Memoirs Books
Penguin Books Ltd Good Hair
Book SynopsisA celebration of the unique beauty of Black hair, this book is packed with expert advice, top maintenance tips!''Legendary'' Zadie Smith''Charlotte is not only the most influential expert on black hair, but an inspiring entrepreneur whose Notting Hill salon is part beauty destination, part cultural hub with its cross-section of powerful, dynamic clients'' Kenya Hunt, Fashion Editor at Grazia___________________Featuring case studies of clients who came to her looking for a hair fix, Good Hair dispels common hair myths and give you the knowledge and tools to attain good hair health. Charlotte''s expertise is second-to-none and her advice acts as a corrective to the conflicting and misguided advice that can be found online.Packed with expert advice, nourishing recipes and top maintenance tips, Good Hair is a celebration of the unique beauty of Black hair. It is the ultimate guide on how to: Identify aTrade ReviewCharlotte Mensah is a legendary Black British hairdresser ... You go to Charlotte to get your hair celebrated and cared for, oiled beautifully, braided perfectly, cut sublimely, styled to perfection ... Charlotte makes it all a pleasure * ZADIE SMITH *The city's most influential expert on black hair ... an inspiring entrepreneur ... Charlotte is the woman I turn to for guidance on healthy hair maintenance * KENYA HUNT, fashion director, Grazia *Charlotte is the only person I trust with my hair * Reni Eddo-Lodge, author of Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race *When it comes to afro hair, Charlotte's expertise remains unmatched. She is one of the most important voices in the haircare industry, period * Yomi Adegoke, co-author of Slay in Your Lane *Charlotte's talent and what she has achieved in the hair industry is nothing short of incredible. This book is not just a brilliant insight into exactly how she became such a powerhouse, it is also an excellent guide to everything you need to know about black hair * Funmi Fetto, author of Palette and contributing editor at British Vogue *My first visit to Charlotte's salon was a life-changing experience. She is an absolute guru when it comes to Afro hair - how wonderful that now everyone can have a bit of her expertise in the form of this wonderful book * Otegha Uwagba, author of Little Black Book *Charlotte's life story is one that will inspire anybody that has ever been told no, anybody who has even been knocked down and somehow found their way back up, but most of all it will empower and uplift anyone with a dream and show them that dreams do come true * June Sarpong *'It's an absolute godsend and the package is just stunning' * Good Housekeeping *Includes all of Charlotte's know how and insider tricks into a book, (this is the) ultimate go to guide on how to care for this type of hair * Hello Magazine *A long overdue bible on textured and curly hair (...) Good Hair begins with the history and sacredness of the afro hairstyle, the part it played in the Black Power Movement and Mensah's own story' * Psychologies Magazine *
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd Requiem
Book Synopsis''A funny, sad novella about how we got here from there, and how, in our youth, our eyes saw things differently'' The TimesA private meeting, chance encounters and a mysterious tour of Lisbon haunt this moving homage to Tabucchi''s adopted cityIn the city of Lisbon, Requiem''s narrator has an appointment to meet someone on a quay by the Tagus at twelve. Misunderstanding twelve to mean noon as opposed to midnight, he is left to wait. As the day unfolds he has many unexpected encounters - with a young drug addict, a disorientated taxi driver, a cemetery keeper, the mysterious Isabel and the ghost of the late great poet Fernando Pessoa - each meeting travelling between the real and illusionary. Part travelogue, part autobiography, part fiction, Requiem becomes an homage to a country and its people, and a farewell to the past as the narrator lays claim to a literary forebear who, like himself, is an evasive and many-sided personality.Trade ReviewTabucchi is a master of illusion and allusion, and this is a literary puzzle that teases, amuses and provokes * Sunday Telegraph *A funny, sad novella about how we got here from there, and how, in our youth, "our eyes saw things differently" . . . a light summer read with enough weight to stop it blowing away -- John Self * The Times *Reading this is like having a buzzed after-dinner conversation with a mind too brilliant to get into nuts and bolts. And yet the streamlike writing, spliced by endless commas, contains a charm that shines through the monochrome * Kirkus Reviews *Beautifully translated ... perhaps his most accessible work to date * The Nation *In the narrator's conversations and in his memories of the past, there is created a personal requiem for the old Lisbon, Tabucchi's Lisbon, not the traditional, solemn celebration of the mass for the dead, with its organ music and cathedrals, but the street music of mouth-organs and barrel-organs -- Jack Byrne * Review of Contemporary Fiction *Elegant, cosmopolitan, inventive and disquieting; his writing is, paradoxically, sensuous and economical * Boston Review *This imagined world is created with elegance and complexity -- Robert Gray * Publishers Marketplace *Tabucchi's books are economical surreal-comic novellas. There's a cosmopolitan eeriness here -- Amit Chaudhuri * Times Literary Supplement *Winner of the 1991 Italian PEN Prize, this playful bagatelle translated from the original Portuguese, is partly homage to Portuguese culture, partly a mellow autobiographical fantasy * Publishers Weekly *A wonderful, enchanting tribute to the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa ... aptly subtitled, this book brilliantly creates a story that, like a delicious cocktail, most readers will finish in one gulp and will return to savor * Library Journal *
£9.25
Penguin Books Ltd The Lyrics
Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARWinner of Non-Fiction Book of the Year, British Book Awards (Nibbies), 2022A self-portrait in 154 songs, by our greatest living songwriter''More often than I can count, I''ve been asked if I would write an autobiography, but the time has never been right. The one thing I''ve always managed to do, whether at home or on the road, is to write new songs. I know that some people, when they get to a certain age, like to go to a diary to recall day-to-day events from the past, but I have no such notebooks. What I do have are my songs, hundreds of them, which I''ve learned serve much the same purpose. And these songs span my entire life.''In this extraordinary book, with unparalleled candour, Paul McCartney recounts his life and art through the prism of 154 songs from all stages of his career - from his earliest boyhood compositions through the legendary decade of The Beatles, to Wings and his solo albums to the present. Arranged alphabetically to provide a kaleidoscopic rather than chronological account, it establishes definitive texts of the songs'' lyrics for the first time and describes the circumstances in which they were written, the people and places that inspired them, and what he thinks of them now. Presented with this is a treasure trove of material from McCartney''s personal archive - drafts, letters, photographs - never seen before, which make this also a unique visual record of one of the greatest songwriters of all time.We learn intimately about the man, the creative process, the working out of melodies, the moments of inspiration. The voice and personality of Paul McCartney sings off every page. There has never been a book about a great musician like it.Each volume is 480 pp, not available separatelyTrade ReviewThe Lyrics is a triumph. It is hugely readable, devoid of rock cliché, and full of fresh stories and opinions that even devoted fans won't have encountered before. The pictures of McCartney and of handwritten lyrics, many of them never previously published, are worth the entry ticket on their own and the quality of the boxed product makes it a tactile pleasure and fun to possess. All that, and its highly original organisation, means you never get bogged down in a period of his life you don't find interesting ... The Lyrics is McCartney at his best. -- Daniel Finkelstein * The Times *I know it all... or so I thought until I read Paul McCartney's magical treasure trove of a book ... Touching... bountiful -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *His composing methodology is revealed as a kind of innocent and endless curiosity ... this mighty tome is billed as the closest thing to an autobiography McCartney will ever write. It comprises 154 songs, with hundreds of fascinating photos and handwritten lyrics from McCartney's collection, and an informal, thoughtful text assembled from conversations conducted with acclaimed Irish poet Paul Muldoon ... McCartney is a playful and brilliant wordsmith ... His book of lyrics is charming -- Neil McCormick * Daily Telegraph *Reading "The Lyrics" is like standing in a master chef's kitchen as he prepares a dish, adding a dash of this and a spoonful of that and talking to us so winningly ... there's nothing like listening to Macca (as McCartney was known in his Liverpool days) talk about the rise of a band composed largely of working-class teens who changed the world forever ... charming -- David Kirby * Washington Post *With a gravity, reverence and sense of occasion that hasn't been seen since the Levites rolled out the Ark of the Covenant, the complete lyrics of Paul McCartney are published at last ... This vast, absorbing book is studded with McCartneyisms that make you rub your eyes -- John Walsh * Sunday Times *Describing it as a book doesn't quite capture the object. It is two books, two separate volumes, in a gorgeous box. It weighs 8kg on my bathroom scales. It's a big thing of great beauty, and going back and forth through it is a hugely satisfying experience ... no matter where you start, or continue, McCartney seems to be waiting, ready to continue his warm, vivid, erudite stroll through his life and lyrics ... the life - McCartney's - seems more believable when examined in these glimpses. There is a modesty hiding in the book's bulk, and raw, gentle honesty ... There are 154 sets of lyrics in this book, and it's almost impossible to read most of them without hearing the melodies and trumpet bits. But it is well worth trying. Read, not heard, Lady Madonna is a different experience. I read it and thought of Zola's best novels. -- Roddy Doyle * Irish Times *he provides a fascinating new insight into his life at the time they were written, and the lives of his fellow Beatles ... This, then, is a book for dipping into and sampling at leisure. It allows us to see some of the most familiar songs ever written in new and surprising ways ... [it] will not only thrill Beatles obsessives but fascinate anyone who has ever sung along to a Lennon and McCartney tune. Which must, surely, include half the world or more. -- Christopher Stevens * Daily Mail *a feast for the eyes. Dyed-in-the-wool Beatles fans will be bowled over by the sheer profundity of unpublished photographs, previously unseen lyrics sheets, journal entries, paintings, and the like. Indeed, The Lyrics easily represents the finest collection of illustrations associated with McCartney's life and work. And it's beautifully rendered, to boot. Drop-dead gorgeous as books go -- Kenneth Womack * Salon *the two things it reveals - an unrelenting work ethic and the picture-painting imperative of the storyteller - are the twin pillars of his life's work, as revealed here in random reflections on 154 selected songs spanning 64 years ... it's this up-front abdication of control, of responsibility and ultimately of authorial meaning that makes McCartney's story, and his open-handed attitude to a monumental body of work, so engaging. -- Michael Dwyer * Sydney Morning Herald *Nothing comes close to Paul McCartney's breezeblock of a title ... Combine this monumental lyrics collection with Peter Jackson's Get Back and many Beatles fans won't come out again until the clocks go forward. Paul McCartney says this is as close as he will get to an autobiography and no wonder - his life is in every line of these songs. Each alphabetical entry (a smart arrangement that opens up a trove of lesser known McCartney lore) is not only accompanied by a wealth of wonderful photographs and memorabilia (the lyrics to Carry That Weight on Apple notepaper!), but also McCartney's own recollections and analysis. "Mostly, we were writing to the world," McCartney says about I Want to Hold Your Hand. The Lyrics makes it a pure joy to reach out for these songs once again. -- Victoria Segal * The Sunday Times Book of the Year *a rich, enjoyable and beautifully presented treat -- John Aizlewood * i Newspaper *To read over the words to these 154 songs is to be impressed not merely with McCartney's productivity but with the fertility of his imagination and the potency of his offhand, unfussy style ... giddy playfulness and unguarded experimentation. They're a joy to read because they exude the joy their maker took in their making. -- David Hajdu * The New York Times *The text is accompanied by beautifully reproduced illustrations, including personal snapshots, formal portraits and memorabilia. The result is a hybrid of collected lyrics, memoir and picture book, a composite form resembling the all-round character of McCartney's musicality ... The Lyrics is a rewarding portrait of an exceptional songwriter. -- Ludovic Hunter-Tilney * Financial Times *From All My Loving to Your Mother Should Know, the former Beatle illuminates a life spent puzzling how to get from the beginning of a song to its end -- David Hepworth * Observer *Paul McCartney's storied career has been a long and winding road paved with songwriting gold. Thankfully, these fab volumes do it justice -- The Sunengrossing ... reading it is like watching genius - which McCartney undoubtedly was and fitfully remains - in the process of creation, summoning something out of nothing -- David Honigmann * Spectator *The Lyrics is stunningly beautiful and a masterpiece of book design, a true joy for bibliophiles. Paul McCartney has fashioned, through the explorations of his songs with the poet Paul Muldoon, a fascinating insight into his life and creative genius. The booksellers of Waterstones are proud to celebrate this magnificent and deeply original book. -- James Daunt, WaterstonesThis lavishly produced two-volume boxed-set, which took five years to compile, is destined to be under many Christmas trees. -- Roger Lewis * Daily Mail *The Beatles used to chuck lyric sheets in the wastebasket after recording a song: Linda McCartney fished them out and saved them. The Lyrics is the deluxe version of her scrapbook, a ... handsome, two-volume compendium of Paul McCartney's work as a lyricist, accompanied by photos and Macca's engaging reminiscences. -- Ludovic Hunter-Tilney * Financial Times, Best books of 2021 *Paul McCartney never wrote an autobiography. He argued that his remarkable life story is "all in the songs" - the hundreds upon hundreds of timeless, instantly engrossing classics that have become the soundtrack to Western culture. One hundred and fifty-four of these musical gems are gathered in The Lyrics - a gripping commentary on the inspiration for the tunes, their making and the characters they portray. ... McCartney's commentary throughout feels candid, enlightening and at times philosophical. His insight into the makeup and meaning of the lyrics is illuminating and entertaining, adding layers of depth to the already rich texture. -- Hannah Gal * The Critic *Sir Paul has arranged 154 favourite compositions alphabetically, with lots of glossy photos. But in the essays that accompany each song, his underlying purpose is to affirm his status as a writer ... what fan will not enjoy a meander that feels like a long private audience with one of the Fab Four? * Economist *Paul McCartney's delicious The Lyrics is a treasure trove. Gloriously illustrated with old snaps, posters with the Beatles' bottom-of-the-bill, handwritten set lists, lyrics on scraps and exhausting tour lists criss-crossing Britain. -- Celia Imrie * Waitrose Weekend *The Lyrics is sumptuously made to a standard associated with high-end art publishers. It is lovely to hold and to touch and to look at. There are countless beautifully reproduced photographs, of McCartney - who in his younger years ravished the lens - his mother, father, brother and aunties, his wives, his children, his friends and notable collaborators. Many of the pictures are published for the first time. There are also handwritten lyric sheets festooned with doodles, scribbled diary entries, gig posters, newspaper reports, pictures of first pressings ... This book is ... more like an autobiography, done McCartney's way. Rather than publish a conventional life story, he has opted to tell this life through songs and pictures ... His eloquence is found in his art: next to the splendour of the songs ... The book showcases McCartney's lyrics ... the songs make up a larger canvas, or mosaic, that the artist himself is only now stepping back to contemplate. -- Ian Leslie * New Statesman *Stating in the introduction to this two-volume gift edition that he has no intention of writing a memoir, Paul McCartney presents his songs as the next best thing, leaving us to mine their words as a guide to his life and world view. -- Will Hodgkinson * The Times *These two beautifully produced hardbacks give a lot of bang for your buck. Macca recalls the inspiration behind 154 of his songs and the collaborative process of writing them, his stories taking in Lennon, Linda and fame, and there's a trove of photographs and memorabilia from his personal archive. He says the time has never been right to write a full memoir, but this collection is brimming with insights into the man and the music. -- Charlotte Heathcote * Daily Express *
£56.25
Penguin Books Ltd Poets Square
Book SynopsisPeople kept asking: Why would you have cats that don't love you back?The morning after Courtney Gustafson moved into an old house in the Poets Square neighbourhood of Tucson, Arizona, she noticed tiny pawprints all over her driveway. They were the first evidence of a colony of feral cats who would, in time, become part of her family and help pierce a personal darkness she'd wrestled with for much of her life.Beebs was the first cat to appear, allowing herself to be petted in the driveway. And then came so many others. There was Monkey, the hissing, dark-blotched calico, and Reverse Monkey, her timid, white-blotched opposite. There were Sad Boy and Lola, the inseparable pair who made their way across the internet and into strangers' wedding vows. There was the sweet, serene Dr. Big Butt, who brought lessons about grief. And there was Goldie, the tiny king of Poets Square: sick, skinny, but completely unafraid. These cats and many, many others would expand her world spectacularly.Poets Square is a love letter to community in a broken society, told through the cats Courtney meets in dark alleys, neglected homes and her own driveway; cats she cherishes and must sometimes let go. Above all, she explores what her encounters with feral cats can teach us about care, connectedness and the powerof hope.Cats are mystical beings, bridging the spiritual and the tangible. Courtney Gustafson's Poet Square is a book that helps us connect to this spiritual world, offering a bridge to the ethereal' Ai WeiweiCourtney Gustafson writes with uncommon grace about the castoff, the abandoned, the invisible. This book should be read and treasured for its ability to make the reader more human and humane' Lauren Slater, author of Blue DreamsDeftly intertwined with the individual stories of all these cats is her own story of how she got there She is clear-eyed about the deviation of her life' Esther Walker, The Spike
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd The Public Confessions of a MiddleAged Woman
Book SynopsisGlimpse into the life of one of Britain''s best-loved comic writers - Sue Townsend - with this hilarious collection of her anecdotes and musings. ___________Enter the world of Susan Lilian Townsend - all our welcome! This sparkling collection of Sue Townsend''s hilarious non-fiction covers everything from hosepipe bans to Spanish restaurants, from writer''s block to slug warfare, from slob holidays to the banning of beige.These funny, perceptive and touching pieces reveal Sue, ourselves and the nation in an extraordinary new light. Sit back and chortle away as one of Britain''s most popular and acclaimed writers takes a feather to your funny bone.Witty, and laugh-out-loud funny, The Public Confessions of a Middle-Aged Woman (Aged 55) is essential reading for any Sue Townsend fan. _____________''Anyone who loved The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole will enjoy this collection of witty and sharply observed jottinTrade ReviewAnyone who loved The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole will enjoy this collection of witty and sharply observed jottings from the inimitable Sue Townsend. Great stuff * OK! *Full of homely, hilarious asides on the absurdities of domestic existence . . . What a fantastic advertisement for middle-age - it can't be bad if it's this funny * Heat *'It's as if Townsend has caught our idiosyncrasies on candid camera and is showing a rerun of all the silly clips ... the ideal dip-in-and-out book' * Time Out *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Figures in a Landscape
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWonderful... Evidence of both the breadth of Theroux's interests and his skill in bringing them to life * Sunday Times Culture *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd OK Lets Do Your Stupid Idea
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of the year's funniest books ... witty, wise and worth returning to again and again * i Paper *Funny, smart, soulful and sometimes devastating, this book shows life in all its shades. It made me laugh and cry -- Emilie Pine, author of Notes to SelfWarm, wry, charming, absorbing ... It's the most gorgeous and heartbreaking book about humans and why we need each other -- Daisy Buchanan * via Twitter *Funny and adorable -- Nina StibbeI was reminded - very happily reminded - of Kurt Vonnegut. But Patrick Freyne is his own writer and this book is clever, lovely and great, great fun -- Roddy DoylePatrick Freyne has a distinct and enviable gift for story-telling ... Full of humour and tenderness, this book is an absolute JOY -- Sinéad Gleeson, author of ConstellationsOne of the best-written, smartest and gosh-darn-it funniest books I've read in a very long while -- Séamus O'ReillyHilariously, painfully, Freynefully brilliant -- Joseph O'ConnorWhether he's writing about his childhood on a military base, working in a kebab shop with a nazi in his teens, playing in punk bands in his twenties, or grappling with the question of whether to have children, Patrick Freyne is a writer of rare humour, depth, and humanity. These essays are a delight -- Mark O'Connell, author of To Be a MachineA cracking, sad, funny, honest, brave and hilarious read -- Liz Nugent * via Twitter *No one makes me laugh like Patrick Freyne -- Paul HowardSuperb ... The stories move from breathtakingly vulnerable to extraordinarily funny, and all with such skill and lightness of touch. I loved it -- Louise O'NeillI don't know another writer who could balance poignancy and hilarity with such grace ... Goosebumps! Guffaws! It's got it all. I love this book -- Doireann Ní Ghríofa * via Twitter *Guffaw-out-loud funny * Business Post *A riotous read from the get-go ... An absolute tonic for our times * RTÉ Guide *F*cking fantastic. Patrick is a brilliant writer -- Blindboy Boatclub * via Twitter *Lovely ... It's very worth reading -- Dara Ó Briain * via Twitter *A wonderful book ... done with a gorgeous twist of humour and great emotional insight ... One of my books of the year -- Ryan Tubridy * RTÉ Radio 1 *Exquisite ... One of the funniest writers in Ireland * Irish Examiner *Immensely readable, warm, human and very, very funny * Irish Daily Star *Pixies were loud-quiet-loud. Patrick Freyne is funny-sad-funny. I really loved his new book -- Ed O'Loughlin * via Twitter *Readers are sure to find themselves touched by Freyne's writing ... Delightful * Journal.ie *Freyne's thoroughly entertaining debut is a flash of warmth and wit in the darkness * Totally Dublin *Genuinely moving ... [It] will evoke warmth in anyone who isn't totally sociopathic * Hot Press *A delightful insight into the mind of the hilarious Patrick Freyne * Irish Country Magazine *So honest, so funny, and most importantly, 11/10 for self-deprecation -- Sarah BreenBrilliant ... An absolute mind hug -- Niall BreslinFreyne's radar is precision-honed to find the madness within the mundane * Sunday Independent *More moving that I ever expected and somehow funnier than I assumed -- Emer McLysaght * Irish Times, Best Books of 2020 *
£10.46
Penguin Books Ltd Go the Way Your Blood Beats
Book SynopsisAN EXTRAORDINARILY MOVING AND ORIGINAL MEMOIR OF GROWING UP GAY AND DISABLED IN 1980S LONDONSHORTLISTED FOR THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE 2023 When Emmett de Monterey is eighteen months old, a doctor diagnoses him with cerebral palsy. Words too heavy for his twenty-five-year-old artist parents and their happy, smiling baby.Growing up in south-east London in the 1980s, Emmett is spat at on the street and prayed over at church. At his mainstream school, teachers refuse to schedule his classes on the ground floor, and he loses a stone from the effort of getting up the stairs. At his sixth form college for disabled students, he''s told he will be expelled if the rumours are true, if he''s gay.And then Emmett is chosen for a first-of-its-kind surgery in America which he hopes will ''cure'' him, enable him to walk unaided. He hopes for a miracle: to walk, to dance, to be able to leave the house when it rains. To have a body that''s everyda
£10.44
Hachette Books You Had Me at PetNat
Book SynopsisIt was Rachel Signer''s dream to be that girl: the one smoking hand-rolled cigarettes out the windows of her 19th-century Parisian studio apartment, wearing second-hand Isabel Marant jeans and sipping a glass of Beaujolais redolent of crushed roses with a touch of horse mane. Instead she was an under-appreciated freelance journalist and waitress in New York City, frustrated at always being broke and completely miserable in love. When she tastes her first pétillant-naturel (pét-nat for short), a type of natural wine made with no additives or chemicals, it sets her on a journey of self-discovery, both deeply personal and professional, that leads her to Paris, Italy, Spain, Georgia, and finally deep into the wilds of South Australia and which forces her, in the face of her Wildman, to ask herself the hard question: can she really handle the unconventional life she claims she wants?Have you ever been sidetracked by something that turned into a career path? Did you ever think you were looking for a certain kind of romantic partner, but fell in love with someone wild, passionate and with a completely different life? For Signer, the discovery of natural wine became an introduction to a larger ethos and philosophy that she had long craved: one rooted in egalitarianism, diversity, organics, environmental concerns, and ancient traditions. In You Had Me at Pét-Nat, as Signer begins to truly understand these revolutionary wine producers upending the industry, their deep commitment to making their wine with integrity and with as little intervention as possible, she is smacked with the realization that unless she faces, head-on, her own issues with commitment, she will not be able to live a life that is as freewheeling, unpredictable, and singular as the wine she loves.
£21.25
Little, Brown Book Group Mean Baby
Book Synopsis**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER **''Funny and frank, a chance to spend time with a brave and big-hearted woman who''s grown up to be not so mean, after all'' JENNIFER LARUE, WASHINGTON POST''Grabs you by the collar and says listen to all that I have to say: about love, pain, motherhood, illness, celebrity and the tidal ferocity that pours through all our lives. Read it and be caught in the voice of one of our luminous stars'' ESMÉ WEIJUN WANGThe first story Selma Blair Beitner ever heard about herself is that she was a mean, mean baby. Although Selma went on to become a celebrated Hollywood actress and model, she could never quite shake the periods of darkness that overtook her, the certainty that there was a great mystery at the heart of her life. Over the course of this beautiful and, at times, shocking memoir, Selma lays bare her addiction to alcohol, her devotion to her brilliant and complica
£17.09
Little, Brown Book Group Walk Yourself Happy
Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER''It''s hard not to be persuaded by Bradbury''s enthusiasm and positivity'' THE TIMESJoin Julia Bradbury as she leads you through the walk of our lifetimes. There''s a lot of talk about how we all must connect more with nature. But what does that mean? How do you do it? And what does it do for you in return? Can something as simple as going for a walk really improve your life? The simple answer is: YES. Walk Yourself Happy will explain the elemental link between our own health - both physical and mental - and the natural world. Julia knows first-hand the profound impact of nature: it has helped her survive breast cancer, overcome infertility and continue through failed IVF treatments; it balances the soul and acts as a confidante and therapist. Through science-backed information, practical tips and Julia''s own story, Walk Yourself Happy will explore how nature canTrade ReviewIt does quite a lot more than what it says on the tin...it's hard not to be persuaded by Bradbury's enthusiasm and positivity * The Times *An amazing, uplifting book full of simple life tips! -- Tim Spector * bestselling author of Food for Life and Spoon-Fed *My hero Charles Darwin walked every day, once in the morning and again in the afternoon, along his 'thinking path' to gain insight into the natural world. I come from a family of walkers, we walk to work, walk after a meal, and go on holiday - where we walk. I think all of us appreciate intuitively that walking is 'good for us, but what Julia Bradbury has given us in this brilliant book is an explanation of why walking can help each of us become jollier and healthier. Walk Yourself Happy inspires young and old, the dedicated and amateur, to embrace the life-affirming joy of walking! -- Professor Russell Foster CBE, FRS, University of Oxford * bestselling author of Life Time *Exercise, sleep and diet are the three pillars of health and can make all the difference to your physical and mental wellbeing. Walk Yourself Happy provides a comprehensive guide to understanding each of these elements to discover our true roots of happiness. -- Lisa Artis * deputy CEO, The Sleep Charity *As Walk Yourself Happy shows, when walking is utilised correctly, it can be life-changing. The book examines the real science behind how walking and nature can benefit our sleep, gut and mental health with personal and inspiring stories of strength and survival. Julia has faced one of life's more serious challenges, got through it and now uses walking to heal her body and calm her mind. With this book, you can do the same. -- Patrick McKeown * author of The Oxygen Advantage *This book speaks to my soul, soothing it with stories of triumph over adversity, immersing me back to the wonder and awe that nature offers. In a world where so much value is placed on being busy and achieving the unachievable, each page draws me back to Mother Nature's truths... that we need nature as much as we need oxygen, food and water. This book hit my Gratitude Spot, oh, oh yes! A book that has legs to keep walking for many years to come. -- Pauline Cox BSc MSc NCIM dip * functional nutritionist, author and women's health specialist *Every lifestyle medicine-oriented practitioner should be recommending this book to their clients - Julia captures the essence of health generation in a touchingly powerful, but highly actionable series of steps. (no pun intended!) -- Michael Ash * Clinical Education *
£17.00
Little, Brown Book Group All in My Head
Book SynopsisAll In My Head is a memoir by a woman who in her early fifties received a life-shattering diagnosis. It is about her determined search for effective treatment, the birth of a campaign to get proper data and funding for research into glioblastoma (GBM), and finally her coming to terms with the knowledge that she has reached the end of the road.Jessica Morris takes the reader on a whirlwind journey. How does an ordinary person who last studied biology aged sixteen negotiate with world-renowned doctors and surgeons about cutting-edge treatments she must decide between? How do you remain positive when the median statistics suggest you have only fourteen months to live? How instead do you cast those fears aside and bounce back?All In My Head is much more than a book about GBM. It takes the reader into the life of a woman who when confronted by devastating news chooses to be strong. It is about fighting adversity with hope and finding reasons to be positive iTrade ReviewFor five years Jessica Morris fought the deadliest of brain tumours - glioblastoma (GBM) - but that was not all. She set up an international charity in the battle to render GBM treatable rather than terminal. This utterly uplifting book is a remarkable insight into a disease and one woman's battle to beat it. Doctors and patients alike responded to her determination to galvanise them in the search for a cure * Jon Snow, longest-running presenter of Channel 4 News *The pages are immense, in many ways grueling and painful and affecting, but also so deeply uplifting and wondrous. The writing is meticulous, I felt that Jess was holding my hand as I read it, she is so very present. This is a book of love and life, of courage and hope, of loss and togetherness * Philippe Sands, author of East West Street and The Ratline *Jessica Morris' account of living with brain cancer is not a book about illness, or loss, or navigating treatment options, although all of these elements are there. But in a story that travels to the outer edges of human experience, Morris's wit, determination, and powerful literary insight make this book an extraordinary exercise in joy, even as it breaks your heart. It is impossible to read All In My Head and not come away ignited * Emma Brockes *All In My Head is both painful and uplifting. It taught me a valuable lesson - to go on fighting even when you can't win. Jessica charts the ups as well as the downs with searing honesty. I felt by the final beautiful chapter nothing could take away the essence of Jess, her boldness, optimism, intelligence and the will to fight on. She made me think, and she made me cry, and of course, being Jess, she made me laugh -- Linda Grant, author of A Stranger CityWhat a force she was, to turn her harrowing experience into something so positive, for the benefit of others. So much vision and energy in the face of such an ordeal. The book is infused with her generous spirit and self-debunking humour and evident throughout are her great gift for friendship, her love of family and zest for life * Annalena McAfee *Indomitably optimistic yet sharp, philosophical and frank, Jessica Morris is alive in these pages: a woman faced with a terminal illness who galvanised her doctors, supported fellow patients and outlived expectations. But even if luck or medicine had not made that possible, her contagious warmth and wit would remain a force to be reckoned with. To meet Jessica in this book is to join the ranks of those who loved her, and whose lives she improved every day * Gaby Wood, Director, Booker Prize Foundation *A remarkable read - life-affirming and funny and full of force and vigour and love * Sabine Durrant *Written in a voice that is loud, defiant and beautiful, and that demands to be heard...a joyful, stubborn, rambunctious fight -- Nicci Gerrard * Observer *
£15.29
Random House Canada A Little Bit Broken
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£17.24
Random House Publishing Group Sunshine Girl
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£13.49
Transworld Publishers Ltd The Dog Rescuers
Book SynopsisAS SEEN ON CHANNEL 5 Heartwarming true stories from Channel 5''s The Dog Rescuers, the RSPCA''s tireless team of expert officers who save the lives of dogs in peril, return them to health and help them to find their forever homes.As a nation, we''re big fans of man''s best friend. Nearly a quarter of all British homes own a dog. Sadly, not all of them receive the love and care they deserve and some dogs are neglected or, worse, abused. Enter Channel 5''s The Dog Rescuers. Every day, these dedicated and passionate RSPCA inspectors - like Anthony Joynes - contend with dog owners'' abandonment and misuse of their pets, and spring into action on behalf of dogs in trouble, returning them to health, happiness and a loving new home. This collection of heartbreaking but ultimately heartwarming tales follows the likes of puppy Clover, who suffered damage to her face and lips, and Flint, the Lurcher who''d been used for badger b
£9.49
Faber & Faber Report from the Interior
Book Synopsis''In the beginning, everything was alive. The smallest objects were endowed with beating hearts . . .''Having recalled his life through the story of his physical self in Winter Journal, internationally best-selling novelist Paul Auster now remembers the experience of his development from within, through the encounters of his interior self with the outer world, as well as through a selection of the revealing letters he sent to his first wife, acclaimed author Lydia Davis.An impressionistic portrait of a writer coming of age, Report from the Interior moves from Auster''s baby''s-eye view of the man in the moon to his childhood worship of the movie cowboy Buster Crabbe to the composition of his first poem at the age of nine to his dawning awareness of the injustices of American life. Report from the Interior charts Auster''s moral, political and intellectual journey as he inches his way toward adulthood through the post-war fifties and into t
£10.44
Faber & Faber Some Answers Without Questions
Book Synopsis''A pointed, svelte but diverse work.'' Irish TimesPart memoir, part manifesto, Some Answers Without Questions is an elegant, important and spirited work of self-investigation; the result of decades of answering questions that don''t really matterand not being asked the ones that do.''A delight: approachable, rigorous and omnivorous in its frame of reference. . . a timely, lyrical investigation into what it means to create.'' Observer
£10.44
Penguin Publishing Group The Real Ones
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£22.94
Little, Brown Book Group Close Encounters of the Furred Kind
Book SynopsisHave you ever moved house, over a distance of 350 miles, with four cats? If you haven''t, and are thinking about it, I''ll give you some advice: don''t. If you really must move, try to get the cats to arrange their own transport. Focus on yourself instead. You''ll have plenty to think about as it is, and the cats will only get in the way with their sarcasm and hairballs. I moved from Norfolk to Devon with four cats and it felt like such an impossible ordeal, part of me believes that I actually died somewhere along the way and am now living in some kind of afterlife: very much like real life, but a little slower moving, and with slightly clearer air. That''s just the West Country, I''ve been told, but I can''t be 100% certain.
£10.44
Health Communications Inexplicably Me
Book SynopsisA hilariously moving and inspirational memoir of a girl with two gay dads, navigating her way through life with joy, love, gratitude, and an excellent sense of humor.As the daughter of two gay fathers in the 90s, Chelsea has always had a different outlook than some people. And yet, her message is one of universal importance – love is the most important force in the world. Through her moving and at times hilarious memoir, Chelsea reflects on how we are all much more similar than we are different. Living “two doors down from normal,” Chelsea quickly learned that society loves to put people in boxes, but these boxes do not always reflect how we feel about ourselves. Through Inexplicably Me, Chelsea works to bring people together in love and acceptance and to illustrate that, while her story may seem worlds away from others, we all strive for happiness and love. From sharing the stage with President Obama when she was only eighteen yeTrade Review“Chelsea has inspired us for years as a child of same-sex parents navigating her life with grace, love, and humility. She now brings to paper her inspiring story giving insight into finding your worth and path in life with humor and love. You will be inspired by her words and moved by her heart. We are so grateful that now so many will be able to benefit from her journey, especially our little one.” —Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Emmy Award-Nominated actor, and Justin Mikita, Tony Award-Winning producer"Chelsea's new book tells of her journey and how that inspired her to seek out, give back, and pursue worthiness at every level. With her charming style, warm wit, and incredible openness she gives you the tools you need to navigate this world with a strong sense of worth, gratitude, and purpose. Chelsea is a gem and her new book is a gold mine!” --Ed Harris and Amy Madigan, Academy-Award nominated actors“I’ve have had the privilege of watching Chelsea grow from a thoughtful young woman into a dynamic advocate. In her book, she gives you a glimpse of her world and how growing up with two gay dads, not only molded who she was, but gave her a base of unconditional love to carry her through her life. Of course, in Inexplicably Me she has chosen to inspire and encourage everyone to find their worth and their purpose, doing this while using her own story, with touching vulnerability, to ignite each reader’s sense of possibility.” —Joe Solomonese, CEO of the Democratic National Convention 2020, and former president of the Human Rights Campaign"A remarkable account of growing up as the child of a same-sex couple." — Kirkus Reviews
£10.19
Holy Trinity Publications Herman A Wilderness Saint From Sarov Russia to
Book SynopsisThis account brings to light many primary sources that illuminate the story of St. Herman and the wider context of the little-known history of Russian colonization in the Pacific Northwest.Trade Review"[Lydia Black's] scholarship is a shining example of how the humanities can have a positive, lasting influence on the people they seek to interpret." --Aluutiq Museum"A 'must' read and acquisition for those dedicated to seeing through the fog that has for so long encompassed the investigation of Russian colonialism in North America." Timothy L. (Ty) Dilliplane, Alaska History
£18.99
Pan Macmillan Hildasay to Home
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 his goal 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 when he started this once-in-a-lifetime experience that he would be crossing the finish line some five and a half years later with a fiancée, 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, Christian's first book about his journey, was a Sunday Times bestseller.
£17.00
Headline Publishing Group But Everyone Feels This Way
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£17.00
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd. My Wartime vs. Pandemic
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£10.79
Austin Macauley Publishers I Will Protect Her
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£9.49
Austin Macauley Publishers My Life and Its Ups and Downs
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£6.99
Austin Macauley Publishers Transitions in My Life Large Print Edition
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£14.39
Austin Macauley Publishers From Handbags to Hand Grenades
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£9.49
Austin Macauley Publishers The World According to Stoopball
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£10.79
Austin Macauley Publishers Victoria A Womans Story A Love Story
£10.44
St. Martin's Publishing Group The Good Mother Myth
Book SynopsisTimely and thought-provoking, Nancy Reddy unpacks and debunks the bad ideas that have for too long defined what it means to be a good mom.When Nancy Reddy had her first child, she found herself suddenly confronted with the ideal of a perfect mother?a woman who was constantly available, endlessly patient, and immediately invested in her child to the exclusion of all else. Reddy had been raised by a single working mother, considered herself a feminist, and was well on her way to a PhD. Why did doing motherhood right feel so wrong?For answers, Reddy turned to the mid-20th century social scientists and psychologists whose work still forms the basis of so much of what we believe about parenting. It seems ludicrous to imagine modern moms taking advice from midcentury researchers. Yet, their bad ideas about so-called ?good? motherhood have seeped so pervasively into our cultural norms. In The Good Mother Myth, Reddy debunks the flawed lab studies, sloppy research, and straightforward misogyny of researchers from Harry Harlow, who claimed to have discovered love by observing monkeys in his lab, to the famous Dr. Spock, whose bestselling parenting guide included just one (1!) illustration of a father interacting with his child.This timely and thought-provoking book will make you laugh, cry, and want to scream (sometimes all at once). Blending history of science, cultural criticism, and memoir, The Good Mother Myth pulls back the curtain on the flawed social science behind our contemporary understanding of what makes a good mom.
£20.39
Amberley Publishing The Novotny Papers
Book SynopsisNew in paperback - âI have always been a bird. A bit vulture, a bit eagle. I have looked the sun in its face. Born several times - dead several times so that I could be reborn from my ashes.' The extraordinary life of Mariella Novotny, a woman who links John F. Kennedy, the Profumo Affair & a well-known British film producer.Trade Review‘The story gently evokes a time and a place and characters, part Runyonian and part “we know where you live”, that seem to have vanished after their glory days in the sixties and early seventies.’ -- Tom Mangold‘Sex, crime, espionage, betrayal and revenge. They are all present in Lilian Pizzichini’s page turner of the life of Mariella Novotny, a 1960s bad girl gone to worse and then to very worse.’ -- James Morton, author of KRAYS: THE FINAL WORD
£10.44
Orion Publishing Co Beyond Supervet How Animals Make Us The Best We
Book SynopsisIn this inspiring, uplifting and heart-warming memoir, world-renowned veterinary surgeon Professor Noel Fitzpatrick shares some of the most personal and powerful tales ever from his life as The Supervet. Picking up from where the Sunday Times bestselling How Animals Saved My Life left off, Noel shares the moving, heart-warming and often surprising stories of the animals that he has treated in his remarkable career. As he explores how our relationships with animals can bring out the best in each of us, we meet some of the wonderful animals he has tried to help, the families who love them and the deeply personal challenges Noel has faced along the way. It is animals like these who have taught Noel the valuable lessons of Love, Hope and Faith - lessons that have sustained him in his life beyond being the Supervet. This is the remarkable story of one man and the animals he has saved, animals who have - in turn - saved him.
£8.54
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Captured Behind Japanese Lines
Book SynopsisRare account of the experiences of a Chindit operating deep behind enemy lines in Burma.
£17.00
John Murray Press No Obvious Distress
Book Synopsis''Striking, surprising, and technically excellent, the poems resonate way beyond their endings'' Roger Robinson''Deft, daring, devastating and delightful'' Pádraig Ó Tuama''Astonishing. These poems glimmer with a white-hot beauty that is hard won, and that sings'' Sarah RuhlPatient is a normal appearing woman in no obvious distress.On an ordinary day, out with her three-year-old in the park, Amanda Quaid received a life-changing call - the back pain she had been living with for years was actually a rare and aggressive form of cancer. In an instant, life became a series of sterile rooms, medical charts and body-altering treatments which completely upend Amanda''s marriage, work and family life as she knows it.Poetry became a lifeline for Amanda, a form to organize the chaos and pain of day-to-day life into order and beauty. In inventive and arresting poems that explore desire, marriage, motherhood and mortality, No Obvious Distress is a powerful memoir-in-verse about Amanda''s unique experience. But it is also a tender, witty and universal collection that asks how we can continue to live and love in times of uncertainty.
£13.49
Thomas Nelson Publishers Checking in
Book SynopsisAcclaimed musical artist Michelle Williams shares the intimate, never-before-told story of how, even in the midst of enormous fame and success, she battled depression, leading her to find her true calling as an advocate for mental health--especially her own.
£15.00
Penguin Books Ltd Really
Book SynopsisJEREMY CLARKSON''S LATEST - AND MOST OUTRAGEOUS - TAKE ON THE WORLDCLARKSON''S BACK - AND THIS TIME HE''S PUTTING HIS FOOT DOWNFrom his first job as a travelling sales rep selling Paddington Bears to his latest wheeze as a gentleman farmer, Jeremy Clarkson''s love of cars has just about kept him out of trouble.But in a persistently infuriating world, sometimes you have to race full-throttle at the speed-bumps.Because there''s still plenty to get cross about, including: Why nothing good ever came out of a meeting Muesli''s unmentionable side effects Navigating London when every single road is being dug up at once People who read online reviews of dishwashers ****ing driverless carsBuckle up for a bumpy ride - you''re holding the only book in history to require seatbelts . . .Praise for Jeremy Clarkson: Brilliant . . . Laugh-out-loud'' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewPraise for Clarkson: * - *Brilliant...laugh-out-loud * Daily Telegraph *Outrageously funny...will have you in stitches * Time Out *Very funny...I cracked up laughing on the tube * Evening Standard *
£10.99
Little, Brown Book Group The Silver Snarling Trumpet
Book SynopsisDiscovered at last, the legendary lost manuscript of Grateful Dead co-founder and primary lyricist Robert Hunter, written in the early 1960s-a wry, richly observed, and enlightening remembrance of 'the scene' in Palo Alto that gave rise to an incredible partnership of Hunter and Jerry Garcia, and then to the Grateful Dead itself-with a Foreword by John Mayer, an Introduction by Dennis McNally, and an Afterword by Brigid Meier. 'Strange to think back on those days when it was perfectly natural that we all slept on the floor in one small room . . . These were the days before practical considerations, matters of importance, began to eat our minds. We were all poets and philosophers then, until we began to wonder why we had so few concrete worries and went out to look for some.'So wrote Robert Hunter in The Silver Snarling Trumpet, both a novelistic singular work of art and the missing piece of the Grateful Dead origin story. In these pages, readers are privy to the early days of Hunter, Garcia, and their cohorts, who sit at coffee shops passing around a single cup of bottomless coffee because they lacked the funds for more than one. Follow these truth-seeking souls into the stacks at Kepler's Books, renting instruments at Swain's House of Music, and through the countryside on mind-expanding road trips. Witness impromptu jams, inspired intellectual pranks, and a dialogue that is, by turns, amusing and brilliant and outrageous. Hunter shares his impressions of his first gig with Garcia for a college audience, along with descriptions of his most intense dreams and psychedelic explorations. All of it, enlivened by Hunter's visionary spirit and profound ideas about creativity and collaboration. The lost manuscript is augmented with a Foreword by John Mayer, an Introduction by Dennis McNally, and an Afterword by Brigid Meier, who was part of their scene in the San Francisco Bay Area that served as a bridge from the beatniks to the hippies. Also included is Hunter's own 1982 assessment of his work-about how he shared it with close confidants but then decided to leave it unpublished. Five years after Hunter's death, the text has been found, so readers and fans of Hunter's indelible poetry and song will see the origin of his genius and his craft.
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Cypress Tree
Book Synopsis_______________''A memoir to inspire'' - Aminatta Forna''I cannot recommend this book highly enough'' - Nassim Assefi, author of Aria''Fascinating insight on a topic much discussed but rarely understood from a human perspective. Recommended reading for anyone with an interest in the Middle East'' - Image Magazine_______________The story of three generations of Iranian women - Kamin, her mother and her grandmother - which portrays the history of twentieth century IranKamin Mohammadi was nine years old when her family fled Iran during the 1979 Revolution. Bewildered by the seismic changes in her homeland, she turned her back on the past and spent her teenage years trying to fit in with British attitudes to family, food and freedom. She was twenty-seven before she returned to Iran, drawn inexorably back by memories of her grandmother''s house in Abadan, with its traditional inner courtyard, its noisy gatherings and its very walls steTrade ReviewA memoir to inspire * Aminatta Forna *I cannot recommend this book highly enough * Nassim Assefi, author of Aria *Fascinating insight on a topic much discussed but rarely understood from a human perspective. Recommended reading for anyone with an interest in the Middle East * Image Magazine *Her descriptions are so incredibly lush you feel as much as read them – I could smell the cardamom in the chai, the camellias in the garden. Here is a portrait of a country completely at odds with the media’s portrayals: the sensuous, intellectual and social Iran that Mohammadi left behind. It was a particular joy to read this memoir in the wake of the recent presidential election, for in the author’s nostalgic depiction, one finds both a world that has passed away and one being born again. * Taiye Selasi, author of Ghana Must Go *
£11.69
Orion Publishing Co Bread Jam and a Borrowed Pram
Book Synopsis''A wonderful tale of 1950s Britain... a vivid account of a midwife''s lot'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon reader review''I couldn''t put it down'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon reader review''Charming, sad, humorous and poignant'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon reader review*****The compelling and heartwarming true story of a young nurse''s life and work in 1950s England, from the Sunday Times bestseller. ''Three small children peep out, their eyes watching me. The crumbling remains of a loaf of bread are being coated with jam, and eager fingers await them...''It''s the end of the 1950s and Britain is changing. The war''s long shadow is fading and, while the country gets ready for the swinging sixties, Dot is embarking on an adventure of her own. After qualifying as a midwife, young Dot has taken a job as a health visitor in the back streets of Birm
£9.49
Abrams Press Friends with Words
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£16.99
Union Square & Co. The Next Good Thing
Book SynopsisThe true story of a man whose life is transformed when he takes an unlikely caretaking job for a disabled 87-year-old who is more than he seems. Marcos's friends used to describe him as a happy family man, a successful graphic artist, and a joyous ukulele player. But then, he lost his marriage and his job, and nearly lost his newly outed transgender son to a suicide attempt after a violent attack by classmates. Marcos receded into a darkening depression as job applications went unanswered and bills piled up. An inability to afford his son's medication raised Marcos's anxiety to a breaking point. Desperate, he silently opened himself up to whomever or whatever might be listening and asked for help. The answer he got back from the universe was clear: Just do the next good thing. The next morning, he received the email that would change his life. The subject line read simply, Help our friend Joe. When Marcos clicked on it, he was surprised to find it was a job offer as a home caregiver
£9.49
Simon & Schuster Ltd Do Right and Fear No One
Book Synopsis'If deaths are not investigated, then the authorities cannot be held to account and democracy is threatened. And if deaths are not investigated, we are not a society that values human life' Inspired from a young age to help the marginalised and voiceless, Leslie Thomas KC has dedicated his career to fighting for the underdog and holding the State to account. This intimate and personal record of some of the most significant, controversial and disturbing legal cases of the last fifty years lays bare the very heart of the law enforcement and judicial process. It's an unforgettable account of an idealistic and outspoken lawyer's coming of age as a Black man in London, and a powerful portrait of the lives of those he has fought for. From the Grenfell Tower Inquiry to the deaths of Christi and Bobby Shepherd by carbon monoxide poisoning, the Birmingham Pub Bombings and the police shooting of Mark Duggan, Do Right and Fear No One Trade Review'Leslie has done more for the families of those who die in custody or at the hands of the police than any other single lawyer' -- Louise Christian * of Christian Khan solicitors *
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group Panic as Man Burns Crumpets
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE LAKELAND BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2022''For those who know about provincial newspapers, this will be a classic and a gem. Those who don''t know will envy what they have missed'' MELVYN BRAGG''Brisk and entertaining. A very readable love letter to a disappearing world, told with verve and tenderness'' STUART MACONIE, author of Pies and Prejudice''Gut-bustingly funny, poignant and packed with astonishing insider information''M. W. CRAVEN, author of the award-winning The Puppet Show''Local journalism has never seemed more exotic than in this part-memoir, part-ode to that disappearing art, which is as funny as it is endearing . . . Told with a tender fondness, the bonkers, baffling but vital world of local press is paraded with the style that it deserves''JONATHAN WHITELAW, Sun''Refreshingly honest, engagingly self-deprecating, tremendously funny and more
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group The Last Wilderness
Book SynopsisNeil Ansell''s THE LAST WILDERNESS is a mesmerising book on nature and solitude by a writer who has spent his lifetime taking solitary ventures into the wild. For any readers of the author''s previous book, DEEP COUNTRY, Robert Macfarlane''s THE OLD WAYS or William Atkins THE MOOR.Shortlisted for the 2018 Wainwright Golden Beer Book PrizeShortlisted for the 2018 Highland Book Prize ''Ansell has the rare skill of combining vividly the intimacy of detail and the astonishing grandeur of this North West coastline of Scotland. Through his keen eyes we look again at the familiar with a sense of wondrous revelation'' Madeleine Bunting ''Beautiful...a testimony to reticent courage'' Daily MailThe experience of being in nature alone is here set within the context of a series of walks that Neil Ansell takes into the most remote parts of Britain, the rough bounds in the Scottish Highlands. He illustrates the impact of Trade ReviewAnsell's beautiful memoir of his walks through the Scottish wilderness makes the case for being truly a part of nature rather than outside of it * Observer *Ansell has the rare skill of combining vividly the intimacy of detail and the astonishing grandeur of this North West coastline of Scotland. Through his keen eyes we look again at the familiar with a sense of wondrous revelation -- Madeleine BuntingThe Last Wilderness is a moving and mesmerising book. Ansell's quiet, respectful immersion in the landscape rewards with some startling encounters with the natural world. He is a knowledgeable and generous guide to the unique flora and fauna of this beautiful corner of Scotland -- James Macdonald Lockhart, author of RAPTORNeil Ansell is a genuine creature of the wild. His knowledge of remote places, and his love for them, come from deep and sustained immersion. He writes in prose which is entirely right for its subject - unshowy, level-headed, quietly surprising. The Last Wilderness is a wonderful experience which tingles with all the sensations of being out on the hill, in all weathers, alone -- Philip MarsdenA beautifully-written account of the author's journeys to some of the most remote parts of Britain in search of solitude and solace * Choice *Beautifully charts the challenges and solaces of being alone and part of nature * Bookseller *Lyrical, thought-provoking * Scotsman *A love letter to Scotland . . . how I wish I could go back to Arisaig and the Small Isles. How much I missed, but how glad I am to experience it now with this wonderful writer * My Weekly *Beautiful...a testimony to reticent courage * Daily Mail *[A] captivating memoir...vivid as photographs, yet sketched with something more profound than simple reportage. Beneath the measured, knowledgeable, unfussy voice is a meaningful, and even important record: not just of a changing landscape, but of a man such places have shaped. -- The HeraldThe Last Wilderness is a beautiful read; rich in descriptive detail... his passion for the environment and his sublime prose make it a book to be savoured. * CultureFly *A hauntingly beautiful memoir on nature, solitude and hearing loss * Waterstones Website, Best books to look out for *He captures the landscape and the sense of adventure exquisitely: enough to make me feel I've been there but leaving me longing to make a trek of my own * The Pool *[A] haunting, lyrical memoir * Simple Things *
£12.34
Headline Publishing Group Without Warning and Only Sometimes
Book Synopsis''Vivid and compelling and so moving... both painful and comforting to read'' Marian Keyes**A BOOK OF THE YEAR - GUARDIAN AND OBSERVER (December 2022)****SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARD AND AN POST IRISH BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR 2022****AS BROADCAST ON BBC RADIO 4**Kit de Waal grew up in a household of opposites and extremes. Her haphazard mother rarely cooked, forbade Christmas and birthdays, worked as a cleaner, nurse and childminder sometimes all at once and believed the world would end in 1975. Meanwhile, her father stuffed barrels full of goodies for his relatives in the Caribbean, cooked elaborate meals on a whim and splurged money they didn''t have on cars, suits and shoes fit for a prince. Both of her parents were waiting for paradise. It never came. Caught between three worlds, Irish, Caribbean and British in 1960s Birmingham, Kit and her brothers and sisters knew all the words to the best songs, caught Trade ReviewExtraordinary . . . De Waal has a gift for the deft detail that will bring a story or character alive . . . A moving, heart-warming account of a girl who grows up in a house with no books except the Bible, gets in with a bad crowd and nearly goes under. In the end, and after she has left home, she is saved by books. When she can't sleep she reads the classics. Now she may even have written one * Sunday Times *An astonishingly good evocation of the dream and reality of migration to postwar Birmingham * Observer *A terrific evocation of her family life in 1960s Birmingham * Financial Times *In the end, this is a survivor's story. It doesn't pull any punches, but it ends with a girl determined to live, to "turn the page and keep reading" * Telegraph *Intelligent, angry and sometimes very funny * Scotsman *Dynamic and immersive, Kit de Waal's effervescent memoir documents a fraught childhood of opposites and conflicting identities with wit, humanity and an uncanny power for bringing the figures of her youth to vibrant life. -- Maggie O'FarrellA delightful and harrowing book. I can't think of another since Edmund Gosse's Father and Son that gives such a well-written child's-eye view of an upbringing in a suffocating Christian sect . . . I highly recommend * Irish Times *This is a sometimes bleak, often funny tale of finding a way to live through reading, which is all the more amazing given the only book in Kit's house was the Bible * Radio Times, Book of the Week *Kit's writing is beautiful - vivid and compelling, and so moving. Families are such a mix of joy and pain and Kit's depiction of her parents' dynamic was both painful and comforting to read. There's so much love, warmth and hope. I wanted to keep reading this book for ever -- Marian KeyesI knew Kit de Waal was special the moment I met her. And now I know why -- Lemn SissayWarm, honest, perceptive and moving, and the very best kind of memoir, because not only does it tell you about someone else's life, it tells you about your own -- Joanna CannonI loved it and couldn't put it down. Both joyous and heartbreaking, it captures an era and is also a beautiful tribute to sibling love, and a completely compelling story of how one girl became a reader -- Cathy RentzenbrinkA window into an extraordinary childhood, told with blistering wit, pathos and joy, I could not have loved this more. Kit takes you on a thrilling ride traversing her past filled with humour, faith, joy and dysfunction. I defy you not to lake it into your heart -- Abi MorganI couldn't put this book down. Beautifully written and searingly honest. Eye-opening, funny and moving - the words fly off the page. I didn't want this book to end Kit de Waal is a natural born storyteller -- Paul McVeighI adored this book. The beauty of its prose, the poetry of its imagery. It's open-hearted, frank, funny, and wise. Unflinching but unpitying. I've returned to most sections twice and several a few more than that. It's a memoir filled with warmth, joy and heartbreak, written with the immediacy of a thriller and the poignancy of a love letter. It is a love letter - to a brave, curious, funny girl I now feel like I've known all my life -- Séamas O'ReillyTouching and authentic - I loved this memoir -- Clare MackintoshA beautifully written and unsentimental account of growing up Black and Irish in Birmingham at a time when neither were particularly welcome. Inspiring, unflinching and courageous -- Liz NugentDynamic and immersive, Kit de Waal's effervescent memoir documents a fraught childhood of opposites and conflicting identities with wit, humanity and an uncanny power for bringing the figures of her youth to vibrant life. -- Maggie O'Farrell
£999.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC My Sand Life My Pebble Life
Book SynopsisMy sand life, my pebble life. My life measured out in tides, coming in and going out. My life measured out in games of trying to spot the sea first. My life measured out in the delicious and indulgent sadness that comes from leaving a holiday cottage for the last time and for the first time in several days it isn't raining, but at least the kids have had a great time and, let's face it, so have you. Warm and darkly funny, this sublimely crafted book transports you (in a blue Ford Zephyr, with an AA route map, a granny in the back and a bingo hall on the horizon) to the world of childhoods by the sea. Specifically, Ian's memories of childhood: ones we'll all identify with endless sunny days on the beach, done to a turn fish and chips, legendary games of cricket, tea and cakes and family crammed into a tiny caravan, holiday cottages that live forever, buckets of shells, a busted fishing net and enough sand to make a beach, with the tide out, way out In this nostalgic collectionTrade ReviewMy Sand Life, My Pebble Life is a fine companion * John Hegley *a collection of heart-warming coastal tales from writer, playwright and broadcaster Ian McMillan...evokes a wonderful sense of nostalgia that's sure to transport you back to your own coastal experiences. * Coast Magazine *It's the grit in the shell that turns these memories into pearls... To describe these essays as 'poetic' seems almost redundant. There is a small cluster of poems...at the heart of the book, but the whole thing works at that level... McMillan's turn of phrase is as richly laconic as ever. -- Brian Morton * Times Literary Supplement *This heartwarming and sea-air-infused collection of coastal memories will instantly transport you back to childhoods spent at the seaside. * Countryman *a kaleidoscope of seaside memories * The Radio Times *Combines poignant snatches of personal history with a delightfully nostalgic celebration of the British seaside holiday. * Daily Mail *Poignant...this book is sure to bring a smile to your face * Towpath Talk *Quietly surreal ... McMillan's turn of phrase is as richly laconic as ever. * Times Literary Supplement *delivered in Ian's unmistakable homespun poetic fashion... My Sand Life, My Pebble Life transports the reader to coast around the country * Yorkshire Post *This delightful, warm companion will provide ideal holiday reading for many * Best of British magazine *Ian McMillan is brilliant at narrating life and capturing the moment * Big Issue in the North *delightful * Prospect *evocative * Choice Magazine *Charming...heart-warming...nostalgic * The Great Outdoors *Take a nostalgic trip with broadcaster, journalist and poet Ian McMillan as he brings his coastal memories to life with an abundance of rich memories... perceptive and funny. * The People's Friend *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Coasting Barefoot in the sand in Blackpool One day that boy will be prime minister July 2020: There’s a couple there with masks on September 2020: The eternal EPCOT fridge magnet March 2020: The lost glove and the high wind Years went over and nobody found us The helicopter at the picnic Pieces to camera The coast that wasn’t a coast or maybe it was Overexposure Six and out The saxophone, the sea Jazz and bells and early morning coffee Joe’s Prize Bingo and the lockout East Coast, magnetic coast Who’s that in the picture? My sand life, my pebble life Filey fact, Filey fiction The shape of the watch on the wrist The map of getting the map Carrying the Methodist The wallet I haven’t seen one of those for years Going to extremes: North Going to extremes: East Going to extremes: West Going to extremes: South Autumn Winter Spring Summer Snow beach Like a statue Seeing the sand You’ll write a poem about that Pre-Cleethorpes dreaming April 2021: Almost forgetting the pie Drugged by the pie The running man Don’t touch the sides of that tent What the weather said Eating chips by the sea, a rhapsody Islands of midges and wasps Being a curator Into the wind The snake in the bed The oar The currency The Hunstanton Frisbee incident Coast as a series of novelty cruet sets Young man with a notebook Towels and trunks Tide out Up the path My sand life my pebble life
£10.44
Hachette Books Ireland Can I Say No
Book SynopsisA funny and insightful memoir about one woman's attempt to discover if saying 'no' is the key to being happyTrade Review'What Stefanie Preissner captures so beautifully is that our value and worth are not tied to being agreeable and saying yes to everything that's asked of us. As she shows, we'll be much more likely to succeed on our own terms when we set boundaries and clear priorities.' Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Global - Arianna Huffington
£8.54
