Contemporary Cults

Chuck Palahniuk, the author of the New York Times best-sellers Fight Club and Lullaby, is known for his edgy novels, and Rant is no exception. Palahniuk presents this fictional biography of Buster "Rant" Casey in a series of vignettes told by the people who knew him best. As intricate as a spider web, Rant succeeds in recounting the story of one man's life only through the eyes of others. But the question remains, "Who was Rant Casey?"

Sacrifices—that’s what females make to live in Serendee—an urban utopia. We give up our family, our choices, our bodies. Some people call it a cult, but they don’t understand. We give it our all, and in return, Serendee gives back by providing a safe, idyllic home. Starting with The Order, a marriage arranged by the leader of Serendee to the male of his choice. I don’t expect the perfect mate, but when I’m matched with Rex—the rebellious, handsome, and destructive heir of Serendee, I’m stunned.

Wondering what it takes to be a Wiccan? This plain-English guide introduces you to the vibrant world of Wicca and the practices of Witchcraft, describing its ancient origins, dispelling stereotypes, and explaining Wiccan beliefs, ethics, rituals, and holidays. You'll see what it means to live as a contemporary Wiccan - and how to worship alone or with a group.

Now Jazz Age Los Angeles is invading the present. Long gone buildings suddenly restored, decommissioned Red Car trains appearing on paved over tracks, miles of the city changing back to orange groves. Throw in a hundred-year-old doomsday cult, time magic, and a terrifyingly powerful spell to raise the dead and it makes for a busy week. Carter knows the Oracle is behind it all but he can't figure out how. Or why.

I see his wicked smile in the theatre. I see it in the apartment across from mine. I see it everywhere. Before I can run, I'm taken. And when I wake up...I'm in the middle of nowhere. The man who's taken me claims to be a demon. And claims I'm his angel. What happens when he finds out I don't have wings? I'm not the only prisoner in this forest. There's a little girl too. Her name is Claire. She's beautiful, happy, wonderful. It's my responsibility to protect her--and I will give my life to accomplish that.

Faith, I tell them, is a mystery, elusive to many, and never easy to explain. Sweeping and lyrical, spellbinding and unforgettable, David Ebershoff’s The 19th Wife combines epic historical fiction with a modern murder mystery to create a brilliant novel of literary suspense. It is 1875, and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Expelled and an outcast, Ann Eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in the United States.

One-on-one with Satan. A chilling and highly convincing account of possession and exorcism in modern America, hailed by NBC Radio as "one of the most stirring books on the contemporary scene."

It’s just a dating competition. It couldn’t be any worse than any other arranged marriage, right? Against her will, Chloe was sent away from her tiny religious community to be a part of The Apostle: A wife selection competition for one of the most revered and God-fearing men in Genesis. Since she was slated to be set up in an arranged marriage anyway, Chloe tried to make the best of it and figured at least in a dating competition there was only a one in ten chance she’d actually be selected. But nothing was as it seemed. The haven of Genesis perception drilled into Chloe since ...

In Cult Following, Ocker sheds light on the terrifying attraction of cults, demonstrating the elasticity of belief, the desperateness of belonging, and the tragedy of trust.

After escaping from a cult, Lexi found refuge with her sisters on the farm that more than sustained her body - it nurtured her soul as well. But she never forgot the terror she left behind or the always present fear that the cult would find her again and claim her. Then her nightmare came true.

Beginning with the emergence of the New Left out of the tumultuous 1960s, the first two installments of Tribulation Cult stretch over three generations, climaxing with the election of 2048. Center stage are four college friends who follow divergent life paths—two Christians who become ministers and their liberal counterparts who rise to the summit of world politics.

Cults prey on the very attributes that make us human: our desire to belong, to find a deeper meaning in life, to live everyday with divine purpose. Their existence creates a sense that any one of us, at any time, could step off the cliff’s edge and fall into that daunting abyss of manipulation and unhinged dedication to a misplaced cause. Perhaps it’s this mindset that keeps us so utterly obsessed and desperate to learn more, or it’s that the stories are so bizarre and unsettling that we are simply in awe of the mechanics that make these infamous groups tick.

A sparklingly strange odyssey through the kaleidoscope of America's new spirituality: the cults, practices, high priests, and prophets of our supposedly post-religion age.

The dreamer stirs awake and if he wakes, he dies, and his death would bring forth the end of the world. Three scientists from the three corners of the world predicted that the world will end in less than six months. International efforts to save a portion of humanity might be too late and too little. Three men who have one thing in common, regret, might be our only hope. John a Catholic priest with a faith crisis, Adam an Atheist with secret guilt that is consuming him and Ramy an online Jihadi with a death wish, are on a forced path towards the dreamer. A secret order calls a search for ...

Her past is catching up. He refuses to lose another life. With tension growing between them, will their fiery relationship be cut short by peril? Alex Smart’s trust burned up long ago. A brilliant neurosurgeon, the closed-off young woman is desperate to stay hidden from her sinister ex-boyfriend and the dark past she barely escaped. So the last thing she needs is an overbearing watchdog invading her operating room… no matter how gorgeous he looks in scrubs. Raj Shastri took an oath to protect. Still reeling from guilt after losing his battle buddy, the veteran anesthesiologist won’t ...

The strange and sinister world of cults is a source of endless fascination. Their secrets, rituals and shadowy hierarchies make for some of the most disturbing and shocking revelations in history. Most chilling of all is the fact that many of their followers forfeit all independence in order to carry out the often sadistic bidding of a mysterious master manipulator - and continue to defend their leader to this day.

It’s just another cult. It can’t be any worse than the last one, right? Lily's friends were part of a cult, but hey, she wasn't the type to judge them for their personal choices. But when she drops in for a check in and finds them mysteriously banished by the Patriarch, Lily knows she has to do everything she can to find out what happened. With the help of her best friend, Aiden, they travel across the country to the deserts of Arizona to track them down. They expected to unearth the truth, but what they discovered was so much worse! The Genesis Project is an 18,000 word lunchtime read....

“It isn’t every day you learn monsters exist. Demons are real, and that you are destined to destroy the universe…” Kalib Andrews thought he knew who he was. But six months ago, that all changed when a stranger from his past revealed that Kalib is an Angel Warrior, one of the most powerful beings ever to exist. But what happened to the original Angel Warriors? How could such powerful beings simply disappear? And why? Legend has it that “Ambrose,” the first Magicborne, was behind their annihilation. Now, Kalib fears that the mysterious Heir of Ambrose is determined to fulfill ...

FROM THE AMAZON UK NUMBER ONE BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF A CHRISTMAS MURDERUnlock the secrets of a cult and experience the journey of self-discovery with Tegan, a brave and vulnerable 27-year-old who has been cast out of the only life she has ever known. Join Tegan as she travels to Wales and meets her unknown relations in the wild Cambrian Mountains, an intriguing backdrop to her drama. In this uplifting story of hope and new growth, Tegan must battle the guilt and shadows of her past as she embarks on a journey to find herself and flourish in a world she has been taught to fear. Feel the wild...

Back in school, Ausra acted like the good girl, with her conservative clothes, and her head always down. Everyone laughed at her, even the four popular brothers. She hated them for it. But high school is over. And when they meet again, a lot of things have changed, including Ausra. The brothers hardly recognize her. Yet, the brothers still love a challenge. And whoever she is, she’s perfect for their game. The rules are simple: Their plaything needs to know what she’s in for, and needs to agree to play.