Saramago's Jesus is the son not of God but of Joseph. Mary Magdalene is his lover not his convert. In the wilderness he tussles not with the Devil – a kindly and necessary evil – but with God, a fallible, power-hungry autocrat. And he must die not for the sins of the fathers but for the sins of the Father. By investigating these simple inversions Saramago has woven a dark parable; a secular gospel of astonishing richness and depth. ‘An original, wild and beautiful book’ Times Literary Supplement

Enter the adrenaline-laced story that started it all: the fate of two worlds hangs in the balance of one man's choices as dreams and reality collide. Thomas Hunter narrowly escapes mysterious assailants only to encounter a silent bullet that clips his head . . . and his world goes black. He awakens in an alternate reality and soon finds himself pulled between two worlds. In one, Thomas is an average guy working in a coffeehouse. In the other, he’s a battle-scarred general leading a band of warriors known as the Circle. Every time Thomas falls asleep in one reality, he wakes in the other—and both worlds are facing catastrophic disaster. In one world, he must race to outwit sadistic terrorists intent on creating a global pandemic by releasing an unstoppable virus. In the other, far into the future, a forbidden love could forever destroy the Circle’s ragtag resistance. Thomas can bridge both worlds, but he quickly realizes that he may not be able to save either. In this mind-bending adventure, the fate of both worlds now rests on his ability to shift realities through his dreams—and somehow find a way to change history. From New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker, experience the novel that launched The Circle. Full-length epic contemporary fantasy Part of the Circle Series Book 1: Black Book 2: Red Book 3: White Book 4: Green Includes discussion questions for book clubs

“A narrative of great power. Warm with friendly personality and pulsating with . . . profound eloquence and religious fervor.” —New York Times In this novel based on the familiar story of the Exodus, Zora Neale Hurston blends the Moses of the Old Testament with the Moses of black folklore and song to create a compelling allegory of power, redemption, and faith.

"Wherever she is, there is Eden." -Mark Twain, Eve's Diary (1906) Eve's Diary: Translated from the Original Ms. (1906), by Mark Twain, is a sequel to Extracts from Adam's Diary (1904) and is a comic narrative based on the biblical creation story about Eve from her creation to her burial by Adam. This story is said to be dedicated to Twain's wife Olivia Langdon Clemens, who died in 1904, just before the story was written. This jacketed hardcover replica of the original edition of Eve's Diary, with fifty-five beautiful illustrations by Lester Ralph, offers a lighthearted but emotional read.

The untold story of Jerobaam, fourth king of Israel, and Michal, King David's discarded Queen, by bestselling Israeli author Yochi Brandes.

The conversation continues. What if a stranger knew you better than you know yourself? Exasperated by her husband’s sudden new obsession with Jesus, Mattie Cominsky views an out-of-town business trip as a welcome opportunity to reflect on their marriage—and to decide if it’s time to put an end to this painfully unrewarding relationship. Aboard the plane, Mattie is relieved to find herself seated next to a passenger who shares her scorn for religion. After she confides her husband’s unexpected turn, their conversation soon leads to a fascinating exploration of spirituality, God, and the quest for meaningful connection. Mattie’s skepticism softens under the perceptive insights of this stranger, and she finds herself confronting the unspoken longings of her soul. As his comments touch on personal issues he couldn’t possibly know about, she begins to wonder if she’s misjudged not only Nick but also the God he now claims to believe in.

“Salomé” is a 1891 play in one act by Oscar Wilde. Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854–1900) was an Irish poet and playwright who became one of the most popular in London during the 1880s and 1890s. Well-known for his sharp wit and extravagant attire, Wilde was a proponent of aestheticism and wrote in a variety of forms including poetry, fiction, and drama. He was famously imprisoned for homosexual acts from 1895 to 1897 and died at the age of 46, just three years after his release. In his play “Salomé”, Wilde offers his own telling of the Bible's story of Salome, the stepdaughter of Herod Antipas who demands John the Baptist's head as payment for her performance of the dance of the seven veils. A fantastic play not to be missed by lovers of the stage and fans Wilde's seminal work. Other notable works by this author include: “Picture of Dorian Gray” (1890), “An Ideal Husband” (1893), and “The Importance of Being Earnest” (1895). Read & Co. Classics is proudly republishing this classic play now complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

"We have stepped off the cliff and are falling into madness." The mind-bending pace of Black accelerates in Red, Book Two of Ted Dekker's groundbreaking Circle trilogy. Less than a month ago, Thomas Hunter was a failed writer selling coffee at the Java Hut in Denver. Now he finds himself in a desperate quest to rescue two worlds from collapse. In one world, he's a battle-scarred general commanding an army of primitive warriors. In the other, he's racing to outwit sadistic terrorists intent on creating global chaos through an unstoppable virus. Two worlds on the brink of destruction. One unthinkable solution. Enter an adrenaline-laced epic where dreams and reality collide. Nothing is as it seems, as Black turns to Red

The renowned author of The Prophet creates a portrait of Jesus Christ through the observations of seventy-seven of his peers in this fascinating compendium. What if we had firsthand impressions of the son of God found not in the pages of the New Testament, but from the very people who surrounded him? This is what Kahlil Gibran imagined in this lyrical and inspiring book. He captured the observations of friends, enemies, commoners, and rulers in beautifully poetic passages. Anna the mother of Mary said of her daughter, “Sometimes it seems that my longing for Him is greater than hers. She stands as firm before the day as if she were a bronzen image, while my heart melts and runs intro streams. Perhaps she knows what I do not know. Would that she might tell me also.” James, the son of Zebedee warned, “The only man among us who did not turn to behold Him in His aloneness was Judas Iscariot. And from that day Judas became sullen and distant. And methought there was danger in the sockets of his eyes.” “It is as a fellow-countryman that [Gibran] approaches the Man of Nazareth. What we have in his case is not history but drama, a series of soliloquies, poetic in structure and beauty, which are attributed to the contemporaries of Jesus, sometimes authentic, like Mary Magdalen, sometimes imagined, as Philemon, a Greek apothecary. Of the immortal theme, here is a treatment, certainly unusual, possibly unique . . . The opinions about Jesus, whether appreciative or depreciatory, when attributed to his contemporaries, are often brilliant in phrase and accurate in perception.” —The New York Times

Fleeing King Manasseh's tyranny, Joshua leads the faithful remnant to their new home in Egypt. But as years pass, Joshua's desire for vengeance becomes an obsession. Blinded by hatred, he makes rash decisions, placing his loved ones in jeopardy. Amid Joshua's turmoil comes an unexpected awakening of love--a love that burns so intensely it draws him from the dark inner seclusion where he often retreats. But what will it take for him to grasp the great love his Heavenly Father has for him...and for the chosen people of Judah? (Chronicles of the King Book 5)