Julie Žemlová Book order (chronological)

Six of Crows is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo¿s new series which takes place in the same universe as her immensely popular Grisha trilogy. If you are unfamiliar with her debut series, this one might be a little confusing as it is written with the understanding that the reader already has a grasp on the world involving Grisha. Bardugo¿s writing immediately drew me in, her world is rich, her characters are complex, and the story line provided plenty of twists that kept me guessing till the end. Though the characters in this novel are in their teens, they could have easily been written as older characters with burdensome backstories and intelligent personalities.

When you can’t beat the odds, change the game. Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets—a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold - a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed. Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country's magical military elite - and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift. As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation. Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.

Having moved into an abandoned haunted house, the narrator—undaunted by the warnings of the locals—sets before a group of friends the task of driving the ghosts out of the house’s various rooms before reconvening on Twelfth Night. The resulting ghost stories form the basis of a thrilling narrative. Initially commissioned for his periodical All the Year Round, Dickens enlisted some of the period’s most famous writers—including Elizabeth Gaskell and Wilkie Collins—to collaborate with him on this Victorian supernatural classic.

Autor úspěšné knihy Dobré zprávy pro špatné dny dále rozvádí své úvahy o produchovnělém životě a o tom, že objev vlastní duše znamená pro život člověka zásadní obrat. Ten v této knize sleduje v jednotlivých „stupních duše“, aby opět na základě svých bohatých zkušeností ze života a kněžského působení v New Yorku a v rozhlasové stanici, na základě mnoha setkání a seznámení se s osudy řady lidí ukázal, že život nikdy neztrácí svůj smysl a vždy nabízí víc, než by člověk čekal.

Drawing from her experiences with the regrets of dying individuals, Bronnie Ware offers a collection of 52 inspiring stories that encourage readers to embrace life fully. Each story is paired with insights from her daily life, promoting values essential for living without regret. Whether read weekly or in one sitting, these narratives aim to shift perspectives, foster inner strength, and ignite dreams. This gentle yet impactful book motivates readers to honor their past, embrace their hearts, and pursue a future filled with happiness and wonder.

Many, if not most, people and institutions remain in 'the first half of life' forever, preoccupied with establishing their identity, climbing, achieving, and performing. If you knew there was a further journey, wouldn't you choose to do the 'first half' quite differently? The further journey involves challenges, mistakes, loss of control, even 'necessary suffering' because that is how we grow. This message of falling down and in fact moving up is the most counterintuitive message in most of the world religions, including and most especially Christianity. We grow spiritually much more by doing it wrong than by doing it right. The Companion Journal helps those who have (and those who have not) read Falling Upward to engage more deeply with the questions the book raises. Using a blend of quotes, questions for individual and group reflection, stories, and suggestions for spiritual practices, it provides a wise guide for deepening the spiritual journey - at any time of life.