Showing results by author "Banks" in All Categories

Count Sessine is about to die for the very last time.... Chief Scientist Gadfium is about to receive the mysterious message she has been waiting for from the Plain of Sliding Stones.... And Bascule the Teller, in search of an ant, is about to enter the chaos of the crypt.... And everything is about to change.... For this is the time of the encroachment and, although the dimming sun still shines on the vast, towering walls of Serehfa Fastness, the end is close at hand.

The Culture - a human/machine symbiotic society - has thrown up many great Game Players, and one of the greatest is Gurgeh: Jernau Morat Gurgeh, The Player of Games, master of every board, computer, and strategy. Bored with success, Gurgeh travels to the Empire of Azad, cruel and incredibly wealthy, to try their fabulous game... a game so complex, so like life itself, that the winner becomes emperor.

A guide to why we should first love ourselves and how to go about it. Most women have been conditioned to believe that self-love is selfish and that self-sacrifice is a virtue. Many focus their desire for love and wholeness outside themselves and onto others, such as their partners, only to feel disappointed that they don’t get back what they give. Does this ring true for you?

This is the true story of Keith Banks, one of Queensland's most decorated police officers, and his journey into the drug scene as an undercover operative in the 1980s. In an era of corruption, often alone, with no backup, he and other undercover cops quickly learned to blend into the drug scene, smoking dope and drinking with targets, buying drugs and having dealers arrested. Very quickly, the lines were blurred between his identity as a police officer and the life he pretended to be part of.

Whether you find yourself constantly seeking reassurance in love or pushing away from too much closeness, "Anxious Attachment and Avoidant Detachment" provides the tools to navigate the complexities of intimacy with grace and confidence. You'll learn to speak the language of love fluently, to listen with empathy, and to build the kind of relationships you've always deserved—one where love is not a source of angst but a foundation for growth.

A few spliffs, a spot of mild S&M, phone through the copy of tomorrow's front page, catch up with the latest from your mystery source - could be big, could be very big - in fact, just a regular day at the office for free-wheeling, substance-abusing Cameron Colley, a fully paid-up Gonzo hack on an Edinburgh newspaper. The source is pretty thin, but Cameron senses a scoop and checks out a series of bizarre deaths from a few years ago - only to find that the police are checking out a series of bizarre deaths that are happening right now. Cameron just might know more about it than he'd care to admit.

Negativity is a normal part of life. Nobody can be positive all that time because life isn’t always going to be perfect. That said, sometimes negativity infiltrates our minds and bodies and never leaves. A good day can be ruined by your mind dwelling on something stupid that happened years ago. You sit for hours ruminating over it, and before you realize it, you have wasted a great day. We’ve all had experiences like that, and they suck.

When Gabe Hamilton saw Mia Crestwell walk into the ballroom for his hotel’s grand opening, he knew he was going to hell for what he had planned. After all, Mia is his best friend’s little sister. Except she’s not so little anymore. And Gabe has waited a long time to act on his desires. Gabe has starred in Mia’s fantasies more than once, ever since she was a teenager with a huge crush on her brother’s best friend. So what if Gabe’s 14 years older? Mia knows he’s way out of her league, but her attraction has only grown stronger with time. She’s an adult now, and there’s no reason not to act on her most secret desires.

It is 4034 AD. Humanity has made it to the stars. Fassin Taak, a Slow Seer at the Court of the Nasqueron Dwellers, will be fortunate if he makes it to the end of the year. The Nasqueron Dwellers inhabit a gas giant on the outskirts of the galaxy, in a system awaiting its wormhole connection to the rest of civilisation.

In this simple but profound tale, four colleagues meet a remarkable gardener whose unique philosophy will forever change their lives. That philosophy is equally powerful for the listener. The wisdom within this book comes in the form of a straightforward message that is accessible to all who will open their hearts to it.

One shady deal could kill them all. A mysterious illness plagues shapeshifters at the Summit, and if Jolie can't find out what's causing it, she may lose her best friend and one of her former lovers. But when a note appears demanding Jolie in exchange for the antidote, Jolie must choose between her friends... and herself.

He’s grumpy. He’s bossy. He hates my freaking guts. So why do I get the feeling… That he secretly wants to kiss me? Carter Walker is the worst boss in history. Okay fine. He’s the worst hot boss in history. Still. It’s not like it matters or anything. The man hates my guts. I mean, he has to. Why else would he walk around glaring at me all the time? And demand I spend the day shopping with him? Yeah, he’s definitely doing it just to torture me. It’s probably nothing. Except now he’s telling me that my curves are beautiful.

Callum Walker is a crazy grump. Okay, fine. He’s a hot, crazy grump. Still. He’s known me for less than a day. And now he’s showing up at my job saying that I’m the one. Like I said. Crazy. But there’s something else about him too. Something protective in the way he looks at me. And when he sees me on one of the worst days of my life He doesn’t even flinch. He just tosses me over his shoulder and says “you’re mine.”

Colt Walker is a charming grump. Okay fine. He’s a hot, charming grump. I’ll give him that. Even though me being stuck out here alone is my own fault. He doesn’t make me feel bad about it. Or ask me my why I’m trying to avoid my stepsister’s wedding. He just scoops me into his arms and carries me off into the woods. Back to his cabin. Where he lives. I’m not normally like this.

Cody Walker is a cocky grump. Okay, fine. He’s a hot cocky grump. But still. I don’t have time for his teasing or his jokes. I’m a woman on a mission. And I’m not about to let anyone stand in my way. Especially not him. Besides, guys who look like Cody don’t go for curvy girls like me. Right? I mean yeah, he did sort of save my life. And he was really sweet when I basically fell apart in his arms.

From infancy to empty-nesting, parenting is full of surprises and scares, hard decisions and unexpected blessings. Through it all, your children need your prayers. In 90 days of poignant prayers drawn from Scripture, James Banks guides you to speak God’s words of promise and comfort back to Him. As pastor, parent, and grandparent, James uses his deep knowledge of the Bible to address your child’s needs and challenges, covering everything from salvation and temptation to anxiety, growth, and contentment.

Her mother would absolutely die. Her father would send her away to a convent. And Sebastian and Quinn...she shuddered to think of her brothers' reaction were they to suspect what she was doing. Yet here she stood, poised to knock on the door of London's most renowned lover. Lady Jenna's future may be promised to a man who leaves her cold, but she is determined to spend her present in the arms of Grayson Douglas, a rake whose prowess in bedroom activities is a legendary topic of London's most esteemed women

Haley has been struggling to fulfill her father's dying wish: to attend a prestigious music school in New York City. But even working two jobs, she can't afford the tiniest of apartments. Seeing her hopeless and near tears, Silas vows to help and protect her, no matter the cost to himself. But when Haley meets his every demand with unwavering acceptance and love, he is overwhelmed by her goodness and gentle spirit. He knows that the dark stain on his soul can never be erased.

Elara can pull the stars from the sky...literally. Afraid of what the Warlords of Minloa might do to her, she hides her powers. Until she can't anymore. Discovering her past and the bloodlines she possesses, changes everything. She's much more important to the Seelie fae than she ever dreamed possible.

Iain Banks, aka Iain M Banks, came to fame in 1984 with his transfixing debut The Wasp Factory, described as both ‘a work of unparalleled depravity’ and 'a masterpiece'. In 1993 he was acknowledged as one of the Best of Young British Writers, and his numerous bestselling books include The Crow Road, Complicity and the ‘Culture’ sci-fi series. Collected here are three of his best works, as heard on BBC Radio.