Search results for ""with love""

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER AN OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICK ‘Deeply moving’ Sarah Winman, author of Still Life ‘Remarkable’ Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish) ‘A sweeping epic … Outstanding’ Daily Mail Immerse yourself in a celebration of Black womanhood and an epic tale of the stories that span generations. Ailey Pearl Garfield grows up between the City in the north and summers spent in her mother’s small hometown of Chicasetta, Georgia. From an early age, she finds herself in a battle for belonging that’s made all the more difficult by a hurt in her past, as well as the whispers of women—her mother, Belle, her sister, Lydia, and a maternal line reaching back two centuries—that urge Ailey to succeed in their stead. To come to terms with her identity, Ailey embarks on a journey through her family’s past, uncovering the shocking tales of generations of ancestors—Indigenous, Black, and white—in the deep South. In doing so Ailey must learn to embrace her full heritage, a legacy of oppression and resistance, bondage and independence, cruelty and resilience that is the story—and the song—of America itself. ‘Mesmerising… magnificent’ Independent ‘Astonishing… A great work infused with love and honesty’ Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple ‘Gripping, gorgeous. A sweeping family saga that is also history at its most intimate and vital’ Stef Penney, author of The Tenderness of Wolves LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION • SHORTLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE • LONGLISTED FOR THE ASPEN LITERARY PRIZE New York Times 10 Best Books of the Year • Time 10 Best Books of the Year • Washington Post 10 Best Books of the Year • People 10 Best Books of the Year • Booklist 10 Best First Novels of the Year

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Stepan Kvardakov was born in 1988 in Ivanov, Russia. After graduating from University he moved to St. Petersburg in 2010. He was inspired to take up photography after his father gave him a Canon 7d camera. In 2013 he met Elena, who was to become his future wife, a very pretty and highly photogenic lady, and an experienced model. Stepan decided to advance his study of photography by joining Oleg Titiaevs and erotic photographer Dan Hechos master classes. After 18 months, Stepan succeeded in establishing his own, individual style of erotic pictures. Today he is an important contact person for some of the most beautiful girls in Russia. Perhaps thats the way it really is with love: you can only find it in abundance where there is a absence of money and wealth. But perhaps visitors to Russia only persuade themselves it is so. Particularly in St. Petersburg, it is clear that romance is not associated with embarrassment, and this applies to flirting as well as to making friends. And especially not to the ten days in June, the so-called White Nights, when the sun shines all night long. And, who knows, during your visit you might discover one of the beautiful models Stepan introduces us to in his first book of erotic photographs. The practiced eye of the male observer realizes that these girls know how to love. And they also love their city of St. Petersburg, so much so in fact, that they tenderly whisper Piter to it, their pet name for it. And as the lips turn upwards in a smile, as they do when saying the letter i in Piter we realize that these girls have just infected us with their love.

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Parenting Teen Boys with Love and Confidence“John is the real deal… He knows what kids are dealing with, what their struggles are, where their strengths lie, what they know, and what they need.”—Giuliana Rancic, journalist, television personality, and infotainer#1 Best Seller in Popular Adolescent PsychologyDr. John Duffy; bestselling author of Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety, clinical psychologist, and parenting expert; offers 8 practical solutions for dealing with our national crisis of disaffected boys and young men.How to help our sons grow into happy, successful, capable adults. Recent decades have shown that boys are simply not thriving the way they should be. In Rescuing Our Sons, Dr. Duffy has developed 8 practical parenting steps to improve your understanding of your teenager, equip him with life skills to improve his present and his future, and bring your family together.Become the effective, confident parent your teen needs. Raising responsible, confident boys is difficult, especially through the teen years. Dr. Duffy is dedicated to helping you encourage your son’s growth with positive parenting tips.Inside, you’ll find: Practical and proven parenting strategies for dealing with the common issues that teen boys face, including gaming addictions, pornography, vaping, and drug use New perspectives and insights on your son’s teenage brain and behavior that will help you develop a more meaningful relationship with him Methods for effectively raising a motivated young man who can overcome depression, anxiety, and risky behaviors Readers of books on parenting teens, such as The Teenage Brain, How to Raise an Adult, He’s Not Lazy, or Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety, will want to pick up a copy of Dr. Duffy’s Rescuing Our Sons.

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This is a travel guide with a difference..."Graffiti Travel Guide: Singapore" is a novel concept. It is a mode-with-love book where pictures, words and design come together to evoke the heart and soul of the city - for independent, adventurous and savvy globetrotters."Graffiti Travel Guide: Singapore" conjures a realistic image of the city told in a poetic and creative style by those who live in and love the city. This book informs with top insider recommendations and doesn't overwhelm readers with information but gives them room to discover Singapore for themselves.The guidebook reveals some of Singapore's "secret" corners, as well as the more well known areas and covers, in a refreshingly modern style, all the requirements for getting the most out of a trip - be it dining out, shopping, culture or accommodation. The book is crammed with useful information laid out amongst bright and colourful photos and pictures, giving an eye-catching insight into Singapore life and culture for the adventurous and independent traveller, who wishes to dig deeper and explore new experiences.Every page is different, and designed to reflect the atmosphere of the places/customs that it covers. It is not just a guide - it's also a handbook to Singapore's people and places, a handsome souvenir for visitors, and a launch pad for creative interpretations about each topic.Most travel guides are 'researched' and written by people who have visited the location just a few times. This book takes on 30 professional as well as first time writers, designers and photographers who love the city, grew up in it and know it like the back of their hand - the result is a revelation of interesting people and places that only insiders know.

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A guide to the sacred stages of the death and dying process viewed through the eyes of a Celtic anam-áire• Emphasizes how shadow work, integrating past wounds, and healing our ancestry allows us to facilitate the ecstatic transition into the next life • Offers exercises and visualizations to help us integrate emotions like anger and grief, which impact the soul’s readiness to leave the body when the time comes • Discusses what happens to our cells when we die with regard to the human energy field and explores the soul’s journey through the aítes or bardos In the Celtic tradition dying is considered an act of birthing, of our consciousness passing from this life to the next. Informed by an early near-death experience, spiritual midwife and former nun Phyllida Anam-Áire offers an intimate overview of the sacred stages of the dying process seen through the lens of her Celtic heritage. Compassionately describing the final dissolution of the elements, she emphasizes how important it is to resolve and integrate our psycho-spiritual shadows and wounds in this lifetime. What truly heals is our capacity for authentic compassionate love--in life, in death, and after. Healing our ancestry before leaving the body eases not only our transition but sets future generations free from old stories held in our family systems.Sharing her insights into God consciousness, our earth/ego mind, and the soul’s journey through the Aíte or bardos, Phyllida’s poetic words guide us toward the final ecstasy as the soul leaves its material form and enters the vast Universal Heart of cosmic energy. Providing a deep spiritual understanding of the mysteries of death and the afterlife, this courageous book combines Celtic and Christian wisdom to dispel the fear of dying and invites us to live consciously and with love to our very last breath.

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WINNER OF THE 2017 COSTA NOVEL AWARD A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR AN FT BOOK OF THE YEAR A TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR A TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR From the award-winning author of If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things. Reservoir 13 tells the story of many lives haunted by one family's loss. Midwinter in the early years of this century. A teenage girl on holiday has gone missing in the hills at the heart of England. The villagers are called up to join the search, fanning out across the moors as the police set up roadblocks and a crowd of news reporters descends on their usually quiet home. Meanwhile, there is work that must still be done: cows milked, fences repaired, stone cut, pints poured, beds made, sermons written, a pantomime rehearsed. The search for the missing girl goes on, but so does everyday life. As it must. An extraordinary novel of cumulative power and grace, Reservoir 13 explores the rhythms of the natural world and the repeated human gift for violence, unfolding over thirteen years as the aftershocks of a stranger’s tragedy refuse to subside. WINNER OF THE 2017 COSTA NOVEL AWARD LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOLDSMITHS PRIZE ‘A rare and dazzling feat of art’ George Saunders, author of Lincoln in the Bardo ‘McGregor writes with such grace and precision, with love even, about who and where we are, that he leaves behind all other writers of his generation’ Sarah Hall, author of The Wolf Border ‘Reservoir 13 is quite extraordinary – the way it’s structured, the way it rolls, the skill with which Jon McGregor lets the characters breathe and age’ Roddy Doyle, author of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha

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This is a comprehensive critical guide to Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde. This new edition has been comprehensively revised in light of the latest scholarly and critical research and with a fully updated bibliography. It includes a full account of Chaucer's imaginative deployment of his sources, and an extended survey of this narrative poem's innovative combination of a range of generic identities. The chapters explain how Chaucer builds thematic significance into his poem's symmetrical structure, and the poem's distinctive variety in style and language, as well as a full commentary on the poem's concerns with love in the contexts of time and mutability and human free will. The Guide explores the poem as an extended debate about the nature and value of love, and how love was conceptualized and experienced as a form of service in quest of compassionate reward, a quasi-religious devotion, and a potentially fatal illness always in hope of cure. The subjectivities of the chief protagonists are fully analysed, as is the poem's problematic ending. Alongside discussions of theme and structure, there is also an account of what the extant manuscripts of Troilus and Criseyde may reveal about the poem's early genesis, and a unique survey of responses to Troilus from its own times to the present day. Barry Windeatt's contribution to the series is a comprehensive single-volume guide to Troilus and Criseyde, bringing together a wide range of material and providing a readable commentary on all aspects of the work. Combining the informative substance of a reference book with the coherence of a critical reading, the Guide has taken its place as the standard introduction to Troilus and Criseyde since its first publication in 1992.

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In this realistic and empowering tale, Carmen learns that through community and love, she can find strength in herself and maintain her connection with her Papi, who has been detained because of his immigration status. Also available in a Spanish edition, Algo Le Pasó A Mi Papá: Una Historia Sobre Inmigración y la Separación Familiar ISBN 9781433839504. Carmen loves doing magic with her Papi. He can make sarapes fly. He can make rabbits vanish! But one day, her Papi vanishes. She is sad and scared when she learns he has been detained because he is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. At first, Carmen’s family keeps Papi’s detention a secret, fearing that they might be judged negatively. As Carmen's community becomes aware of their situation, they rally around her family with love. Carmen learns she can find strength in herself and maintain her connection with Papi, no matter what happens. ​The Something Happened books present and explain sensitive and important events happening in communities across the United States and around the world. Told in clear, compelling stories, the books come with the authority of psychological expertise from the American Psychological Association. They include Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story of Racial Injustice, which is a New York Times and #1 IndieBound bestseller, and one of ALA's most banned books; Something Happened in Our Park: Standing Together After Gun Violence, which was nominated for The Goddard Riverside CBC Youth Book Prize for Social Justice; and Something Happened to My Dad: A Story About Immigration and Family Separation. 2023 CBC and NCSS Notable Social Studies List

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Nobody writes like Nell Dunn... always communally, with rare honesty, with love, and with calm and ground-breaking understanding... It's glorious. Ali Smith The Muse is all it could be; an act of sharing that goes beyond particular experience to take us to a happy realm of natural sisterhood. TLSNell Dunn has perfect pitch for the words we use and for the loves and mysteries of the human heart. Carmen Callil Defiant, funny and exhilarating. The Muse is so high-spirited and full of a sense of adventure. Margaret DrabbleThis slim volume is entertaining... You long to know more about Nell's lifeDaily MailThe Muse is the story of a life-changing friendship. It starts with Nell's account of a chance meeting with Josie at the age of 22.Josie teaches her how to live for moment, how to have adventures and find the sweetness of life even in hardship. This was the Sixties, a time of literary and sexual experimentation, of the breakdown of old barriers and inhibitions Even as she was hooking up with dodgy men, Josie always carried herself like a star, and as the inspiration for the ground-breaking novel of working class women Poor Cow and the play Steaming - both of which were made into movies - she became one, feted by producers on Broadway.Life is the thing, was Josie's motto. But where would her philosophy of taking no care for tomorrow lead her?In prose of unique clarity and simplicity that always gets straight to the heart of matter, The Muse follows this friendship over the decades.

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‘What a gift The Joy of Food is. The recipes, the illustrations (which I want to frame), the knowledge are all, indeed, a total joy. Rory is a masterful teacher but it is his love of ingredients that will send you straight into the kitchen.’ Yotam Ottolenghi This is the book Rory O’Connell was born to write. Not only a collection of good things to eat, showcasing the best of Irish seasonal produce from Rustic Chicken, Swiss Chard and Tarragon Tart to Blackberry and Sweet Geranium Posset, The Joy of Food is also a celebration of everything Rory is passionate about: first-rate ingredients, simple and respectful cooking techniques and the absolute pleasure that comes from enjoying and sharing the result. Accompanying the recipes are Rory’s charming original illustrations and personal essays in praise of everything from hazelnuts to the humble hen. The Joy of Food is, quite simply, a book for every food lover’s home. ‘Take it from me, the foodie in your life with love it’ Jenny Greene, 2FM ‘The book is a hymn to flavour, sustainability, seasonality and the simple joy of appreciating good food’ Clodagh Finn, Irish Examiner ‘Rory O’Connell’s new book, The Joy of Food, is so much more than a recipe book. It’s a collection of beautiful essays and illustrations, and the sense of joy O’Connell takes form this time spent in the kitchen will leave you feeling uplifted and comforted.’ Sarah Caden and Liadán Hynes, Sunday Independent Life Magazine ‘The book is beautifully written. I love the illustrations. I love the recipes. It is like an absolute hug.’ Claire McKenna, Alive and Kicking, Newstalk

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'Powerful, brilliant and deeply healing' Fearne Cotton'God in her wisdom divined this book' Thandiwe Newton________________________________Every single one of us is living with the aftershocks of heartbreak. Whether it's the sting of not fitting in at school or the pain of witnessing our parents' divorce, the end of our own marriage or the death of a loved one, to be human is to bear the wounds of all our losses and setbacks.Heartbreak can manifest itself as depression, anxiety, self-sabotage, an inability to feel emotions, make connections, or live life on your own terms. Donna's practical 9-step programme will empower you with the tools and support you need to gain clarity, identify what has hurt you, and learn how to release the pain, fear and anger keeping you trapped.Donna will teach you how to care for yourself with love, give you the courage to really feel your feelings, step into your authentic self and move towards whole-hearted living.This book is for anyone who is experiencing pain, heartbreak, sadness or overwhelming emotion, and can't seem to get beyond it. All of us want to be able to live with more compassion, The Bridge will help us get there.________________________________'Donna weaves in genuinely practical tools with heart-warming rituals and hard-hitting, life-affirming quotes. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who wants to do the work' Melissa Hemsley'The Bridge is a radical healing journey, truly transformational' Brigid Moss'Give yourself the best gift ever, buy this book and go on the journey with Donna, you won't regret it' Jill Halfpenny

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'A truly adorable, heart-warming, swoon-worthy love story' Beth O'LearyThe latest swoonworthy romcom from the bestselling author of TikTok sensation The Hating GameFirst impressions aren't always what they seem . . . Ruthie Midona is twenty-four (going on ninety-four) and fully committed to her job at a luxury retirement village. Keeping herself busy caring for the eccentric residents means that Ruthie can safely ignore her own life - what little there is of it. Teddy Prescott is practically allergic to a hard day's work. When he rocks up as the retirement village's newest employee, Ruthie is less than impressed. The last thing she needs is a distraction as irritating (and handsome) as this selfish rich kid. Lucky for Ruthie, her favourite pair of mischievous residents need a new assistant to torture... so she hands over Teddy, ready for them to send him running. Except Teddy may be about to surprise her - not just by surviving the old women's antics, but by charming Ruthie so much, she starts to remember that there's more to life than work. And just maybe, her second first impression will lead to the love of a lifetime . . . PRAISE FOR SALLY THORNE'Hilarious, heartfelt, smart and sexy . . . everything I want in a romance' Sarah J. Maas'The warmest, coziest, sweetest book of the year, an absolutely perfect blend of humour and heart' Emily Henry'Funny, sexy and instantly unputdownable' Paige Toon'Charming, self-deprecating, quick-witted and funny' New York Times'Bursting at the seams with love (and hate) and heart' Christina Lauren'One of the most delectable rom-coms I've ever read' Entertainment Weekly'Lovely' Bella

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In this striking poetry collection, poet David Lawton surges and purrs in narrative poems touching on rock 'n' roll idols, beat icons, jazz and power, with a full-throated voice full of humor, warmth and soul. He explores Iggy Pop and other pop icons, as well as his own coming of age in Boston with startling insight and tender intimacy. Emmy-award winning actor Michael Chiklis explains: "David’s poetry is insightful and alive, funny and observant, melancholy, yet filled with love and hope. In a world rife with angry nihilists and third person narcissists, it’s actually a downright relief to read a soulful, mature poet whose humility and humanity leaves you in tears." Poet, former MC5 manager and White Panther leader John Sinclair remarks, "I know David Lawton as a generous friend, a fine poet and a terrific performer of his and even others’ works, and it’s a happy day when his poems meet the outside world like this. As an odist myself, I am particularly drawn to his homages to Herbert Huncke, Sonny Rollins and Alberta Hunter. He brings their lives and works to life in his verse and that ain’t easy to do.” New York's poetry performance mistress Puma Perl agrees, noting, "David Lawton is a rascal. He’s a rockin’ Dennis the Menace, inviting you into a clubhouse filled with garage bands opening up for Sonny Rollins and Ruth Brown, and just when you feel the rhythm, he’s breathing in NYC sky black as motor oil and breathing out a lost friend. Unexpectedly a rhyme slips into the midst, but we can expect no less from a man whose sainted Irish Catholic mother falls in love with Mick Jagger."

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The loveable dinosaur from Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug shows kids how to have the best Halloween ever! Tiny and Pointy love Halloween and they are eager to share their tips and tricks so that readers can have a perfect treat-filled Halloween! A heartwarming story, Tiny T. Rex and the Tricks of Treating reminds each of us that the sweetest Halloween treat has nothing to do with eating candy after all. EVERYONE LOVES TINY: The first book about Tiny, Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug, was an immediate bestseller from the moment it was published. It's been a regional indie bookstore bestseller, an Amazon Best Book of the Month, and an Amazon Best Book of the Year. AN ADORABLE DINOSAUR HERO KIDS CAN RELATE TO: Kids of many ages, from babies to toddlers to five-year-olds, love dinosaurs! And Tiny is a dinosaur kids will understand and respond to, because he's a tiny dinosaur in a big world—just like them. A FUNNY AND REASSURING INTRODUCTION TO HALLOWEEN: Halloween can be a scary holiday for very young children. In this book, Tiny shows them what to expect and how to have a good time. Best of all, Tiny shows kids how to make the holiday one that's about giving as well as receiving. SWEET MESSAGE, GREAT VALUES: Every Tiny book features Tiny solving common childhood challenges with love, a positive attitude, and help from his friends. MORE TINY BOOKS TO LOVE: Tiny has two picture books, Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug and Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark and one other board book, Tiny T. Rex and the Perfect Valentine, for readers to enjoy, with more adventures on the way! Perfect for: parents and grandparents, dinosaur enthusiasts, educators

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'As page-turning as a novel' Joanna TrollopeOne summer of nearly a hundred years ago saw one of the high sunlit meadows of English history. A new king was crowned; audiences swarmed to Covent Garden to see the Ballet Russes and Nijinskys gravity-defying leaps. The aristocracy was at play, bounding from house party to the next; the socialite Lady Michelham travelled with her nineteen yards of pearls. Rupert Brooke (a 23-year-old poet in love with love, Keats, marrons glaces and truth) swam in the river at Grantchester. But perfection was over-reaching itself. The rumble of thunder from the summer's storms presaged not only the bloody war years ahead: the country was brought to near standstill by industrial strikes, and unrest exposed the chasm between privileged and poor; as if the heat was torturing those imprisoned in society's straitjacket and stifled by the city smog. Children, seeking relief from the scorching sun, drowned in village ponds. What the protagonists could not have known is that they were playing out the backdrop to WWI; in a few years time the world, let alone England, would never be the same again. Through the eyes of a series of exceptional individuals; a debutante, a suffragette, a politician, a trade unionist, a butler and the Queen; Juliet Nicolson illuminates a turning point in history. With the gifts of a great storyteller she rekindles a vision of a time when the sun shone but its shadows fell on all.'Juliet Nicolson has taken this 'perfect summer' as the backdrop for an ambitious work of multiple biography, which sets the extravagance of the upper classes against the increasingly desperate lives of the poor' Observer'Evoke[s] the full vivid richness of how it smelt, looked, sounded, tasted and felt to be alive in England during the months of such a summer' Lady

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What should we do with enemies?Jesus challenges us to love our enemies. In today’s swirl of hatemongering, political polarization, and online nastiness, even Christians have skirted this command or given it up as impossible or foolish. What does it really mean to love our enemies? And how might our lives and our world change if we did? In this issue we apply these tough questions to real situations, and hear from people who have put this command into practice in some of the toughest circumstances.On this theme: - Can we afford to love our enemies in a cancel culture?- What sort of enemies did Jesus expect us to love? - The problem with "love the sinner, hate the sin"- Channeling outrage while working with children displaced by war- What Coptic Christians know about praying for their persecutors- Two incarcerated friends defy a racist prison culture.- What about mental illness, when your mind becomes your enemy? - Students find ways to debate tough issues constructively.- A Russian Christian speaks out against the war in Ukraine.Also in the issue:- Maria Novella De Luca photographs Algerian women demining the Sahara.- Dana Wiser remembers civil rights activist Staughton Lynd.- Zena Hitz asks what we’d do with our time if we weren’t so busy.- Kathleen A. Mulhern gives advice for keeping the faith afterhours.- Susannah Black Roberts celebrates the life and example of Tim Keller.- Nathan Beacom call for reestablishing Lyceums in working-class towns.- Maureen swinger recounts the exploits of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty.Plough Quarterly features stories, ideas, and culture for people eager to apply their faith to the challenges we face. Each issue includes in-depth articles, interviews, poetry, book reviews, and art.

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Osho thrusts his sword into the heart of the matter of what we collectively call "Human Rights." One of the struggles we face as human beings is how to cope with, how to bring light to, how to dissolve the roots of the perverse and incomprehensible horrors -- physical, psychological, spiritual -- that we seem capable of inflicting on one another. What are the roots of wars, of torture, of murder and hatred and our all-too-easy dehumanization of the "other"? He quotes the language of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to expose the hollowness of the words. Why is our human reality on this planet so far off from these beautifully worded declarations? Osho exposes the hypocrisy and the vested interests that underlie the core of that document and so many others like it. But he doesn't stop there. He challenges us to create a new language, a new narrative, a transformative and liberating vision of what it means to treat one another with awareness, with love, and with respect. In our individual lives, as in the lives and generations of our society, there is a revolution, a transformation that happens alongside each change that happens in consciousness -- individual and collective -- as our technology continues to bring us (potentially) all together into a "global village." And alongside it, the change in consciousness that is now required of us, as a common humanity living on a smallish and rather beautiful, sacred planet. To see ourselves as God's creation, if you will. Or Gaia, or whatever term of oneness most appeals to you. This small volume is an opening to the revolution in consciousness that is so urgently needed for our times.

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'Stunning . . . Built like a thriller, moving, wise and illuminated on every page with love' -Joanne Harris, author of ChocolatA parent's deeply moving love letter to a daughter who has always known exactly who she is.When Carolyn Hays’s child made clear to the family that they were all wrong, he was not a boy, but, in fact, a girl, the Hays shifted pronouns, adopted a nickname and encouraged her to dress as she felt comfortable. One ordinary day, a caseworker from the Department of Children and Families knocked on their door to investigate an anonymous complaint about the upbringing of their transgender child. It was this threat that instilled in them a deep-seated fear for their child’s safety in the Republican state they called home. And so they uprooted their lives to the more trans-accepting Northeast United States, though they were never far from the hate and fear resting at the nation’s core.Intimate, lyrical and thought-provoking, A Girlhood is an ode to Hays’s brilliant, brave child, as well as a cathartic revisit of the pain of the past. It tells of the brutal truths of being trans, of the sacrificial nature of motherhood, and of the lengths a family will go to shield their youngest from the cruel realities of the world. Hays asks us all to love better, for children everywhere enduring injustice and prejudice just as they begin to understand themselves. A Girlhood is a celebration of difference, a plea for empathy, a hope for a better future, but moreover, it is a love letter to a child who has always known herself and is waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.

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The great value of this book is that it helps people to explore together how they can live life more fully and with authentic freedom. Part one outlines three convictions that guide its direction and the programme it describes. Firstly, God desires what is best for all people and invites each one personally to know him. Secondly, every baptised Christian is called to reach out beyond themselves in a way that proclaims and expresses the goodness of God, through action and words and thus enriches those whom they meet. Thirdly, the parish is an important entity in the renewal of God’s people as a dwelling place of God among them. Part two provides a practical outline for people to plan, launch and direct the programme in a way that helps participants come to know God’s providence and love, and to live their relationships in a spirit of joyful service and with love towards all whom they meet, and in a way that enhances renewal and community connections within their parish. Each week presents an important facet of Christian living in a style that is easy to follow, while at the same time inspirational. It all means that hosting this programme is within the capacity of anyone who knows a genuine encounter with God, and a desire to share his love with others. Part three consists of a scripture passage and a brief reflection for each day for the duration of the programme. It supports the theme of each week. It seeks to help people to pray with the help of the scriptures; to inspire a new or more personal relationship with Christ; and to yield to the mystery of God’s loving. Then what may have proved to be elusive in the past becomes part of one’s own personal story.

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WINNER OF THE WALES BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2020SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2020__________________________'A moving story of love, tradition and landscape.' Evening Standard, 'Books of the Year''A moving, multilayered memoir... extraordinary, ambitious... its scope is immense. A book that is deep in riches.' Simon Callow, Guardian'A marvellous book... an uplifting tale of tranquillity sought and found in the nearest Britain gets to paradise.' Simon Jenkins'There are worlds on worlds within this lyrical and profoundly cultured book. In an age of toxic artifice, this is the most necessary medicine: the tenderness of reality and the living, elemental, world.' Jay Griffiths __________________________A multi-layered memoir of love, acceptance, finding home and the redemptive power of nature.In 2006, Mike Parker and his partner Peredur were witnesses at the civil partnership of their friends Reg and George, the first in the small Welsh town of Machynlleth. Years later, when Reg and George died within a few weeks of each other, Mike and Peredur discovered that they had been left their home: a whitewashed 'house from the children's stories', buried deep within the hills. On the Red Hill is the story of Rhiw Goch, 'the Red Hill', and its inhabitants, but also the story of a remarkable rural community and a legacy that extends far beyond bricks and mortar. It is a story that celebrates the turn of the year's wheel, of ever-changing landscapes, and of the family found in the unlikeliest of places. Highly commended by the judging panel for the 2020 Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing__________________________'A delightful book about beauty, joy, love and home... to be celebrated and read.' Sara Maitland'A great queer rural triumph of a book - wonderfully passionate, funny and insightful. It overflows with love.' Tom Bullough

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In the sun-drenched Sicilian hills, four women learn the lessons of a lifetime at the Food of Love Cookery School.In a remote Sicilian mountain town, four women arrive at a cookery school, each at a turning point in their lives.Moll is a foodie and an exhausted working mum on the holiday of a lifetime. Tricia, a top London lawyer is taking a break from the demands of her job and her family. Valerie, consumed by grief following the death of her partner, is trying to figure out how to live a life without him. And recently divorced Poppy has come to Sicily to learn about the place that her grandfather was born before emigrating to Australia.Luca Amore runs the school, using the recipes passed down to him by generations of Amore women. He expects this course to be much like all the others - but as sparks fly, friendships are made and secrets are shared. And for each of them nothing will ever be the same.Readers are loving Nicky Pellegrino!'I could smell the fresh pasta, feel the sunshine, smell the sea breeze and feel my worries wash away. It was lovely to stumble down the cobbled paths and stroll along the beautiful scenery''Through Italy, through food, through heartbreak, through love, through family. Add in a pinch of karmic justice and you have the perfect read with a joyful ending!''Once again Nicky Pellegrino had me captivated with this amazing story. It made me laugh, made me cry. I read it in one afternoon''I will say that if you are a woman on the cusp of discovering who you are and what your heart desires...then you will devour this book as I did''Such a great escapism read, full of emotions and family drama with love'

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A city of love, food, music and passion - this is a novel for anyone who fell in love with LA DOLCE VITA.Rome in the 1950s, there's nowhere quite like it. The narrow stone streets, the fountains and piazzas full of life in the heat of the day, the cafes and bars full of music and desire by night...This is where Serafina calls home. Having grown up with her sisters in a tiny apartment tucked in the top of a tumbledown building, she has watched her mother get by on next to nothing, and turn herself beautiful with a sweep of eyeliner and a hand-sewn dress. When her mother goes out, Serafina and her sisters go singing in the nearest piazza, busking for spare change and cinema tickets. The girls long to meet their matinee idols and Serafina daydreams of Mario Lanza and his spellbinding voice. But the sisters will grow up quickly and for Serafina, a choice opens between the world she knows and the life she dreams of.Readers are loving Nicky Pellegrino!'I could smell the fresh pasta, feel the sunshine, smell the sea breeze and feel my worries wash away. It was lovely to stumble down the cobbled paths and stroll along the beautiful scenery''Through Italy, through food, through heartbreak, through love, through family. Add in a pinch of karmic justice and you have the perfect read with a joyful ending!''Once again Nicky Pellegrino had me captivated with this amazing story. It made me laugh, made me cry. I read it in one afternoon''I will say that if you are a woman on the cusp of discovering who you are and what your heart desires...then you will devour this book as I did''Such a great escapism read, full of emotions and family drama with love'

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A parent’s deeply moving love letter to a daughter who has always known exactly who she is.‘Stunning . . . Built like a thriller, moving, wise and illuminated on every page with love’ - Joanne Harris, author of ChocolatWhen Carolyn Hays’s child made clear to the family that they were all wrong, he was not a boy, but, in fact, a girl, the Hays shifted pronouns, adopted a nickname and encouraged her to dress as she felt comfortable.One ordinary day, a caseworker from the Department of Children and Families knocked on their door to investigate an anonymous complaint about the upbringing of their transgender child. It was this threat that instilled in them a deep-seated fear for their child’s safety in the Republican state they called home. And so they uprooted their lives to the more trans-accepting Northeast United States, though they were never far from the hate and fear resting at the nation’s core.Intimate and thought-provoking, A Letter to My Transgender Daughter is an ode to Hays’s brilliant, brave child, as well as a cathartic revisit of the pain of the past. It tells of the brutal truths of being trans, of the sacrificial nature of motherhood, and of the lengths a family will go to shield their youngest from the cruel realities of the world. Hays asks us all to love better, for children everywhere enduring injustice and prejudice just as they begin to understand themselves.A Letter to My Transgender Daughter is a celebration of difference, a plea for empathy, a hope for a better future, but moreover, it is a love letter to a child who has always known herself and is waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.Originally published as A Girlhood: A Letter to My Transgender Daughter

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'A moving true story that will pull at the heartstrings' - Woman & Home The first book in the Paws of Fame series, which follows movie animal trainer Julie Tottman as she rescues, nurtures and transforms animals in need of a second chance into film stars. Pickles the Yorkshire Terrier has just had her litter of puppies taken away from her - who knows how many litters she's delivered and watched the same thing happen to. She's been left behind in an overcrowded, noisy and dirty barn. She's very weak and her body is burning all over from a painful skin condition. This has been her life for six years and it will likely never change. Or will it?Julie is a young animal trainer for the movies and is looking for a Yorkshire Terrier for a new film she's working on with Colin Firth and Amanda Bynes. By chance, she hears of a puppy farm that has been raided by the authorities - the dogs were kept in appalling conditions and among them was a poor Yorkshire Terrier called Pickles. Julie doesn't know whether Pickles will be the right dog for the film, but she doesn't care: Pickles needs a safe home with love and care and Julie can give it.Will Pickles recover from the traumas of her past? Can she be the movie star Julie is looking for? And will Julie be able to make it in the world of movie animal trainers? Will You Take Me Home? is the moving true story of one woman and her dog.The second book in the Paws of Fame story - Rescue Me, about the abandoned Mastiff who went on to play Fang in Harry Potter - is available now

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A heartwarming and inspirational Christmas novel in the tradition of The Christmas Box, Grace, The Gift, and Finding Noel. The New York Times bestselling author of The Christmas Box and The Walk series returns with a holiday novel of hope, love, and redemption.Dear Reader, When I was in seventh grade, my English teacher, Mrs. Johnson, gave our class the intriguing (if somewhat macabre) assignment of writing our own obituaries. Oddly, I don't remember much of what I wrote about my life, but I do remember how I died: in first place on the final lap of the Daytona 500. At the time, I hadn't considered writing as an occupation, a field with a remarkably low on-the-job casualty rate. What intrigues me most about Mrs. Johnson's assignment is the opportunity she gave us to confront our own legacy. How do we want to be remembered? That question has motivated our species since the beginning of time: from building pyramids to putting our names on skyscrapers. As I began to write this book, I had two objectives: First, I wanted to explore what could happen if someone read their obituary before they died and saw, firsthand, what the world really thought of them. Their legacy. Second, I wanted to write a Christmas story of true redemption. One of my family's holiday traditions is to see a local production of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. I don't know how many times I've seen it (perhaps a dozen), but it still thrills me to see the change that comes over Ebenezer Scrooge as he transforms from a dull, tight-fisted miser into a penitent, "giddy-as-aschoolboy" man with love in his heart. I always leave the show with a smile on my face and a resolve to be a better person. That's what I wanted to share with you, my dear readers, this Christmas—a holiday tale to warm your season, your homes, and your hearts. Merry Christmas

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THIS CHRISTMAS, WILL YOU FOLLOW YOUR HEART?'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ It felt like a BIG HUG in a book, filled with love and hope''Sweepingly romantic, full of joy, hope and love' CATHY BRAMLEY'Should be on EVERYONE'S reading list!' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS'Romantic and full of warmth' SARAH MORGANFrom Christmas in sparkling London to cosy Cornwall, curl up and enjoy this uplifting love story from the bestselling author of ALWAYS, IN DECEMBER and THE CHRISTMAS LETTER.__________For as long as Cassie can remember, it had been the three of them: Cassie, her big brother Tom, and Tom's cocky, gorgeous best friend Sam. Now, Tom is sorted, Sam is flying high, and Cassie thinks she's figured it all out. Then life takes an unexpected turn. For Cassie starting again seems unimaginable. Until she finds an envelope with her name on it, with a letter asking her to follow a trail to one last gift.And, suddenly, what seemed like an ending promises to lead Cassie to a love that is surprising and new... if she is brave enough to follow her heart...'I adored it! A story that steals your heart' MIRANDA DICKINSON'A truly unforgettable love story' WOMAN & HOME'A gift of a story... warm and full of hope' ELLA ALLBRIGHT'Guaranteed to sweep you off your feet' HOLLY MILLER'The most beautiful love story. Full of warmth and heart' ANNA BELL'A gorgeous read. I loved it!' JO LOVETT'One of the BEST books of the year' POPSUGARReaders adore ONE LAST GIFT...'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Please, please, PLEASE read this book. It is ABSOLUTELY beautiful''⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Make THIS your Holiday book. I promise you will LOVE it!''⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Quite possibly the BEST holiday book this season''⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ I was hooked from the beginning' '⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ All the characters were wonderful...I loved the treasure hunt''⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ The romance is spot on...an absolute must-read'

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Love, food and Italy - a delicious novel from the author of THE FOOD OF LOVE COOKERY SCHOOL.Italy, 1964. Maria Domenica is the eldest daughter in the Carrozza family from the tiny southern village of San Giulio. At 16, Maria's life is limited to the confines of her mother's rural kitchen (where she bakes bread every morning, the way the Carrozza women always have), and the Caffe Angeli, a place of friendship, strong espresso and famous ricotta sfolgliatelle. Her parents have high hopes for their beautiful first-born, but she has other plans.Maria runs away to Rome but, a year later, she returns to San Giulio in disgrace - eight months pregnant with the identity of the father a mystery. Hastily, shamefully, she is married off to a neighbour's son. But she soon escapes again, this time to England, where she searches once more for a new life for herself and her daughter, Chiara.Many years later, it is Chiara, not Maria, who finds herself drawn back to San Giulio. But she soon discovers that the simple Italian life she seeks is not as simple as it seems - particularly where the past is concerned.Readers are loving Nicky Pellegrino!'I could smell the fresh pasta, feel the sunshine, smell the sea breeze and feel my worries wash away. It was lovely to stumble down the cobbled paths and stroll along the beautiful scenery''Through Italy, through food, through heartbreak, through love, through family. Add in a pinch of karmic justice and you have the perfect read with a joyful ending!''Once again Nicky Pellegrino had me captivated with this amazing story. It made me laugh, made me cry. I read it in one afternoon''I will say that if you are a woman on the cusp of discovering who you are and what your heart desires...then you will devour this book as I did''Such a great escapism read, full of emotions and family drama with love'

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Do you find yourself living as the people pleaser or peacekeeper? Do you avoid conflict? Learn how to overcome your fears about setting boundaries and step into a life that's overflowing with love, respect, and healthy relationships.We are people who love patterns, even if returning to these patterns continues to hurt us or those we love. Some of the most harmful patterns of behavior are passed down through generations and inherited, often without our permission or awareness. The conflict arises when these behaviors are so deeply woven into early family systems that they later become part of our identities, clashing with who God has created and called us to be.As a child, Courtney Burg quickly learned that remaining loyal to others meant keeping secrets, even if these secrets were keeping those she cared for most sick. Her efforts to sustain the peace followed her into adulthood and slowly left her depleted, discouraged, and drowning in the chaos—until Courtney discovered that not only did God grant her permission to engage in relationships differently, but that he gave her specific instruction on how to do so.In Loyal to a Fault, Courtney Burg unpacks the various ways we cope with, enable, and participate in unhealthy relationships or generational trauma. Using personal examples and providing practical wisdom, Courtney helps you break free from codependent patterns by: Identifying the role you are playing in keeping the dysfunctional patterns going. Reframing what it means to love and remain loyal to those who matter most. Reminding you that boundary work is a biblical practice. Including end-of-chapter prompts for deeper introspection. It is possible to learn how to love others well without losing yourself along the way. People pleasing, complaining, and exhaustion may be today's norm, but at any moment you can choose to do things differently. Begin setting boundaries and start enjoying relationships in all the ways God designed you to.

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AWARDS: Independent Publisher Book Award 2015 (Silver) and National Mature Media Award 2015 (Bronze)Step-by-step tips for revitalizing your career Yes, it is possible to have a job you love, and it doesn't require starting from scratch. Love Your Job is a guide to making work fulfilling and fun — again, or even for the first time. Why count down the hours of the day or the days to retirement when you could reinvigorate your workday, transforming the daily doldrums into a daily dose of enjoyable activity? Kerry Hannon, The New York Times columnist and AARP's Jobs Expert, focuses on the little things that can make a big difference in how we feel about work. Love Your Job is all about the routines, habits, and thought patterns that, over the years, may have turned a dream job into a drudge or, worse, a nightmare. Changing these habits and attitudes is simple, and this book shows you how to identify the little things that make work enjoyable and engaging. Using these simple techniques, you can adopt the attitude that will keep you happy and that might just lead to bigger and better things, no matter what stage of your career you are in. In this book, you will learn to: Develop new habits that bring more purpose into every single workday Rekindle your hope and motivation by celebrating small successes Recognize negative patterns that keep you from enjoying your job Craft an entrepreneurial attitude that will get you noticed and enrich your work life We all deserve to experience happiness and satisfaction every day, at every stage of our careers. Kerry Hannon explains that you don't have to make a huge career transition to love work again. But if you reinvent the way you see work, who knows where your new outlook will lead? Wake up to the countless possibilities that await you with Love Your Job.

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THIS CLASSIC POSITIVE AFFIRMATION CARD DECK WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO ATTRACT ALL YOU DESIRE - FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHORS OF THE BOOK THAT INSPIRED MILLIONS – ASK AND IT IS GIVENExample messages in this law of attraction card deck include:· That Which Is Like Unto Itself, Is Drawn...· When you give thought to something, you begin the attraction process of the essence of that subject into your life experience.· My Relationships Are Supposed to Feel Good...· The Essence of My Every Desire Can Be Fulfilled...· I Can Attract Relationships That Agree with My Desires...· I Have Complete Control Over My Own Thoughts...· A Belief Is Only A Thought I Keep Thinking...· Making Peace with My Today Will Improve My Future...· The Thoughts I Think Determine the Relationship I Attract...You’ll discover timeless teachings from Abraham that you can reflect on daily like: The essence of any and all desires can be fulfilled unless you are holding yourself out of alignment with your own desire.If you will simply imagine your life as you want it to be, all cooperative components will be summonedBy making lists of the most positive aspects you can find about your current situation, you then release your resistance to the improvements that are waiting for you. "It is always satisfying for me to be able to tap into the Vibration of Abraham and to translate their empowering message into our current time and space. "I really believe that this deck of cards not only contains everything necessary to attract and maintain wonderful relationships, but also explains everything that we would ever need to understand about living our lives here in these bodies at this time. "Every time I reflect upon the depth of understanding that is reflected in these cards, I am restored to my true nature. This deck of cards is my most precious possession."With Love,Esther HicksThis inspirational card deck will help you raise your vibration and attract the life of your dreams!

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Stella has life under control - and that's the way she likes it. For twenty-five years, she's been trusted assistant to a legendary fashion designer but after her boss dies suddenly, she's left with nothing to do apart from clear the studio.It seems as though the life she wanted has vanished. She is lost - until one day she finds a house swap website and sees a beautiful old villa in a southern Italian village. Could she really exchange her poky London flat for that?But what was just intended as a break becomes much more, as Stella finds herself trying on a stranger's life. As the villa begins to get under her skin, she can't help but imagine the owner from the clues around her. She meets his friends, cooks the local food he recommends and follows suggestions to go to his favourite places. But can an idea of someone ever match up the reality?As Stella wonders if she can let go of the safety of her past, perhaps there's a chance for her to find a way into her future . . .Readers are loving Nicky Pellegrino!'I could smell the fresh pasta, feel the sunshine, smell the sea breeze and feel my worries wash away. It was lovely to stumble down the cobbled paths and stroll along the beautiful scenery''Through Italy, through food, through heartbreak, through love, through family. Add in a pinch of karmic justice and you have the perfect read with a joyful ending!''Once again Nicky Pellegrino had me captivated with this amazing story. It made me laugh, made me cry. I read it in one afternoon''I will say that if you are a woman on the cusp of discovering who you are and what your heart desires...then you will devour this book as I did''Such a great escapism read, full of emotions and family drama with love'

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A touching and thought-provoking account of how a woman explored a spectrum of religions—ancient and new—and ended up, unexpectedly, becoming a bona fide witch—plus a celebration of modern Wicca and witchcraft, spell books, broomsticks, holiday recipes and recipes for the changing of the seasons, and much more. Misty Bell Stiers set out on a spiritual path to find a faith that worked for her, and accidentally became a witch. She knew the Bible well, and got to know the Torah and Koran. She studied Eastern philosophies, even the stories of the Egyptians and Greeks. Finally, after overcoming an immediate prejudice ("Um, no," she writes as her initial reaction), she found Wicca. Witch, Please reveals what makes the mysterious religion of Wicca so desirable for more than a million Americans. In her witty, direct, and heartfelt text, Misty explores spirituality, perseverance, and finding oneself. She shares what Wicca means to her and what defines her as a witch; what she uses her spell book, cauldron, and broomstick for; the significance of Wiccan holidays, many about new beginnings; the surprising history of Wicca; and what kinds of witches there are. She also shares how in her busy New York City life, as a mother and a creative director, her faith grounds and sustains her. Her uplifting, you-too-can-find-what-works-for-you voice speaks like a best friend: relatable, honest, and encouraging. This unusual and beautifully written memoir explores what it's like to be a modern-day witch, and how it's changed Misty's outlook on life. It's candid, but it's also threaded with magic and has a warming, lightheartedness to it. Bewitching original drawings by Misty are throughout, and Misty even shares ten original recipes for her Wiccan holiday treats (including the likes of her cinnamon rolls and roasted garlic rosemary bread, sprinkled with magic and seasoned with love, laughter, and healing).

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A disgraced scholar running from her past and an entrepreneur chasing his future find themselves thrown together—and fall in love—on a Tolkien tour of New Zealand.Allison Shire (yes, like where the Hobbits live) is a disgraced academic who is done with love. Her belief in “happily ever after” ended the day she discovered her husband was still married to a wife she knew nothing about. She finally finds a use for her English degree by guiding tours through the famous sites featured in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. By living life on the road and traveling New Zealand as a luxury tour guide, Allison manages to outrun the pain of her past she can’t face. Jackson Gregory was on the cusp of making it big. Then suddenly his girlfriend left him—for his biggest business competitor—and took his most guarded commercial secrets with her. To make matters worse, the Iowa farm that has been in his family for generations is facing foreclosure. Determined to save his parents from financial ruin, he’ll do whatever it takes to convince his wealthy great-uncle to invest in his next scheme, which means accompanying him to the bottom of the world to spend three weeks pretending to be a die-hard Lord of the Rings fan, even though he knows nothing about the stories. The one thing that stands between him and his goal is a know-it-all tour guide who can’t stand him and pegged him as a fake the moment he walked off the plane. When Allison leads the group through the famous sites of the Tolkien movies, she and Jackson start to see each other differently, and as they keep getting thrown together on the tour, they find themselves drawn to each other. Neither expected to fall in love again, but can they find a way beyond their regrets to take a chance on the one thing they’re not looking for?

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Using the strength of magic, win the heart of the one you love, find out who you’ll marry, and even get your pets to love each other with this comprehensive compendium of the best charms, spells, and potions about love and friendship. This beautiful tome of love spells drawn from a variety of traditions and spiritualities features gold embossing on its cover, gold endpapers, and beautiful block-print illustrations in its interior. Love Spells will help you successfully navigate your love life by teaching you how to: Find “the one” Get someone to dream about you Make someone tell the truth Conceive a child Make a lover come back Decide if you should break up This book is not just for those looking to improve their romantic life. Love Spells also covers topics left out of many other love magic books, including spells, charms, and potions for maintaining the well-being of platonic friendships and animal friends. Love Spells gives you the tools to: Reconnect with a long-lost friend Heal a rift between best friends Get along with a roommate Get your pet to like your significant other Charm a snake Communicate with animals with your mind You do not have to be a believer in the supernatural to get something out of Love Spells. This book is a must-have for all those who want to improve their relationships, whether it be with friends, pets, or lovers. It will empower you to improve any area of your life. Suspend your disbelief and bring on the magic with Love Spells. The Mystical Handbook series from Wellfleet takes you on a magical journey through the wonderful world of spellcraft and spellcasting. Explore a new practice with each volume and learn how to incorporate spells, rituals, blessings, and cleansings into your daily routine. These portable companions feature beautiful foil-detail covers and color-saturated interiors on a premium paper blend. Other titles in the series include: Witchcraft, Moon Magic, Knot Magic, Superstitions, and House Magic.

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‘I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I loved it. Utterly heartwarming’ Julie Caplin ‘Adorable and clever, bursting with love and laughter. Climb aboard the Heartwarmer Express, this is THE rom com of the year!’ Jane Linfoot Two people. One journey… Millie loves her city life, her city friends and writing her true(ish) confessions column – but she’s starting to wonder if the grass really is greener on the other side, or if her heart really belongs back in Northumberland, with her mum who is struggling after the death of Millie’s dad. Since leaving home. Joe’s lived believing that looking back means you’ve failed, and life is about taking chances and seeing the world. So when the two meet up surely it can never work, their lives are moving in opposite directions. On different tracks… Readers are LOVING Meet Me on Platform Three: ‘A five-star read you would miss a train for…there was just something special about the will-they-won’t-they aspect’ Sara ‘Zara Stoneley is back to her witty best, in this light hearted rom-com that had me giggling and smiling throughout’ Rachel ‘I read this one in the space of two days…was so much fun, I couldn't put it down. Delighted to discover that this author has other books, will be reading them ASAP’ Courtney ‘A fun, smart, and witty ROM-COM that will have you turning the pages to find out what happens next’ Anne ‘From the first page I was hooked…A feel-good rom-com’ Rubie ‘A humorous, light-hearted read, touching on some more serious topics…I loved how easily I settled down into reading it! A wonderful story would recommend!’ Sharon ‘Left me feeling really upbeat at the end of it…it felt genuine and heartfelt with characters that leapt off the page’ Sarah ‘A perfect holiday read! Great storyline and brilliant characters’ Helen‘Heartwarming and full of love and fun’ Katie ‘Really enjoyable read…totally recommend ’ Julie ‘A very clever story and a good ending…I loved it’ Rosamund

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An Independent Best Books for Summer Pick'Powerful, lyrical, and with a central character so wracked with love when he goes to war. Deeply relatable' ANN NAPOLITANO, author of Hello Beautiful'Wholly beguiling and spirited' THE TIMES'Emotionally resonant and lyrical story of one young man's heartbreak, set against the trauma of a world falling apart' IRISH TIMES'Stunning. Both an unrequited love story and a mystery. It will live with me for a long time.JENDELLA BENSONMost Anticipated Books 2023: COSMOPOLITAN, GLAMOUR, THE FLOOR, HUFFINGTON POST, THE BLACK BRITISH LIST and BRITTLE PAPERFor readers of Toni Morrison, Richard Flanagan and BURMA BOY - gripping and intimate historical novel of a black soldier's experience in the Second World War - a rare and moving tale of love and sacrifice by the acclaimed author of THE BOOK OF ECHOES.-------------------------------------1939: In a village in south-east Nigeria on the brink of the Second World War, young Obi watches from a mango tree as a colonial army jeep speeds by, filled with soldiers laughing and shouting, their buttons shining in the sun. To Obi, their promise of a smart uniform and regular wages is hard to resist, especially as he has his sweetheart Rose to impress and a family to support.Years later, when Rose falls pregnant to another man, his heart is shattered. As the Burma Campaign mounts, and Obi is shipped out to fight, he is haunted by the mystery of Rose's lover. When his identity comes to light, Obi's devastation leads to a tragic chain of unexpected events.In ROSE AND THE BURMA SKY, Rosanna Amaka weaves together the realities of war, the pain of first love and how following your heart might not always be the best course of action. Its gritty boy's-eye view brings a spare and impassioned intensity, charging it with universal resonance and power.___________'Refreshing. Vividly conveys how the historical injustice of colonialism continues to reverberate' GUARDIAN

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Murakami's 69, a side-splittingly funny coming-of-age novel set in the Japan of the sixties In a small, inconsequential city in Japan, all that matters to 17-year-old Kensuke Yazaki and his friends is girls, rock music and, to a much lesser extent, school. Told at high speed and with irresistible humour by Kensuke himself, this is the story of their 1969, as they engage in heated conversations about Marxism, Rimbaud, Godard, the Beatles and the Stones, set up a barricade in their school, organise a rock festival and map out a highly successful strategy in girl-winning. This is a young Japan entirely turned towards the West, pervaded by Western music, where the girls have nicknames pulled from famous British films, but still locked in a fight with the rigid post-war conservatism of the older generation. Translated from the Japanese by Ralph McCarthy and published by Pushkin Press 'A light, rollicking, sometimes hilarious, but never sentimental picture of late-sixties Japan.' Library Journal 'A great deal of fun, and Murakami ... is a find.' Kirkus Reviews 'The hero is a thoroughly engaging smartass.' Los Angeles Times A superb and very funny bluffer, and one sympathizes with him all the way. Atlantic Monthly 'A cross between The Catcher and the Rye and The Strawberry Statement.' Review of Contemporary Fiction Born in 1952 in Nagasaki prefecture, Ryu Murakami is the enfant terrible of contemporary Japanese literature. Awarded the prestigious Akutagawa Prize in 1976 for his first book, a novel about a group of young people drowned in sex and drugs, he has gone on to explore with cinematic intensity the themes of violence and technology in contemporary Japanese society. His novels include Coin Locker Babies, Sixty-Nine, Popular Hits of the Showa Era, Audition, In the Miso Soup and From the Fatherland, with Love. Murakami is also a screenwriter and a director; his films include Tokyo Decadence, Audition and Because of You.

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From Design Thinking to Design Doing Innovators today are told to run loose and think lean in order to fail fast and succeed sooner. But in a world obsessed with the new, where cool added features often trump actual customer needs, it's the consumer who suffers. In our quest to be more agile, we end up creating products that underwhelm. So how does a company like Nest, creator of the mundane thermostat, earn accolades like "beautiful" and "revolutionary" and a $3.2 billion Google buyout? What did Nest do differently to create a household product that people speak of with love? Nest, and companies like it, understand that emotional connection is critical to product development. And they use a clear, repeatable design process that focuses squarely on consumer engagement rather than piling on features for features' sake. In this refreshingly jargon-free and practical book, product design expert Jon Kolko maps out this process, demonstrating how it will help you and your team conceive and build successful, emotionally resonant products again and again. The key, says Kolko, is empathy. You need to deeply understand customer needs and feelings, and this understanding must be reflected in the product. In successive chapters of the book, we see how leading companies use a design process of storytelling and iteration that evokes positive emotions, changes behavior, and creates deep engagement. Here are the four key steps: 1. Determine a product-market fit by seeking signals from communities of users. 2. Identify behavioral insights by conducting ethnographic research. 3. Sketch a product strategy by synthesizing complex research data into simple insights. 4. Polish the product details using visual representations to simplify complex ideas. Kolko walks the reader through each step, sharing eye-opening insights from his fifteen-year career in product design along the way. Whether you're a designer, a product developer, or a marketer thinking about your company's next offering, this book will forever change the way you think about--and create--successful products.

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Learn to sew simple, stylish, wear-everywhere garments with All Well Sewing Studio Easy-Sew Basics, filled with super-easy instructions and patterns written for sewists of all skill levels"If you can sew a straight line, you can sew anything (and, in this book, we’ll teach you how to sew a straight line!). We will help you get started from scratch, with detailed sewing instructions and techniques that will soon become second nature. We'll explain why you’re doing things, and when it is important to do things a certain way, and when you can improvise and not worry! We’ll tell you everything you need to know to sew your own clothes and bags—and to have fun in the process." — Amy Bornman and Amelia Greenhall, founders @AllWellWorkshopWhether you are just learning how to sew or want to sharpen your skills, Amy Bornman and Amelia Greenhall, the founders of All Well, make sewing fun. Social media is abuzz with love for All Well’s patterns, illustrated guidance, and conversational how-tos that feel just like an inviting, in-person workshop. How to Sew Clothes will have you wanting to sew every project featured in the book (and you will feel empowered to do just that), but it is also a great read, even when you aren’t in the mood to sew. How many craft books can say that?Inside you'll find everything you need to get started and sew your heart out, including five brand-new bag patterns and All Well's bestselling garment patterns (their first time in print). Pick up this book and learn essential skills such as how to choose fabrics, read patterns, and cut out pattern pieces and sew them together, as well as how to backstitch, zigzag stitch, assess fit, and learn from what you make. The book also teaches you how to stitch up clothing such as tops, dresses, jackets, and v-neck shells and an assortment of bags that will fit you and your style just right.

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This is Martha Wainwright’s heartfelt memoir about growing up in a bohemian musical family and her experiences with love, loss, motherhood, divorce, the music industry and more. Born into music royalty, the daughter of folk legends Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III and sister to the highly-acclaimed singer Rufus Wainwright, Martha grew up in a world filled with such incomparable folk legends as Leonard Cohen, Anna McGarrigle, Richard and Linda Thompson, Pete Townsend and Emmylou Harris. It was within this loud, boisterous, musical milieu that Martha came of age, struggling to find her voice until she exploded onto the music scene with her 2005 debut and critically acclaimed album, Martha Wainwright, which contained the blistering hit, ‘Bloody Mother F*cking Asshole’, which the Sunday Times called one of the best songs of that year. Her successful debut album and the ones that followed such as Come Home to Mama, I Know You're Married but I've Got Feelings Too and Goodnight City came to define Martha's searing songwriting style and established her as a powerful voice to be reckoned with.'With disarming candour and courage, Martha tells us of finding her own voice and peace as a working artist and mother. Her story is made more unique because of the remarkably gifted musical family she was born into.' EMMYLOU HARRIS In Stories I Might Regret Telling You, Martha digs into the deep recesses of herself with the same emotional honesty that has come to define her music. She describes her tumultuous public-facing journey from awkward, earnest and ultimately rebellious daughter, through her intense competition and ultimate alliance with her brother, Rufus, to the heart-breaking loss of their mother, Kate, and then, finally, discovering her voice as an artist. With candour and grace, Martha writes of becoming a mother herself and making peace with her past struggles with Kate and her younger self. Ultimately, this book offers a thoughtful and deeply personal look into the extraordinary life of one of the most talented singer-songwriters in music today.

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THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ‘The farewell calls from the planes… the mounting terror of air traffic control… the mothers who knew they were witnessing their loved ones perish… From an author who’s spent 5 years reconstructing its horror, never has the story been told with such devastating, human force’ Daily Mail This is a 9/11 book like no other. Masterfully weaving together multiple strands of the events in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Fall and Rise is a mesmerising, minute-by-minute account of that terrible day. In the days and months after 9/11, Mitchell Zuckoff, then a reporter for the Boston Globe, wrote about the attacks, the victims, and their families. After further years of meticulous reporting, Zuckoff has filled Fall and Rise with voices of the lost and the saved. The result is an utterly gripping book, filled with intimate stories of people most affected by the events of that sunny Tuesday in September: an out-of-work actor stuck in an elevator in the North Tower of the World Trade Center; the heroes aboard Flight 93 deciding to take action; a veteran trapped in the inferno in the Pentagon; the fire chief among the first on the scene in sleepy Shanksville; a team of firefighters racing to save an injured woman and themselves; and the men, women, and children flying across country to see loved ones or for work who suddenly faced terrorists bent on murder. Fall and Rise will open new avenues of understanding for everyone who thinks they know the story of 9/11, bringing to life – and in some cases, bringing back to life – the extraordinary ordinary people who experienced the worst day in modern American history. Destined to be a classic, Fall and Rise will move, shock, inspire, and fill hearts with love and admiration for the human spirit as it triumphs in the face of horrifying events.

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Live your dream of Italy...Here is your chance to buy your own home in southern Italy for less than the price of a cup of coffee. The picturesque mountain town of Montenello is selling off some of its historic buildings for just ONE EURO each. The only conditions are that purchasers must renovate their new home within the next three years and that they plan to contribute in a meaningful way to this small community.To be considered as a future resident of Montenello contact the town's mayor, Augusto Rossi. Live your dream of Italy for just one euro.When the Mayor of a picturesque Italian town launches a new scheme to rejuvenate the community, his advertisement is read with interest and excitement by many. Zara is in her thirties and desperate to get on the property ladder. Tim and Lynda are retiring and need a project. Some are looking for a peaceful bolthole. Others hope to make a profit, start a business, escape a dull life or an unhappy relationship. And there is someone who just might be hiding their true motivation...Their lives are about to change forever - but can they make their dream of Italy into a reality? A deliciously escapist summer read.******Readers are loving Nicky Pellegrino!'I could smell the fresh pasta, feel the sunshine, smell the sea breeze and feel my worries wash away. It was lovely to stumble down the cobbled paths and stroll along the beautiful scenery''Through Italy, through food, through heartbreak, through love, through family. Add in a pinch of karmic justice and you have the perfect read with a joyful ending!''Once again Nicky Pellegrino had me captivated with this amazing story. It made me laugh, made me cry. I read it in one afternoon''I will say that if you are a woman on the cusp of discovering who you are and what your heart desires...then you will devour this book as I did''Such a great escapism read, full of emotions and family drama with love'

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Cate Marvin uses language the way a gymnast uses her body; she is a formalist who has thoroughly learned the pleasures and gains of abandon. But it is her excursions into wild image and passionate song that win the reader's heart. The heart is central in World's Tallest Disaster, which is essentially a book of love poems—love lost and found, love requited, love abandoned and betrayed. What Cate Marvin has done in her remarkably assured and powerful first collection is to remind us in fresh terms of the news that stays news: that our desire is "Not a sea of longing,// but the brack of wanting what's physical/ to help us forget we are physical." "Violently passionate and firmly symmetrical, like tango or the blues, these poems-at first-are about sexual passion. . . . But in the great tradition of love poetry, these poems don't stop with love. They move from eros to imagination. Or they thrash between the two. . . . This is an encouraging book in the context of American poetry's fashions or factions, because it evades categories. [Marvin's] is an urgent as well as an artful voice."—from the Foreword by Robert Pinsky Marketing Plans o Author tour in Ohio, Kentucky, and NYC o Brochure and postcard mailings o Advertisements in key literary and trade magazinesBook tour dates including: o Cincinnati o Louisville o New York City Cate Marvin was born in Washington, D.C. She received her B.A. from Marlboro College in Vermont, and holds two M.F.A.s: one from the University of Houston in poetry, the other from the Iowa Writers' Workshop in fiction. She has been awarded scholarships to attend both Bread Loaf and Sewanee Writers' Conferences. Her poems have appeared in such magazines as New England Review, The Antioch Review, The Paris Review, The Georgia Review, and Ploughshares, among others. She is lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in English at the university there.

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For fans of Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, A Winter Hope is a heart-warming novel from the Queen of family saga, and author of The Winter Baby and The Nursemaid's Secret, Sheila Newberry.All they want is a new home. Number five Kitchener Avenue heralds the start of a new life for the Hope family. For pregnant Miriam it is a warm, safe environment to bring up her child. For her sister, fourteen-year-old Barbara, it means independence . . . and boys. And for Fred it provides the security he craves for his young family. In the lead up to Christmas, the Hopes settle in, and start to make happy memories in their new home. But World War II is round the corner, and this carefree life can't last. Soon the family are split up. Bar, wanting to do her bit for the war effort, joins the ATS, while Miriam and her children are evacuated to the countryside and away from her husband. As the country is thrown into turmoil, can the Hope family come back together and find the happiness they crave? 'A Winter Hope is a heartwarming novel following two sisters from pre-war to post-war, their parallel stories filled with love and loss. I found myself completely wrapped up with their experiences and shed a tear at the twists and turns of their lives.' Mollie Walton, author of The Daughters of Ironbridge 'I have long been a fan of Sheila Newberry's novels. I love their wonderful warmth and charm.' Maureen Lee, bestselling author of The Seven Streets of Liverpool'Reading a Sheila Newberry book is like having dinner with your mother in her warm and cosy kitchen. You can feel the love and care put into every juicy morsel' - Diane Allen, bestselling author of For the Sake of Her FamilyPreviously published as The Family at Number Five.

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"Sabrina’s modern take on traditional South Asian dishes and the stories behind them makes an entertaining and tempting book!" – Michel Roux Jr"Sabrina is the real deal... The delicious flavour combinations, fun playfulness of classic dishes and a genuine love for storytelling and recipe writing makes this a must for any bookshelf." – Ravneet Gill"Sabrina has produced the most colourful, exciting book I’ve seen in a long time, coming from the heart. Each recipe is packed with love and vibrancy, and I can’t wait to cook from it." – José PizarroModern South Asian Kitchen is a fascinating collection of recipes, encompassing traditional family dishes passed down through generations to contemporary, eclectic recipes that reflect a collaboration between cultures and experiences. We see the merging of Sabrina's professional career in modern European kitchens unite with her Punjabi heritage, culminating in 90 unique and stunning recipes that are comforting, playful and big on flavour. She pays homage to her mother's most iconic dishes along with personal tributes to dishes her grandmother made. She believes that flavour and enjoyment are imperative – and offers snacks and small plates for entertaining, quick and light meals for midweek meals and encourages the mixing and matching of recipes for feasting and friends – teaching us not to be fearful of our spice cupboard. In her words, she is ‘creating new traditions as well as honouring old’. From the Only Dal You’ll Ever Need and Cauliflower Cheese Parathas to Punjabi Panzanella and Black Cardamom Custard Tart, these are ingenious, considerately spiced recipes you won’t have seen before. Along with a personal story of her journey, Sabrina also features conversations with eight of her 'sisters' from South Asian heritage, continuing the thread of connecting with your history whilst breaking cultural and culinary boundaries. Modern South Asian Kitchen is a thought-provoking testament to modern South Asian cuisine as well as a joyful celebration of how cooking food brings together communities, families and friends.

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The Christmas Party is a delicious, page-turning story full of twists and turns. At an elegant country house party, shocking secrets and unexpected romances hide just beneath the surface . . . A must-read for the festive season by Karen Swan, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Christmas Secret and Christmas at Tiffany's.When Declan Lorne, the last remaining knight in Ireland, dies suddenly, an ancient title passes with him. But his estate on Ireland’s rugged south-west coast is left to his three daughters. The two eldest, Ottie and Pip, inherit in line with expectations, but to everyone’s surprise – and dismay – it is the errant baby of the family, Willow, who gets the castle.Why her? Something unknown – something terrible - made her turn her back on her family three years earlier, escaping to Dublin and vowing never to return. So when Willow quickly announces she is selling up, her revenge seems sweet and the once-close sisters are pushed to breaking point: in desperation, Pip risks everything to secure her own future, and Ottie makes a decision that will ruin lives. It’s each woman for herself.Before moving in, Connor Shaye, the prospective new owner, negotiates throwing a lavish party at the castle just days before Christmas – his hello, their goodbye. But as their secrets begin to catch up with them, Ottie, Willow and Pip are forced to ask themselves which is harder: stepping into the future, or letting go of the past?'A real treat to get absolutely lost in. Go on - spoil yourself!' - Veronica Henry, bestselling author of Christmas at the Beach Hut What Karen's readers say . . .'This is a perfect winter's day read, that will have you utterly absorbed...''Full of intrigue, secrets, heartbreak, love''Crammed with love, heartbreak and powerful secrets this Christmas story with substance is not to be missed!''The festive season can now commence!'

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'Another delicious romance from Tracy Corbett. It's fun, quirky and delightfully romantic.' Rosanna Ley, author of From Venice with LoveWhat happens on holiday doesn't always stay on holiday...When mousy factory-worker Lilith Monroe meets gorgeous Will Taylor on holiday, she reinvents herself as Lily, a risk-taking costume designer extraordinaire. What’s the harm in a few white lies when she’ll never see Will again?Back in England, Will can’t stop thinking about Lily. When his events company needs a costume designer last minute for the Royal Windsor Festival, it’s like fate is knocking on his door. He can hire Lily and see if the spark is still there. Except he hasn't been entirely honest with Lily...Can a holiday fling become something more, or are there too many untruths between Lilith and Will?A gorgeously uplifting romance for fans of Portia MacIntosh and Trisha Ashley.Praise for Someone Like You ‘I loved this book and devoured the whole thing in one day. It's one of those stories which is so realistic, romantic, and funny, that surely someone is going to want to turn it into a movie. One for fans of Sophie Kinsella’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review ‘This is truly a wonderful romantic story. I enjoyed this book to pieces! I smiled through most of it, teared up a time or two, and highly recommend this book to anyone.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review ‘Love a bit of romance and this book ticked all the boxes, thoroughly enjoyable read with likeable characters and a good background’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review ‘What a treat this story was. At the beginning of the story I was in tears and by the end I had a huge smile on my face. This book has the ultimate feel good factor about it.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

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'This isn't a mid-life crisis OK? For a start I'm not old enough yet to have one of those. I'm calling it a happiness project. I've stolen an entire summer from my life and by the time it's over I plan to leave this place with a list in my hand. The ten things that make me happy, that's all I want to know. How difficult can it be? They may be small things - a perfect cup of coffee, a day without rain - or bigger ones. It's still the beginning so how can I know?' Addolorata Martinelli knows she should be happy. She has everything she thought she wanted - her own business, a husband, a child. So why does she feel as if something is missing? Then when her restaurant, Little Italy, is slated by a reviewer, she realises that she's lost the one thing she thought she could always count on, her love of food.So Addolorata heads to Venice for a summer alone, aiming to find the ten things that make her happy. Once she's found them, she'll construct a new life around her ten things, but will they include her life in London?Readers are loving Nicky Pellegrino!'I could smell the fresh pasta, feel the sunshine, smell the sea breeze and feel my worries wash away. It was lovely to stumble down the cobbled paths and stroll along the beautiful scenery''Through Italy, through food, through heartbreak, through love, through family. Add in a pinch of karmic justice and you have the perfect read with a joyful ending!''Once again Nicky Pellegrino had me captivated with this amazing story. It made me laugh, made me cry. I read it in one afternoon''I will say that if you are a woman on the cusp of discovering who you are and what your heart desires...then you will devour this book as I did''Such a great escapism read, full of emotions and family drama with love'

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