Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisFrom the debris of her troubled early life, Lidia Yuknavitch weaves an astonishing tale of survival. It is a life that navigates, and transcends, abuse, addiction, self-destruction and the crushing loss of a stillborn child.A kind of memoir that is also a paean to the pursuit of beauty, self-expression, desire - for men and women - and the exhilaration of swimming, The Chronology of Water lays a life bare.Trade ReviewA brutal beauty bomb and a true love song. Rich with story, alive with emotion, both merciful and utterly merciless, I am forever altered by every stunning page. This is the book I'm going to press into everyone's hands for years to come. This is the book I've been waiting to read all of my life -- CHERYL STRAYED, author of WILDRendered with incredible grace . . . Like water, the memoir takes on an unpredictable journey . . . This is a story grounded in womanhood and what it means to be a woman in this world where women are all too often victimised by those who are meant to care for us most . . . Entrancing -- ROXANE GAYLidia Yuknavitch sets off, fiercely and unrelentingly towards the deep end. Here are phrases of nerve-jangling beauty, moments of sly humour and lines so raw you want to look away. The Chronology of Water is a story about surviving, destroying, becoming, and ultimately, falling in love with the written word. It's a marvel -- JESS KIDD, author of HIMSELF and THE HOARDERSomething about this story - the goddamn gorgeous language, the raw power of its brutality - gave me so much comfort and solace. In Yuknavitch's word embrace, I felt the magic of self-acceptance and self-love, and the crazy-wonderful beauty of life * * Huffington Post * *I've read The Chronology of Water, cover to cover, a dozen times. I am still reading it. And I will, most likely, return to it for inspiration and ideas, and out of sheer admiration, for the rest of my life. The book is extraordinary -- CHUCK PALAHNIUKYuknavitch's dark memoir is both exorcism and dissection, a raw and visceral account with the emphasis on physicality. . . . An unnerving but bracing memoir about her drive to survive and find her own voice * * Herald * *Lidia Yuknavitch is my favorite new writer . . . Genius. The tone is a combination of high and low, with some of the writing literary and metaphorical, some conversational and shock-jockey, all of it fueled by rage and pain and love and art and transformation * * The Atlantic * *Bold and highly unconventional . . . Hot, gritty, unrelenting in its push to dismantle the self and then, somehow, put the self back together again - gets not just under a reader's skin but seeps all the way into her bloodstream * * Publishers Weekly * *I love this book and I am thankful that Lidia Yuknavitch has written it for me and for everyone else who has ever had to sometimes kind of work at staying alive. It's about the body, brain, and soul of a woman who has managed to scratch up through the slime and concrete and crap of life in order to resurrect herself. The kind of book Janis Joplin might have written if she had made it through the fire - raw, tough, pure, more full of love than you thought possible and sometimes even hilarious. This is the book Lidia Yuknavitch was put on the planet to write for us -- REBECCA BROWN, author of THE GIFTS OF THE BODY

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Book Synopsis_______________THE PHENOMENAL KOREAN BESTSELLERTRANSLATED BY INTERNATIONAL BOOKER SHORTLISTEE ANTON HUR''Will strike a chord with anyone who feels that their public life is at odds with how they really feel inside.'' - RedPSYCHIATRIST: So how can I help you? ME: I don't know, I'm what's the word depressed? Do I have to go into detail? Baek Sehee is a successful young social media director at a publishing house when she begins seeing a psychiatrist about her what to call it? depression? She feels persistently low, anxious, endlessly self-doubting, but also highly judgemental of others. She hides her feelings well at work and with friends; adept at performing the calmness, even ease, her lifestyle demands. The effort is exhausting, overwhelming, and keeps her from forming deep relationships. This can''t be normal. But if she''s so hopeless, why can she always summon a desire for her favourite street food, the hot, spicy rice cake, tteokbokki? Is this just what life is like? Recording her dialogues with her psychiatrist over a 12-week period, Baek begins to disentangle the feedback loops, knee-jerk reactions and harmful behaviours that keep her locked in a cycle of self-abuse. Part memoir, part self-help book, I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki is a book to keep close and to reach for in times of darkness.

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Book SynopsisTHE NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NOW A MAJOR FILM, STARRING STEVE CARELL AND BAFTA AND GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATED TIMOTHEE CHALAMET ‘What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong?’ Those are the wrenching questions that haunted every moment of David Sheff’s journey through his son Nic’s addiction to drugs and tentative steps toward recovery. Before Nic Sheff became addicted to crystal meth, he was a charming boy, joyous and funny, a varsity athlete and honor student adored by his two younger siblings. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied, stole, and lived on the streets.With haunting candour, David Sheff traces the first subtle warning signs: the denial, the 3am phone calls (is it Nic? the police? the hospital?), the attempts at rehab. His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself, and tTrade Review'Both takes on this story are riveting, brilliantly written, thoughtful, searingly honest and equally essential. They should be mandatory reading for every teenager and every parent of one.' * Daily Mail *'My generation experimented with drugs and, now that we are parents, we're caught off guard: we never contemplated having to face what David Sheff has faced. He writes with candour, courage and grace of his family's harrowing – and sadly not atypical – story. Beautiful Boy is an important book. It is moving, timely and startlingly beautiful.' -- Sir Richard Branson, chairman, Virgin Group'Those of us who love an addict – or are addicts ourselves – will find Beautiful Boy a revelation. David Sheff knows all too well what must be endured with faith, and his extraordinary book describes it better than anything else I've read. While painfully candid, Beautiful Boy is equally optimistic and powerful.' -- Martin Sheen, actor'An honest, hopeful book, coming at a propitious moment in the meth epidemic.' * Publishers Weekly *'An excellent book that all parents can relate to whatever their children's situation.' * Library Journal *'Moving, painfully honest, very revealing, it tells a story which just never gets told and which is extraordinarily important.' -- Rosie Boycott'A brilliant, harrowing, heartbreaking, fascinating story, full of beautiful moments and hard-won wisdom. This book will save a lot of lives and heal a lot of hearts.' -- Anne Lamott'Beautiful Boy is so beautifully written that it will come as a welcome balm to millions of parents and loved ones who thought they were making this journey alone.' -- Armistead Maupin

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER''It will do your soul good to read this.'' NIGELLA LAWSONA balm for our times from the internationally bestselling author of Wintering.Our sense of enchantment is not only sparked by grand things. The awe-inspiring, the numinous, is all around us, all the time. It is transformed by our deliberate attention. The magic is of our own conjuring.''A total joy . . . Thoughtful, patient and beautifully written, like walking with a friend as dusk settles, this is the book your soul needs right now.''CARIAD LLOYD''Beautifully written.''PHILIPPA PERRYFeeling bone-tired, anxious and overwhelmed by the rolling news cycle and the pandemic age, Katherine May seeks to unravel the threads of a life wound too tightly. Could there be another way to live - one that feels more meaningful, more grounded in the places beneath our feet? One that would allow us to feel more connected, more rested and at ease, even as seismic changes unfold on the planet?Craving a different path, May explores the restorative properties of the natural world and begins to rekindle her sense of wonder. It is a journey that takes her from sacred wells to wild moors, from cradling seas to starfalls. Through deliberate attention and ritual, she finds nourishment and a more hopeful relationship to the world around her.Enchantment is an invitation to each of us to experience life in all its sensual complexity and to find the beauty waiting for us there.Katherine May''s book Enchantment was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 10-03-2023

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewRaynor Winn has done it again. She's achieved a miracle, defying all odds and walking 1,000 miles with her beloved husband Moth. But she has also given her vast army of fans - both armchair hikers and the real thing - another wondrous book, full of compassion, humour, insights, closeness to nature and true, bloody-minded grit. An inspiration. -- Isabella Tree, author of WildingAs well as a portrait of a telepathic marriage of true minds, and a snapshot of a fretful island, this is a soaring lament and a tub-thumping tirade - for all that is being lost, for all that may yet be saved * Telegraph *An inspiring and beautifully written story of hope and healing . . . We, her readers, are privileged to walk alongside her * Countryfile *An inspirational story of love and endurance; of trails offering links to ancient times. But it's clear-eyed, too, on the future we're shaping * Telegraph, 'Best travel books to buy for Christmas 2022' *Another heartwarming odyssey, this time on one of the wildest walks in Britain . . . Winn seems to have a bird's-eye view of Britain - a map at her feet, a keen eye for detail, particularly for social injustice. Hers is a voice of empathy and integrity * GUARDIAN *Fans of The Salt Path will love this moving continuation of Raynor and her husband Moth's journey . . . Alongside beautiful nature writing, there are thought-provoking observations on our countryside and the threat it is under * Good Housekeeping *A tale of remarkable resilience and nature writing at its best * i *Their journey from remote Scotland to the South West coast Path makes for inspiring reading * Boundless *Each step is recorded in luminous prose * Wanderlust *A captivating reflection on nature and the lines that divide and shape countries and people * Sainsbury's Magazine *If you enjoyed The Salt Path . . . you'll love Raynor Winn's latest book, Landlines * Yours Magazine *The reader . . . may struggle to keep a dry eye * Geographical *Winn has a gift for making her account profoundly human . . . In exploring what it means to be seeing a landscape possibly for the last time, it achieves moments of rare vision and compassion * Spectator *If you followed Raynor and husband Moth on The Salt Path, you will thrill to join them on this epic walk, from Scotland's wild and beautiful Cape Wrath Trail. Miracles might just happen when you put your best foot forward * Saga Magazine *I like the realism of her writing, about all the practicalities and discomforts, the midge bites, the blisters and the endless comforting cups of tea. All of this is underpinned by the deep love of a long marriage. Winn writes with a personal and passionate appreciation of nature * Perceptive Travel *

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Book SynopsisHannah Kent's first novel, the multi-award-winning international bestseller Burial Rites, was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, has been translated into over thirty languages, and is being adapted for film. Her second novel, The Good People, was translated into ten languages nominated for numerous awards and is also being adapted for film. Devotion, her third novel, won Booktopia's Favourite Australian Book, and was shortlisted for multiple industry awards.Her original feature film, Run Rabbit Run, was directed by Daina Reid and starred Sarah Snook. Hannah is also the co-founder of Kill Your Darlings, and has written for The New York Times, The Saturday Paper, The Guardian, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Meanjin, Qantas Magazine and LitHub. She lives and works on Peramangk and Kaurna country.

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Book SynopsisPowerful, humane and wise' JULIA SAMUELEveryone should read it' NIGELLA LAWSONBeautiful This is a book for everyone. You feel held by it' PHILIPPA PERRYMost of us have a conversation we're avoiding.From the bestselling author of With the End in Mind, this is a book about the conversations that matter and how to have them better more honestly, more confidently and without regret.A child coming out to their parent. A family losing someone to terminal illness. A friend noticing the first signs of someone's dementia. A careers advisor and a teenager with radically different perspectives.There are moments when we must talk, listen and be there for one another. Why do we so often come away from those times feeling like we could have done more, or should have been braver in the face of discomfort? Why do we skirt the conversations that might matter most?By bringing together stories with a lifetime's experience working in medicine and the newest psychology, Mannix offers lessons for how we can better speak our mind and help when others need to.Kathryn Mannix's With the End in Mind' was a Sunday Times bestseller the weeks ending 6 January 2018, 13 January 2018 and 3 February 2018.Trade Review‘This gentle-hearted, engaging and intimately readable book is so full of wisdom and compassion. Everyone should read it’Nigella Lawson ‘Kathryn Mannix has a gift for cutting through the noise and helping us realise what is most important. In a world that never stops talking, this book celebrates and demonstrates the curative power of listening. It is powerful, humane and wise’Julia Samuel ‘This is a beautiful book … Too often people want their friends and relations to take all the difficult talk to a therapist, there has to be more than the professional listeners who know how to have a mutually impactful beautiful, tender conversation. This is a book for everyone … I actually feel listened to by reading it’Philippa Perry ‘Kathryn Mannix is our modern-day prophet … This is an essential book for anyone interested in themselves and their fellow humans’Greg Wise ‘I adore Kathryn's writing. Always sensitive, always thoughtful, an essential read for those looking to connect’Cariad Lloyd ‘Kathryn Mannix is a natural born storyteller, and there is so much wisdom, tenderness and love packed into this profoundly beautiful book … Her words brim with grace. I loved this book so very much.’Rachel Clarke ‘It’s amazing that a book like this has not been written before – such is the need for it … Intensely humane and reassuring … Full of wisdom and compassion’Sue Stuart-Smith ‘This is a beautiful book and I found almost every page taught me something in a gentle, but powerful way’Annalisa Barbieri ‘The book’s greatest strength is not just the information it shares, but the pure humanity it shows; the halting, fearful, imperfect conversations between people who are all doing their best and sometimes not getting it right. The gems of wisdom apply to all situations, whether someone is at the end of their life or has had a bad day at work … Compassionate, warm and wise’The Times

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Pulitzer Price and William Hill Sports Book of the Year: Barbarian Days is a deeply rendered self-portrait of a lifelong surfer looking for transcendence ''that recalls early James Salter'' (Geoff Dyer, Observer)Surfing only looks like a sport. To devotees, it is something else entirely: a beautiful addiction, a mental and physical study, a passionate way of life.New Yorker writer William Finnegan first started surfing as a young boy in California and Hawaii. Barbarian Days is his immersive memoir of a life spent travelling the world chasing waves through the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, Africa and beyond. Finnegan describes the edgy yet enduring brotherhood forged among the swell of the surf; and recalling his own apprenticeship to the world''s most famous and challenging waves, he considers the intense relationship formed between man, board and water.Barbarian Days is an old-school adventure story, Trade ReviewA surfer's tale of his quest for self-transcendence is a masterpiece that recalls early James Salter * Geoff Dyer, the Observer *I don't know anything about surfing, but I was gripped by the intensity of his language, never mind the thrilling recklessness of his behaviour in the waves * Olivia Laing, Guardian Best Holiday Reads 2015 *There are too many breathtaking, original things in Barbarian Days to do more than mention here - observations about surfing that have simply never been made before, or certainly never so well. But a particularly remarkable feature of Barbarian Days is the generous yet unsparing portraits of competitive surf friendships that make up a major share of the narrative * New York Times *Nothing I've read so accurately describes the feeling of being stoked or the despair of being held under. But also because while it is a book about 'A Surfing Life' - as the subtitle states - it's also about a writer's life and, even more generally, a quester's life, more carefully observed and precisely rendered than any I've read in a long time * LA Times *Surfing is Topic A here, but it inevitably connects with politics (when Mr. Finnegan taught in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1981, students boycotted his classes to protest apartheid), environmental issues (he sees great surf spots both created and destroyed by human enterprise) and much more. * New York Times, Cool Beach Books for Hot Summer Days *Reading this guy on the subject of waves and water is like reading Hemingway on bullfighting; William Burroughs on controlled substances; Updike on adultery. . . . a coming-of-age story, seen through the gloss resin coat of a surfboard * Sports Illustrated *For pure sensation, pick up New Yorker writer William Finnegan's memories of the beach, Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life. Just try and keep the sand out of your book . . . and out of your sandwich. * Publishers Weekly, Best Summer Books 2015 *Luscious * Ed Caesar, Guardian *A far-ranging, unique and bewitching memoir ... You don't need to have surfed to enjoy this book. * Literary Review *How many ways can you describe a wave? You'll never get tired of watching Finnegan do it. A staff writer at The New Yorker, he leads a counterlife as an obsessive surfer, traveling around the world, throwing his vulnerable, merely human body into line after line of waves in search of transient moments of grace . . . It's an occupation that has never before been described with this tenderness and deftness * TIME Magazine, Top 10 Nonfiction Books of 2015 *The kind of book that makes you squirm in your seat on the subway, gaze out the window at work, and Google Map the quickest route to the beach. In other words, it is, like Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, a semi-dangerous book, one that persuades young men . . . to trade in their office jobs in order to roam the world, to feel the ocean's power, and chase the waves * The Paris Review *Terrific . . . Elegantly written and structured, it's a riveting adventure story, an intellectual autobiography, and a restless, searching meditation on love, friendship and family . . . A writer of rare subtlety and observational gifts, Finnegan explores every aspect of the sport - its mechanics and intoxicating thrills, its culture and arcane tribal codes - in a way that should resonate with surfers and non-surfers alike. His descriptions of some of the world's most powerful and unforgiving waves are hauntingly beautiful . . .Finnegan displays an honesty that is evident throughout the book, parts of which have a searing, unvarnished intensity * Washington Post *Overflowing with vivid descriptions of waves caught and waves missed, of disappointments and ecstasies and gargantuan curling tubes that encircle riders like cathedrals of pure stained glass . . . These paragraphs, with their mix of personal remembrance and subcultural taxonomies, tend to be as elegant and pellucid as the breakers they immortalize . . . This memoir is one you can ride all the way to shore * Entertainment Weekly *Without a doubt, the finest surf book I've ever read . . . All this technical mastery and precise description goes hand in hand with an unabashed, infectious earnestness. Finnegan has certainly written a surfing book for surfers, but on a more fundamental level, Barbarian Days offers a clear eyed vision of American boyhood. Like Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, it is a sympathetic examination of what happens when literary ideas of freedom and purity take hold of a young mind and fling his body out into the far reaches of the world * New York Times Magazine *Which is precisely what makes the propulsive precision of Finnegan's writing so surprising and revelatory . . . Finnegan's treatment of surfing never feels like performance. Through the sheer intensity of his descriptive powers and the undeniable ways in which surfing has shaped his life, Barbarian Days is an utterly convincing study in the joy of treating seriously an unserious thing . . . As Finnegan demonstrates, surfing, like good writing, is an act of vigilant noticing * The New York Review of Books *Gorgeously written and intensely felt . . . With Mr Finnegan's bravura memoir, the surfing bookshelf is dramatically enriched. It's not only a volume for followers of the sport. Non-surfers, too, will be treated to a travelogue head-scratchingly rich in obscure, sharply observed destinations . . . Dare I say that we all need MrFinnegan...as a role model for a life fully, thrillingly, lived * Wall Street Journal *Irresistible * O, The Oprah Magazine *It's always fabulous when an incredible writer happens to also have a memoir-worthy life; Barbarian Days bodes well * GQ.com *A dream of a book by a masterful writer long immersed in surfing culture. Finnegan recaptures the waves lost and found, the euphoria, the danger . . . the allure * BBC.com *A skillful, masterful memoir . . . it's a book about surfing, of course, but it's not just for surfers. Finnegan's skill sees him trace memories and emotions with honesty. * The Skinny *Barbarian Days is one of the few surfing books for a wider audience. * Guardian *William Finnegan's absorbing surfing memoir, Barbarian Days will have you studying the ocean with new eyes * Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All the Light We Cannot See *An astounding book. * Matt Haig *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE 2017 PEN ACKERLEY PRIZEWINNER OF THE 2016 WAINWRIGHT PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE 2017 ONDAATJE PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE 2016 WELLCOME PRIZEAt the age of thirty, Amy Liptrot finds herself washed up back home on Orkney. Standing unstable on the island, she tries to come to terms with the addiction that has swallowed the last decade of her life. As she spends her mornings swimming in the bracingly cold sea, her days tracking Orkney's wildlife, and her nights searching the sky for the Merry Dancers, Amy discovers how the wild can restore life and renew hope.Trade ReviewA lyrical, brave memoir. It's Liptrot's aptitude for marrying her inner-space with wild outer-spaces that makes her such a compelling writer . . . I enjoyed this book enormously -- WILL SELF * * Guardian * *The sheer sensuality of Liptrot's prose and her steely resolve immediately put her right up there with the best of the best. Liptrot is an Orcadian warrior with the breeze in her blood and poetry in her fingers, and The Outrun may even be a future classic. Wherever she journeys next, you will want to go with her * * New Statesman * *An exhilarating memoir . . . Anyone who has ever been unhappy or unwise will find much that resonates in this powerful, beautiful writing -- CATHY RENTZENBRINK * * Stylist * *An uncompromising account of addiction and recovery played out against the blasted fields of Orkney. Liptrot's writing is strong and sure. The Outrun is a bright addition to the exploding genre of writing about place and our place in the natural world * * Observer * *Remarkable . . . a meditative interior journey which Liptrot elevates to an art * * Spectator * *An unflinching examination of trauma, addiction and the restorative power of the natural world . . . It is a wild, wind-lashed book, and you come away from reading with the taste of salt spray on your lips -- Evie Wyld * * New York Times * *Brilliant . . . one of the most scabrously honest, sassy and moving books about addiction and recovery that I have read * * Scotsman * *An astonishingly beautiful book. Amy makes most nature writing seem flat and pedestrian. Her account of her addiction and recovery is electric, sexy, immediate and raw, leaving the reader reeling in her wake . . . This is a luminous, life-affirming book, and I have no doubt that I'll be pressing it into people's hands for years to come -- OLIVIA LAINGThere is a great deal of frank, flinch-making writing in this book, but it is always balanced by a sublimity and graciousness that is rare. This is a bold-hearted and brave-minded book. It is both terribly sad and awfully affecting. I look forward to its presence on some prize lists * * Scotland on Sunday * *Clean, clear and impressive . . . a sensuous book, full of summer nights and winter water. Liptrot swims, walks, lives alone on uninhabited islands and observes. And from that comes a portrait of the natural world she is absorbed into * * Herald * *

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Book SynopsisLike many young people of his generation, Craig Weldon came of age on hills all around the British Isles, but especially the Munros in Scotland. With his friends he braved the high mountains of the Cuillin and the lower tops of Gloucestershire, wild Welsh farmers and even wilder midges in the Highlands. Usually funny, sometimes dangerous, more often wet, one thing was for sure: life was never boring!Trade Review‘…such a zest for living.’ ‘Beneath the descriptions of innumerable days on the hill there is a human story: an understated, poignant coming-of-age-tale.’

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Book SynopsisFROM THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING AND MAN BOOKER-SHORTLISTED AUTHOR''Sparkles with brilliant observations on art and architecture, friendship and loss'' Guardian''Everybody should get to spend a month with Mr. Matar, looking at paintings'' Zadie Smith, Wall Street Journal, Books of the Year_______________________________________________Matar was nineteen years old when his father was kidnapped. In the year following he found himself turning to art, particularly the great paintings of the Sienese School. They became a refuge and a way to think about the world outside the urgencies of the present.A quarter of a century later, having found no trace of his father, Matar finally visits the birthplace of those paintings. A Month in Siena is the encounter between the writer and the city. It is an immersion in painting, a consideration of love, grief and a profoundly moving contemplation of the relationship between art and life. _______________________________________________''A dazzling exploration of art''s impact on his life and writing, and a moving contemplation of grief'' Financial Times''I can think of no better expression of the humane than this economical, modest, yet altogether breathtaking book'' New Statesman, Books of the Year''Bewitching, intensely moving'' The Economist, Books of the YearTrade ReviewAn intensely moving book, at once an affirmation of life's quiet dignities in the face of loss and a portrait of a city that comes to stand for all cities * The Economist *This slim, beautifully produced book, sparkles with brilliant observations on art and architecture, friendship and loss. Matar's prose is exquisitely measured and precise - not unlike one of the paintings from the Sienese school that he has admired for so many years * PD Smith, Guardian *This book tells us much about the extraordinary power of art to inspire * Literary Review *What a jewel this is, driven by desire, grief, yearning loss, illuminated by hope, the kindness of strangers continually making tribute to the delicacy and grace of the Arab home the author lost so many years ago * Peter Carey, The Australian, Books of the Year *A fluid series of meditations on the big questions of life, on love, faith, time and on the nature and purpose of art, the influence of architecture and, most important of all to this author, grief, mourning and memory * Spectator *Mingles insightful and often moving art history with frank personal recollection in a way that reminds us of the communality we share not only with our contemporaries, but with all historical epochs. I can think of no better expression of the humane than this economical, modest, yet altogether breathtaking book * New Statesman *Hisham Matar is a brilliant narrative architect and prose stylist, his pared-down approach and measured pace a striking complement to the emotional tumult of his material * Wall Street Journal *What interests him in this art is the human knowledge the painter is trying to convey. The description is exact and graceful, as Matar's prose tends to be * New York Times, 11 New Books We Recommend This Week *A Month in Siena bears all the hallmarks of Matar's writing: it is exquisitely constructed and the use of language is precise and delicately nuanced without pretension. And there is a deceptive simplicity to his endeavour: to look at art. What emerges is an altogether more complex philosophical exploration of death, love, art, relationships and time * Financial Times *A deeply moving, engrossing book. Written in elegant, concise prose, it is a remarkable mediation on life, loss, mourning, exile, friendship and the power of art * Wall Street Journal *Hisham Matar has the quality all historians - of the world and the self - most need: he knows how to stand back and let the past speak * Hilary Mantel *A thing of beauty and wisdom * Monocle *A dazzling exploration of art's impact on his life and writing, and a moving contemplation of grief * Financial Times *An exquisite, deeply affecting book * Evening Standard *Everybody should get to spend a month with Mr. Matar, looking at paintings * Zadie Smith *Bewitching . . . Meditating on art, history and the relationship between them, this is both a portrait of a city and an affirmation of life's quiet dignities in the face of loss * The Economist, Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisThe hilarious, gutsy account of misadventures in the kitchen and in the bedroom by anonymous chef Slutty Cheff.

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Book SynopsisOn 1 August 2017, former paratrooper Christian Lewis set off from Swansea to walk the entire coastline of the UK. Christian's search for self-discovery, and to raise awareness and funds for the veterans charity SSAFA, would become a journey beyond his or anyone's expectations. From raising over a quarter of a million pounds to adopting a dog called Jet, to finding love with fellow adventurer, Kate, he had no idea that when he started this once-in-a-lifetime experience he would be crossing the finish line (some five and a half years later) with a fiancee, a baby and renewed sense of purpose. His story is one of survival and hope, but it's also proof that, with the right mindset, anything is possible. Finding Hildasay is Christian's first book about his journey, which has already received worldwide attention, a BAFTA-nominated documentary and more.Trade ReviewThe word “inspiration” is often overused; Chris really is an inspiration. I urge you to read his tale -- Sir Andrew Gregory, CEO of the SSAFA charityExhilarating * The Observer *The real journey here is one of self-discovery * The Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisA brand-new collection from the award-winning poet, the companion piece to the Sunday Times bestselling Slug''Funny, so smart and refreshingly honest'' SARAH MILLICAN''Hollie McNish''s words always sweep me away'' GIOVANNA FLETCHER''Bold, hilarious and tender'' SALENA GODDENThis book is written out of both hate and love for the worldAs people, we are capable of both love and hate; amazement and disgust; fun and misery. So why do we live in a world that is constantly telling us to hate, both ourselves and others? We are told to be repulsed by our own bodies, bodies that let us laugh and sweat and eat toast; to be ashamed of pleasure; to be embarrassed by fun. In this collection, Hollie McNish brings her inimitable style to the question of what have been taught to hate, and if we might learn to love again.''Never have we needed her more'' STYLIST''I''ve loved her work for years'' JO BRAND''She writes with honesty, conviction, humour and love'' KAE TEMPEST

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZEChosen as 'BOOK OF THE YEAR' by Observer, Guardian, Telegraph, Irish Times, New Statesman, Times Literary Supplement, HeraldWhen Olivia Laing moved to New York City in her mid-thirties, she found herself inhabiting loneliness on a daily basis. Increasingly fascinated by this most shameful of experiences, she began to explore the lonely city by way of art. Moving fluidly between the works and lives of some of the city's most compelling artists, Laing conducts an electric, dazzling investigation into what it means to be alone, illuminating not only the causes of loneliness but also how it might be resisted and redeemed.Trade ReviewTriumphant . . . A brave writer whose books open up fundamental questions about life and art * * Telegraph * *Luminously wise and deeply compassionate . . . A fierce and essential work -- HELEN MACDONALD, author of H IS FOR HAWKWonderfully freewheeling . . . Constantly surprising . . . Inspired * * Guardian * *The Lonely City is a stunning homage to how extreme loneliness can make us more hospitable to the strangeness of others - to the risks and innovations of art and artists. Laing has written a classic that will be cherished for years to come -- DEBORAH LEVY, author of SWIMMING HOMEA new kind of literature . . . Endlessly, compulsively fascinating * * New Statesman * *Unusually brave . . . Sublime * * The Times * *Laing cuts close to the bone of a universal yet often unrelatable state * * Financial Times * *A gifted critic and biographer . . . a fascinating, eerie piece of writing * * Sunday Times * *One of the finest writers of the new non-fiction . . . Compelling and original * * Harpers Bazaar * *Exhilarating . . . beautifully integrated, original, compassionate * * Independent * *The Lonely City is continually unexpected, stimulating and beautifully structured. I am in awe of Olivia Laing's insights, braininess and that something that feels like recklessness until it lands -- PETER CAREYA remarkable combination of personal mediation and psychological and artistic inquiry, The Lonely City is always superbly written, fascinating and often sharply moving. Ultimately the book has a paradoxical effect: at the same time as it makes one aware of one's own inescapable solitude, it leaves one feeling less alone -- ADAM FOULDS, author of The Quickening MazeBlisteringly precise . . . Her gift as a critic is her ability to imaginatively sympathize with her subjects in a way that allows the art and life of the artist to go on radiating meaning after the book is closed * * Elle * *Smart and oddly consoling . . . Laing makes the topic her own * * New York Times Book Review * *Considered, authoritative, evocative, empathetic, and full of insight . . . To join Laing in that atmosphere is to enter a world that is at once dark and lambent, and in which loneliness features not just as an eternal fall, but as one of the treasures of what it is to be fully, briefly, human -- MATTHEW ADAMS * * The National * *An uncommonly observant hybrid of memoir, history and cultural criticism . . . a book of extraordinary compassion and insight * * San Francisco Chronicle * *Remarkable . . . a memoir, an essay and a group biography all in one, which takes a difficult, almost taboo subject and deftly turns it over anew * * Evening Standard * *A devastating and intimate examination of urban loneliness. With a unique voice, and painstaking research, Laing explores the dark side of our cities as well as the redemptive power of communities -- GAVIN FRANCIS, author of Adventures in Human BeingAccessible, bright and endlessly thought-provoking . . . a commentator of exceptional heart and voice * * Irish Independent * *Magical . . . reminding us of how it feels to be lonely, this book gently affirms our connectedness * * Boston Globe * *Connecting becomes less intimidating if the fear of failure is removed. This brave book is a step in that direction * * Economist * *Intensely involving and affecting . . . Laing's superb study extends far beyond art criticism * * The Lady * *Part memoir, part treatise on art and geography, Olivia Laing's book looks at loneliness and how public spaces and especially art can cure or calm this very modern condition * * Red * *

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Book SynopsisA hybrid of memoir, travel and cultural history that explores how water altered LA and the history of film

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Book SynopsisTHE LANDMARK MEMOIR OF A GLOBAL MUSIC ICONSHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2021Sinéad O'Connor's voice and trademark shaved head made her famous by the age of twenty-one. Her recording of Prince's 'Nothing Compares 2 U' made her a global icon. She outraged millions when she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on American television.O'Connor was unapologetic and impossible to ignore, calling out hypocrisy wherever she saw it. She remained that way for over three decades.In her acclaimed No 1 bestselling memoir Rememberings, O'Connor told her story - the heartache of growing up in a family falling apart; her early forays into the Dublin music scene; her adventures and misadventures in the world of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll; the fulfilment of being a mother; her ongoing spiritual quest - and through it all, her abiding passion for music.Rememberings is intimate, replete with candid anecdotes and full of hard-won insights. It is a unique and remarkable chronicle by a unique and remarkable artist.*****'Inspiring, liberating, hilarious and fascinating' Irish Times'Beautifully observed ... lyrical, funny and anguished' Guardian'Her voice on the page is as fearless, riveting and unforgettable as her voice in song. The cadence alone is hypnotic, her story essential. Rememberings is a must-read' Michael Stipe'So good, you'll want to read it twice' Sunday Independent'A soul-bearing, brutally honest account of an extraordinary life' BBC Online'Tremendous . . . fierce and funny' Sunday Times Books of the YearTrade ReviewTremendous . . . fierce and funny * Sunday Times Books of the Year *Inspiring, liberating, hilarious and fascinating * Irish Times *So good, you'll want to read it twice * Sunday Independent *Beautifully observed . . . lyrical, funny and anguished * Guardian *It is a soul-bearing, brutally honest account of an extraordinary life * BBC Online *Fantastic . . . the way it's written is f**kin' beautiful . . . go out and get it -- Blindboy BoatclubHer voice on the page is as fearless, riveting and unforgettable as her voice in song. The cadence alone is hypnotic, her story essential. Rememberings is a must-read -- Michael StipeDevastating, wise, hilarious and original -- Róisín IngleA terrific book . . . absolutely brilliant -- Brendan O'ConnorO'Connor gets you onside so completely with her direct narrative, you feel you could be in the same room as her * Sunday Times *Rememberings offers O'Connor's very personal version of events, a tale of maternal and institutional abuse that might be a misery memoir, if it weren't related with such eccentric charm and cheery fortitude * Daily Telegraph *From wild youth to troubled adulthood, this memoir is a blast of chaos * Times *Utterly brilliant -- Paul HowardAstonishing. Staggering -- Rob DelaneySuperb . . . fantastic * Irish Daily Star *Beautifully written * VIP *Honest and illuminating * Irish Independent *Rememberings is an electrifying reminder of the importance of [O'Connor's] voice * Business Post *O'Connor brings everything to this memoir * Financial Times *Incendiary * i *Astonishingly good, wise and hilarious -- Louise NealonCandid, open-hearted . . . a lot of self-deprecation, a lot of laughs, and a measure of honesty that would put most of us to shame * Anglo-Celt *Genuinely incredible . . . [Rememberings is] suffused with humour and forgiveness * Guardian *There's nothing conventional about Sinéad O'Connor and there's little conventional about her memoir either. . . She writes with searing honesty and plenty of wit * Independent *Her complicated life makes for riveting reading. From ripping up photographs of the Pope on prime time US television and her mental health struggles to a rollercoaster spiritual quest, she has never been afraid to be fearless * iNews *

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Book SynopsisFlutter is a memoir about how the author fell in love with a secret gambler, and their journey to be free of this addiction.Dianne has recreated Tony's voice from her memories of him, supplemented by his diaries and notes, so the story is told from two points of view.

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Book SynopsisIN 12 YEARS, MICHELLE LYONS WITNESSED NEARLY 300 EXECUTIONS.As a reporter and then spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Michelle was a frequent visitor to Huntsville's Walls Unit, where she recorded the final moments of death row inmates' lives before they were put to death by the state. Michelle witnessed some of the most notorious criminals, including serial killers, child murderers and rapists, speak their last words on earth, while a cocktail of lethal drugs surged through their veins.Misgivings began to set in as the execution numbers mounted. She came to know and like some of the condemned people she saw die, and began to query the seemingly arbitrary nature of the death penalty. Do executions actually make victims of us all?'Haunting, dark and hard to put down' Houston Chronicle'A portrait of what it's like to be surrounded by death... a memoir of perseverance in the face of routine tragedy' The Daily Beast

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Book Synopsis*SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION* 'Extraordinary' Kate Mosse 'Electric' Lemn Sissay 'Searing' Julia Samuel One Omaha winter day in 1978, when Debora Harding was just fourteen, she was abducted at knife-point, thrown into a van, assaulted, held for ransom, and left to die. But what if this wasn't the most traumatic, defining event in her childhood? Undertaking a radical project, Debora Harding dexterously shifts between the past and present to unravel her story. From the immediate aftermath to the possibility of restorative justice twenty years later, Dancing with the Octopus lays bare the social and political forces that act upon us after the experience of serious crime. A vivid, sly and intimate portrait of one family's disintegration, this is a darkly humorous and ground-breaking narrative of reckoning and recovery.Trade ReviewA searing literary work that will help many of us see trauma in a different light. In strong and powerful prose Debora Harding shows us what it means to move forward through grief. -- Julia Samuel, author of * This Too Shall Pass *Dancing with the Octopus is a brave and authentic picture of the tailwinds of trauma, the limits of human forgiveness and what it takes to maintain hope in a world bent on breaking us. Highly readable, and deeply moving. -- Rachel Louise Snyder, award-winning author of * No Visible Bruises *A gripping account of one woman's confrontation with the terror and heartbreak of her past. Harding combines true crime and family saga to illustrate the aftershocks of trauma, and the courage, tenderness, and humor that recovery requires. -- Melissa Febos, author of * Abandon Me *Debora Harding writes with a stunningly original mixture of insight, wit, and humanity about a life packed with so much drama, loss and resilience that you can't believe its not an epic work of fiction. -- Kate Weinberg, author of * The Truants *Extraordinary, so powerful and like nothing I've read. Astonishing book. It deserves to be the most massive hit. -- Kate MosseI have just finished reading Dancing with the Octopus... You are lucky! The electricity of this true crime memoir awaits you. -- Lemn Sissay (via Twitter)Debora Harding's book is a beautiful and exacting monument to resilience and recovery -- Jessamy Calkin * Daily Telegraph *It's as gripping as any thriller and as moving as any novel you're ever likely to read. -- Paul Chahidi (via Twitter)Incredible ... a memoir like few others ... seek it out -- Jane Garvey * Woman's Hour *Darkly humorous . . . Harding draws a complex web of interlinked experiences to show how suffering can set up shop for good in a family and a town * CrimeReads - Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2020 *Gripping ... written with such a light touch that you are drawn in straight away from the moment you open it -- Jeremy Vine * BBC Radio 2 *A sharp, compelling recollection of abuse, gaslighting, and the process of trauma... Ultimately, Dancing with the Octopus is a book about telling and the power of retelling-an act carried out with wit, grace, and humour by an author of her own narrative truth * Cambridge Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisRobin Ince is a comedian, actor and writer. The Guardian once declared him a becardiganed polymath' which seems about right. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including The Importance of Being Interested and I'm a Joke and So Are You. With Professor Brian Cox, he created and presents the award-winning BBC Radio 4 show The Infinite Monkey Cage, which ranks among the most popular science podcasts worldwide. He also won Celebrity Mastermind but forgot that calcium was the dominant element of chalk. After being diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 52, he finally has an excuse.

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Book SynopsisFrom the legendary author Edmund White, a stunning, revelatory memoir of a lifetime of gay love and sex.

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