virk, Andrew White, Landon Winkler, and Linda Zayas-Palmer.

Dragons! The very name invokes power beyond reckoning, fire that can melt mountains and fangs the size of swords. To face a dragon is to face the ultimate challenge of any adventurer's career. The reward for victory: gold, enough to twist any mortal's heart into a bigger monster than the one they just slew. Inside this tome lies the secrets of dragonkind, as well as those mortals who look upon them with awe or with bitter envy. Research a fearsome foe or summon the courage to make an ally of these primordial beings and put your strength and wisdom to the test. Success will see triumph beyond measure, while failure leads to an ignominious end within the dragon's maw!

Inside, you'll find:

• Statistics for over 20 types of dragons, including expansions on the dragons found in Monster Core and Monster Core 2!
• Statistics for the ferocious archdragons, the oldest and mightiest dragons of their kinds!
• Expanded background and lore for dragons, including information on dragon physiology!
• Nine draconic deities for dragons and adventurers alike to worship!
• Ancestry and heritage options to play a draconic character of your own, from expansions to the dragonblood and kobold to a brand-new dragonet ancestry!
• Draconic pacts for those brave enough to tie their fates to these dangerous and magical beings.
• Character options for characters of all types that wish to claim the power of dragons, including the draconic acolyte archetype to take on the physical features of your draconic benefactor!

Written by Joshua Birdsong, Chris Bissette, Jeremy Blum, Alyx Bui, Hiromi Cota, Katina Davis, Caryn DiMarco, Dana Ebert, Sen H.H.S., Laura Lynn Horst, Michelle Y. Kim, Letterio Mammoliti, Jonathan "Ryomasa" Mendoza, Jacob W. Michaels, Matt Morris, Collette Quach, Mikhail Rekun, Erin Roberts, Simone D. Sallé, Rodney Sloan, Kendra Leigh Speedling, Isabelle Thorne, Ruvaid Virk, Andrew White, Shan Wolf, and Brian Yaksha.

With radical candor and sardonic wit, Randolph Lewis offers an autopsy of the recent past, looking for glimmers of hope and redemption among the detritus strewn about by neo-Gilded Age billionaires, Big Tech, and political extremes during the first Trump administration and the pandemic era. American life took a weird turn in June 2015, when an aging reality star descended a golden escalator to announce his bid for the White House. From there, Lewis watched from his longtime home in the Lone Star State as the country slipped into an endless fever dream churning with chaos, uncertainty, and fear.

Wanting to decipher how things went sideways in such a hurry, Lewis drove all over the Sunbelt and beyond, trying to make sense of what was happening. He sojourns to an apocalyptic slab of the Mojave Desert; the rugged mountains under assault near Colorado Springs; the epic sprawl of Las Vegas, Austin, and Houston; the expat communities of central Mexico; the hotbeds of racism in the Deep South; and the fjords of Norway, from which, surreally, Lewis watched the unfolding news of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and decided to go there. In a register mournful, meditative, and darkly comic, Lewis offers a portrait of modern American life under a system whose democratic norms have been stretched to the limit.

Lewis, an American studies professor for three decades, examines the trajectories of cultural burnout that have ushered us into a new Gilded Age of fear, hustle, and hype. In this passionate critique of the anxious new world we inhabit, Lewis offers sketches of where we've ended up, why it feels so wrong, and how we might find our way out of Bummerland.

Tracing the rich tradition of Chinese patchwork art in domestic and rural spaces, from its ancient origins to its contemporary manifestations

Patchwork design has a long history in China, dating back almost two thousand years to the arrival of Buddhism in the region. Across millennia, a thread can be followed from spiritual practitioners embracing patchwork textiles as a visual expression of their beliefs to patchwork's use in secular culture, where it was prized for its protective powers. Eventually, patchwork became a form of domestic decoration--and an outlet for artistic ingenuity--that continues in some areas of China's countryside today.
Chinese Patchwork explores the creativity of 20th- and 21st-century Chinese makers who stitch fabric remnants into functional, decorative and auspicious articles for use in their homes and by their families. These objects display a wide variety of designs, patterns and techniques, and reflect both local tendencies and the individual aesthetics of the makers. Through a series of scholarly essays, museum curator Nancy Berliner illuminates the tradition and history behind the art form, as well as its links to Chinese visual culture; these texts are illustrated by stunning reproductions of lively and colorful patchwork examples. Interviews with contemporary makers offer readers firsthand insight into the practice and its intricacies. Additional photographs of the artists, their families and their works in situ by American photographer Lois Conner beautifully illustrate patchwork's bold visual presence in rural China.

The deepest dive yet into the heart and soul, secret affairs, unexplored alliances, and bitter feuds of a generally worshipped, intermittently reviled American icon.

Perhaps no founding father is as mysterious as Thomas Jefferson. The author of the Declaration of Independence was both a gifted wordsmith and a bundle of nerves. His superior knowledge of the human heart is captured in the impassioned appeal he brought to the Declaration. But as a champion of the common man who lived a life of privilege on a mountaintop plantation of his own design, he has eluded biographers who have sought to make sense of his inner life. In Being Thomas Jefferson, acclaimed Jefferson scholar Andrew Burstein peels away layers of obfuscation, taking us past the veneer of the animated letter-writer to describe a confused lover and a misguided humanist, too timid to embrace antislavery.

Jefferson was a soft-spoken man who recoiled from direct conflict, yet a master puppeteer in politics. Whenever he left Monticello, where he could control his environment, he suffered debilitating headaches that plagued him for decades, until he finally retired from public life. So, what did it feel like to be Thomas Jefferson? Burstein explains the decision to take as his mistress Sally Hemings, the enslaved half-sister of his late wife, who bore him six children, none of whom he acknowledged. Presenting a society that encouraged separation between public and private, appearance and essence, Burstein paints a dramatic picture of early American culture and brings us closer to Jefferson's life and thought than ever before.

Bring the vibrant joy of your garden inside with this essential guide to growing and arranging cut flowers from Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah Raven.

I'll take you through the year and show you everything I've learnt about growing cut flowers over three decades, but most of all why having home-grown cut flowers in one's house is an easy life transformer.

In this latest book from gardening expert Sarah Raven, you'll learn what to grow when (sow calendula in September!), how best to harvest (cut lower for a longer stem!), tips on combining color for a successful display, and much, much more. With this information up your sleeve, you'll have a house full of flowers and a garden that looks better-always jam-packed with color-because of your harvest.