Strange Beauty


Book Description

"A study of reliquaries as a form of representation in medieval art. Explores how reliquaries stage the importance and meaning of relics using a wide range of artistic means from material and ornament to metaphor and symbolism"--Provided by publisher.




Strange Grace


Book Description

“Gloriously dark and romantic.” —Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen “An alluring and seductive fairy tale.” —Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation “Horrifying, heartbreaking, and heartwarming, a lush fairy tale rooted in a moral quandary.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “An eerie, consuming tale of sacrifice and faith. Haunting and unique.” —Booklist “Evocative.” —BCCB Once, a witch made a pact with a devil. The legend says they loved each other, but can the story be trusted at all? Find out in this lush, atmospheric fantasy novel that entwines love, lies, and sacrifice. Long ago, a village made a bargain with the devil: to ensure their prosperity, when the Slaughter Moon rises, the village must sacrifice a young man into the depths of the Devil’s Forest. Only this year, the Slaughter Moon has risen early. Bound by duty, secrets, and the love they share for one another, Mairwen, a spirited witch; Rhun, the expected saint; and Arthur, a restless outcast, will each have a role to play as the devil demands a body to fill the bargain. But the devil these friends find is not the one they expect, and the lies they uncover will turn their town—and their hearts—inside out.




Strange


Book Description

Over fifty of the most fascinating accounts of history’s greatest unsolved mysteries. Did werewolves roam the countryside of fifteenth century France? What exactly is El Chupacabra, a creature whose name translates to “The Goat Sucker” in English? What phantoms and apparitions drift the halls of Borley Rectory, earning it the nickname of “The Most Haunted House in England”? Featuring maps, callouts, and facts that locate these mysterious happenings, Strange is a groundbreaking book and the first of its kind. In this riveting account of history’s most baffling mysteries, two of the world’s leading authorities on the supernatural, writer Colin Wilson and his son, Damon, search for the elusive answers to the most puzzling questions of the all time—from the fate of Atlantis to the curses of the ancient Egyptians to the Bermuda Triangle. Dozens of mysteries, some that have puzzled scientists and thinkers for centuries, are collected, illustrated, and explained in this captivating—and chilling—book. Lavishly illustrated and expertly written, Strange continues the Wilsons’ quest for answers to the great mysteries of the universe, taking readers on a journey beyond the imagination where fact seems stranger than fiction.




Strange Stories About Hindu Saints, Temples And Historical Atrocities


Book Description

This book has a collection of articles to cater to the needs of people with different tastes. They can be classified under five broad categories. 1) Temples, 2) Saints and Miracles, 3) Stories about Gem Stones, 4) Historical incidents and 5) Anecdotes. I struggled a lot to find a common title to the book and at last decided at the current title after several additions, commissions, and omissions.




Strange Eventful History


Book Description

In this fascinating book, Christopher Loveless threads together the biographies of all the Church of England's saints, famous and unknown, to create one continuous story. Beginning as a small company of the friends of a crucified carpenter, the church has grown into a worldwide movement whose restless quest for God and creative dynamism has shaped our culture and all our lives. This book tells you the stories of the men and women who made it happen, martyrs and theologians, missionaries and mystics, writers and reformers, misfits and even the odd criminal. The story of the saints is the story of humanity.




Odd Thomas


Book Description

Meet Odd Thomas, the unassuming young hero of Dean Koontz’s dazzling New York Times bestseller, a gallant sentinel at the crossroads of life and death who offers up his heart in these pages and will forever capture yours. “The dead don’t talk. I don’t know why.” But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Sometimes the silent souls who seek out Odd want justice. Occasionally their otherworldly tips help him prevent a crime. But this time it’s different. A stranger comes to Pico Mundo, accompanied by a horde of hyena-like shades who herald an imminent catastrophe. Aided by his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, Odd will race against time to thwart the gathering evil. His account of these shattering hours, in which past and present, fate and destiny, converge, is a testament by which to live—an unforgettable fable for our time destined to rank among Dean Koontz’s most enduring works.




Jack's Strange Tales Collection


Book Description

All six books in 'Jack's Strange Tales', a series by Jack Strange, now in one volume! Strange Tales of Scotland: Strange Tales of Scotland all deal with a particular aspect of Scottish mysteries. You'll learn of the ghost that appeared at the wedding of King Alexander II, of monsters such as the Shellycoat and Water-horse that were thought to inhabit Scotland’s lochs. Another part deals exclusively with Loch Ness, and the strange happenings at that mysterious body of water. Later, we have a look at the mysterious deaths at the Flannan Islands Lighthouse, and at the strange creatures that were once believed to infest the hills and glens of Scotland, including the terrifying brollachan and the slaugh. It's A Strange Place, England: This small book looks at some of the strange things that make England unique, starting with the English language itself and looking at concepts such as sports, ghosts and the English love for eccentricity - like the sportsman who rode his horse naked. There is also the impressively masculine Cerne Abbas Giant, to which women once flocked when they wished to become pregnant. The mysterious Stonehenge also deserves its part in this book. From Robin Hood to highwaymen and smugglers, English folk tales take some very ruthless people and turn them into heroes that they most certainly were not. Finally, there's a cheerful chapter that looks at pubs, which figure prominently in many English tales and are a part of modern culture all over the world today. The Strangeness That Is Wales: This book looks at the strange legends, tales and ghosts of Wales. Although the stories are intended to entertain as much as educate, the historical facts are accurate. Included are stories on ghosts - both real and fake - and the legend of King Arthur. Welsh animal lore, customs, monsters and music are also examined. One of the strangest villages in the world gets a chapter to itself, as do witches, miners and druids. The book is written in a personal, light-hearted style, with geographical references to help identify the places. Hopefully, you will come away with a different view on Wales - and a smile on your face. Strange Tales of the Sea: What lurks beneath the waves, and onboard the most mysterious of ships? Get ready to experience the lore and lure of the sea with these myths, legends and true stories. Centuries-old folklore and tales of haunted vessels. Sea monsters and ghosts. Cannibalism at sea, and mysterious disappearances. Included are also tales of sailors ashore, and the prostitutes and crimps that preyed on them. Find out what happened to stowaways, how they were treated, and about the myth that women were not welcome on ships. Strange Ireland: In Ireland, truth, folklore, mythology, and legend are indistinguishably interwoven into a Celtic knot of strangeness. From fact to fiction and the peculiar to the bizarre, unravel some of Ireland’s most curious lore: the Blarney Stone kissing ceremony, the giant behind the Giant’s Causeway, the escapades of Saint Patrick, and the myths of the 1690 battle of the River Boyne among many others. Among the twenty-six chapters each detailing a unique Irish oddity, discover the history of Emerald Isle in a new light. More Strange Scotland: More Strange Scotland is a collection of anecdotes, facts, folklore and legends about the strangeness of that little nation on the western fringe of Europe. From fairies to witches and the frightening water horses, Scotland has a host of legends. Add haunted castles, strange pub names and devilish people to the mix, sprinkle with Aberlour spirits and the mists of Skye and then open the book. If ghostly bagpipers and unseen river monsters don’t scare you off, then you may revel in the stories from this most strange of all countries.




Strange Ways to Die in History


Book Description

Death comes for us all in the end. But it does not always come in a way you might expect. Throughout history there have been people who have suffered extraordinary, unusual, and downright weird demises. In Strange Ways to Die in History you will find out about the true stories behind unlikely stories of bizarre accidents, assassinations, and misadventures. Did a playwright really die from a tortoise being dropped on his head by an eagle? Why did an English vicar end up being eaten by lions? And what are the chances of fatality from falling into a toilet? Looking at the lives that came before the deaths reveals some of histories most fascinating individuals. Some of those examined are well known. Some are remembered only for the odd way they departed this life. Some have been forgotten entirely. Sometimes how a person dies, and how history has recorded the event, can tell us a lot about society and how we remember. This book uncovers eye-witnesses to the deaths described and contemporary reports from those who were left behind.




Strange 66


Book Description

When you open Strange 66, take a look beyond the all-American sheen to the seedy, creepy, and just plain weird stories behind America's Mother Road. Route 66 conjures images of an innocent golden age of car travel: shiny V8s powering down hot, two-lane blacktop, sucking 20-cent-a-gallon gasoline, and periodically depositing their occupants at mom-n-pop greasy spoons, neon-lit motels, and tourist traps. But America’s Mother Road wasn’t all about ruddy-cheeked, summer vacationers. Route 66 and the regions it traverses have a side more seldom seen, rich with weird tales (mimetic architecture, paranormal phenomena, and even cryptozoology) to the downright sordid and seedy (murder, mistreatment, and other assorted mayhem). In Strange 66, bestselling Route 66 authority Michael Witzel explores the flip side of Route 66 to offer details on infamous Route 66 locations that once served as hideouts for the James Gang (Meramec Caverns), Bonnie and Clyde (Baxter Springs, Kansas), and Al Capone (Cicero, Illinois). There are the stories of unspeakable crimes committed along 66, such as the Stafflebeck “murder bordello” in Galena, Kansas, and Arizona’s “Orphan Maker of Route 66.” Witzel also explores the people that passed through the region, including the Dust Bowl exodus and the Trail of Tears tribute in Jerome, Missouri. Then there are the lighter, though still strange stories, such as the Route 66 Great Transcontinental Footrace and the origins of various roadside colossi, like the Blue Whale of Catoosa and Giganticus Headicus in Walapai, Arizona. And speaking of heads, what about steak? Eat one as big as your head at the Big Texan in Amarillo—and it’s free! All of these stories culminate in a look at Route 66 unlike any other, completely illustrated with modern and archival photography and written by an acknowledged authority on the Mother Road.