Best Selling Books by Milena

Milena learned only after the war that her parents were deported from Czechoslovakia in July 1943 and died at Auschwitz. Milena''s guardian had been fond of Milena''s mother and preserved her old friend''s letters. These she gave to Milena, and they form the heart of this book.

The Sevilla Mendoza family, long-time residents of the Sardinian coast, are not quite what you''d call `conventional''. At the heart of the family is a young teenage girl in the throes of a dangerous affair with a married man. With a nervous mother, a dreamer for a father and an obsessive piano player for a little brother, she finds herself living a double life: one as a good daughter, the other on an erotic journey that will change her forever. While the Shark is Sleeping is an enchanting story of the loss of innocence and the desire to be loved.

The Zero Waste Shop Revolution by Milena Glimbovski - founder of Germany’s first zero waste shop – is the story of a woman who made a difference. In 2014, Milena Glimbovski had the bold idea to open a plastic-free supermarket "Original Unverpackt". At the time, the idea felt like a long shot. Many years, TED talks, successes, and failures later, Milena Glimbovski has arisen as an icon in the global zero waste movement. In her book, she talks of her experiences, the zero waste movement, and each recipe, trick, and life-hack she learned on her journey. The journey is inspiring and its telling is both sincere and scathingly funny. “There is a better way” ‘’If you’re currently sitting at home, in lockdown, tired of skipping through reruns of your favorite shows, and wondering how you can make a difference; do yourself a favor and read this book’’

"Probe[s] deeply below the surfaces of familiar Japanese stereotypes . . . A compassionate and insightful story of dysfunction, despair and friendship" (Ruth Ozeki, award-winning author of A Tale for the Time Being). Twenty-year-old Taguchi Hiro has spent the last two years of his life living as a hikikomori—a shut-in who never leaves his room and has no human interaction—in his parents'' home in Tokyo. As Hiro tentatively decides to reenter the world, he spends his days observing life around him from a park bench. Gradually, he makes friends with Ohara Tetsu, a middle-aged salaryman who has lost his job but can''t bring himself to tell his wife, who shows up every day in a suit and tie to pass the time on a nearby bench. As Hiro and Tetsu cautiously open up to each other, they discover in their sadness a common bond. Regrets and disappointments, as well as hopes and dreams, come to the surface until both find the strength to somehow give a new start to their lives. This beautiful novel is moving, unforgettable, and full of surprises. The reader turns the last page feeling that a small triumph has occurred. "The best of the best from this year''s bountiful harvest of uncommonly strange offerings . . . Deeply original." — O, The Oprah Magazine "Exceptional . . . In today''s less-than-brave new world in which sincere human interaction is disappearing even as the numbers of so-called ''friends'' are multiplying, Necktie is a piercing reminder to acknowledge, nurture, and share our humanity." — BookDragon "The quiet reflection of this jewel of a novel is revelatory, redemptive and hypnotic until the last word." — Kirkus Reviews

This book is a collective journal of the COVID-19 pandemic. With first-hand accounts of the pandemic as it unfolded, it explores the social and the political through the lens of the outbreak. Featuring contributors located in India, the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Bulgaria, the book presents us with simultaneous multiple histories of our time. The volume documents the beginning of social distancing and lockdown measures adopted by countries around the world and analyses how these bore upon prevailing social conditions in specific locations. It presents the authors’ personal observations in a lucid conversational style as they reflect on themes such as the reorganization of political debates and issues, the experience of the marginalized, theodicy, government policy responses, and shifts into digital space under lockdown, all of these under an overarching narrative of the healthcare and economic crisis facing the world. A unique and engaging contribution, this book will be useful to students and researchers of sociology, public health, political economy, public policy, and comparative politics. It will also appeal to general readers interested in pandemic literature.

"Powerful . . . The vivid descriptions of the Sardinian landscape are a fitting complement to the heroine''s conflicted heart" ( Kirkus Reviews, starred review). As this compelling novel opens, a young unnamed woman reflects on the life of her bewitching, eccentric, and fiercely emotional grandmother, whose abiding search for love spans much of the twentieth century. In 1943, as American bombs fall on the city of Cagliari, she is thirty and considered an old maid, still living at home with her parents. But when the bombing ceases, and despite her protests, her father forces her to marry the first man to propose, an older widower she doesn''t love. After suffering several miscarriages, she is sent for treatment at a spa on the mainland, where she falls in love with an injured Italian army veteran. Back home, she gives birth to a son. She never reveals the affair to her husband—but decades later, she returns to the mainland and travels to her former lover''s hometown of Milan. Dressed in her finest coat and shoes, she wanders the streets in search of the elusive veteran . . . Set against a backdrop of rugged mountains and Italian villages lost in time, this international bestselling novel is a multigenerational family saga about love, lust, and country. "Agus''s descriptions of the everyday are as beautiful and haunting as her portrayal of life''s most dramatic episodes. Add an unexpected ending and the result is a graceful, powerful book." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Putting a Witcher twist on family life, this delightful collection of comics features Geralt of Rivia as your average monster-slaying dad, trying to raise young Ciri to be a good kid while teaching her all about life as a witcher—a perfect gift for parents and The Witcher fans of all ages. Young Ciri''s extensive training at Kaer Morhen, the witchers'' stronghold, includes everything she needs to learn to survive the many threats in her world . . . as well as all the antics and fun of a little girl bonding with her adoptive dad and family. With help from Geralt and Ciri''s closest companions—including the motherly magic of Yennefer of Vengerberg and the wisdom of uncle Vesemir—these adorable tales of a non-traditional family will make you laugh, make you sigh, and make you realize that raising a Little Witcher is not that different from raising any other kid. Sure, bedtime stories might include warnings of monsters who fart when surprised, and Geralt might invoke the Witcher Code to get Ciri to brush her teeth or clean her room, but even the formidable White Wolf knows to surrender when it comes to bedtime battles or Afternoon Tea with the toys. The Little Witcher is perfect for: The Witcher fans raising little Ciris of their own Readers who believe in the power of chosen families Baby showers (don’t forget Dad!) Father’s Day or Mother’s Day gifts Players looking for a light-hearted twist on their favorite game Families who like cute, magical comics The Witcher fans looking to spend more time in Kaer Morhen

This book highlights Belgrade, reviewing its recent and historical developments and emphasizing its major ongoing planning projects. The book is divided into eight chapters. The first, entitled The urban, political and socioeconomic rise and fall of Belgrade through its history, introduces the reader to the city, and is followed by a chapter on Belgrade’s urban plans through history. The book continues with a chapter on one of the major urban projects in the former Yugoslavia, the construction of New Belgrade, its development and results, entitled New Belgrade: from no man’s land to modern city. In turn, the following three chapters explore three dominant contemporary topics: Belgrade’s riverfront redevelopment; Reimaging Belgrade: the case of Savamala; and Sustainable Belgrade. Expansion of the pedestrian zone in the city center. The book draws to a close with a chapter on Future predictions: South-Eastern European metropolis of the 21st century. This chapter in particular discusses large city projects and includes predictions about the city’s future.

"Latin for the New Millennium, Levels 1 and 2 is a complete introductory course to the Latin language, suitable for both high school and college students, consisting of two volumes, each accompanied by a teacher''s manual and students'' workbooks. The strategy employed for teaching and learning incorporates the best of both the reading approach and the more abstract grammatical method. The choice of vocabulary in each chapter reflects ancient authors commonly studied for the AP Latin examinations. There are exercises designed for oral use, as well as a substantial core of more conventional exercises in each chapter. The readings, pictures, and supplementary inserts on cultural information illuminate Roman life, civilization, Roman history, and mythology, as well as the continuing use of Latin after antiquity and its vigorous literary tradition in such periods as the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Each chapter also includes derivatives, the influence of Latin vocabulary on English, and selected proverbs or common Latin sayings. Latin for the New Millennium Level 3 builds on the strong foundation of Levels 1 and 2 and provides students an in-depth experience of Caesar, Catullus, Cicero, Horace, Ovid, and Vergil as well as of the Renaissance writer Erasmus. This text provides students an introduction to unadapted Latin literature and builds their literary analysis skills."--adapted from publisher website.

Discerning Experts assesses the assessments that many governments rely on to help guide environmental policy and action. Through their close look at environmental assessments involving acid rain, ozone depletion, and sea level rise, the authors explore how experts deliberate and decide on the scientific facts about problems like climate change. They also seek to understand how the scientists involved make the judgments they do, how the organization and management of assessment activities affects those judgments, and how expertise is identified and constructed. Discerning Experts uncovers factors that can generate systematic bias and error, and recommends how the process can be improved. As the first study of the internal workings of large environmental assessments, this book reveals their strengths and weaknesses, and explains what assessments can—and cannot—be expected to contribute to public policy and the common good.

This book navigates the complexities of local real estate taxation in the dynamic region of Central and Eastern Europe, providing a meticulous analysis of the diverse approaches taken across the region. From Poland to Hungary, Romania to the Czech Republic, this book explores the historical roots and evolution of local real estate tax, its importance in municipal fiscal policy and its impact on communities. This book analyses the motives and models used by municipal authorities in their calculations around real estate tax and considers whether they are primarily a fiscal tool, related to budget revenues, or stimulants for future growth aimed at boosting local socio‐economic development. It also explores whether municipalities compete with neighbouring entities on taxation and the extent to which the political cycle and the meeting of voter demands and expectations play a role. This book will be of great interest to readers in public economics and finance, taxation policy and law, local government and the CEE region more broadly. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.

The most epic Arthurian Celtic pagan high fantasy novel series that centers on the themes of reincarnation and found family, and features POC and LGBT characters, an elemental magic system, and a whole bunch of saving the world shenanigans. Betrayed. Reborn. Hunted. If you were given a second chance, would you take it? The immortal Nevinon has hungered for the sweet mercy of death for more than a century. He has lost everything: his home reduced to ruins, his family sunken in forgotten graves, and his closest friend, King Alanor Kova, dead in his arms. When a ritual designed to end his suffering goes wrong, Nevinon accidentally manages the impossible—reincarnating King Alanor and his knights. Now, Nevinon and his friends must abandon their homeland to escape the witch hunters who have conquered their kingdom. They must find Safehold, a mythical sanctuary for those with magic, before the hunters find them first. However, the hunters have gained a new ally. Something else has followed the knights through the Veil between worlds. Something ancient, evil, and determined to devour the source of all magic itself. Through it all, questions linger in Nevinon’s mind. Because the blessings of magic never come free. His family has been returned to him, but for how long? And in exchange, what will he be forced to pay?

"An accessible and different guide for students and practitioners alike... I′m sure that it will become a standard reference text for sports management" - Peter Taylor, Sport Industry Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University "A must have introductory reference guide for graduate and undergraduate sport management students" - Paul M. Pedersen, Indiana University "Provides students, practitioners and researchers in the field of sport management with a valuable compilation of sensitizing concepts, definitions and interesting references" - Michel van Slobbe, European Sport Management Quarterly Sharp, clear and relevant this book meets the needs of those studying and researching within the growing discipline of sport management. The intelligently cross-referenced entries provide a concise overview of the key concepts in the field guiding you through the important debates, sources and research methods in the management and delivery of sport. The book introduces readers to the concepts at the centre of their studies; it suggests relevant further reading and thoughts for future research and applies academic theory to business and organizational problems in a real-world context. Written for students, academics and practitioners the entries are designed to meet study needs and include: Clear definitions Comprehensive examples Practical applications Effective research methods.

Forty years old and suddenly motherless, Blanca is left shocked and rudderless by the death of the most important person in her life. To deal with her dizzying grief and confusion, Blanca turns to her dearest friends, her closest family, a change of scenery, and sex. Leaving Barcelona behind, she returns to her mother''s former home in Cadaques on the coast, accompanied by her two sons, two ex-husbands, and two best friends, with plans to meet her married lover. Haunted by both the past and the present, Blanca spends the summer in this impossibly beautiful place alongside those she loves most. In loss she learns to find resilience and hope, and what it means to live, truly and happily, on her own terms.

Milena Jesenská, born in Prague in 1896, is most famous as one of Franz Kafka''s great loves. Although their relationship lasted only a short time, it won the attention of the literary world with the 1952 publication of Kafka''s letters to Milena. Her own letters did not survive. Later biographies showed her as a fascinating personality in her own right. In the Czech Republic, she is remembered as one of the most prominent journalists of the interwar period and as a brave one: in 1939 she was arrested for her work in the resistance after the German occupation of Bohemia and Moravia, and died in Ravensbrück concentration camp in 1944. It is estimated that Jesenská wrote well over 1,000 articles but only a handful have been translated into English. In this book her own writings provide a new perspective on her personality, as well as the changes in Central Europe between the two world wars as these were perceived by a woman of letters. The articles in this volume cover a wide range of topics, including her perceptions of Kafka, her understanding of social and cultural changes during this period, the threat of Nazism, and the plight of the Jews in the 1930s.

A chance encounter. An unforgettable night. And back home, trouble is brewing on the remote island of Three Dragons, where nothing feels like it used to. Alone and lonely, Sam Threadneedle wishes upon a star, hoping for change. But when said change comes, it''s with a roar and not a whimper. Torn between loyalty and lust, Sam is forced to reevaluate everything. Can she and the Home of Dragons withstand the storm that is Magdalene Nox, or will any and all crumble? Not everything is as it seems, and as she slowly unravels the mysteries behind the centuries-old walls, Sam realizes that home is much more than oak and stone. Contains mature themes.