Japanese English

Trolls haunt the snowy forests, and terrifying monsters roam the open sea. A young woman journeys to the end of the world, and a boy proves he knows no fear. This collection of 16 traditional tales transports readers to the enchanting world of Nordic folklore. Translated and transcribed by folklorists in the 19th century, and presented here unabridged, the stories are by turns magical, hilarious, cozy, and chilling. They offer a fascinating view into Nordic culture and a comforting wintertime listen.

Time is not on the Empire’s side. It has become painfully clear that simply winning battles will not be enough to turn the tide of this war. Having no interest in sharing the fate of her country, Tanya immediately decides to do the only thing that makes sense—look for a new job! Of course, she’ll have to proceed with extreme caution, because her current employer isn’t some random company but the Imperial Army. As it happens, she isn’t the only one ready to do something drastic when push comes to shove.

The late Dr. Michihiko Hachiya was director of the Hiroshima Communications Hospital when the world's first atomic bomb was dropped on the city. Though his responsibilities in the appalling chaos of a devastated city were awesome, he found time to record the story daily, with compassion and tenderness. Dr. Hachiya's compelling diary was originally published by the UNC Press in 1955, with the help of Dr. Warner Wells of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In 1939 off the New England coast, the submarine USS Squalus accidentally sinks to the bottom of the sea during a training exercise, killing half her crew. Coming to the rescue is the USS Sculpin, in many ways the Squalus’s twin. As their oxygen supply dwindles, the remaining crew aboard the Squalus are saved in a time-consuming, white-knuckle operation. Eventually the sunken submarine is raised, repaired, and returned to duty, with a new name: the Sailfish.

16 years of peace and prosperity have passed since Lord Otori Takeo united the Three Countries. Takeo and his beloved consort, Kaede, have three daughters and a happy family life. Their success has attracted the attention of the distant Emperor and his general, the warlord Saga Hideki, who covet the wealth of the Countries. Meanwhile, the violent acts and betrayals of the past will not lie buried, and other secrets will not stay hidden. Everything that Takeo and Kaede have achieved is threatened.

Stuck in cycles of inaction and self-sabotage? Does procrastination keep you from reaching your potential? Every day, your ambitions clash with habits that leave you unfocused, overwhelmed, and searching for a way to move forward. What if proven methods could break those patterns and replace them with purpose, discipline, and steady progress? Discover Ikigai, Kaizen, and Hansei—three powerful Japanese principles to help you reclaim your time, reshape your habits, and align your life with what truly matters.

The 24 stories that make up Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman generously express the incomparable Haruki Murakami’s mastery of the form. Here are animated crows, a criminal monkey, and an ice man, as well as the dreams that shape us and the things for which we might wish. From the surreal to the mundane, these stories exhibit Murakami’s ability to transform the full range of human experience in ways that are instructive, surprising, and entertaining.

In this groundbreaking biography of the Japanese emperor Hirohito, Herbert P. Bix offers the first complete, unvarnished look at the enigmatic leader whose 63-year reign ushered Japan into the modern world. Never before has the full life of this controversial figure been revealed with such clarity and vividness. Bix describes what it was like to be trained from birth for a lone position at the apex of the nation's political hierarchy and as a revered symbol of divine status.

Riordan is an immortal Carpathian male, trapped and caged, his honor compromised by his captors. They're in his mind. They're in his blood. And not one can withstand his desire for revenge. Juliette is an activist devoted to liberating animals from a secret jungle lab. What she stumbles upon is a prisoner like no other. She will release him from his bonds. He will release her from her inhibitions.

Yahoo's lead baseball columnist offers an in-depth look at the most valuable commodity in sports - the pitching arm - and how its vulnerability to injury is hurting players and the game, from Little League to the majors.

After botching a suicide attempt, salaryman Hanio Yamada decides to put his life up for sale in the classifieds section of a Tokyo newspaper. Soon interested parties come calling with increasingly bizarre requests and what follows is a madcap comedy of errors, involving a jealous husband, a drug-addled heiress, poisoned carrots - even a vampire. For someone who just wants to die, Hanio can't seem to catch a break, as he finds himself enmeshed in a continent-wide conspiracy that puts him in the crosshairs of both his own government and a powerful organized-crime syndicate.

The Merciless Queen, a high-ranking commander unit for the Legion, has finally been taken into custody. Now the Federacy, the United Kingdom, and the Alliance of Wald can conduct a thorough analysis of this special Ameise, which houses the consciousness of Legion developer Zelene Birkenbaum. If their efforts bear fruit, they may learn the secret to stopping the Legion once and for all! In the meantime, the Federacy has decided to rest its battle-worn blades. The Eighty-Sixth Strike Package has been allowed leave for the first time in ages.

Finding your ikigai—the thing that makes you jump out of bed in the morning—is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. The concept of ikigai is closely linked to the idea of finding one's passion in life. If you want to live a life of meaning and passion, you’ll have to start by facing your deepest fears and desiring a life worth living. If you don’t have this desire, your life becomes a journey of self-improvement with nothing else to define you. In this audiobook, you will learn what Ikigai is all about.

The newly crowned 16-year-old Grand Duke of Brunhild, Mochizuki Touya, is just starting to get the hang of managing a nation. What better way to christen his Duchy than to host a party with all the other royals in the region? Laughter! Fun! Pinball! But it's not all fun and games. Touya's search to uncover the truth behind the Phrase and Babylon brings him to the depths of the darkest forests and the caps of the snowiest mountains. Not only that, but new territory means new responsibilities, and soon enough, the eyes of the Vatican fall upon him.

As autumn arrives, so too does the harvest festival, and everyone is in a celebratory mood. Dwarf Shaman, Priestess, and even Female Knight help with preparations for the revelries, but Guild Girl has her eyes fixed on an even greater prize—a date with Goblin Slayer! With no goblins around, the awkward adventurer has no reason to refuse, but where does that leave his old friend Cow Girl...? Emotional entanglements are in the air, but Goblin Slayer senses some menace lurking behind these seemingly peaceful days.

Stalwart as ever, 16-year-old Mochizuki Touya heads off to the far eastern land of Eashen with his party in tow. For what purpose? The Matriarch of the Fairy Clan wishes to delve into some ancient ruins, of course! But it's never quite that simple for Touya and his friends, oh no. The party is thrust into the midst of a clash between the warlords Takeda Schingen and Tokugawa Ieyahsu while a nefarious necromancer makes his move in the shadows.

Kazuma and crew have made it through the winter in one piece (for the most part), and they're in dire need of a break...and for stressed and tired adventurers, there's only one place to go—the hot springs! With open-air baths and beautiful mountain scenery, Arcanletia has everything they need for a relaxing vacation. Not only that, but rumor has it the Demon King's army is avoiding the place. The reports also say it's because Aqua's Axis Church scared them off, but her loyal followers can't be that bad, right...?

Kitsune are fox spirits that take on human form and play tricks on people. One such man fell in love with a kitsune disguised as a beautiful woman.

Goblins are the weakest of the monsters, with only numbers in their favor. No warrior would dedicate himself to their eradication—except for Goblin Slayer. As his reputation spreads, a quest comes from none other than the Supreme God's own archbishop—Sword Maiden, the Gold-ranked adventurer renowned for defeating a Demon Lord. The former hero brings a report of goblins beneath the flourishing, peaceful water town, followed by a plea for Goblin Slayer and his companions to investigate, since no one else will.

Almost every afternoon, the Woman in the Purple Skirt sits on the same park bench, where she eats a cream bun while the local children make a game of trying to get her attention. Unbeknownst to her, she is being watched—by the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan, who is always perched just out of sight, monitoring which buses she takes, what she eats, whom she speaks to.