The New York Times–bestselling author of The Compass of Pleasure examines how our sense of touch is interconnected with our emotions Dual-function receptors in our skin make mint feel cool and chili peppers hot. Without the brain’s dedicated centers for emotional touch, an orgasm would feel more like a sneeze—convulsive, but not especially nice. From skin to nerves to brain, the organization of our body’s touch circuits is a complex and often counterintuitive system that affects everything from our social interactions to our general health and development. In Touch, neuroscientist and bestselling author David J. Linden explores this critical interface between our bodies and the outside world, between ourselves and others. Along the way, he answers such questions as: Why do women have more refined detection with their fingertips than men? Is there a biological basis for the use of acupuncture to relieve pain? How do drugs like Ecstasy heighten and motivate sensual touch? Why can’t we tickle ourselves? Linking biology and behavioral science, Touch offers an entertaining and enlightening answer to how we feel in every sense of the word

Asking how it is possible to feel at home in the world, given that the world is independent of and indifferent to our wishes, this text draws on books, films and cultural history to argue that we can feel comfortable in the world and in relationships with others only if we value touch over sight

1 *New York Times* bestseller Lisa Gardner, author of  *Catch Me* and  *Love You More* , returns with a heart-thumping thriller about what lurks behind the facade of a perfect family. This is my family:  Vanished without a trace…* Justin and Libby Denbe have the kind of life that looks good in the pages of a glossy magazine. A beautiful fifteen-year old daughter, Ashlyn. A gorgeous brownstone on a tree-lined street in Boston’s elite Back Bay neighborhood. A great marriage, admired by friends and family.  A perfect life. This is what I know:  Pain has a flavor… When investigator Tessa Leoni arrives at the crime scene in the Denbes’ home, she finds scuff marks on the floor and Taser confetti in the foyer.  The family appears to have been abducted, with only a pile of their most personal possessions remaining behind.  No witnesses, no ransom demands, no motive.  Just an entire family, vanished without a trace. This is what I fear:  The worst is yet to come… Tessa knows better than anyone that even the most perfect façades can hide the darkest secrets.  Now she must race against the clock to uncover the Denbes’ innermost dealings, a complex tangle of friendships and betrayal, big business and small sacrifices.  Who would want to kidnap such a perfect little family?  And how far would such a person be willing to go? This is the truth:  Love, safety, family…it is all touch and go. ### Review Praise for Touch & Go: "This no-holds-barred stand-alone from Thriller Award–winner Gardner opens with the brutally efficient kidnapping of the Denbe family—father Justin, wife Libby, and 15-year-old daughter Ashlyn—from their exclusive Back Bay townhouse.…Gardner effectively alternates between the physical and emotional disintegration of the family under the pressure of their captivity and the efforts of [Invesigator Tessa] Leoni and company to dig into the secrets of Denbe Construction, its key employees, and its finances, as well as to locate the Denbes. The suspense builds as the action races to a spectacular conclusion and the unmasking of the plot’s mastermind." —Publishers Weekly “[A] thrill ride... Even readers who figure out the ringleader long before [Investigators] Tessa and Wyatt will get behind on their sleep turning pages to make sure they're right." —Kirkus Reviews "Gardner’s depiction of a woman in the midst of emotional chaos is spot on, as usual, and she proves herself just as capable when it comes to creating intriguing men. Readers will want to see more of Wyatt, just as they grew to appreciate Bobby Dodge in Gardner’s earlier books." —Booklist Praise for Catch Me: “New York Times best-selling author Gardner always plays in the big leagues, but this scare-your-socks-off thriller is a grand slam, packed with enigmatic characters (some good, some crazily evil), expert procedural detail, and superb storytelling.” — Library Journal on Catch Me “Gardner has become one of the best psychological thriller writers in the business. The compelling characters, the shocking plot and the realistic atmosphere of how police operate make this a "must read" for any suspense aficionado.” — Associated Press on Catch Me “The creepy meter is off the charts—though not sensationalized—with children the target of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse at the hands of both strangers and parents. And, somehow, miraculously without any contrivance, Gardner’s conclusion delivers a welcome glimmer of hope.” — Booklist (starred review) on Catch Me “Gardner’s sixth Det. D.D. Warren thriller grabs from the get-go.” — People on Catch Me “A solidly enjoyable thriller that will keep you on the edge of your chair as you turn the pages and listen for any strange noises around you.” — Huffington Post on Catch Me “Irresistible.” — Kirkus on Catch Me

What constitutes “child’s play” can change dramatically…

He went there looking for a sure bet… Sole Regret’s bassist, Owen Mitchell, is convinced that romance is for chumps. He’s only looking for a good time, and when he spots an attractive, older woman emitting men-suck vibes at a brand new sex club, he’s sure he’s found it. She went there hoping to get over her ex-husband… Successful business woman, Caitlyn Hanson, is still infuriated and hurt over her ex-husband’s affair with a much younger woman. She’s only looking to scrub his claim from her body by offering it to the first attractive man who shows her interest, and the young, hot stud, who just sat down at her table, will do quite nicely. They never meant to get personal… Caitlyn knows she’s not supposed to get attached to Owen just because he gives her body pleasure unlike any she’s ever known, but it’s her first one-night-stand and she can’t seem to keep her heart out of the equation. For once, Owen finds himself in the same conundrum. He likes Caitlyn too much to keep his heart at a safe distance, but will a mistake from Owen’s past drive her away forever?

Pleasing a man is something former mistress Genevieve Ralston does very well. But after her lover callously dumps her, she's definitely off men.until she meets Simon! He's brooding. Sexy. And she can't keep her hands off him… But Simon Cooperstone, Viscount Kilburn, is a spy. His mission: retrieve a mysterious letter in Genevieve's possession. Intent on seducing her secrets from her, he forgets to guard one thing: his heart. Each stroke of Genevieve's talented fingers unleashes his deepest desires. Too late, he realizes that while he may be a master of the art of seduction, he's no match for a sensual mistress…

The Wardens of the Realm are a group with extraordinary abilities, dedicated to protecting England from any threat. But in this steam-powered world, there’s a fine line between enemy and ally… Reeling from her brother’s death, beautiful American spy Claire Brooks has vowed revenge on the member of The Company who she believes to be responsible: Stanton Howard. But when she chases the man to London, Claire is captured by the Wardens of the Realm and placed in the custody of the Earl of Wolfred, the dashing Alistair Payne. Seeing the prospect of retribution slipping away, Claire convinces Alistair that she has defected and will help him take down The Company. As they travel via steam liner, Claire and Alistair must pretend to be engaged. Claire can’t deny the growing attraction she feels for her pretend husband, but when Howard is finally within her reach, she will have to decide whether her true loyalties lie with The Company or with her heart…

Kara Gillian is in some seriously deep trouble. She’s used to summoning supernatural creatures from the demon realm to our world, but now the tables have been turned and she’s the one who’s been summoned. Kara is the prisoner of yet another demonic lord, but she quickly discovers that she’s far more than a mere hostage. Yet waiting for rescue has never been her style, and Kara has no intention of being a pawn in someone else’s game. There’s intrigue to spare as she digs into the origin of the demonic lords and discovers the machinations of humans and demons alike. Kara is shocked to discover that she has her own history in the demon realm, and that the ties between her and the demonic lords Rhyzkahl and Szerain go back farther than she could have ever imagined. But treachery runs rampant among all the lords, and she’s going to have to stay sharp in order to keep from being used to further their own agendas. The lords have a secret that dates back to earth’s ancient history, and it could have devastating repercussions for both worlds. Yet more than anything else, Kara’s abilities as a homicide detective will be put to the test—because this time the murder she has to solve is her own

 История Эланы. Поддавшись обману, она оставляет спящего Таку, своего супруга, сон которого она охраняла так много лет.. Одна, окруженная своими спутниками, которые превратились в ее палачей, она вынуждена с расстояния наблюдать битву за Pride Rock, где остался ее Така, ее верный Така, которого она любила всю свою жизнь, всем своим существом

Security expert and ex-Army Ranger John Knight broke the cardinal rule of being a bodyguard-don't get involved with the client. One torrid afternoon of hot sex with Topaz Jewel was all they had together before his job was done, and she's been avoiding him ever since. He's been hired to protect her once again, and this time, when the job is over, he's won't let her slip away. Topaz is an independent businesswoman with no time in her life for a permanent relationship, especially not one with a man like John, who's used to adrenaline rushes and danger. There's no denying their sexual attraction, but she's determined to play things smart. John doesn't take her home when the job is finished, but to an isolated cabin. It isn't every day that a bodyguard kidnaps his client, but he knows they're meant to be together-and he'll use their sizzling passion to prove it

Cassandra Palmer can see the future and communicate with spirits-talents that make her attractive to the dead and the undead. The ghosts of the dead aren't usually dangerous; they just like to talk…a lot. The undead are another matter. Like any sensible girl, Cassie tries to avoid vampires. But when the bloodsucking Mafioso she escaped three years ago finds Cassie again with vengeance on his mind, she's forced to turn to the vampire Senate for protection. The undead senators won't help her for nothing, and Cassie finds herself working with one of their most powerful members, a dangerously seductive master vampire — and the price he demands may be more than Cassie is willing to pay…

"A profusion of delightful passages couched in unfailingly lovely language." — New York Times Book Review1939. As the Nazis advance into Poland, a Jewish mathematician and watchmaker named Pomeranz escapes into the wintry forest, leaving behind his beautiful, intelligent wife, Stefa. After the war, having evaded the concentration camps, they begin to build new lives, Stefa in Stalin’s Russia and Pomeranz in Israel, where, as they move toward reunion, another war is brewing. An intricate tale of people seeking escape from a hostile world in thrillingly fantastical ways.　 "Lyrical. . Its youthfulness and energy are exhilarating." — The New Yorker

“When in Rome” was a good deal easier in Rome than on Kya!

Рассказ вошёл в сборники: The October Country (Октябрьская страна) The Stories of Ray Bradbury (И грянул гром: 100 рассказов)

The Midnighters of Bixby, Oklahoma, know that their town is full of secrets. These five teenagers are the only ones who know about the mysterious hour at midnight when the world freezes, except for them and the creatures that inhabit the darkness. But they do not know why earlier generations of Midnighters all disappeared, or why they are now the only Midnighters in town. As they learn more about the secret hour's twists and turns, they uncover terrifying mysteries woven into the very fabric of Bixby's history, and a conspiracy that touches both the midnight hour and the world of daylight. At the same time, the Midnighters' own secrets start to emerge, including some that were never meant to come to light, changing the fragile dynamics among the five. This time Jessica Day is not the only Midnighter in mortal danger, and if the group can't find a way to come together, they could lose one of their own — forever. A tale of betrayal, horrifying revelations, and powerful alliances, touching darkness is the second volume of the riveting Midnighters trilogy by acclaimed author Scott Westerfeld

This is the story of Seattle police artist Maggie Barnes, whose remarkable artistic talents are the focus of an even more extraordinary psychic gift that she is determined to keep secret: a gift that has allowed her to work with crime victims, to feel what they feel, to create perfect portraits of their attackers. When the police are stymied by an elusive predator who blinds his victims to prevent them from identifying him, Maggie must be willing to risk much more than just her secret to draw the image of a killer no one has ever seen, and bring the brutal madman to justice. If you love books that blend passion, suspense, and the unexpected, you'll love this one

«Touching From A Distance» — это первое погружение в жизнь вокалиста Joy Division Йена Кертиса, задокументированное его вдовой Деборой. Эта книга — взгляд от первого лица, рассказ о юности манчестерского музыканта с момента А первой встречи до последних суток. Отношения Деборы и Йена — холодная война длиной в десять лет, кончившаяся суицидом и посмертной славой. На русском языке публикуется впервые

When Nordhausen follows a hunch and launches a secret time jump mission on his own, he discovers something is terribly wrong with the Rosetta Stone. The fate of all Western History as we know it is somehow linked to this ancient Egyptian artifact, once famous the world over, and now a forgotten slab of stone. The result is a harrowing mission to Egypt during the time of Napoleon’s 1799 invasion, to find out how the artifact was changed… and why

One of Latin America's greatest novelists, Mario Vargas Llosa is also a most acute and wide-ranging cultural critic and an acerbic political commentator. Touchstones includes his readings of major twentieth-century novels, from Heart of Darkness to The Tin Drum and Herzog and major works by Hemingway, Woolf, Orwell, Camus and Nabokov. There are long studies of George Grosz, vignettes on Botero and Picasso, and an appreciation of Cezanne and Van Gogh, including a visit to Cezanne's homes in the South Seas. Also included are essays on political and social thinkers, from the nineteenth-century feminist, Flora Tristan, to Isaiah Berlin, and contemporary pieces on 9/11, the aftermath of the war in Iraq, and the terrorist attacks on London and Madrid. Fantastically intelligent, inspired and surprising, Touchstones is a landmark collection from one of the world's leading intellectuals

The New York Times bestselling author of Prime Cut serves up another tantalizing tale of culinary mystery and suspense--as chef turned sleuth Goldy Schulz goes on live television to prepare a meal to die for...but discovers that murder is already on the menu. When Goldy Schulz is offered a temporary stint hosting a cooking show for PBS, she jumps at the chance. After all, she could use the money--not to mention the great exposure. Her catering business is in shambles, and publicizing her new venture as a personal chef will help get her back on track. Plus taping the shows at Colorado's posh Killdeer Ski Resort will be fun. A little cooking, a little chitchat. What could go wrong? The question Goldy should have asked is, what wouldn't go wrong--especially when she has to drive through a blizzard to do one of her shows live for a PBS telethon. To make matters worse, Goldy has an unpleasant duty to perform right after the show. She and her policeman husband, Tom, have agreed to sell a piece of Tom's treasured war memorabilia to help ease their financial woes. The buyer: Doug Portman, art critic, law enforcement wannabe--and, to her eternal embarrassment, Goldy's ex-boyfriend. Predictably, the live broadcast is riddled with culinary catastrophes--from the Chesapeake Crabcakes right down to the Ice-Capped Ginger Snaps. But the deadliest dish of all comes after the cameras go off, when an unexplainable skiing accident claims Doug Portman's life--and Goldy is the one who finds his crumpled body on the slopes. Even more shocking is what police find tucked away in Doug's BMW: a greeting card with a potentially deadly chemical inside. As the police try to determine if Doug's accident was really foul play, Goldy does a little investigating of her own--but finds more questions than answers. Was Doug, chairman of the state Parole Board, accepting bribes from potential parolees? Was he connected to the ex-con who's been telling Killdeer skiers that he's planning to poison a cop? And how did Goldy and Tom get mixed up in this mess? When a series of suspicious mishaps places Goldy's own life in jeopardy, she knows she must whip up her own crime-solving recipe, and fast--before a hearty dose of intrigue and a deadly dash of danger ends her cooking career once and for all.... Winter sports can be dangerous, but can they also be deadly? "Cooking at the Top!," Goldy's new TV show, is broadcast from one of Colorado's poshest ski areas. Unfortunately, she finds whipping up delicacies at 11,000 feet as perilous as skiing steep runs.  Then a telethon raising money for the widow of a tracker killed mysteriously ends in disaster. Goldy finds herself searching the icy slopes to find a killer with desperate secrets to hide---but this may be one time the tough-cookie caterer will not be able to schuss to safety! Included are Goldy's original recipes for mouthwatering Sonora Chicken Strudel,  incomparable Marmalade Mogul Muffins, and sinfully sumptuous Chocolate Coma Cookies. 

Stephen Dedman tells us, “I enjoy traveling, and have been mistaken for an Englishman, a Canadian, a German, an Italian, a Frenchman, a New Zealander, a South African, a Bostonian, a Tasmanian, a criminal, and a waxwork. I live in Western Australia with my wife, a computer, too many cats, and too few books.” Mr. Dedman’s first novel, The Art of Arrow Cutting, will be out in June from Tor Books

A story from one of Japan’s rising literary stars about memory, loss, and love, Touring the Land of the Dead is a mesmerizing combination of two tales, both told with stylistic inventiveness and breathtaking sensitivity. Taichi was forced to stop working almost a decade ago and since then he and his wife Natsuko have been getting by on her part-time wages. But Natsuko is a woman accustomed to hardship. When her own family’s fortune dried up years during her childhood, she, her brother, and her mother lived a surreal hand-to-mouth existence shaped by her mother’s refusal to accept their new station in life. One day, Natsuko sees an ad for a spa and recognizes the place as the former luxury hotel that Natsuko’s grandfather had taken her mother to when she was little. She decides to take her damaged husband to the spa, despite the cost, but their time there triggers hard but ultimately redemptive memories relating to the complicated history of her family. The overnight trip becomes a voyage into the netherworld—a journey to the doors of death and back to life. Modelled on a classic story by Junichiro Tanizaki, Ninety-Nine Kisses is the second story in this book and it portrays in touching and lyrical fashion the lives of the four unmarried sisters in a historical, close-knit neighbourhood of contemporary Tokyo

This was the big one he had to enter — the most important one of his life. It wasn’t to be held on a golf course, and just by entering he had to win

The course of a century is rewritten in this fabulously warped odyssey, named a best book of the year by the New York Times. Tours of the Black Clock is a wild dream of the twentieth century as told by the ghost of Banning Jainlight. After a disturbing family secret is unearthed, Jainlight throws his father out of a window and burns down the Pennsylvania ranch where he grew up. He escapes to Vienna where he is commissioned to write pornography for a single customer identified as “Client X,” which alters the trajectory of World War II. Eventually Jainlight is accompanied by an aged and senile Adolf Hitler back to America, where both men pursue the same lover. Tours of the Black Clock is a story in which history and the laws of space and time are unforgettably transformed

J'ai rencontré à travers le vaste monde et le long de ma vie bien des femmes exigeantes. Des qui me demandaient de remplacer leur mari au pied levé ; des qui réclamaient ceci et d'autres qui sollicitaient cela et toujours je me suis évertué à les satisfaire. Mais la frangine, ce coup-là, attend vraiment l'impossible de votre San-A.chéri… Un impossible réellement… impossible… Mais moi, vous me connaissez ; rien ne peut m'arrêter ! Alors, poliment, je me penche sur le décolleté de la poupée et je susurre : « Mais voyons, chère amie, tout le plaisir est pour moi ! »

Un homme tout juste sorti du coma qui reçoit de l'infirmière qui l'a veillé la transcription de ses secrets les plus enfouis, de son passé le plus perdu. Un type qui veut être enterré près d'un bordel. Des histoires de couples, de magnétoscope et de pétition. Des rencontres qui ne se feront jamais, des rencontres qui se feront tout de même. La solitude d'un surdoué de neuf ans. Dix nouvelles succulentes, à l'ironie douce-amère, au style léger et aux intrigues à pirouettes, par l'auteur de Saga

Maman disait de moi que j'étais un ange. Un ange tombé du ciel. Mais les anges qui tombent ne se relèvent jamais… Je connais l'enfer dans ses moindres recoins. Je pourrais le dessiner les yeux fermés. Je pourrais en parler pendant des heures. Si seulement j'avais quelqu'un à qui parler… Tama est une esclave. Elle n'a quasiment connu que la servitude. Prisonnière de bourreaux qui ignorent la pitié, elle sait pourtant rêver, aimer, espérer. Une rencontre va peut-être changer son destin… Frapper, toujours plus fort. Les détruire, les uns après les autres. Les tuer tous, jusqu'au dernier. Gabriel est un homme qui vit à l'écart du monde, avec pour seule compagnie ses démons et ses profondes meurtrissures. Un homme dangereux. Un matin, il découvre une inconnue qui a trouvé refuge chez lui. Une jeune femme blessée et amnésique. Qui est-elle ? D'où vient-elle ? Rappelle-toi qui tu es. Rappelle-toi, vite ! Parce que bientôt, tu seras morte. Grande collectionneuse de prix littéraires et maître ès thrillers psychologiques, Karine Giébel est née en 1971. Elle est l'auteur de Meurtres pour rédemption (collection « Rail noir », 2006), des Morsures de l'ombre (Fleuve noir, 2007) prix Intramuros du festival de Cognac 2008 et prix SNCF du polar 2009 et de Chiens de sang (Fleuve noir, 2008). Pour Juste une ombre (Fleuve noir, 2012), elle reçoit le prix Polar francophone du festival de Cognac et le Prix marseillais du polar en 2012. Purgatoire des innocents (Fleuve noir, 2013) confirme son talent et la consacre définitivement « reine du polar ». Après Satan était un ange (Fleuve noir, 2014), elle rejoint les éditions Belfond pour la parution de De force (2016), qui a rencontré un immense succès, de Terminus Elicius (2016) dans une nouvelle édition augmentée, puis de D'ombre et de silence (2017), un recueil de nouvelles où elle condense en quelques pages toute la force de ses romans. Les livres de Karine Giébel se sont vendus à plus d'un million d'exemplaires à ce jour et sont traduits dans une douzaine de langues

Marc Levy a publié neuf romans : Et si c’était vrai… (2000), Ou es-tu ? (2001), Sept jours pour une éternité… (2003), La prochaine fois (2004), Vous revoir (2005), Mes amis Mes amours (2006), Les enfants de la liberté (2007), Toutes ces choses qu’on ne s’est pas dites (2008) et Le premier jour (2009). Traduit dans le monde entier, adapté au cinéma, Marc Levy est depuis neuf ans l’auteur français le plus lu dans le monde