Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisTaking the form of random journal entries over the course of seven years, Exteriors concentrates on the ephemeral encounters that take place just on the periphery of a person’s lived environment. Ernaux captures the feeling of contemporary living on the outskirts of Paris: poignantly lyrical, chaotic, and strangely alive. Exteriors is in many ways the most ecstatic of Ernaux’s books – the first in which she appears largely free of the haunting personal relationships she has written about so powerfully elsewhere, and the first in which she is able to leave the past behind her.Trade Review‘I find her work extraordinary.’ — Eimear McBride, author of Strange Hotel‘Admirable for its quiet grace as well as its audacity in a willingness to note (and thus make noteworthy) the smallest parts of life. It’s a masterclass in understatement, a quality difficult to find nowadays, in literature or life.’ — Lucy Sweeney-Byrne, Irish Times‘Reading her is like getting to know a friend, the way they tell you about themselves over long conversations that sometimes take years, revealing things slowly, looping back to some parts of their life over and over’ — Joanna Biggs, London Review of Books‘The book is at once lyrical and unruly. It’s a story of fleeting encounters, overheard conversations and clear-sighted observations that will make you pay attention to the seemingly ephemeral details of ordinary life.’ — Monocle‘Annie Ernaux is one of my favourite contemporary writers, original and true. Always after reading one of her books, I walk around in her world for months.’ — Sheila Heti, author of Pure Colour

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Book SynopsisC. S. Lewis was their mentor and friend. When tragedy struck, he became their guide and a comforter of piercing insight and compassion. His letters are carefully preserved and reproduced in this moving account of the extraordinary love between Sheldon Vanauken and Jean Davis. This beautiful tale bears witness not only to the relationship between Van and Davy, but to the understanding which grew between two men who both had to suffer the severe pain of loss.Trade ReviewOne of the most remarkable books I've ever read. It belongs in the genre of St Augustine's Confessions. * Dom Julian OSB *Very, very good ... I don't think I could ever forget it. * The Rev. Walter Hooper *

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Book SynopsisCynthia Kim explores all the quirkyness of living with Asperger Syndrome (ASD) in this accessible, witty and honest guide looking from an insider perspective at some of the most challenging and intractable aspects of being autistic. Her own life presents many rich examples. From being labelled nerdy and shy as an undiagnosed child to redefining herself when diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome as an adult, she describes how her perspective shifted to understanding a previously confusing world and combines this with the results of extensive research to explore the 'why' of ASD traits. She explains how they impact on everything from self-care to holding down a job and offers typically practical and creative strategies to help manage them, including a section on the vestibular, sensory and social benefits of martial arts for people with autism.Well known in the autism community and beyond for her popular blog, Musings of an Aspie, Cynthia Kim's book is rich with personal anecdotes and useful advice. This intelligent insider guide will help adults with ASDs and their partners, family members, friends, and colleagues, but it also provides a fresh and witty window onto a different worldview.Trade ReviewIn this honest and beautifully articulate book, Cynthia Kim reflects back on her life before and after her recent diagnosis, and she describes how her diagnosis helped her to gain a new understanding of herself and events in her past. The book is packed full of useful tips for others with Asperger's, and her own experiences with marriage and raising a child provide a valuable perspective which is both eye opening and a real pleasure to read. -- Elisabeth Hurley, PhD, Research Officer, Autism West Midlands, UKI have been a fan of Cynthia Kim's blog, Musings of an Aspie, for many years. This book has everything I've come to expect from her blog and more. Poignant and practical by turns, and always insightful, this book is a must read for anyone trying to get a better understanding of autism. -- Lynne Soraya, blogger for Psychology Today and author of Living Independently on the Autism SpectrumCynthia Kim unequivocally captures the true essence of what it means to be autistic! What it means to be me! She helps you understand yourself, which enables you to struggle less with yourself and life. There's no doubt about it that Aspies are complex. Kim addresses all facets of what makes us different head-on. From shutting down to contentment and peace, it's all covered in this eye-opening account of living with Asperger's. Insight and advice follow each section for a clear and concise plan to help in your everyday life. -- Anita Lesko, BSN,RN,MS,CRNA, internationally recognized Autism Advocate, author of Been There. Done That. Try This!, also published by Jessica Kingsley PublishersTable of ContentsDedication. Acknowledgments. 1. Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate. 2. Growing Up Undiagnosed. 3. Navigating the Social Communication Jungle. 4. A Complicated Relationship with Relationships. 5. Parenting Aspie Style. 6. Rigid and Routine. 7. Sensory Seeking and Sensitivities.8. The Autistic Body. 9. Exploring the Emotional Landscape. 10. Executive Function: The Brain's Control Center. 11. The Dark Side. 12. Redefining Myself. Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisEmma Kennedy is a bestselling author, TV writer, actress and presenter. She has written ten books including her bestselling memoirs, The Tent the Bucket and Me and I Left My Tent in San Francisco. She wrote the Wilma Tenderfoot series for children and has also adapted The Tent the Bucket and Me for the BBC, renamed The Kennedys. The Time of Our Lives is Emma's second adult novel.As an actress Emma has appeared in many award-winning comedies including Goodness Gracious Me, People Like Us and Miranda. Emma won Celebrity Masterchef in 2012 and is a Guinness World Record holder. Emma lives in Surrey with her wife and their dogs, and is hard at work on her next novel. You can follow her on Twitter @EmmaKennedy.Trade ReviewFrighteningly hilarious -- DAWN FRENCHAn invigorating, warm-hearted and often hysterial read ... Brilliant * Time Out *I love her writing -- JON RONSONOffers all you could ask for in terms of lovingly remembered period details, comical pratfalls and well-justified swearing * Daily Mail *Jaw achingly funny from cover to cover ... it will strike a chord with seasoned campers everywhere * Caravan, Motorhome and Camping Mart *

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Book SynopsisImmaculée Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family that she cherished.But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into bloody holocaust. Immaculée's family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans. Incredibly, Immaculée survived the slaughter. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them.The triumphant story of this remarkable young woman's journey through the darkness of genocide will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by fear, suffering and loss. Following the transformation of her life in the ten year's since Left to Tell's first publication, this new edition of her bestselling memoir reflects on her spiritual transformation since those dark days.Trade ReviewImmaculee's searing account of her ordeal and survival is a moving testament to the indestructibility of the human spirit. The Times To have witnessed such horror, to have endured such agony and to have survived intact is almost beyond comprehension. The Daily Telegraph Rwanda's answer to Anne Frank. Catholic Times

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEARFrom a trip to The Lightning Field in New Mexico, to chasing Gauguin's ghost in French Polynesia, White Sands is a creative exploration of why we travel. Episodic, wide-ranging and funny, Geoff Dyer blends travel writing, essay, criticism and fiction with a smart and cantankerous wit that is unmatched. From one of the most original writers in Britain, this is a book for armchair travellers and procrastinating philosophers everywhere.Trade ReviewBrilliant . . . Dyer's eyes miss nothing -- PETER CONRAD * * Observer * *An examination of some of the most fundamental questions of life . . . Inspiring and informing * * Guardian * *Even Chekhov might have envied Geoff Dyer's talent . . . Almost perfect -- JAN MORRIS * * Spectator * *[A] disregard for genre boundaries is a hallmark of his work, along with erudition, a brilliant use of language and irreverent humour . . . The nearest thing to White Sands in Dyer's back catalogue is Yoga for People Who Can't Be Bothered to Do It * * Daily Telegraph * *Surpassingly eloquent . . . there's no other writer quite like Dyer * * Time * *Illuminating . . . A collection unified by a focus on our impermanence. Why are we here? Dyer asks. With his customary elegance of thought, he sees that our attempts to transcend our situation through travel and art are motivated by our awareness of our final destination: "We are here to go somewhere else". -- LUKE BROWN * * Financial Times * *A national treasure -- ZADIE SMITHDyer's virtue is not the whole-hearted embrace of experience and exotic locales but the parsing of degrees of disappointment. He also doesn't pretend to be heading anywhere, but then White Sands turns into a memoir and becomes unexpectedly moving . . . Dyer's tone as he relates his frightening brush with tragedy is calm and full of curiosity, possibly as a result of eschewing drama for his entire life. -- JANE SMILEY * * Los Angeles Times * *White Sands isn't just a catalog of travel mishaps, with Mr. Dyer cast as an English-speaking Monsieur Hulot. It is also a rumination on the meanings we assign the strange destinations of our pilgrimages. * * New York Times * *Reading Dyer is akin to the sudden elation and optimism you feel when you make a new friend, someone as silly as you but cleverer too, in whose company you know you will travel through life more vagrantly, intensely, joyfully * * Daily Telegraph * *Geoff Dyer is a true original - one of those rare voices in contemporary literature that never ceases to surprise, disturb and delight -- William BoydQuite possibly the best living writer in Britain * * Daily Telegraph * *A collection of essays fusing travel writing and fiction . . . Dyer plays fast and loose with genre and category * * Telegraph * *The title essay, about picking up an ex-con hitchhiker on US Route 54 before passing a warning sign against doing exactly that, reads like a brilliant short story. It's electrifying - unlike the Northern Lights * * Tatler Magazine * *Cleverer, more self-deprecating and funnier in these essays, set all over the world and in his unique mind. Dyer's last travel book, Yoga for People Who Can't be Bothered to Do It, sold over 50,000 copies in the UK alone, and this is just as good: a travel title that asks not just where, but why, with Dyer's typical sardonic wit * * The Bookseller * *

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Book SynopsisThe first memoir from a woman born and raised in South Darfur. An incredibly powerful first-hand account of the horrors of the genocide.Trade ReviewThis is a brave book . . . [Halima] leaves us with hope and awe in the face of her courage. * Mia Farrow *`The genocide in Darfur has found its Anne Frank . . . TEARS OF THE DESERT is a searingly frank testimonial of a war crime that deserves all our attention.' * Tim Butcher, author of Blood River *vivid, poignant and brutally candid * Washington Post *A harrowing and beautifully written tale of a rich life, untold suffering and impossible hope told from the heart of a fellow African sister. * Mende Nazer, author of Slave and Freedom *This memoir helps keep the Darfur tragedy open as a wound not yet healed. * Elie Wiesel *A rare glimpse behind the statistics into the personal horror of Darfur. TV news too easily turns the whole nation into anonymous victims; Damien and Halima remind us they are people. * David Loyn, BBC Foreign Correspondent *Halima's story is fantastic and exhausting . . . I can see and hear and feel the people and places she describes. * Lisa Blaker, author of Heart of Darfur *Halima Bashir has bared her soul to help stop the bleeding of her people in Darfur. Attention must be paid. * John Prendergast, co-chair of the ENOUGH Project and co-author of Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond *

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Book Synopsis''The book is great: moving but also properly funny.'' Hadley Freeman, The Guardian''A memoir with an unusual sense of purpose. . . pithy, highly readable'' The TimesThe entire world knows Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, the teenage sidekick of Doc Brown in Back to the Future. His two previous bestselling memoirs, Lucky Man and Always Looking Up, dealt with how he came to terms with the illness, all the while exhibiting his iconic optimism. In No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality, Michael shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, ageing, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality. Thoughtful and moving, but with Fox''s trademark sense of humour, his book provides a vehicle for reflection about our lives, our loves, and our losses.Running through the narrative is thTrade Reviewthe book is great: moving but also properly funny (only Fox would take up golf after developing Parkinson's), and now that he has, to varying degrees, jettisoned the fig leaf of determined optimism, it gives the clearest description of life with Parkinson's I've ever read * Hadley Freeman, The Guardian *A heartfelt, unselfish book about never giving up. . . * Kirkus Reviews *No Time Like the Future is a memoir with an unusual sense of purpose. . . pithy, highly readable. . . Fox tells his story vividly with plenty of quips and self-deprecation * The Times *Funny and readable * GQ *In this moving, often funny memoir Michael J Fox reveals how he regained his sense of optimism, and reflects on age, family and living with a disability. * The Guardian *Fox's writing reflects his funny and upbeat approach to life * GQ *

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Book SynopsisA brilliant exploration of the human psyche, My Father's Glass Eye deepens our definitions of love, sanity, grief, and recovery.Trade Review'Hypnotic... a haunting exploration of perception, memory, and the complexities of grief. Vanasco brings to life the father she loved with an almost frightening force' New York Times Book Review'Brilliant... as the pages fly by, we’re right by Vanasco, breathlessly experiencing her grief, mania, revelations, and - ultimately - her relief' Entertainment Weekly'Wildly innovative' New York Magazine'Vanasco explores the intricacies of the human psyche with stunning poignancy' Newsweek'A powerful, haunting memoir... a journey that takes Vanasco into the dark depths of her family history, as well as her own psyche, and it shows in an incredibly intimate way the methods we use to cope with loss, disappointment, and grief, and how we can try and make our way out of the darkness and into a place of recovery' NYLON'Vanasco's candor, curiosity, and commitment to human understanding are not to be missed' Booklist, starred review'A deceptively spare life story that sneaks up and surprises you with its sudden fecundity and power' Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisRon Kovic went to Vietnam dreaming of being an American hero. What he found there changed him profoundly, even before the severe battlefield injury that left him paralysed from the waist down. He returned to an America indifferent to the realities of war and the fate of those who fought for their country. From his wheelchair he became one of the most visible and outspoken opponents of the Vietnam War.Born on the Fourth of July is a journey of self-discovery, a reckoning with the horrors of an unjust war, a testament to courage and a call to protest. A modern classic of anti-war writing, it inspired an Oscar-winning film, sold over one million copies and remains as powerful and relevant today as when it was first published.Trade ReviewClassic and timeless * * New York Times * *Read it and rejoice. Read it and weep -- BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

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Book SynopsisLetters to the Midwife is a wonderful collection of correspondence received by Jennifer Worth, offering a fascinating glimpse into a long-lost world.Along with readers' responses and personal histories, it is filled with all sorts of heart-warming gems. There are stories from other midwives, lorry drivers, even a seamstress, all with tales to tell.Containing previously unpublished material describing her time spent in Paris and some journal entries, this is also a portrait of Jennifer herself, complete with a moving introduction by her family about the woman they knew and loved.Trade ReviewFans of the four Call the Midwife books that inspired the TV series will treasure this collection of letters to and from the author, Jennifer Worth, who passed away in 2011. Her tales of life in 1950s East End London inspired others to share their experiences of nursing at the time, along with responses from people from all walks of life. Perhaps most moving are the notes from Sister Jocelyn (known as Sister Julienne in the books), offering words of wisdom. * WOMAN *Jennifer Worth, author of the bestselling Call the Midwife, sadly passed away in May 2011 following a short illness. Her books have gained a great deal of popularity in recent years with their mixture of warmth, sadness and humour based on her experiences working as a midwife in the East End of London. Letters to the Midwife features some of the treasured letters received by Worth from former work colleagues and fans of her books. The resulting book is a rich testament to a life lived fully and to a very special lady whose memories have managed to inspire and touch so many * www.thebookbag.co.uk *

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Book SynopsisIn 2010, Sarah Marquis embarked on a perilous journey: alone and on foot, she walked ten thousand miles across the Gobi Desert, from Siberia, through Thailand, to the Australian outback.Relying on hunting and her own wits, she traversed fever-haunted jungles and scorching deserts, braved harassment from drug dealers, the Mafia, and camp raids from thieves on horseback. Surviving dehydration, dengue fever delirium and crippling infection, Sarah experienced a raw and spiritual communion after three years of walking at the base of a tree in the plains of Australia.Through an inspirational journey, Wild by Nature explores what it is to adventure as a woman in the most dangerous of circumstances, and what it is to be truly alone in the wild.Trade ReviewAn inspiring read. * Women's Fitness *Destined to become a classic in the travel writing genre. The descriptions of time and place are just detailed enough to become animated with life, and the author's courage is inspiring. * Library Journal (starred review) *Straightforward and forthright, this is adventure writing as it was meant to be. * Booklist *A vibrant epic, this wondrous book is, at its core, a story of resilience. Marquis is industrious, and I recommend this book to all people seeking to discover the massive magnitude of their own potential power. A triumph! -- Aspen Matis, author of GIRL IN THE WOODSIf you need inspiration to get off the couch, do that bike ride, tackle that trek or just push yourself out of your comfort zone, this book is the one to read. * Vacations and Travel *Wild By Nature is an incredible record of adventure, human ingenuity, persistence and resilience that shows firsthand what it is to journey as a woman in some of the most dangerous and inhospitable regions on the planet. * The Westerner *Wild by Nature tells the gripping story of one of National Geographic's Adventurers of the Year... An inspiring read! * Women's Fitness *

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Book SynopsisThe hilarious second novel, and Sunday Times No 1 Bestseller, from author of the smash hit Why Mummy Drinks.Monday, 25 JulyThe first day of the holidays. I suppose it could've been worse. I brightly announced that perhaps it might be a lovely idea to go to a stately home and learn about some history. As soon as we got there I remembered why I don't use the flipping National Trust membership because National Trust properties are full of very precious and breakable items, and very precious and breakable items don't really mix with children, especially not small boys. Where I had envisaged childish faces glowing with wonder as they took in the treasures of our nation's illustrious past, we instead had me shouting Don't touch, DON'T TOUCH, FFS DON'T TOUCH! while stoutly shod pensioners tutted disapprovingly and drafted angry letters to the Daily Mail in their heads.How many more days of the holiday are there?Welcome to Mummy's worldThe Boy Child Peter is connected to his iPad by an umbiliTrade Review“God, she’s funny” – Jilly Cooper “Full of laugh-out-loud moments, it’s a must-read” – Hello Magazine “Honest and very funny – it’s a tale that mums will identify with” – The Sun “Reading Why Mummy Swears will be to some mummies just like having that 5pm snifter – it makes you feel that little bit better.” – Private Eye “Sim’s latest offering is a hilarious follow-up to her bestselling debut… you’d be forgiven for thinking the blogger behind Peter and Jane couldn’t pull it off twice – but she has” – The Sunday Post

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Book SynopsisThe explosive book from ex-MI5 surveillance officer Tom Marcus takes you on a non-stop, adrenalin-fuelled ride as he hunts down those who would do our country harm.'The brutal truth about the war against terror. Fast-paced and gripping.' - Ant Middleton, author of First Man In Tom spent years working covertly to stop those who want to do us harm. In his bestselling memoir Soldier Spy, he told how he was recruited and described some of his top-secret operations. In I Spy, he takes us deeper undercover as he puts his life on the line once more.I Spy plunges straight into the action as Tom and his team race to prevent terrorists from causing carnage on our streets and outsmart Russian agents, blocking a daring plot that threatens the security of the nation. Relying on their quick wits, training and courage, the extraordinary men and women of MI5 are under intense pressure every day.Not everyone is suited for the work, and Tom shows how the incredibly tough challenges he faced growing up gave him the mental strength and skills to survive in a dangerous world.Gritty and eye-opening, this is a unique insight into a hidden war and the sacrifices made by those who fight it. You will never take your safety for granted again.'One of the most successful MI5 undercover surveillance officers of his time.' - SunTrade ReviewOne of the most successful MI5 undercover surveillance officers of his time. * Sun *The brutal truth about the war against terror. Fast-paced and gripping. -- Ant MiddletonA massive operational insight into the war fought on our streets. -- Jason FoxSecret wars fought by heroes who seek no reward. A brilliant read written by a true legend. -- Ollie Ollerton

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Book SynopsisThe first title in the Minack Chronicles, which tell the story of how Derek and his wife Jeannie left behind their London home to establish a flower farm on the coast of Cornwall. From inauspicious beginnings, this book includes tales of the couple''s first animals, including Monty the ginger cat, and takes us through trials and tribulations until the arrival of a gull on the roof provides the first augury of better times to come.

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Book SynopsisUranus is the coldest planet in the solar system, a frozen giant named after a Greek deity. It is also the inspiration for Uranism, a concept coined by the writer Karl Heinrich Ulrichs in 1864 to define the 'third sex' and the rights of those who 'love differently'. Following in Ulrichs's footsteps, Paul B. Preciado dreams of an apartment on Uranus where he can live, free of the modern power taxonomies of race, gender, class or disability. In this bold and transgressive book, Preciado recounts his transformation from Beatriz into Paul B., and examines other processes of political, cultural and sexual transition, reflecting on socio-political issues including the rise of neo-fascism in Europe, the criminalization of migrants, the harassment of trans children, the technological appropriation of the uterus, and the role artists and museums might play in the writing of a new social contract. A stepchild of Michel Foucault and Judith Butler, Preciado argues, with courage and conviction, for a planetary revolution of all living beings against the norm.Trade Review‘Paul B. Preciado has the magic ability to fire off imperatives that don’t feel bossy, but rather incite us to join him in whatever crackling energy, urgent curiosity, and dynamic nomadism is flowing through him. Reading these chronological missives offers the real pleasure of Preciado’s company in time, and inspires us not just to stay with our trouble, but to greet it with unstoppable speech, complex solidarity, glitter, and defiance.’ — Maggie Nelson, author of The Argonauts‘An arresting, bold and moving book about crossing boundaries — of body, sex, nation, species and language — by an important dissident of dualism.’ — Amia Srinivasan, author of The Right to Sex‘Like all of us, it turns out, Preciado was born on Uranus and dragged down to earth against his will. The language of that fall from grace won’t get us home, but at least Preciado helps us imagine what might.’ — Kevin Brazil, ArtReview

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Book Synopsis** CONTAINS NEW MATERIAL ** THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTELLER & WINNER OF THE ATTITUDE BOOK AWARD 'Refreshing, inspiring and candid.' ATTITUDE 'I love this man so much. He was, and always will be, my knight in shining Westwood.' DAVINA MCCALL'This is a story that should never have been told' KATE MOSS'The perfect beach read' THE SUNDAY TIMES'If you want to change your life but can't.. I strongly advise you read this book' TRACEY EMINAs one of club culture's most notorious - and best loved - figures, Tony is a complete force of nature. Here he tells the most extraordinary stories of depravity and hedonism, of week-long benders and extreme self-destruction - and of recovery, redemption, friendship and the joy of a good tune.___________________________________________________________________________'Anyone can get a party started, but no one keeps it going like Fat Tony, the energy never dips andwhat a life he's lived.. He's a tosser but we still love him.' ELTON JOHN & DAVID FURNISH___________________________________________________________________________Harrowing, honest and funny, this is the candid and outrageous memoir of a life of extremes. It's a story of getting it all and losing it all. Addiction, recovery, and starting again. Drawing a vivid portrait of Britain's street culture from the 1980s to the noughties, DJ Fat Tony describes his childhood on a London estate where he honed his petty criminality, was abused by an older man and became best friends with Boy George. He spent his teenage years parading the Kings Road in his latest (mostly stolen) clobber, worked as a receptionist at a brothel, hung out with Leigh Bowery and Andy Warhol, and created his drag persona, before becoming DJ to the stars (including Prince and Madonna) and spiralling into a life-threatening drug addiction.This is a story of loss and redemption and living to tell all the tales in glorious, funny and often heart-breaking detail, from one of social media's best-loved meme-thieves and the world-renowned DJ.___________________________________________________________________________'There is nobody in London, let alone the world who has lived a more extraordinary life... his journey from villain to real life hero is one of the most beautiful examples of humanity I have ever witnessed. I wouldn't be without this c*nt.' KELLY OSBOURNE'Hearing Tony's story is brutal and shocking. He is nothing short of a miracle and his willingness to be of service to others seeking sobriety is testament to how far he has come from the days of pulling his own teeth out.' MARC JACOBS

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Book SynopsisThe heartwarming and hilarious part-memoir, part-guide from comedian and father-of-six Ashley Blaker, tackling parenting, adoption and raising children with special needs.We had such a variety of experts visiting our home, we really needed a revolving door. All these professionals would watch our son playing while shaking their heads and making tutting sounds, like builders considering a bad job you wanted them to fix. Tut tut tut. No speech, disordered social skills, sensory issues. This is going to cost you!!'Ashley Blaker has six children, three of whom have an SEN diagnosis. Between endless meetings, countless therapists, public humiliations, failed playdates, surreal monologues and occasional violence, it's certainly not what anyone would call a normal' household but would he want it any other way?Normal Schmormal is part-memoir, part how-to guide, highlighting the many challenges, as well as the hugely rewarding elements, of parenting children with additional needs. Written with

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Book SynopsisWith what this poor woman had been through the sight of her crying tore at my heartstrings. What if something should happen to her; who would care for her little baby? To conceal the fear and terror in my heart I left her, trying to put up a cheerful front. But no one could conceal from her the ominous import of the dark spots that had appeared on her chest.The Doctor of Hiroshima is the extraordinary true story of Dr Michihiko Hachiya, whose hospital was less than a mile from the centre of the atomic bomb that hit on that warm August day. In immense shock and pain, he and his wife Yaeko dragged themselves to the devastated hospital building and what colleagues they could find.In time, they begin to heal, and start to treat the impossible numbers of patients - a small girl covered in burns, an elderly man with pneumonia, a young boy and his little sister looking for their parents. They also began to investigate the strange unexplainable sy

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Book SynopsisThe Nutty IdyllFormer townies Giles and Mary swapped city life for rural Wiltshire over thirty years ago, and they''ve each embraced it in their own very different ways.Mary has happily traded sophisticated London salons for monthly lectures at the Farmers'' Club, competitive school quizzes, church interactions and local Auction House sales. While Giles has immersed himself in the catastrophic consequences of conventional farming, his organic no-dig veg-patch, the increasingly disproportionate response by local landlords to harmless trespassers and the strange death of the village house martins.For recent city escapees and indigenous country folk alike, Giles and Mary sift through the unhelpful dreamy myths and offer a practical reality, with robust back and forth on every aspect of life in rural outposts, including but not limited to planning wars, class wars, dog thefts, tree-felling fights, misunderstandings between incomers and natives and the role

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Book SynopsisGreg Marshall''s early years were pretty bizarre. Rewind the VHS tapes (this is the nineties) and you''ll see a lopsided teenager limping across a high school stage, or in a wheelchair after leg surgeries, pondering why he''s crushing on half of the Utah Jazz. Add to this home video footage a mom clacking away at her newspaper column between chemos, a dad with ALS, and a cast of foulmouthed siblings. Fast forward the tape and you''ll find Marshall happily settled into his life as a gay man only to discover he''s been living in another closet his whole life: he has cerebral palsy. Here, in the hot mess of it all, lies Greg Marshall''s wellspring of wit and wisdom.Leg is an extraordinarily funny and insightful memoir from a daring new voice. Packed with outrageous stories of a singular childhood, it is also a unique examination of what it means to transform when there are parts of yourself you can''t change, a moving portrait of a family in crisis, and a tale of resilie

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Book SynopsisA witty, relatable memoir that explores modern dating through the lens of our favourite romcoms.

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Book SynopsisIn 1909, while dreaming of the Himalaya, Norwegian mountaineer Alf Bonnevie Bryn and a fellow young climber, the Australian George Ingle Finch, set their sights on Corsica to build their experience. The events of this memorable trip form the basis of Bryn’s acclaimed book Tinder og banditter – ‘Peaks and Bandits’, with their boisterous exploits delighting Norwegian readers for generations. Newly translated by Bibbi Lee, this classic of Norwegian literature is available for the first time in English.Although Bryn would go on to become a respected mountaineer and author, and Finch would become regarded as one of the greatest mountaineers of all time – a legend of the 1922 Everest expedition – Peaks and Bandits captures them on the cusp of these achievements: simply two students taking advantage of their Easter holidays, their escapades driven by their passion for climbing. As they find themselves in unexpected and often strange places, Bryn’s sharp and jubilant narrative epitomises travel writing at its best.Balancing its wit with fascinating insight into life in early twentieth-century Corsica, the infectious enthusiasm of Bryn’s narrative has cemented it as one of Norway’s most treasured adventure books. Peaks and Bandits embodies the timeless joy of adventure.Table of ContentsPrelude in SwitzerlandPreparations, financing and provisioningInterlude in Italy Life on board A short review of Corsica’s history Bastia and Capo Corso Valle Tartagine and Capo al Dente Vacationing in Calacuccia The expedition to the mountains around Valle Calasima The village in Valle Nebbio Cinque Frati and Paglia Orba Bandits

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Book Synopsis''Beautifully judged account of the Manchester scene . . . There is something of the fairy tale about Dave Haslam''s sage joyful testament to the kind of life that nobody could ever plan, a happy aligning of a cultural moment and a young man who instinctively knew that it was his once upon a time'' Victoria Segal, Sunday Times''Witty, sometimes dark, revealing, insightful, everything one could hope for from one of those folk without whom independent music simply wouldn''t exist'' Classic RockSonic Youth Slept on My Floor is writer and DJ Dave Haslam''s wonderfully evocative memoir. It is a masterful insider account of the Hacienda, the rise of Madchester and birth of the rave era, and how music has sound-tracked a life and a generation.In the late 1970s Dave Haslam was a teenage John Peel listener and Joy Division fan, his face pressed against a ''window'', looking in at a world of music, books and ideas. Four decades later,Trade ReviewThe Hacienda DJ's beautifully judged account of the Manchester scene . . . There is something of the fairy tale about Dave Haslam's sage memoir of Manchester's cultural life during the 1980s and 1990s . . . Sonic Youth Slept on My Floor . . . is a joyful testament to the kind of life that nobody could ever plan, a happy aligning of a cultural moment and a young man who instinctively knew that it was his once upon a time -- Victoria Segal * Sunday Times *A natural storyteller . . . insightful and gripping . . . a full and warm-hearted memoir * The Skinny *Exhilarating . . . For fans of club culture, pop music, youthful exuberance and grown-up wisdom * Q magazine *Resonant and thoughtful . . . Manchester - and British nightlife in general - is lucky to have Haslam as its archivist * The Quietus *Vibrant * Irish Independent *The easy-read essential of the summer * DJ magazine *Wonderful -- Maria Balshaw * Observer *Book of the year * Gilles Peterson *So good . . . an incredible work * Black Madonna *Terrific stuff . . . looking back, looking forward and looking at the here and now * Ian Rankin *

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Book SynopsisFor readers of Leslie Jamison's The Empathy Exams, Melissa Febos' Girlhood, and Esme Weijun Wang's The Collected Schizophrenias, deeply personal essays seeking to understand head trauma through history, medicine, cultural criticism, interviews, and the individual and collective experience.

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Book SynopsisA savagely witty, warm and profound memoir by a young woman with a terminal illness, who contends with the terrifying fact that, even for her beloved husband and son, she is not the lynchpin of existence and life will go on.Trade ReviewKate Bowler's memoir is a meditation on sense-making when there's no sense to be made, on letting go when we can't hold on, and on being unafraid even when we're terrified. And it happens to be hilarious. Above all, though, this is a love letter to life, and it's gorgeous. -- Lucy Kalanithi, MD, FACP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine"I don’t remember why I opened Everything Happens for a Reason, but once I did, I fell hard and fast for Kate Bowler. Her writing is naked, elegant, and gripping—she’s like a Christian Joan Didion. Her spirit and perspective are so beautiful that halfway through- I closed the book, turned to my wife and said: ‘I have to call someone to find out how this ends. I need to know before I keep reading if she’s okay.’ I don’t think Kate wrote Everything Happens for a Reason to save anybody: she was just telling the truth about her life. Regardless, I left Kate’s story feeling more present, grateful, and a hell of a lot less alone. And what else is art for? Everything Happens for A Reason is art in its highest form—and Kate Bowler is a true artist—with the pen, and with her life." -- Glennon Doyle, author of the #1 NYT Bestseller Love Warrior and president of Together RisingThis is a beautifully-written, intelligent, soulful book. Kate’s story makes room for anger, for love, for faith and despair, for prayer and silence . . . necessary reading for all of us who long to walk faithfully and honestly through the darkest and most desolate of seasons. * Shauna Niequist, New York Times bestselling author of Present Over Perfect and Bread *Kate Bowler has stage 4 cancer and she faces it with courage and questions. Does everything happen for a reason? Is there a master plan? Kate comes to the simplest conclusion of all: "Life is beautiful. Life is hard." Accepting these two truths side-by-side can change the way we live . . . A book for all of us who have sought meaning in catastrophe and needed a way to live on. * Abigail Thomas, author of A Three Dog Life *The Kate you will come to know in this book is 100% real: honest, brave, holy, ridiculous, profane, hilarious, human - her fierce and beautiful words will make you . . . long for courage to tell the truth about your [own] life. * Amy K. Butler, Senior Minister, The Riverside Church *Throughout, the author delivers raw emotion, realistic description, and candid assessments… An inspiring story of finding faith—in God, in family, and in oneself—while walking close to the Valley of the Shadow of Death." * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book Synopsis'An inspirational memoir from an extraordinary woman . . . A humbling, jaw-dropping read' Viv Groskop'This book will change the way you think. Forever' CosmopolitanDr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton has been a firefighter for eighteen years. She decides which of her colleagues rush into a burning building and how they confront the blaze. She makes the call to evacuate if she believes the options have been exhausted or that the situation has escalated beyond hope.Taking us to the very heart of firefighting, she immerses us in this extraordinary world; from scenes of devastation and crisis, through triumphs of bravery, to the quieter moments when she questions herself. Revealing her own story for the very first time, she recounts her years spent sleeping rough and her passion for a career that allows her to rescue others as she was never rescued herself.This book is the result of everything she has learnt about how we respond in our most extreme moments.'This book challenges assumptions about who firefighters are, and about what women can do' The GuardianTrade ReviewAn inspirational memoir from an extraordinary woman. The Heat of the Moment does for the fire service what Adam Kay’s This Is Going to Hurt did for the NHS. A humbling, jaw-dropping read which redefines what is possible in life * Viv Groskop *Gripping, heart-stopping and profoundly reassuring. Thank heavens for such courage. * Sue Black, author of All That Remains *A vivid reminder of the horrors that firefighters face daily - and the debt of gratitude society owes them . . . This book challenges assumptions about who firefighters are, and about what women can do. * The Guardian *[One of] the wonder women of our emergency services * Glamour *An immersive insight into a job which few of us could do, by a woman whose award-winning research into decision-making in the emergency services has transformed policy at a global level. * Stylist *

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Book SynopsisThe Muslim Mother Teresa' Huffington PostWinner of the 2023 Templeton PrizeImprisonment. Mutilation. Persecution. Edna Adan Ismail endured it all for the women of Africa.A Woman of Firsts tells the inspirational story of a remarkable daughter, nurse and First Lady. The indomitable Edna Adan Ismail survived imprisonment, persecution, and civil war to become a pioneering politician, a leading light in the World Health Organisation, and a global campaigner for women's rights.The eldest child of an overworked doctor in the British Protectorate of Somaliland, Edna was the first midwife in Somaliland, she campaigned tirelessly for better healthcare for women and fought for women on a global stage as the first female Foreign Minister of her country. But mixing with presidents and princes, she still never forgot her roots and continued to deliver children and train midwives a role she has to this day.At 81 years old, she still runs what is hailed as the Horn of Africa's finest university hosTrade Review‘The remarkable story of an extraordinary woman. Her struggles, lessons and triumphs are an inspiration’ Kirsty Young, Desert Island Discs ‘The Muslim Mother Teresa’ The Huffington Post ‘An extraordinary story from an incredible woman. Edna has devoted her life to helping others throughout the world, and her moving story is an inspiration.’ Dr Amanda Brown, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Prison Doctor

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Book SynopsisMia is nineteen, too mentally ill and too often on drugs to keep a 'straight' job so she starts working at a massage parlour. She takes to sex work with recklessness, aplomb, and good humour.As she works her way through Sydney's many rub-and-tug joints, Mia, or Sasha as she is now known, meets women from every walk of life who choose sex work for myriad reasons. While negotiating the demands of her new job, she battles her problematic drug use, and the mental illness that has shaped her life. Rather than needing saving from sex work, it is the work that saves her from her many demons.This is a unique memoir, a story about a distinct period in a woman's life, a path taken on the way tomaking her what she is. It is shameless, painfully honest and with an ending that refuses to wrap up in a tidy bow.

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Book SynopsisA New Yorker staff writer, investigates his grandfather, a Nazi Party Chief, in this unflinching, gorgeously written, and deeply moving exploration of morality, family, and war Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Empire of PainThe book we need right now' Atul Gawande, author of Being MortalWhat do we owe the past? How to make peace with a dark family history? Burkhard Bilger hardly knew his grandfather growing up. His parents immigrated to Oklahoma from Germany after World War II, and though his mother was an historian, she rarely talked about her father or what he did during the war. Then one day a packet of letters arrived from Germany, yellowing with age, and a secret history began to unfold.Karl Gönner was a schoolteacher and Nazi party member from the Black Forest. In 1940, he was sent to a village in occupied France and tasked with turning its children into proper Germans. A fervent Nazi when the war began, he grew close to the villagers over the next four years, till he came to thinTrade Review EARLY PRAISE FOR FATHERLAND ‘Fatherland is the book that we need right now. Gripping, gorgeously written, and deeply humane, it’s both a moving personal history and a formidable piece of detective work. Bilger wrestles with one of the essential questions of our time: How can we make peace with our ancestors’ past?’ Atul Gawande, author of Being Mortal ’Burkhard Bilger has long been one of our great storytellers: an acute observer, an intrepid reporter, and a writer of unmatched grace. Now he has brought these gifts to his own family story, rummaging through the past to unearth long-kept secrets and to shed light on the nature of war and complicity. Fatherland is that rare book—a finely etched memoir with the powerful sweep of history’ David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon ‘An important and compelling investigation into one family’s dark and troubling history, grippingly told’ Thomas Harding, author of Hanns and Rudolf ‘Bilger’s atmospheric account probes the complex ethical ambiguities of wartime Alsace and his mother’s harrowing childhood experience of the defeat and devastation of Germany, conveying both narrative strands with a fine moral irony couched in prose that’s both psychologically shrewd and matter-of-fact’ Publishers Weekly, *starred review* ‘[A] powerful investigation of morality…a vivid portrait of [Bilger’s] grandfather and his times [and] a fascinating, deeply researched work of Holocaust-era history… A moving, humane biography’ Kirkus, *starred review*

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for Autobiography of the Year, Sports Book Awards 2022The Instant Sunday Times BestsellerHonest and moving everything a memoir should be' The SunAn illuminating look at what it takes to be an Olympian in this story, passion reigns supreme' CosmopolitanTom Daley captured the hearts of the nation with his unforgettable medal-winning performance in the London 2012 Olympics. At the games in Tokyo, he triumphed to win gold and became the most decorated British diver of all time.In this deeply personal book, Tom explores the experiences that have shaped him and the qualities to which he owes his contentment and success; from the resilience he developed competing at world-class level, to the courage he discovered while reclaiming the narrative around his sexuality, and the perspective that family life has brought him.Candid and perceptive, Coming Up for Air offers a unique insight into the life and mindset of one our greatest and most-loved athletes.

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Book SynopsisâGrippingâ VogueâEmpoweringâ CosmopolitanâJoyfulâ Financial TimesâEye-poppingâ Daily Mail When her 22-year-marriage suddenly ended, 47-year-old mother of three Laura expected life as she knew it to be over. What she hadnât expected:Trade Review‘Gripping’ Vogue ‘Empowering and funny’ Cosmopolitan ‘Joyful’ Financial Times ‘An eye-popping adventure’ Daily Mail ‘This memoir is a real page-turner. What happens when you start dating after 22 years of marriage? Unexpected, original, funny and sometimes deeply infuriating, Laura Friedman Williams has so much to say about what we expect of women’s sexuality. Confronting without being sleazy and intelligent without being preachy. I loved it’ Viv Groskop author of, How to Own the Room ‘AVAILABLE offers far more than just a wild romp through the Wild West of the post-marital dating world – though a wild romp it certainly is. Curling up with this memoir is like settling in for a night with a hilarious girlfriend, listening to her best sexual anecdotes. AVAILABLE is also a serious exploration of womanhood. Laura reminds us of the importance of regaining all the parts of who we are as women, despite how easy it is to become consumed by the mammoth roles of Mother and Wife. We aren't here solely to serve our families as domestic martyrs. We deserve to reawaken the parts of ourselves that often become dormant once we enter maternal roles. We deserve to live life to the fullest, embracing each facet of our identities, even (especially!) the parts society teaches us to shove aside when we become mothers’ Caroline Mackenzie, author of One Year of Ugly

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Book SynopsisWhen foster carer, Cathy Glass, is asked to foster Darcy-May, a two-day old baby, she is very concerned.The baby is coming to her straight from hospital and will have no contact with her teenage mother, Haylea. Even more worrying, she will be brought to Cathy with a police escort as it's vital her extended family don't know where she is.Abandoned at birth, Cathy and her family quickly bond with little Darcy-May although they have to accept she will eventually leave them to be adopted. But fostering is rarely straight forward, and when Haylea asks to see her baby a different story begins to emerge. It's so alarming that even Cathy, a highly experienced foster carer, struggles.

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Book SynopsisOn the pitch he was a magician' Arsène WengerThe first full autobiography from former footballer and England manager Glenn HoddleGlenn Hoddle was one of the most celebrated footballers of his generation. A wonderfully talented No. 10 he formed part of the great Spurs teams of the early 1980s and cut his teeth in the blood and thunder of an England team that prioritised aggression over creativity.Often seen as a player out of time', Glenn was a playmaker in the purest sense. A creator and a goal scorer, he rose through the Tottenham youth academy playing under Keith Burkinshaw and crossing paths with the likes of club legends Bill Nicholson and Danny Blanchflower before going on to play in Monaco under the tutelage of Arsène Wenger. In Playmaker, he looks back on his rise as a prodigious young footballer and talks at length about his career that took him from cleaning the cockerel at White Hart Lane to managing the England football team at a World Cup.From scoring in an FA Cup finalTrade Review‘On the pitch he was a magician’ Arsène Wenger 'Hoddle? No, it’s the bad players who are a luxury' Danny Blanchflower ‘It takes great courage to play the way Hoddle does’ Brian Clough

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Book SynopsisHow far would you go to discover your destiny? It's the cusp of Natasha Sizlo's forty-fourth birthday. Still reelingfrom her disastrous divorce, she's navigating life as a single mum alongside a cutthroat career in LA real estate. In the meantime, her ex-husband is dating a Hollywood star and she's just broken it off with her handsome but non-committal French boyfriend. Just when it seems things can't get worse, her beloved father is given months to live.So when she's gifted a session with an astrologist, Natasha though a sceptic figures she has nothing to lose. The reading is so eerily accurate that Natasha asks about her ex-boyfriend, the Frenchman she can't get over. To her surprise, the astrologist tells her that he is perfect for her. His birthday and birthplace 2 November 1968 in Paris line up with her astrological point of destiny.Natasha is distraught. Panicked, even. Is he really The One?Then she has a lightning bolt of an idea: her ex isn't the only man born on 2 November Trade Review“Like the best romcoms, All Signs Point to Paris isn’t only about finding true love: it’s also about finding (or rediscovering) your true self. And this funny, open-hearted page-turner of a memoir is a beautiful testament to the ways that astrology can guide our search—in ways that are sometimes unpredictable, often magical, and always deeply, wonderfully human.” – Claire Comstock-Gay, author of Madame Clairevoyant's Guide to the Stars "All Signs Point to Paris is a memoir that reads like a delicious rom-com while seriously questioning how we find love and how we let it go. You can’t help but root for Natasha from page one—this is a story for any woman who needs a fresh start and a second chance at life and love.” —Jo Piazza, author of We Are Not Like Them, Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win, The Knockoff and How to Be Married “There’s nothing more affirming than a true romance. This one brims with magic and wit and ultimately satisfies in the most unexpected way. An absolute page-turner and joy to read!” — Jane Green, New York Times bestselling author of Sister Stardust and The Beach House “A hilarious, heartbreaking, and hopeful memoir” – People Magazine

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Book SynopsisA family with a dark secret.A child who refuses to speak.Rosie must help her before it's too late.Nine-year-old Caitlin has a secret, but she cannot tell anyone about it. When her mother is sectioned under the Mental Health Act she and her three siblings have to go and live with her grandmother Julie and grandad Ryan.Caitlin finds her new living conditions challenging: cat poo on the carpet, rubbish everywhere and the constant stare of her grandad she retreats more and more into herself.When foster carer Rosie Lewis meets Caitlin she knows something is deeply wrong with this little girl, who is withdrawn, afraid and refuses to speak. Rosie decides to take her in, but Caitlin's silence continues, and Rosie knows she must act.Why is Caitlin so afraid to speak?Could it be that the family has a dark secret?One that is so shocking it can no longer be hidden?Trade Review‘In Silenced Rosie Lewis has drafted a map of the human spirit. Rosie, a talented and empathic foster carer, acts as our guide, taking us from the depths of despair to the peaks of happiness as she tells the story of a remarkable little girl named Caitlin: how Rosie found her in awful circumstances and led her out of the darkness. Told with an innate understanding of child psychology and written with consummate skill, Silenced is a unique testament to the strength and resilience of children, and a reminder that love can save lives.’ – Shane Dunphy, childcare expert and bestselling author of Wednesday's Child.

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Book SynopsisWhat if every day was like Sunday?Closed shops and roast dinners. Bulky newspapers and the hum of lawnmowers. Strolls to nowhere in particular and visiting snoozing grandparents. Television theme tunes cueing bath time and a sudden dread of the looming week aheadThrough an assortment of rituals and activities, Sundays came to be the unique day in our week whether tedious, pleasant or somewhere in-between. But how did they change over time? Has anything interesting ever happened on a Sunday? Have we forgotten how to do Sunday? And, in our rushed modern lives, should we now try to recapture that distinctive, unhurried Sunday feel?Offering answers to those questions and more through a mix of travelogue and social history, A Month of Sundays entertainingly charts the story of what author Daniel Gray argues is the People's Day. Told through Sundays whiled away in places from the Hebrides to Hyde Park via Sunderland, Scarborough, Liverpool and beyond Gray's latest book is a charming journ

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Book SynopsisYou are Black; you are female, Leslie Jones'' father once said. But if you work harder and you''re better than everybody else, they can''t f*cking deny you.Leslie Jones is a warrior. Raised by a tough dad and a loving but often sick mom, her father''s military career meant she bounced around as a kidfighting off bullies because she was tall and loud, sticking up for her troubled kid brother, and generally causing mayhem wherever she went. In the end the family settled in Lynwood, Los Angeles, where in high school she was a star basketball player, heavily recruited for what everyone thought would be a stellar college career.Then, one day in college, she discovered comedy instead, and everything changed. Eventually hitting the road as a working comedian, and holding down regular jobs to fund her dreams, she found herself fighting prejudice, tough crowds, stupid bosses, and people who thought a Black woman could never be funny enough. But she proved herself time and again to be undeniably

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Book SynopsisAN NPR BOOK-OF-THE-DAY • A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY STAFF PICK • A NYLON MUST-READ • A FORTUNE NEW BOOK TO READ IN AUGUST“And, at the center of it all, am I actually nice or am I just performing a role I think I’m expected to play?” Mia Mercado is a razor-sharp cultural critic and essayist known for her witty and hilarious dissections of the uncomfortable truths that rule our lives. In this thought-provoking collection of new essays, Mercado examines what it means to be “polite,” “agreeable,” and “nice.” She covers topics from the subtleties of the “Bad Bitch” and why women dominate the ASMR market, to what makes her dog an adorable little freak and how you know if you’re shy. This is a book about the unspoken trick mirror of our “good” intentions: the inherent performance of the social media apology, celebrating men when they do the bare minimum, and why we trust a Midwesterner to watch our stuff when we go pee.Throughout, she ponders her identity as an Asian woman and asks what “nice” even means—and why anyone would want to be it. With writing that is as precise as it is profound, and cultural references that range from trash reality television to the New York Times Sunday-morning crossword puzzle, Mercado uncovers weird, long-overdue truths about our frailties and failings. In the end, she sees them not as a source of shame but as a cause for celebration. Filled with revelations that range from the silly to the serious,She’s Nice Though offers a mind-bending glimpse into the illusions and delusions of contemporary life—and reveals who we *really* are when no one is watching.Trade Review"A sharp essay collection that celebrates our collective insecurities and failures." — New York Times Book Review "In these intimate and sharp explorations, Mercado interrogates the origins and edges of her own affability, probing the ways in which gender, race, geography, and other identity markers can shape—or warp—human personality." — Poets & Writers "She’s Nice Though is the latest showcase of Mercado’s searing humor and insight. In her new book, she explores the limitations of being nice and polite. Delving into the cultural expectations of shallow pleasantries, Mercado wonders if there is actual value in being endlessly accommodating and polite. In humorous, relatable essays, Mercado explores this moral conundrum along with participating in the bread craze during the peak of the pandemic, her unique dog, what it’s like to be an Asian American woman living in the Midwest, the less than impressive “social media apology,” and more. " — Shondaland “In this hilarious collection, Mercado explores the concept of what it’s like to be a “nice girl.” She plays with form, including essays written as lists: [e.g.] ways she’ll die because she’s too nice to ask for help. Mercado is half Filipino, and she examines the stereotype of the submissive Asian woman and how that has influenced her life. Mercado’s laugh-out-loud [stories] will delight readers.” — Booklist “Mercado returns with another collection of humorous essays exploring her experience as an Asian woman from the Midwest. . . . Mercado maintains her self-deprecating humor while offering serious reflections on American culture, and the mix hits home. Mercado’s fans will eat this up.” — Publishers Weekly “Mia Mercado's writing is hilarious, warm, relatable, confessional and emotional. Her writing leaps off the page!” — Megan Amram, writer/producer of The Good Place and The Simpsons “A millennial humorist takes on timely topics. . . . An often amusing romp through contemporary issues by a popular humorist.” — Kirkus Reviews "This is a truly funny book...She's Nice Though skewers the full range of definitions—and expectations—of behaving well." — Vanity Fair

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewSimultaneously nostalgic and eye-opening in its novelty, Mayumu is the perfect example of what makes the modern Filipino American food movement so exciting. By building on the basics of both American and Filipino desserts, Abi shows us how refreshing and fun it can be to loosen the boundaries of tradition and let the two schools mingle a little more. — Bettina Makalintal, food writer at Eater Every recipe and every story in Mayumu bursts off the page with joy, love, ingenuity, and personality. Abi’s work is vibrant, eclectic, comforting, funny, deeply moving, and, to me, feels like a uniquely perfect articulation of the intricacies, depths, and jubilations of being Asian American. Mayumu is a celebration of what it means to be human and alive today. I absolutely adore this book. — Jonny Sun, New York Times bestselling author of Goodbye, Again As a Filipino-American baker, I’ve very much longed for the representation in the culinary world that is Mayumu. Abi's recipes are a creative blend of Filipino and American flavors and treats, marrying the best of both worlds. — Michelle Lopez, blogger at Hummingbird High and author of Weeknight Baking

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMarnell recounts parties and drugs and sex in writing that mirrors the experience of being on drugs – sometimes fizzing ... and, just as often, cold and blunt and brutal * Guardian *A marvel of a book...Through the highs, lows and lols, the self-loathing, self-tan and self-medicating, How to Murder Your Life is possibly the best book ever written by a recovering drug addict about the beauty industry. * i-D (Vice) *Marnell is a great storyteller. Funny, with the clever hustler’s knack for an energetically spun tall tale, she has an upbeat tone that hardly falters, even when she recounts the most harrowing episodes of her life. * The New Yorker *[Marnell] writes about her life with a candor and self-awareness that is unexpected...I read this book in two wide-eyed sittings, cringing and laughing the whole way through. * BuzzFeed *The book is as compelling — and as problematic — as her magazine writing: vivid, maddening, heartbreaking, very funny, chaotic and repetitive, as benders are. * New York Times *If you're captivated by the irresistible trio of beauty, success, and addiction, surrender to Cat Marnell's How to Murder Your Life. The xoJane columnist dishes on her previous wild-child ways, from shoplifting to party hopping to spiritual groveling, to finding a measure of humor and grace. * Elle *[Marnell's] memoir brims with all the intoxicating intrigue of a thriller and yet all the sobering pathos of a gifted writer's true-life journey to recover her former health, happiness, ambitions and identity. * Harper's Bazaar *Fantastically entertaining. * Glamour *A gifted memoirist ... [She displays] a willingness to tell unflattering truths about herself that reminded me of Elizabeth Wurtzel, author of Prozac Nation * New York Times Magazine *Challenging ... captivating and controversial * The Atlantic Wire *Marnell is arguably the Internet’s most divisive writer ... reading about a drug addict’s life while she’s an active addict, especially in real time, is fascinating and a little bit scary * The Daily Beast *With her divisive mix of ego, honesty, sordidness and humor, Ms. Marnell is becoming the latest online lightning rod * Wall Street Journal *Jaw-dropping. * New York Post *

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Book SynopsisAs Alastair Campbell said in the introduction to The Blair Years, it was always his intention to publish the full version, covering his time as spokesman and chief strategist to Tony Blair. Prelude to Power is the first of four volumes, and covers the early days of New Labour, culminating in their victory at the polls in 1997.Volume 1 details the extraordinary tensions between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as they resolved the question as to which one should stand to become Labour leader. It shows that right from the start, relations at the top were prone to enormous strain, suspicions and accusations of betrayal. Yet it also shows the political and personal bonds that tied them together, and which made them one of the most feared and respected electoral machines anywhere in the world. A story of politics in the raw, Prelude to Power is above all an intimate, detailed portrait of the people who have done so much to shape modern history.Trade ReviewCampbell is a compelling diarist ... The Campbell Diaries provide the fullest insider account so far of new Labour's ascent to power * The Times *Hugely gripping . . . all of human life is here. It makes The Thick of It look tame. And sane * Sunday Times *Campbell's world is the brutal, angry, hard-driven, jokey, football-crazed and intensely male world of tabloid journalism. He is a fluent and industrious reporter, with amazing stamina * The Telegraph *There are plenty of nuggets here that are fascinating, some passages that make you wince and others that are gripping. It has historical value * Observer *Campbell is a fluent and industrious reporter, with amazing stamina * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisEveryone knows that Jeremy Clarkson finds the world a perplexing place - after all, he wrote a bestselling book about it. Yet despite the appearance of The World According To Clarkson, things don''t seem to have improved much. However, Jeremy is not someone to give up easily and he''s decided to have another go. In And Another Thing, our exasperated hero discovers that: He inadvertently dropped a bomb on North CarolinaWe''re all going to explode at the age of 62Russians look bad in Speedos. But not as bad as we do.No one should have to worry about being Bill Oddie''s long lost sisterHe should probably be nicer about David BeckhamThigh-slappingly funny and - as ever - in your face, Jeremy Clarkson bursts the pointless little bubbles of the idiots while celebrating the special, the unique and the sheer bloody brilliant ...Trade ReviewPraise for Clarkson * - *Brilliant...laugh-out-loud * Daily Telegraph *Very funny...I cracked up laughing on the tube * Evening Standard *Outrageously funny...will have you in stitches * Time Out *

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Book Synopsis''Deliciously tactile and meditative . . . to read this is to luxuriate in the land, and to connect to it and oneself'' Bernardine Evaristo What fills my lungs is wider than breath could be. It is a place and a language torn, matted and melded; flowered and chiming with bones. That breath is that place and until I get there I will not really be breathing.Spurred on by her father''s declining health and inspired by the history he once wrote of his small Devon village, Elizabeth-Jane Burnett delves through layers of memory, language and natural history to tell a powerful story of how the land shapes us and speaks to us. The Grassling is a book about roots: what it means to belong when the soil beneath our feet is constantly shifting, when the people and places that nurtured us are slipping away.Trade ReviewBurnett manages the delicate feat of maintaining our sense of reverence for the nebulous Anglo-Saxon romanticism..., but twins it with astute scientific nous which never strays into the esoteric. She does this with such joy that we cannot help but want to join in... a heartening read. * The Quietus *With a blend of poetry, memoir and a uniquely experimental, sensory style of nature writing, The Grassling celebrates the lusciousness of both land and language ... Ideas that might in a lesser writer have seemed whimsical are grounded by the rich layers of Burnett's prose. -- Clare Saxby * TLS *A poetic, lyrical tribute to the earth beneath our feet . . . Burnett is one of the freshest voices in the current crop of nature writers -- Ben Hoare * Countryfile *This astonishingly beautiful ode to the sights, sounds and smells of the countryside . . . [evokes] a richly immersive sense of the natural world and our place within it. * Country Living *

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