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What makes a Reaper? What hardships must an innocent child endure to become the vaunted champion of the Eighty-Six? A peek into the past will shed light on his truth. The path he walks is paved with bonds forged in love and broken by tragedy—the shattered fragments of stories untold, committed to memory through the iron will of the one who would shoulder their legacy.

K is madly in love with his best friend, Sumire, but her devotion to a writerly life precludes her from any personal commitments. At least, that is, until she meets an older woman to whom she finds herself irresistibly drawn. When Sumire disappears from an island off the coast of Greece, K is solicited to join the search party—and finds himself drawn back into her world and beset by ominous visions. Subtle and haunting, Sputnik Sweetheart is a profound meditation on human longing.

The Japanese believe everyone has an ikigai—a reason for being that fills each day with meaning. And in a small village in Japan known as Okinawa, where people live longer than anywhere else in the world, finding your ikigai is the key to a happier, healthier life. But what is ikigai, exactly? It's where your passions, your talents, your values, and your livelihood all align. It's the sweet spot that fuels your days with purpose and joy, the reason you leap out of bed each morning eager to embrace the world.

Giant monsters. Tales of eternal love. The beginning of creation. Pint-sized warriors. Long voyages and insurmountable heroics are only a small piece of the classic myths that have helped shape Japan’s unique and immaculate history. Each story in this audiobook is filled with excitement and adventure that is just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.

In Orario, fearless adventurers band together in search of fame and fortune within the monstrous underground labyrinth known as Dungeon. But while riches and renown are incentive enough for most, Bell Cranel, would-be hero extraordinaire, has bigger plans. He wants to pick up girls. Is it wrong to face the perils of Dungeon alone, in a single-member guild blessed by a failed goddess? Maybe. Is it wrong to dream of playing hero to hapless maidens in Dungeon? Maybe not.

When a mysterious woman requests a custom katana, Eizo's passion is ignited. There's just one problem—the client is a demon, and her people have had a complicated and historically violent relationship with humans. Since Eizo desires a peaceful life, can his conscience withstand forging a god-tier weapon for humanity's former enemy? Along with a new commission, Forge Eizo also receives a new family member: an adorable drake called Krul! Unfortunately, navigating wingless dragon ownership isn't the only trial ahead.

As Kazuma spends his downtime bemoaning his party's lack of a little-sister archetype, he's invited to a royal banquet, where he meets the young Princess Iris. She's enthralled by his tales of adventure, and once she takes a liking to him, Kazuma ends up getting transported to the royal castle! Though he's initially unsure of what to expect, life with Iris turns out to be a dream come true, and Kazuma doesn't ever want to wake up. . .so when he hears rumors of a "righteous thief" stalking the capital, Kazuma declares he'll be the one to capture the dastardly do-gooder!

After a bloody turn of events, Ainz has established the Nation of Darkness, aiming to create a utopia where people of all races can enjoy everlasting prosperity—as long they kneel before him. His first goal is to expand the Adventurers Guild to nurture new talent, a task that requires him to vacate his throne for a journey to the empire. At the same time, all of the neighboring rulers have started nervously discussing plans for resistance while watching everything unfold, because when the undying king of an immortal nation makes his first move, the whole world trembles!

My Garden World by Monty Don is a celebration of every living creature that we all share. This year has given us the enforced opportunity to learn more about the fascinating natural world around us. Whether you live in the countryside or the town, Monty's observations and insights are relevant to each and every one of us. My Garden World is Monty Don's personal journey through the natural year, month by month, season by season, observed from the immediate world around him.

'Forest bathing' or shinrin-yoku is a way of walking in the woods that was developed in Japan in the 1980s. It brings together ancient ways and wisdom with cutting-edge environmental health science. Simply put, forest bathing is the practice of walking slowly through the woods, in no hurry, for a morning, an afternoon or a day. It is a practice that involves all the senses and as you gently walk and breathe deeply, the essential oils of the trees are absorbed by your body and have an extraordinary effect on positive feelings.

One day, in a peaceful lizardman village, an ominous messenger visits with a warning from the Great Tomb of Nazarick: In eight days' time, they will be annihilated. Unwilling to stand by and wait, the fighter and traveler Zaryusu journeys to the other lizardman tribes--who have received the same message--hoping to form an alliance against their impossibly strong opponent. But though the warriors try valiantly to resist, Ainz Ooal Gown and his undead army hold the power to determine their fate...

"Hello, white-hair." When someone calls out to Bell with these words, he discovers that the voice belongs to a girl who introduces herself as Lilly. Somewhat goaded into teaming up with her despite the many doubts running through his head, Bell has a successful turn in the dungeon with his new companion. Though their alliance is short-lived, the negative rumors swirling about the guild to which Lilly belongs, the Soma Familia, are anything but.

In search of lost rune technology, Ainz heads for the dwarf country with Aura and Shalltear in tow. On his arrival, instead of a welcoming party, he’s greeted by an army of creatures known as the kuagoa, poised to lay waste to a dwarven city. In his quest to obtain the secrets of the runes and even the rune crafters themselves, Ainz may find himself facing not only these strange subterranean creatures, but also the most powerful race that calls the Azerlisia Mountains home—frost dragons!

Start speaking Japanese in minutes, and grasp the language, culture, and customs in just minutes more with Lower Beginner Japanese, a completely new way to learn Japanese with ease! Lower Beginner Japanese will have you speaking with proper pronunciation from the very first lesson and arm you with cultural insight and other information to utterly shock and amaze your Japanese friends.

So get this…Me, the Demon Lord, the baby bloodsucker, Mera, and the puppet posse are on our way to the demon territory when Mera falls into a hole and gets attacked by giant ants. We wipe ’em out in no time, but the commotion (and totally not me sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong) just haaappens to wake up some ancient, hyper-advanced killing machines, and now the entire planet is gonna be destroyed! It’s such a big deal that Güli-güli, the pontiff, and even Potimas are teaming up with the Demon Lord.

Eleven-year-old Japanese American Owen has been in Japan for his sixth-grade year. By March he finally feels like he's getting the hang of the new culture, making friends at school, and feeling at home with the "weird" food. But early one morning, everything changes - and Owen suddenly finds himself just trying to survive one of history's most devastating disasters.

Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou is Seiren Private Academy’s “solitary princess.” She’s a half-Russian beauty with silver hair, at the top of her class, student council accountant, and…completely unapproachable. For some reason, she’s also taken on the responsibility of reprimanding the slacker who sits next to her in class. Masachika Kuze is constantly frustrating her by falling asleep, forgetting his textbooks, and just being an overall unexemplary student. Or at least, that’s how it looks from the outside. She may put on a tough act, but she doesn’t mind Masachika as much as others would think.

Essential for anyone interested in Japanese culture, this unsurpassed masterwork opens an intriguing window on Japan. The World War II-era study by the cultural anthropologist Ruth Benedict paints an illuminating contrast between the people of Japan and those of the United States. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword is a revealing look at how and why our societies differ, making it the perfect introduction to Japanese history and customs.

The Ephrussis were a grand banking family, as rich and respected as the Rothschilds, who “burned like a comet” in 19th-century Paris and Vienna society. Yet by the end of World War II, almost the only thing remaining of their vast empire was a collection of 264 wood and ivory carvings, none of them larger than a matchbox. The renowned ceramicist Edmund de Waal became the fifth generation to inherit this small and exquisite collection of netsuke. Entranced by their beauty and mystery, he determined to trace the story of his family through the story of the collection.

In the weeks after Japan finally surrendered to the Allies to end World War II, the world turned to the question of how to move on from years of carnage and destruction. For Harry Truman, Douglas MacArthur, Chiang Kai-shek, and their fellow victors, the question of justice seemed clear: Japan’s militaristic leaders needed to be tried and punished for the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor.