From an exciting and sharp-voiced new observer of American culture, a forthright and probing debut exploring Asian American identity in a racially codified countryAfter his father’s passing in 2019, David Shih sought to unravel the underlying tensions that defined the complex relationship between him and his parents. Ultimately, this forced a reckoning with the expectations he encountered as the only son of Chinese immigrants, and with the realities of what it mean...

This timeless collection of reflective essays invites you to explore themes of grief, loss, tragedy, and disruption through the eyes of an artist's soul. Originally conceived in the shadow of the fallen twin towers of the World Trade Center, near where Fujimura's New York art studio stood, this anniversary edition includes new essays unpacking the author's further insights into his concepts of culture care and a theology of making. Refractions carries the weight of history and the...

A COLONY OF CHAOS AT THE GUILDBlade bees have suddenly attacked the guild's hunting grounds. Zig and his companions put up a mighty fight against the swarm, and while most lives are spared, others are sadly lost. But did this band of blade bees really come out of nowhere? Kirk, the vice president of the guild, has his doubts and hires Zig to investigate the incident. Relying on his carefully cultivated network of connections that includes blacksmiths, demi-humans, ...

The Covid-19 pandemic, which began as an outbreak in Wuhan in late 2019, has claimed millions of lives and caused unprecedented disruptions. Despite its generation-defining significance, there has been a surprising lack of independent research examining the decisions and measures implemented in the weeks leading up to the Wuhan lockdown, as well as the missteps that allowed the novel coronavirus to spread with minimal hindrance.In Wuhan: How the COVID-19 Outbreak in China Spira...

A Dangerous Duo. A Deadly Path Home.Nothing in this world is more dangerous than a witch. The epitome of fear and terror, they can summon floods on a whim, conjure balls of fire out of the air, or even destroy entire countries overnight. Incur their wrath, and no one is safe. At least, that's what everyone thinks, and it's the very reason they all want Siasha dead. After yet another violent battle for her life, she teams up with Zig, a mercenary, and they depart fo...

**‘Brilliant’—**Publishers Weekly Starred ReviewThe legendary Judge Dee Renjie investigates a high-profile murder case in this intriguing companion novel to Inspector Chen and the Private Kitchen Murder set in seventh-century China.Judge Dee Renjie, Empress Wu’s newly appointed Imperial Circuit Supervisor for the Tang Empire, is visiting provinces surrounding the ...

The great Japanese Zen master Hakuin exclaimed, "How priceless is the merit gained through the step-by-step practice of the Five Ranks of Master Tozan!" Hakuin here refers to a teaching created by the Chinese Buddhist master Dongshan, known in Japanese as Zen Master Tozan, which is honored and studied in both Soto and Rinzai schools of Zen and is a gem of the classical Zen tradition. The ranks serve as guides to a radical exploration of the experience of relative and absolute reality, the ...

Shusaku Endo (1923-1996), widely considered one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, is known for his historical novels, which masterfully probe the encounters between the cultures and religions of East and West from a Japanese Catholic perspective. A salient and curious theme in his work is the unique image of a maternal God, and a concomitant sense of loss and longing for maternal love.Confronting the Shadows, the semiautobiographical novella discovered at t...

From a widely celebrated artist, this dazzling book takes listeners on a profound journey into the heart of creativityWhen Makoto Fujimura painted as a child, he felt a mysterious electrical charge pass through him. Over decades of art making, writing, and reflecting in his studio, he has come to understand this charge as his Creator—a source he connects with most profoundly when making art. To be human is to be creative, Fujimura believes, and art making is a disc...

For readers of Han Kang and Sheila Heti, an atmospheric, melancholic novel about a successful sculptor who decides to commit suicide by artfully preparing and deliberately eating a lethal dish of blowfish.Blowfish is a postmodern novel in four parts, alternating between the respective stories of a female sculptor and a male architect. Death is the motif connecting these parallel lives. The sculptor’s grandmother killed herself by eating poisonous blowfish ...

THE WITCH'S RAMPAGEWhen a monstrosity above her rank shows up, Siasha is seated with some undesired downtime. Making the best of a boring situation, she and Zig head to the morning market, only to bear witness to a scuffle between humans and demi-humans. But to the inhuman witch Siasha and mercenary Zig, these interspecies tensions are none of their concern--or so they think. They soon learn that these conflicts are far more deep-rooted than they could've ever imag...

A classic Japanese mystery—a pair of sleuths investigate a series of bloody murders in nineteenth century TokyoA captivating locked room murder mystery perfect for fans of Stuart Turton and Janice HallettJapan, 1869. A time of reform and rebellion.Detectives Kazuki and Kawaji are assigned to investigate a series of seemingly impossible murders. Together with the help of a mysterious shrine maiden, can they solve each gruesome death ...