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During the American Civil War, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March live with their mother in Concord, Massachusetts while their father is at the front. Meg wants to become an actress, Jo writes, Beth plays the piano and Amy draws and paints. They live near the Laurence's house where Laurie lives with his grandfather and his tutor John. The sisters live happily many years together even though Amy is jealous of Jo's relationship with Laurie. Mr. Laurence invites Beth to play his late daughter's piano in his house, eventually gifting her the piano. Mother and daughters also help a poor neighbouring family, the Hummels, from which Beth contracts scarlet fever, and Amy is sent to rich Aunt March to avoid catching the disease. Despite getting eventually better, she remains in weak health. Aunt March eventually takes Amy to Paris to take art courses, while Meg marries John and resents being poor compared to her richer friends. Laurie appears in Paris, revealing that Jo rejected his marriage proposal as she does not see herself married. Amy however refuses to be his second choice, despite having secretly been in love with him for many years, but also rejects the proposal from her wealthy acquaintance Fred. Jo has gone to New York to become a writer; she manages to publish dreadful stories that sell well, but her friend Friedrich criticises her work, angering her. She returns to Concord upon receiving a letter telling her that Beth's illness has worsened; she eventually dies. Amy returns from Paris with an ill Aunt March. Jo wonders if she should have accepted Laurie's proposal, but discovers he and Amy got married on their journey back. Jo then begins to write a novel based on her and her sisters' lives. In the meanwhile, Friedrich visits her and her family on his way to California. Jo's publisher is not impressed by the first chapters, but eventually agrees to publish the novel after her daughters demand to know how the story ends, but refuses to accept that the protagonist remains unmarried in the end; Jo then ends the book with the protagonist, herself, asking Friedrich to stay in the East. Jo successfully negotiates copyright and royalties. Following Aunt March's death, she inherits the house and opens it as a school where Meg, Amy, John and Friedrich all teach.

Al·Ith is the queen of Zone Three, where people live in harmony and have some kind of a shared consciousness. The god-like Providers order Al·Ith to go to Zone Four and marry its king, Ben Ata. Zone Four has lots of natural resources but its completely militarized civilisation makes no use of them and to Al·Ith its people look poor and unhappy. Both countries however see the natality rate of both humans and livestock decline very rapidly, and Al·Ith supposes that the marriage between the zone is going to solve it. The two rulers could not be different, Ben Ata being foremost a soldier, not used to the company of women he cannot control. After being forced to live together they however learn each other habits and end up falling in love. A son is born, Arusi, future ruler of both Zone Three and Four, and Al·Ith receives the help of some women, led by Dabeeb. The Providers then order Al·Ith to go back to Zone Three without her son and Ben Ata to marry Queen Vashi of Zone Five, ruler of many tribes of desert nomads who pillage the rest of the rich Zone. Both Al·Ith and Ben Ata are devastated by this news. Back in Zone Three, nobody recognizes Al·Ith whose sister Murti· has taken over as queen. Murti· is disturbed by how her sister has changed and exiles her at the frontier with Zone Two. She tries to enter the Zone but she finds it inhospitable and is told by invisible people it is not her time yet. In he meanwhile, Ben Ata disbands most of his army so that the men can rebuild the towns and villages; he also manages to gain Vashis's confidence and convince her to stop plundering Zone Five. With Arusi old enough to travel, Dabeeb and her band of women travel to Zone Three to visit Al·Ith and are shocked to see the former queen working in a stable. the inhabitants of Zone Three also have xenophobic attitudes towards the visitors. Five years later, the Providers tell Ben Ata to go and see Al·Ith. He is at first stopped at the border by a makeshift army but comes back with his own troops and despite not being well received, he finds his first wife surrounded by a small band of followers. Ben Ata tells her of the reforms he introduced in Zones Four and Five. One day, Al·Ith enters Zone Two and does not return but there are apparent changes in the three previously stagnant Zones where people and knowledge flow freely between them.

“tropical medley of American hops… Centennial, Citra, Ekuanot, Mosaic… pineapple and grapefruit… peach, lemon… orange, papaya”

Tropical fruits indeed. Very good. Contains malted barley and wheat.

Thornbridge brewery, Bakewell, Derbyshire, England. 6.2% alcohol.

“tropical with a citrus burst of bitterness”

Definitely tropical fruits. Quite good. Contains malted barley, wheat and oats.

Williams Bros Brewing Co., Alloa, Scotland. 5% alcohol.

© Amazon.fr

Isaïah et Agathe sont chasseurs de fantômes : elle est médium est peut les voir et les attirer dans un piège pour que lui, sorcier hoodoo, les force à partir vers l'au-delà. Ils sont appelés à Landrez en Bretagne pour chasser les fantômes du manoir de Ker ar Bran, situé à coté d'un phare que l'on dit maudit : celleux qui en ouvrent la porte sont condamnés à mourir sous peu. Agathe se rend compte que la maison est hantée par les fantômes de deux jeunes filles, et parvient à apprendre le nom de l'une d'entre elle, Solen (grâce à un enfant qui l'a vue et lui a parlé). Iels découvrent aussi les archives de Théophile, un érudit parisien, ésotériste spécialiste des anges, venu s'installer à Ker ar Bran en 1921 et mort tragiquement en 1922 après avoir tenté un rituel magique pour invoquer des anges. Les archives de la mairie, qui auraient pu les éclairer sur l'identité des fantômes ont été détruites dans un incendie quarante ans plus tôt. Toutes ces informations sont cependant insuffisant et Isaïah et Agathe repartent à Paris ; Agathe surtout a le sentiment d'avoir échoué alors qu'elle aurait dû réussir. Après avoir demandé de l'aide à un sorcier plus puissant qu'elleux, iels sont rappelés à Landrez et retrouvent des document ayant échappé à l'incendie des archives. Iels découvrent qu'en 1841, Tugdual de gardien du phare qui habitait Ker ar Bran a été reconnu coupable du meurtre d'une adolescente. La même année, Gwennyn, qui avait été accusée de sorcellerie a été bannie du village. Avec les prénoms des deux fantômes, Isaïah et Agathe tentent un nouvel exorcisme, sans plus de succès. Mais Agathe découvre une connexion avec Gwennyn (Agathe, Théophile et Gwennyn partageraient la même âme) et parvient à lui parler. Elle lui révèle que Solen, fille d'un marin mort dans un tempête, a été tuée par le fils du maire en essayant de la violer. Le maire a étouffé l'affaire en faisant accuser et condamner Tugdual. Gwennyn, qui pouvait entendre les fantômes, a appris de Solen qui l'avait tuée et l'a annoncé à sa mère. Cette dernière, horrifiée par le pouvoir de sa fille, l'a dénoncée au curé qui l'a fait bannir, la conduisant à se suicider. Théophile, quant à lui, a réveillé les nombreux esprits vivant sous Ker ar Bran et même s'il a été sauvé par Nenoga, une sorcière locale qui y a laissé ses pouvoirs, a fini par tomber en dépression et se suicider. Après ces révélations, les deux fantômes, apaisés, décident de leur plein gré de partir vers l'au-delà.

Wikipedia

Mikael Blomkvist is a journalist who lost a libel trial against crooked businessman Wennerström. Wealthy Henrik Vanger promises Mikael proof of Wennerström illegal activities in exchange for investigating the disappearance and presumed murder of his grandniece Harriet forty years ago. Mikael moves into a cottage on Vanger family estate on Hedestad Island and starts studying the files collected by Henrik. Most of Henrik's relatives live on the island and were Nazis and Nazi sympathizers during World War II. In a notebook that belonged to Harriet he discovers a list of names and numbers that are Bible references. At least one name matches an old, unsolved murder, and the reference describes the way the victim was killed. Mikael hires Lisbeth Salander, an investigator and computer hacker who researched Mikael before Henrik hired him. Lisbeth is a ward of the State, deemed unable to make social relationships and take care of her finances and who has been abused by the social services employee handling her money. Lisbeth discovers more victims, all with Jewish names, and matches their locations to places in the country where Vanger's company has business places and where Harriett's father Gottfried was present at the time of each murder. One more murder was committed after his death, leading to suspect her brother Martin committed it. Confronting Martin at his house, Mikael is made prisoner and taken to the basement where Martin brags about having committed many more murders while preparing to torture and kill the journalist. Mikael is saved by Lisbeth, Martin flees. Lisbeth chases the man on the road and the latter then dies in a road accident. Mikael and Lisbeth then deduce that Harriet is alive and living in London under the name of her estranged cousin Anita who had helped her flee Sweden. Harriett had killed her father Gottfried who had raped her, but had been seen by Martin who also had used this as leverage to abuse her too. Harriet and Henrik are finally reunited. The proof against Wennerström is however outdated and useless, but Lisbeth has hacked Wennerström's computer and found evidence of money laundering for various criminal syndicates. While Mikael publishes this information, Lisbeth empties Wennerström's offshore bank accounts, leading the fallen businessman to be murdered by his criminal employers.