Memoirs Books

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Time by the Sea is about Ronald Blythe''s life in Aldeburgh during the 1950s. He had originally come to the Suffolk coast as an aspiring young writer, but found himself drawn into Benjamin Britten''s circle and began working for the Aldeburgh Festival. Although befriended by Imogen Holst and by E M Forster, part of him remained essentially solitary, alone in the landscape while surrounded by a stormy cultural sea. But this memoir gathers up many early experiences, sights and sounds: with Britten he explored ancient churches; with the botanist Denis Garrett he took delight in the marvellous shingle beaches and marshland plants; he worked alongside the celebrated photo-journalist Kurt Hutton. His muse was Christine Nash, wife of the artist John Nash. Published to coincide with the centenary of Britten''s birth, this is a tale of music and painting, unforgettable words and fears. It describes the first steps of an East Anglian journey, an intimate appraisal of a vivi

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE FIRST EVER OFFICIAL BOOK—BEYOND THE STORY is a remarkable archive—truly everything about BTS in one volume.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER''A glimpse to the person behind the glamour and drama . . . you get a real sense of the beating soul of Megan Fox'' ? Glamour''A wry and moody meditation on sadness and heartbreak'' ? Vogue''[Fox] opens up in poetic detail and remarkable honesty about the hardest times in her life'' ? Good Morning America''Not an expose, but rather a message to other women about speaking up'' ? USA TodayMegan Fox showcases her wicked humour throughout a heart-breaking and dark collection of poetry. Over the course of more than 80 poems, Fox chronicles all the ways in which we fit ourselves into the shape of the ones we love, even if it means losing ourselves in the process.''These poems were written in an attempt to excise the illness that had taken root in me because of my silence. I''ve spent my entire life keeping the secrets of men, my body ach

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTriumphant and uplifting - a queer Muslim memoir about forgiveness and freedom.'Revolutionary' Mona Eltahawy * 'Exquisite, powerful and urgent' Stacey May Fowles * 'I fell in love with this book' Shani MootooA memoir of hope, faith and love, Samra Habib's story starts with growing up as part of a threatened minority sect in Pakistan, and follows their arrival in Canada as a refugee, before escaping an arranged marriage at sixteen. When they realized they were queer, it was yet another way they felt like an outsider. So begins a journey that takes them to the far reaches of the globe to uncover a truth that was within them all along. It shows how Muslims can embrace queer sexuality, and families can embrace change. A triumphant story of forgiveness and freedom, We Have Always Been Here is a rallying cry for anyone who has ever felt alone and a testament to the power of fearlessly inhabiting one's truest self.Trade ReviewTo say I count, I exist, is revolutionary when you are denied complication. Habib has written the book she wished she had when she was young. It is a book we should all have had long ago * Mona Eltahawy, author of Headscarves and Hymens *A beautiful telling of a life, of love, of the reclamation of power, of feeling truly seen, and of finding your way home. An exquisite, powerful, and urgent book * Stacey May Fowles, author of Infidelity *I fell in love with this book . . . In prose as economical, crisp, clear, and truthful as poetry, Samra Habib offers a map of how we might learn to see and treasure one another and ourselves * Shani Mootoo, author of Cereus Blooms at Night *Habib speaks for a community that has often been muted, but writes with a voice and style that is all her own * Rachel Giese, author of Boys *A testament to the power of storytelling, self, and reclaiming our own narratives, We Have Always Been Here is a fantastic memoir. I felt as I turned each page as if I were walking beside Samra as she told me each step of the story. A commitment to testimony, to telling our own stories in our own ways, resonates at its core, as well as love - for people, for community, for self. * Nadine Aisha Jassat, author of Let Me Tell You This *A fiercely intelligent memoir * NB Magazine *Thoughtful and compassionate...deeply invested in a passion for life and the pursuit of personal * Diva Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDarren Hayes was always a storyteller. As a child, in suburban Queensland in the 1970s, he told himself he was going to be a pop star ? and he did it. Throughout Savage Garden? s astonishing success ? which included multiple Australian number 1s, cracking the US charts and selling more than 35 million albums worldwide ? he kept telling us stories of love and longing, through his vulnerable, open song lyrics.But the reality of his life was much more complicated than the constraints of a three-minute pop song.In Unlovable, for the first time, Darren recounts the events and circumstances that shaped his unique life: from childhood trauma and his journey with depression, to the dizzying heights of worldwide fame in Savage Garden, and everything in between.Told in his own lyrical words, Unlovable is a magical dark fairytale that reclaims the terrors and obstacles of his past to reveal the fabulous artist he has become.

Read more less

Book Synopsis"A beautiful, beguiling journey to the ultimate queer utopia" - Olivia Laing "Clued-up but insatiably thirsty, poignant, packed with literary intrigue, Fire Island is a beaming beach read" - Jeremy Atherton Lin --- Fire Island: a slim strip of land off the coast of New York, and a place of hedonism, reinvention, liberation. Arriving on the island after a break-up back home in England, scholar and poet Jack Parlett was beguiled by what he found. Here were the halcyon scenes of Frank O'Hara's poetry; the bars where Patricia Highsmith got drunk; the infamous cruising sites; and the dazzling beaches where couples had fallen in and out of love, free for a sun-kissed moment to be themselves in the time before gay liberation. Tracing Fire Island's rich history, Parlett leads the reader through the early days of the island's life as a discreet home for same-sex love, to the wild parties of the post-Stonewall disco era, to the residents' confrontation with the AIDS epidemic, and into a present where a host of new challenges threaten the island's future. Lyrical and vivid, Fire Island is a hymn to an iconic destination, and to the men and women whose ardour and determination spread freedom across its shores.Trade ReviewA beautiful, beguiling journey to the ultimate queer utopia, a site of riotous hedonism, wild creativity and immense loss. Fire Island is a fascinating, throbbing history that asks the most urgent of contemporary questions: what does paradise look like, and who does it exclude? -- Olivia LaingThe zingy tale of one magnetic place - as well as a sprawling rumination on the intertwined urges to get away and get together. Clued-up but insatiably thirsty, poignant, packed with literary intrigue, Fire Island is a beaming beach read -- Jeremy Atherton LinA compelling social history. Parlett beautifully conjures Fire Island as myth, metaphor and microcosm of queer culture -- Michael Bronski, author of A Queer History of the United States[A] fascinating and thought-provoking social history and personal memoir... Based on an impressive depth of research, Fire Island is a compelling, richly detailed book about this curious, hurricane prone, fragile and complicated little gay utopia * Attitude *Beautifully written ... Parlett evocatively captures the magic of bygone heydays, reminding us of 'the vital need for inclusive queer spaces of our own' * Culture Whisper *Deeply felt and keenly judged... An intimate history, alive to the importance of dress, sex, bodily alteration, insobriety and dance * TLS *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Shearwater is sheer delight, a luminous portrait of a magical seabird which spans the watery globe' Daily Mail.'Charming and impassioned ... a rich tribute to an extraordinary bird.' Horatio Clare, author of A Single Swallow and Heavy Light.A very personal mix of memoir and natural history from the author of Liquid Gold.Ten weeks into its life, a Manx shearwater chick will emerge from its burrow and fly 8,000 miles from the west coast of the British Isles to the South Atlantic. It will be unlikely to touch land again for four years.Part memoir, part homage to wilderness, Shearwater traces the author's 50-year obsession with one of nature's supreme travellers. In the finest tradition of nature writing, Roger Morgan-Grenville, author of Liquid Gold - described by Mary Colwell (Curlew Moon) as 'a book that ignites joy and warmth' - unpicks the science behind its incredible journey; and into the story of a year in the shearwater's life, he threads the inspirational influence of his Hebridean grandmother who instilled in him a love of wild places and wild animals.Full of lightly-worn knowledge, acute human observation and self-deprecating humour, Shearwater brings to life a truly mysterious and charismatic bird.Trade ReviewCharming and impassioned ... a rich tribute to an extraordinary bird. -- Horatio Clare, author of A Single Swallow and Heavy LightA truly lovely book. -- Mary Colwell, author of Curlew MoonThis is wonderful: written with light and love. A tonic for these times. -- Stephen Rutt, author of The Seafarers: A Journey Among BirdsA delightful account of a lifelong passion for seabirds. -- Stephen Moss, naturalist and author of The Swallow: A BiographyA memoir lit by wry humour and vivid prose. -- Brian Jackman, author of Wild About BritainThis is a book that birders will enjoy because it is stitched together around a fairly amazing bird, but if you've never heard of shearwaters you will still get a lot out of this book if you are interested in nature, in adventures, in foreign parts, in landscapes or in people ... a very good read. -- Mark AveryA great read * birdwatching.co.uk *[A] lovely blend of natural history and memoir ... Morgan-Grenville beautifully blends science, memories, and wonder in this striking homage to an amazing bird. * Booklist *Shearwater is sheer delight, a luminous portrait of a magical seabird which spans the watery globe * Daily Mail *A captivating mix of memoir, travel and ornithological obsession ... A book not just for seabirders or island-addicts, but for all who have ever gazed longingly out to sea and pondered vast possibilities and connections. * BBC Wildlife magazine *[A] pleasant mixture of facts and an imagined narrative of the shearwater ... readers will enjoy relaxing into the story. * Library Journal *A book that delights, informs, amuses and concerns you page by page * Winchester Today *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is an incredibly inspiring exploration of the sea's role in the wellness of people and the planet, beautifully written by Easkey Britton – surfer, scientist and social activist. She offers a powerful female perspective on the sea and surfing, explaining what it’s like to be a woman in a man's world and how she promoted the sport to women in Iran, surfing while wearing a hijab. She speaks of the undiscussed taboo around entering the water while menstruating – and of how she has come to celebrate her own bodily cycles. She has developed her own approach to surfing, which instead of seeking to dominate the waves, works in tune with the natural cycles of her body, the moon and the seasons. In a society that rewards busyness, she believes that understanding the influence of cycles becomes even more important – and we all have them, men and women. For Easkey, the sea is a source of mental and physical wellbeing. She explores the mental toughness needed in big-wave surfing, and presents surfing as an embodied mindfulness practice in which we can find flow and connect with the movement of the waves. She stresses the need to recognize the ocean as our most powerful ally when addressing our greatest global challenge: the climate crisis. Above all, Easkey’s relationship to the sea has taught her about the need to meet life and evolve with it, rather than seeking to control it. By such wisdom our planet might just survive and thrive.Trade Review"A fantastic read - beautifully written and brimming with wisdom, wildness and stories that enlighten and inspire ... a book for these times from a soulful surfer, scholar, and artist who offers us a compelling and hopeful vision for how things can be." - Ruairí McKiernan, bestselling author of Hitching for Hope"Easkey Britton’s story is one of resilience, strength and the nourishing power of the sea ... a moving tale of one woman’s exploration of her own self and her beloved blue sea" - "Easkey Britton has transferred the courage and dedication of a life spent surfing the world's wildest waves onto the written page to tell a fascinating story that is both an intensely personal reflection and a celebration of the sea." - Keith Duggan, award-winning journalist and bestselling author of books including Cliffs of Insanity"Reading this truly marvellous book made me feel vulnerable, uplifted and ... will leave an indelible mark on the memory." - Sir Tim Smit, Co-Founder of the Eden Project"This beautiful book is much more than a celebration of place. It is a powerful story of an incredible woman at the frontline of surfing. ... Easkey’s blue heritage runs deep through her bloodline, and she will draw us all closer – both inside our bodies and the bigger body of the world – to water as we flow through these pages." - Sam Bleakley, surfer, filmmaker and author of Mindful Thoughts for Surfers: Turning in to the Tides"This book is a love story of the exhilarating relationship between a deeply sensitive, courageous woman and the ocean ... With such an intimate personal account it also illustrates how each person can have their own rich and fulfilling relationship with the natural world." - Michael Depledge CBE FRCP, Emeritus Professor of Environment and Human Health"Easkey Britton's story is uniquely, authentically, wholly, powerfully, and untouchably her own. She tells us how to bring water – in all its forms – into our own lives as mother, muse, coach, confidant, healer, lover, sparing-partner, and best friend. I hope everyone listens." - Dr Wallace J Nichols, author of Blue Mind"Saltwater in the Blood is a compelling and moving read about the thrill, wonder and danger of surfing, and how Easkey’s relationship to the sea and surf has awoken in her a responsibility to life itself." - Alexandra Pope. co-author of Wild Power: discover the magic of the menstrual cycle and awaken the feminine path to power"Her journey as a surfer and as woman are an urgent reminder of the spiritual power of our ocean as a source of inspiration, humility, and connection that we all need in this moment of human and planetary crisis." - Persis Karim, poet, editor and Professor at San Francisco State University"We learn of a woman’s deep sensations from Easkey’s book. She is not coy. She says it how she feels, in water and on paper and in this world." - Pauline Bewick, Irish artist and author"In Saltwater in the Blood, Easkey invites us into her intimate relationship with the sea, and shows us how hearing its calls has given her new eyes, profound connections, and a fierce courage to release the wild woman soul that yearns to come out of hiding." - Captain Liz Clark, author of Swell

Read more less

Book SynopsisI can't think of anywhere I'd less like to be than in a car. When you're driving a car, you're not taking part, you're a spectator. You're in a can; if it's cold you turn up the heating, if you're hungry you have a wine gum. You might be looking at what's going on, but you're definitely not a part of it.A BIKER'S LIFE is the dramatic, humorous and candid memoir of one of the most recognisable names in motorcycling. Henry Cole's passion for motorbikes began when, at the age of eight, he was first introduced to a 'man cave'. His great-uncle Redbeard's corrugated iron shed was 'stuffed to the gills with old motorbikes' which Henry helped rebuild and ride. Since then, Henry's life can be charted through the bikes and journeys he has been on - from a stifling public-school education, via many years battling addiction, to the big-sky iconic routes Henry has ridden for over twenty series as presenter of numerous TV shows. This book reminds millions of motorcyclists why their bike gives them the freedom to be exactly who they want to be: to say 'Fuck you, fuck the world, I'm doing my thing.' When you ride a motorbike you become part of a worldwide community of kindred spirits - those of us who will not be pacified by driving a car, but instead live for adventure, escape and the sheer thrill of the throttle.

Read more less

Book Synopsis**THE INSTANT NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**'Gripping to read. Funny, real, exciting. It's a brilliant book.' - Chris Evans'Fearless and candid... A gleeful guide to a bonkers sport from a loveable rogue insider.' - The Times---'People talk about football managers being under pressure. Trust me, that's nothing. Pressure is watching one of your drivers hit a barrier at 190mph and exploding before your eyes...'Guenther Steiner is one of motor racing's biggest and most celebrated characters, known to millions for his show-stealing appearances on Netflix's hugely popular fly on the wall series, Drive to Survive.In Surviving to Drive, the Haas team principal takes readers inside his Formula 1 team for the entirety of the 2022 season, giving an unobstructed view of what really takes place behind the scenes. Through this unique lens, Guenther takes us on the thrilling rollercoaster of life at the heart of high stakes motor racing.Packed full of twists and turns, from hiring and firing drivers, balancing books, pre-season preparations, the design, launch and testing of a car - and of course, the race calendar itself - this is the first time that an F1 team has allowed an acting team principal to tell the full story of a whole season.Uncompromising and searingly honest, told in Steiner's inimitable style, this is a fascinating and hugely entertaining account of the realities of running a Formula 1 team.---'Very colourful. Like having a conversation with Steiner.' - Radio 4, TodayNumber 1 Sunday Times Bestseller, April 2023Trade ReviewFearless and candid, Surviving to Drive reads like the night-time confessions of a football manager who is fighting to stay in the Premier League. A gleeful guide to a bonkers sport from a loveable rogue insider. -- Melanie Reid * The Times *It's gripping to read. It's funny, it's real, it's exciting. It's a brilliant book. -- Chris EvansVery colourful. Like having a conversation with Steiner. -- Radio 4, TodayLifts the lid on life as a Formula One team principal. The book gives us honest, unfiltered Steiner. * The Athletic *A brilliant, brilliant book. -- Matt Baker * Sky Sport F1 Podcast *

Read more less

Book Synopsis**Winner of the Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year Award 2023****Winner of the Rugby Book of the Year Award 2023****Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2022****A perfect gift for Father's Day**'Powerful, moving' - The Guardian'A deeply affecting read [...] among the most important ever' - Daily Mail'So powerful. This book might just change the way you think about sport forever' - Sir Clive Woodward'As brave as they come' - Gareth Thomas'Moving and profound' - The Times'Heartbreaking' - Owen Slot, The Times'I'm in my early forties. There are days when I don't remember the names of my wife and four kids . . .'RUGBY, DEMENTIA AND THE FIGHT OF MY LIFEIn 2003, England won the Rugby World Cup. Steve Thompson was in England's front row, at the heart of the match, and at the heart of the scrum - one of sport's most violent battlegrounds. But triumph came at a cost. Today, he remembers nothing about playing in that final. In his words, watching the tape back is like watching a ghost. The years of hurt, and the culture of sucking up punishment and coming back for more, have taken a terrible toll. Steve has been diagnosed with early onset dementia, and serious progressive brain damage. Steve and his wife Steph had a happy family life planned, with decades ahead of them. Now he needs to capture these elusive memories for the sake of his children, before they disappear forever. With stories contributed by his world-cup winning teammates and his former manager, Sir Clive Woodward, Unforgettable is raw, powerful storytelling. This tale of hope and courage stands as testament to the ultimate strength of the human mind - and to a man no longer pushing himself to the limit for competition, but for his own place in the world.Trade ReviewPowerful, moving * The Guardian *A deeply affecting read [...] among the most important ever * Daily Mail *Moving and profound [...] heartbreaking * The Times *So powerful. This book might just change the way you think about sport forever -- Sir Clive WoodwardAs brave as they come -- Gareth Thomas

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe wooden holiday cabin, or hytte, is a staple of Norwegian life. Robert Ferguson, author of Scandinavians, explores the significance of a national icon in this charming, affectionate history. Turf-roofed and wooden-built, offering fresh air, breathtaking views and peaceful isolation, the wooden cabin home – or hytte – is a crucial part of Norwegian national identity. In 2016, Robert Ferguson and his wife bought a piece of land high up in the Hardangervidda, and on it they built a cabin. As the cabin takes shape, Ferguson learns how native Norwegians have married a new-found urban affluence to their past as a tight-knit rural community-nation, and confronts his own ideas about the dream-tradition of the hytte, drawing an affectionate but unsentimental portrait of Norwegian culture, society and landscape. 'Singular and captivating: the pursuit of a dream' Professor John Carey 'Illuminating' TLS 'An uncompromising journey into the dark cold north, to reveal the warmth that comes from deep community bonds' Tim EcottTrade ReviewIlluminating... Insightful knowledge of Norway's cultural and social history' * TLS *Ferguson takes us on an uncompromising journey into the dark cold north, to reveal the warmth that comes from deep community bonds – qualities all too often lost in our modern urban lives -- Tim EcottSingular and captivating: the pursuit of a dream -- Professor John CareyPRAISE FOR ROBERT FERGUSON: 'Scandinavians is a terrific read... [It] reads like many 19th-century travel books, which also combined wonderful narrative description with bright speculation... It's this approach that makes the book so thoroughly enjoyable' Literary Review. 'Ferguson stretches wide the fabric of history, his knowledge and insights in the process bringing the varied stories of the Nordic people vividly to life' Irish Times. 'Charming, affectionate... Penetrating' -- David Aaronovitch, The Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisAnne Marie Allen was fifteen when she was accepted onto a cookery school course that promised real qualifications and a future in the career of her dreams. Seeking a better life, she moved to the calm and peaceful countryside of the west of Ireland. Her happiness was short-lived as it became clear she had been tricked instead into a life of domestic servitude to the members of Opus Dei.Before long she was whisked away to Rome where she signed her life away with vows to serve. What followed were years of misery in slavery, forced celibacy and traumatic physical suffering under an ambitious and tyrannical institution that demanded perfection, humiliation and pain.Her family eventually managed to coerce a visit home where they refused to let her return to the Order, and where they began the long process of deprogramming Anne Marie a task that has been a life-long struggle. Serve is Anne Marie's remarkable story of strength and resilience in the face of religious zealotry.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTreading Ancient Trails Seeking solace after the death of her husband, Kim Letson discovers a passion for long- distance walking. Through historical and cultural prisms, accompanied by memories, curiosity, and friends, Letson connects ancient and modern journeys. The Coast to Coast, Cornish Coastal Path, and Ridgeway in England offer opportunities for adventure. As a pilgrim, she explores a Portuguese Camino from Porto to Santiago, the Pilgrims’ Way from Winchester to Canterbury, and then the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome. Readers share both the wonders and challenges of the journeys, from mountain passes to wind-swept beaches, from Gothic cathedrals to mysterious stone henges. Kim Letson has created a curative elixir with Canterbury and Other Tales, a sumptuous blend of adventure-memoir, escape, loss and healing shared in concise, engaging vignettes. Letson’s prose shuttles us into each trek, as though granting exclusive peeks into the author’s personal travel diary. A series of stories you won’t want to end. Bill Arnott – poet and bestselling author. This book vividly brings back the joys of walking and riding many of the same pathways and facing some of the same challenges which Letson presents with unvarnished candour. While the journeys do not all carry the title of pilgrimage, they all share the pilgrim sense of an inner search – a need to fill the void of the tragic loss of her husband and mother with both a rationale for her own existence and her relationship with the world. Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed, The dear repose for limbs with travel tired; But then begins a journey in my head, To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired: William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 27,” 1609 Paul Chinn – author of the Lightfoot Guidebooks. Kim Letson has done it again. In this latest collection of journeys, she shares intimate moments, challenges of the terrain, encounters with both fellow travellers and those who host pilgrims such as her. Walking alongside shadows of the past, she describes intriguing details and the broad sweep of historical context for her travels and surroundings. Her insights are often humorous and sometimes wry, but it is her accomplishments and tenacity which leave us in awe and just a little envious. Christine Dickinson – historian and author. Like their namesake, these tales are much more than a guided tromp across some of Europe’s best treks and pilgrimages. They are also reflections on love, friendship, loss and what it means to be human. Letson shares lyrical glimpses of the landscapes and history she encounters: the uphill grinds, the wet boots, the soaring cathedrals and sweeping views. In her deft hands we are changed. Jeanette Taylor – historian and author.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNOW AN AWARD-WINNING FILM ON NETFLIX 'One of the great autobiographies written in the twentieth century' MICHAEL HOLROYD, SUNDAY TIMES'Irresistibly readable, commendably honest' FLEUR ADCOCK, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT'The Janet Frame of An Angel at My Table is a writer of exceptional sensitivity' LOS ANGELES TIMESAfter being misdiagnosed with schizophrenia as a young woman, Janet Frame spent several years in psychiatric institutions. She escaped undergoing a lobotomy when it was discovered that she had just won a national literary prize. She then went on to become New Zealand's most acclaimed writer. As she says more than once in this autobiography: 'My writing saved me.'This edition contains all three volumes of Frame's autobiography: To the Is-Land, An Angel at My Table and An Envoy from Mirror City.'One of the most beautiful and moving books I have ever read . . . A masterpiece . . . Janet's autobiography had an enormous effect on me. She struck a blow right to my heart' JANE CAMPION, GUARDIAN Trade ReviewOne of the great autobiographies written in the twentieth century . . . A journey from luminous childhood, through the dark experiences of supposed madness, to the renewal of her life through writing . . . a heroic story, and told with such engaging tone, humorous perspective and imaginative power * Sunday Times *One of the most beautiful and moving books I have ever read . . . A masterpiece . . . Janet's autobiography had an enormous effect on me. She struck a blow right to my heart * Guardian *Irresistibly readable, commendably honest, and, as a lesson in how courage and the will to survive defeated the effects of a ghastly mistake, inspiring * Times Literary Supplement *Janet Frame's luminous words are the more precious because they were snatched from the jaws of the disaster of her early life. It is one of the classics of autobiography. She knew that a writer must search her soul in order to say anything that is essentialThe Janet Frame of An Angel at My Table is a writer of exceptional sensitivity * Los Angeles Times *Janet Frame is the greatest New Zealand writer. She is utterly herself. Any one of her books could be published today and it would be ground-breaking -- Eleanor Catton

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A jewel of a book, a paean to the wonders of water and our place within it' James Nestor, bestselling of author of Breath 'Glorious' The New York Times Take a dive into the deep and discover what it is about water that seduces us, heals us and brings us together.Join writer and swimmer Bonnie Tsui as she explores the unique skill of swimming from the five angles of survival, wellbeing, community, competition and flow. Propelled by stories of polar swim champions, a Baghdad swim club, Olympian athletes and modern-day samurai swimmers, Why We Swim takes us around the globe in a remarkable, all-encompassing account of the world of swimming. This is a joyous meditation on our innate connection to water and a true celebration of the wonders of swimming.Trade ReviewA beautifully written love letter to water and a fascinating story. I was enchanted. -- Rebecca Skloot, bestselling author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksMagnificent. I love this book -- Christopher McDougall, bestselling author of Born to Run

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn her mid-twenties, shortly before her father's death, Davina Quinlivan moved from her family home in west London to begin a transitory life in the countryside: here she felt restless and rootless, stuck between Deep England and the technicolour memories of her family's migration story. Beginning in colonial India and Burma, from the indigenous tribes from which the women in Quinlivan's family are descended, and reaching the streets of Southall and Ealing, the stories of her ancestors persisted in the tales, the language, the cooking and culture of her family. Quinlivan conjures a place between continents and worlds in a lyrical debut of migration, and homecoming, marking the arrival of an exceptional new voice.Trade Review'Davina Quinlivan is a writer of rare gentleness and insight: In Shalimar she winds us into the skein of her extended diasporic family, expressing the complexity of identity today. Deftly she weaves back and forth in time, as she braids these memories, in a sustained, observant, poetic act of attention, and love.' Marina Warner; 'Evocative and heartfelt.' Helena Lee; 'A haunted archive, a casket full of memories, myths and dreams. A strange and startling cargo of ancestors, brought vividly to life by a magician.' Jeff Young; 'Shalimar is dreamlike and full of sensation. Quinlivan constellates memory, place and belonging with rarely-seen subtlety.' Jessica J. Lee

Read more less

Book SynopsisA BRACINGLY ORIGINAL, BOUNDARY BREAKING EXPLORATION OF COOKING AND THE KITCHEN, FROM A RISING STAR IN FOOD WRITING 'A manifesto for reclaiming cooking as an intellectual... a brave, honest book' SUNDAY TIMES 'An intense thought-provoking enquiry into the very nature of cooking, which stayed with me long after I finished reading it' NIGELLA LAWSON 'Rich in pleasure and revelation' OBSERVER Small Fires reinvents cooking - that simple act of rolling up our sleeves, wielding a knife, splattering red hot sauce on our books - as a way of experiencing ourselves and the world. Cooking is thinking: about the liberating constraint of tying apron strings; the meaning of appetite and bodily pleasure; the wild subversiveness of the recipe; the power of small fires burning everywhere. ________________ FURTHER PRAISE FOR SMALL FIRES 'Brave enough to hurt feelings, delicious enough for no one to care' New York Times'Smart, thoughtful, creative' Ruby Tandoh 'Destined to become essential reading... Bold, beautiful, daring' Rachel Roddy 'Possesses an intellectual fleet footedness and exuberance akin to the writing of Deborah Levy or Rebecca Solnit' I NEWS 'I loved this genre-busting book. Shows that cooking can be a wild kind of magic' Bee Wilson 'Liberating... a new way to write about food' Jonathan Nunn Vittles 'Revolutionary... wakes up the reader's senses' Times Literary Supplement At once relatable and mind-expanding' Vogue US 'One of the most original food books I've ever read, at once intelligent and sensuous, witty, provoking and truly delicious' Olivia Laing 'Tender, electric, intimately transformative' Nina Mingya PowlesTrade Review“Small Fires is… brave enough to hurt feelings, and delicious enough for no one to care.” — The New York Times "In Small Fires, Johnson explores how the food we make and the ways we make it—and then the stories we tell about making it—shape who we are. . . . Mixing deeply personal anecdotes with more complex theory, Small Fires is at once relatable and mind-expanding." — Vogue "In this slim, spicy, genre-defining work, Rebecca May Johnson spatchcocks the division between intellectual and domestic labor... Blending humor and academic citation, poetic lineation, and personal reverie, this inquiry into the nature of cooking is as delightfully messy as the process itself—some serious food for thought." — Oprah Daily “A gorgeous book…I love to read about the body and I love to read about food, and this tender little book allowed me to do both.” — Saba Sams, The Guardian “Small Fires is a manifesto for reclaiming cooking as an intellectual... a rewarding book that stayed with me — and, like all brilliant food writing, it made me think twice about what I choose to eat and who I eat it with... a brave, honest book.” — Sunday Times “Rich in pleasure and revelation.” — Observer “Small Fires possesses an intellectual fleet footedness and exuberance akin to the writing of Deborah Levy or Rebecca Solnit, as sentences skip between mischievous punning and impassioned agitation... the enthusiasm of the writing here is generous, embracing and emboldening.” — i news “I recommend the book for its insightful, radical, beautiful essays – and for all the kitchen dancing.” — The Guardian “An electrifying read.” — Olive magazine “Revolutionary… this is a book that wakes up the reader’s senses and delivers critical arguments “spattered” in oil, like the pages of a much-used recipe book, making them palatable.” — Times Literary Supplement “Just incredible... a real revelation.” — Sky Arts Book Club “An electrifying, genre-breaking mixture of food writing, memoir and philosophy, asking profound questions about desire, community, appetite and the body" — Rebecca Tamás, Observer "An intense, thought-provoking enquiry into the very nature of cooking, which stayed with me long after I finished it." — Nigella Lawson "One of the most original food books I've ever read, at once intelligent and sensuous, witty, provoking and truly delicious, a radical feast of flavours and ideas." — Olivia Laing "Small Fires is a smart, creative and thoughtful book: it challenges us to think more about how and why we cook, and confounds our expectations of what food writing can be." — Ruby Tandoh "Liberating... a new way to write about food." — Jonathan Nunn "I loved this genre-busting book which made me look differently at every recipe that I cook. Through a mix of memoir and philosophy, Rebecca May Johnson shows that cooking can be a wild kind of magic." — Bee Wilson "Destined to become essential reading for anyone interested in writing about food... Bold, beautiful, daring... It is a book that changed me." — Rachel Roddy "Small Fires is a tender, electric, intimately transformative work. Rebecca May Johnson has written her own glowing epic, reshaping the notion of the recipe as a text alive with possibility. In her hands, recipes become memory objects, acts of translation, expansive spaces full of feeling." — Nina Mingya Powles, author of Small Bodies of Water "Rebecca May Johnson's scintillating soliloquy on cooking adds a whole new dimension to food-writing, and pulls the tablecloth out from beneath a lot of stale (and often male) assumptions about the nature and value of domestic labour. I'll never think of a 'recipe' in the same way again." — Fuchsia Dunlop "Small Fires is like nothing else I have read. Truly unique, truly unusual, it weaves together cooking, dancing, and the Odyssey in a riveting, and moving exploration of what counts as knowledge. It had me rethinking what a recipe is, what cooking is, what is 'I' and what is 'you'. It is a book that asks profound and serious questions while also being musical, erotic, and deeply pleasurable. Being in the company of Rebecca May Johnson's voice -- companionable, intimate, questioning -- was a sheer delight. I didn't want it to end." — Katherine Angel “The most compelling book about cooking I’ve read this year, perhaps ever. Rebecca is a writer of extraordinary intelligence and wit, and I would push this book with feverish enthusiasm into the hands of anyone who spends time in the kitchen.” — Jackson Boxer’s Christmas gift guide, Evening Standard “Brave, funny, thought-provoking, heart-warming, and like nothing else you will have ever read.” — The best food books for Christmas, Club Oenologique “Cooking is thinking is the takeaway argument of Small Fires, and I can’t tell you how good it felt to read those three words in succession without some kind of qualification.” — Chantal Braganza, Hazlitt “The creative, bracing essays of Rebecca May Johnson’s Small Fires redefine the act of cooking and elevate the value of domestic labor... with a combination of intellectual rigor and playfulness, they analyze the emotions, difficulty, and importance involved in offering food to others.” — Foreword Reviews “In Small Fires, Johnson gives the [recipe] text the epic it deserves, looking at it every which way but prioritizing the living, breathing, hungry eye of the home cook” — N+1 Magazine “A welcoming, challenging, original meditation on recipes and their use.” — Los Angeles Review of Books “Keenly aware of the assumptions that have informed so much writing about food, Johnson seeks to restore cooking to its rightful place as a form of knowledge—one through which pleasure, desire, and resistance can be expressed.” — The New Republic“Johnson peels back the layers, looking at what food, appetite and pleasure mean in a bold and imaginative way.” — Glamour (UK)“Rich in pleasure and revelation.” — Guardian, Paperbacks of the Month“Small Fires put me back in the kitchen. Not just physically, but spiritually. I'm back in my kitchen. I'm making messes. My cookbook pages are splattered with little gluttonies. Food is by no means too good for words, and Johnson's are too perfect a pairing. Read this book or else.” — Stacy Wayne D.Table of ContentsPrologue in the Kitchen Apron Strings Semiotics of the Kitchen Cooking is a Method The Kitchen is a Weaving Room Hot Red Epic Tracing The Sauce Text Unlovely Translations Refusing the Recipe Consider the Sausage! Again and Again, There is That You Every Day a New Dawn, a New Dish

Read more less

Book SynopsisLied about and hounded by his ex inlaws, his ex wife and her new boyfriend, Social Services and The Family Courts, Garry Johnson was close to being destroyed, mentally, physically and financially. He stood alone and nobody believed his side of a very bad break up and messy divorce. When children are involved it always makes is so much worse. How do you stand up to lies and bullying when no one believes you, and everyone believes your ex wife? Made out to be the villain, maltreated by the family courts and social services, Garry Johnson finally found the strength to fight back. Ironically his custody battle lasted twice as long as the Second World War, and nearly cost Garry his life when his heart stopped - twice, due to the stress and harrassment he had to suffer from the very people who are meant to help families. Garry Johnson's true story of one mans fight to expose the secretive Family Courts and social services and get access to his children is indeed a tale of courage in the face of persecution. Dont miss this compelling tale of one fathers fight for his right to be a father to his children.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Magic of Fishing features twenty-two short chapters about family, friendship, love, death, ghosts and, of course, fishing. It is a charming celebration of a personal passion and one of the UK’s most popular pastimes, but it’s not a typical fishing book. John Moorwood began writing during a rare break from the office when, after spending more time on the bank than he’d managed for years, he was reminded of the joy of fishing and the ‘magical’ element that first captured his imagination. He realised just how much angling had enriched his life, and the lives of all those under its spell. Having lived in Surrey for nearly two decades, John was inspired to recount his close relationship with Joe Moorwood, his paternal granddad and a retired steelworker, who taught him about fishing whilst growing up in Sheffield. He takes a nostalgic, moving and humorous look back at an era before social media, smartphones or carbon fishing rods – relating how his hobby and life have evolved over four decades. Written in a simple, evocative and touching style, it’s primarily aimed at the masses of anglers who, like himself, won’t ever catch a record fish or appear on the cover of an angling magazine, but can still appreciate what it’s like to dream about ‘the one that got away’. Yet it should also appeal to nature lovers, the ‘fishing-curious’ and indeed all sentimental types who still believe in the existence of magic. The book features delightful pencil drawings by John’s father and a section of photography.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the Channel 5 hitseries The Yorkshire VetBook four in his highly popular Diary' series.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHer highly personal and reflective memoir is a must-read for anyone who cares about our role in a changing world' Barack ObamaTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY:The New York TimesTime The Economist The Washington Post Vanity Fair Times Literary SupplementWhat can one person do?' In this vibrant, galvanizing memoir, human rights advocate and Pulitzer-Prize winning writer Samantha Power offers an urgent response to this question.As she traces her path from Irish immigrant to war correspondent and activist to eventually becoming the youngest-ever US Ambassador to the United Nations,Power writes with a unique blend of suspenseful storytelling, vivid character portraits and disarming honesty.Heraccountilluminates the challenges of navigating the halls of power while trying to put one's ideals into practice (and raise two young children along the way), and it shows how even in the face of daunting challenges each of us can make a difference.NOW WITTrade Review A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AN IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER AN OBAMA FAVOURITE BOOK OF 2019 NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY:The New York Times • Time • The Economist • The Washington Post • Vanity Fair • Times Literary Supplement ‘Her highly personal and reflective memoir … is a must-read for anyone who cares about our role in a changing world.’Barack Obama ‘Samantha Power's book is honest, personal, revealing. It is about the development of a young woman's inner strength and self-knowledge. But it is also a political book, alert to both the power of political will and its limitations.’Colm Tóibín ‘A beautiful memoir about the times we’re living in and the questions we must ask ourselves … I honestly couldn’t put it down’Cheryl Strayed ‘This is a wonderful book … The interweaving of Power’s personal story, family story, diplomatic history and moral arguments is executed seamlessly and with unblinking honesty’New York Times ‘One of the best-written political memoirs of recent years’ Fareed Zakaria ‘It’s a profound, heart wrenching, uplifting, and emotional journey through her life and what she’s seen’Sophia Bush ‘An unusually engaging political memoir…Power is an excellent storyteller, with a deft touch with anecdotes and a nice sense of humour.’Times Literary Supplement ‘Refreshingly frank and self-deprecating … An energizing reminder that conscience has a place in the process of shaping foreign policy’TIME Magazine ‘Uniquely personal and absorbing … A riveting fly-on-the wall insight.’Irish Times ‘Engaging … Power’s memoir is an insider’s account of foreign-policy-making, and an intensely personal one.’Economist ‘Lively … And strikingly personal …[Power] writes vividly and lucidly here about her turn in the international spotlight.’Vogue

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe perfect edition for any Orwell enthusiasts'' collection, discover Orwell''s personal account of life on the streets beautifully reimagined by renowned street artist Shepard FaireyTo be poor and destitute in 1920s Paris and London was to experience life at its lowest ebb. George Orwell, penniless and with nowhere to go, found himself experiencing just this as he wandered the streets of both capitals in search of a job. By day, he tramped the streets, often passing time with ''screevers'' or street artists, drunks and other hobos. At night, he stood in line for a bed in a ''spike'' or doss house, where a cup of sugary tea, a hunk of stale bread and a blanket were the only sustenance and comfort on offer.First published in 1933, Down and Out in Paris and London is George Orwell''s haunting account of the streets and those who have no choice but to live on them.''A man who looked at his world with wonder and wrote down exactly what he saw, in admirable prose'' John MortimerCOMPLETE THE TRIO WITH SHEPARD FAIREY''S NEW-LOOK 1984 AND ANIMAL FARM.Trade ReviewHe saw through everything... Many have tried to imitate his particular kind of clarity without anything like his moral authority -- Peter Ackroyd * The Times *A man who looked at his world with wonder and wrote down exactly what he saw, in admirable prose -- John Mortimer

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn intimate memoir from Peter Levine, renowned developer of Somatic Experiencing and bestselling author of Waking the Tiger. In this intimate memoir, renowned developer of Somatic Experiencing Peter A. Levine shares his personal journey to heal his own severe childhood trauma as well as offering profound insights into the evolution of his innovative trauma healing method. Casting himself as a modern-day Chiron, the wounded healer of Greek mythology, Dr. Levine describes, in graphic detail, the violence of his childhood juxtaposed with specific happy and exuberant memories, which helped him prepare for coming to terms with his horrifying experiences. He shares his inner experience of being guided through Somatic Experiencing (SE) to illuminate and untangle his traumatic wounds and describes the mysterious and unexpected dreams and visions that have guided him through his life’s work. Exploring his dream visitations from Albert Einstein in dept

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the beloved writer Nina Stibbe, a warm and funny story of a woman changing her life at 60.'A unique comic voice, endlessly funny' – David Nicholls, author of One Day'Painfully funny, but also deeply moving' – Meg Mason, author of Sorrow and BlissWhat does it mean to start again at sixty?Nina Stibbe is surprised to find herself asking this question as she leaves married life behind in Cornwall and heads back to London after twenty years away for what she calls ‘a year-long sabbatical’.She takes up lodgings at the house of writer Deborah Moggach, unprepared for how she, and the city, has changed and now wondering whether freedom is all it’s cracked up to be . . .As heard on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour'The true heir to Sue Townsend' – Caitlin Moran'An utter, UTTER treat! It was like spending time with my most cTrade ReviewVulnerable, sharp, funny, wise -- Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in ChemistryA unique comic voice, endlessly funny. Nina makes me laugh so much -- David NichollsNo one writes heartbreak more hilariously, or hilarity more heartbreakingly. No one does a better job of making the ordinary phenomenal -- Katherine Heiny, author of Early Morning RiserPainfully funny, but also deeply moving. I never wanted it to end -- Meg Mason, author of Sorrow and BlissAn absurdist chronicler of a world both baffling and extraordinary . . . [a] lovely, funny-sad book * Guardian *What an utter, UTTER treat! It was like spending time with my most clever, insightful, funny, FUNNY friend. I'm so sad it's over -- Marian Keyes[The] most reliably entertaining of comic writers . . . pure Victoria Wood . . . Stibbe might be sad and scared and have a bad back, but I’d rather read her sad than almost anyone else happy * The Spectator *So sharp and funny, blissfully gossipy, enviably well-observed — it’s like she has X-ray vision when it comes to human beings. I couldn’t stop reading it. I wish it were twice as long. I loved it -- India KnightI don’t think I’ve enjoyed a diary so much since I read Adrian Mole for the first time -- Daisy BuchananFunny, warm, enlightening. The reading equivalent of getting the giggles in the back row of a school assembly -- Santham Sanghera, author of EmpirelandI loved this book. Stibbe’s joyful midlife observations, her nods to the wonders and absurdities of the everyday, are so life-affirming. I started seeing pockets of humour in my own ordinary days - and actually felt bereft when I turned the last page -- Lucy Atkins, author of Magpie LaneStibbe turns out more perfect, sharp, unique sentences than anyone else -- Caitlin MoranOne of the most hilarious, insightful, addictive writers working today -- Jenny ColganLike spending an endless afternoon in the most sparkling company but without any pressure to sparkle back -- Frank Cottrell-BoyceNina Stibbe makes being funny look easy, but that's just because she's very, very good at it -- Clare ChambersOne of the great comic writers of our time * Irish Times *Stibbe is an unassuming comic genius * Independent *Breezy, sophisticated, hilarious, rude and aching with sweetness: Love, Nina might be the most charming book I've ever read -- Maria Semple, author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller by the shepherdess and star of Channel 5’s Our Yorkshire Farm.'With its fizzing energy and celebration of nature and community, this is perfect comfort reading for uncertain times' – Daily MailAmanda Owen loves her traditional life on her hill farm alongside her nine children and husband Clive. And, as readers of her previous bestsellers will know, every day at Ravenseat brings surprises. In Adventures of the Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda takes us from her family’s desperate race to save a missing calf to finding her bra has been repurposed as a house martin’s nest, and from wild swimming to the brutal winter that almost brought her to her knees. As busy as she is with her family and flock though, an exciting new project soon catches her eye . . .Ravenseat is a tenant farm and may not stay in the family, so when Amanda discovers a nearby farmhouse up for sale, she knows it is her chance to create roots for her children. The old house needs a lot of renovation and money is tight, so Amanda sets about the work herself, with some help from a travelling monk, a visiting plumber and Clive. It’s fair to say things do not go according to plan!Funny, evocative and set in a remote and beautiful landscape, this book will delight anyone who has hankered after a new life in the country.Trade ReviewAmanda’s life is one of old-fashioned values, hard graft and plenty of love. She, like her life, is extraordinary. -- Ben FogleWith its fizzing energy and celebration of nature and community, this is perfect comfort reading for uncertain times. * Daily Mail *A fabulous read * Woman's Weekly *A really lovely, lyrical story of the ups and downs of their life. -- Daily Mail on A Year in the Life of the Yorkshire Shepherdess

Read more less

Book SynopsisFROM THE MASTER STORYTELLER WHOSE BOOKS HAVE TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF OVER 40 MILLION READERS''Mitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary'' Cecilia Ahern__________Chika Jeune came into Mitch Albom''s life by chance. Growing up in the aftermath of the devastating 2010 Haiti Earthquake, at three years old she tragically lost her mother and was brought to the orphanage run by Mitch and his wife, Janine. Chika made a quick impression. Brave and self-assured, she delighted those around her. But everything changed when Chika was diagnosed with a terminal disease that no doctor in Haiti could treat. This discovery sparked a two-year, around-the-world journey in search of a cure. As Chika''s boundless optimism and humour taught Mitch the joys of caring for a child, he learned that a relationship built on love can never be lost.__________WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT FINDING CHIKA''A powerful, emotional story'Trade ReviewUplifting . . . Although Finding Chika makes for heart-wrenching reading, it is also a tale of resilience and decency - and the memorable cheerfulness of a dying child * Independent *Heartrending . . . A touching rumination on the magic of children, the extraordinary lengths parents will go for them and the unlikely family that came together across continents * Mail Online *Mitch Albom breaks hearts with his story * Mirror *A heartbreaking story of love, grief and what it really means to be a family * Daily Express *A beautiful, heart-breaking, heart-warming read * My Weekly *

Read more less

Book SynopsisLet national treasure Professor Noel Fitzpatrick - the Supervet - break your heart and put it back together again in this beautiful new book.''With you by my side, just doing my best was the best thing to do.''Keira is an extraordinary dog. She held the key to Noel''s heart from the moment he first met her.That''s because Keira doesn''t judge. When Noel struggles, Keira is there to remind him he need only do his best. When he sees only darkness, Keira is ready to lift him back into the light.Keira & Me is the real-life story of Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick, his companion Keira and their life together. It captures the incredible bond of unconditional love between us and our canine friends. Inspiring and healing in equal measure, this beautifully illustrated and deeply heartfelt story of Noel and Keira''s journey together teaches us all how to embrace the ups with the downs, the joy and the sorrow, the darkness and the light,

Read more less

Book SynopsisDarkly humorous, relatable and unflinchingly honest, Is it My ADHD? gives irreverent insight into what life is truly like for those living with ADHD.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Wood of One's Own is a lyrical, beguiling and inspiring story; a potent reminder of nature's delicate balance, and its comforting and abiding presence.Trade Review'So beguiling... Pavey's writing is everywhere amiable' Times Literary Supplement'[In planting her wood] the satisfactions are many... her book is a gentle, generous extension of that... one all her readers can share in' The Lady'Pavey's love for her small patch of land shimmers off the page [in this] narrative of warmth, honesty and great spirit made all the more beautiful by Pavey's own lively and accomplished drawings... this lovely book is itself a gift encouraging country-dweller and townie alike to marvel at the infinite possibilities at the heart of a single tree' Daily Mail, Book of the Week'Captivating... If this book was not as much a pleasure to write as it is to read, I'll eat my hat and gardening glove... Pavey's unassuming memoir celebrates the imperfections of rural life and the virtues of spontaneity... the non-bravura style attractively illustrated with Pavey's black-and-white sketches makes this book a winner' Kate Kellaway, Observer‘A delightful account… with intriguing digressions into local history and culture. [Pavey] writes with warmth and spirit, and brings this space to life in all its detail of plants, trees and wildlife’ Penelope Lively‘A lovely story – a super book’ Steve Yabsley, BBC Radio Bristol and Somerset‘Draws together childhood memories, local history… and literary penumbra’ Sunday Telegraph‘A lyrical story of desire and determination, soft and gentle, warm and wise in a wicked world’ Camden New Journal‘Practical and full of helpful advice which has been artfully baked-in throughout. If someone asks you what you'd like for Christmas or a birthday don't hesitate to reply, A Wood of One's Own' Woodlands.co.uk

Read more less

Book SynopsisA collection of meditations, essays and practical tips on creativity and the craft of writing, by the New York Times bestselling writer

Read more less

Book Synopsis_______________''A passionate love letter to language and to Italy ... a bold and quirkily engaging self-portrait'' - Lee Langley, Spectator''A writer of uncommon elegance and poise'' - New York Times''A fascinating account of her linguistic exile'' - Erica Wagner, Harper's Bazaar_______________In Other Words is a revelation. It is at heart a love story of a long and sometimes difficult courtship, and a passion that verges on obsession: that of a writer for another language. For Jhumpa Lahiri, that love was for Italian, which first captivated and capsized her during a trip to Florence after college. Although Lahiri studied Italian for many years afterwards, true mastery had always eluded her.Seeking full immersion, she decided to move to Rome with her family, for a trial by fire, a sort of baptism' into a new language and world. There, she began to read and to write initially in her journal solely in Italian. In Other Trade ReviewThe only book I read this year in English is The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri. I had never read anything of hers, and it was a wonderful surprise -- Elena FerranteJhumpa Lahiri’s new novel is a testament to her abundant talents -- Khaled HosseiniOne of the most impressive writers in the U.S. * Daily Mail *A writer of uncommon elegance and poise * New York Times *A writer of formidable powers and great depth of feeling * Observer *Immaculately constructed and a model of lucidity, well deserving of its place on the Man Booker shortlist * Mail on Sunday *A fascinating account of her linguistic exile -- Erica Wagner * Harper’s Bazaar *Her Italian writing is personal, inward-looking, exploring identity and alienation, anatomising the state of mind of a writer who has more than one “mother tongue” ... This is essentially a literary memoir, a passionate love letter to language and to Italy ... This is a study of transformation – of a writer, and a woman who has forever been trying to improve herself ... For anyone remotely interested in grammar, the chapter on the minefield of Italian prepositions and the past imperfect makes entertaining reading. And there’s no academic aridity; the spare, limpid prose of Lahiri’s fiction permeates a bold and quirkily engaging self-portrait -- Lee Langley * Spectator *

Read more less

Book SynopsisOn the same day that his wife gave birth to twins, Anthony Doerr received the Rome Prize, an award that gave him a year-long stipend and studio in RomeFour Seasons in Rome' charts the repercussions of that day, describing Doerr''s varied adventures in one of the most enchanting cities in the world, and the first year of parenthood. He reads Pliny, Dante, and Keats the chroniclers of Rome who came before him and visits the piazzas, temples, and ancient cisterns they describe. He attends the vigil of a dying Pope John Paul II and takes his twins to the Pantheon in December to wait for snow to fall through the oculus. He and his family are embraced by the butchers, grocers, and bakers of the neighbourhood, whose clamour of stories and idiosyncratic child-rearing advice is as compelling as the city itself.This intimate and revelatory book is a celebration of Rome, a wondrous look at new parenthood and a fascinating account of the alchemy of writers.Trade Review‘Anthony Doerr is dazzling in this book, in the way he celebrates the joys as well as the pain of being a parent and in love, being a writer and being in Rome, reminding us that certain experiences never grow stale when they are expressed through the fresh eyes of a real writer.’ Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran ‘Anthony Doerr found himself in the perfect Eternal City with the eternal Paternal Problem: how to care for two beautiful newborn twins while still doing his work as a writer and student and observer. The result is a funny, precise, touching account of cultural barricades crossed and fatherly exhaustions overcome; a story of the universalities of parenting and the specificities of Roman life that will lift the heart of every parent and delight the mind of every lover of Italy.’ Adam Gopnik, author of ‘Through the Children's Gate and From Paris to the Moon’

Read more less

Book SynopsisIf you''re going to read one book about Hollywood, this is the one.As co-founder of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Michael Ovitz earned a reputation for ruthless negotiation, brilliant strategy and fierce loyalty to his clients. He reinvented the role of the agent and helped shape the careers of hundreds of A-list stars and directors, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Sean Connery, Steven Seagal, Bill Murray, Robin Williams and David Letterman.But this personal history is much more than celebrity friendships and bare-knuckled deal-making. It''s an underdog''s story: How did a kid with no connections work his way into the William Morris mailroom, and become the most powerful person in Hollywood? How did a superagent also become a power in producing, advertising, mergers & acquisitions and modern art? And what were the personal consequences of all those deals?After decades of near-silence in the face of intense controversy, MichaTrade ReviewFascinating * Financial Times *The best business book of the year * Forbes *More insightful about the American film industry than any biography * London Review of Books *Ovitz is brutally honest about his failings, including his propensity to hold grudges and this makes for a gripping read. His memoir will appeal to both movie buffs and those fascinated by corporate machinations … The book certainly makes an entertaining change from the usual fare we get in business memoirs * MoneyWeek *When the history of Hollywood is written, few people will have played a larger role than Michael Ovitz * Wall Street Journal *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times bestsellerFull of hilarious and shocking stories, the Secret Barrister's memoir Nothing But The Truth tracks their transformation from hang 'em and flog 'em austerity-supporter to celebrated, campaigning, bestselling author.'Masterful, compassionate and hilarious' – Adam RutherfordIn a diary that takes us behind the scenes of their middling ambition, Nothing But The Truth charts an outsider's progress down the winding path towards practising at the Bar. By way of the painfully archaic traditions of the Inns of Court, where every meal mandates a glass of port and a toast to the monarch, and the Hunger Games-style contest for pupillage - which most don't survive - here is the brilliant reality of being a frustrated junior barrister.With a keen eye for the absurd and an obsessive fondness for Twitter, SB reveals the uncomfortable truths and darkest secrets about life in our criminal courts._____‘Words tumble out with extraordinary fluency . . . entertaining and instructive’ – The Times‘Written with compassion, wit and intelligence’ – TLS‘Excellent . . . a cringe-inducing account of one barrister's travails' – The TelegraphNothing But The Truth was a Sunday Times besteller w/c 28.05.23Trade ReviewEntertaining and instructive . . . A gifted writer . . . The Secret Barrister's picaresque journey to barristerhood is served up with large helpings of humour * The Times *Wonderful and insightful . . . With compassion, wit and intelligence, the Secret Barrister shows why is it that any of us plunge into the harrowing depths of criminal law * TLS *Excellent . . . at once a vicious polemic, a helpful primer and a cringe-inducing account of one barrister’s travails * Telegraph *As entertaining as ever in this third foray into the courtroom * Radio Times *Eye-opening. The candour is, at times, breathtaking . . . it is both human and urgent . . . A no-holds-barred book that tells an unvarnished story of a broken system an the people who hold it together * Law Society's Gazette *As compelling and illuminating - and as full of gob-smacking stories - as its predecessors, it is also fascinatingly personal. Anyone thinking of a career in the law should certainly read it * Bookseller *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis***THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER***A Times and Telegraph Book of the Year'Shocking, scathing, entertaining.' Guardian 'Incredibly compelling.' The Times'Heart-breaking.' Sunday TimesWhere can a tin of tuna buy you clean clothes? Where is it easier to get 'spice' than paracetamol? Where does self-harm barely raise an eyebrow?Welcome to Her Majesty's Prison Service. Like most people, documentary-maker Chris Atkins didn't spend much time thinking about prisons. But after becoming embroiled in a dodgy scheme to fund his latest film, he was sent down for five years. His new home would be HMP Wandsworth, one of the largest and most dysfunctional prisons in Europe.With a cast of characters ranging from wily drug dealers to senior officials bent on endless reform, this powerful memoir uncovers the horrifying reality behind the locked gates. Filled with dark humour and shocking stories, A Bit of a Stretch reveals why our creaking prison system is sorely costing us all - and why you should care.Trade ReviewShocking, scathing, entertaining... If you thought you knew how bad British prisons are, you haven't read this book... It's an inside story to make you weep at the incompetence, stupidity and viciousness of the current system. * Guardian *An incredibly compelling account, not just because of Atkins' incongruity and his knack for black, observational humour, but because it lays bare a system that has become utterly dysfunctional. Atkins is thrust into the heart of Britain's prison crisis and can never quite believe what he is seeing. It's a sort of Kafkaesque haplessness. A bleak catalogue of absurdity. * The Times *Surreal, darkly funny, at times horrifying but always humane account of what it's like to be locked up. * Observer *A soul-searching account... A pacy memoir which is imbued with a dark humour... heartbreaking. [Atkins is] honest enough to have left in the parts that would make his mother wince. * Sunday Times *A razor-sharp and darkly funny memoir... * Spectator *A highly readable and thought-provoking account, which illuminates a failing and anachronistic institution in dire need of a radical overhaul. * Daily Mail *Powerful... a dispassionate record of the grinding down of the human soul, deliberate hopelessness, insane and moribund bureaucracy, the whims of bullying guards, roll calls, curses, kicks and punches. * Roger Lewis, The Telegraph *Terrifically vivid... what makes the book so riveting is that Atkins takes us behind the statistics to show us prison life in all its chaotic, sometimes surreal weirdness. * Reader's Digest *A Bit of a Stretch shows a system in chaos, as guards struggle to deal with mentally ill, poorly educated men housed in decaying old buildings. It is also, in places, very funny. * Helen Lewis, The Atlantic *Heartbreaking and hilarious. * Christie Watson – bestselling author of The Language of Kindness *An entertaining memoir, but also an indictment of our creaking, underfunded prison system. * The Times *Atkins's shocking yet entertaining diary of his time behind bars is a must-read. * Independent *Powerful and highly readable. * Peter Dawson – Director of the Prison Reform Trust and former prison governor *Funny, shocking and powerful. * The Secret Barrister *Gripping, warm and empathetic. Atkins exposes the shocking gap between what politicians claim about prison and the humiliating reality. You'll roar with laughter before turning to deep despair. * Isabel Hardman – author of Why We Get the Wrong Politicians *Fabulous. Candid, funny and never self-pitying, this is a must-read insight into why prison simply doesn't work. * Jon Snow – presenter, Channel 4 News *Shocking, funny, and very moving. * Mark Thomas – comedian *Absolutely extraordinary. Heartbreaking without being self-pitying, shocking without being gratuitous and, of course, very, very funny. * John Niven – novelist and screenwriter *Harrowing... required reading for anybody concerned with what entitles a society to call itself civilised. * Law Gazette *Honest and authentic. Atkins perfectly captures the madness, hope and despair of prison. Please read this. * Professor David Wilson – founding Director of the Centre for Applied Criminology at Birmingham City University and former prison governor *An important, urgent and entertaining memoir. It made me laugh, cry my eyes out and think hard, not only about forgiveness, but about love and life in general. An essential read. * Sathnam Sanghera – bestselling author of The Boy with the Topknot *Table of Contents0: Introduction 1: Trauma and Toothpaste 2: Lockdowns and Love Actually 3: Showers and Slips 4: Goodfellas and Goldilocks 5: Biohazard and Back Rubs 6: Suicide and Sellotape 7: Spinsters and Spiceheads 8: Murder and Mutiny 9: Courtrooms and Cheeseburgers 10: Despair and Dancing Queen 11: Paedophiles and Prizes 12: Epilogue

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Thoughtful, beautiful, incredibly necessary. People need to read this book, especially if they feel a resistance to. I wish everyone would.' Sofie Hagen Uncompromising, anguished, combative: culture wars have victims, and this is an agonising story told with honesty and passion.' Richard Beard 'An intimate, beautifully told memoir' Elinor Cleghorn When my third child was born, I was told I had a boy. The baby was given a boy's name and raised in that gender. But when she died, twenty years later, she died as my daughter, and will forever be remembered that way. Alice Litman died by suicide in May 2022, aged just twenty years old, having already waited almost three years for her first appointment at a gender identity clinic. In stunningly beautiful prose, Caroline Litman captures the realities of an often-messy journey navigating both her daughter's transition and the days, weeks and months after Alice's death. Searing, urgent and utterly unique, Her Name is Alice is the raw, human story of a mother's love and grief for her child and of a young trans woman who is impossible to forget and who must be remembered.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis''I remember seeing the lion looking yellow and heavy-headed and enormous against a scrubby-looking tree in a patch of orchard bush and P. O. M. kneeling to shoot him. Then there was the short-barrelled explosion of the Mannlicher and the lion was going to the left on a run, a strange, heavy-shouldered, foot-swinging cat run. I hit him with the Springfield and he went down...''Returning to his love of the African continent and its wildlife, Hemingway captures brilliantly the thrill and excitement of the hunt for big game. In some of the most vivid, intense and evocative travel writing, and memoir of his career, he describes the vastness of Africa and the brutality of its ''sports'', showing even in this slim volume why he was one of the great American writers of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewA fine book on death in the African afternoon. . .The writing is the thing; that way he has of getting down with beautiful precision the exact way things look, smell, taste, feel, sound * New York Times *If he were never to write again, his name would live as long as the English language, for Green Hills of Africa takes its place beside his other works on that small shelf in our libraries which we reserve for the classics * Observer *This book is an expression of a deep enjoyment and appreciation of being alive - in Africa. There is more to it than hunting; it is the feeling of the dew on the grass in the morning, the shape and colour and smell of the country, the companionship of friends ... and the feeling that time has ceased to matter * TLS *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''With these vivid, wistful memoirs, he joins the great chroniclers of Europe - the Prousts, Zweigs, Lampedusas, Leigh-Fermors and Bassanis - and shows how some of the things those writers loved persisted as late as 1989.'' (Economist)Selected as a Book of the Year in the TLS and SpectatorIn 1979 Richard Bassett set out on a series of adventures and encounters in central Europe which allowed him to savour the last embers of the cosmopolitan old Hapsburg lands and gave him a ringside seat at the fall of another ancien regime, that of communist rule. From Trieste to Prague and Vienna to Warsaw, fading aristocrats, charming gangsters, fractious diplomats and glamorous informants provided him with an unexpected counterpoint to the austerities of life along the Iron Curtain, first as a professional musician and then as a foreign correspondent.The book shows us familiar events and places from unusual vantage points: dilapidated mansions and boarding-houses, train carriages and cafes, where the game of espionage between east and west is often set. There are unexpected encounters with Shirley Temple, Fitzroy Maclean, Lech Walesa and the last Empress of Austria. Bassett finds himself at the funeral of King Nicola of Montenegro in Cetinje, plays bridge with the last man alive to have been decorated by the Austrian Emperor Franz-Josef and watches the KGB representative in Prague bestowing the last rites on the Soviet empire in Europe.Music and painting, architecture and landscape, food and wine, friendship and history run through the book. The author is lucky, observant and leans romantically towards the values of an older age. He brilliantly conjures the time, the people he meets, and Mitteleuropa in one of the pivotal decades of its history.Trade ReviewIf Oscar Wilde was correct that "history is gossip," then Bassett serves up a delicious cocktail of the very best kind-polite, learned, and insightful, merely leavened with touches of history and geopolitics, making one thirsty for more. ... A memoir can breathe life into history, and this is indeed Bassett's achievement as he breathes new life into shattered kingdoms, their now-moldering cast of characters, and all of the fascinating stories that would otherwise vanish with them. -- Kevin J. McNamara * Kirk Centre *With these vivid, wistful memoirs, he joins the great chroniclers of Europe - the Prousts, Zweigs, Lampedusas, Leigh-Fermors and Bassanis * Economist *A charming, imaginative and elegantly written memoir of his adventures in central Europe -- Victor Sebestyen * Evening Standard *A gem of a book ... a charming and engaging memoir of a world now gone -- Clovis Meath Baker * Standpoint *

Read more less