Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisThis Young Monster is a hallucinatory celebration of artists who raise hell, transform their bodies, anger their elders and show their audience dark, disturbing things. What does it mean to be a freak? Why might we be wise to think of the present as a time of monstrosity? And how does the concept of the monster irradiate our thinking about queerness, disability, children and adolescents? From Twin Peaks to Leigh Bowery, Harmony Korine to Alice in Wonderland, This Young Monster gets high on a whole range of riotous art as its voice and form shape-shift, all in the name of dealing with the strange wonders of what Nabokov once called ‘monsterhood’. Ready or not, here they come...Trade Review‘My friend Bruce Hainley had told me about a new book coming out called “This Young Monster,” by Charlie Fox, but I had forgotten all about it until the publisher Fitzcarraldo Editions in London sent me this beautifully designed French-flap-style paperback original. Good God, where did this wise-beyond-his-years 25-year-old critic’s voice come from? His breath of proudly putrefied air is really something to behold. Finally, a new Parker Tyler is on the scene. Yep. Mr. Fox is the real thing.’ — John Waters, New York Times‘This Young Monster is a hybrid animal in its own right, suturing biographical essays with stranger things: a “dumb fan letter” to the Beast, a meandering confession from Alice, bombed out after her many years in Wonderland. ...There’s not enough of this sort of playfulness and frank enthusiasm in art criticism.’ — Olivia Laing, New Statesman‘Surreal and provocative, This Young Monster is both a poignant portrayal of life on the margins, and a joyful salute to a group of people who embraced their misfit status to lead beautifully unconventional lives.’ — Lucy Watson, Financial Times‘A Rimbaud-like moonbeam in written form.’ — Bruce Hainley, author of Under the Sign of [sic]‘Charlie Fox writes about scary and fabulous monsters, but he really writes about culture, which is the monster’s best and only escape. He is a dazzling writer, unbelievably erudite, and this book is a pleasure to read. Fox’s essays spin out across galaxies of knowledge. Domesticating the difficult, he invites us as his readers to become monsters as well.’ — Chris Kraus, author of I Love Dick‘A performance as original and audacious as any of the characters within – it crackles off the page, roaring and clawing its way into the world, powered by a brilliant vagabond electricity.’ — Chloe Aridjis, author of Book of Clouds ‘Charlie Fox is a ferociously gifted critic, whose prose, like a punk Walter Pater’s, attains pure flame. Fox’s sentences, never “matchy-matchy”, clash with orthodoxy; I love how extravagantly he leaps between different cultural climes, and how intemperately – and with what impressive erudition! – he pledges allegiance to perversity. Take This Young Monster with you to a desert island; his bons mots will supply you with all the protein you need.’ — Wayne Koestenbaum, author of HumiliationTable of ContentsSelf-Portrait as a Werewolf | 'The Little Boy Who Can't Be Damaged' | Untitled (Freak) | Herr Fassbinder's Trip to Heaven | 'I Just Adore Extremes' | Transformer | The Dead-End Kids | Spook House | For Arthur and All the Other Mutts

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Book SynopsisThe international literary icon opens his eclectic closet and shares photos of his extensive unique personal T-shirt collection. Haruki Murakami's books have galvanized millions around the world. Many of his fans know about his 10,000-vinyl-record collection, and his obsession with running, but few have heard about a more intimate, and perhaps more unique, passion: his T-shirt-collecting habit.In Murakami T, the famously reclusive novelist shows us his T-shirts - including gems found in bookshops, charity shops and record stores - from those featuring whisky, animals, cars and superheroes, to souvenirs of marathons and a Beach Boys concert in Honolulu, to the shirt that inspired the beloved short story 'Tony Takitani'. Accompanied by short, frank essays that have been translated into English for the first time, these photographs reveal much about Murakami's multifaceted and wonderfully eccentric persona.'The world's most popular cult novelist' GuardianTrade ReviewFascinating...part ode, part exhibit that reads with restrained affection for his accidental accumulations....these tees excavate an intimate history. The choices we make about what we find and keep point to our interior worlds...Murakami's understated love letters to his tees also convey how we give life to our things and vice versa. * Atlantic *It's safe to say there is no one like Murakami * Literary Review *Murakami is one of the best writers around * Time Out, on Norwegian Wood *Everything he chooses to describe trembles with symbolic possibility * Guardian, on Norwegian Wood *Mesmerising, surreal, this really is the work of a true original * The Times, on The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle *Undeniably a somewhat eccentric book. But it's also a very likeable one... The overall effect is not unlike sharing a conversation with a genial bloke in a bar * Reader's Digest *One of the most influential novelists of his generation. * Observer *An incredibly readable and charming tour through Murakami's life through the T-shirts he has collected along the way... [the reader] feels a personal connection with him, as if we are reading his secret diary -- Adam Davidson * Northern Echo *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewKrug's new visual memoir is a mazy and ingenious reckoning with the past . . . She is a tenacious investigator, ferreting out stories from the wispiest hints - a rumor or a mysterious photograph. * The New York Times *Extraordinary . . . The curious appeal of Krug's graphic memoir is that it never fully loses itself in the act of storytelling but constantly stops to turn over and reassess the means at its disposal. * The Guardian *Remarkable * The Observer *Bracing honesty ... the informal feel and arresting candor of a diary -- Françoise Mouly * New Yorker *One of the greatest books of the year. -- Anne-Dore Krohn, literary critic at RBB KulturradioAs Krug wrestles on the page with the evasions and hard truths she encounters, and uses her illustrations to imagine difficult historical scenarios, she distils pain, hurt, confusion, empathy and ultimately peace into a powerful visual narrative. * The Times *A spectacular debut . . . enormously clever -- Denis Scheck, German literary criticA highly original and powerful graphic novel that works on many levels...an unflinching examination of what we mean when we think of identity, of history and home. The result is a book that is as informative as a history and as touching as a novel. * The Financial Times *[Krug] is a tenacious investigator, ferreting out stories from the wispiest hints - a rumor or a mysterious photograph. . . . What Krug pursues is a better quality of guilt, a way of confronting the past without paralysis. -- Parul Sehgal * The New York Times, 'Top Books of 2018' *I was hugely taken by Nora Krug's Heimat, a beautifully produced and thoughtful piece of family history by a second generation German immigrant to the US. -- Tim Martin * The Spectator *Krug probes her family's actions in Nazi Germany, conducting interviews and roaming archives and flea markets. She confronts past and present in a book that's been praised for its invention and bravery. -- The Guardian, 'The 50 biggest books of autumn 2018'An amazing look into the erasure of her grandparents generation and their involvement in Nazi Germany . . . the reader really feels Krug's fear and the tension that builds as she must will herself to peel back the layers of history, and unearth a truth that she might not be ready for. * Gosh! Comics *Heimat is an astoundingly honest book that conducts a devastating - and irresistible - investigation into one family's struggle with the forces of history. I could not stop reading it and when I was done I could not stop thinking about it. By going so deeply into her family's history, Krug has in some ways written about us all -- Sebastian Junger * author of The Perfect Storm *A page-turning scrapbook/collage of memory, meaning and accountability, Ms. Krug draws the reader through her family history with the directness of imagery, handwriting and, ultimately, a disquieting direness that has echoes in our American life, right now. Heimat is valuable, readable and, needless to say, highly recommended -- Chris Ware * author of Building Stories *Heimat is a compelling and beautifully crafted graphic memoir. Holding this book, and leafing through its pages, rich with photographs, handwritten letters and exquisite drawings, you feel as if if the past is reaching out and grabbing you. It is an exploration of legacy and memory, the things we inherit, the stories we pass on and the strange power the past can hold over us. I loved it -- Isabel Greenberg * author of The Encyclopedia of Early Earth *Nora Krug created something completely new by inventing a new medium. (...) And with every new form of visual representation she uses, she is able to gain a new perspective on herself and on her history. -- Ijoma Mangold, literary critic at Die ZeitNora Krug has created a beautiful visual memoir of a horrific time in history. A time that torments us to this day. Asking questions and searching for the truth, she will not turn away from the legacy of her family and her country. She asks the question of how any of us survive our family history. Ultimately, the only course is not to veil the answers -- Maira Kalman, American illustrator, artist and writerTo belong to a place is not to be able to choose what it takes from you. But we can choose what we take from it. Nora Krug takes from her German homeland, and then gives to us, a sense of what it is like to be German today, and a guide to how a reckoning with the past can begin -- Timothy Snyder * author of On Tyranny and Black Earth *As the Jewish heir of grandparents who themselves had to flee the upsurge of fascism in their German homelands, I found granddaughter Nora Krug's heartrending investigation of her own family's painstakingly occluded history through those years especially moving. But as an American living through these, our very own years of a seemingly inexorable drift into one's still not quite sure what, I found Krug's achingly realized graphic memoir downright unsettling, for what will our own grandchildren one day make of us and our own everyday compromises and failures to attend? -- Lawrence Weschler * author of Calamities of Exile and A Miracle, A Universe: Settling Accounts with Torturers *Nora Krug's book Heimat is a heart-wrenching, suspenseful and fascinating odyssey that straddles, and seeks to uncover, an uncharted, inaccessible, unfathomable past. It is a kaleidoscope of interrupted lives, leading inexorably to its ultimate conclusion. I couldn't stop reading it -- Hava Beller, Director of 'The Restless Conscience'Krug probes her family's actions in Nazi Germany, conducting interviews and roaming archives and flea markets. She confronts past and present in a book that's been praised for its invention and bravery. * The Guardian, 'The 50 biggest books of autumn 2018' *

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times bestseller following the inspiring story of life as a shepherdess, by the star of Channel 5’s Our Yorkshire Farm.Amanda Owen has been seen by millions on ITV's The Dales and Channel 5's Our Yorkshire Farm, living a life that has almost gone in today's modern world, a life ruled by the seasons and her animals. She is a farmer's wife and shepherdess, living alongside her husband Clive and seven children at Ravenseat, a 2000 acre sheep hill farm at the head of Swaledale in North Yorkshire. It's a challenging life but one she loves.In The Yorkshire Shepherdess she describes how the rebellious girl from Huddersfield, who always wanted to be a shepherdess, achieved her dreams. Full of amusing anecdotes and unforgettable characters, the book takes us from fitting in with the locals to fitting in motherhood, from the demands of the livestock to the demands of raising a lTrade ReviewRiveting. * Sun *Enchanting. * Daily Mail *Table of ContentsIntroduction - i: Introduction Chapter - 1: A Normal Childhood Chapter - 2: Wild Oats and Wool Sacks Chapter - 3: One Woman and Her Dog Chapter - 4: Ravenseat Only Chapter - 5: Hill Shepherdess Chapter - 6: Married in My Riding Boots Chapter - 7: Reuben Ready or Not! Chapter - 8: Miles To Go Chapter - 9: Edith On the Way Chapter - 10: Our Little Flower Chapter - 11: Clive’s Big Break Chapter - 12: Free-range Children Chapter - 13: Sidney in the Snow Chapter - 14: Annas Makes Seven Acknowledgements - ii: Acknowledgements Section - iii: List of Illustrations

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Book SynopsisNew York Times Bestseller The long-awaited next book from actress and New York Times bestselling author of The Rural Diaries, Hilarie Burton Morgan. Through memoir essays and magical practices, Grimoire Girl connects us to the enchantment that exists inside us all.Since childhood, Hilarie Burton Morgan has felt the call to record, keep, and catalogue life in all its strange wonder. It was a whimsical habit, with no clear goal. And then, when she became a mother, the importance of all that collecting snapped into focus. In an effort to patchwork together an anthology of traditions, curiosity, and magical thinking that she could pass down, Burton Morgan realized she was crafting a grimoire. In her most intimate book yet, Burton Morgan shares how she’s creating an inheritance of mischief and magic that will outlive her. What’s more, she shows readers how they too can look at the elements of their lives and collect the pieces into a tangible collection of a lifetime of learning. Because in its purest form, a grimoire was a guide to keep you alive.Like the grimoires of old, full of life-saving wisdom, these pages record the people, places, ideas and habits that have kept Burton Morgan alive, in her signature voice that is at once honest, witty, and charming. Accompanied by whimsical two-color illustrations by Olivia Faust, the book also includes Simple Spells, which are ways to bring magic into your daily life: create an altar that delights and inspires, practice candle magic and poetry spells, make an oracle deck, or channel your inner kitchen witch with recipes and potions.So begin creating your own inheritance, take a long look inward and decide...What wisdom will be written on the pages of your Grimoire?Trade Review“There’s a new reason to know and love Hilarie Burton Morgan, as she’s just written a lovely, thoughtful, and tad weird book called Grimoire Girl, full of sweet, funny, Burton-esque anecdotes and stories.” — Scary Mommy

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Book Synopsis"Beautifully written, searingly honest, and deeply affecting ... when the book ended, I only wanted more" - Roxane Gay"Ford is a writer for the ages, and Somebody's Daughter will be a book of the year" - Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed"Truly a classic in the making" - John Green, author of The Fault in Our StarsAn Oprah bookThroughout her adolescence, Ashley Ford doesn't know how to deal with the worries that keep her up at night. If only she could turn to her father for his advice and support. But he's in prison, and she doesn't know what he did to end up there. After being raped by her ex-boyfriend, Ashley desperately searches for her sense of self. Then, her grandmother reveals the truth about her father's incarceration... and Ashley's world is turned upside down.Ashley embarks on a powerful journey to find the connections between who she is and what she was born into, discovering that, however much we might try to untether ourselves from a painful past, the ties that bind families together are the strongest ones of all."Sure to be one of the best memoirs of 2021" - Kirkus Reviews"A heart-wrenching coming-of age story" - Time"Her coming-of-age story gets at how to both acknowledge and break away from what we're born into" - Cosmopolitan"A beautiful, delicate memoir... a journey toward true and powerful selfhood" - ElleTrade Review'Somebody's Daughter is the heart-wrenching yet equally witty and wondrous story of how Ford came through the fire and emerged triumphant, as her own unapologetic, Black-girl self.' - The New York Times'Somebody's Daughter stands out as one of the BEST memoirs of 2021.' - BookRiot'Perhaps the greatest contribution Ford makes is to offer her story ? written in the most lively and lucid prose ? in its most raw and unabridged form...By telling her truth so honestly and authentically, Ford invites us to tell ours, too.' - The Washington Post'Ford's vulnerability on the page is an extraordinary feat, as she masterfully traces how the yearning girl she once was became the empowered woman she is today.' - Esquire'Ford executes her task with both unstinting honesty and rare tenderness toward the deeply flawed, but steadfast, circle of adults who raised her. The resulting portraits, of her mother and grandmother, in particular, are remarkably vivid and humane, haunting the reader long after one has closed the book's pages...' - LA Review of Books'Gorgeous, profoundly moving, and historically important ? by a terrific writer.' - Min Jin Lee, author of the New York Times bestseller and National Book Award Finalist Pachinko'Armed with the insight and lessons from her youth, the author emerged as a bright young college student who learned to love herself for who she was and who she has yet to become.' - The New York Journal Review of Books'With a lucidity that is almost a superpower, [Ford] transports us into her singular experience of growing up poor and Black and female in Fort Wayne, Ind.' - People magazine, Book of the Week'A radiant coming-of-age memoir.' - Oprah Daily'Layering in the complexities of her relationship with her mother, her changing body and a boyfriend who grows abusive, Ford offers a heart-wrenching coming-of-age story' - Time

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Book SynopsisIn his first full-length autobiography, comedy legend and national treasure Billy Connolly reveals the truth behind his windswept and interesting life.Born in a tenement flat in Glasgow in 1942, orphaned by the age of 4, and a survivor of appalling abuse at the hands of his own family, Billy's life is a remarkable story of success against all the odds.Billy found his escape first as an apprentice welder in the shipyards of the River Clyde. Later he became a folk musician - a 'rambling man' - with a genuine talent for playing the banjo. But it was his ability to spin stories, tell jokes and hold an audience in the palm of his hand that truly set him apart.As a young comedian Billy broke all the rules. He was fearless and outspoken - willing to call out hypocrisy wherever he saw it. But his stand-up was full of warmth, humility and silliness too. His startling, hairy 'glam-rock' stage appearance - wearing leotards, scissor suits and banana boots - only added to his appeal.It was an appearance on Michael Parkinson's chat show in 1975 - and one outrageous story in particular - that catapulted Billy from cult hero to national star. TV shows, documentaries, international fame and award-winning Hollywood movies followed. Billy's pitch-perfect stand-up comedy kept coming too - for over 50 years, in fact - until a double diagnosis of cancer and Parkinson's Disease brought his remarkable live performances to an end. Since then he has continued making TV shows, creating extraordinary drawings... and writing.Windswept and Interesting is Billy's story in his own words. It is joyfully funny - stuffed full of hard-earned wisdom as well as countless digressions on fishing, farting and the joys of dancing naked. It is an unforgettable, life-affirming story of a true comedy legend.'I didn't know I was Windswept and Interesting until somebody told me. It was a friend who was startlingly exotic himself. He'd just come back from Kashmir and was all billowy shirt and Indian beads. I had long hair and a beard and was swishing around in electric blue flairs.He said: "Look at you - all windswept and interesting!"I just said: "Exactly!"After that, I simply had to maintain my reputation...'Trade ReviewBilly Connolly's long and vivid life makes for a joyous memoir * The Big Issue *There are a lot of laughs and love in the book, but a great grimness to it as well. * The I *This is everything a celebrity autobiography should be and more. * Scottish Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisA memoir that combines political commentary with personal and national history.

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Book Synopsis‘A beautiful book’ Zoë Ball ‘My father was an “ordinary man”, which of course means he was extraordinary.' Be it as Nicky Hutchinson in Our Friends In The North, Maurice in The A Word, or his reinvention of Doctor Who, One man, in life and death, has accompanied Christopher Eccleston every step of the way – his father, Ronnie. In I Love the Bones of You, Eccleston unveils a vivid portrait of a relationship that has shaped his entire career trajectory – mirroring and defining his own highs and lows, from stage and screen triumph to breakdown, anorexia and self-doubt. Eccleston describes how the tightening grip of  dementia on his father slowly blinded him to his son’s existence, forcing a new and final chapter in their connection. Told with trademark honesty and openness, I Love the Bones of You is a celeTrade Review‘We know what to expect from the autobiographies of most actors, I think: anecdotes, charm, more than mild self-satisfaction and faux-modesty by the bucketload. But Christopher Eccleston is not most actors, and his autobiography is not most autobiographies. This is a superb book, full of revelations, as intense and tortured as its writer and not an easy ride at all.’ -- Marcus Berkmann * Daily Mail *‘The book I’d most like to find under my tree is Christopher Eccleston’s memoir I Love the Bones of You, which talks about his beloved dad and Christopher’s history of anorexia and depression. He was a guest on my show and made such an impact.’ -- Lorraine Kelly * Woman & Home *‘The actors book prompted headlines because he writes of his struggle with anorexia but it is about so much more, particularly his relationship with his father, which has shaped his entire career. A million miles from the usual celebrity memoir.’ -- Books of the Year * Mail On Sunday *

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Book SynopsisBillion-Dollar Visionary to Heartbroken Survivor: Loren Ridinger's Untold Story of Love, Loss, and Finding Strength to Thrive Again

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Book Synopsis'Haunting, brave, breathtakingly beautiful' Isabella Tree'Magnificent' Boston TranscriptHenry Beston planned to spend only two weeks in his newly built cottage on the outer beach of Cape Cod. As summer drifted into autumn, however, he found himself so entranced by the landscape's rhythms and beauty that he could not bear to leave.Settled in his isolated house facing the North Atlantic, Beston spent a year immersed in the raw, elemental life of the great beach around him. Observing the migrations of seabirds, savage winter storms and the constantly shifting interactions between sea and shore, he wrote of the passing seasons in ecstatic, riveting detail.A highly influential classic of American nature writing, The Outermost House is a vital precursor to today's masters of the genre. Impassioned and richly layered, it is a matchless evocation of the spirit of a place and the enduring appeal of the wild.Part of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe.Introduced by Philip Hoare.Henry Beston (1888-1968) was born in Quincy, Massachusetts and educated at Harvard. He wrote many books in his lifetime, including a memoir of his years in the volunteer ambulance corps in the First World War, an account of life in the US Navy and a book of fairy tales. The Outermost House, widely considered his masterpiece, was published in 1928. His Cape Cod house was named a National Literary Landmark in 1964, and it was destroyed by a huge winter storm in 1978.Philip Hoare is the author of eleven works of non-fiction. His book Leviathan or, The Whale won the 2009 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction. He has since published many sea-themed works, including The Sea Inside, RISINGTIDEFALLINGSTAR and, most recently, William Blake and the Sea Monsters of Love.

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Book Synopsis____________ ‘A beautiful memoir of one small plot of land and one complex human mind.’ Amy Liptrot, author of The Outrun ‘So many readers will find themselves in these pages.’ Katherine May, author of Wintering ‘A timely reflection on what it means to be human, and the redemptive power of nature.’ Charlotte Philby ___________ When we find ourselves lost, we all need something to hold on to – to hope for… After moving to a countryside smallholding, Rebecca Schiller finds her family's new life is far from simple. Overwhelmed by what she has taken on and reeling from the turmoil in the wider world, her mind begins to unravel. And so she turns to her two acres, and to the women of this land's past, searching for answers and hope. Here, she stumbles on a wild space where she begins to uncover the hidden layers of her plot's history – and of herself. As a new year arrives, offering a life-changing diagnosis of ADHD and neurodivergence and then a global crisis, the smallholding has become her anchor and her family's shelter – a way to keep herself earthed. *** 'When you think about ADHD . . . do you picture a woman in the bucolic English countryside, raising her children along with an assortment of animals and vegetables? Why not?' Salon.com  ‘So good – tender and penetrating and beautiful – that I just want to tell everyone.’ Lucy Mangan ‘A stunner. Full of wisdom about the world we are all looking at with new eyes.’ Emma Freud ‘A powerfully confessional memoir that excavates important truths about our lives, our selves and our dreams – and what happens when we have to let go.’ Clover Stroud, author of My Wild and Sleepless Nights ‘Incredibly bold, brave, poetic and absolutely beautiful. The "how I moved to a field and had a breakdown book" that desperately needed to be written.’ Sophie Heawood, author of The Hungover Games ‘A book that will reshape how you view the world.’ Kerri ni Dochartaigh, author of Thin Places ‘A much-needed story of resilience drawing on the histories of the people who have gone before and to whom this land once belonged.’ Dr Pragya Agarwal, author of Sway ‘A deeply moving, gritty memoir of hope, disenchantment and unravelling that reads like a song.’ Laetitia Maklouf, author of The Five-Minute Garden ‘Earthed speaks to the struggles of holding on during dark days and the power of hope in hard times.’ Rob Cowen, author of Common Ground

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Book SynopsisSince her death in 2011, the legendary Surrealist Leonora Carrington has been reconstructed and reinvented many times over. In this book, Gabriel Weisz Carrington draws on remembered conversations and events to demythologise his mother, revealing the woman and the artist behind the iconic persona.He travels between Leonora’s native England and adopted homeland of Mexico, making stops in New York and Paris and meeting some of the remarkable figures she associated with, from Max Ernst and André Breton to Remedios Varo and Alejandro Jodorowsky. At the same time, he strives to depict a complex and very real Surrealist creator, exploring Leonora not simply in relation to her romantic partners or social milieus but as the artist she always was.A textured portrait emerges from conversations, memories, stories and Leonora’s engagement with the books that she read.Trade Review'Gabriel Weisz Carrington's gentle, grieving memoir of his mother allows us a glimpse of their extraordinary life together in Mexico City. It is a life enchanted by art and anchored by love, a wild, irreverent love for all the world's creatures, passed on from mother to son, and now, from son to reader.' Merve Emre, Associate Professor of English, University of Oxford'Gabriel Weisz Carrington’s intense memoir of his mother explores her inner life as both artist and writer. He reveals the range of her experiments with the magical and the esoteric as well as her profound and sometimes dangerous quest to plumb the mysteries of manifest creation.' Marina Warner, writer and cultural historian'To spend time with this book is to spend time with Leonora Carrington — a pure delight from start to finish.' Viktor Wynd, author of The UnNatural History Museum'An enchanting portrait of what it was like to grow up as Leonora’s son — here, too, as in some of her paintings, the domestic and the fantastical are tightly, wonderfully, intertwined.' Chloe Aridjis, author of Sea Monsters 'One can never know enough about Leonora Carrington. Through a wealth of fascinating vignettes, Gabriel Weisz captures the magic and mystery of her inimitable persona.' Homero Aridjis, author of Eyes to See Otherwise ‘A touching account of a continuous conversation, The invisible painting sheds light on the extraordinary life of Leonora Carrington from a witness able to share his lived experience and give emotional texture to her biography and creative processes.' Francesco Manacorda, Artistic Director, V-A-C Foundation ‘Utterly exhilarating and poetically accurate. A vital addition to Leonora Carrington studies. The invisible painting wilfully debunks existing myths around the official Carrington family narrative. The preface by Jonathan P. Eburne also paints a glowing portrait of Gabriel Weisz Carrington as someone “deliciously weird” – a creative intellectual in his own right.’ Catriona McAra, author of The medium of Leonora Carrington'This is a moving portrait, tinged with palpable grief. Yet its abiding spirit is joyful: Leonora emerges as a character exuding the same magic and puckish vision that imbues her writing and painting.'Francesca Wade, RA Magazine -- .Table of ContentsPreface by Jonathan EburneMy memoir of Leonora Carrington

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Book SynopsisAn American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book-Israel Fishman Nonfiction AwardA 2024 Michigan Notable BookBest Nonfiction Books of the Year-Kirkus ReviewsBest Books of the Year-Apple BooksTIME''s Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2023 San Francisco Chronicle''s Highly Anticipated Books to Put on Your Radar This Fall 2023 Washington Post''s Books to Read This Fall 2023 Eater''s Best Food Books to Read 2023 Lambda Literary Review''s October''s Most Anticipated LGBTQIA+ LiteratureNineteen eighties Detroit was a volatile place to live, but above the fray stood a safe haven: Chung''s Cantonese Cuisine, where anyone-from the city''s first Black mayor to the local drag queens, from a big-time Hollywood star to elderly Jewish couples-could sit down for a warm, home-cooked meal. Here was where, beneath a bright-red awning and surrounded by his multigenerational family, filmmaker and activist Curtis Chin came of age; where he learned to embrace his identity as a gay ABC, or American-born Chinese; where he navigated the divided city''s spiralling misfortunes; and where-between helpings of almond boneless chicken, sweet-and-sour pork, and some of his own, less-savoury culinary concoctions-he realized just how much he had to offer to the world, to his beloved family, and to himself.Served up by the cofounder of the Asian American Writers'' Workshop and structured around the very menu that graced the tables of Chung''s, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant is both a memoir and an invitation: to step inside one boy''s childhood oasis, scoot into a vinyl booth, and grow up with him-and perhaps even share something off the secret menu.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**OUT NOW: WHAT LIES BURIED. THE SENSATIONAL NEW BOOK BY KERRY DAYNES**'Enthralling and terrifying. The Dark Side of the Mind is a chilling glimpse into a world of miscreants, monsters and the misunderstood.' Professor Dame Sue Black, author of the Sunday Times bestseller All That Remains'A stunning, insightful, provocative piece of work. Wonderfully written and full of honesty. A powerful excavation of the world of a forensic psychologist.' Barbara Machin, creator and writer of Waking The Dead 'Kerry Daynes delves into the minds of psychopaths in a fascinating memoir.' Katya Edwards, Daily Mail 'Daynes offers fascinating insights into what makes criminals tick and how they might be more effectively treated. Her book is funny, wise and thoroughly gripping.' Jake Kerridge, writer and critic 'Grimly fascinating - a timely and gripping exploration of mental health issues in the criminal justice system from an author intimately acquainted with its dark heart.' Harriet Tyce, author of Blood Orange 'Kerry Daynes writes with knowledgeable insight on a side of people - and the criminal system that purports to treat them - that many would prefer to leave alone. The humour and psychological skills that have enabled her survival shine through.' Jessica Fellowes, author of The Mitford Murders Welcome to the world of the forensic psychologist, where the people you meet are wildly unpredictable and often frightening. The job: to delve into the psyche of convicted men and women to try to understand what lies behind their often brutal actions. Follow in the footsteps of Kerry Daynes, one of the most sought-after forensic psychologists in the business and consultant on major police investigations. Kerry's job has taken her to the cells of maximum-security prisons, police interview rooms, the wards of secure hospitals and the witness box of the court room. Her work has helped solve a cold case, convict the guilty and prevent a vicious attack. Spending every moment of your life staring into the darker side of life comes with a price. Kerry's frank memoir gives an unforgettable insight into the personal and professional dangers in store for a female psychologist working with some of the most disturbing men and women. If you enjoyed Unnatural Causes, When the Dogs Don't Bark and Prison Doctor you'll love Kerry's gripping account of her experience as a forensic psychologist.Trade ReviewGrimly fascinating - a timely and gripping exploration of mental health issues in the criminal justice system from an author intimately acquainted with its dark heart. * Harriet Tyce, author of Blood Orange *Kerry Daynes writes with knowledgeable insight, lending her personal and professional experience to a side of people - and the criminal system that purports to treat them - that many would prefer to leave alone. The humour and psychological skills that have enabled her survival shine through, showing us not only the desperate need for a humane response to crime and criminals but also how urgently the governance around them must be rehabilitated. * Jessica Fellowes, author of The Mitford Murders *A most complete account of the experience of working with others as a forensic psychologist. It's written with compassion and the unavoidable self-discovery of professional and personal development . A powerful book that would be useful to anyone who regularly encounters other people in their lives. * Dr Emma Short, Director of the National Centre for Cyberstalking Research *

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Book SynopsisThe story behind the hit Netflix documentary: The bestselling account of the bond between brothers and the shocking legacy of a dangerous mother.Imagine waking up one day to discover that you have forgotten everything about your life. Your only link with the past, your only hope for the future, is your identical twin.Now imagine, years later, discovering that your twin had not told you the whole truth about your childhood, your family, and the forces that had shaped you. Why the secrets? Why the silences? You have no choice but to begin again.This has been Alex's reality: a world where memories are just the stories people tell you, where fact and fiction are impossible to distinguish. With dogged courage he has spent years hunting for the truth about his hidden past and his remarkable family. His quest to understand his true identity has revealed shocking betrayals and a secret tragedy, extraordinary triumph over crippling adversity and, above all, redemption founded on brotherly love.Marcus his twin brother has sometimes been a reluctant companion on this journey, but for him too it has led to staggering revelations and ultimately the shedding of impossible burdens. Their story spans continents and eras, from 1950s debutantes and high society in the Home Counties to a remote island in the Pacific and 90s raves. Disturbing, funny, heart-breaking and affirming, Alex and Marcus's determination to rebuild their lives makes us look afresh at how we choose to tell our stories.Trade ReviewA relevatory memoir http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jul/31/tell-me-who-am-lewis-review * Guardian *'Beautifully written, it poses key questions about selfhood and honesty'. * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisThis is the autobiography of Air Marshal Sir Christopher Charles Cotton Coville KCB, FRAeS.

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Book SynopsisAs read on BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week'Moving, intellectual and unsentimental. I think it will become a classic' Melvyn Bragg'Thoughtful, subtle, elegantly clever and oddly joyous, Every Third Thought is beautiful' Kate Mosse In 1995, at the age of forty-two, Robert McCrum suffered a dramatic and near-fatal stroke. Since that life-changing event, McCrum has lived in the shadow of death, unavoidably aware of his own mortality. And now, in his sixties, he is noticing a change: his friends are joining him there. Death has become his contemporaries’ every third thought.And so, with the words of McCrum’s favourite authors as travel companions, Every Third Thought takes us on a journey towards death itself. This is a deeply personal book of reflection and conversation – with brain surgeons, psychologists, hospice workers and patients, writers and poets, and it confronts an existential question: in a world where we have learnt to live well at all costs, can we make peace with dying?Trade ReviewThoughtful, subtle, elegantly clever and oddly joyous, Every Third Thought is beautiful and - most of all - true -- Kate Mosse, author of LabyrinthEvery Third Thought is an important book, and one that brings death into the light, uncovering both the losses we have to endure, as well as the gifts we can receive if we are open to it. Profoundly moving and fascinating. It is a gem. -- Julia Samuel, author of Grief WorksAs an assemblage of great quotes and prompts for further reading, Every Third Thought rivals DJ Enright's anthology The Oxford Book of Death. McCrum adds striking metaphors of his own. -- Blake Morrison * Guardian *A wry and reflective treatise on mortality . . . fascinating and paradoxically enjoyable -- Roger Lewis * The Times *We have to think about death, and talk about it, perhaps rather more than we do. And if that’s so, there can be no better guide than a wise, humane and battered-about writer like McCrum. He has thought deeply, talked widely, read voraciously and experienced much . . . by the time I had finished this book, I had a silly grin on my face. That was partly because it ends with a happy surprise, but more importantly because you cannot confront the meaning of death without a refreshed and more vivid understanding of the glory of being alive . . . As I closed it, having stared pretty steadily at extinction, I found myself encouraged and fortified. So, really, thank you, Robert. -- Andrew Marr * Mail on Sunday *I can't think of another writer who could display such learning and erudition with this lightness of touch. Robert McCrum seems to have read everything, but you never feel he's lecturing; rather, he is a delightful and amused companion. The subject of Every Third Thought is so serious, yet it's illuminated by such humanity and flashes of wit that the reader closes it feeling oddly comforted. Only a writer in total command of his subject could present all this so deftly. Every Third Thought is a constant source of wisdom and interest . . . a gem -- Cressida ConnollyMarvellous . . . Every Third Thought is a reminder of the shadows on the grass, even at this time of year; that we shouldn’t be afraid of them, that in time they will come to enfold us all . . . McCrum's book shows us that we should grab all the living moments and live in them, while we are here. * Scotsman *A wonderful book, so personal that it holds you in its grip -- Rabbi Julia NeubergerA jewel of a book: our most profound thoughts, gracefully shaped . . . thoughtful, humane and full of warmth -- David BodanisEvery Third Thought is simply stunning: a brilliant, wise, compassionate and consoling account of death and dying in a secular age. McCrum moves seamlessly from personal testimonies to medical case studies to recent developments in neuroscience. He asks profound philosophical questions about mortality, finitude and the unknown. A uniquely beautiful and significant book -- Joanna Kavenna, author of The Ice Museum Reading McCrum's book, with its jaunty, gentle, meandering style, is like going on a country ramble with an exquisitely knowledgeable yet modest friend, discussing the meaning of life. Although it's a slender work on a well-worn subject, it would be hard to find a more agreeable or erudite companion for the journey along the road towards life's inevitable dead end. * Literary Review *Both intensely personal and coolly objective . . . McCrum carries us with him on a tour d'horizon that is witty, companionable and compulsively readable. And in the final pages comes a twist to make the heart soar: evidence that however bleak, however short the time left, it is never too late to be surprised by joy -- Maggie Fergusson * Spectator *Engaging and honest... A narrative full of vigour, even (sometimes) black humour... It is like wandering around with a wise peer, eavesdropping on his conversations and enjoying his literary quotations. With the distinguished British neurologist Andrew Lees, he discusses the death-in-life that is Alzheimer’s disease and continues this theme with world-famous brain surgeon (and bestselling author of Do No Harm) Henry Marsh -- Bel Mooney * Daily Mail *A beautifully contemplative account of what it means to be dying, as we all are, in the midst of life . . . a deep and engaged set of questions and ruminations . . . Strangely, by pressing so hard into his subject, he has written a book that is lifted and lightened with affirmation of life. There is not a single story that he tells, no matter how grave, that is not made joyous by the fine attention of his writing and its judicious and intelligent use of quotation and literary and scientific material . . . In McCrum’s book, the quotations, poetry and information collated are part of the weave of its fabric. It’s why his story has such lift and reach. It is never just about Robert McCrum thinking about death. It becomes a continuation of a great discussion that has been taking place since the beginning of recorded culture. -- Kirsty Gunn * New Statesman *Robert McCrum's elegant series of essays captures that sense of inevitability and surprise that comes into any discussion of mortality . . . He is an impeccable stylist . . . The book is graciously about others as much as it is about himself . . . It is also a work of literary criticism, examining the ways in which our anxieties about ageing and dying have been represented in prose and poetry. McCrum is admirably eclectic in his tastes here . . . This eloquent book shows that it is not just philosophy that "teaches us to die well," but literature - and more than that, a common humanity. -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *McCrum's investigative spirit takes hold and keeps pathos at bay . . . This is a brave book, which faces what most of us avoid thinking about, and it even manages a joke. -- John Carey * Sunday Times *An unflinching exploration of [McCrum's] own mortality and that of other people. It draws on personal experience, the testimony of friends, the works of great writers, and interviews with experts in medicine and psychotherapy, melded together in an engaging conversational style . . . McCrum’s bravery in staring into the abyss cannot be overestimated; reading his book inevitably brings moments of terror. But Every Third Thought has something positive to offer, too. The approach of death can reveal extraordinary reserves of courage and heighten people’s appreciation of the world around them. * Economist *And enthralling, wise and very necessary read * Radio Times *Moving, intellectual and unsentimental. I think it will become a classic -- Melvyn Bragg, New Statesman, Books of the Year 2017Every Third Thought – part autobiography, part meditations on death, part interviews – is seasoned by telling references to a wide range of literature. It is moving, intellectual and unsentimental. I think it will become a classic. -- Melvyn Bragg * New Statesman *McCrum writes with elegance and candour about the question of mortality salience. * New Statesman *

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Book Synopsis''Sharply intelligent . . . a consoling and enraging book'' - Sarah Moss, author of The Fell''Enters the ED disourse like a red-bound blaze of light'' - VogueIn Dead Weight, Emmeline Clein fuses her own experience of disordered eating with social commentary told through the stories of other women famous figures from across time and popular culture, and girls she''s known and loved and traces the medical and cultural history of anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia and binge eating disorder.In writing that's electric, fierce and endlessly curious, Clein investigates the economic conditions underpinning our eating disorder epidemic, grapples with the myriad ways disordered eating has affected her own friendships and romantic relationships, and illuminates how today''s feminism has been complicit in disordered eating culture. Through it all, she challenges the accepted narratives women absorb every day about themselves, revealing the dangerous messages that connect female worth to inhabiting an ever-smaller form.Galvanizing readers against disordered eating, Clein imagines a world where we allow ourselves to listen to our appetites and fight back against these diseases of self-destruction. In an age of appetite suppression, it is far past time for a book like Dead Weight.

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Book SynopsisFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a true story of two deeply troubled boys both in need of a loving home.This is the sixth title in the series.The Watsons are astonished when they answer their front door to find their case worker with a small boy on the doorstep. Jenson is just nine years old. He was removed from his home thirty minutes earlier when it was discovered his mother had left him at home while she went on holiday with her boyfriend.A couple of weeks later Casey is in for a second shock when she is asked to take a second nine-year-old boy, Georgie. Georgie is autistic and has been in a children's home since he was a toddler. The home is closing and social services need somewhere temporary for him to stay. With her own grown up son, Kieron, having Asperger's (a mild form of autism), Casey knows this is one child she cannot say no to.The relationship between Jenson and Georgie is difficult from the outset. Jenson is rebellious and full of attitude and he kicks off at anything, constantly winding Georgie up. Georgie doesn't cope well with change and is soon in a permanent state of stress. Despite Casey's best efforts, her innate love for the children is being tested and she begins to question if she can handle Jenson's cruelty.But overtime it becomes clear that the boys have formed an unlikely bond. Could this be the solution to all of their troubles?

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Book SynopsisA letter is handed to you. In broken English, it tells you that you must now vacate your farm; that this is no longer your home, for it now belongs to the crowd on your doorstep. Then the drums begin to beat.'As the land invasions gather pace, the Retzlaffs begin an epic journey across Zimbabwe, facing eviction after eviction, trying to save the group of animals with whom they feel a deep and enduring bond the horses.When their neighbours flee to New Zealand, the Retzlaffs promise to look after their horses, and making similar promises to other farmers along their journey, not knowing whether they will be able to feed or save them, they amass an astonishing herd of over 300 animals. But the final journey to freedom will be arduous, and they can take only 104 horses.Each with a different personality and story, it is not just the family who rescue the horses, but the horses who rescue the family. Grey, the silver gelding: the leader. Brutus, the untamed colt. Princess, the temperamentalTrade Review‘The dramatic narrative of their dangerous journey … gives this epic its nail-biting edge. The horses, each with its own character, are the stars’ The Times ‘Brutally honest and often grisly, One Hundred and Four Horses […] remains a powerful story of loss, desperation and, above all, hope. More than just a memoir, […] the story is gripping, moving and disturbing all at once.’ Horse and Hound

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Book SynopsisINSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In this funny and honest feel-good memoir, social media star Kacie Rose offers a refreshingly honest take on navigating a new life abroad.In 2021, Kacie decided to leave her life as a pro dancer in New York City and move to Italy and she never looked back. Okay, that isn''t strictly true In You Deserve Good Gelato, Kacie reflects on everything from travel fails and homesickness to the joy of culture shocks and the power of doing the s*** that scares you. Because life is too short not to.In this joyful memoir, you will find: Personal essays that tell Kacie's story and empower you to challenge yourself A candid outlook on life as an expat, covering everything from the terror of driving on Italian roads to the trials of speaking a new language and the genuine beauty of a slower pace of life Inspirational quotes that encourage you to step out of your comfort zone By sharing her personal stories of life under the Tuscan sun, Kacie explains how travel is a privilege, why cultural differences are the coolest things in the world, and how there''s a positive you can take away from literally any situation. You Deserve Good Gelato will have you taking the leap and embracing this big beautiful world that we call home.New York Times Bestseller - June 2024

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Book SynopsisUnmastered is groundbreaking, incisive and moving. Exploring desire and pleasure, grief and pain, it underlines the importance and difficulties of speaking desire as a woman. How do we explore sexuality on our own terms, and find language for our desires, when desire and language are always social? Applying an unflinching gaze to her own life, Katherine Angel has created, in prose both stark and lyrical, a searching and erotic work shifting in meaning and resonance even as it is read.Trade ReviewProvocative and profoundly personal . . . it's hard to overestimate the riskiness of these passages, their courage and their exquisite sensuality . . . Unmastered is a giddily joyful book . . . days after reading its images linger in the mind . . . an elegant and uplifting journey -- Olivia Laing * Observer *Unmastered is written with an honesty so defiantly pure it amounts to an act of cultural resistance -- Adam Foulds, author of the Booker Prize-shortlisted The Quickening MazeI think the highest compliment you can pay any book is that it is unafraid. Angel's fiercely intelligent and moving memoir of sexuality and desire is a challenging, vital work -- Sam Byers, Best Books of 2012 * Book Keeping *A moving and memorable read * Huffington Post Books of 2013 *

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Book SynopsisRadio 4 Today presenter and national treasure John Humphrys' funny and engaging memoir of building a home in Greece with his son Christopher.Trade Reviewa very funny tome * Daily Telegraph *hilarious * Daily Mail *a profoundly instructive course in the idiosyncrasies of Greek law, custom and culture...entertainingly chronicled * Saga *A sparky, funny, exasperated story that brings Humphrys and his family together in trying but also tender circumstances. * Iain Finlayson, Times *'John Humphrys was born to be combative... His cellist son Christopher acts as a gentle foil. Between them they amusingly blend the genres of misery memoir and Mediterranean escapist idyll * FT Weekend *Entertaining * The Lady *hilarious * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisJoe Sacco, one of the world's foremost cartoonists, is widely hailed as the creator of war-reportage comics. He is the author of Palestine, Safe Area Gorazde, The Fixer, Notes from a Defeatist , Footnotes in Gaza and Journalism, all published by Jonathan Cape.Trade ReviewSacco is formidably talented. A meticulous reporter... and a gifted artist whose richly nuanced drawings tread a delicate path between cartoonishness and naturalism * Independent *Sacco's greatest achievement is to have so poignantly depicted oppression and horror in a form that manages to be both disarming and disquieting * Observer *One of the most original cartoonists of the past two decades * Guardian *It is clear that Sacco is one of the masters of his craft * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisExtraordinarily powerful' Emma ThompsonThere are a million love stories, and a million stories of addiction. This one is transcendent.Louisa Young met Robert Lockhart when they were both 17. Their stop-start romance lasted decades, in which time he became a celebrated composer and she, an acclaimed novelist.This is both a compelling portrait of a lifelong love affair, and an incredibly affecting guide to how the partner of a ''charismatic, infuriating, adorable, self-sabotaging' alcoholic can find the strength to survive when the disease rips both their lives apart.Rich and moving and beautifully written' The TimesSpectacular. I can't stop thinking about it' Cathy RentzenbrinkExtraordinarily candid' Evening StandardBeautiful, and heartbreaking, and true' Sam Baker, The PoolMoving, harrowing and tirelessly empathetic' Daily ExpressTrade Review‘Rich and moving and beautifully written’ The Times ‘Bloody hell. It is an extraordinarily powerful and moving work – for all. Especially those of us who know alcoholics who can’t not be that. An achingly beautiful book which I devoured in two sittings. Amazing’ Emma Thompson ‘Spectacular. I can’t stop thinking about it. Louisa Young is a beautiful, beautiful writer and there is great courage and love in the way she addresses her subject. It’s the portrait of a man and his times and his illness told with love but also with an unflinching honesty that feels like a great gift to the reader’Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of The Last Act of Love ‘Beautiful but, yes, sobering story … it is, at heart, an old-fashioned love’ Daily Mail ‘An extraordinarily candid bereavement memoir… As much as it’s an overwhelming love letter, Young’s book is also a sobering reminder of the devastating effects of alcoholism, not just on an individual’s life, but on everyone else around them’ Evening Standard ‘The most riveting, heartbreaking book I've ever read about addiction, but above all about the nature of love. Already one of my books of the year’ Linda Grant ‘Brave, honest and beautiful’ Nicholas Lezard, Evening Standard ‘Louisa Young's memoir of her long, bruising love for musical genius Robert Lockhart is as honest as the morning after and the best account of loving against all sense since Penelope Mortimer’s The Pumpkin Eater’ Patrick Gale ‘I’m still fucking crying. And it’s such a great work of art. I wish I'd read it before I worked as a drug and alcohol counsellor’ Philippa Perry ‘Oh my God, it’s so beautiful, and heartbreaking, and true’Sam Baker, The Pool 'Had me weeping into my pillow… Anyone who has ever loved an addict will recognise most of what she has to say’ iNews ‘An important book, one that demands we rethink a culture of blame around alcoholism … moving, harrowing and tirelessly empathetic’ Daily Express

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERIn her powerful memoir His Bright Light, Danielle Steel opened her heart to share the devastating story of the loss of her beloved son. In A Gift of Hope, she shows us how she transformed that pain into a campaign of service that enriched her life beyond what she could imagine.For eleven years, Danielle Steel took to the streets with a small team to help the homeless of San Francisco. She worked under cover of darkness distributing food, clothing, bedding, tools, and toiletries to the city's most vulnerable citizens. She sought no publicity for her efforts and remained anonymous throughout. Now she has chosen to tell her story to bring attention to their plight.In this unflinchingly honest and deeply moving memoir, the famously private author speaks out publicly for the first time about her work among the most desperate members of society. She offers achingly acute portraits of the people she met Trade ReviewA must read for all fans * Bella *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE BARBELLION PRIZE 2021 'A manifesto for recalibrating' DAILY MAIL 'I can’t think of many books where the reader feels so passionately on the side of the narrator' GUARDIAN 'A profound redefinition of the very idea of vitality' FINANCIAL TIMES Josie George lives in a tiny terraced house in the urban West Midlands with her son. Since her early childhood, she has lived with the fluctuating and confusing challenge of disabling chronic illness. But Josie’s world is surprising, intricate, dynamic. She has learned what to look for: the routines of her friends at the community centre; the neighbourhood birds in flight; the slow changes in the morning light, in her small garden, in her growing son, in herself. In January 2018, Josie sets out to tell the story of her still life, over the course of a year. As the seasons shift, and the tides of her body draw in and out, Josie begins to unfurl her history. And against a world which values progress and productivity above all else, Josie sets out a quietly radical alternative: to value and treasure life for life itself, with all its great and small miracles. 'Full of kindness, A Still Life will make you a better person' CLARE MACKINTOSH 'A Still Life is joy-lit: vivid, lovestruck, hopeful and wise' MELISSA HARRISON 'Josie George is the kind of writer I strive to be ... A tough, tender, beautiful book about existing in a body in the world' ELLA RISBRIDGER 'Could not be more timely ... An immensely talented writer' LINDA GRANT Trade ReviewInspiring ... How fragile we are, she notes, how fleeting our joys ... Describes a way of living now familiar to many of us -- TRACEY THORNE * New Statesman *A moving account of living with a chronic illness * Independent *In all honesty, I've never come across a new writer with more to offer the world -- MELISSA HARRISONA profound redefinition of the very idea of vitality * Financial Times *Audacious, exuberant ... I can’t think of many books where the reader feels so passionately on the side of the narrator * Guardian *A Still Life is that rarest of things: a memoir that reads like a novel. In a world where we are continually made to think bigger is better, Josie reminds us of the joy to be found from a small, quiet life. Full of kindness, A Still Life will make you a better person -- CLARE MACKINTOSHThis book would always have found a loyal readership – its vivid prose and meticulous, kindly candour ensure it. But coming now, at a time when record numbers have been struggling with their own ill-health and when many more have been forced to slow down, it feels like a manifesto for recalibrating * Daily Mail *Could not be more timely ... Josie is an immensely talented writer and thinker who sees a world in a grain of sand and we're all made richer for it ... I hope it’s a bestseller -- LINDA GRANTJosie George is the kind of writer I strive to be: meticulous and exacting in her documenting of joy and pain, and how those are the same thing. George sees things other people miss, and that's the point: it's about noticing, about seeing, about learning to see. A tough, tender, beautiful book about existing in a body in the world. I loved it -- ELLA RISBRIDGERThis memoir feels like the book we all need right now * Good Housekeeping *An exquisitely pitched memoir of disability and living with chronic pain, but also of finding joy and wonder * Bookseller, Editor's Choice *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF WHAT I LOVED AND A WOMAN LOOKING AT MEN LOOKING AT WOMEN''Richly intelligent insights on every page'' Financial Times''A rare kind of quiet intellectual confidence'' Sunday TelegraphIn these fascinating, lively and engaging essays, Siri Hustvedt shows what lies behind her fiction: an abiding curiosity about who we are and how we got that way. Covering a wide range of subjects, from the nature of desire to false memories and the paintings of Goya, she draws on her own life and on the insights provided by both the arts and sciences to deepen our understanding of what it means to be human - to live, think and look.''There is something refreshingly straightforward about her style. It has the confidence born of complex but well digested thoughts'' ObserverPRAISE FOR SIRI HUSTVEDT:''Hustvedt is that rare artist, a writer oTrade ReviewHer erudition, the sharp clarity of her thinking, the variety of her sources and the supple ways in which she weaves them into personal narrative, coupled with her fearlessness in the face of those aspects of the human condition which are of necessity ambiguous, infuse her work with a rare kind of quiet intellectual confidence...I'll be returning to these essays. * Melanie McGrath, Sunday Telegraph *richly intelligent insights on every page * George Pendle, Financial Times *Siri Hustvedt is best known as a novelist and her novels have received a deserved acclaim. But to my mind, she is even more to be admired as an essayist...there is something refreshingly straightforward about her style. It has the confidence born of complex but well digested thoughts and thus lacks the tendency to obfuscate that is the hallmark of the inferior thinker's style. * Salley Vikcers, Observer *...she is an inspiring guide to territory where both the humanities and the sciences can throw light on the ways in which we construct meaning in our lives. * Nick Rennison, Sunday Times, Culture *Hustvedt addresses a broad public without dumbing down her material... At once stimulating and warm-hearted, with sentences of drop-dead beauty and acuity on nearly every page. * Kirkus *Hustvedt's deep interest in art, psychology, and neuroscience shape her brilliantly insightful novels as well as her virtuoso essays...Mystery, fact, intelligence, and enchantment flourish here. * Booklist *exquisitely eloquent...You'll be by turns inspired, provoked, educated and enchanted. Her writing is scientifically precise and poetically elegant, and this intense compilation merits careful attention. It's a book you can return to time and time again. * Beatrice Hodgkin, Easy Living *These essays offer thoughts on locating morality in the brain, the origins of desire and who we are when we sleep...I suggest you take this book to your favourite corner, turn off the phone and allow yourself to be reminded of the pure pleasure of using your mind. * Clare Longrigg, Psychologies *

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Book Synopsis''Pithy and provoking, spiced with the personal'' Hilary MantelLynsey Hanley grew up part of the ''respectable working class''. At university, she discovered that social mobility is not all it seems. This book is about what it means to cross class divides, what we leave behind in order to get on, and how class affects all of us today.''There is fury contained within the pages and between the lines of Respectable ... intelligent and important'' Colin Grant, Guardian''Honest, brave and moving'' Kate Pickett, co-author of The Spirit Level''Lynsey Hanley is such a crucial voice. When she writes about class, she is writing about lived experience'' Owen Jones, New Statesman''Hanley vividly describes the risky, lonely journey she undertook from one class to another ... She is tremendous at detailing her personal transition'' Craig Brown, Mail on SundayTrade ReviewAmbitious, impressive... There is fury contained within the pages and between the lines of Respectable... an intelligent and important book that deserves to be widely read -- Colin Grant * Guardian *Hanley vividly describes the "risky, lonely journey" she undertook from one class to another... She is tremendous at detailing her personal transition -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *Why is class still so central to the experience of living in Britain? It is an urgent question, evaded through a kind of collective shame, but Lynsey Hanley approaches it with wit and passion. Respectable is pithy and provoking, spiced with the personal but solidly grounded in a lifetime's experience of analysing the world around her. It is one of those valuable books that enables the reader to re-think her past and re-experience her own life. -- Hilary MantelHonest, brave and moving, Respectable opens up the emotional experience of navigating across class boundaries in an unequal world. -- Kate Pickett, co-author of The Spirit Level

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Book SynopsisSelected as a Book of the Year 2017 in the Guardian'Maggie Nelson’s short, singular books feel pretty light in the hand... But in the head and the heart, they seem unfathomably vast, their cleverness and odd beauty lingering on' ObserverIn 1969, Jane Mixer, a first-year law student at the University of Michigan, posted a note on a student noticeboard to share a lift back to her hometown of Muskegon for spring break. She never made it: she was brutally murdered, her body found a few miles from campus the following day.The Red Parts is Maggie Nelson’s singular account of her aunt Jane’s death, and the trial that took place some 35 years afterward. Officially unsolved for decades, the case was reopened in 2004 after a DNA match identified a new suspect, who would soon be arrested and tried. In 2005, Nelson found herself attending the trial, and reflecting with fresh urgency on our relentless obsession with violence, particularly against women. Resurrecting her interior world during the trial – in all its horror, grief, obsession, recklessness, scepticism and downright confusion – Maggie Nelson has produced a work of profound integrity and, in its subtle indeterminacy, deadly moral precision.Trade ReviewA harrowing but clear-eyed examination of crime's emotional fallout -- David NichollsMaggie Nelson’s short, singular books feel pretty light in the hand... But in the head and the heart, they seem unfathomably vast, their cleverness and odd beauty lingering on...her work is blazingly intimate -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *Powerful and searingly honest * Guardian *Remarkable. I'm still reeling from its exhilarating brilliance -- Claire-Louise BennettA book-long riff on the first-person essay that Joan Didion built... Nelson eschews tidy resolution. She argues that stories are by nature imperfect – and yet she also shows us how they can become totally worthwhile * Time Out *In writing The Red Parts, Nelson has made her own box holding the fragments of many things. It’s not a beautiful object, but a valuable, coolly shimmering one, which captures the raw bewilderment that can affect a family for generations after a violent loss * San Francisco Chronicle *There is something daring in the intimacy of Nelson’s work... Her books, five works of nonfiction and four books of poetry, are light in your hands but heavy and powerful in all the nonliteral senses * New York Magazine *Nelson balances starkness with sensitivity and salvages beauty from trauma, while also perverting every strong statement – arguing, softly, against absolutes in general and her own convictions in particular…uncertainty and vulnerability are what is so special about Nelson’s writing... The result is a victim impact statement as complex and perplexing as the case itself… By bouncing everything through the prism of her strong relations; by refusing to be intimidated by originality, Nelson is a true original * Irish Times *Maggie Nelson is one of the most electrifying writers at work in America today, among the sharpest and most supple thinkers of her generation -- Olivia Laing * Guardian *Nelson is candid, funny and – for many years a poet – has a talent for compression and juxtaposition that makes for an enthralling use of language -- Paul Laity * Guardian *It’s Nelson’s articulation of her many selves – the poet who writes prose; the memoirist who considers the truth specious; the essayist whose books amount to a kind of fairy tale, in which the protagonist goes from darkness to light, and then falls in love with a singular knight – that makes her readers feel hopeful * New Yorker *Nelson’s cathartic narrative encompasses closure of unrelated events in her own life, such as mourning her dead father, dealing with a recent heartache and reconciling with her once-wayward sister. Her narrative is wrenching * Publishers Weekly *There’s no one quite like Maggie Nelson writing right now... We are lucky to have her * Bookriot *A memoir by a very cool writer – Maggie Nelson reminds me a bit of Joan Didion… Grim, but very well told. -- William Leith * Evening Standard *Nelson confronts both her own and society’s disquieting fascination with the murder of pretty white women – as well as memory of her father’s sudden death…and the way such ruptures inspire a craving for story-making, catharsis, justice and reassuringly tidy ethical lines * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisThe Vogue Factor is the former Australian Vogue Editor-in-Chief's candid account of life at the heart of the fashion industry, from photo shoots and celebrity interviews to the ugly truth behind the glamour - infighting, back-stabbing and the dangerous pursuit of beauty.This is the behind-the-scenes story of an illustrious career in fashion, from receptionist to the editor's chair. It's a life of dazzling parties, outrageous fashion and exotic travel that most people can only dream of. But behind the glossy photos is a hidden world of chaos and pressure, where girls as young as twelve starve themselves to fit into a sample size.Kirstie Clements' eye-opening account of life in fashion's fast lane has hit headlines all over the globe. Both a celebration and a critique of this extraordinary industry, The Vogue Factor is this season's must-have

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Book SynopsisIn 2010, recording artist Lil Wayne was at the height of his career. A fixture in the rap game for more than a decade, Lil Wayne (aka Weezy) had established himself as both a prolific musician and a savvy businessman, smashing long-held industry records, winning multiple Grammy Awards and signing up-and-coming talent like Drake and Nicki Minaj to his Young Money label. All of this momentum came to a halt when he was convicted of possession of a firearm and sentenced to a yearlong stay at Rikers Island. Suddenly, the artist at the top of his game was now an inmate in the American penal system.Gone 'Til November reveals the true story of what really happened while Wayne was behind bars, exploring everything from his daily rituals to his interactions with other inmates, and how he was able to keep himself motivated and grateful. Taken directly from Wayne's own journal, this intimate, personal account of his incarceration is an utterly humane look at the man behind the artist.

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Book SynopsisWhat makes us who we are? Arno Geiger's father was never an easy man to know and when he developed Alzheimer's, Arno realised he was not going to ask for help. 'As my father can no longer cross the bridge into my world, I have to go over to his.' So Arno sets out on a journey to get to know him at last. Born in 1926 in the Austrian Alps, into a farming family who had an orchard, kept three cows, and made schnapps in the cellar, his father was conscripted into World War II as a 'schoolboy soldier' - an experience he rarely spoke about, though it marked him. Striking up a new friendship, Arno walks with him in the village and the landscape they both grew up in and listens to his words, which are often full of unexpected poetry.Through his intelligent, moving and often funny account, we begin to see that whatever happens in old age, a human being retains their past and their character. Translated into nearly 30 languages, The Old King in His Exile will offer solace and insight to anyone coping with a loved one's aging.Trade Review'A wise and beautiful story of dementia and a family learning how to love.' Sally Magnusson, author of Where Memories Go: Why Dementia Changes Everything --------- 'There are books that speak directly from one person to another. The Old King in His Exile is one of them. Every life is worth living, as Arno Geiger shows in his wise and deeply moving book about his father and Alzheimer's.' Robert Seethaler, author of A Whole Life --------- 'A beautiful, entirely unsentimental book describing his father's dementia ... a superbly written book.' Denis Scheck --------- 'Apart from the decline of the author's father and how a family does and doesn't cope with it, it's also about the decline of village life and about the profound impact of war on a place.' Martin Chalmers, translator and champion of German-language writing --------- 'A profound, distinctive and timeless investigation into what concerns every one of us: aging and illness, home and family. A meditation on the things we find hard to deal with. A great work of literature about what makes life worth living no matter what.' Felicitas von Lovenberg, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung --------- 'A book about the search for a lost world, a lost home and a character presumed lost, as well as about a rediscovered relationship. A powerful, grown-up, curious, and touchingly delightful book.' Elmar Krekeler, Die Welt --------- 'A magical work. True to life and yet effortlessly artful.' Meike Fessmann, Der Tagesspiegel -------- 'Arno Geiger's extraordinary skill as an author is crystal clear in this book. He demonstrates an astonishing degree of empathy for the life of another person. A love of the people about whom he writes, a love that doesn't blinker him but frees him to see what is essential.' Judith von Sternburg, Frankfurter Rundschau --------- 'Alzheimer's forces on people the most radical version of an experience we all share in a more diluted, manageable form: that the world changes, that the conditions we know disappear, that we have to keep up and find that sometimes easy, sometimes difficult. The person with dementia can't cope with the changes any more. The justified success of Geiger's book is in part because it lets people understand this better, and so they love it.' Martin Ebel, Tages-Anzeiger ---------- 'With humility and uncanny insight, Arno Geiger shines a pure and natural light upon a subject we too often shy away from, turning it into something very positive and uplifting. This book is a gift to all of us who struggle with life and death and all its jagged edges.' Ray Mattinson, Blackwell, Oxford --------- 'A moving and revealing depiction of the reality of dementia. Told tenderly with love and respect, it is a celebration of humanity in difficult times and a testament to the importance of understanding one another.' Claire Grint, Cogito Books, Hexham --------- 'Definitely a "one sitting" read. The book engages the reader and takes them into Arno and his father's world. Sad, happy, insightful and gripping, a story that many will recognise from their own experiences.' Alan Jessop, Compass Independent Publishing Services -------- 'A deeply affecting examination of the hope to be found amidst illness and loss. Geiger writes with clear eyes and an open heart.' Marion Rankine, Foyles Charing Cross Road, London --------- 'Geiger writes about family, old age and illness with elegant poignancy and the kind of wisdom that only comes from painful experience, but there is strength and hope here too. This is writing that warms your heart even as it breaks it.' Jenny Buckland, Heywood Hill Bookshop, London --------- 'I loved everything about The Old King in His Exile and read it in one sitting. A really moving (both sad and joyous) treat.' Richard Reynolds, Heffers Bookshop, Cambridge --------- 'A love letter from a son to his father, The Old King in His Exile completely avoids sentimentalism, yet is never lacking in humour and compassion. It made me realise that the sum of a life is the whole life and not just its ending.' Claire Harris, Lutyens & Rubinstein, London --------- 'Arno Geiger invites us to share in precious time spent with his father and it feels like an honour to do so. Always honest about the brutal realities of dementia, Geiger nevertheless looks for the man and not the illness. With prose so beautifully simple yet striking it begs you to read passages aloud, I doubt there is anybody who could read this book and not be deeply moved.' Danielle Culling, Mr B's Emporium, Bath --------- 'This book is startlingly unsentimental, and yet a painful and touchingly realised picture of dementia, and the way it alters relationships between the sufferer and the people closest to them. It is incredibly relatable and emotionally provocative, but it also becomes a more general meditation on life and the continuous process of ageing.' Lewis Wood, Topping & Co, St Andrew's

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Book Synopsis‘I Found My Tribe is inspiring, humbling and a picture of what love really looks like’ Marian KeyesAn invocation to all of us to love as hard as we can, and live even harder, I Found My Tribe is an urgent and uplifting letter to a husband, family, friends, the natural world and the brightness of life.Ruth’s tribe are her lively children and her filmmaker husband, Simon, who has Motor Neurone Disease and can only communicate with his eyes. Ruth’s other ‘tribe’ are the friends who gather at the cove in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, and regularly throw themselves into the freezing cold water, just for kicks. ‘The Tragic Wives’ Swimming Club’, as they jokingly call themselves, meet to cope with the extreme challenges life puts in their way, not to mention the monster waves rolling over the horizon.‘Fitzmaurice tells her story in sparkling prose that is as sinewy as her new sea-strengthened body, and as admirable and boundless as her spirit’, Sunday Times‘Uplifting and life-affirming’ StylistTrade ReviewOne of the year’s most arresting, humbling and acute memoirs. It is a catch-in-the-throat, life-affirming work that you want to gulp down in one and recommend to all your friends. Fitzmaurice tells her story in sparkling prose that is as sinewy as her new sea-strengthened body, and as admirable and boundless as her spirit -- Helen Davies * The Sunday Times *I Found My Tribe is written with such lightness of touch that it’s life-affirming, powerfully so. Yes, sometimes I was breathless from stabs of pain, but this book reads almost like poetry. In beguiling, luminous words Ruth tells her story in a seemingly scattergun way… as the overall picture builds up like a mosaic made from shiny beautiful things… I Found My Tribe is inspiring, humbling and a picture of what love really looks like. An astonishingly beautiful book by an astonishingly beautiful person -- Marian KeyesUplifting and life-affirming, this is a manifesto to live as hard and as well as you can * Stylist *A powerful, emotional, poetic, funny, philosophical and courageous work of art ... a joyful, raw, urgent invitation to her readers to 'just dive' -- into the sea, and into life. Dive in, she urges, no matter what horrors life flings your way * Irish Times *Ruth Fitzmaurice's beautiful book is an enraptured cry at life's gifts and griefs ... Life-affirming and full of love, this book is a clarion call to live life to the full: to dive in for a swim and be brave -- Book of the Month * Psychologies Magazine *Fitzmaurice's brilliantly lyrical ear and gentle humour makes this a none-too-distant relative to the likes of Joan Didion and Cheryl Strayed * Irish Independent *A vivid and beautifully written work, that chronicles a life of joy and frustration and coping and celebration and swimming against the tide and all those points in between * RTE Guide *This debut is set to become a global bestseller -- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly meets Calendar Girls, with a splash of Roger Deakin. It is one of a number of recent books by women riding the crest of a wild-swimming wave. Fitzmaurice's memoir, though, is likely to be the one that exerts the greatest tidal pull -- Helen Davies * The Sunday Times *Deceptively simple prose, laced with clever imagery, emotional complexity and heart -- Róisín Ingle * Irish Times *A moving memoir of family life, coping with her husband's motor neurone disease and the icy joys of wild sea swimming -- Best Non-Fiction * Good Housekeeping *

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Book SynopsisThe continued adventures of the rescue dog that inspired the world - the sequel to the international bestseller, ARTHUR

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Book SynopsisFROM THE MASTER STORYTELLER WHOSE BOOKS HAVE TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF OVER 40 MILLION READERS''Mitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary'' Cecilia Ahern__________Will you do my eulogy?With those words, Mitch Albom begins a remarkable eight-year journey to honour the request of a beloved rabbi.Feeling unworthy of such a responsibility, Albom sets out to know the man better and unexpectedly finds himself drawn to two seemingly disparate worlds: Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, impoverished and well-to-do. Over the course of his exploration, he is compelled to consider life''s biggest questions.On Albom''s voyage of discovery he explores forgiveness, doubt and how to endure when the unimaginable happens. Have a Little Faith is the result: a book about the indominable strength of the human spirit and the power of genuine connection.__________WHAT READERS SAY ABOUT HAVE A LITTLE FAITrade ReviewMitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary -- Cecilia AhernPowerful . . . Albom has touched the lives of a lot of people he never even knew * Time *Compelling and uplifting * Independent *A writer with soul * Los Angeles Times *Albom breaks hearts with his stories * Mirror *

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Book SynopsisI have been exiled from my body. I was ejected at a very young age and I got lost.Playwright, author and activist Eve Ensler has devoted her life to the female body - how to talk about it, how to protect and value it. Yet she spent many years disassociated from her own - a disconnection brought on by her father''s sexual abuse and her mother''s remoteness.While working in the Congo, Ensler is shattered to encounter the horrific rape and violence inflicted on the women there. Soon after, she is diagnosed with uterine cancer, and through months of treatment she is forced to become first and foremost a body - pricked, punctured, cut, scanned. It is then that all distance is erased. As she connects her own illness to the devastation of the earth, her life force to the resilience of humanity, she is finally, fully - and gratefully - joined to the body of the world.Trade ReviewA masterpiece. Ensler has accomplished the impossible: weaving together huge, bold, world-changing ideas with beautiful writing, amazing metaphors, and original structure. Truly one of the most courageous and original works of our time. * Naomi Klein *Raw and powerful . . . unforgettable * the New York Times *The passion of her writing rattles your soul. This is true literature and true activism * Isabel Allende *Inspiring and courageously candid . . . a powerful and profound book * Huffington Post *Extraordinary . . . necessary . . . [an] intense, riveting memoir * Boston Globe *Eve Ensler's memoir is not only wild and raw and incredibly important, it's also that rarest of achievements - a compulsively readable, stunningly rendered work of art that delivers hope and truth, challenge and solace, sometimes simultaneously * Alexandra Fuller *This book is a ride, a river ride through rapids and depths and shallows, dried-up eddies, whirlpools and torrents, crystal-clear pools and the vast ocean at the end. What a thrill and what a spear through the heart. I am astounded by the honesty and clarity of each word * Elizabeth Lesser *Ensler has written a profound and vulnerable book, full of tenderness and strength. I was amazed by the clarity of her vision and the power of her message about the body and self. This book isn't meant only for patients; it is meant for anyone whose life has intersected with illness - in short, for all of us. * Siddhartha Mukherjee *Stunning * Chicago Tribune *Moving . . . What Anne Lamott's Operating Instructions did for anxious new mothers, Ensler's memoir does for women who are fighting cancer or may fight it one day * Entertainment Weekly *I dare anyone to read In the Body of the World without crying, without crying out, without getting up and rising to this beautiful broken world with awe and gratitude. There is no pity here, only the raw force of courage in the face of fear and violence, and the healing grace of honesty * Terry Tempest Williams *Powerful and satisfying . . . Ensler writes with verve and urgency about dealing with disease, facing her demons, and repairing relationships * More *Astonishing * Mary Oliver *

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Book SynopsisA nostalgic look at life growing up in the 1940s

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Book Synopsis_________________Winner of the Guild of Food Writers General Cookbook Award 2020_________________A manual for living and a declaration of hope' Nigella LawsonBeautiful, life-affirming memoir with recipes ... The most talented British debut writer in a generation' - Sunday Times''Brave and moving ... as effective as a manual for life as it is as a kitchen companion'' - Shamil Thakrar, co-founder of Dishoom_________________There are lots of ways to start a story, but this one begins with a chicken.Because one night, Ella found herself lying on her kitchen floor, wondering if she would ever get up and it was the thought of a chicken, of roasting it, and of eating it, that got her to her feet and made her want to be alive.Midnight Chicken is the story of Ella's life in a Tiny Flat, and the food she cooked there. From roast garlic and tomato soup to charred leek lasagne or burntbutter brownies, she shares recipes that are about people, about love, about the things that matter every day. This is a cookbook-of-stories to make you fall in love with the world again.With a new afterword about life after The Tiny Flat._________________''An utter treat'' - Dolly Alderton''Divine. Utterly totally perfect'' - Charly Cox''Generous, honest and uplifting'' - Diana Henry''So thoughtfully and poetically written'' - Josie Long''She cooks like a dream and writes like an angel'' - Sarah Phelps''She has found a way to write not just about food itself but, more importantly, about the darkness for which cooking can be a partial remedy'' - Bee Wilson_________________Trade ReviewA moving testimonial to the redemptive power of cooking. Risbridger knows that it offers not just solace but a map; cooking can save you. Generous, honest and uplifting. I wish I’d had this book when I was in my twenties -- Diana HenryOne of the things that makes Midnight Chicken such a very good book is how hard it is to say exactly what it is. Yes, to be sure, it’s a cookbook, but it is also a manual for living and a declaration of hope -- Nigella LawsonHer writing is beautiful, brave and moving. She shares wholeheartedly with her reader, not just of her experience, but also herself. This is a book for all seasons and states of mind and is as effective as a manual for life as it is as a kitchen companion -- Shamil Thakrar, co-founder of Dishoom * Caterer *A wholly unconventional cookbook * Guardian *A big old massive heart exploding love story... This is the first recipe book that should be made into a film * The Times *She has found a way to write not just about food itself but, more importantly, about the darkness for which cooking can be a partial remedy -- Bee Wilson * The Sunday Times *Risbridger is the most talented British debut writer in a generation * Sunday Times, Culture magazine *What I’ll reach for, if I wanted to read a cookbook, is probably Midnight Chicken -- James Rebanks * Guardian *This is so much more than a cookbook… Beautifully written and restorative with comforting recipes and ways to find joy, you’ll want to read this yourself before you give it as a gift ­ maybe buy two * BBC Good Food Magazine *I couldn’t have loved Ella Risbridger’s Midnight Chicken more. It’s a narrative with recipes and the narrative is about love, grief and healing, and the redemptive power of stirring something at the stove, glass in hand * The Sunday Times Magazine *The new Nigella * Good Housekeeping *Confessional, clever and readable -- Delicious magazineHeartfelt anecdotes and recipes will bolster your faith in the redemptive power of cooking -- Waitrose magazineMidnight Chicken is so much more than a cookery book. Which isn’t to say that Midnight Chicken won’t nourish both your tummy and your tastebuds, but it will also nourish your soul * Red *This is legit the warmest, friendliest, most forgiving cookbook I have ever come across -- Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the BarleyTo call this a cookbook is to do it an injustice. It’s a love letter to food, a manual on how to appreciate every meal, and a book of memories * Emerald Street *She cooks like a dream and writes like an angel * Sarah Phelps *Divine. Utterly totally perfect * Charly Cox *So full of loving kindness and so thoughtfully and poetically written * Josie Long *Risbridger’s debut is also that rare thing: a cookbook in which every recipe works -- i paperBeautiful, life-affirming memoir with recipes * The Sunday Times magazine *A gentle how-to on cooking real food * Oldie *

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Book Synopsis''Impossible to put down while you''re reading, and impossible to forget about when you''ve finished'' GlamourAfter a gruelling job interview where she was interrogated about everything from her political leanings to her family background, Sabrina Mahfouz realised that one unspoken question had pervaded her entire life: as a woman of Middle Eastern heritage, could she really be trusted?Years later, Sabrina found herself confronting this question and how it was specifically informed by the British Empire''s historical dominance in the Middle East. Taking us on a journey of the Middle-Eastern coastlines and waterways that were so vital to the Empire''s hold, and combining memoir, history, politics, myth and poetry, These Bodies of Water is a tapestry of writing that tells the unacknowledged story of Britain''s relationship with the Middle East in the most revealing terms.''A writer of staggering conviction, ingenuity and integrity'' Kae Trade ReviewSabrina Mahfouz is a tidal wave of truth swallowing the banks of empire with a torrent of information which will not be damned. These Bodies of Water is so vast, yet achingly intimate. It is a brilliant piece of work which had me hooked from start to finish. * Lemn Sissay *These Bodies of Water is a bold, brave look at the ways imperialism affects us all, from the universally political to the insightfully intimate -- Riz AhmedSabrina Mahfouz's poetic talents come to the forefront in this lyrical meditation on the influence of the British Empire in the Middle East. Part memoir, part history, These Bodies of Water defies categorisation in favour of a lucid, tumbling narrative that sweeps you along for the ride. Like all truly brilliant books, it's impossible to put down while you're reading, and impossible to forget about when you've finished * Glamour *Sabrina is a writer of staggering conviction, ingenuity and integrity. Her skills are mighty, her language is beautiful and precise. She's a real one -- Kae TempestBrilliant and profound...this book is about coastlines, cities, climate collapse and capitalism. There's so much going on in it. It's marvellous -- Nikseh ShuklaA brilliant and fascinating history of the Middle East, forcing us to rethink everything we thought we knew. A completely necessary book for us all as we sit in a post-Brexit world, once more considering boundaries and border lines. Sabrina writes beautifully, using prose, rhythm and poetry, to combine history and memoir in one of the most compelling journeys through the Middle East -- Salma El-WardanyI'm a huge fan of Sabrina Mahfouz and her unsurpassed talent to draw a reader in from the first line. These Bodies Of Water is a great example of her integrity, her essential honesty, this work is breathtaking and ferocious, uncompromising and powerful -- Salena GoddenI loved THESE BODIES OF WATER. It's fierce, intelligent, and wise, and everyone should read it -- Joanne HarrisJust wonderful . . . Such a brilliant and unique way to tackle the impacts of colonialism on a region. I absolutely loved it -- Alya MooroThis is a fearless and brilliant book. Each and every sentence is fire! * Nikita Gill *With fierce honesty and lyricism, Mahfouz maps out the story of British colonialism in the Arab world, grappling with the dark foundations of her privilege and challenging the lie of meritocracy on which modern Britain is built * Culture Whisper *

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Book SynopsisDuring the war, Géraldine Schwarz's grandparents were neither heroes nor villains - they just followed the current. Afterwards they wanted to forget, to bury it all under the wreckage of the Third Reich. But decades later, delving through the basement of their apartment building, Géraldine discovers that her grandfather Karl profited from the forced 'Aryanisation' of Jewish businesses - and so she is compelled to investigate her ancestors' past. On her mother's side, she delves into the role of her French grandfather, a policeman during the Vichy regime. How guilty were they? Combining generations of family stories with the history of Europe's post-war reckoning, Géraldine asks: how did Germans transform their collective guilt into democratic responsibility? And, given rising populism in Europe today, how can we ensure we learn from history?

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Book Synopsis'Clear-eyed and charming ... John von Sothen offers a guide to French love, slang, food, conversation, schools and much more. Hilarious and thoroughly entertaining' - John Walsh, Mail on Sunday In Brooklyn, John von Sothen fell in love with Anaïs, a French waitress. And then, one night in Paris, on the Pont Neuf, she agreed to marry him ("Bah, we can always get divorced!"). A couple of decades in, the two have become quatre, living in their beloved 10th arondissement with teenage kids who chat to their African neighbours in fluent Parisian slang, and John has even become kind of French himself. Well, he likes to think he has. The family still see him as an American innocent abroad. Paris Match is one of those rare books that makes you laugh out loud, as von Sothen attempts to understand what makes the French tick. Why do they take such long holidays with friends who ration snacks and mock you for sleeping in; why do French men turn to him (an American!) for fashion tips; what really is the correct way to cut brie, and how do you tell if you're being invited to a super-exclusive secret society of intellectuals or a weird sex club? John von Sothen has found most of the answers and in this delightful, witty book shares his experience, insights and humour into the fine art of becoming everyday French.Trade ReviewIn the clear-eyed and charming Paris Match, John von Sothen offers a guide to French love, slang, food, conversation, schools and much more. Hilarious and thoroughly entertaining. -- John Walsh * Mail on Sunday *'[Paris Match] records his continuing, bumbling attempts to carry off la vie Parisienne with something approaching grace-or, at least, skirting calamity.' * New York Times *John von Sothen's memoir of Parisian expat life offers dozens of insights into a place that continues to mystify and enchant. . . . [with] delicious, uniquely French details. * Washington Post *A deft, shrewd, and entertaining take on [his] adoptive home, a place far different from how it is conveyed in winsome movies like Amelie . . . A witty, incisive portrait of contemporary France. * Kirkus *

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Book Synopsis**As featured on BBC2''s Between the Covers**''Glamorous. Heart-breaking. Hilarious. Feminist. Life-changing''Katherine Ryan''I loved this book so much. It''s hard to overpraise. So funny and so sad and so hopeful'' Neil Gaiman''A wonderful and very special book''Adam Kay, author of This is Going to Hurt''Funny, sparklingly honest and heart-breaking''Bel Mooney, Daily Mail''Heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time! Genuinely couldn''t put it down''Alan Carr''Incredibly moving, always funny and brilliantly written. I urge everyone to read it''Frank Skinner''LOVELY. Sad and funny and warm and DOGS''Marian Keyes''Very beautiful and poignant . . . it''ll make you laugh and cry in equal measure''Giles Paley-Phillips''I read it in one sitting - it''s so blinking good''Trade Review'Funny, sparklingly honest and heart-breaking' -- Bel Mooney * Daily Mail *'A book that will leave you smiling but with a lump in your throat' * Mail on Sunday *I loved this book so much. It's hard to overpraise. So funny and so sad and so hopeful -- Neil Gaiman'A wonderful and very special book' -- Adam Kay'Heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time! Genuinely couldn't put it down' -- Alan Carr'Glamorous. Heart-breaking. Hilarious. Feminist. Life-changing' -- Katherine Ryan'Very beautiful and poignant . . . it'll make you laugh and cry in equal measure' -- Giles Paley-Phillips

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Book Synopsis*The Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller*Rose Tremain (or Rosie as she was then) grew up in post-war London – a city still partly in ruins, where both food and affection were fiercely rationed. But when she is ten years old, everything changes. She loses her father, her house, her school, her friends and is dispatched to a freezing boarding-school in Hertfordshire. Slowly though, the teenage Rosie escapes from the cold world of the Fifties, into a place of inspiration and friendship, where a young writer is suddenly ready to be born.‘An evocative, unflinching memoir...electric’ Mail on SundayTrade ReviewRose Tremain famously eschews autobiographical material in her fiction, so this account of her childhood feels so fresh it stings… [she] brings her formidable talent for characterisation to bear on the vanished, culpable cast of her childhood -- Claire Lowdon * Sunday Times, **Books of the Year** *Rose Tremain manages to fit more wisdom, more unforgettable scenes, more illuminating recollections, into this 194-page memoir than other writers do in memoirs three times the length. A book as nourishing, but concise as this makes you wonder why other writers have to be so long-winded ... For anyone who loves Tremain's novels this memoir is a vital companion -- Ysenda Maxton Graham * The Times *Intriguing and moving ... So much more alert and open and alive than so many slightly disappointing memoirs by otherwise great writers ... Rosie is a work of self-discovery in the best possible sense of the word - it pulls you in, unsettles, comforts and exhilarates and, finally, makes you see your life anew -- Julie Myerson * The Spectator *Rose Tremain turns to non-fiction for the first time with this lyrical account of her life up to the age of 18 ... The evocation of 1950s schoolgirldom, with all its emotions, elations and smells, is wonderfully vivid - distinctive, like being donated a set of dreams ... A quiet drama, but as you'd expect it's the writing that makes this book such a delight -- Claire Harman * Evening Standard *A beautifully written ode to the tenacity of our younger selves -- Francesca Brown * Stylist *

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Book SynopsisIn 1986, the legendary fell runner Joss Naylor completed a continuous circuit of all 214 Wainwright fells in the Lake District, covering a staggering distance of over 300 miles – plus many thousands of metres of ascent – in only seven days and one hour.Those in the know thought that this record would never be beaten. It is the ultimate British ultramarathon. The person taking on this superhuman challenge would have to be willing to push harder and suffer more than ever before. There is no Map in Hell tells the story of a man willing to do just that.In 2014, Steve Birkinshaw made an attempt at setting a new record. With a background of nearly forty years of running elite orienteering races and extreme-distance fell running over the toughest terrain, if he couldn’t do it, surely no one could. But the Wainwrights challenge is in a different league: aspirants need to complete two marathons and over 5,000 metres of ascent every day for a week.With a foreword by Joss Naylor, There is no Map in Hell recounts Birkinshaw’s preparation, training and mile-by-mile experience of the extraordinary and sometimes hellish demands he made of his mind and body, and the physiological aftermath of such a feat. His deep love of the fells, phenomenal strength and tenacity are awe inspiring, and testimony to athletes and onlookers alike that ‘in order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd’.Trade Review'An epic account of an extraordinary achievement by a remarkable athlete.' (Richard Askwith, author of Feet in the Clouds and Running Free); 'The world of ultra running has many ordinary people doing extraordinary things, but none more so than Steve Birkinshaw. In this book Steve tells his own remarkable story from his childhood exploits in orienteering to his record-breaking six-day 214-peak Wainwrights run. The aftermath of this huge effort saw Steve suffer with an unknown illness linked with fatigue, and he tells this side of his story with openness and emotion. There is no Map In Hell is a story of a family man with a yearning for adventure in the hills, and is a book that any runner will love.' (Andy Nuttall, ULTRA magazine); 'A very entertaining, revealing and highly readable account of this top mountain runner's trials and tribulations on trail races and record-breaking attempts - most notably the Wainwrights. It's a fascinating insight into what drives Steve to push himself quite so incredibly hard. A must-read this summer!' (Claire Maxted, Trail Running magazine); 'This is a captivating account of a seriously extreme journey. The tales of preparation and recovery are as fascinating as the meticulous detail of the record breaking run itself.' (David McCabe, Editor of The Fellrunner magazine); 'He modestly describes the toll it takes as his body gradually disintegrates over the seven days, and also the difficulties the fatigue give him afterwards. If you like extreme challenges, this is a brilliant unravelling of the preparation and effects of Steve's navigation to and through hell.' (Steve Chilton, fell runner and author of several popular running books); 'This book has been a discovery of a thorough, deep, loving, thoughtful man with a core of steel. Steve took the level of what humans (or rather Steve) can endure to the furthest possible imaginable level.' (Nicky Spinks, elite fell runner); 'Tough, gritty, humane, and funny, Steve shows the sport and the community in its true light. An inspirational tale of human endeavour in the mountains, this is the stuff of fell-running legend'. (Jasmin Paris, elite fell runner); 'A wince-inducing insight into what it takes to break epic fell-running records, told with the sort of reluctance and humility that makes Birkinshaw all the more of a hero. I loved the book.' (Damian Hall, outdoor journalist and ultramarathon runner); 'The book is a fascinating account of what makes Steve tick and I am seriously impressed with both Steve's determination and the book. The book is a compelling read by a nice but extremely tough person that has pushed his body to the limit of what it can take.' (Billy Bland, Bob Graham Round record holder and former champion fell runner); 'There is no Map in Hell is a frank, personal, yet inspiring account of an ultra-endurance feat few could comprehend. Steve's book is a tour-de-force of the Lake District Wainwrights, detailing a once in a generation record, which was only possible thanks Steve's lifetime of mountain running experience, and the strength of personality to suck up suffering like few could imagine.' (Shane Ohly, Race Director - Berghaus Dragon's Back Race). There is no Map in Hell puts meat on the bones of the raw statistics of such a mammoth physical and mental effort, without pathos. He [Steve] provides an insight into how he came to be one of Britain's top ultrarunners; the build-up to the Wainwrights attempt and the massive amount of help he had from many people to enable him to accomplish his astonishing feat. (Bob Smith, Editor of Grough magazine); There is no Map in Hell shares Steve's quest to break a record. You'll be side by side with him, experiencing his preparation, training and gruelling mile-by-mile run. This book will give you confidence to keep working towards your goals. (Evie Serventi, Running magazine).Table of ContentsForeword by Joss Naylor MBEPart 1 I have always run1. Starting out2. Running takes over3. The Bob Graham Round4. The Ramsay Round and the Paddy Buckley Round5. 2008 Lakeland 1006. 2009 Lake District 24-hour Record Attempt7. 2009 Lakeland 1008. 2010 Lake District 24-hour Record Attempt9. 2012 Berghaus Dragon's Back RacePart 2 Considering the challenge10. The Wainwrights11. Previous Wainwright runners12. The Plan13. Multiple Sclerosis: additional motivation14. A logistical mountain to climb15. A new training regime16. Making a movie17. Two-week countdownPart 3 Taking on the Wainwrights18. Day One19. Day Two20. Day Three21. Day Four22. Day Five23. Day Six24. Day SevenPart 4 The aftermathEpilogueBibliographyAppendix.

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Book SynopsisDiscover how Brooks Running Company CEO Jim Weber transformed a failing business into a billion-dollar brand in the ultracompetitive global running market. Running with Purpose is a leadership memoir with insights, inspirational stories, and tangible takeaways for current and aspiring leaders, entrepreneurs, and the 150+ million runners worldwide and those in the broader running community who continually invest in themselves.This leadership memoir starts with Jim Weber''s seventh-grade dream to run a successful company that delivered something people passionately valued. Fast forward to 2001, Jim became the CEO of Brooks and, as the struggling brand''s fourth CEO in two years, he faced strong headwinds. A lifelong competitor, Jim devised a one-page strategy that he believed would not only save the company but would also lay the foundation for Brooks to become a leading brand in the athletic, fitness, and outdoor categories. To succeed, he had Trade Review'Running with Purpose is a master class in focus, tenacity, team building, innovation, and culture. While I have known Jim Weber for many years, I can only now understand the depth of the struggles he faced on his way to being one of the great leaders of a generation and creating a brand that has motivated millions of runners to Run Happy. I can say with certainty that all managers and leaders will find helpful tools in this book to build their businesses for success.' * Robin Thurston – CEO, Outside, Inc. *'Running with Purpose is as inspirational, insightful, and educational as the company it features and the leader who wrote it. The story of how Brooks rose from the ashes to become a force in running is full of important lessons on both formulating and executing strategy. Read it to learn how performance brands and great teams are built, and how successful leadership requires not just vision but courage and discipline.' * Kusum Ailawadi – Professor, Tuck School of Business, and Co-author of Getting Multichannel Distribution Right *'As a long-time Brooks athlete, it's been easy to draft off the brand's approach of reaching for the biggest goals regardless of being labeled the underdog. Jim Weber goes beyond the goal and gives readers the hows and whys behind the company's success. This book will motivate and guide those looking to have a breakthrough performance and solidifies my belief that Weber is one of the greatest leaders in business.' * Des Linden – Boston Marathon Champion *'I regard Jim as a miracle worker. The institution is the length and shadow of this man.' * Charlie Munger – Vice Chairman, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. *'Jim Weber beautifully demonstrates the power and joy of leading with purpose and authenticity and how it can create stunning business results while being a force for good. A wonderful book that is both inspiring and very practical.' * Hubert Joly – Former Chair & CEO, Best Buy Co., Inc., and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of The Heart of Business *'Jim Weber is one of the great brand leaders of today. He has carefully shaped the Brooks experience to honor the legacy of running and Brooks customers. This is a definitive story of what can happen when you zero in on the essence of your customers' beliefs and then build a brand and culture of passion around that.' * Tod Leiweke – CEO, Seattle Kraken *'Jim Weber's remarkable new book chronicles his amazing success story with Brooks Running, inspired by his authentic leadership and his crucible in overcoming a life-threatening bout with cancer. His openness and insights make Running with Purpose a must-read book for everyone.' * Bill George – Senior Fellow, Harvard Business School, former Chair & CEO, Medtronic, and author of Discover Your True North *'Jim's message will resonate with anyone, whether you run or not. His judgment, focus on sustainability and responsible sourcing, and efforts to foster a culture of fun in the workplace have led to some of the most impressive business results around. There is much to learn from this engaging read.' * Sri Zaheer – Dean, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, and Board Chair, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis *'Over the last twenty years as a Brooks athlete, I've watched Jim Weber turn a gasping business into a champion in the industry by not just being a CEO who wants to win the race, but one who leads from the front and brings out the best in everyone. His captivating career path proves that passion + precision elevates performance every time.' * Scott Jurek – Ultramarathon Champion and New York Times Bestselling Author of Eat & Run and NORTH *'Whether you are an entrepreneur setting out with your first brick-and-mortar or running a global corporation, the learnings from Jim Weber's fascinating story will help any leader frame their strategy for success. Jim's tale of how he built Brooks to become the market leader among giants is an inspiring reminder that when you lead with heart and remain steadfast to even a lofty vision, there are no limits to what you can accomplish.' * Kathy Dalby – CEO/Owner, Pacers Running, and Industry Leader *

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Book SynopsisThe world's most famous mononym, Madonna may be outspoken, but she's never outgunned. With a loyal legion of millions of adoring fans, who have stayed by her side for more than four decades, Madonna has inspired and influenced the hearts, souls, and minds of every generation since her now-mythical arrival in New York in 1978.Continuously reinventing her music and her image, she remains today as every bit as powerful, and iconic, as she did throughout her long reign. With quotes from her earliest interviews to her latest (controversial) award speeches, from virgins to vogue-ing, and material girls to unapologetic bitches, Madonna expresses just a little bit of everything for everyone..."I remember just being frozen... He's male and female and beautiful and elegant and poetic and funny and ironic and other-worldly. And I recognized myself in him somehow and he gave me license to dream a different future for myself." In an interview with Mojo magazine, describing her first concert and the impact David Bowie had on her."I stand before you as a doormat, Oh, I mean, as a female entertainer. Thank you for acknowledging my ability to continue my career for 34 years in the face of blatant sexism and misogyny and constant bullying and relentless abuse." On the music industry, accepting Woman of the Year Award at the Billboard Women in Music 2016.Table of ContentsLike A Virgin - Madonna speaks about her pre-fame days and her earliest musical adventures and aspirations • Material Girl - Madonna throws light on her fight for fame, her rise to success, fortune, glory, and global domination • En Vogue - Madonna talks about her larger than life look at the top of the pop world and her fans • Girl Gone Wild - Madonna discusses her controversies, her battle with the media, her extravagances and her lovers • Express Yourself - Madonna talks about the music industry, her songs, her fame, and her reputation • Lucky Star - Madonna looks back at her career and cherry-picks her favourite, most iconic moments

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