Autobiography: general Books

Book SynopsisFinbarr Ross tells the un-put-downable story of the journey of his life, full of steep climbs and sheer fallsthis is the sacred mystical journey of his title. His desire to share it with you is to encourage you to trust that there is a benevolent power always watching over you. Even when you feel lost, abandoned and hopeless, he says, know that you are not alone. From disasters his life led him to spiritual awakening, on a vision quest to meet myself.

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Book SynopsisAn ode to childhood and to “woolgathering” as the wellspring for a creative life—now in an expanded paperback editionTrade Review"Smith is well attuned to the otherworldly dimension of dreams and cosmic visions. In this intimate and vaulting collection, she ushers us into the kingdom of childhood…Smith looks to family history for sources of her artistic impulses and portrays herself in adulthood as a roaming mystic, journal in hand, heart and mind open. Exultations of concentrated beauty and mystery ignite Smith’s soulful poems about the making of an artist." -- Booklist"One thing I’ve always admired about Patti Smith is her refusal to be characterized… Such a sensibility — fluid, visionary, risky — marks the eleven pieces in Woolgathering, a collection of impressionistic prose poems that dances at the edge of memoir before opting for something harder to pin down." -- David Ulin - The Los Angeles Times"Half beautiful language and metaphors, half raw emotion, this book (which includes a handful of personal photos) will inspire and influence a new generation of logophiles as they read and reread this absorbing, meditative work." -- Publishers Weekly"Smith pares down her prose to a state of vivid impressionism, so enigmatic that even ordinary acts - preparing mint tea, nodding off while sewing - take on spiritual weight. The passages evoking her childhood reverberate with serene joy." -- The Observer"Capturing moments of her adult life, Smith pares down her prose to a state of vivid impressionism, so enigmatic that even ordinary acts take on spiritual weight." -- The Guardian"A slim, poetic memoir of Smith’s early years....Ethereal spins of innocence and enchantment." -- Kirkus

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Book Synopsis"A stunning account."?Kirkus, starred review?This profoundly literate memoir of courage stuns and moves, and in its ferocious honesty, delights.??Mark Medoff, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Children of a Lesser GodTake It Lying Down is ?a movingly intricate weave?a detailed and poetic chronicle of healing against all odds, an intense love story, a narrative of a young man?s journey from Maine to New Mexico and adulthood, and a book of literary inspiration and wisdom . . . this is not a medical book, not a self-help book: it?s a literate, occasionally theatrical, surprisingly buoyant, always philosophical and compelling journey through one man?s life.??From the Foreword by Len JenkinSix months shy of retirement and on a family vacation in Mexico, Jim Linnell steps off the porch of a rented guest house and breaks his neck. He is medevacked to his hometown hospital in Albuquerque and from there to a spinal cord injury hospital in Denver, where he learns he may live the rest of his life as a quadriplegic. How does a person absorb such news?Jim?s injury is incomplete: He has a two-year window for improvement. After three months of rehabilitation at the hospital, he and his wife, Jennifer, return to their home with an armada of equipment for his therapy, a heavy dose of anxiety about how they will manage together, and many unanswerable questions: Will Jim get better? What kind of future will they have? Can they move past denial to accept the possibility that Jim may remain a quadriplegic?Take It Lying Down portrays a man reclaiming his life from catastrophe?it is a book of exemplary courage.

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Book SynopsisThe deeper he read, the more he came to realize that he, too, had a superpower: the ability to tell stories and make everything come out the way he wanted it.Trade Review“J. Michael Straczynski is, without question, one of the greatest science fiction minds of our time.” — Max Brooks (World War Z) “Everything I read made me want to stand up and salute. I can’t stress enough how significant and moving (to say nothing of gripping and sometimes hilarious) this book is. It’s a magnificent piece of work that will stay with me for a long, long time.” — Cory Doctorow, author of Radicalized and Walkaway “Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. Straczynski embedded a mystery in an autobiography. Has to be a first.” — Dan DiDio, Editor in Chief, DC Comics “Part Hollywood how-to, part Frank McCourt-style reflection on emotional neglect and poverty, “Becoming Superman” is an enveloping look back at a unique career.” — Washington Post “His ability to stay the course, to work hard at all times, and to keep writing were his salvation time and again. This book is a testament to that — and it is an inspiring, touching look at how someone born into darkness can find the light and go on to do great things.” — NPR “I just finished reading Becoming Superman and can, without a mote of hyperbole, state it is one of the most terrifying and inspirational, funny and empathic nonfiction books of our time. I’m too old to be currying favors. Just trust me. Buy it or die!” — Walter Koenig “A fascinating journey through careers in three different professions—comic books, TV, and movies—from an accomplished master of each. Rare to have such detail and such access. A major literary autobiography!” — Bestselling author Greg Bear “Straczynski [...] delivers a frank memoir that’s equally harrowing and triumphant.” — Publishers Weekly “Becoming Superman is a valuable resource for those wishing to look behind the curtain to one of pop culture’s most cherished and esteemed writers [...] It is an incredible story of familial abuse and its aftermath, of perseverance and fortitude, of endurance and determination. Highly recommended.” — Fantasy Book Review “Gripping. An amazing testament to the range of human durability and determination, overcoming our impossibly dark side with something even more unlikely and miraculous -- hope.” — Hugo and Nebula Award Winning Novelist David Brin “A deeply moving testament to the power of storytelling, and a no-bullshit guide to becoming, if not Superman, a better person and writer.” — Tor.com “Straczynski’s memoir more than lives up to the promises of its sub-subtitle…Joe never saves the world à la Superman, but pulls through with a heart, spine, and soul of steel. ..” — AV Club “Straczynski’s life story is simultaneously horrifying and uplifting. He survives a childhood worse than almost anything you could imagine and ends up taking an unlikely path to Hollywood success. It’s funny, sad, infuriating, and inspiring--often all at once.” — Jason Snell, host of The Incomparable podcast “His true life story turns out to be as gripping and inspiring as any of his fiction.” — B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog “I’ve rarely felt such pain while reading a memoir, or felt so satisfied at its conclusion. It’s some kind of miracle that he’s taken this lifelong experience, leavened it with perspective, and created something so universal. Powerful, powerful stuff.” — Andy Ihnatko, Tech Author and Co-Host of The Material Podcast

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Book Synopsis''Just amazing and inspirational'' Jeremy VineCan you imagine being trapped inside your own body? Able to see and hear everything going on around you but unable to move or speak - the blink of an eye your only way of communicating.Fell-runner and fun-loving mother-of-three Kate Allatt''s life was torn apart when what appeared to be a stress-related headache exploded into a massive brainstem stroke leading to locked-in syndrome. Totally paralysed, she became a prisoner inside her own body. Doctors warned her family she would never walk, talk or swallow or lead a normal life again. But they didn''t know Kate. The words no and never were not in her vocabulary.With the help of her best friends and family she drew on every ounce of her runner''s stamina and determination to make a recovery that amazed medical experts. Using a letter chart, Kate blinked the words I will walk again. Soon she was moving her thumb and communicating with the world via FTrade ReviewJust amazing and inspirational * Jeremy Vine *Kate's life was torn apart... her recovery has been amazing * Daily Mirror *Just amazing and inspirational. -- Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2 presenter

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Book Synopsis''IF YOU LOVE DOWNTON, THIS IS RIGHT UP YOUR STREET! CloserIf you liked Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs, it''s time to discover the true story in Mollie Moran''s Sunday Times charming bestselling memoir of life as a 1930s kitchen maid. When young Mollie became a ''skivvy'' in a stately London townhouse aged just 14, she quickly learned that she would need a large amount of elbow grease and a sense of humour. Through Mollie''s eyes we are offered a fascinating glimpse into London''s invisible ''downstairs'', a world that has long-since vanished: cooking huge roast dinners, polishing doorknobs, scrubbing steps - and covering up her employers'' scandals. Going to dances with her fellow servants and flirting with Harrods'' errand boys, she had no idea that the oncoming war in 1939 would change her world, and that of those she served, forever...Discover the real hardships and rewards for a

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Book SynopsisFrom a Pulitzer Prize–winning writer comes an exuberant memoir of personal loss and longing, and finding connection on the remote Azorean Islands of the Atlantic Ocean. Reporter Diana Marcum is in crisis. A long-buried personal sadness is enfolding her—and her career is stalled—when she stumbles upon an unusual group of immigrants living in rural California. She follows them on their annual return to the remote Azorean Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, where bulls run down village streets, volcanoes are active, and the people celebrate festas to ease their saudade, a longing so deep that the Portuguese word for it can’t be fully translated. Years later, California is in a terrible drought, the wildfires seem to never end, and Diana finds herself still dreaming of those islands and the chuva—a rain so soft you don’t notice when it begins or ends. With her troublesome Labrador retriever, Murphy, in tow, Diana returns to the islands of her dreams only to discover that there are still things she longs for—and one of them may be a most unexpected love. An Amazon Charts Most Read book.Trade Review“In her engaging travel memoir [Marcum] captures the spirit of saudade with an eye for detail and a playful earnestness…In the remote islands of the Azores, Marcum seems to have found her spot.” —The New York Times Book Review “If you need a summer vacation but can’t get out of town, take a trip to the Azores with Diana Marcum. Her travel memoir about her special connection to the islands will make you want to drop everything and hop on the next flight to paradise.” —HelloGiggles “Lazy mornings, family intrigue, cantankerous bulls, hope. Diana Marcum found it all on a potato-shaped island in the middle of the Atlantic. And thank goodness she did, for the resulting tale is as inspirational as it is entertaining. Marcum is the perfect travel companion: smart, open-minded, and just the right amount of funny. She’s also endearing, in a Bad News Bears sort of way, and by the end of The Tenth Island I found myself not only liking her but rooting for her too.” —Eric Weiner, author of The Geography of Bliss

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Book SynopsisAnother beautiful, revelatory country diary from one of the best nature writers in Britain.'If you’ve never read Mark Cocker, then you must. His style is sharp, selfless, and wonderfully evocative, his knowledge deep and wide-ranging but lightly borne, his curiosity joyful and infectious.' Mail On Sunday, Books of the YearFor seventeen years, as part of his daily writerly routine, the author and naturalist Mark Cocker has taken a two-mile walk down to the river from his cottage on the edge of the Norfolk Broads National Park. Over the course of those 10,000 daily paces he has learnt the art of patience to observe a butterfly, a bird, flower, bee, deer, otter or fly and to take pleasure in all the other inhabitants of his parish, no matter how seemingly insignificant. In turn these encounters have then been converted into literary epiphanies that are now a widely celebrated part of his work. In A Claxton Diary he has gathered some of the finest short essays that he has ever written on wildlife. They range over almost everything he can see, touch or smell, from the minute to the cosmic, from a strange micromoth called yellow-barred longhorn to that fiercest of winter storms the so-called ‘Beast from the East’.From the marvellous to the macabre, Cocker tries to capture nature without flinching and in its entirety. In so doing he provides us with a vision of an English country parish that for intimacy and precise detail is comparable with Gilbert White’s diary on Selbourne. Above all he reminds us that we are all just members of one miraculous family, fashioned from sunlight and the dust from old stars.Trade ReviewA spellbinding nature diary that’s up there with the greatest… [Cocker] regularly follows up a beady description with a wild, glorious overview, followed by an astonishing fact or two… Hurrah for Mark Cocker! ***** * Mail on Sunday *Being a naturalist, Cocker’s great strength is in the breadth of his senses: his essays seem to cover almost everything he has seen, heard or smelled in the land around his home. He writes clearly, and with a style that has a ring of poetry about it without being pretentious or precious… Spending time with his acutely observant essays will convince many readers that the Great Barrier Reef and vast jungles of Africa can be understood best only by first understanding the startling drama, diversity and complicated natural dynamics of a humble corner of Britain. * Spectator *If you’ve never read Mark Cocker, then you must. His style is sharp, selfless, and wonderfully evocative, his knowledge deep and wide-ranging but lightly borne, his curiosity joyful and infectious. -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday, *Books of the Year* *If you can’t get out to enjoy the spring weather, immerse yourself in the natural world with Mark Cocker… his writing transports you there. * Mail on Sunday *If you already know Mark Cocker’s work, you’ll need no persuading to buy this – if you don’t, treat yourself to a very fine collection of nature essays. * Bird Watching, *Book of the Month* *

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Book Synopsis'Forget routine; now is the time to embrace the unknown, step out of your comfort zone and open the gateway to the Art of Exploration.''Britain's best loved adventurer' (The Times) talks about his secrets of discovery for the first time in this revealing manual of what it means to be an explorer in the modern age. The man who has walked the Nile, the Himalayas and the Americas discusses his lessons from a life on the road, how he managed to turn a passion into a lifestyle, and what inspired and motivated him along the way. Wood explains how he and other explorers face up to life's challenges, often in extraordinary circumstances and demonstrate resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. He shares examples of pioneers in many fields, using their work to show how we can all develop our own explorers mindset and how these lessons can be applied in daily life. With chapters on curiosity, teamwork, resilience and positivity this is a book that provides a tool kit - no matter your age or profession. As Levison says, 'these lessons can help you to fulfil your potential for living a happy life, regardless of your circumstances'.

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2021 GOLD LIVING NOW AWARD Why Does Daddy Always Look So Sad? is a poignant and honest memoir detailing Jude Morrow’s journey to parenthood, and how his autism profoundly affected that journey, for both better and worse, bringing hope to all who live with autism as well as those who care for someone on the spectrum.I knew that Jupiter has seventy-nine known moons and where the swimming pool was located on the Titanic, yet I didn’t know how to connect with this beautiful child who called me “Daddy.” Why Does Daddy Always Look So Sad? is a candid view of life and love through the eyes of an autistic adult—who went from being a nonverbal and aggressive child to a hard working and responsible father to a non-autistic son. Growing up autistic, Jude Morrow faced immense challenges and marginalization, but he was able to successfully—though not without difficulty—finish university and transition into a successful career and eventually parenthood. Those with autism can have difficulty understanding the world around them and can find it hard to find their voice, but in this poignant and honest memoir, Jude defiantly uses his found voice to break down the misconceptions and societal beliefs surrounding autism, bringing hope to all who live with autism as well as those who care for someone on the spectrum. Jude views his autism as a gift to be shared, not a burden to be pitied, and as he demonstrates through his honest recollections and observations, autistic people’s lives can be every bit as happy and fulfilling as those not on the spectrum.

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Polari First Book Prize 2020Life's a drag... Why not be a queen?'Stories like the one where you shagged a 79-year-old builder and knocked over his sister's ashes while feeding him a Viagra. Or the time you crashed your car because you were giving a hand job in barely moving traffic and took your eye off the car in front. That's the kind of dinner-party ice-breaker I'm talking about.'Northern, working-class and shagging men three times her age, Crystal writes candidly about her search for 'the one'; sleeping with a VIP in an attempt to become a world famous journalist; getting hired and fired by a well-known fashion magazine; being torn between losing weight and gorging on KFC; and her need for constant sexual satisfaction (and where that takes her).Charting her day-to-day adventures over the course of a year, we encounter tucks, twists and sucks, heinous overspending and endless nights spent sprinting from problem to problem in a full face of make-up. This is a place where the previously unspeakable becomes the commendable - a unique portrayal of the queer experience.(c) 2019, Crystal Rasmussen (P) 2019 Penguin AudioTrade ReviewA riotous portrayal of the contemporary queer experience * Dazed *Truthful, revealing and obscenely hilarious […] Strident and unapologetic but really sweet, too. * Attitude *A proud voice for the non-binary community * Gay Times *This book honestly changed my life. Tom’s honesty, vulnerability and fearlessness jumps out of every page and every word. It is the queer bible I’ve always needed and I don’t remember life BT (before Tom) * Sam Smith *Diary of a Drag Queen is a heartfelt memoir of queerness and non-conformity * Vogue *

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Book SynopsisDafydd Iwan rose to fame with his 1960s protest songs and has been performing ever since. Welsh football’s 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.

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Book SynopsisA celebrated mountaineer and author searches for meaning in great adventures and explorations, past and present.Trade Review"[G]ripping ... uplifting." -- The Wall Street Journal"This encapsulating narrative pinpoints human spirit and the limitations of the human body in the world of thrilling adventure." -- Adventure Travel"... his tales are thoughtful and insightful... A thoroughly enjoyable and readable book which manages to provide food for thought as well as a healthy dose of vicarious adrenalin." -- The Scottish Mountaineer"Limits of the Known takes the reader on magnificent journeys with some of the greatest explorers of their generations. The book is meticulously researched and skilfully written." -- Climber

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Book SynopsisNeena Gupta's memoir 'Sach Kahun Toh' delves into her journey from Delhi to Bollywood, highlighting her personal struggles, unconventional choices, and successful comeback. It offers a candid look at her life, challenging stereotypes and revealing the person beyond the public image.

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Book SynopsisSecret Diary of a 1970s Secretary is the diary of Sarah Shaw for the year of 1971, which she recently uncovered whilst clearing out her loft. Working as a secretary for the BBC at the time, Sarah''s diary describes the life of a suburban girl who certainly wasn''t ''swinging'' but who was, ironically, not only working on a cutting edge BBC survey on sex education but also in the throes of an unlikely affair with middle-aged, working-class, Irish lift attendant, Frank.Sarah talks humorously and frankly about what it was like to be a young, working woman at the time as well as life at the BBC during the 1970s and the difficulties of navigating her first romance. She is funny and self-effacing with a self-knowledge that only few attain. Her innocence and naivety are hugely charming and the diary forms a valuable snapshot of a time not so far away that is now lost to us.Trade ReviewEvocative ... vivid and joyous diary -- Joan Bakewell, Sunday TelegraphShe's a curious, candid chronicler ... and it's oddly soothing to read about the drabness of everyday life at a moment when the psychedelic Sixties had faded and the flashy Eighties were still a decade away * The Mail on Sunday *Entertaining story ... a constant delight -- Anthony Looch, Belfast TelegraphIt's not often I say I love a book but I loved Secret Diary of a BBC Secretary. From the start I was engrossed in a world not that long ago (1971) but often a million miles away. I became involved with the characters and their lives. I worried about them. I cared about them. I couldn't put the book down. Now that's I've finished it I still want to know what happens next. A jewel of a little book. Read it and you'll be glad you did -- Gail Renard, Chair of the Writer's GuildI spent a lot of time in the Langham on training courses and when I worked on the Today programme. I knew the place had many mysteries. But Sarah's book reveals a few more, and it is a fascinating glimpse into a time that feels very different to today -- Roger Mosey, formerly Editor of the Today programme on Radio 4, Controller of BBC Five Live, Head of BBC TV news and Director of the London 2012 Olympic Games coverageSue Townsend meets Lynn Barber; the innocence and wit shine through this account ... I found it charming! Such genuine innocence / ignorance girls had back then though! So captures that! -- Jill Dawson, author of Sceptre and Orange Prize short-listeeA wonderful evocation of the drab innocence of the Seventies . . . a touching coming-of-age story . . . a period piece, and a poignant account of an unlikely first love -- Jane Shilling * Daily Mail *It's not just a compelling, novelistic account of someone's life as an independent young woman, but it's packed with detail, subtlety and humour -- Justin Lewis * When is bins? *

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Book SynopsisThree men. 470 kilometres. Twenty-one days.Welcome to the Hezbollah Hiking Club . . .At a boozy, cricket-filled afternoon at Lord''s, Dom Joly convinces his two closest friends to agree to the unthinkable: a challenging hike across Lebanon, from the Israeli border in the south, along the spine of the country''s mountain range, all the way to the Syrian border in the north. For Joly it is something of a homecoming, having grown up in Beirut. It was a happy childhood, though he did go to school with Osama bin Laden.Arriving in Lebanon armed with copious amounts of Vaseline - and no walking experience, bar taking the dog for the occasional stroll - Dom, Chris and Harry don''t quite know what they''ve got themselves into. Joined by their bemused chaperone Caroll, they meet a variety of characters along the way including Ali, a stony-faced Hezbollah Museum guide who seems unperturbed by circling Israeli jets, and part-time Londoner Raf, who challengeTrade ReviewDom Joly writes travel books for people who don't usually read travel books. This is the best adventure I've had on my sofa for years. It's funny, weirdly informative and most importantly, blister-free. -- Jenny Eclair, Sunday Times bestselling author and award-winning comedianCompelling, enlightening, funny and yet serious too. This trip through Lebanon is both journey and reportage, both intimate and informative on this complex country -- Simon Sebag Montefiore, Sunday Times bestselling authorA total delight, from beginning to end. Immensely funny, and shot through with illuminating and telling insights into a country Joly clearly adores. I read it at a sitting and was charmed and enlightened by every page -- John Simpson CBE, World Affairs Editor, BBC News

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Book SynopsisThe first book from much-loved television and radio presenter, Fun House's Pat SharpTrade 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 *

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Book Synopsis'Poignant and compelling, an equine Bridget Jones.' Racing PostBeing a stable lass is probably one of the hardest jobs in the country, and yet for Gemma Hogg it is the most rewarding. She works in the beautiful Yorkshire market town of Middleham and if her colleagues are occasionally challenging, then the horses are downright astonishing. Now, in Stable Lass, she takes us into the closed world of a top racing yard, from the elation of having several winners in one day to the almost indescribable grief of losing a horse. Like most stable lads and lasses, Gemma arrived in her yard as a teenager fresh out of racing college and had to cope with living away from home for the first time, as well as adapting to the brutal long hours, backbreaking work and often treacherous weather. She describes falling in love with Polo Venture, the first racehorse in her care, the pure exhilaration of riding him on Middleham Gallops for the first time and what happens when a horse takes against you, from the growling gelding Valiant Warrior to the potentially lethal Broadway Boy. She brings to life the characters around the yard, from straight-talking boss Micky Hammond to the jockeys starving themselves to make weight, the wealthy owners and the other stable lads and lasses who come from a range of different places and backgrounds. Stable Lass by Gemma Hogg is a unique look into the world of horse racing filled with heart-warming stories and amazing thoroughbreds – some loveable, some cantankerous, all impressive.Trade ReviewVividly funny, shockingly frank, deeply passionate, movingly sensitive - and that’s just about the horses! A bawdy, caring, and wickedly insightful stable yard rite of passage that no racing fan should miss. There’s never been a book like this before. -- Brough ScottA delightful romp. * Daily Mail *A poignant, compelling, hilarious, emotional account of life as a Yorkshire stable lass. * Racing Post *An exhilarating ride and a fascinating ‘muck and all’ glimpse into the closed world of horse racing. * Lancashire Evening Post *Full of heartwarming stories and some very characterful thoroughbreds * Horse & Rider *Stable Lass is a must-read. * Horse & Hound *

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Book SynopsisCowboy erotica meets Kathy Acker in this smart, raunchy look at a queer sexual awakeningSteacy Easton grew up Mormon, queer, and Autistic in the West. This book traces the people and spaces that made them who they are: the Mormon church, an Anglican boys’ boarding school where they were sent to be ‘reformed’ and where they were abused by a teacher, and then, later on, rodeos and bathhouses and mall bathrooms. The world Easton describes is one in which desire is complicated, where men – ‘daddies’ – can be loving and they can be abusive, and there isn’t always a clear distinction.Easton explores the essential texts of their sexuality, from Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick to Neil LaBute, Kip Moore to Lorelei James, and delves into their own encounters as they came of age. These daddy lessons are blunt about the pleasures of disobedience, slippery and difficult, revelling in the funk of memory and desire."In dangerous times, Daddy Lessons dares to complicate the question of what children desire, including things that they probably shouldn’t, and that adults must not exploit or manipulate. Except they do. Steacy Easton's meditations follow how such desires and disasters secrete an aesthetic and a self, and how something vivacious can spring from that muck, something like this book itself, smutty and shining and garlanded in jonquils." – Carl Wilson, author of Let's Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste"Steacy writes about the queer pleasure-seeking body in ways both fresh and eminently familiar." – Jordan Tannahill, author of The Listeners"Daddy Lessons is a cocky and tender reclamation of childhood and teenage wanting." – Vivek Shraya, author of I’m Afraid of Men and People ChangeTrade Review"…[T]his is a moving and largely accessible dive into the thicket of human sexuality." – Publishers Weekly"At its best, this pedagogy of fucking makes transgressive queer desire palpable."H Felix Chau Bradley, Xtra"In the way it draws on both high and low cultures—Sedgwick mixes with cowboy smut, hookups with theology—and its frank depictions of casual sex, Daddy Lessons is not a traditional memoir. It’s a cautious story about someone who didn’t fit into an assigned category and didn’t know how to express themselves but slowly figured it out through their experiences with various gay daddy figures." – Roz Milner, PRISM International"The reality and fluidity of the body is at the heart of Daddy Lessons. The way bodies tangle and sweat and need and connect. The ways desire and power shapeshift and mingle." – Anuja Varghese, Plenitude Magazine

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Book SynopsisOcean Country is an adventure story, a call to action, and a poetic meditation on the state of the seas. But most importantly it is the story of finding true hope in the midst of one of the greatest crises to face humankind, the rapidly degrading state of our environment. After a near-drowning accident in which she was temporarily paralyzed, Liz Cunningham crisscrosses the globe in an effort to understand the threats to our dazzling but endangered oceans. This intimate account charts her thrilling journey through unexpected encounters with conservationists, fishermen, sea nomads, and scientists in the Mediterranean, Sulawesi, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Papua, New Guinea.

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Book SynopsisFrom the moment she first held her new-born son in her arms, Anne Crosby knew something was wrong with him. Although the staff at the London hospital dismissed her response as cruel and unmaternal, her instincts were correct: Matthew had Down syndrome. Struggling with feelings of shock and grief, Crosby determined that she would do whatever she could to help Matthew lead as full a life as possible. This is the moving, candid, insightful, and often surprising account of the life Matthew made with the help of his mother and other caring people. With her painter''s eye for the colourful detail and a Dickensian ear for the voices of her characters, Crosby describes Matthew''s family and friends, doctors and teachers-a large cast that includes Alice Strong, his Cockney caregiver, the famous child psychologist D W Winnicott, and Princess Anne, a benefactor of MacIntyre, Matthew''s boarding school. Crosby evokes the forbidding atmosphere of Normansfield, the residential institution founded by the man who gave his name to Down syndrome; the spacious beauty of Mentmore, the country estate where she often took Matthew for outings; and the touching camaraderie of the hospital ward in which Matthew died of heart failure at twenty-four. In this remarkable memoir, Crosby also explores Matthew''s inner life, revealing his playful mimicry and unexpected humour, his outbursts of affection and occasional fits of temper, his gallantry toward his first love, and his disappointment over the loss of his first job. Anne Crosby''s portrait of her son gives us an abiding image of Matthew that deepens our understanding of what it means to be human.

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Book SynopsisWhat makes a fifty-year-old man quit a highly successful career in charity work to take on the low-paid, dangerous job of being a police officer? When Mark Johnson left the United Way to become the oldest rookie in the Mobile, Alabama, police department, he didnt just have to adjust to a new career -- he had to adjust to an entirely new life of danger, violence, and stark moral choices. This is Johnsons explosive memoir of his second career as a cop. Going from fund-raising with socialites to confronting armed suspects in the streets, Johnson found that poverty and crime were no longer social issues but matters of life and death. A civilized man whose first instinct is to help people in trouble, Johnson learned that some men can only be subdued with brute force and some chronic criminals refuse to be redeemed. Defying the skepticism of his wife, the derision of the younger cops who called him Pawpaw, and his own self-doubts, Johnson rose to become a detective and a highly decorated officer. ''Apprehensions and Convictions'' also tells a personal story of how Johnson overcame his own demons to find a new sense of purpose and identity in midlife. From a troubled drink- and drug-fueled youth, to dealing with both his birth and adoptive parents, to struggling to find a steady career path, Johnsons story is of a man who found his courage and changed himself. An intense, sweeping narrative that explores the frustrations of an overprivileged youth, delves deeply into the dysfunction of the Mobile ghetto, and ends with an armed standoff between Johnson and an escaped cop-killer, this is a compelling new memoir of a remarkable life.

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Book SynopsisA former police officer tells his personal story of the long climb from depression to faith in the intense new personal memoir The Backpack. An amazing journey from despair to hope, The Backpack tells the truth about the burdens of stress and trauma on police officers and presents an inspirational story of how one cop overcame physical and emotional wounds suffered in the line of duty. I can still remember the taste of metal in my mouth from the barrel of the gun... After the shoot-out that put him in a wheelchair, police officer Brandon S. Hultink was ready to put an end to it all. In his frank and compelling memoir The Backpack, Hultink tells how he came to the worst moment of his life, and how faith in God and the humility to accept help brought him out of depression, addiction and the wheelchair and back into successful life. But Hultinks story isnt his alone -- it is also the story of the thousands of police officers who struggle with depression and post-traumatic stress. Cops dont do touchy-feely; they stuff every trauma into a metaphorical backpack until the burden overwhelms them. Hultink writes unflinchingly of the mental health crisis affecting police officers and offers proposals for improving mental health services for police. An intensely personal story of anguish and survival, The Backpack offers hope to everyone -- police and civilian alike -- who struggle with depression and pain.

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Book SynopsisThis book compiles biographical sketches of top professionals in the field of materials science, as well as research summaries from a number of different focuses in this important field.

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