**A unique blend of personal reflection, creative histories, and interview-based nonfiction that vividly imagines the lives of Buddhist women over 2,500 years.Of Mud and Lotuses illuminates the hardships, resilience, and creative ways in which Buddhist women have applied the Dharma to daily life—often in ways that history has ignored.**With lyrical storytelling and a perspective informed by decades as a Japanese American scholar of women in Buddhism, Paula Arai con...

Fashionable and upbeat high schooler Aya loves listening to rock, but no one else seems to share her interest…until she meets a cool, stylish employee at a CD shop. Dressed in black from head to toe, he has this air of mystery about him, and his taste in music is impeccable. Aya falls hard for him—not knowing her crush is actually her female classmate Mitsuki! For her part, Mitsuki generally keeps to herself and avoids standing out at school. But given that she sits right next to Aya, Mits...

After hearing Mitsuki’s song, an excited Aya encourages her to share it with the world! Mitsuki is more than a little hesitant to put herself out there, but with Aya’s support and inspiration from a music festival they attend together, she begins to pursue her passion in earnest. When a certain video of her singing goes viral, though, Mitsuki ends up becoming somewhat of a celebrity at school…and her newfound fame brings difficulties for both her and Aya. What trials await the pair in thei...

Aya’s found out that the guy she was interested in isn’t a guy at all—and she’s also realized that she just can’t keep her cool around Mitsuki! The two haven’t quite put a name on their complex, earnest feelings, but they only grow as the pair continues to bond over the music they love. With their senior year at hand, future plans are coming into question…and Aya’s thrown for a loop when a mysterious woman shows up and wants Mitsuki to go overseas!

Kiri's friend Kanako gives a present to one of the members of the Scissors Project. Her act of kindness is interpreted as a bribe to get a makeover, and they reject her out of hand for being too ugly. Kiri decides to help Kanako and give the boys a lesson in what true beauty is.

Discover the manga adaptation of Darren Shan’s Cirque Du Freak, now back in a new omnibus form! Darren Shan was an average kid until destiny brought him to the Cirque du Freak. Now Darren's been immersed into a shadowy world inhabited by vampires, werewolves, and strange creatures the likes of which he's never imagined, and his life will be changed forever!

Accessible and adaptable Japanese Buddhist rituals to infuse your life with purpose, healing, and gratitude when you need it most.How do we make and sustain meaning amidst the messy conditions of daily life? Personalized rituals can help us blossom like lotuses right in the mud of the present. On a pilgrimage she began after her mother’s death, author Paula Arai encountered numerous Japanese Buddhists who taught her the remarkable power of ritual to heal—practices ...

From Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award winner Ryoji Arai comes a gorgeous picture book about a child learning to accept mistakes, while having a magical experience in the wild, beautiful snow.Selected for USBBY’s Outstanding International Books List, 2026!One of BookPage**’s Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2025!**After accidentally ripping the pages of his father’s favorite book, a pensive, heav...

30 Needle Felted Animals to Make and Love Craft a menagerie of miniature animals from simple materials! Author Makiko Arai's easy felting techniques are perfect for beginners or anyone who enjoys a relaxing handcraft. With a little wool roving and a felting needle in hand, you'll get step-by-step instructions to make 30 fuzzy friends, with a focus on shaping, color, and texture. Sculpt wire structures for stability, finish faces with lifelike expressions, and turn your creations into adora...

Conceived at the crossroads of Buddhism and indigenous earth-based practice, The Shamanic Bones of Zen explores the deep human traditions of transformation that are made possible by meditation, ceremony, ritual, dreams, and spiritual connection to one’s ancestry.In The Shamanic Bones of Zen, celebrated author and Buddhist teacher Zenju Earthlyn Manuel undertakes a rich exploration of the connections between contemporary Zen practice and shamanic, ...

Jean Valjean, a starving man who commits an act that will haunt him for the rest of his life; Cosette, a young orphan girl; Javert, an obsessed policeman; Marius, a revolutionary in love. These and other unforgettable characters make up the cast of Victor Hugo's classic novel, Les Miserables, renowned as one of the greatest works of Western literature. Now, experience the epic tale of love, loss, and redemption in this gorgeously illustrated and faithfully adapted manga series!

This book presents the proceedings of the 12th Intelligent Systems Conference 2026 (IntelliSys 2026), held on September 3–4, 2026, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and contains selected peer-reviewed papers presenting recent advances, innovative methodologies, and practical applications in the field of intelligent systems and related technologies.The conference served as an international platform for researchers, academicians, scientists, and industry professionals to exchange ideas, ...