Memoirs Books

Book Synopsis''A brilliant writer.'' Russell ToveyThoroughly entertaining.' OTEGHA UWAGBAFunny and beautifully revealing.' BELLA MACKIEWise, sharp and naughty.' THE OBSERVERHerein lie the men of Raven Smith. Each of them has left a mark, a memory, a stain, whether they meant to or not. Some hit deep, and I caught feels. Some I discarded like a clip-on neck tie'From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Raven Smith's Trivial Pursuits, comes a pin sharp, hilarious and incisive exploration of what it means to be a man in the modern day.This book is about men because, in an annoying way, everything is. Funny men, tall men, charming men. Stepdads, actual dads and ripped sports dads'. Raven Smith has been trying to distil what it is about men that has kept him intrigued his whole life.Part memoir, part exploration of the peculiar dynamics and amorphous boundaries of masculinity, Raven looks unflinchingly at his own history, offering a cautious reverence of a life lived in parallel with other men. BlendiTrade Review PRAISE FOR RAVEN SMITH’S MEN The antithesis to the plot of Pride and Prejudice, Raven Smith retains both his pride and prejudice as we cringe along to his multifaceted sexual conquests and misdemeanours. Constantly reminding us of our own rush from puberty to adulthood, Raven’s searingly honest voice spirals us downwards into an ever shifting personal rabbit hole from which, presented with a much needed emotional hand job, we climb back out into the light. A brilliant writer, he takes up all the space, pushing over extended budgie smugglers into gaps that have been missing from the contemporary autobiography for far too long.” RUSSELL TOVEY, ACTOR, WRITER & BROADCASTER ‘A thoroughly entertaining, no-holds-barred examination of modern masculinity that offers up conclusions as surprising as they are perceptive." OTEGHA UWAGBA ‘Raven Smith’s Men is a book both unfairly funny and beautifully revealing. I felt like a curtain had been pulled back, allowing me not only to inhabit his brain for a while, but also to look at men through the eyes of one who finds them so interesting, frustrating and addictive. Raven himself is the lynchpin of this book, and his writing is so near perfect I could read about this particular man all day.’BELLA MACKIE ‘MEN is stylish, funny, and acid-tongued, which is to say it’s everything I love about Raven Smith’s writing” MONICA HEISEY ‘In a nutshell: Boys boys boys. Writer, charmer-about-town and meme magician…part-screamingly funny memoir, part-treatise on men, patriarchy and masculinity – and where he fits into it all.’ EVENING STANDARD ‘Raven Smith’s Men is a new collection of essays about the writer’s conflicted love for men, and it’s just as wise, sharp and naughty as you’d expect from one of the funniest men on the internet.’ THE OBSERVER

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Book SynopsisI went for a walk around the garden. A great tit warbled above a patch of coltsfoot. I felt a thousand discoveries awaited''Notes from a Summer Cottage by Nina Burton is a beautifully written nature memoir about the time spent renovating a cottage in the Swedish countryside, and all the species that she encountered her during her stay.Did you know that there are more ants altogether than the number of seconds that have passed since the Big Bang? And that in relation to their size, their anthill cities can be larger than London and New York? Or, that a bird's migratory instinct is so strong that an injured stork once escaped captivity and was found six weeks later having walked 150 kilometres, following the migratory path of his flock on foot? What begins with a renovation of a an old summer cottage swiftly turns into an exploration of nature, life and philosophy, in which Nina Burton reveals the inner lives and hitherto unknown habits of the animals with which she shares.Within the wal

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Book SynopsisTo define Nigeria is to tell a half-truth. Many have tried, but most have concluded that it is impossible to capture the true scope and significance of Africa's most populous nation through words or images.Yet here, through personal essays from twenty-four of its writers, a more accurate picture comes into view: one that details the realities and contradictions of patriotism, juxtaposes inherited tradition with the diasporic experience, and explores the power of storytelling and its intrinsic link to Nigeria's history.Powerful, lyrical and entirely unforgettable, OF THIS OUR COUNTRY weaves together a living portrait of Nigeria, one that is as beautiful as it is complex.With essays from: Nels Abbey, Ay?`bámi Adébáy?`, Yomi Adegoke, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Oyinkan Akande, Ike Anya, Sefi Atta, Bolu Babalola, J K Chukwu, Abi Daré, Inua EllamsCh?k?d?l? Emel?mad?, Caleb Femi, Helon Habila, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Anietie Isong, Okey Ndibe, Chigozie Obioma, Irenosen Okojie, Cheluchi OnyemeluTrade Review‘The read I never thought I needed. As a fellow Nigerian, I learnt so much about our culture – both the good and the bad, but maybe more importantly, our potential … moving, funny at times, insightful and so relatable. It's a necessary read’ Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, author of Yinka Where is Your Huzband ‘This collection of 24 personal essays did what it needed to do! The voices included are as eclectic and diverse as the country itself, and you can go from laughing to wanting to weep in a matter of moments as you’re taken through the ups and downs of a nation – and national identity – that is still scarred by colonialism, civil war and corruption but strides towards the future with arrogance, endless optimism and sheer bloody-mindedness. To be Nigerian is a complex and contradictory thing, but so many of these essays put into words things I feel in the fibre of my gut but haven’t quite worked out the language for’ Jendella Benson, author of Hope and Glory

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Book Synopsis''A TRULY IMPORTANT BOOK' JOHN HUMPHRYS''FASCINATING SHOCKING'' SPECTATORWhat is paranoia? What makes us anxious? How can this be overcome?Daniel Freeman, Professor of Psychology at Oxford, has spent thirty years at the vanguard of paranoia research and treatment. This remarkable and moving book tells the story of that journey.For decades, conventional wisdom held that paranoia was only experienced by people with severe mental health problems and little could be done to rectify its disastrous effects. Paranoia gives us a front row seat as Freeman turns the traditional view on its head.He develops life-changing treatments for clinical paranoia often using state-of-the-art technology like virtual reality. He reveals that suspicion is rife in society, with paranoia widespread, conspiracy theories rampant and emotion all too often trumping evidence. He discovers the causes of mistrust, including the role of genes, trauma, lack of sleep, worry, low self-confidence, cannabis use and hearingTrade Review'Paranoia reads rather like early Oliver Sacks… Freeman does a lot of citing of his own case studies and surveys, which are fascinating; offers a little bit of the history of the treatment of certain kinds of mental illness, which is shocking; and reveals how and why the Covid-19 pandemic has proved to be absolutely devastating to our sense of trust, which is highly disturbing' Spectator 'Anyone who’s been a hack as long as me (sixty-five years and counting) reckons we can spot paranoia when we see it. But we need Daniel Freeman to tell us how to recognise the real thing. He doesn’t only write from experience. He knows how to deal with it. A truly important book’ JOHN HUMPHRYS ‘Daniel Freeman’s remarkable new book offers a front row seat for his groundbreaking research and recounts a compelling, and endearingly personal, account of supporting those affected by the experience of extreme mistrust. It is a superb achievement: intimate yet expansive, and a true testament to the transformational power of empathy and understanding in the face of fear’ DR ELEANOR LONGDEN, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER ‘An eye-opening exploration of mistrust from the leading psychologist of paranoia. Daniel Freeman provides a compelling account of paranoia, conspiracy thinking and the crisis of trust now corroding our societies. His superb new book is authoritative and illuminating’ PROFESSOR KIA NOBRE FBA, YALE UNIVERSITY ‘This book busts many assumptions about the nature of psychiatric disease and psychological distress, and their relationship to all of us. A fascinating journey through the scientific method to understand new ways of conceptualising our mental health, and techniques to improve it’ PROFESSOR GUY LESCHZINER, GUY’S AND ST THOMAS’ HOSPITALS

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Book SynopsisAfter taking a few weeks off work, Casey is presented with a new foster child: 14-year-old Elise, whose Mum left her at just five years old.At first, she's no trouble at all, that is until she falsely accuses another carer, Jan, of acting inappropriately towards her. It turns out this isn't the first lie Elise has told her previous carer was constantly following up allegations Elise had made of people bullying her, trying to have sex with her, or hurting her physically. With some reservations, Casey agrees to take Elise on long-term, but when she makes some dark claims about her mum, Casey doesn't know whether to believe her. In any case, she is determined to find out the truth

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Book SynopsisGroomed and procured by a woman, raped by several men and labelled one of the most abused girl in Rotherham', now Elizabeth Harper is fighting for answers as to why so many people paid to protect our children simply turned a blind eye.Aged just 15, lonely and bullied by her peers, Elizabeth El' Harper felt like an outcast. But then a chance encounter in the street with a friendly woman suddenly brought hope to her world. A friendship between El and this benevolent stranger blossomed, and life began to feel worth living again.As the months passed, El grew more and more distant from her family. One day, she didn't return home to her parents at all Snatched is the shocking true story of how a young girl was taken from the streets and groomed into Britain's biggest sex-trafficking ring, all at the hands of a woman.It is also an inspiring account of how trauma can turn vulnerability to strength in the most extraordinary of ways.

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Book Synopsis''Tender, vivid and achingly sad'' GUARDIAN, BOOK OF THE YEARTWO SISTERS publishes on the 30th anniversary of Blake Morrison's ground-breaking book And When Did You Last See Your Father? which forged the way for a new genre of confessional memoir.She's gone, that's all, and though there's no retrieving her I'd like to make sense of who she was and what she became. It wasn't just that she changed over time. She could change from day to day. Drink made it worse but the origins went deeper. You never knew which you'd get, the kind and loving Gill or her doppelgänger. Two sisters.'Blake Morrison has lost a sister and a half-sister in recent years. Both are the subjects of this remarkable and heart-breaking memoir, along with a forensic examination of sibling relationships in history and literature.Blake's sister Gill struggled with alcoholism for a large part of her life, and her shocking death is the starting point for Two Sisters. Blake returns to their childhood to search for the originTrade Review‘A book at once bold, magnanimous, heart-breaking and riveting…’ HOWARD JACOBSON ‘Beautiful. Affecting. Erudite.’ SUSIE ORBACH 'Tender, vivid and achingly sad' GUARDIAN, BOOK OF THE YEAR ‘A ground-breaking confessional memoir’ BBC Books of 2023 ‘Pungent, disturbing, entirely unforgettable’ THE TIMES ‘Morrison writes with a reckless respect for the truth’ GUARDIAN ‘Harrowing, candid and clear-eyed, unflinchingly honest and self-critical. Two sad stories. The strangeness of families and the weight of the past. The guilt of being OK’ NICCI GERRARD ‘Few writers can claim to have affected the literary landscape like Blake Morrison… Two Sisters is not an easy book to read, but it is a bracingly honest one’ MAIL ON SUNDAY, Book of the Week ‘A wonderfully heartfelt and tender thing: delicate and unstinting and clear-eyed’ OBSERVER, Book of the Week ‘Engrossing’ SPECTATOR ‘A beautiful, brave and brutal memoir that does not shy away from hard truths’ THE TIMES ‘An acute, wonderfully adroit book, overflowing with sharp yet compassionate observations about human nature’ THE INDEPENDENT ‘A writer of undoubted skill’ NEW STATESMAN ‘Painful, hesitant, honest, agonised, controlled and (especially the latter) full of love’ DAILY MAIL ‘True to a complex, many-layered grief’ TLS ‘'Morrison has a startling gift' LITERARY REVIEW ‘Blake Morrison is a writer who tenderly and relentlessly lifts every stone, and the stones beneath, searching for the roots of human feelings and human relations, and revealing them to the reader’ LOUISA YOUNG ‘Affecting… it could help those who have lost a sibling’ FINANCIAL TIMES ‘Remarkable and heart-breaking’ SHEER LUXE

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING 2024Eye-opening and persuasive' SUNDAY TIMESBrilliant I loved it' KIT DE WAALThoughtful, moving, honest' CAL FLYN*Winner of The Lakeland Book of the Year 2024*Work in the countryside ties you, soul and salary, to the land. But often those who labour in nature have the least control over what happens there.Why have our rural industries been replaced by tourism? Why can''t people stay living in the places they grew up? In this beautifully observed book, Rebecca Smith traces the stories of foresters and millworkers, miners, builders, farmers and pub owners, to paint a picture of the working class lives that often go overlooked. This is a book for anyone who loves and longs for the countryside.Trade Review‘[An] intelligent, multifaceted exploration of working-class life in the British countryside’Independent ‘Smith beautifully stitches together the beauty, tragedy and comedy that underpins rural communities today making her book a fascinating history lesson’The Scotsman ‘The politics of land ownership and rural economics are complex and Smith deserves credit for grappling with some of this territory within an accessible and thought-provoking narrative. There’s much to enjoy in Rural’The Herald ‘Smith is uniquely positioned to harvest the stories of rural and ex-rural working-class communities and turn them into something approaching magic. Rural ascends to beauty because it manages something more than simple reportage … This book is tender, glowing, vitally important stories whispered into an ear’Kirstin Innes, Press and Journal ‘A brilliant book about another side of working-class life, not a tower block in sight. Clever and honest, tackling slavery, loss and aspiration with humour and candour. I loved it’Kit de Waal, author of My Name is Leon ‘A wonderful book, beautifully conceived … So immediate and clearly seen, so gracefully and gently written … It is such a valuable thing’Adam Nicolson, author of Life Between the Tides ‘A thoughtful, moving, honest book that questions what it means to belong to a place when it can never belong to you … Timely and illuminating’Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment ‘Tenderly reveals the precarious lives that underpin the beauty and the wealth of our countryside. Essential reading for lovers of the land and its people’Katherine May, author of Wintering ‘A vital, questing book about the often misunderstood past, hard present-day, and possible futures of rural life in the UK’Dan Richards, author of Outpost

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Book SynopsisA poignant and introspective memoir from Irish journalist and broadcaster Charlie Bird.In 2021, Charlie Bird was diagnosed with motor neurone disease a man whose voice was so synonymous with his career faced losing it completely. Yet knowing he had just a short time left with family and friends, what emerged was a great sense of resilience and motivation to take advantage of every moment.Here, Charlie reflects on his life and phenomenal broadcast career through the lense of his diagnosis, as he ponders the big questions and takes stock of the small moments that we so often overlook.Written over the course of 2022 as his health deteriorated, with the help of long-time friend and fellow journalist Ray Burke, this is a candid and unforgettable story about the triumph of the human spirit and, ultimately, what it means to be alive.Trade Review‘A hugely moving account of coming to terms with one’s own mortality and a frankly useful guide to others in a similar situation … It is an account of our times, an insider’s view into some of our country’s most important moments. And it is a story of love, friendship and family, and how the people in our lives sustain us through the worst of times.’Sunday Independent ‘Charlie told it as he saw it. He does exactly that here.’ – Frank Coughlan, Irish Independent

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Book SynopsisThe new fostering memoir from the Sunday Times bestselling author Casey WatsonSix-year-old Amelie lives with her mother, Kelly, who suffers from bipolar disorder. After Kelly attempts to burn down their family house, it becomes clear that her daughter is in grave danger. Amelie is quickly taken into care.When she arrives with foster carer Casey Watson, Amelie acts much younger than her age. Casey must get to the root of Amelie's behaviour, while doing what she can to keep the family together.Will Amelie ever find the safety of home?

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“A passionate debut memoir bears witness to political turmoil… A stark, eye-opening, and sometimes horrifying portrait by a reporter enthralled by the ‘power and magic’ of Africa.” — Kirkus “[Gettleman’s] beautifully written memoir is about many kinds of love…The path to love is not always straight, but when Gettleman discovers his true passions, he grabs hold and doesn’t let go. Love, Africa offers a key to understanding humankind’s past and future and a key to understanding our hearts.” — Sheryl Sandberg “Rarely do you read such beautifully rendered honesty: witness the eyes and heart of Jeffrey transform into a remarkable person and writer for our time.” — Ishmael Beah “Gettleman’s memoir of his life, his love, and the excitement and perils of journalism is a page-turner. The portrait of Africa that emerges is disturbing, tender, and harsh. …. A tremendous read. I couldn’t put it down.” — Abraham Verghese “Jeffrey Gettleman’s memoir is truly, in all its complicated tragic beauty, a love story made up itself of inextricably intertwined love stories. I was mesmerized.” — Alexandra Fuller “To feel the fear, sinfulness, and rapture of being a foreign correspondent, read this book! Using self-lacerating truth and high velocity prose, Jeffrey Gettleman has written a compulsively readable new story about what it means to be ‘our man in Africa.’” — Blaine Harden “Jeffrey Gettleman has true grit. That’s why he was in my book, and why you have to read his.’’ — Angela Duckworth “…[Gettleman] takes readers... into the most terrifying and beguiling continent in the world.…Gettleman is a rare combination of dogged reporter and very fine writer…I kept catching myself wondering whether it was too late to go back and lead his life rather than my own .” — Sebastian Junger “[An] exciting, harrowing memoir that aptly displays why [Gettleman’s] a Pulitzer Prize winner and a New York Times bureau chief…. there’s a thrilling immediacy and attention to detail in Gettleman’s writing that puts the reader right beside him…Gettleman’s memoir is an absolute must-read.” — Booklist (starred review)

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Kyle Carpenter’s memoir of gallantry beyond the call of duty provides a vivid reminder that grit and valor remain American hallmarks. A compelling account of life well lived against the toughest odds, one that will inspire and build confidence in every reader.” — JIM MATTIS, former U.S. Secretary of Defense “Kyle displayed a heroism in the blink of an eye that will inspire for generations” — BARACK OBAMA “Kyle Carpenter is truly amazing! He is definitely an American hero. His memoir deserves to be a huge success. I wish Kyle and his coauthor Don Yaeger the very best with You Are Worth It.” — MIKE KRZYZEWSKI, Duke University men’s basketball coach “I think Kyle Carpenter is one of the greatest living Americans, and I’m honored to know him. This book is important. After I read it I wanted to be better. Please share it with the people you love.” — ZAC BROWN, Grammy Award-winning musician “Kyle Carpenter has shown true courage and strength in the face of extraordinary challenges. From the attack in Afghanistan to multiple surgeries and obstacles, he never lost his faith or his will to serve his fellow brothers and sisters. His story inspires us and makes all Americans proud.” — NIKKI HALEY, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations “Astonishing. ... Encourages everyone to ‘Be part of someone else’s miracle.’” — Booklist "[An] incredible story." — RACHEL HOLLIS "Kyle Carpenter's courage and sacrifice as a Marine was the true act of servant leadership, and I couldn’t be more honored to know him. You won’t get a more genuine story of finding purpose or living a life with intention than You Are Worth It." — JOHN C. MAXWELL, author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership "Offers valuable life lessons that speak beyond [Carpenter's] years. ... You Are Worth It is a work of last value. It holds tremendous potential to transform lives by assisting people in rising from their struggles stronger and more capable of loving one another." — The Federalist "A story of hope, selflessness, faith, and rebirth. ... Gives hope to those who are struggling." — Daily Caller

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Book Synopsis?Kenan is a master storyteller with extraordinary stories to tell. I wouldn?t miss this for the world.??Leslie JonesWhen I Was Your Ageis a hilarious, heartwarming and surprising ode to growing up, getting older and wiser, and luck, life, and learning from the school of hard knocks, from SNL''s longest-serving actor, Kenan ThompsonKenan Thompson isSaturday Night Live?slongest-ever-serving cast member and a star of such pioneering sketches as ?Black Jeopardy? and is hugely beloved thanks to a tidal wave of nostalgic fans who grew up on early 2000s classicsAll That, Good Burger, andKenan & Kelon Nickelodeon.He?s also a dad (to two girls) in his mid-40s living in suburbia, and whose universal, relatable, family-friendly humor has created unbelievable appeal and engagement from fans from middle America to coastal elites. Becoming a dad sucked the cool right out of him -- and he''s OK with that!When I Was Your Ageis packed with hilarious yet poignant essays that are aimed to offer any reader valuable advice on parenting, focusing on positivity, and having fun in life. Kids, new parents, fellow fathers, budding comics, and aunties who want to pinch his cheeks, can all learn from his biggest mistakes and most triumphant victories. There?s something for everybody here!Trade Review “Kenan is a master storyteller with extraordinary stories to tell. I wouldn’t miss this for the world!” — Leslie Jones

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Book SynopsisCider with Roadies is the true story of a boy''s obsessive relationship with pop. A life lived through music from Stuart''s audience with the Beatles (aged 3); his confessions as a pubescent prog rocker; a youthful gymnastic dalliance with northern soul; the radical effects of punk on his politics, homework and trouser dimensions; playing in crap bands and failing to impress girls; writing for the NME by accident; living the sex, drugs (chiefly lager in a plastic glass) and rock and roll lifestyle; discovering the tawdry truth behind the glamour and knowing when to ditch it all for what really matters.From Stuart''s four minutes in a leisure centre with MC Hammer to four days in a small van with Napalm Death it''s a life-affirming journey through the land where ordinary life and pop come together to make music.Trade ReviewThe English Bill Bryson -- Tony WilsonThe perfect pop fan's life ... effortlessly articulate * The Times *Stuart Maconie is the best thing to come out of Wigan since the A58 to Bolton -- Peter KayAn heir to Alan Bennett ... stirring and rather wonderful -- Antony Quinn * Sunday Times *If you only read one personal music odyssey, make it this one * GQ *

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Book SynopsisThat we say we don’t want rude politicians, but we vote for them anyway? Or that rude language can sway a jury in a criminal case? Adam Grant author of Originals, Give and Take, Option B*This book was originally published under the title, I Can’t Believe You Just Said That.Trade ReviewA brilliant book -- Jon RonsonA very funny and wise book about the blatant rudeness that surrounds us. Danny Wallace on top form -- Matt HaigA meaty cry for human decency, wrapped in a deliciously hilarious hot dog bun. I plan to read it again and then force-feed it to my neighbour, my mother, and my college roommate. If you care about people and enjoy a good laugh, I politely encourage you to read this book. Immediately. -- Adam Grant, author of 'Originals'Hilarious * GQ *Danny Wallace, author, actor, and comedian, wrote the rudeness manifesto itself. * VICE.com *His [Danny Wallace’s] research on the psychology of rudeness can give us key insights as to what's going on right now and what we can do to become more empathetic * Psychology Today *A brilliant book -- Jon RonsonA very funny and wise book about the blatant rudeness that surrounds us. Danny Wallace on top form * Matt Haig *A meaty cry for human decency, wrapped in a deliciously hilarious hot dog bun. I plan to read it again and then force-feed it to my neighbour, my mother, and my college roommate. If you care about people and enjoy a good laugh, I politely encourage you to read this book. Immediately. -- Adam Grant, author of 'Originals'Hilarious * GQ *

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Book SynopsisAs a child, Victoria Spry was brutally beaten, neglected and starved by the woman she called Mummy.To the outside world Eunice Spry was a devoted parent, but behind closed doors she was an evil tyrant. Instead of protecting, loving and caring for Victoria, she forced bleach and urine down her throat, knocked out her teeth, tied her up naked and made her live in squalor. It took eighteen years of heartache and despair before she found the courage to expose her mum.Tortured is Victoria's gripping story of survival.

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Sayo Masuda''s story is an extraordinary portrait of rural life in japan and an illuminating contrast to the fictionalised lives of glamorous geishas.At the age of sis Masuda''s poverty-stricken family sent her to work as a nursemaid. At the age of twelve, she was indentured to a geisha house. In Autobiography of a Geisha, Masuda chronicles a harsh world in which young women faced the realities of sex for sale and were deprived of their freedom and identity. She also tells of her life after leaving the geisha house, painting a vivid panorama of the grinding poverty of rural life in wartime Japan. Many years later Masuda decides to tell her story. Although she could barely read or write she was determine to tell the truth about life as a geisha and explode the myths surrounding their secret world. Remarkably frank and incredibly moving, this is the record of one woman''s survival on the margins of Japanese society.

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Book SynopsisOn leaving school or university, you feel pretty pleased with yourself. You''ve learnt a lot, your''e well-read and you know a whole bunch of obscure facts guaranteed at some point to appear in the questions on Mastermind or University Challenge. Then you get a job, and ten years later youre more eloquent and eager to argue about Britney and Big Brother than Beckett and the Brontes. Sound familiar?Well it happened to AJ Jacobs too. As an editor at Esquire, Jacobs had built up a rather impressive knowledge of celebrity trivia - and the cure was going to take a long time. While others might take to reading a broadsheet at the weekend, Jacobs chose to read the Encyclopaedia Britannica. All 33,000 pages of it. Bill Bryson meets Schott''s Original Miscellany meets Woody Allen. Part assemblage of fascinating trivia, part journey through adulthood, all laugh-out-loud funny.Trade Review'The Know-It-All is a terrific book. It's a lot shorter than the encyclopedia, and funnier, and you'll remember more of it. Plus, if it falls off the shelf onto your head, you'll live.' P.J. O'Rourke'A jape of a book...with Jacobs...coming across as a slightly younger and Jewish Bill Bryson. Some of his quips are worthy even of Woody Allen... Hilarious' Guardian'For those who enjoy learning about some of the stranger facts about the world in which we live and who appreciate having a guide of some charm, The Know-It-All will be something of a treat.' Sunday Times'The Know-It-All is one of the most informative humorous books and one of the funniest collections of information that I have seen in a long time. (Note to publishers: that's the sentence you can put on the back of the next edition if you like).' Daily Express'Frequently funny and sometimes downright hilarious, but this is also an unexpectedly moving book.' Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisDiscover this lyrical, sweeping and powerful book on the Bhutto family, an extraordinary, Kennedy-esque dynasty that is central to the story of modern Pakistan.In September 1996, a fourteen-year-old Fatima Bhutto hid in a windowless dressing room, shielding her baby brother while shots rang out in the streets outside the family home in Karachi. This was the evening that her father Murtaza was murdered, along with six of his associates. In December 2007, Benazir Bhutto, Fatima''s aunt, and the woman she had publically accused of ordering her father''s murder, was assassinated in Rawalpindi. It was the latest in a long line of tragedies for one of the world''s best known political dynasties. Songs of Blood and Sword tells the story of a family of rich feudal landlords - the proud descendents of a warrior caste - who became powerbrokers in the newly created state of Pakistan. The history of this extraordinary family mirrors the tumultuous events of PakistaTrade ReviewPowerful * Telegraph magazine *Fascinating -- Eithne Farry * Marie Claire *She is a compassionate and brave campaigner who ought to be heard -- Sebastian Shakespeare * Tatler *The purpose of this painful biography is admirable and touching -- Brenda Maddox * The Times *A story with dazzling twists and turns told by a true-blue member of the Bhutto fold, with its family history of idealism, political betrayal, murder, hubris and paranaoia -- Arifa Akbar * Independent *

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Book SynopsisOne day Colin Grant's teenage brother Christopher failed to emerge from the bathroom. His family broke down the door to find him unconscious on the floor. None of their lives were ever the same again. Christopher was diagnosed with epilepsy. In A Smell of Burning Colin Grant tells the remarkable story of this strange and misunderstood disorder. He shows us the famous people with epilepsy like Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc and Vincent van Gogh, the pioneering doctors whose extraordinary breakthroughs finally helped gain an understanding of how the brain works, and, through the tragic tale of his brother, he considers the effect of epilepsy on his own life.Trade Review[A] brilliant, tender book… An extraordinary work of love and art, which left me choked with tears. -- Maggie Gee * Observer *A moving memoir as well as a historical study of epilepsy… With verve and sensitivity, Grant tells the stories of individual sufferers. -- James McConnachie * Sunday Times, Book of the Year *Grant’s exploration of the literary, political, medical and scientific history of epilepsy is hugely compelling; his telling of the story of two brothers transcends the book’s twin genres and leaves us with a wry, gentle masterpiece. -- Seamus Sweeney * Times Literary Supplement *A fascinating personal and historical account. ***** -- Helen Brown * Sunday Telegraph *A flawless amalgam of personal memoir, mind science and medical history. -- Ian Thomson * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisSix Records of a Floating Life (1809) is an extraordinary blend of autobiography, love story and social document written by a man who was educated as a scholar but earned his living as a civil servant and art dealer. In this intimate memoir, Shen Fu recounts the domestic and romantic joys of his marriage to Yun, the beautiful and artistic girl he fell in love with as a child. He also describes other incidents of his life, including how his beloved wife obtained a courtesan for him and reflects on his travels through China. Shen Fu's exquisite memoir shows six parallel layers of one man's life, loves and career, with revealing glimpses into Chinese society of the Ch'ing Dynasty.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the

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Book SynopsisDiscover the untold story behind one of the most sensational chapters in the history of the House of Windsor''This book had me in tears and also made me smile'' 5***** Reader Review ''A loving, informative, respectful tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales'' 5***** Reader Review ''A brilliant and provoking book . . . I was stunned'' 5***** Reader Review _______ In A Royal Duty, Paul Burrell reveals new truths about Princess Diana - and presents for the first time as faithful an account of her thoughts as we can ever hope to read. He was the favourite footman who formed a unique relationship with the Queen. He was the butler who the Princess of Wales called ''my rock'' and ''the only man I can trust''. He was accused of theft, then acquitted following the historic intervention of the monarch. He was the Princess'' most intimate confidante - and is the only person able to separate the myth from the truth of the Diana years. Now, at last, Paul Burrell cuts through the gossip and the lies and takes us closer to the complex heart of the Royal Family than ever before.

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Book SynopsisAndre Hue was a daredevil. By the age of twenty the Anglo-Frenchman had survived shipwreck and years undercover in France, sabotaging German supply lines. Returning to Britain, he was recruited by SOE to parachute behind enemy lines on 5 June 1944, to unite resistance forces in Brittany and paralyse local German troops during the Allied invasion. Though Hue''s mission was fraught with difficulty - he missed his landing site, his secret base camp became the site of a pitch battle and a band of Cossacks tried to hunt him down - he knew that thousands of lives depended on his success or failure . . .

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Book SynopsisIncludes five autobiographical meditations that delves into the author's past, remembering awkward childhood walks with his father, a lifelong obsession with the cinema and fighting in the Italian Resistance against the Fascists.Trade ReviewThese autobiographical essays marvellously reconstitute different strata of his past in all the pristine, warm stir of immediacy * Sunday Times *In these personal essays, Calvino dives into his memory and childhood with great warmth -- John SelfI propose a new adjective, calvinoid - as in a calvinoid construct, an impossible and beautiful structure spun out of the detritus of the quotidian . . . the scientific precision of his imagination and his carnivalesque delight in irony and absurdity . . . His legacy is an atlas full of calvinoid constructs, invisible cities, that will dazzle the lucky explorer -- Clive Sinclair * Independent *

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Book SynopsisMORE ABOUT BOYcontains a wealth of new photos, facts and writings about Roald Dahl and his childhood, together with the original text and illustrations from his much-loved memoir.As a boy, all sorts of unusual things happened to Roald Dahl.There was the time he and four school friends got their revenge on beastly Mrs Prachett in her sweet shop.There are stories of holidays in fishing boats, African adventures and the days of tasting chocolate for Cadbury''s.You''ll hear tales of horrible school bullies and the car accident when Roald''s nose was nearly sliced clean off . . Now you can discover even more about Roald Dahl''s childhood, including some secrets he left out. Some are painful, some are funny, but all of them are TRUE.Listen to Roald Dahl audiobooks read by some very famous voices, including Kate Winslet, David Walliams and Steven Fry - plus there are added squelchy soundeffects from Pinewood Studios! Look out for new Roald Dahl apps

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Book Synopsis''Absorbing, fascinating, arresting'' The Observer ''Intensely moving, luminous and rather magnificent'' The TimesIt was one of the most startling moments in the history of the City of London. In 2011, the Occupy movement set up camp around St Paul''s Cathedral. Giles Fraser, who was Canon Chancellor of the Cathedral, gave them his support. It ended in disaster.This remarkable book is the story of the personal crisis that followed, and its surprising consequences. Finding himself caught between the protesters, the church and the City of London, Fraser resigned, and was plunged into depression. As his life fell apart and he battled with ideas of suicide, he found himself by chance one day in Liverpool, outside the great Victorian synagogue once presided over by a distant ancestor. Suddenly Fraser realized that there was a great deal he did not know about himself, about his relatives and about his Jewish roots.Fraser calls this book ''a ghost story'' and it is a book which is indeed filled with many ghosts. His search into his family''s Jewish past makes this both a fascinating personal story and a wonderful piece of writing about theology. It is a book about the deepest, most ancient elements in our culture, and the most modern and intimate. It is throughout alive with the charm and intellectual vigour which have made Fraser such an admired and controversial preacher and broadcaster.Trade ReviewAbsorbing memoir-cum-history ... Fraser's personal story is fascinating and the thesis arising from it an arresting one ... What Fraser can teach all of us, whatever our beliefs or lack of them, is how enriching it can be to look at the world through the eyes of others. -- Richard Harries * The Observer *Intensely moving, luminous and rather magnificent. * The Times *There is much that is intriguing here ... There are beautiful moments, as when Fraser's youngest son is baptised in the River Jordan. -- Rosamund Urwin * Sunday Times *This is a rare and extraordinary book - part autobiography, part religious reflection, part ghost story. With excoriating self-revelation, it explores the fault-lines and liminal areas between two great faiths, between the chosen and the excluded. As a voyage of self-understanding, it is compellingly written. It is that most improbable of books - a theological page-turner. -- Paul Vallely, Canon of Manchester Cathedral and author of Bad Samaritans: First World Ethics and Third World DebtI spent all day reading this book, unable to stop. So joyously eclectic, so bitingly honest, such a startling mingling of the vulnerable with the intellectual, the search with the homecoming. I cried, I laughed, and most of all I thought. This is such an incredibly important and necessary book. -- Michael Coren, author of Epiphany: A Christian's Change of Heart and Mind over Same-Sex MarriageA fascinating hybrid of past, present and future, Chosen reflects Giles Fraser's astounding capacity for honesty, turbocharged articulation and spiritual insight. He explains beautifully the interweaving of Christianity and Judaism that will resonate with many, and not just those from mixed religious backgrounds. His scholarly explanations and personal explorations brought me much wisdom. A tour de force. -- Rabbi Laura Janner-KlausnerBeautifully written, very moving ... These stories have not just personal reflections, but deep and imaginative theological insights ... A brilliant working out of the family hurts and misunderstandings that haunt the interplay between Christianity and Judaism. -- Lyle Dennen * Church Times *A compelling account of a personal, religious, and philosophical journey. Filled with humanity and wisdom, Chosen is a riveting and rewarding read. Highly recommended. -- Professor Quassim Cassam

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Book SynopsisGUARDIAN AND NEW STATESMAN BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2017**Winner of best memoir at the Parliamentary Book Awards**Now with a new epilogue for the paperback''Compelling ... She has guts to spare ... An important story ... Role model? You bet'' Tim Shipman, Sunday Times''So human and inspiring, and my favourite book of the year so far'' Rohan Silva, GuardianWhen Harriet Harman started her career, men-only job adverts and a ''women''s rate'' of pay were the norm, female MPs were a tiny minority - a woman couldn''t even sign for a mortgage. But, she argues, we should never just be grateful that things are better now. There''s still more to do. In A Woman''s Work Harriet, Britain''s longest-serving female MP, looks at her own life to see how far we''ve come, and where we should go next. This is an inspiring and refreshingly honest account of the part she has played (and the setbacks Trade ReviewA personal memoir but also the story of women in politics and public life. Since Harriet entered parliament in 1982 ­ pregnant with her first child ­ she has seen the number of women MPs increase to more than 200. Many of us are there because of her -- Rachel Reeves, 'Books of the Year' * New Statesman *A Woman's Work is a fantastic and inspiring read which I would recommend to anyone interested in overcoming prejudice and promoting fairness. Over her 35 year career in Parliament no-one has fought harder or more effectively for gender equality than Harriet Harman. She is an outstanding role model -- John Bercow, Speaker of the House of CommonsIf I had a teenage daughter, especially one who didn't see the point of politics, this is the book I'd buy her. Chatty, accessible and occasionally eye-opening, it's a history of the things conventional political memoirs miss out ... a lively account of the one subject most political memoir writers know next to nothing about: how it felt to be a woman working in one of the least forgiving careers around -- Gaby Hinsliff * Guardian *Compelling ... She has guts to spare and is interesting on the difficulties of a work-life balance in parliament ... Her own judgments on her performance are commendably unsparing ... An important story ... Role model? You bet -- Tim Shipman, Political Editor * Sunday Times *A painfully honest memoir ... where lesser politicians would have slunk from public gaze, Harman reacted by getting tougher -- Mary Riddell * Sunday Telegraph *Countless blows have tempered Harman into something fearless and indestructible. Hell, why shouldn't this be her prime? -- Janice Turner * The Times *Fantastic - I can't recommend it highly enough * Open Labour *

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Book SynopsisAt the start of his career as sub-collector of Parvathipuram sub-division in north-coastal Andhra Pradesh way back in 1974, Subbarao learntthe hard waythat tribal development requires more than enthusiasm; it requires, most of all, an understanding of poverty. Nearly forty years later, in 2013, as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India in the midst of a fierce exchange rate crisis, Subbarao learntonce again the hard waythe harsh challenges of emerging economies in an unequal world. Bookended by these assignments is the remarkable journey of a small-town boy from a modest background to the top echelons of India's civil service and then on to the helm of the country's central bank. Subbarao recounts that journeyhis hopes and despair, his successes and setbacks, his mistakes and misdeeds, and the lessons he learnt along the waywith rare candour and honesty. The subtext of that story though is his constant soul searching about whether he has given back to society more than he received.

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Book SynopsisWembley, 1966. England wins the World Cup to roars of a euphoric home crowd.Sir Bobby Charlton, England's greatest ever player, was there on the pitch. In 1966, he looks back on the most glorious moment of his life and England''s greatest sporting achievement.He takes us through the build-up to the tournament and to the final itself - what he saw, what he heard, what he felt. He tells us what it was like to be part of Sir Alf Ramsey's team, his memories of his teammates, the matches, the atmosphere; the emotion of being carried on the wave of a nation's euphoria and how it felt to go toe-to-toe with some of the foremost footballers to ever play the game.His life was forever defined by a single moment: one day when a man stood side-by-side with his best friends, united in a single aim in front of a watching nation. This is his story.It's gripping stuff This is a mellow book, the product of many years' contemplation, and eTrade ReviewCarefully and lovingly told with deeper layers of reflection and wistfulness. -- Giles Smith * The Times *It’s gripping stuff… This is a mellow book, the product of many years’ contemplation, and emotional in a way that may surprise you…He has a wonderful story to tell -- Markus Berkmann * Daily Mail *Breathtakingly lucid, insistently informative and deeply affecting... It owes much to the presence of that most benign of ghosts, the wonderful James Lawton, who imbues his books not only with an authentic, clear-eyed love of the game but with his gift, spectacular in this particular instance, to bring historic moments into a focus so immediate that one is almost forced to blink * Herald *Thoughtful and reflective...full of fascinating detail. * Mail On Sunday *[A] fascinating inside account of what remains the nation’s greatest sporting achievement. * Choice Magazine *

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Book SynopsisGlobal warming has reached terrifying heights of severity, human consumption has caused the extinction of countless species and neoliberalism has led to a destructive divide in wealth and a polarization of mainstream politics. The climate crisis demands action. Your planet needs you! Can we shop our way out of a crisis? Will technology save the day? What does it mean to be a citizen and not a consumer? Are the real solutions inside of us? Who Cares Wins provides a plethora of solutions guaranteed to inspire and create lasting global change. Lily Cole has met with some of the millions of people around the world who are working on creative, innovative solutions to our biggest challenges and are committed to creating a more sustainable and peaceful future for humanity. Embracing debate and exploring issues from fast fashion to fast food, farming to plastic waste, renewable energy to gender equality, the book features interviews with diverse voices from enTrade ReviewToo bad we can't clear up the environment as fast as Lily Cole can. She explains why we're in this mess and what we can do about it brilliantly * Ruby Wax, author of How to Be Human *A welcome and thorough overview of some of the many aspects of the crisis humanity is now facing alongside the visionary possibilities for change at our fingertips. If we don't act it isn't for lack of good ideas . . . * Dr Gail Bradbrook, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion *Lily's commitment to a better future for fashion is legendary, and her first-hand experience of an exploitative and unethical industry have made her involvement both more poignant and pertinent. How wonderful to absorb her thoughts and knowledge on everything else, from food to fuels, politics and biodynamic farming. This book is a great insight into her mind, and into our world * Orsola de Castro, Creative Director of Fashion Revolution *"Who cares wins" should be the mantra of every citizen around the world - every revolution has been made by people who cared. The sustainability or ethical movement is about "caring" - for the planet and for the people, and Lily is a shining example of a person who always deeply cares and whose mind never rests until there is a solution. There are people who have visions, and people who act on them. Lily does both and this book is a true testament to that. * Livia Firth, Creative Director of Eco Age *Lily Cole, through her personal experience, interviews with fascinating people and a critical insight to our planet's problems helps us understand the power of the individual and makes us fall in love with nature again. No more the relentless, morbid doom-mongering, Lily gives us so many reasons to be optimistic, and shows that we can all make a difference and together we can save our beautiful Earth * Professor Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science at UCL and author of The Human Planet *Who Cares Wins is a literary submarine which allows you to descend into the deep depths of environmentalism to show you the truth with refreshing clarity and honesty. A deeply personal and yet universal call-to-action on one of the most profound subjects of our time * Bella Lack, environmental campaigner *Who Cares Wins is a journey into the anthropology of radical optimism. Lily Cole delicately unpicks the silver linings from some of the many dark clouds that loom over us and weaves them into an irresistible vision of our future * James Suzman, anthropologist and author of ‘Affluence Without Abundance: The Disappearing World of the Bushman *A great read, fundamentally important subjects elegantly explored through a personal perspective. I relished the optimism! * Steve Trent, founder of the Environmental Justice Foundation *Lily Cole's Who Cares Wins is a rollercoaster of a ride where, thanks to her excellent piloting, we get to see a varied landscape of ideas and schools of thought on how to tackle the climate and ecological crisis, each with their insights but also their limits. Thankfully, this isn't another prescriptive "how to save the planet" book by doing your bit. Rather, it is an open and honest invitation by a curious mind for us all to build bridges. Cole rightly concludes so much more can happen if we explore our predicament and collectively allow ourselves to imagine a better future * Farhana Yamin, Founder, Track 0 & Rebel For Life *Who Cares Wins is full of generosity from the author and a call to its readers that more can be possible if we imagine it and care about who wins in every choice we make * Chelsea Clinton, author and advocate *It's a positive, useful book - how to make choices. We need to get governments on board. I wish Lily was world controller * Vivienne Westwood, fashion designer and founder of Vivienne Westwood Ltd. *Lily's book is not only extraordinarily timely, it's inspiring, erudite, thought-provoking, spirited and perfectly balanced. Lily is a great thinker - and, better still, an exceptional doer * Mark Boyle, author of The Way Home and The Moneyless Man *This is a book for the moment, to inspire us to create a better Society after the pandemic. We must not return to the old normal. The optimism that Lily Cole articulates so well requires us to insist on a revival of the Future * Guy Standing, author of Basic Income and Battling Eight Giants *Who Cares Wins is a compelling reminder that the future is in our hands. Lily's book is a much-needed ray of light during a dark and unsettling time - a radical vision for a better future, infused with optimism at every turn. It's a rousing call to action but it's up to us to dare to care, will you? * John Sauven, Executive Director of Greenpeace UK *Who Cares Wins aims to shed light on a broad range of issues such as sustainability, technology and gender equality. Bringing together extensive research and interviews * Grazia *In this book [Cole] combines self-reflection [...] with expert insight * Cosmopolitan *Part manifesto, part personal dispatch from the frontline of environmental and social activism it's an impressively wide ranging audit on the planet most pressing challenges - most notably the threat of climate change that also offers an inventory of potential solutions * Waitrose Weekend *Who Cares Wins is an extremely well researched outline of the complex debates around environmentally impactful subjects * AnOther *

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Book SynopsisFor Art Spiegelman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Maus, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were both highly personal and intensely political. In the Shadow of No Towers, his first new book of comics since the groundbreaking Maus, is a masterful and moving account of the events and aftermath of that tragic day.Spiegelman and his family bore witness to the attacks in their lower Manhattan neighborhood: his teenage daughter had started school directly below the towers days earlier, and they had lived in the area for years. But the horrors they survived that morning were only the beginning for Spiegelman, as his anguish was quickly displaced by fury at the U.S. government, which shamelessly co-opted the events for its own preconceived agenda.He responded in the way he knows best. In an oversized, two-page-spread format that echoes the scale of the earliest newspaper comics (which Spiegelman says brought him solace after the attacks), Trade ReviewArt Spiegelman...to the comics world is a Michelangelo and a Medici both, an influential artist who is also an impresario and an enabler of others...[Maus's] great innovation-unmatched and possibly unmatchable-was in its combination of style and subject....It would be almost impossible to overstate the influence of Maus among other artists * New York Times Magazine *Spiegelman has become one of The New Yorker's most sensational artists, in recent years drawing illustrations for covers that are meant not just to be plainly understood but also to reach up and tattoo your eyeballs with images....From his Holocaust saga [Maus] in which Jewish mice are exterminated by Nazi cats, to the The New Yorker covers guaranteed to offend, to a wild party that ends in murder: Art Spiegelman's cartoons don't fool around * Los Angeles Times *A startling and provocative work * Newsday *For one moment on an otherwise perfect fall day in Manhattan, time stood absolutely still, and since then history has rushed past too quickly for any artist to keep up. This disjunction between experience and understanding gives In the Shadow of No Towers something so much more than a linear narrative: It is a love letter to a city that this artist, no matter his fears, could not bring himself to leave * Paper Magazine *

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Book SynopsisBased on the Webby award-winning Instagram account Drawings for My Grandchildren, this beautifully-illustrated book celebrates the special love shared between grandparents and their grandchildren.Like many grandparents wishing to stay close to their grandchildren in a world in which so many families are spread across the globe, Korean grandparents Grandpa Chan and Grandma Marina, decided to learn how to use Instagram as a way to stay connected. What started as an intimate family project, their Instagram page @drawings_for_my_grandchildren has attracted a large following and their story has been featured in major press around the world. This book inspired by their Instagram page features Chan''s watercolors accompanied by Marina''s texts. Whether it''s to celebrate Astro becoming a big brother to Lua or to share the story of how the grandparents met for the first time and fell in love during their college years, Looking Back Life was Beautiful echoes with the kiTrade ReviewHeart-warming...imaginative creations * BBC *Beautiful illustrations... each one comes with a story written by Chan Jae's wife Marina * Lonely Planet *Pictures capture moments from his day-to-day life, his memories, stories from the news, and more than a few fictional characters * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisEmbark on an enchanting journey into our country''s past hundred years through the remarkable life of Captain Sir Tom MooreTHE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER''A wonderful life story with lessons for us all . . . beautifully written'' DAILY TELEGRAPH''Gloriously enthralling'' DAILY MAIL__________Captain Sir Tom Moore''s story is all our stories . . .Born at the tail end of the Spanish flu epidemic, Tom Moore was raised in the Yorkshire Dales by a loving family that had not escaped tragedy. Yet when the clouds of war threatened, Tom raised his hand and joined up to fight.The Second World War took him to the Far East, where his can-do spirit was forged. Whether fighting for his life in Burma or helming a firm back home, racing motorbikes or raising a family, he always sought to do his very best. To make a difference to those around him.Captain Tom''s story is that of our parenTrade ReviewGloriously enthralling * Daily Mail *A riveting account. Tom is as sharp as a bayonet . . . This old soldier should never, ever fade away in our memory. Neither should his life advice * Daily Express *Engaging . . . His upbeat nature shines through and reminds us how much worse this year would have been without him * Evening Standard *A wonderful life story with lessons for us all . . . beautifully written * Daily Telegraph *Captain Tom Moore has stolen the nation's hearts * Evening Standard *A wonderful read. Captain Tom is a beacon of light, and hope, and positivity * Piers Morgan, Life Stories, ITV *A great book * Good Morning Britain *A beautiful book. We have so much to learn from Captain Sir Tom * Chris Evans, Virgin Radio *Fascinating. It's the life story of an ordinary man who is extraordinary * Michael Ball, BBC Radio 2 *Captain Tom Moore's charming autobiography is an inspiration . . . A great personal history of the past century, and we can all learn something from Captain Tom * Woman's Weekly *His story is of a man whose insatiable curiosity and appetite for life have led him around so many unexpected corners - and serves to unite and inspire every generation * This England *Lively and entertaining . . . beautifully captures Captain Tom's mixture of amazement and pride at what happened in 2020 * Reader's Digest *An incredible insight into a hundred years of British social history - and the story of a remarkable man * Candis *Captain Tom has a message of hope for us all * The Big Issue *His autobiography will continue to inspire. A hundred-year history of Britain and a life well lived * My Weekly *His optimism and courage shine through in this uplifting account of his life and times * Sunday Express *A national hero . . . He tells the story of his life with unfailing optimism and charm * Daily Mirror *In this delightful memoir, we see the build-up to that 'I said I'll do it and I will' attitude * Daily Mail *Uplifting and inspiring * Best *There is so much more to the humble centenarian exserviceman's life than his garden laps for the NHS. A life-affirming memoir * Sun *A very open and honest account of a centenarian's life . . . You cannot help but be amazed * Who Do You Think You Are? *Embark on an enchanting journey into our country's past hundred years through the remarkable life of Captain Sir Tom Moore * Eastern Daily Press *

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Book SynopsisA relatable and game-changing guide for parents that redefines what it means to be a present-day father. Father-of-three, motivational speaker and influencer Bodé Aboderin (AKA Papa B) is on a mission to show the world that Black fatherhood is not only compatible with ambition, but can inspire, nourish and amplify it too. Papa B is using his natural flair for motivational speech to share the joyful and transformative journey of starting a family, including the challenges involved and the opportunities to grow along the way. In this passionate parenting book for dads, Bodé reflects on how his own upbringing, alongside stigmas about fatherhood, race, and masculinity, have impacted his experiences of being a father, whilst talking candidly about how to overcome the challenges commonly experienced by parents - from breaking generational cycles and adapting to modern-day family dynamics to communicating with your child and achieving a healthy work-life balance. Fat

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis''Poverty is a very exacting teacher and I had been taught well''The post-war urban jungle of the Glasgow tenements was the setting for Molly Weir''s childhood. From sharing a pull-out bed in her mother''s tiny kitchen to running in terror from the fever van, it was an upbringing that was cemented in hardship. Hunger, cold and sickness was an everyday reality and complaining was not an option. Despite the crippling poverty, there was a vivacity to the tenements that kept spirits high. Whether Molly was brushing the hair of her wizened neighbour Mrs MacKay, running to Jimmy''s chip shop for a ha''penny of crimps or dancing at the annual fair, there wasn''t a moment to spare for self-pity. Molly never let it get her down as she and the other urchins knew how to make do with nothing.And at the centre of her world was her fearsome but loving Grannie, whose tough, independent spirit taught Molly to rise above her pitiful surroundings and achieve her dreams.

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Book SynopsisSurvivor on the River Kwai is the heartbreaking story of one of the last survivors of the Burma Railway.February 1942. A young British soldier is caught up in the worst defeat in the history of the British Army, the fall of Singapore. Reg Twigg spends the next three years in hell, moving from jungle camp to jungle camp and building the Burma Railway for the all-conquering Japanese. Beaten, tortured, starving and forced to watch his comrades die, Reg fights for his survival, stealing from his captors, trapping animals and even making his own tobacco. That Reg survived is testimony to his own courage and determination, his will to beat the alien brutality of camp guards who had nothing but contempt for him and his fellow POWs. He was a risk taker whose survival strategies sometimes bordered on genius. As moving and harrowing as The Last Fighting Tommy, with the drama of David Lean''s The Bridge Over the River Kwai and the heart of Trade ReviewOne of the finest accounts yet of life in the jungle PoW camps, at once humbling, heartwarming and enraging -- Allan Mallinson * The Times *

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize 2019''[A] painfully intense, courageous and gripping account of [Fanning''s] journey to the underworld of madness and back. This is a brave and instructive book.'' Irish Times''Extraordinary. An account of mental illness, grief, delusions, homelessness, a fractured family relationship ... and all while trying to recover and create. Superb writing on a frequently difficult subject.'' Sinéad Gleeson Arnold Thomas Fanning had his first experience of depression during adolescence, following the death of his mother. Some ten years later, an up-and-coming playwright, he was overcome by mania and delusions. Thus began a terrible period in which he was often suicidal, increasingly disconnected from family and friends, sometimes in trouble with the law, and homeless in London.Drawing on his own memories, the recollections of people who knew him when he was at his wTrade ReviewMind on Fire is a truly powerful, arresting, haunting account. Arnold Thomas Fanning has reckoned with the darkest matter of his heart and mind, and I challenge anyone not to be moved by that. -- Sara Baume[A] painfully intense, courageous and gripping account of [Fanning's] journey to the underworld of madness and back. This is a brave and instructive book. * Irish Times *In this strange and singular book, Arnold Thomas Fanning mercilessly excavates the infernal underworld of his own years of madness. As reminiscent as it occasionally is of John Healy's The Grass Arena, and even of Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London, the book is ultimately not quite like anything else I've read, and brought me as close to the lived reality of mental illness as I have ever been. It's a significant achievement: a painful, inexorable work of autobiography, whose existence is its own form of redemption. -- Mark O'ConnellThis is an extraordinary memoir about how it feels to be depressed, delusional, desperate * Observer *Extraordinary. An account of mental illness, grief, delusions, homelessness, a fractured family relationship ... and all while trying to recover and create. Superb writing on a frequently difficult subject. * Sinéad Gleeson *Arnold Thomas Fanning offers the most vivid and unflinching window into the mind of someone who is in the throes of madness ... It was like nothing I'd read before -- Rick EdwardsIncredibly important -- Emilie Pine, author of Notes to SelfA spellbinding memoir that should prove both moving and hopefully cathartic for the reader * RTÉ Culture *Wonderful -- Joseph O'Connor * Irish Times Books of the Year *Told in tight and immediate first-person, and imbued with a startling momentum that ratchets unnervingly, Fanning's publishing debut ... is a significant achievement and should be a talking point in publishing this year * Irish Independent *Fanning's debut book lays it on the line in a deeply personal and compelling chronicle of his descent into depression and his way back out. * RTE Guide *Unsparingly direct, searing and honest ... It is gripping to read and must have been exhausting to live -- Prof Brendan Kelly * Medical Independent *One of the most gripping and revealing memoirs I've read in a long time. A controlled and artful exploration of absolute loss of control, an unsettling and at times very moving reconstruction of a period of serious mental illness, Mind on Fire is a beautiful book about a terrifying thing. -- Mark O'Connell * Irish Times Books of the Year *Gripping -- Sinéad Gleeson * Irish Times Books of the Year *Shocking -- Liz Nugent * Irish Times Books of the Year *A ratcheting pace, a tight first-person immediacy, and utterly staggering to be a passenger over its entire warped course ... An indelible, ground-shaking account -- Hilary A White * Irish Independent, Memoir of the Year, Best Reads of 2018 *Poignant, beautifully detailed memoir -- Sarah Gilmartin * Irish Times, Best Debuts of 2018 *Brave and illuminating * Sunday Business Post *

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Book SynopsisLong recognized as perhaps the greatest non-fiction writer at work in Ireland, for his vast, polymathic accounts of nature and culture in the Aran Islands and Connemara, Tim Robinson is also an essayist of genius whose fascinations range across the globe. In Experiments on Reality, he shines the light of his intelligence on his own life, and on some of the most fascinating questions in science and culture. Robinson brings us to his boyhood in Yorkshire, National Service in Malaya in the 1950s, and his years as a visual artist in Istanbul, Vienna and London. He revisits some of the scenes of his researches for the maps he made of Aran and Connemara, places that continue to throw up remarkable stories and puzzles. And he performs astonishing literary thought-experiments, playing with the boundaries of the essay form, scientific inquiry, and storytelling. Experiments on Reality is a masterpiece from one of the great minds of our time.''One of the grTrade ReviewMany landscape writers have striven to give their prose the characteristics of the terrain they are describing. Few have succeeded as fully as Robinson * Guardian *One of the greatest of all landscape writers ... When the material world is brought forth for us so beautifully, with such rapt attention and illuminating insight, we are reminded of how lucky we are to be part of it -- Fintan O'Toole * Irish Times *Robinson is a stylist of exceptional cadence, tact and ingenuity * Daily Telegraph *He is that rarest of phenomena, a scientist and an artist, and his method is to combine scientific rigour with artistic reverie in a seamless blend that both informs and delights * Guardian *Experiments on Reality offers another side to Robinson. The abstract and algebraic thinking of his early years as both a mathematician and artist bubble back to the surface and meld with the mossy scents of Connacht and the reflections of age * Sunday Independent *One of contemporary Ireland's finest literary stylists * Guardian *In this slim volume of essays, typically lyrical and measured, Robinson burgles the bank of his youth in Wharfedale and later years, including National Service in Malaysia and his time as an artist in Istanbul, Vienna and London, to map out the topography of his own thoughts and travels. * RTÉ Guide *Dazzling * Condé Nast Traveller *Tim Robinson is the Proust of the western seaboard, a Ruskin of the isles * New Stateman *He knows this world as no one else does, and writes about it with awe and love, but also with measured grace, an artist's eye and a scientist's sensibility * Sunday Business Post *Breathtaking ... the West of Ireland has found its ultimate laureate * TLS *Simply one of the best non-fiction prose writers currently at work * Irish Times *The Proust & Ruskin of modern place-writing, deep-mapper of Irish landscapes, visionary thinker, & human of exceptional intellectual generosity & kindness. He was an immense inspiration to & encourager of me & my work. -- Robert Macfarlane

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Book Synopsis''The story [Onyeama] had to tell was so gripping and shocking, it wouldn''t let me go . . . A remarkably well-written memoir'' Bernardine Evaristo, from the IntroductionDillibe was the second black boy to study at Eton - joining in 1965 - and the first to complete his education there. Written at just 21, this is a deeply personal, revelatory account of the racism he endured during his time as a student at the prestigious institution. He tells in vivid detail of his own background as the son of a Nigerian judge at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, of his arrival at the school, of the curriculum, of his reception by other boys (and masters), and of his punishments. He tells, too, of the cruel racial prejudice and his reactions to it, and of the alienation and stereotyping he faced at such a young age. A Black Boy at Eton is a searing, ground-breaking book displaying the deep psychological effects of colonialism and racism.<Trade Review[A] frank and reflective memoir . . . An important story to tell * The Guardian *[An] electrifying memoir . . . I started reading, and the story he had to tell was so gripping and shocking, it wouldn't let me go . . . Dillibe Onyeama's story about landing in the hostile environment of Eton College is a personal one, but the questions it raises have much wider repercussions -- Bernardine Evaristo * New Statesman *A powerful insider account of systemic racism inside Eton during the sixties * Bustle *

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Book SynopsisA beautifully atmospheric memoir and travelogue from poet Amryl Johnson depicting her journey from the UK to Trinidad in the 1980s''Memories demanded that I complete this book. If what I experienced was, in fact, a haunting, I believe I have now laid these ghosts to rest in a style which I hope will satisfy even the most determined ones.''Amryl Johnson came to England from Trinidad when she was eleven. As an adult in 1983, ready for a homecoming, she embarks on a journey through the Caribbean searching for home, searching for herself.Landing in Trinidad as carnival begins, she instantly surrenders to the collective, pulsating rhythm of the crowd, euphoric in her total freedom. This elation is shattered when she finds the house where she was born has been destroyed. She cannot escape - nor wants to - from the inheritance of colonialism.Her bittersweet welcome sets the tone for her intoxicating exploration of these distinct islands. In evocative, lyrical prose Sequins for a Ragged Hem is an astonishingly unique memoir, interrogating the way our past and present selves live alongside one another.Selected by Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo, this series rediscovers and celebrates pioneering books from Black Britain and the diaspora, which remap the nation and reframe our history.Trade ReviewSequins is a powerful and unusual book, in that it combines the familiar traveller's tales with an account of another kind of journey and process of discovery, as Johnson confronts the 'ghost who was haunting herself' in order that she might come to terms with her sense of a fragmented identity * Guardian *

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