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EMPRESS OF THE SEVEN HILLS

From the national bestselling author of Daughters of Rome and Mistress of Rome comes a tale of love, power, and intrigue spanning the wilds of the Empire to the seven hills of Rome.

Powerful, prosperous, and expanding ever farther into the untamed world, the Roman Empire has reached its zenith under the rule of the beloved Emperor Trajan. But neither Trajan nor his reign can last forever…

Brash and headstrong, Vix is a celebrated ex-gladiator returned to Rome to make his fortune. The sinuous, elusive Sabina is a senator’s daughter who craves adventure.

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THE NIGHT SWIMMER

The Night Swimmer, Matt Bondurant’s utterly riveting modern gothic novel of marriage and belonging, confirms his gift for storytelling that transports and enthralls.

In a small town on the southern coast of Ireland, an isolated place only frequented by fishermen and the occasional group of bird-watchers, Fred and Elly Bulkington, newly arrived from Vermont having won a pub in a contest, encounter a wild, strange land shaped by the pounding storms of the North Atlantic, as well as the native resistance to strangers. As Fred revels in the life of a new pubowner, Elly takes the ferry out to a nearby island where anyone not born there is called a “blow-in.”

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THE FOREIGNERS

A glittering, energetic novel set in the eccentric and decadent city of Buenos Aires, where three women discover their own kinds of awakenings.

Buenos Aires is a city of Parisian affectations and national anxiety, of amorous young lovers, seedy ports, flooded slums, and a dazzling social elite. And in this heady maze of contradiction and possibility are three women: Daisy, an American divorcée; Isolde, a beautiful, lonely Austrian; and Leonarda, a chameleonic Argentine with radical dreams of rebellion.

Against the throbbing backdrop of this shimmering city—a character in itself—Maxine Swann has created a stunning narrative of reawakened sensuality and compulsive desire that simultaneously explores with remarkable acuity themes of foreignness,

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THE LAST ROMANOV

For almost a century, the Romanov reign has captivated the imagination. Through the eyes of Darya, Imperial Russia-with its enchanting ballets, avante-garde artwork, sumptuous banquets, and ornate jewels- bursts into life, rich and glorious. The royal family embraces Darya, pulling her close until her heart and soul are inextricably bound to the fate of the last Romanov.

Her years spent in the grandeur of the Imperial Family haunt Darya. Even now, as a wise beauty with an energy younger than her many years, she believes she is responsible for those murderous events that changed everything. If she can find the heir to the Russian throne,

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RADIO SHANGRI-LA

Lisa Napoli was in the grip of a crisis, dissatisfied with her life and her work as a radio journalist. When a chance encounter with a handsome stranger presented her with an opportunity to move halfway around the world, Lisa left behind cosmopolitan Los Angeles for a new adventure in the ancient Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan—said to be one of the happiest places on earth.

Long isolated from industrialization and just beginning to open its doors to the modern world, Bhutan is a deeply spiritual place, devoted to environmental conservation and committed to the happiness of its people—in fact,

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STATE OF WONDER

One of our recommended books for 2013 is State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

In a narrative replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, scientific miracles, and spiritual transformations, State of Wonder presents a world of stunning surprise and danger, rich in emotional resonance and moral complexity.

As Dr. Marina Singh embarks upon an uncertain odyssey into the insect-infested Amazon, she will be forced to surrender herself to the lush but forbidding world that awaits within the jungle. Charged with finding her former mentor Dr. Annick Swenson, a researcher who has disappeared while working on a valuable new drug, she will have to confront her own memories of tragedy and sacrifice as she journeys into the unforgiving heart of darkness.

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