Autobiography: general Books
HarperCollins India The Golden Years: The Many Joys of Living a Good
Book SynopsisRuskin tells us how to enjoy the advancing years some of us are blessed with, and how to make the most of the amazing gift called life.
£12.79
Amsterdam Publishers Aftermath: Coming of Age on Three Continents
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£25.60
Central European University Press The Passport as Home: Comfort in Rootlessness
Book SynopsisA Scholar's Quest for Home and Identity Experience the remarkable story of a Romanian-born, Hungarian-speaking Jewish professor. From Vienna to Columbia and Harvard, he navigates a life marked by rootlessness, seeking comfort and purpose. His journey unfolds against the backdrop of five decades, two continents, and significant political and cultural changes. As we follow his pursuit of a home, we gain insight into the critical developments of post-1945 Europe and America. Markovits's emigration experiences, first from Romania to Vienna and later from Vienna to New York, shed light on the challenges he faced. His journey offers a panoramic view of the forces shaping the latter half of the 20th century. Despite America's flaws, he finds it a beacon of academic excellence, intellectual openness, cultural diversity, and religious tolerance—qualities that Europe lacked. Explore the complexities of identity, culture, and the universal search for belonging in this captivating narrative.Trade Review"The great Jewish historian Salo Baron defined the “lachrymose school of Jewish historiography,” that long litany of suffering and persecution that for many defines Jewish life and history. Andy Markovits’s memoir is the anecdote to that school: a sunny, optimistic, and uplifting read. It doesn’t gloss over the sadness of post-War Europe, but it shows how that lost world could produce a vital future and how a stateless, rootless person could nonetheless turn that condition into a fulfilled life." https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/book/the-passport-as-home-comfort-in-rootlessness -- Martin Green * Jewish Book Council *"Perhaps the best that one may hope for sometimes is the richness of a life lived without such a destructive set of emotions, the worth of work that is grounded on logic and evidence, the support of people (as the author generously attests to in this memoir) from whom one can learn and with whom one can share insight and understanding. It is this record and these experiences, perhaps above all, which shine brightest out of this evocative memoir." -- Philip Spencer * Fathom *Table of ContentsForeword by Michael Ignatieff Preface and Acknowledgements Chapter One Origins: The Virtues of Rootlessness Chapter Two A Paean to Tante Trude (Who Might or Might Not Have Been a Nazi) Chapter Three Four Friendships: Discovering America in Vienna Chapter Four Daphne Scheer, Real Madrid and Internazionale Milano (Inter Milan): The Personal Meets the Political Chapter Five The Rolling Stones Play Vienna (Resulting in Bodily Harm to the City’s Jews) Chapter Six Arrival in New York: The Dream Meets the Reality Chapter Seven Columbia 1968: How the World – and Andy – Changed in a Single Year Chapter Eight Kiki: Big Politics and Little Andy Chapter Nine The Grateful Dead: My American Family Chapter Ten Harvard’s Center for European Studies: The Interloper Finds a Home Chapter Eleven Dogs: The Rescuer Rescues Himself Chapter Twelve Germany: Admiration for the Bundesrepublik, Discomfort with Deutschland Epilogue
£15.16
Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd Reluctant Editor: The Singapore Media as Seen
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£11.69
Ched Ed Aztec Empire: A Brief History from Beginning to
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£8.99
Little, Brown Book Group One Two Another
Book SynopsisOne Two Another is a collection of the very best lyrics by lead singer of The Charlatans, Tim Burgess, with added commentary and memoir.
£8.99
Little, Brown Book Group Restoration Heart
Book Synopsis''Breathtaking untold story . . . riotously colourful'' Mail on Sunday''I read most of it in one exciting sitting. It is brilliant, gripping and sad'' Harry MountRestoration Heart is a story of love, double divorce and redemption. It is a biography of the heart, and of a house. When William Cash suffers a post-divorce, mid-life breakdown, aged 43, life seemed bleak - but things were about to change. Like William himself, his old Shropshire family house Upton Cressett was in as much in need of being rescued and ''fixed up'' as its owner. As William embarks on re-building his life and ruin of a country house, he starts looking again for love. But money, patience and the likelihood of ever finding family happiness soon start to run out.Drawing on his haul of letters written to various wives, fianc?es and girlfriends - all potential third wives - the book follows Cash''s search for a chatelaine for Upton Cressett. Restoration HTrade ReviewBreathtaking untold story . . . riotously colourful * Mail on Sunday *A touching, entertaining memoir which traces the twin track restoration of a broken heart and dilapidated Shropshire Manor * The Tablet *Immensely readable . . . Laugh-out-loud funny, Restoration Heart is a delightful true story of love, hope and redemption by one of the foremost society writers of our day * Tatler *An excellent memoir * Nicholas Coleridge *This entertaining, often poignant, book is straight out of Waugh or Wodehouse * Catholic Herald *An endearing story of rebuilding and restoring * You magazine *A funny and unexpectedly touching book * Country Life *I read most of it in one exciting sitting. It's brilliant, gripping and sad. The personal romantic memoir is terrificHilarious . . . Restoration Heart conveys the transformative power of good architecture . . . this book is one to be treasured * The New Criterion *Recommended . . . unexpected poignancy * New Statesman *A very amusing and candid memoir * Jeremy Musson, architectural historian and broadcaster *I'm very much enjoying Restoration Heart * John Challis, aka Boyce in Only Fools and Horses and restore-a-wreck author *Cash emerges as a flamboyant character . . . a classically English romantic . . . Cash's transition is genuinely endearing * The Art Newspaper *Recommended * Historic House *Intriguing . . . wittily recounted and moving . . . This book will surely give heart to anyone embarking on a seemingly Sisyphean restoration job, be it of the house or of the soul * The Lady *Cash, who has often written of society and scandal, is adept at setting dramatic scenes throughout his memoir. Yet there's another layer to Restoration Heart-an acute literary sense . . . Restoration Heart is buoyed by Cash's self-effacing humor. He's a romantic when it comes to love, and also writing * The Millions *
£9.74
Tidewater Press Three Funerals for My Father: Love, Loss and Escape from Vietnam
£12.34
Little, Brown Book Group Rerun the Fun
Book Synopsis''The perfect antidote to 2020'' Huffington Post''A must-read if you like funny things'' Greg James''I had no idea Pat Sharp''s life story would be so hilarious and I strongly suspect neither did he'' Nish KumarPat Sharp is a man out of time.For those of a certain generation, he is an iconic figure synonymous with good fun, great hair and excess gunge. For others, he''s just that bloke with a mullet. Fame is a fickle beast and, since the cancellation of Fun House in 1999 (''Just ten years into its run, when it was finally finding its feet''), Pat has become a reclusive figure, only emerging from his splendid isolation to pop up on things like I''m A Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Come Dine with Me. Until now.With time on his hands and now reliant on a faulty memory, Pat has expertly blended fact and . . . fiction: revealing all about hisTrade ReviewFabulous book . . . wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone . . . genuinely laugh out loud . . . twice as good as Partridge . . . perfect book for Christmas * Bob Mills *The perfect antidote to 2020 * Huffington Post *A funny relief from the dumpster fire that is 2020 * GQ *Hilarious, racy and largely untrue . . . one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. Not just amusing but packed with gags -- Tim Jonze * Guardian *A loving account of the life and times of an enigma wrapped inside a mullet. This is a must-read if you like funny things * Greg James *I had no idea Pat Sharp's life story would be so hilarious and I strongly suspect neither did he * Nish Kumar *It's easy to forget, as I had, that Pat Sharp is so much more than an iconic haircut and a helter skelter - and this well overdue book goes into hilarious, largely-fabricated detail about Pat's critical role in shaping our world today * Rick Edwards *This is precision humour. It's very funny and no previous knowledge of Pat Sharp is required * Paul Sinha *A very funny book * Boyd Hilton *Comic genius -- Musa Okwonga * The i *Brilliant. An extraordinary, almost true autobiography * Graeme Swann *Hilarious, light-hearted, joyous and uplifting. A shiny jewel in what's been a murky year * Badly Drawn Boy *Funny, mad, brilliant. I laughed a lot * Lisa McGee (writer of Derry Girls) *A brutal, searing and vital dissemination of our times. Sharp has written a brave, eloquent tome that provides a way forward for future generations * Matt Lucas *My sister Jess and I dreamt of being on Fun House as kids so this book was the next best thing and it didn't disappoint. I'm still laughing now! * Mark Wright *Anything Pat Sharp related is always fun. This book is relative to that fun. Read it and get some of that fun! Cos it's fun! * Keith Lemon *There are some books that will be around forever. Perfect examples of literary genius. But this book is just about Pat Sharp * Chris Moyles *
£15.00
Purdue University Press My One-Eyed, Three-Legged Therapist: How My Cat
Book SynopsisMy One-Eyed, Three-Legged Therapist: How My Cat Clio Saved Me is the story of how an adorable, spunky, gray-and-white kitten helped the author regain the courage to face life's challenges and realize that none of us is truly alone. Born into poverty, losing her dad at age seven, and targeted by bullies, Kathy turned to pets for unconditional love and acceptance. A difficult childhood led to an abusive marriage, but things changed on her fortieth birthday when her staff at the organization where she worked gave her an extraordinary cat named Clio. The runt of the litter, a two-time cancer survivor, and a special needs cat, Clio nevertheless had an incredible will to live full tilt. This intrepid feline knew no fear and displayed unlimited self-confidence. She overcame not one, but two, disabilities. By watching Clio thrive despite what life threw at her, Kathy was able to put her own life in perspective by learning to accept the past, embrace the present, and look forward to the future.
£16.16
Pan Macmillan The Lord God Made Them All The Classic Memoirs of
Book SynopsisThe fourth volume of memoirs from the author who inspired the BBC and Channel 5 series All Creatures Great and Small. Finally home from London after his wartime service in the RAF, James Herriot is settling back into life as a country vet. While the world has changed after the war, the blunt Yorkshire clients and menagerie of beasts with weird and wonderful ailments remain the same. But between his young son, Jimmy, trailing him around copying his every move, stubborn farmers refusing to try his ‘new-fangled’ treatments and a goat that has eaten 293 tomatoes, Darrowby is far from quiet. And with another baby on the way, life is about to get even more chaotic . . . Since they were first published, James Herriot’s memoirs have sold millions of copies and entranced generations of animal lovers. Charming, funny and touching, The Lord God Made Them All is a heart-warming story of determination, love and companionship from one of B
£10.44
Headline Publishing Group Friends Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing
Book Synopsis''There''s never been a more honest or raw memoir . . . and it may just save lives'' Daily Mail''Funny, fascinating, compelling . . . also a wonderful read for fans of Friends'' The Times''HI, MY NAME IS MATTHEW, although you may know me by my full name. My friends call me Matty.''So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who travelled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us . . . and so much more.In an extraordinary story that onlyTrade ReviewFriends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing is a raw, unflinching memoir that took courage to write. As it turns out, Matthew Perry has a lot of courage. He takes us through his addiction, his illness and his paralyzing loneliness. Somehow, during the course of his life, Matthew was able to turn his pain into comedic joy for others, but, he tells us, it was at a cost. Matthew takes us through his "hell" but doesn't wallow. Ultimately, this book is filled with hope for the future. If you want to know about who Matthew Perry is, stay away from the rags and read this. * Marta Kauffman, co-creator of the NBC sitcom Friends *A fascinating, gruesome tale of addiction * Guardian *
£22.50
Hachette Book Publishing India Pvt Ltd My Life in Full
Book SynopsisGenerous, authoritative, and grounded in lived experience, My Life in Full is the story of an extraordinary leader's life, a moving tribute to the relationships that created it, and a blueprint for 21st century prosperity.
£15.99
Atria Books Cyndi Lauper A Memoir
Book SynopsisLegendary singer, songwriter, actress, and activist Cyndi Lauper offers a personal account of the journey that led her to become an international superstar in this “moving story of an American musical original” (Kirkus Reviews).Icon Cyndi Lauper offers a poignant account of the journey that led her to become an international superstar—from her years growing up in Queens, New York, to the making of enduring hits like “Time After Time,” “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” and “True Colors,” to becoming an actress, a mother, an outspoken activist, and maintaining a music career that has lasted more than thirty years. After leaving her childhood home at seventeen, Cyndi took on a series of jobs: racetrack hot walker, IHOP waitress, and, as she puts it, “gal Friday the thirteenth,” as she pursued her passion for music. She worked her way up playing small gigs and broke out in 1983 with She’s
£17.09
Gallery Books Taste: My Life Through Food
Book SynopsisINSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Named a Notable Book of the Year by NPR and The Washington Post From award-winning actor and food obsessive Stanley Tucci comes an intimate and charming memoir of life in and out of the kitchen.Stanley Tucci grew up in an Italian American family that spent every night around the kitchen table. He shared the magic of those meals with us in The Tucci Cookbook and The Tucci Table, and now he takes us beyond the savory recipes and into the compelling stories behind them. Taste is a reflection on the intersection of food and life, filled with anecdotes about his growing up in Westchester, New York; preparing for and shooting the foodie films Big Night and Julie & Julia; falling in love over dinner; and teaming up with his wife to create meals for a multitude of children. Each morsel of this gastronomic journey through good times and bad, five-star meals and burned dishes, is as heartfelt and delicious as the last. Written with Stanley’s signature wry humor, Taste is for fans of Bill Buford, Gabrielle Hamilton, and Ruth Reichl—and anyone who knows the power of a home-cooked meal.
£24.00
Penguin Putnam Inc Lets Pretend This Never Happened
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£15.38
Hogarth Solito
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£12.41
Atria Books Greedy: Notes from a Bisexual Who Wants Too Much
Book SynopsisNamed one of the Best Books of 2021 by Oprah Daily, Glamour, Shondaland, BuzzFeed, and more! A hilarious and whip-smart collection of essays, offering an intimate look at bisexuality, gender, and, of course, sex. Perfect for fans of Lindy West, Samantha Irby, and Rebecca Solnit—and anyone who wants, and deserves, to be seen. If Jen Winston knows one thing for sure, it’s that she’s bisexual. Or wait—maybe she isn’t? Actually, she definitely is. Unless…she’s not? Jen’s provocative, laugh-out-loud debut takes us inside her journey of self-discovery, leading us through stories of a childhood “girl crush,” an onerous quest to have a threesome, and an enduring fear of being bad at sex. Greedy follows Jen’s attempts to make sense of herself as she explores the role of the male gaze, what it means to be “queer enough,” and how to overcome bi stereotypes when you’re the posterchild for all of them: greedy, slutty, and constantly confused. With her clever voice and clear-eyed insight, Jen draws on personal experiences with sexism and biphobia to understand how we all can and must do better. She sheds light on the reasons women, queer people, and other marginalized groups tend to make ourselves smaller, provoking the question: What would happen if we suddenly stopped? Greedy shows us that being bisexual is about so much more than who you’re sleeping with—it’s about finding stability in a state of flux and defining yourself on your own terms. This book inspires us to rethink the world as we know it, reminding us that Greedy was a superpower all along.
£15.19
Granta Books Somewhere Towards The End
Book Synopsis'There is a sense throughout Athill's work that you are making a new friend as much as reading a new story... A delight to read' Observer WINNER OF THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY PRIZE, the moving and witty memoir on what it means to grow old. Written in her nineties, when she was free from any inhibitions she may have once had, Diana Athill reflects frankly on the losses and occasionally the gains that old age can bring, and on the wisdom and fortitude required to face death. Lively, fearless and humorous, Somewhere Towards the End encapsulates the vibrant final decades of Athill's life. Filled with events, love and friendships, this is a memoir about maintaining hope, joy and vigour in later life, resisting regret, and questioning the beliefs and customs of your own generation. 'Informative, honest and lacking in the usual sorrow over old age. A remarkable woman' Beryl Bainbridge 'An honest joy to read' Alice Munro 'The book is a moving and humorous account of old age, unsparing about its indignities, unflinching from the inevitability that the end can not be many years away, but full of joy at the way life keeps on, at the most unexpected moments, renewing itself' Irish Times 'Her brilliant book is entirely lacking in the usual regrets, nostalgia and Hovis-ad recollections of old-timers. It is a little literary gem, penned by a marvellous, feisty old character... What a treasure' Daily MailTrade ReviewThere is a sense throughout Athill's work that you are making a new friend as much as reading a new story ... a delight to read * Observer *The book is a moving and humorous account of old age, unsparing about its indignities, unflinching from the inevitability that the end can not be many years away, but full of joy at the way life keeps on, at the most unexpected moments, renewing itself * Irish Times *Part exposé, part treatise on old age, the book is a ruminative read * Sunday Times *Her brilliant book is entirely lacking in the usual regrets, nostalgia and Hovis-ad recollections of old-timers. It is a little literary gem, penned by a marvellous, feisty old character ... What a treasure * Daily Mail *What sets her apart is the flagrancy and wit of her writing ... her memoirs display a vivacious appreciation of the life she has lived and what is still to come * New Statesman *Exhilarating and comforting, so much good sense, candour and liveliness of spirit in such clean, clear prose -- Simon Gray[She has] a cold eye for reality and no time for sentimental lies -- Jenny Diski * Sunday Times *A candid look at getting near the inevitable -- Fiona Phillps * Daily Express *Informative, honest and lacking in the usual sorrow over old age. A remarkable woman -- Beryl BainbridgeAn honest joy to read -- Alice MunroCaptivating * New York Times Book Review *Her eye is unflinching, her prose as clear and graceful as ever; her honesty is inspiring * Spectator *Brave, amusing and graceful * Sunday Telegraph *Full of clarity and wit, original thought and understated insight * Metro *[An] honest, clear-sighted book * Independent *Vive la Athill! * The Times *Invigorating * Financial Times *This is an inspiring book * Sunday Telegraph *Memoirs are many. This one is singular ... Her prose is practiced, clear and crisp. Epitomising what she preaches, the book is beautifully balanced in its brevity and well produced. Athill is refreshingly candid, but never prurient ... This book should encourage the old to speak up and the young to listen to what their elders have to say * The Times *Oddly uplifting ... Her sharp-witted musings on friendship, sex, sore feet, religion and death are infused with a curiosity for all that life brings and are a captivating read, whatever stage one is at * Guardian *So deftly drawn and perceptive that one feels better simply for having read them...It is impossible not to be engaged by Athill's vigorous reflections on such unlikely topics as sore feet, septuagenarian sex and the business of working out whether one is too old to drive a car ... a very funny book -- Elizabeth Day * Observer *
£10.44
Spinifex Press The Village and the World: My Life, Our Times
Book SynopsisMaria Mies’ achievements include developing groundbreaking praxis and theory around the concept of “housewifisation”, the violence of colonisation and profound writings about ecofeminism. She fights the Multilateral Agreement of Investment, she fights the General Agreement on Trade in Services, she fights against the patenting of life and tackles reproductive and genetic engineering as well as food security, but she never gives up hope that there is an alternative to present day injustice and exploitation; that “the good life” is possible.
£17.95
HarperCollins Publishers Strange Things Happen
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£999.99
Pan Macmillan Confessions of a Sociopath
Book SynopsisThe bold memoir from a diagnosed sociopath. Shocking but funny, Confessions of a Sociopath is a fascinating insight into the mind of a self-confessed predator.'Gripping and important . . . quite the memorable roller coaster ride' – Jon Ronson, author of The Psychopath TestM. E. Thomas is a high-functioning non-criminal sociopath. She is charismatic, ambitious and successful. You would be charmed by her if you met her, might even be seduced by her. You would not realize that she is studying you to find your flaws, that she is ruthlessly manipulative, has no empathy and does not feel guilt or remorse. But she does like people – she likes to touch them, mould them and ruin them. She could be your friend or your boss. She could be you . . .Now she writes with breathtaking honesty about her life. She also draws on the latest research to explain why at least one in twenty-five of us are sociopaths – and shows why that&Trade ReviewGripping and important . . . revelatory . . . quite the memorable roller coaster ride -- Jon Ronson, author of The Psychopath Test * New York Times Book Review *Fascinating . . . That the author is female somehow makes Confessions of a Sociopath all the more chilling * Boston Globe *
£10.44
John Murray Press The Last Lecture
Book SynopsisThe phenomenal international bestseller - with over 8 million copies sold.What legacy would you choose to leave behind for your children?When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give ''a last lecture'' lecture, he didn''t have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. But the lecture he gave, ''Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams'', wasn''t about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.A lot of professors give talks titled ''The Last Lecture''. Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humour, inspiration, and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.Trade ReviewInspiring * The Guardian *Incredibly moving * Daily Record *
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Love Pamela
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£22.50
Penguin Putnam Inc The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas Illustrated
Book SynopsisAn illustrated edition of Gertrude Stein''s most well-known work, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, bursting with the bright, sophisticated, and fanciful images of artist Maira KalmanConsidered one of the richest and most irreverent biographies in history, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas was written by Gertrude Stein in the style and voice of her life partner, Alice B. Toklas. Published in 1933 and narrated by Alice, this autobiography begins with her initial move to France in 1907, the day after which she meets Gertrude, sparking a relationship that lasts for nearly four decades. Recounting the vibrant and literary life the two make for themselves among the Parisian avant-garde, Alice opens the doors to the prominent salons they held in their home at rue de Fleurus, hosting fellow expatriate American writers such as Ernest Hemingway, T. S. Eliot, and Ezra Pound as well as artists Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Man Ray, and speaks of the twilight of the Paris belle epoque. In this edition, the wildly talented Maira Kalman brings this glittering Parisian world to life, and celebrates Stein and Toklas in vivid color. Her whimsical and inimitable illustrations complement the wit and humor of Stein’s narrative, and elevate the exciting intrigues of these famous women and their friends. Inviting readers to experience this book in a completely new way, the illustrated edition of The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas will prompt a contemporary reading of this cherished and singular classic.
£25.50
Hodder & Stoughton The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah
Book SynopsisEquiano's narrative is the most significant autobiographical account of slavery to emerge from Britain's centuries as a slave trading and slave owning power. It remains as powerful today as it was when first published in 1789.It tells the story of Equiano's remarkable life, recounting his years of slavery, working on ships that carried him across the empire and into battle during the Seven Years War, and the extraordinary story of how he was able to purchase his own freedom. Travelling to Britain as a free man Equiano settled in London and there became a leading figure in the early abolition movement.The publication of his narrative was carefully timed to coincide with the first attempt to abolish the slave trade. Describing his own experiences of slavery as both victim and witness, the book became a sensation and its author the most famous black person in Georgian Britain.In this new edition, leading historian David Olusoga sets the book in its historical context helping us to understand this complex, spiritual, politically astute and deeply passionate man. Although Equiano did not live to see the abolition of the slave trade or slavery his voice was critical to that that long campaign.
£18.67
Interlink Publishing Group, Inc Memoirs Of A Militant: My Years In The Khiam
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£17.09
Seven Stories Press,U.S. Getting Lost
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2022 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE2022 NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOKThe diary of one of France?s most important, award-winning writers during the year she had a passionate and secret love affair with a Russian diplomat.Getting Lost is the diary Annie Ernaux kept during the year and a half she had a secret love affair with a younger, married man, a Russian diplomat. Her novel, Simple Passion, was based on this affair, but here her writing is immediate, unfiltered. In these diaries it is 1989 and Annie is divorced with two grown sons, living outside of Paris and nearing fifty. Her lover escapes the city to see her there and Ernaux seems to survive only in expectation of these encounters, saying ?his desire for me is the only thing I can be sure of.? She cannot write, she trudges distractedly through her various other commitments in the world, she awaits his next call; she lives only to feel desire and for the next rendezvous. When he is gone and the desire has faded, she feels that she is a step closer to death.Lauded for her spare prose, Ernaux here removes all artifice, her writing pared down to its most naked and vulnerable. Getting Lost is as strong a book as any that she has written, a haunting, desperate view of strong and successful woman who seduces a man only to lose herself in love and desire.
£12.32
Pinter & Martin Ltd. Like a Flower: My Years of Yoga with Vanda
Book SynopsisA heartfelt and moving recollection by Sandra Sabatini, the author of the classic Breath, of her encounters and training under the guidance of Vanda Scaravelli, whose book Awakening the Spine inspired generations of yoga practitioners. With photographs by David Darom.
£14.39
Random House USA Inc The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE • In this “courageous” (The Washington Post) memoir of survival, a former captive of the Islamic State tells her harrowing and ultimately inspiring story. Nadia Murad was born and raised in Kocho, a small village of farmers and shepherds in northern Iraq. A member of the Yazidi community, she and her brothers and sisters lived a quiet life. Nadia had dreams of becoming a history teacher or opening her own beauty salon. On August 15th, 2014, when Nadia was just twenty-one years old, this life ended. Islamic State militants massacred the people of her village, executing men who refused to convert to Islam and women too old to become sex slaves. Six of Nadia’s brothers were killed, and her mother soon after, their bodies swept into mass graves. Nadia was taken to Mosul and forced, along with thousands of other Yazidi girls, into the ISIS slave trade. Nadia would be held captive by several militants and repeatedly raped and beaten. Finally, she managed a narrow escape through the streets of Mosul, finding shelter in the home of a Sunni Muslim family whose eldest son risked his life to smuggle her to safety. Today, Nadia''s story—as a witness to the Islamic State''s brutality, a survivor of rape, a refugee, a Yazidi—has forced the world to pay attention to an ongoing genocide. It is a call to action, a testament to the human will to survive, and a love letter to a lost country, a fragile community, and a family torn apart by war.
£11.25
Penguin Putnam Inc All Down Darkness Wide
Book SynopsisWinner of the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature • Named a Best Book of 2022 by Kirkus, Booklist, and Shelf Awareness • Named a Best Book of July by Buzzfeed • A Publishers Weekly Best Nonfiction 2022 Summer Read • Observer Book of the Week • Lammy Finalist“The most beautiful prose I’ve read in years.”—Alexander Chee, The Atlantic • Rapturous...Hewitt beautifully illuminates his own darknesses so that we might also see our own.—Melissa Febos, The New York Times Book Review • “Exquisitely written.”—Claire Messud, Harper’s MagazineWhen Seán Hewitt meets Elias, the two fall headlong into a love story. But as Elias struggles with severe mental illness, they soon come face-to-face with crisis.All Down Darkness Wide is
£22.40
Little, Brown Book Group Past Mortems
Book Synopsis**PRE-ORDER NOW: MURDER ISN''T EASY: THE FORENSICS OF AGATHA CHRISTIE, THE FASCINATING NEW BOOK BY CARLA VALENTINE**''Part memoir and part manifesto, Valentine''s book lifts the lid on daily life in the mortuary . . . Valentine bares her own soul . . . with visceral attention to physical and emotional detail'' - Wendy Moore, Guardian''A fascinating portrait . . . one seriously intriguing read'' - Glamour''A grisly topic, but a glorious read'' - Mail on SundayA day in the life of Carla Valentine - curator, pathology technician and ''death professional'' - is not your average day. She spent ten years training and working as an Anatomical Pathology Technologist: where the mortuary slab was her desk, and that day''s corpses her task list.Past Mortems tells Carla''s stories of those years, as well as investigating the body alongside our attitudes towards death - shedding light on what tTrade ReviewIt is an understatement to say that Valentine is passionate about embracing death ... Part memoir and part manifesto, Valentine's book lifts the lid on daily life in the mortuary ... [Valentine] bares her own soul ... with visceral attention to physical and emotional detail -- Wendy Moore Guardian a fascinating portrait ... one seriously intriguing read Glamour There are sections of Valentine's writing that fondly brought back my first post-mortem experience. Rather than listening to the pathologist's monologue about coronary arteries, I was mesmerised by the painstaking focus of the APT ... Valentine succeeds in presenting her trade as a caring one. -- Kate Womersley Spectator
£8.99
Crown Publishing Group (NY) Mothers Reckoning
Book SynopsisThe acclaimed New York Times bestseller by Sue Klebold, mother of one of the Columbine shooters, about living in the aftermath of Columbine.On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Over the course of minutes, they would kill twelve students and a teacher and wound twenty-four others before taking their own lives. For the last sixteen years, Sue Klebold, Dylan’s mother, has lived with the indescribable grief and shame of that day. How could her child, the promising young man she had loved and raised, be responsible for such horror? And how, as his mother, had she not known something was wrong? Were there subtle signs she had missed? What, if anything, could she have done differently? These are questions that Klebold has grappled with every day since the Columbine tragedy. In A Mother’s Reckoning, she chronicles with unflinching honesty her journ
£13.05
Atria Books My Love Story
Book Synopsis
£16.15
Random House USA Inc Love Is a Mix Tape
Book Synopsis“The happiest, saddest, sweetest book about rock ‘n’ roll that I’ve ever experienced.”—Chuck Klosterman Mix tapes: We all have our favorites. Stick one into a deck, press play, and you’re instantly transported to another time in your life. For Rob Sheffield, that time was one of miraculous love and unbearable grief. A time that spanned seven years, it started when he met the girl of his dreams, and ended when he watched her die in his arms. Using the listings of fifteen of his favorite mix tapes, Rob shows that the power of music to build a bridge between people is stronger than death. You’ll read these words, perhaps surprisingly, with joy in your heart and a song in your head—the one that comes to mind when you think of the love of your life. Praise for Love is a Mixtape “A memoir that manages, no small feat, to be funny and beautifully forlorn at the same t
£12.80
Hodder & Stoughton Kangaroo Dundee
Book SynopsisOne determined man, a mob of baby kangaroo orphans and a story full of heart.
£10.99
Little, Brown Book Group Gather Together In My Name
Book SynopsisThe sequel to I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS'A brilliant writer, a fierce friend and a truly phenomenal woman' Barack ObamaMaya Angelou's volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she also knows its cruelty. As a black woman she has known discrimination and extreme poverty, but also hope, joy, achievement and celebration. In the sequel to her bestselling I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou is a young mother in California, unemployed, embarking on brief affairs and transient jobs in shops and night-clubs, turning to prostitution and the world of narcotics. Maya Angelou powerfully captures the struggles and triumphs of her passionate life with dignity, wisdom, humour and humanity.'She moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence and a fierce grace . . . She will always be the rainbow in my clouds' OPRAH WINFREY 'She was important in so many ways. She launched African American women writing in the United States. She was generous to a fault. She had nineteen talents - used ten. And was a real original. There is no duplicate' TONI MORRISONTrade ReviewA brilliant writer, a fierce friend and a truly phenomenal womanThe poems and stories she wrote . . . were gifts of wisdom and wit, courage and graceShe moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence and a fierce grace . . . She will always be the rainbow in my clouds -- Oprah WinfreyShe was important in so many ways. She launched African American women writing in the United States. She was generous to a fault. She had nineteen talents - used ten. And was a real original. There is no duplicate -- Toni MorrisonThis is the story of a great heroine who knows the meaning of a struggle and never loses her pride or dignity. Indeed, her story makes me proud of the human race -- John Oliver KillensEngrossing and vital, rich and funny and wise . . . Angelou writes like a song, and like the truth * New York Times Book Review *Angelou's stature as a writer, a woman, a black, grows, walks tall * Kirkus Reviews *
£9.99
Between the Lines Anthony Hecht in Conversation with Philip Hoy
Book Synopsis
£999.99
The History Press Ltd Love and War in London
Book SynopsisLove & War in London is rooted in the extraordinary milieu of wartime London. Vibrant and engaging, Olivia Cockett's diary reveals her frustrations, fears, pleasures and self-doubts. She recorded her mood swings and tried to understand them, and wrote of her lover (a married man) and the intense relationship they had. As she and her friends and family in New Scotland Yard were swept up by the momentous events of another European war, she vividly reported on what she saw and heard in her daily life. Hers is a diary that brings together the personal and the public. It permits us to understand how one intelligent, imaginative woman struggled to make sense of her life, as the city in which she lived was drawn into the turmoil of a catastrophic war.
£999.99
Allen & Unwin The Last Snake Man: The remarkable true-life
Book SynopsisEvery Sunday for almost a century John Cann's family ran the famous snake show in a pit at La Perouse in Sydney - an area once alive with tiger, brown and black snakes. After growing up with over 300 'pet' snakes in their backyard, John and his brother George took over the snake show from their parents in 1965. By the time John retired in 2010, he'd survived five venomous snake bites.Many of those familiar with John and his shows wouldn't know that he was also an Olympic athlete, a top state rugby league player who played alongside some of the legends of the game, a state champion boxer, an adventurer and a world authority on turtles.The Last Snake Man chronicles John's extraordinary life and times. From wrangling snakes to chasing turtles, from remote country towns to the impenetrable jungles of New Guinea, this is the story of an amazing Australian and his never-ending search for fascinating animals and adventure.Table of ContentsPreface 1. The Snake Man of La Perouse 2. Cleopatra, Queen of the Snakes 3. War baby 4. Underwater football 5. Born to run 6. The Games 7. Race relations 8. Roughing it 9. 'This one's dead . . .' 10. Work 11. Snaking 12. Snakebites 13. 'He got me!' 14. Showtime 15. Turtles 16. Collecting in Irian Barat 17. A cruel end 18. Back to work 19. Turtle wars 20. My brother George 21. My family 22. Martin Lauer 23. Reptiles and reprobates 24. No fortune, no fame 25. Survivor Appendix Australia's great snakeys Appendix John's turtles Acknowledgements Index
£13.49
Counterpoint Old In Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over
Book SynopsisA New York Times Book Review Editor’s ChoiceFinalist for the National Book Critics Circle AwardA Princeton professor-turned-artist recounts her late-in-life career change in this “feisty and delightfully irreverent memoir” about art and coming-of-age in your 60s (Boston Globe).“A glorious achievement . . . a cup of courage for everyone who wants to change their lives.” —Tayari Jones, author of An American MarriageFollowing her retirement from Princeton University, celebrated historian Dr. Nell Irvin Painter surprised everyone in her life by returning to school—in her sixties—to earn a BFA and MFA in painting. In Old in Art School, she travels from her beloved Newark to the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design; finds meaning in the artists she loves, even as she comes to understand how they may be undervalued; and struggles with the unstable balance between the pursuit of art and the inevitable, sometimes painful demands of a life fully lived.How are women and artists seen and judged by their age, looks, and race? What does it mean when someone says, “You will never be an artist”? Who defines what an artist is and all that goes with such an identity, and how are these ideas tied to our shared conceptions of beauty, value, and difference?Bringing to bear incisive insights from two careers, Painter weaves a frank, funny, and often surprising tale of her move from academia to art in this “glorious achievement—bighearted and critical, insightful and entertaining. This book is a cup of courage for everyone who wants to change their lives” (Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage).
£16.74
Little, Brown Book Group An American Family
Book SynopsisTimely and timeless, An American Family is an intensely personal immigrant story. Khizr Khan traces his remarkable journey from humble beginnings as one of ten children born on a farm in rural Pakistan, his grandfather reading Rumi beneath the moonlight and instilling in young Khizr a yearning for education that ultimately leads him to Harvard Law. A moving love story builds between Khizr and Ghazala when they meet at University, as he tries to get the girl who is out of his league. Always helping others with the little they have, the Khans move to Texas and become citizens as they build a humble, family-focused life in a place thataffords them freedom and dignity. Having instilled the same ideals that brought him to America in the first place, Khan relates the heroic and tragic story of his middle son, U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan, who is killed while protecting his base camp in Iraq, and the ways in which their undying pride in him and hissacrifice have helped them endur
£10.49
WW Norton & Co Poet Warrior
Book SynopsisUS Poet Laureate Joy Harjo offers a vivid, lyrical and inspiring call for love and justice in this contemplation of her trailblazing life.Trade Review"A member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Harjo is the first Native Poet Laureate of the United States. Her second memoir (after “Crazy Brave”) blends personal journey with cultural meaning, weaving in stories from her ancestors that shaped her growth as an artist and teacher. The result is as strong and lyric as her poetry." -- 10 Books To Read in September - The Washington Post"Blending poetry and prose, Harjo examines her childhood, her ancestors and her path to becoming the country’s first Native American poet laureate." -- What To Read - The New York Times"In this triumphant memoir, our three-term Poet Laureate lyrically fuses poetry and prose to capture her Creek Nation family... “I walk in and out of several worlds each day,” Harjo once wrote—and in Poet Warrior, she threads them all together masterfully." -- Adrienne Westenfeld, The Best Books of Fall 2021 - Esquire"Alternating between poetry and prose, Harjo meditates on the stories and songs she grew up with, her artistic and ancestral influences and how poetry informs and reflects her connection to her community and home. The result is a memoir that is soulful and celebratory." -- 34 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2021 - TIME Magazine
£18.99
Orchard Innovations Waiting for Nothing
£17.58
Quercus Publishing I'll Try Anything Once: New edition of this
Book SynopsisOriginally published as Relish, a fully revised and updated edition of the eye-opening story of one woman's incredible appetite for life: Dame Prue Leith, judge of hit show GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF, tells all from childhood in South Africa to becoming a DBE.'What a terrific tale it is - of a South African girl who could stand the heat and made the kitchen into a remarkable career' TelegraphPrue Leith describes herself as greedy in all senses of the word. Cook, caterer, restaurateur, food writer, journalist, novelist, businesswoman, teacher, television presenter, charity worker, lover, wife and mother, she has certainly lived life to the full. Prue came to London in the early 1960s and, not long afterwards, opened Leith's Restaurant. By the mid-seventies she was a food columnist on the Daily Mail, had published several cookbooks and opened Leith's School of Food and Wine. But it wasn't all work. Prue writes with honesty of her love life, her longing for children, the birth of her son, the adoption of her daughter and much else besides. In this fully revised and updated edition she tells of how she met, fell in love with and married John Playfair as well as her exciting role as a judge on Great British Bake Off, now a hit show in the United States as well as the UK. Prue's down-to-earth attitude to life and her remarkable energy are an inspiration to women readers everywhere.
£12.34
Other Press LLC We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I: A
Book Synopsis
£18.39
University of British Columbia Press The Fire Still Burns
Book SynopsisThe Fire Still Burns is a tale of survival and redemption through which Squamish Elder Sam George recounts his residential school experience and how it led to a life of addiction, violence, and imprisonment until he found the courage to face his past and begin healing.Trade ReviewUnflinchingly honest… -- Mina Kerr-Lazenby * North Shore News *Once in a blue moon…I’m faced with a story that creeps into my bones and will not let me forget it. Like Sam George’s recently released memoir…I could not put Sam’s book down…I did not eat, sleep or shower: I read it cover to cover in one day -- Linda Pfeil * The Beacon *It’s a harrowing tale that adds to the growing record of the horrific legacy of residential schools in Canada. George’s personal story culminates with the lessons he learned for rebuilding his life after the mountain of trauma he suffered: by embracing his traditional culture–the very ways the nuns had tried to beat out of him. -- Graham Chandler * BC Book World *George is unsparing in his accounts of the years lost to drugs and alcohol, and the damage he did to people close to him. But he is also able to tell the story of how reconnecting with his Indigenous roots and culture helped him heal and become a loving, contributing elder in his community…Highly recommended. -- Tom Sandborn * The Vancouver Sun *Table of ContentsPreface / Sam GeorgeAcknowledgmentsA Note on the Text1 Your Name Is T'seatsultux2 In Them Days3 Our Lives Signed Away4 The Strap5 A Girl Named Pearl, a Boy Named Charlie6 Runaway7 I Tried to Be Invisible8 Finding Ways to Feel Good9 On Our Own10 Oakalla11 Haney Correctional12 Longshoreman13 Misery Loves Company14 Drowning15 Tsow-Tun Le Lum16 I’m Still HereAfterword: On Co-Writing Sam George’s Memoir / Jill Yonit GoldbergReader’s GuideAbout the Authors
£16.14
Mirran Books Confession of an Emigrant
£14.99
