Memoirs Books

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisMore heart-warming, enchanting tales of life as a vet from Luke Gamble as he travels from Dorset to Greece, Morocco, India and beyond, helping animals in need across the world.Trade ReviewThere's something rather endearing about Gamble's zest for life and his deep love of animals, which imbue his stories with authenticity and humour . . . the characters and their four-legged friends raise a smile * Daily Mail *A James Herriot for the 21st century * Choice *Hang on to your seat belts - from the first page, the adventures of West Country vet Luke Gamble come thick and fast . . . the whirlwind pace will keep you turning the pages * Your Dog *Highly recommended: an interesting and romping good read that surprises and shocks at times, but most of all earns admiration for vets like Luke * Dogs Monthly *Luke's exploits never cease to amaze * Petfocus *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe long-awaited memoir from Will Sergeant, guitarist and founder member of the influential band Echo and the Bunnymen.Trade ReviewWith his dry, droll, vivid storytelling, Will Sergeant makes very clear the factors that shaped him, and therefore his band, into such a unique force . . . Sergeant sharply evokes the neurotic importance of music and clothes, his relief at seeing light alter so much darkness especially palpable in the aftermath of his new band's first gig -- Keith Cameron * Mojo *Sergeant's acerbic sense of humour in the telling of these tales means the memoir sometimes reads as if you're in the pub with him . . . Bunnyman manages to do what Echo & the Bunnymen did so brilliantly: be part of a wider story but create an autonomous enclave within it, subject to almost magical laws and precedents * Louder Than War *Engagingly down-to-earth . . . fondly nostalgic picture of 1960s and 70s Merseyside * Classic Rock *Evocative * Irish Times *Wonderfully vivid . . . brings to life an ordinary suburban existence and how music can offer new dreams and visions . . . fascinating . . . His pre-Bunnymen musical experiences are hilarious and self-deprecating * Caught By The River *An engaging coming-of-age story -- Ian Rankin * New Statesman *Wonderful . . . an evocative ride through childhood and teenage years . . . Sergeant writes with such atmosphere you can practically smell the chimney smoke and hear the rattle of glass bottles on milk floats . . . It's all recounted with generous helpings of the author's dry wit, as sharp and seductive as the innovative guitar lines he's contributed to so many great records * Record Collector *Will's story is peppered with evocative detail of growing up in the 60s and 70s . . . a strikingly honest journey . . . Bunnyman is an enthralling and funny book which, simply by coming from an insider's perspective (probably THE insider), throws new light on the birth of the Bunnymen * Manic Pop Thrills *Sergeant's memoir takes an earthy stroll through his early years, unafraid to tell it like it was * Mail on Sunday *A fine, keenly observed memoir that offers moments of pure joy * Times Literary Supplement *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the 1960s an American named John Harlin II changed the face of Alpine climbing. Harlin successfully summitted some of the most treacherous mountains in Europe. But it was the North Face of the Eiger that became Harlin''s obsession. John Harlin III was nine years old when his father put together a terrific team for an ill-fated direct ascent of the notorious Eiger. When Harlin''s rope broke, 2,000 feet from the summit, he plummeted 4,000 feet to his death. In the shadow of tragedy, young John Harlin III came of age possessed with the very same passion for risk that drove his father. For years he successfully denied the siren call of the mountain that killed his father. But in 2005, John Harlin could resist no longer. With his daughter, Siena - his very age at the time of his father''s death - and with an IMAX Theatre filmmaking crew watching, he set off towards the Eiger. This is an unforgettable story about fathers and sons, climbers and mountains, and dreamers whTrade ReviewIn his gripping, graceful account of his own attempt on the Eiger some 40 years after his father's fall in 1966, Harlin elegantly combines a frank biography of his frequently absent parent, "the Blond God", as he was dubbed by the press, with a vivid memoir of his own childhood. * Sunday Times *Excellent ... Superbly written ... John Harlin III has shown a non-specialist public that he can write lucidly and beautifully about mountains and the men and women who live for them, die on them ... It deserves to be read * Independent *At once a tribute to a legendary climber and a celebration of a very personal triumph, this book will captivate the imagination of anyone who reads it. * Booklist *As close to being a 'page turner' as any climbing-related book I've read since Touching the Void -- Stephen Goodwin * Alpine Journal *It's the differences between the father and the son, not the similarities, that infuse this book with such poignant force * Men's Journal *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''With characteristic self-effacement, she puts the escapades of charismatic animals ahead of her own feelings.'' The Guardian.When George Mottershead moved to the village of Upton-by-Chester in 1930 to realise his dream of opening a zoo without bars, his four-year-old daughter June had no idea how extraordinary her life would become. Soon her best friend was a chimpanzee called Mary, lion cubs and parrots were vying for her attention in the kitchen, and finding a bear tucked up in bed was no more unusual than talking to a tapir about granny''s lemon curd. Pelican, penguin or polar bear - for June, they were simply family. The early years were not without their obstacles for the Mottersheads. They were shunned by the local community, bankruptcy threatened and then World War Two began. Nightly bombing raids turned the dream into a nightmare and finding food for the animals became a constant challenge. Yet George''s resilience, r

Read more less

Book Synopsis_________________________A FINALIST FOR THE 26TH LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD_________________________''An uncommonly charming and wise tale.'' - Alexis Madrigal, The Atlantic''Cute without being treacly, Lost Cat has an appeal that even dog partisans will have to acknowledge.'' - Sarah Rothbard, Slate.com''Revelatory ... a fiercely charming narrative that sneaks up on a reader, just as the best fantastical books do ... an incredibly endearing work.'' - Jillian Steinhauer, Los Angeles Review of Books_________________________What do our pets do when they''re not with us? Caroline Paul and Wendy MacNaughton used GPS, cat cameras, psychics, and the web to track the adventures of their beloved cat Tibia.Caroline Paul was recovering from a bad accident and thought things couldn''t get worse. But then her beloved cat Tibia disappeared. She and her partner, illustrator Wendy MacNaughton, mourned his loss. Yet weeks later, Tibia waltzed back into their lives. His owners were overjoyed. But they were also...jealous? Betrayed? Where had their sweet anxious cat disappeared to? Had he become a swashbuckling cat adventurer? Did he love someone else more? His owners were determined to find out.Using GPS technology, cat cameras, psychics, the web, and animal communicators, the authors of Lost Cat embarked on a quest to discover what their cat did when they weren''t around. Told through writer Caroline Paul''s rich and warmly poignant narrative and illustrator Wendy MacNaughton''s stunning and hilarious 4-color illustrations, Lost Cat is a book for animal lovers, pet owners, and anyone who has ever done anything desperate for love.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA stunning and poignant account of an extraordinary teacher's determination never to abandon a child in need from the internationally bestselling author of ‘One Child’ and No. 1 bestseller ‘Ghost Girl’.Trade Review“Torey Hayden deserves the kind of respect I can’t give many people. She isn’t just valuable, she’s incredible. The world needs more like Torey Hayden.” Boston Globe “Chilling and affecting.” Chicago Tribune “Moving – as lively and surprising as the kids it so deftly portrays.“ O Magazine

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn account of what it was like to be Algerian, Jewish, and French at a time when those identities were fighting words.Trade ReviewThis is a complex engagement with the unique temporal, linguistic, and embodied qualities of family and cultural heritage. It is philosophically important and politically engaging, speaking to the necessities of repetition and distortion in the accuracies of memory and historical truth. It is also a delicate prose work of exceptional literary quality, an important contribution to contemporary studies in trauma and testimony and to the field of autobiography. -- Penelope Deutscher, Northwestern University This 'fable,' if I can call it that, is unmistakably magnificent, the form-an inquiry-both rigorous and moving, the historical/political overview impeccably accurate. This is 'our' story, with its mistakes, its blind spots, its equivocations, its truth, with nothing omitted: families and the bonds of love, the teaching profession, an almost hallucinatory grasp of certain occasions, steadfastness, chance occurrences. Of all the things people have written about 'France,' this is the most just. -- Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe, philosopher, author of Heidegger and the Politics of Poetry Drawing on his own recollections as well as documents that offer an official chronicle and letters and journals that pour out personal desires, Guenoun explores the complications of family and identity. Booklist [Guenoun] is a extraordinarily talented and creative Algerian born author and playwright and professor of French literature. Enticing... spellbinding... There is a musical rhythm to Guenoun's writing; a jazzy beat that feels like improvisation. Jerusalem Post An expert translation Journal of the Society for Contemporary Thought and the Islamicate World [A] moving family biography. -- Olivia Harrison The Los Angeles Review of Books A Semite is an evocative work imparting to the reader that Jews and Arabs can and should, to induce the recent slogan, refuse to be enemies with each other. This wondrously written portrait of a cry is a resource of hope in our own envisaging of beautiful tomorrows. -- Marcus Barnett Marx and Philosophy Review of Books Guenoun has written a riveting account of his larger-than life father that brings into sharp focus the last chapters of Jewish life in French Algeria in the 1960s... A remarkable memoir. -- Susan Gilson Miller The Journal of North African StudiesTable of ContentsForeword by Judith Butler Chronology of French/Algerian History I. December 1 II. June 22 III. November 6

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisWithin this extraordinary memoir, Radhanath Swami weaves a colorful tapestry of adventure, mysticism, and love. Readers follow Richard Slavin from the suburbs of Chicago to the caves of the Himalayas as he transforms from young seeker to renowned spiritual guide. The Journey Home is an intimate account of the steps to self-awareness and also a penetrating glimpse into the heart of mystic traditions and the challenges that all souls must face on the road to inner harmony and a union with the Divine. Through near-death encounters, apprenticeships with advanced yogis, and years of travel along the pilgrim’s path, Radhanath Swami eventually reaches the inner sanctum of India’s mystic culture and finds the love he has been seeking. It is a tale told with rare candor, immersing the reader in a journey that is at once engaging, humorous, and heartwarming.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe personal accounts of three young women who joined up in 1940.In the summer of 1940, Britain stood alone against Germany. The British Army stood at just over one and a half million men, while the Germans had three times that many, and a population almost twice the size of ours from which to draw new waves of soldiers. Clearly, in the fight against Hitler, manpower alone wasn't going to be enough.Eighteen-year-old Jessie Ward defied her mother to join the ATS, Margery Pott signed up for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, and nanny Kathleen Skin the WRNS. They left quiet homes for the rigours of training, the camaraderie of the young women who worked together so closely and to face a war that would change their lives for ever.Overall, more than half a million women served in the armed forces during the Second World War. This book tells the story of just three of them one from the Army, one from the Navy and one from the Air Force. But in their stories are reflected the lives of hundreds of thousands of others like them ordinary girls who went to war, wearing their uniforms with pride.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFinalist for the Man Booker International Prize 2015 Alain Mabanckou left Congo in 1989, at the age of twenty-two, not to return until a quarter of a century later. When at last he comes home to Pointe-Noire, a bustling port town on Congo's south-eastern coast, he finds a country that in some ways has changed beyond recognition: the cinema where, as a child, Mabanckou gorged on glamorous American culture has become a Pentecostal temple, and his secondary school has been re-named in honour of a previously despised colonial ruler. But many things remain unchanged, not least the swirling mythology of Congolese culture which still informs everyday life in Pointe-Noire. Mabanckou though, now a decorated French-Congolese writer and esteemed professor at UCLA, finds he can only look on as an outsider at the place where he grew up. As he delves into his childhood, into the life of his departed mother and into the strange mix of belonging and absence that informs his return to Congo, Mabanckou slowly builds a stirring exploration of the way home never leaves us, however long ago we left home.Trade ReviewThis is a beautiful book, the past hauntingly re-entered, the present truthfully faced, and the translation rises gorgeously to the challenge. * Salman Rushdie *Novels such as African Psycho, Memoirs of a Porcupine and (my favourite) Broken Glass have made his name as a hugely engaging storyteller whose humour, mischief and sheer bravura only throw the melancholy of his forlorn migrant heroes into even bolder relief. Now he, justly, stands among the finalists for the Man Booker International Prize, announced next week...Now he has written an overt memoir, but one that shares with his novels a glorious polyphony of voices and a winning amalgam of frankness and tenderness - deftly carried into English again by his regular translator, Helen Stevenson -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *Mabanckou is one of the continent's greatest writers and he's getting better with each book * Guardian *One of Africa's liveliest and most original voices * The Times *Mabanckou is, in fact, incomparable * Financial Times *In search of his past, Mabanckou evokes the light and shadow of Pointe-Noire, his "lost paradise" * Radio France Internationale *A literary blow to the solar plexus ... undulating and poignant, raw and poetic' * La Presse *At the end of this journey, the conclusion is clear - the country that lives within him is no longer his own, but Mabanckou remains loyal to his mother's last wish: "Never forget that hot water was once cold." * Télérama *A rich and astonishing book * L’Express *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1994, 21 years after her disappearance, Lucy Partington's remains were discovered in Fred and Rosemary West's basement at 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester. In this powerful and lyrical book, Lucy's elder sister, Marian, reclaims Lucy from the status of victim and finds an authentic and compassionate response to her traumatic loss. Her inspiring narrative of healing draws on Buddhist and Quaker practices and culminates in restorative justice work in prisons.Trade ReviewWe are spared no aspect of the anguish, confusion and anger experienced, but are also told an extraordinary story of inner movement and growth - growth in a faith much less orthodox on the face of it than Lucy's ardent Catholicism but equally deep and serious. It is a book about the massive difficulty of anything like reconciliation in the wake of outrage. There is nothing easily consoling here, but rather a sense of stillness, acceptance and hope - both given and worked for. -- Rowan Williams, Book of the Year 2012, Times Literary SupplementThere is not a sentence in this book that has not been felt, fought for and hard won. -- Craig Brown, Book of the Week, The Mail on SundayThis is not a story of 'coping with loss', nor of 'overcoming emotion', nor less of 'achieving forgiveness'. It is the story of simply, doggedly and patiently refusing to accept the path of victimhood, revenge or bitter resentment. Instead Marian has walked the way of uncertainty, humility and hope which, through spiritual struggle and human kindness, accepts and transforms sadness, loss and evil. -- Stephen Cherry, author of Healing Agony: Re-Imagining ForgivenessAn outstanding and beautifully crafted redemptive memoir. -- Marina Cantacuzino, Huffington PostIf You Sit Very Still should feature on everybody's bookshelf alongside such life guides as Shakespeare and the Bible. -- Jeffery Taylor, Sunday ExpressAn anguished, gruellingly honest and lyrical cry from the heart. -- Human Givens JournalTable of ContentsPreface. Foreword by Marina Catacuzino. Prologue. Part 1. Crisis. 1. Disappearance. 2. The Not Knowing. 3. Unearthing. 4. Re-earthing. Part 2. Confessing. 5. Enfolding the Dark. 6. Finding a Voice. Part 3. Comprehending. 7. Peeling Away the Layers. 8. Fresh Earth. 9. Suffering and Healing. Part 4. Transforming. 10. Lucy's Woven Bag. 11. Words of Grace. 12. Epilogue.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince making his journalistic debut breaking into Piers Morgan’s office, BBC foreign correspondent Nick Bryant has rattled Donald Rumsfeld, had tea with President Karzai, and lunched with the Tamil Tigers. Now casting a sideways glance at his own profession, Bryant divulges the day-to-day realities of life in ‘Correspondentland’ – its glamour, its quirks, and its sometimes unsavoury practices. Whether in Washington DC, offering a window onto American politics as no insider can, reporting from a slum in India, or revealing why the BBC delayed the news of Princess Diana’s death, Bryant’s perspective is inimitable and always insightful. Part memoir, part travelogue, part exposé, this is an unmissable and unique view into the world of modern reporting, and an intimate portrait of the countries Bryant has come to know.Trade ReviewBryant is a genuine rarity: a Brit who understands America. * Washington Post *Outstanding. * Sydney Morning Herald *Refreshing ... Correspondentland strikes the right balance of observation and insight, skilfully leavened with a helping of humour and a pinch of self-deprecation. * The Australian *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis''This book could save your life'' John Crace''An unblinking account of living with - and more importantly, beyond - addiction. Brave, clear-eyed and inspiring'' John Niven''A rich, uplifting memoir: Hoskyns portrays how painful inadequacy, masked by drugs, can be replaced by the messiness of ordinary life'' Oliver JamesA few months after graduating with a 1st class honours degree from Oxford University, Barney Hoskyns sat in a damp Clapham basement and asked his best friend to inject him with heroin. From that moment on, for the next three years, Hoskyns is hopelessly hooked. This is the searingly honest story of what brought him to this place - and how he got himself out of it. Barney Hoskyns is one of the leading music writers of our time: his books have ranged the musical landscape from Led Zeppelin to Tom Waits, from Laurel Canyon to Woodstock. His articles have appeared in NME, Melody Maker, Rolling StoneTrade ReviewElegantly written, almost poetic at times, his (Hoskyns) book analyses the cause and effect of addiction and its vice-like grip on the body and mind * The Mail on Sunday *The music critic's journey is filled with the beautiful as much as the damned ... replete with insight into the price of cool and the infatuations that can tear us all apart * New Statesman *A powerful ... recollection of these lost years: vivid, impressionistic ... an ambitious, intelligent book -- Andrew Anthony, The ObserverA completely compelling memoir of addiction and redemption. Hoskyns has taken a highly personal subject and created a bold and rewarding account in which we may all find purpose and value -- Simon GarfieldA brilliantly-written memoir about the long route to freedom - a treatise on living and dying in an addictive and compulsive culture -- James FoxNever Enough, the fierce, unflinching memoir of addiction and recovery by Barney Hoskyns, is really something -- Nicci FrenchHoskyns's artful, intense Never Enough describes his all-consuming heroin addiction at NME, as well as his subsequent 30-year flight from it -- Ted Kessler, QErudite and ruminative memoir . . . his writing is worth savouring . . . Never Enough is substantial and satisfying * TLS *

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘The passages he addresses directly to Phoebe are as tender as the father-daughter letters in Karl Ove Knausgaard’s Seasons Quartet’ Times Literary Supplement ‘This book tells the inspiring story of how even the least skilled of us can make something wonderful if we invest enough time and love’ The Daily Mail 'Both the book, and place, are magical' The Sunday Telegraph 'When Jonathan Gornall decided to build a boat for his daughter, he had no experience and no practical skills. What followed was a very real labour of love.' The ScotsmanOne man learns the ancient skills of boat-building to connect with fatherhood.How to Build a Boat is the story of a thoroughly unskilled modern man who, inspired by his love of the sea and what it has taught him about life, sets out to build a traditionalTrade Review‘Refreshingly down-to-earth…one can’t help admiring the combination of craftsmanship and ambition’ * Times Literary Supplement *'This book tells the inspiring story of how even the least skilled of us can make something wonderful if we invest enough time and love.' * Daily Mail *'Both the book, and place, are magical.' * Sunday Telegraph *'When Jonathan Gornall decided to build a boat for his daughter, he had no experience and no practical skills. What followed was a very real labour of love.' * The Scotsman *'In an age of instant everything, this is a charming book about handcrafting something that does not arrive in a cardboard box and snap together. It is a story about taming impatience, facing fears, and softening skepticism. With love as a motivation, each of us may undertake things that seem impossible.' -- Tori Murden McClure, author of A Pearl in the Storm, President of Spalding University, and the first woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean'There are few sailing books that a sailor could recommend to anyone, but How to Build a Boat is one of them, a first-person narrative about boatbuilding and fatherhood...moving, funny and perceptive...it is Gornall's biggest achievement to turn a detailed description of building a timber dinghy into a real page-turner.' * Classic Boat *'The inspiring story of how even the least skilled of us can make something wonderful if we invest enough time and love.' * Irish Daily Mail *'Beautifully documents the year [journalist Jonathan Gornall] spent building a wooden boat for his young daughter…Owning almost no tools and having no woodworking skills, Gornall, living on England’s eastern coast, gave himself a crash course…[His] prose is amusing, personal, and informative…[He] acknowledges he has ‘created a vessel of a father’s love, a gift to inspire his daughter.’ The very same can be said of his book, a testament to hard work and a soft heart.' * Publishers Weekly *'An utterly captivating, richly poetic account of building a traditional wooden boat for the first time – and a paean to the awesome responsibility and reward of fatherhood.' -- Matthew P. Murphy, Editor * WoodenBoat magazine *'This rich, beautifully crafted book is funny, heart-warming and stuffed to the gunwales with fascinating information. Jonathan Gornall’s quest to build a sailing boat navigates the crosscurrents of his life story – the challenges of fatherhood, his difficult relationship with his mother, his lifelong love of the sea. It’s a compelling narrative that sweeps us along as Gornall battles his demons while simultaneously tackling the tough physical challenges of building a vessel from scratch.' -- Benedict Tufnell, Editor * Row360 magazine *'Being a parent, a sailor and an occasional DIYer, I know that boat building, like fatherhood, is not for the faint of heart. Packed with details, both historical and personal, How to Build a Boat wonderfully captures the tensions, the tightrope walk between reward and dismay. In the end, I wanted to cheer: the boat floats and a daughter's adventures can begin.' -- Mark Pillsbury, Editor * Cruising World *'Engrossing...Gornall's prose is buoyant and watertight and his book shipshape.' * Kirkus Reviews *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor more almost forty years, Jamaica’s Barn Theatre was a crucial part of the development of a Caribbean theatre that extended beyond the Europhile elite. When it began in 1965, there were scarcely any plays written by Caribbean playwrights to perform. By its presence The Barn encouraged the work of dramatists such as Dennis Scott, Ashani Harrison and Carmen Tipling, and above all the work of Trevor Rhone, with whom Yvonne Brewster enjoyed a close if sometimes tumultuous theatrical relationship.Yvonne Brewster's splendid retelling of the making of the Barn captures the phenomenon of youthful ambition, creative optimism and rollicking intellectual excitement that characterized the spirit of young people fired with the zeal of imagining a postcolonial self as distinct from a colonized self. The men and women who started the Barn were shaped by Jamaica’s independence or the idea of it, though their spirit was as much shaped by the giddy youth culture of the sixties blossoming in London, where some were trained, as by developments in Jamaica where ska, reggae and Rasta were coming together in a not always lucid mix to create a sense of possibility. As much as it is an invaluable record of the plays performed in the context of a changing Jamaican society, Vaulting Ambition is an engaging and affectionate account of the sometimes larger than life personalities who were involved and the often difficult material circumstances in which theatre was made. Above all, the memoir gives us the inimitable voice of Yvonne Brewster, raconteur extraordinaire.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLove’s Work is at once a memoir and a work of philosophy. Written by the English philosopher Gillian Rose as she was dying of cancer, it is a book about both the fallibility and the endurance of love, love that becomes real and lasting through an ongoing reckoning with its own limitations. Rose looks back on her childhood, the complications of her parents’ divorce and her dyslexia, and her deep and divided feelings about what it means to be Jewish. She tells the stories of several friends also laboring under the sentence of death. From the sometimes conflicting vantage points of her own and her friends’ tales, she seeks to work out (seeks, because the work can never be complete—to be alive means to be incomplete) a distinctive outlook on life, one that will do justice to our yearning both for autonomy and for connection to others. With droll self-knowledge (“I am highly qualified in unhappy love affairs,” Rose writes, “My earliest unhappy love affair was with Roy Rogers”) and with unsettling wisdom (“To live, to love, is to be failed”), Rose has written a beautiful, tender, tough, and intricately wrought survival kit packed with necessary but unanswerable questions.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisCatherine Rothwell has gathered together more than 130 traditional Cornish recipes in her latest book. Cornwall has always had a strong culinary tradition, with many dishes having their origins in the county. Some of those featured have wonderful names such as Star-Gazey Pie and Bill?s Treacle Dunkers to name but two. Of course there are the more recognizable treats, too, like Cornish Pasties and regional variations of jam, bread, and wine recipes. As one would expect, she has featured lots of fish dishes?the coastal towns and villages relied heavily on the sea for sustenance in days gone by?and celebrity chef Rick Stein has even contributed one of his own famous recipes for Monkfish with Garlic and Fennel. Interwoven with Catherine?s recipes are stories and anecdotes from her contributors, as well as historical tales of the places featured. The whole of the county from Anthony to Zennor is covered, and is a fascinating read not only for those interested in regional cookery, but also in local history, customs, and traditions.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLove & War in London is rooted in the extraordinary milieu of wartime London. Vibrant and engaging, Olivia Cockett's diary reveals her frustrations, fears, pleasures and self-doubts. She recorded her mood swings and tried to understand them, and wrote of her lover (a married man) and the intense relationship they had. As she and her friends and family in New Scotland Yard were swept up by the momentous events of another European war, she vividly reported on what she saw and heard in her daily life. Hers is a diary that brings together the personal and the public. It permits us to understand how one intelligent, imaginative woman struggled to make sense of her life, as the city in which she lived was drawn into the turmoil of a catastrophic war.

Read more less

Book SynopsisJoe Simpson is the author of several best-selling books, of which the first, Touching the Void, won both the NCR award and the Boardman Tasker Award. His later books are This Game of Ghosts - the sequel to Touching the Void - Storms of Silence, Dark Shadows Falling, The Beckoning Silence and one previous novel, The Water People.Trade ReviewSimpson has a great way with words and his prose grips... A fascinating tale, wonderfully told -- Ranulph Fiennes * Sunday Times *This Game Of Ghosts is a strange, beautiful, bewildering and often very moving book... Simpson paints a warm, vivid picture of the climbing fraternity, and approaches a fusion of poetry and philosophy sometimes with his description of the impact on oneself of facing down the fear of dying; through this coming closer to understanding death, and thereby, joyously life * The List *His fame is not due to the incidents themselves so much as the brilliant way he writes about them. The result leaves an impression of total honesty and lets the intense excitement of the stories speak for themselves * Independent *This book is not so much about why we climb - Simpson can't answer that for himself, much less the rest of us - but why we take such risks for such fleeting rewards. Overall this is a great book - perhaps the most honest bit of climbing writing I have read -- John Sherman * Climbing *This is Simpson's rehabilitation. It is deeply honest, perplexed, confused, has no easy conclusions...This is not so much another climbing book as a psychological document, terrifying, challenging and extraordinary * Scotsman *

Read more less

Book SynopsisNow a major US primetime dramaThe uplifting story that touched the world and inspired families everywhere to rethink what matters most in their livesAs a young dad, Bruce Feiler, New York Times bestselling author and television host, received shattering news. A rare form of cancer was threatening not only his life but his family''s future as well. A singular question emerged: Who would be there for his wife and daughters if he were gone?Feiler reached out to six extraordinary men who helped shape him and asked them to be present in the lives of his daughters. The Council of Dads is the unforgettable portrait of these men, who offer wisdom, humor, and guidance on how to live, how to love, how to question, how to dream.The source for NBC''s blockbuster series, here is a singular story that offers lessons for us all-helping us draw closer to the ones we love, appreciate what''s most precious, and celebrate the power of

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Surfboard is Dan Kieran's account of a week he spent in Cornwall building a seven-foot surfboard, even though he had never surfed a day in his life. He did this at a time when he felt he had reached his personal and professional limits: he needed to find a way to break through.Interspersed with the story of making the board – the intricate craft he had to learn, and the clarity of mind that came with that challenge – are the reflections on the obstacles, rewards and realisations he encountered while starting and running a successful business.This startlingly honest book is a finely crafted meditation on the importance of making things for their own sake and pushing beyond our preconceived limitations.Trade Review'Deeply personal and inspiring' The Idler

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Abby Ellin''s writing is everything her fiancé pretended to be: witty, vulnerable, brave, smart, and honest'' Michael Finkel, author of The Stranger in the WoodsIn Duped, New York Times journalist Abby Ellin explores the secret lives of compulsive liars, and the tragedy of those who trust them. Perfect for anybody who enjoyed Bad Blood and Dirty John.While leading a double life sounds like the stomping ground of psychopaths, moles, and covert agents with indeterminate dialects, plenty of people who appear ''normal'' keep canyon-sized secrets from those in their immediate orbits. These untold stories lead to enormous surprises, often unpleasant ones. Duped is an investigation of compulsive liars - and how they fool their loved ones - drawing on Abby Ellin''s personal experience.From the day Abby went on her first date with The Commander, she was caught up in a whirlwind. Within five monthsTrade ReviewAbby Ellin's writing is everything her fiancé pretended to be: witty, vulnerable, brave, smart, and honest -- Michael Finkel, author of The Stranger in the WoodsAbby Ellin has been Duped, and in this fascinating book, she reveals how and why ordinary people are often deceived by extraordinarily mendacious con artists. Ellin's personal story leads her to delve deep into research of why people lie and how they lie, and she discovers how common treachery can be. If you've ever been lied to, or told a lie, you will want to read this surprising, personal, and funny investigation of deception -- Piper Kerman, #1 bestselling author of Orange is the New BlackI couldn't put it down! -- Gretchen Rubin, #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and The Four TendenciesDuped is memoir crossed with journalism, a funny, raw account of being at the receiving end. It's an enjoyable romp with real hurt at its core . . . -- Melanie Reid * The Times *From the wildly entertaining opening chapter of Duped, Abby Ellin explores the why and how of great imposters, many of whom occupied important swaths of her life. Swerving from the deceitful, manipulative, pathological narcissists to the professional use of lie detectors, she makes researching dishonesty an entertaining and fascinating read -- Jonna Hiestand Mendez, former CIA chief of disguiseI loved this book, and not just because of Abby Ellin's masterful storytelling. This is a book that can save lives. She paints an exquisite portrait of what life with a predator is like. No child should go to college without first reading this book -- Joe Navarro, former FBI agent and bestselling author of Dangerous PersonalitiesThrilling, weird, and funny, Duped reveals the psychology of gaslighting, the prevalence of gullibility, and the wisdom in paranoia. Abby Ellin is a shrewd chronicler of cons and a gracious friend to the duped. -- Ada Calhoun, author of Wedding Toasts I'll Never GiveCandid and entertaining, Ellin's book offers insight into the socially and psychologically complex nature of deceit as well as the choices she made as a duped woman. Lively, provocative reading * Kirkus Reviews *[A] sassy shotgun blast of memoir * Times Literary Supplement *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA memoir about the fathomless loss of a child reveals how tragedy can transform us and make us more fully alive.

Read more less

Book SynopsisI am by nature a private person. Secrets are different from privacy. They are things you are forced to keep to yourself, by family, friends, by your own shame. Secrets like these come to the surface one day and demand an airing.Emerging from an unconventional, boisterously happy childhood, Mary-Rose MacColl was a rebellious teenager. And when, at the age of fifteen, her high-school teacher and her husband started inviting Mary-Rose to spend time with them, her parents were pleased that she now had the guidance she needed to take her safely into young adulthood.It wasn't too long, though, before the teacher and her husband changed the nature of the relationship with overwhelming consequences for Mary-Rose. Consequences that kept her silent and ashamed through much of her adult life. Many years later, safe within a loving relationship, all of the long-hidden secrets and betrayals crashed down upon her and she came close to losing everything.In this poignant and brave true story, Mary-Rose brings these secrets to the surface and, in doing so, is finally able to watch them float away.Trade ReviewOne of the most remarkable pieces of writing I have read in a long, long time...Lots of stuff gets over-praised these days I reckon, and readers tire of superlatives, but in this case, I'm bringing out every superlative I've got. * Susan Johnson, author of The Broken Book *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor fans of the New York Times bestseller I Quit Sugar or Katie Couric''s controversial food industry documentary Fed Up, A Year of No Sugar is a delightfully readable account of how [one family] survived a yearlong sugar-free diet and lived to tell the taleA funny, intelligent, and informative memoir. KirkusIt''s dinnertime. Do you know where your sugar is coming from? Most likely everywhere. Sure, it''s in ice cream and cookies, but what scared Eve O. Schaub was the secret world of sugarhidden in bacon, crackers, salad dressing, pasta sauce, chicken broth, and baby food.With her eyes opened by the work of obesity expert Dr. Robert Lustig and others, Eve challenged her husband and two school-age daughters to join her on a quest to quit sugar for an entire year. Along the way, Eve uncovered the real costs of our sugar-heavy American dietincluding diabetes, obesity, and increased incidences of health problems such as heart disease and cancer. The stories, tipsTrade Review"The diary I wish I had kept ... the adventures of her family, the roadblocks they encountered, and the sheer daily difficulty of overcoming a national obsession." - From the foreword by David Gillespie, author of Sweet Poison"Eve O. Schaub's Year of No Sugar has the potential to alter your deeply rooted convictions regarding the innocent pleasure of sugar." - Betsy Shaw, Babycenter.com blogger and former Olympic snowboarder"The surface charm of Year of No Sugar-breezy wit, blithe anecdote and effortless evocation of people and the stuff they put in their mouths-cannot conceal Schaub's deeper purpose: a takedown of sugar, its disarming myths, its dangerous presence in nearly everything we eat, and its cynical marketing. Delicious and compelling, her book is just about the best sugar substitute I've ever encountered." - Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Ron Powers"[Schaub] debunks questionable nutritional advice, pokes fun at her own past experiments with health fads, and recalls the particular challenges of sweets-laden Halloween and Christmas. At the end of the year, the family was healthier, and they had accumulated a store of ideas and recipes (included in the book) to counter the craving for something sweet." - Booklist"Delightfully readable account of how [Schaub] and her family survived a yearlong sugar-free diet-and lived to tell the tale. ... A funny, intelligent and informative memoir." - Kirkus Reviews"informative and hilarious ... Eve and her husband tackled every blip, fit and question with a heaping dose of good humor." - Woman's World"Eve Schaub has certainly heightened my awareness of sugar. After reading Year of No Sugar, I haven't been able to walk in the grocery store without reading a label (which I always did, but now it's really consuming). If you're looking for an entertaining read, pick up a copy and see if you can't help but avoiding the sweet stuff-even that can be addictive." - Sweet Home"I admire Eve and her family for their stick-to-itiveness, and I highly recommend Year of No Sugar. It's a quick read, but will leave you thinking for a long time. It certainly raised my awareness." - Baby Center Blog"Schaub is a wonderful storyteller. Her sense of humor and ability to paint pictures of situations they find themselves makes Year of No Sugar a pleasure to read. Whether or not you decide to follow in her footsteps concerning limiting or removing sugar from your diet, you will undoubtedly enjoy reading her story, and find lots of food for thought as well. " - Story Circle Book Reviews"Vermont author Eve O. Schaub chronicles how her family (husband, two school-age daughters) tried to banish fructose and "it's many, many aliases" from their life. Easier said than done, since the stuff has snuck into everything from ketchup to salad dressing to bacon. When Schaub announces the plan, both girls break into hysterical tears (one later describes her sugar-free family as "mutants"). But as the months progress, their sweets cravings diminish (substitutes help, like brown rice syrup), and they feel happier and healthier." - Boston GlobeTable of ContentsCONTENTS Foreword by David Gillespie 1: I Love Sugar 2: Out of the Opium Den 3: A Sweet Poison 4: Sugar, Sugar Everywhere 5: Everything Tastes Like Bananas and Dates 6: Waitresses Hate Us 7: Oh, the Things You Will Eat 8: Poop Doesn't Lie 9: But What About the Kids? 10: Meet the Hermits 11: Why Am I Not Italian? 12: Desert Island Desserts 13: Halloween Without Candy 14: Food Time Travel 15: Holy Food 16: You're Ruining My Life...Merry Christmas! 17: Sugar at Midnight Epilogue: The Moral of Our Story P.S. Recipes from a Year of No Sugar Acknowledgments About the Author

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less