Autobiography: arts and entertainment Books
Picador The Grand Affair
Book SynopsisA Wall Street Journal and Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year Long-listed for the Plutarch AwardA bold new biography of the legendary painter John Singer Sargent, stressing the unruly emotions and furtive desires that drove his innovative work and defined the transatlantic, fin de siècle culture he inhabited. A great American artist, John Singer Sargent is also an abiding enigma. While dressing like a businessman and crafting a highly respectable persona, he scandalized viewers on both sides of the Atlantic with the frankness and sensuality of his work. He charmed the nouveaux riches as well as the old money, but he reserved his greatest sympathies for Bedouins, Spanish dancers, and the gondoliers of Venice. At the height of his renown in Britain and America, he quit his lucrative portrait-painting career to concentrate on allegorical murals with religious themesand on nude drawings of male models that he kept
£18.00
Little, Brown Book Group A Womans Place is in the Kitchen
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£19.80
Random House USA Inc Out of the Corner
Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A deeply candid and refreshingly spirited memoir of identity lost and found from the star of the iconic film Dirty Dancing “A funny, dishy, occasionally heartbreaking coming-of-age story.”—The New York Times“Savage and engaging . . . Grey’s memoir is interesting not only for her journey out of darkness but also for what her story reveals about what women encounter in the entertainment business, and the fortitude required to make it.”—The Washington PostIn this beautiful, close-to-the bone account, Jennifer Grey takes readers on a vivid tour of the experiences that have shaped her, from her childhood as the daughter of Broadway and film legend Joel Grey, to the surprise hit with Patrick Swayze that made her America’s sweetheart, to her inspiring season eleven win on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.Throughout this intimate na
£14.24
Orion Publishing Co Access All Areas
Book SynopsisFirst as a journalist and then a publicist at Warner Brothers Records for nearly twenty years, Barbara Charone has experienced, first-hand, the changes in the cultural landscape. Access All Areas is a personal, insightful and humorous memoir packed with stories of being on the cultural frontline, from first writing press releases on a typewriter driven by Tip Ex, then as a press officer for heavy metal bands taking the bus up to Donnington Festival with coffee, croissants and the much more popular sulfate. To taking on Madonna, an unknown girl from Detroit, and telling Smash Hits 'you don't have to run the piece if the single doesn't chart', and becoming a true pioneer in music, Charone continues to work with the biggest names in music, including Depeche Mode, Robert Plant, Foo Fighters and Mark Ronson at her agency MBCPR. The story of how a music-loving, budding journalist from a Chicago suburb became the defining music publicist of Trade ReviewBarbara is the quintessential force of nature. In this great memoir her insatiable thirst for beauty and adventure is fabulously quenched, be it by great music, interesting people or ultimately a fine rosé, all for the reader to sit back and enjoy. Of course, having been in the right place at the right time also helps, and every day I thank my lucky stars we crossed paths years ago and I was permitted to join her on such a fabulous adventure. -- Rufus WainwrightFrom Keith Richards to Madonna to Mark Ronson, the inimitable BC is a music industry legend and Access All Areas is the story of a life like no other -- Alexis PetridisBarbara Charone had a massive role in shaping my career over the past 15 years and she's one of the most adored figures in the music industry for good reason. Access All Areas is a warm, funny, boozy take on the last 40 years of the British music industry from the perspective of someone who helped shape it but is also obviously still a massive fan at heart. Her teenager-like enthusiasm for every project and artist she's ever worked beams from very page and as a music trivia junky, I lived for all the 80's Smash Hits-era insider information . . . This book rules -- Mark RonsonI loved this book! Smart, sharp and hilarious -- Suggs
£9.49
Hachette Australia Inconceivable
Book Synopsis''An inspiring and necessary book that challenges the narratives we set for our lives and reveals the beauty beyond them'' CLEMENTINE FORDAlexandra Collier was a writer living in a light-filled Brooklyn brownstone in New York with the man she loved. But when she woke up to a ravenous hunger to have a baby that her partner didn''t share, her life took a sharp turn.She found herself back in Melbourne at 37, single, heartbroken and living with her parents.Ally began dating with dedication, with sometimes hilarious and often soul-crushing results. Like many 30-something single women, though, she found that her reproductive timeline was rapidly outpacing her romantic life. So she began to explore a controversial option: conceiving a baby with donor sperm.Insightful, moving and relatable, this is an uplifting memoir about taking hold of your own future.''Inspiring, challenging and often very funny, Inconceivable
£14.24
Grand Central Publishing Walking with Sam
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£15.99
Simon & Schuster The Woman in Me
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£24.74
Gallery Books A Life with Ghosts
Book SynopsisThe official memoir from paranormal investigator and Ghost Hunters TV star Steve Gonsalves!Widely known as a lead investigator on the smash-hit TV series Ghost Hunters as well as Ghost Hunters Academy and the ratings king, Ghost Nation, Steve Gonsalvesalready considered to be one of the top paranormal investigators in the world and a pioneer in the industryshowcases a collection of his most meaningful paranormal encounters from some of his favorite haunted locations. Along with the compelling history of each site, Steve recounts his terrifying experiences with disembodied voices, haunting EVPs, mysterious dark masses, and other unexplained phenomenain addition to what he learned about living through a life with ghosts. His beliefs and theories on the craft of paranormal investigation are told through heartwarming, hilarious, and profound stories, reflecting the fun-loving personality that has garnered him millions of fans. Filled with
£16.99
MacMillan Audio Friends Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing
Book Synopsis
£29.99
Hachette Books I Aint Studdin YA
Book Synopsis Experience music history with this memoir by one of the last of the genuine old school Blues and R&B legends, the Grammy-winning dynamic showman Bobby Rush.This memoir charts the extraordinary rise to fame of living blues legend, Bobby Rush. Born Emmett Ellis, Jr. in Homer, Louisiana, he adopted the stage name Bobby Rush out of respect for his father, a pastor. As a teenager, Rush acquired his first real guitar and started playing in juke joints in Little Rock, Arkansas, donning a fake mustache to trick club owners into thinking he was old enough to gain entry. He led his first band in Arkansas between Little Rock and Pine Bluff in the 1950s. It was there he first had Elmore James play in his band. Rush later relocated to Chicago to pursue his musical career and started to work with Earl Hooker, Luther Allison, and Freddie King, and sat in with many of his musical heroes, such as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed and Little Walter. Rush eventually began leading his own band in the 1960s, crafting his own distinct style of funky blues, and recording a succession of singles for various labels. It wasn't until the early 1970s that Rush finally scored a hit with 'Chicken Heads.' More recordings followed, including an album which went on to be listed in the Top 10 blues albums of the 1970s by Rolling Stone and a handful of regional jukebox favorites including 'Sue' and 'I Ain't Studdin' Ya.'And Rush's career shows no signs of slowing down now. The man once beloved for performing in local jukejoints is now headlining major music/blues festivals, clubs, and theaters across the U.S. and as far as Japan and Australia. At age eighty-six, he is still on the road for over 200 days a year. His lifelong hectic tour schedule has earned him the affectionate title 'King of the Chitlin' Circuit,' from Rolling Stone. In 2007, he earned the distinction of being the first blues artist to play at the Great Wall of China. His renowned stage act features his famed shake dancers, who personify his funky blues and his ribald sense of humor. He was featured in Martin Scorcese's The Blues docuseries on PBS, a documentary film called Take Me to the River, performed with Dan Aykroyd on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and most recently had a cameo in the Golden Globe nominated Netflix film, Dolemite Is My Name, starring Eddie Murphy. He was recently given the highest Blues Music Award honor of B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. His songs have also been featured in TV shows and films including HBO's Ballers and major motion pictures like Black Snake Moan, starring Samuel L. Jackson.Considered by many to be the greatest bluesman currently performing, this book will give readers unparalleled access into the man, the myth, the legend: Bobby Rush.
£22.50
University of Minnesota Press My Life in the Purple Kingdom
Book SynopsisFrom the young Black teenager who built a bass guitar in woodshop to the musician building a solo career with Motown Records—Prince’s bassist BrownMark on growing up in Minneapolis, joining Prince and The Revolution, and his life in the purple kingdom In the summer of 1981, Mark Brown was a teenager working at a 7-11 store when he wasn’t rehearsing with his high school band, Phantasy. Come fall, Brown, now called BrownMark, was onstage with Prince at the Los Angeles Coliseum, opening for the Rolling Stones in front of 90,000 people. My Life in the Purple Kingdom is BrownMark’s memoir of coming of age in the musical orbit of one of the most visionary artists of his generation. Raw, wry, real, this book takes us from his musical awakening as a boy in Minneapolis to the cold call from Prince at nineteen, from touring the world with The Revolution and performing in Purple Rain to inking his own contract with Motown.BrownMark’s story is that of a hometown kid, living for sunny days when his transistor would pick up KUXL, a solar-powered, shut-down-at-sundown station that was the only one that played R&B music in Minneapolis in 1968. But once he took up the bass guitar—and never looked back—he entered a whole new realm, and, literally at the right hand of Twin Cities musical royalty, he joined the funk revolution that integrated the Minneapolis music scene and catapulted him onto the international stage. BrownMark describes how his funky stylings earned him a reputation (leading to Prince’s call) and how he and Prince first played together at that night’s sudden audition—and never really stopped. He takes us behind the scenes as few can, into the confusing emotional and professional life among the denizens of Paisley Park, and offers a rare, intimate look into music at the heady heights that his childhood self could never have imagined.An inspiring memoir of making it against stacked odds, experiencing extreme highs and lows of success and pain, and breaking racial barriers, My Life in the Purple Kingdom is also the story of a young man learning his craft and honing his skill like any musician, but in a world like no other and in a way that only BrownMark could tell it.Trade Review"A story of low notes and high stakes, of Revolution and of evolution, of bands and fans and best-laid plans, of pills and thrills and daffodils. Hang tough, children, and read it."—Questlove, from the Foreword"This is not a tell-all book. It is simply a candid, honest, heartfelt story about a young kid who goes on to achieve his dream of making it in the music industry, and the price that he pays along the way. It’s an uplifting tale about working with Prince, and it is an enjoyable read that serves as another piece of the puzzle that is Prince."—The Great Song Traveler"This page-turning memoir... will appeal to BrownMark’s fans and general music enthusiasts."—Library Journal"Those looking for a memoir awash in sex, drugs, and the seamier sides of Prince’s private life will instead discover hard work and rigid discipline under a stern taskmaster, an artist who became what he was through minute attention to detail as well as genius. A memoir of vivid detail and understandable ambivalence."—Kirkus Reviews"If you want to get to know Mark Brown, the human, I would say this book is a good way to go."—Insight News"The profound life lessons BrownMark learned while playing in the Revolution, as well as his experiences touring the world with Prince, forever changed his life. And BrownMark proudly carries those memories with him as he continues to blaze new trails while keeping Prince’s legacy alive."—City Pages"Simultaneously poignant and inspiring."—The Arts Fuse"By turns a reflective examination of his own place in the Paisley world over those years and a straight-shooting account of the less beautiful side of Prince’s modus operandi at his commercial zenith."—SoulTracks"An arresting piece of social history, often interesting and original."—Moving the River"Enlightening."—Chicago Review of Books"This memoir could be a real inspiration to someone with dreams."—The Bookworm Sez"My Life in the Purple Kingdom makes it clear anyone who thinks BrownMark was handed phenomenal success at a young age on a platter can think again."—Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder "Seemingly overnight, BrownMark was thrown into an entirely different reality, sharing the stage with The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Sting and more. With Prince & The Revolution, he’d tour the world in one of the most iconic bands in history, perform some the greatest hits in popular music and experience an overwhelming level of fame."—Forbes Magazine Table of ContentsContentsForewordQuestlovePrologueRadio DaysDiscovery YearsChain ReactionsThe Skin I’m InNew Look, New SoundOff to See the WizardPrimping for PrnControversy, SexualityThreshold of a NightmareControversy TourMojo1999The ShadowLet’s Go CrazyThe Carrot and the Hat TrickThe Bitter TasteMoving OnEpilogue
£17.99
Little Brown and Company Waiting on the Moon
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£24.00
HarperCollins Legends and Soles
£26.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Famous Father Girl
Book SynopsisThe intimate memoir of Leonard Bernstein and his family, that helped inspire the new movie Maestro“Unique among classical-music memoirs for its physical intimacy, its humor and tenderness, its ambivalence toward an irrepressible family genius. . . . The existence of this well-written book, with its poignancy and its shuddery detail. . . is a mark of [Jamie Bernstein’s] sanity and survival. In telling [her father’s] story, she got to write her own.” —New YorkerThe oldest daughter of revered composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein offers a rare look at her father on the centennial of his birth in a deeply intimate and broadly evocative memoir The composer of On the Town and West Side Story, chief conductor of the New York Philharmonic, television star, humanitarian, friend of the powerful and influential, and the life of every party, Leonard Bernstein was an enormous celebrity during one of the headiest periods of American cultural life, as well as the most protean musician in twentieth century America. But to his eldest daughter, Jamie, he was above all the man in the scratchy brown bathrobe who smelled of cigarettes; the jokester and compulsive teacher who enthused about Beethoven and the Beatles; the insomniac whose 4 a.m. composing breaks involved spooning baby food out of the jar. He taught his daughter to love the world in all its beauty and complexity. In public and private, Lenny was larger than life.In Famous Father Girl, Bernstein mines the emotional depths of her childhood and invites us into her family’s private world. A fantastic set of characters populates the Bernsteins’ lives, including: the Kennedys, Mike Nichols, John Lennon, Richard Avedon, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins, and Betty (Lauren) Bacall.An intoxicating tale, Famous Father Girl is an intimate meditation on a complex and sometimes troubled man, the family he raised, and the music he composed that became the soundtrack to their entwined lives. Deeply moving and often hilarious, Bernstein’s beautifully written memoir is a great American story about one of the greatest Americans of the modern age.
£14.24
Running Wild Press I Am Was Spiderman
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£21.60
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Wreckage of My Presence
Book SynopsisTrade Review"It’s like a rambunctious yard sale of her life, and it’s magnificent." — People "An endearing, hilarious, and beautiful essay collection." — The Skimm, "10 Books That'll Get You Out of a Reading Rut" "The Wreckage of My Presence will destroy you. Laughter through the tears. Love Casey Wilson!” — Amy Sedaris "I had the thrilling experience of laughing out loud throughout reading THE WRECKAGE OF MY PRESENCE! Casey is as hilarious on the page as she is in person, and her stories are often more bizarre than anything I’ve seen on the Housewives, with tons of heart." — Andy Cohen "Casey Wilson is laugh out loud funny, vulnerable, and honest. Reading this book made me feel like I’m hanging out with a best friend. What a pleasure and privilege to spend time with such an absolute treasure.” — Phoebe Robinson, bestselling author of You Can’t Touch My Hair “Reading Casey Wilson’s memoir is a lot like hanging out with Casey herself: you never want the fun to end. Laugh-out-loud funny, joyously raw and real, this book is like the great boozy night out we all need.” — Jessi Klein, New York Times bestselling author of You’ll Grow Out of It “A funny, irreverent memoir-in-essays. Reading The Wreckage of My Presence is like having a free-ranging chat with a friend that hits on all the important topics (grief, motherhood, The Real Housewives).” — Real Simple “Wilson turns the trappings of fame into rich fodder for highlighting the absurdities of her Hollywood life. Her humorous writing flows in a rapid-fire, conversational tone, but underneath the laughs, the constant, human, and very relatable undercurrent becomes more apparent. . . . will appeal to fans of other funny female essayists like Chelsea Handler and Mindy Kaling, whether or not they are already devotees of Wilson's work.” — Booklist “Completely shameless, but also incredibly endearing. . . . Wilson’s incredible collection of essays shines throughout, especially when seamlessly moving from gasp-worthy, low-brow humor to deeply heartfelt epiphanies about confidence, motherhood, and food addiction. VERDICT Equally irreverent and heartfelt, this collection is a roller-coaster. . . . You might cry and scream, but you’ll be eager to get back in line to take another ride.” — Library Journal “Funny and bold, occasionally manic or melancholy, and always hilarious and heartfelt. Fans will turn the last page wanting more. — BookPage
£999.99
Ebury Publishing The Insider
Book SynopsisAt the age of 28, Piers Morgan was made editor of the "News of the World", the UK's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper. The decade that followed witnessed horrific events like Dunblane, September 11, and the war in Iraq - alongside entertaining sport and celebrity gossip. This book is based on the diaries, which Morgan kept during this period.Trade ReviewA right, rollicking good read -- Andrew Neil * Evening Standard *A riveting read with splendid anecdotes on almost every page * The Times *This is a book of historical importance -- Peter Oborne * The Spectator *A compelling read on any level, whether you want to consider the relationship between politics and the press, royal behaviour, the red-top world - or just want a good laugh * Independent *Funny and fabulously indiscreet, this is a book that holds up a mirror to the spinning and posturing of our celebrity age ... scurrilously entertaining * Observer *
£14.24
Penguin Books Ltd Peace Work Spike Milligan War Memoirs
Book SynopsisPeace Work is volume seven of Spike Milligan''s outrageous, hilarious, legendary War Memoirs.''I had not informed my parents of my return, I wanted it to be a lovely surprise; it was, for me, they were away ...''The seventh and last volume of Spike Milligan''s memoirs sees our hero returning from war and Italy ... but to what? Aside from shooting large, inaccurate guns at Germans, all he has done for five long years is blow a trumpet, tell rude jokes and write and perform sketches for the entertainment of bored and murderous soldiers - who on earth is going to pay a civilian to do more of that? From the giddy heights of Hackney Empire to a Zurich Freak Show and beyond, Spike makes his way through the backwaters of showbiz, first as band musician then as one-man wild-act and eventually in the company of a group of like-minded comedians called Harry Secombe, Michael Bentine and Peter Sellers. They decide to call themselves The Goons...''DesTrade ReviewThe most irreverent, hilarious book about the war that I have ever read * Sunday Express *Brilliant verbal pyrotechnics ... throwaway lines and marvelous anecdotes * Daily Mail *Desperately funny, vivid, vulgar * Sunday Times *Close in stature to Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear in his command of the profound art of nonsense * Guardian *Milligan is the Great God to all of us -- John CleeseThe Godfather of Alternative Comedy -- Eddie IzzardThat absolutely glorious way of looking at things differently. A great man -- Stephen FryManifestly a genius, a comic surrealist genius and had no equal -- Terry WoganA totally original comedy writer -- Michael Palin
£10.44
Faber Music Ltd Standing Like Statues The Enter Shikari
Book Synopsis
£25.20
Ebury Publishing Before We Was We The Making of Madness by Madness
Book SynopsisNew Foreword by Irvine Welsh.In Before We Was We Madness tell us how they became them. A story of seven originals, whose collective graft, energy and talent took them from the sweaty depths of the Hope and Anchor''s basement to the Top of the Pops studio.In their own words they each look back on shared adventures. Playing music together, riding freight trains, spraying graffiti and stealing records. Walking in one another''s footsteps by day and rising up through the city''s exploding pub music scene by night. Before We Was We is irreverent, funny and full of character. Just like them.Trade ReviewA rollicking oral history of Madness’s early years ... a goldmine of quirky anecdotes * Q Magazine *[One of] the best books to buy music fans for Christmas * The Telegraph *Brilliantly assembled by journalist Tom Doyle as an oral history featuring the voices of all the members … tells you more about how a band becomes a band than any number of anecdotes about life in the studio * Financial Times *As much as anything, the book is a social history of growing up on the edges of criminality * Financial Times *An amazing book … one of the best books about a band I have ever read. I've been raving about it to everyone I meet
£9.49
Sorika Editions Horse Latitudes
Book SynopsisLondon artist Chris Wilson tells his almost unbelievable life story in his first book Horse Latitudes. Accompanying the text are sixteen colour plates of his paintings both are delivered with an intensity that is simultaneously shocking and thought provoking. Wilson's story takes us from his idyllic childhood in 1960s Africa to the streets of San Francisco, where he had grown into a young man on the rampage through a world of addiction, incarceration and violence. Deported to the UK in 1998, a number of years follow with the author lying broken and spiritually defeated in an Earls Court hostel until finally, and unexpectedly, he manages to drag himself to a new life of art and societal contribution. As much a narrative of attempted elevation and escapism through degradation and crime, as it is a glimpse of the poisoned beauty of the brutal underbelly of America, Horse Latitudes is also an opportune reminder of the futility of drug prohibition, the accompanying cost to society and the dehumanizing ferocity of the prison industrial complex. A survivor of the American streets and penitentiaries, a recipient and in turn participant of British social care, the author is well positioned to tell a story that although confessional in nature, has timely political resonance. In the tradition of The Beats and as testament to lived experience on the wrong side of the tracks, the true-life stories are raw and at times almost inconceivable in their brutality, but are in turn redeemed with a poetic intelligence and insight that bows deeply to human sorrow and resilience. Since becoming drug and crime-free, Wilson has trained as a project worker with the long-term homeless and studied Fine Art at the Chelsea College of Art & Design, London, where on graduation he received a First with Distinction.
£17.10
Orion Publishing Co Buzzin
Book SynopsisAt the height of his initial, turn-of-the-1990''s infamy as the maraca-wielding dancer with ''Madchester'' giants Happy Mondays, the pop-eyed Mark Berry, forever known to the world as Bez, was visibly a danger to society. He became the so-called Chemical Generation''s bug-eyed pied piper, every weekend leading millions out to oblivion and beyond, as they adopted his E-gobbling party lifestyle.Neither an accomplished musician nor even a very good dancer, Bez was a prime candidate for fleeting celebrity, soon to sink into ''Where Are They Now?'' obscurity. That, however, never happened, nor does it show any sign of happening. Through Black Grape, the second band he co-fronted with the Mondays'' Shaun Ryder, and his ever-presence in the mass media, Bez''s popularity has grown exponentially, his star rocketing ever upwards.When he bowled into Celebrity Big Brother in 2005, he ended up winning the series, as viewers came to understand his fundamental decency and sunny outTrade ReviewIf there were a Prince of Manchester it would surely be Bez. -- Rev Richard Coles * BBC RADIO 4 SATURDAY LIVE *A cavalcade of eye-popping adventures. -- Ian Winwood * THE TIMES *The most jaw-dropping addition to the entire history of the genre. -- Nick Duerden * THE I PAPER *As an account of the deeds of the most wayward member of one of our most wayward bands, it does not disappoint. * THE TIMES SATURDAY REVIEW *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group A Likely Lad
Book SynopsisPeter Doherty''s is the last of the great rock ''n'' roll stories - bad boy and public enemy. To his devoted fans, he is a cult hero, a modern-day Rimbaud. Musically, he has defined the past twenty years of indie rock with his sound, lyrics, lifestyle and aesthetic. Since The Libertines rose to international fame, Doherty has proved endlessly fascinating. A whirlwind of controversy and scandal has tailed him ever since the early 2000s, so much so that all too often his talents as a songwriter and performer have been overlooked; for every award and accolade, there is a scathing review. Hard drugs, tiny gigs on the hoof, huge stadium shows, collaborations, obliterations, gangsters and groupies - Doherty has led a life of huge highs and incredible lows. With his wildest days behind him, Doherty candidly explores - with sober and sometimes painful insight - some of his greatest and darkest moments, taking us inside the creative process, decadent parties, substance-fuelleTrade ReviewDoherty wasn't just at the heart of that era, he defined it, in ways both good and bad. Who better to capture the excitement but also the bleakness of that period than him? -- Hadley Freeman * Guardian *Reveals unexpected details . . . Intimate, often salacious * Sunday Times *Lucid, candid and, ultimately, hopeful * Observer *Expertly pieced together . . . An extraordinary hymn to indie's own Rimbaud and degenerate noughties London * Mojo *A defiant and humorous look at one of the most infamous rockers of the 21st century * Far Out Magazine *[A]n easily digestible page-turner . . . plenty of new stories * i News *Overloaded with compelling stories - many funny, some haunting * New Statesman *
£10.44
Hodder & Stoughton General Division Too Much: the hilarious, heartfelt memoir
Book Synopsis'An extraordinary portrait of a son navigating his way through grief and loss in real time. Funny, candid, and measured' GRAHAM NORTONHappily settled in a new relationship and with a dream house of his own, comedian Tom Allen had finally moved on from the arrested development of millennial life and could at last call himself an adult.But when his father died suddenly in late 2021, Tom's newfound independence was rocked by a fresh set of challenges, and he began to find solace in the past (and his new vegetable patch). Told through snapshots from Tom's busy life - whether reflecting on the campness of funeral customs, muddy lockdown walks in unsuitable footwear or just reminiscing on his childhood obsession with Patricia Routledge - Too Much is a hilarious joyride of stories as well as an emotional ode to Tom's beloved dad, and a touching manifesto on how to navigate the complexities of grief. With moving honesty and wit, Tom writes beautifully about those days, weeks and months following his family's loss, and about how bewildering the practicalities of life can be in the wake of an upheaval - those moments, really, when everything can start to feel a bit too much...'Hilarious and poignant' JO BRANDTrade ReviewAn extraordinary portrait of a son navigating his way through grief and loss in real time. Funny, candid, and measured -- Graham NortonHilarious and poignant -- Jo BrandHilarious and at times heart-breaking * Independent *Tom Allen paints a moving portrait of his father and their relationship . . . Heartfelt, vulnerable and touchingly sincere * Guardian *Explores the complexity of grief and charts a belated independence * The i *Life-affirming * Attitude *
£999.99
Hodder & Stoughton Too Much: the hilarious, heartfelt memoir
Book Synopsis'An extraordinary portrait of a son navigating his way through grief and loss in real time. Funny, candid, and measured' GRAHAM NORTONHappily settled in a new relationship and with a dream house of his own, Tom Allen could finally call himself an adult. But when his beloved dad died suddenly, Tom's life was rocked by a fresh set of challenges, and he started to find comfort in his friends, his past and his newly dug vegetable patch.With his hallmark honesty and wit, Tom writes beautifully about those days, weeks and months following loss, and about how bewildering the practicalities of life can be in the wake of an upheaval - those moments, really, when everything can start to feel a bit too much . . .'Hilarious and poignant' JO BRAND'Heartfelt, vulnerable and touchingly sincere' GUARDIAN'Life-affirming' ATTITUDETrade ReviewAn extraordinary portrait of a son navigating his way through grief and loss in real time. Funny, candid, and measured -- Graham NortonHilarious and poignant -- Jo BrandHilarious and at times heart-breaking * Independent *Tom Allen paints a moving portrait of his father and their relationship . . . Heartfelt, vulnerable and touchingly sincere * Guardian *Explores the complexity of grief and charts a belated independence * The i *Life-affirming * Attitude *
£10.44
Random House Dear Me
Book SynopsisVery amusing'Daily MirrorBeloved wit and raconteur, star of stage and screen, multitalented writer, director and humanitarian few stars of the twentieth century were as highly regarded as Sir Peter Ustinov.From his birth in April 1921, this highly acclaimed autobiography spans Ustinov's extraordinary career as the star of Spartacus, Quo Vadis, Death on the Nile and many other classics. Eccentric relatives, school masters and manic Hollywood moguls are all brought unforgettably to life alongside encounters with the great and the good, from Sir Laurence Olivier to J. B. Priestley.This warm and revealing book gives an enthralling portrait of a man whose unique gift of laughter made him one of the most popular and respected entertainers in the world.
£10.44
ECW Press,Canada Ten Telecaster Tales
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£17.09
Fantom Films Limited A Part Worth Playing
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£999.99
Ebury Publishing Behind the Sequins: My Life
Book SynopsisLeave it all on the floor...Queen of Latin Ballroom, Shirley Ballas has a spectacular dance career spanning over 40 years – she has Cha-Cha'd her way across the world's dance floors to become a multi-award-winning ballroom champion and one of the most renowned dancers in the world. In 1996, Shirley retired from competitive dancing to become a highly-acclaimed coach and now holds the enviable position of Head Judge on BBC One's prime time show Strictly Come Dancing.In Behind the Sequins, she leads us through her dramatic and determined life, from growing up in a rough estate on the Wirral and leaving home at 14 years old, to conquering the high-octane world of ballroom and coping with betrayal, bullying, two broken marriages and a personal tragedy that left Shirley and her family devastated. Speaking from the heart, Shirley leaves her dancing shoes at the door to tell you the story of a fiery, strong-willed grafter who could make the brat pack blush.
£13.49
Olympia Publishers Marshall Jefferson: The Diary of a DJ
Book SynopsisHouse music jacked the world in the 1980s and popular music has never been the same. From the merest two or three nightclubs in Chicago, House leapt the Atlantic, creating a scene in places as unalike as Manchester's clubland and the beaches of Ibiza - and sometimes its reputation did, too.Now, Marshall Jefferson, long hailed as the Godfather of House Music, speaks of just what his contribution was and how responsible he, his friends and colleagues were for bringing House music to our ears.Whether you are a fan or aficionado of House music, or just nostalgic about this high point of your youth, Marshall Jefferson's Diary of a DJ will give you the back stories to the big story of the rise and raves of the most radical departure in popular music since the sixties, and a social commentary on the revolution that electronic music instigated in popular culture.
£999.99
Bonnier Books Ltd Parenting Hell: The funniest gift you can give
Book SynopsisTHE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER THE MADNESS, ABSURDITY, AND UTTER CHAOS OF BEING A PARENT FROM THE HOSTS OF THE NO.1 SMASH HIT PODCAST.What's it really like to be a parent? And how come no one ever warned Rob or Josh of the sheer mind-bending, world-altering, sleep-depriving, sick-covering, tear-inducing, snot-wiping, bore-inspiring, 4am-relationship-straining brutality of it all? And if they did, why can't they remember it (or remember anything else, for that matter)?And just when they thought it couldn't get any harder, why didn't anyone warn them about the slices of unmatched euphoric joy and pride that occasionally come piercing through, drenching you in unbridled happiness in much the same way a badly burped baby drenches you in milk-sick?Join Josh and Rob as they share the challenges and madness of their parenting journeys with lashings of empathy and extra helpings of laughs. Filled with all the things they never tell you at antenatal classes, Parenting Hell is a beguiling mixture of humour, rumination and conversation for prospective parents, new parents, old parents and never-to-be parents alike.READERS LOVE PARENTING HELL:'Best laugh out loud book on parenting''I laughed and cried! Not being a parent I can now appreciate everything my friends do a lot more!''Every parent needs to read this''Every parent or parent-to-be or parent-adjacent needs to read this! It's also surprisingly empowering for women - the way they include the wives perspectives is beautiful''An honest account of parenting with a welcome twist/dose of humour. Buy it! Gift it.''I laughed out loud many times and once had to go into another room because I thought I might wake my sleeping husband.'
£18.00
Y Lolfa Still Singing 'Yma o Hyd': An Autobiography
Book SynopsisDafydd Iwan rose to fame with his 1960s protest songs and has been performing ever since. Welsh footballs recent adoption of his anthem 'Yma o Hyd' (Still Here) has twice taken it to No.1 in the iTunes charts. This autobiography explains more about the man, his music and his political activism.
£9.99
Play on Words Publishing Foolhardy Folk Tales
Book SynopsisA collection of folk stories about art, money, drugs and love told first hand by the songwriter and storyteller Beans on Toast. Beans is a legend and I love himKae TempestOne of England's most loved troubadoursBlaine HarrisonA voice I'll always pay attention to, and you should tooFrank Turner
£9.50
HarperCollins Publishers Ticket to the World My new music memoir
Book Synopsis Ticket to the World is a joyous, nostalgic celebration of 80s culture from one man at the centre of it all. Trade Review‘A brilliant storyteller’ – James O’Brien ‘Celebrates the 80s as the decade that made him’ – Guardian
£19.80
HarperCollins Publishers The Tourist
Book SynopsisWhat Goes on Tour, Stays on Tour…Until Now!
£19.80
Penguin Random House India Ive Never Been UnHappier
£13.25
Penguin Random House India Sketches
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£27.09
Basic Books What I Found in a Thousand Towns
Book SynopsisA beloved folk singer presents an impassioned account of the fall and rise of the small American towns she cherishesDubbed by the New Yorker as one of America''s very best singer-songwriters, Dar Williams has made her career not in stadiums, but touring America''s small towns. She has played their venues, composed in their coffee shops, and drunk in their bars. She has seen these communities struggle, but also seen them thrive in the face of postindustrial identity crises.Here, Williams muses on why some towns flourish while others fail, examining elements from the significance of history and nature to the uniting power of public spaces and food. Drawing on her own travels and the work of urban theorists, Williams offers real solutions to rebuild declining communities.What I Found in a Thousand Towns is more than a love letter to America''s small towns, it''s a deeply personal and hopeful message about the potential of America''s lively a
£18.74
Faber & Faber Who am I again
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£18.00
Random House USA Inc Miss Me with That
Book Synopsis
£12.59
Headline Publishing Group Baggage
Book SynopsisBorn in working-class Fulham, Janet Street-Porter loathed her mother, tried to murder her sister, and had a friend who was given a life sentence for a contract killing. She found solace in unsuitable friendships and outrageous behaviour. A mesmerising account of growing up in post-war London with poignancy, mystery and a trademark black humour.
£10.66
Plexus Publishing Ltd James Dean
Book Synopsis
£13.49
McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, US Bright Beat the Water Memories of a Wilderness
Book Synopsis
£14.39
Orion Publishing Co Buzzin
Book SynopsisAt the height of his initial, turn-of-the-1990''s infamy as the maraca-wielding dancer with ''Madchester'' giants Happy Mondays, the pop-eyed Mark Berry, forever known to the world as Bez, was visibly a danger to society. He became the so-called Chemical Generation''s bug-eyed pied piper, every weekend leading millions out to oblivion and beyond, as they adopted his E-gobbling party lifestyle.Neither an accomplished musician nor even a very good dancer, Bez was a prime candidate for fleeting celebrity, soon to sink into ''Where Are They Now?'' obscurity. That, however, never happened, nor does it show any sign of happening. Through Black Grape, the second band he co-fronted with the Mondays'' Shaun Ryder, and his ever-presence in the mass media, Bez''s popularity has grown exponentially, his star rocketing ever upwards.When he bowled into Celebrity Big Brother in 2005, he ended up winning the series, as viewers came to understand his fundamental decency and sunny outTrade ReviewIf there were a Prince of Manchester it would surely be Bez. -- Rev Richard Coles * BBC RADIO 4 SATURDAY LIVE *A cavalcade of eye-popping adventures. -- Ian Winwood * THE TIMES *The most jaw-dropping addition to the entire history of the genre. -- Nick Duerden * THE I PAPER *As an account of the deeds of the most wayward member of one of our most wayward bands, it does not disappoint. * THE TIMES SATURDAY REVIEW *The most jaw-dropping addition to the entire history of the genre -- Nick Duerden * iPaper *If there were a Prince of Manchester it would surely be Bez -- Rev Richard Coles * BBC Radio 4 *As an account of the deeds of the most wayward member of one of our most wayward bands, it does not disappoint * Times Saturday Review *
£20.00
Hodder & Stoughton Everything is Everything
Book Synopsis THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING MEMOIR, NOW UPDATED WITH NEW MATERIAL Readers LOVE Everything is Everything:''Clive Myrie is one heck of an author'' ?????''Well written and thought provoking. One to come back to again'' ?????''Thoughtful, analytical, deeply caring and, at times, very funny'' ?????-----------------As a Bolton teenager with a paper round, Clive Myrie read all the newspapers he delivered from cover to cover and dreamed of becoming a journalist. In this deeply personal memoir, he tells how his family history has influenced his view of the world, introducing us to his Windrush generation parents, a great grandfather who helped build the Panama Canal, and a great uncle who fought in the First World War, later to become a prominent police detective in Jamaica.He reflects on how being black has affected his perspective on issues he''s encountered in thirty years reporting some of the biggest stories oTrade Review'Infinitely more readable than the average journalism memoir, and decidedly more important.' * Sathnam Sanghera, The Times *'Everything is Everything is so engaging. You feel as if he is talking to you, sharing ideas and thoughts, as if you were a friend.' * Yasmin Ahlibai- Brown *
£19.80
Little, Brown Book Group Live. Laugh. Love.
Book SynopsisSince bursting into the spotlight aged nine, Coleen Nolan has experienced more highs and lows than most people have had hot dinners. Now she''s ready to share the lessons she''s learned along the way. From the good, the bad and the ugly (otherwise known as love and marriage) to career tips, lifestyle hacks and motherhood, Coleen covers everything you need to know. With her trademark down-to-earth wisdom, Coleen shares her best advice for navigating divorce and embracing single life, including her top Tinder tips. She reflects on her career, offering insight into dealing with nerves, imposter syndrome and how to achieve that all-important work/life balance. She talks frankly about getting through the menopause and coming to terms with saggy boobs and stretch marks that resemble the London Underground map as well as dealing with loss and making mistakes. Most importantly, Coleen teaches us how to be a goddess in every area of life - in the kitchen, bedroom and more!CuTrade ReviewFrank and hilarious * S magazine *Honest and practical * Woman *
£12.74
Abrams Keanu Reeves Most Triumphant The Movies and
Book SynopsisKeanu Reeves: Most Triumphant is a tribute to and exploration of the magic behind one of Hollywood’s most legendary and unknowable stars and the profound lessons we can learn from his success. There can be no doubt: Keanu Reeves is a phenomenon. He’s at once a badass action star, a hunky dreamboat who People magazine has called “the Internet’s boyfriend,” a vintage motorcycle enthusiast, a niche art book publisher, a living meme, and a legend. He seems to upend every rule governing celebrity in the 21st century. But how? Cultural critic Alex Pappademas attempts to address Keanu’s unmatched eternality and the other big questions raised by his career arc. Sharp, funny, deeply researched, and fully celebratory of the enigmatic actor, this is the first book to take Keanu’s whole deal as seriously as it deserves. Yes, even Johnny Mnemonic, where Keanu mind melds with a dolphin. Along the wayTrade Review“Highlighting the cultural moments surrounding Reeves, as well as some of the acting choices that have made him such an intriguing performer over the years, this is a solid addition to any library’s pop culture collection.” * Library Journal *
£18.99
Hodder & Stoughton General Division Peggy and Me
Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of Is It Just Me?, Miranda Hart, comes the hilarious account of her life with her close companion Peggy, a gorgeous white bichon frise.
£15.00
