Search results for ""author weird"

She's come to steal my thunder again, hasn't she? Dying, my foot. She's probably just being dramatic. Dying for dramatic effect. She would.' Cathy Wren, aged 37, lives alone in a small northern town, surviving on waitressing and piano teaching. She nurses her quiet drab life, keeping memories of a tumultuous earlier time at bay, until one stray remnant of that old life knocks on her front door. There, standing on her doorstep, in the rain, is Stephen, ex-boyfriend of her younger sister, Veronica Karen. He's come with bad news about her sister and a dogged determination to find her, and he wants Cathy's help. Cathy, who hasn't spoken to Veronica Karen - that thorn in her side - for ten years, is about to find herself on a weird and haphazard journey that turns into much more than a search for her little sister.'It is in its delicate exploration of the murky ground between objective assessment for life and irrational affection for a person that the novel compels' - TLS

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THE WAGERLose a bet, lose your heart...What is it about a junior-high crush that can send an otherwise intelligent woman into a tailspin? TV reporter Char Lynn wishes she knew. Jake Titus is too rich, too handsome, too arrogant: a trifecta that once lured Char into the best night-and worst morning-after-of her life. Now they've been thrown together in a wedding party. It's awkward, but survivable . . . until Jake stops acting like a jerk, and starts acting like the man she'd always hoped he could be.If watching your brother marry your best friend is weird, being attracted to your best friend's other best friend is downright bizarre. Unfortunately for Jake, Char hasn't forgotten how he once tossed her aside. Worse still, Jake's already-nutty grandma is even crazier about Char. Cue meet-cute shenanigans and all manner of meddling, and somehow, Jake's falling. For Char. Now all he has to do is make her believe it . . .

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Say hello to sensational science with this fast-fact-packed tour of all things energy-related. It's the perfect way for children aged 9 plus to brush up on their S.T.E.M. stats and cement what they have learned in class with this fun book.Energy explores the most incredible, weird and most awe-inspiring facts about different types of energy in bite-sized chunks of text, so readers won't be overwhelmed with information. Funny illustrations and photos are designed to hold their interest, and help them engage with S.T.E.M. topics.Energy takes a look at electricity, sound and light, as well as nuclear, chemical and renewable energy. There is also a fun activity to race tin cans using static electricity for budding STEMsters to try out, too.The Stupendous and Tremendous Science series is ideal for all children aged 9+ who are studying S.T.E.M. topics at school or who simply have a fascination with science. It covers all the core topics in a fun and accessible way.Title in the series:Ecstatic and Excellent EnergyHappy and Healthy Human BodyPowerful and Pongy PlantsSoaring and Spectacular Space

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The brand new novella in the Sunday Times #1 bestselling Rivers of London series.THEY DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY ACROSS THE POND...When ex-FBI Agent Patrick Henderson calls in an 'X-Ray Sierra India' incident, the operator doesn't understand. He tells them to pass it up the chain till someone does.That person is Special Agent Kimberley Reynolds. Arriving in snowbound Northern Wisconsin, she finds that a tornado has flattened half the town - and there's no sign of Henderson.Things soon go from weird to worse, as neighbours report unsettling sightings, key evidence goes missing, and the snow keeps rising - cutting off the town, with no way in or out...As the clues lead to the coldest of cold cases - a cursed expedition into the frozen wilderness - Reynolds follows a trail from the start of the American nightmare, to the horror that still lives on today...PRAISE FOR BEN AARONOVITCH & THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING RIVERS OF LONDON SERIES:'Highly entertaining' SUNDAY EXPRESS'Charming, witty, exciting' THE INDEPENDENT'Ben Aaronovitch has created a wonderful world full of mystery, magic and fantastic characters' NICK FROST'Funny and wildly inventive' MAIL ON SUNDAY

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SHORTLISTED FOR THE T.S. ELIOT PRIZE 2021POETRY BOOK SOCIETY RECOMMENDATION'Jack Underwood has developed an utterly clear lyric that rebukes moral obviousness, drives against false certainty. It's as refreshing as it is instructive . . . Underwood has become one of my favorite poets.' Kaveh AkbarJack Underwood's poetry debut, Happiness (2015), was celebrated for its unconventional and daring tone: 'conversational, arresting . . . weird, singular' (Guardian). Such qualities are on accomplished display in this anticipated new collection, as the poems mature and move on to a wide range of preoccupations, including imminent societal collapse and public unrest; the limits, myths and complexities of masculinity and fatherhood; and uncanny, often amusing scenarios, such as serving drinks to a gathering of fifteen babies or group kissing in Empathy Class. Throughout, incongruous and domestic subjects realign in skewed lyrics and thought experiments, intimately expressed in 'a new language / of the familiar' ('The Landing'). All is presented with a generosity and tenderness that makes the poet so unmistakable - and indispensable for the strange times in which we live.'I was done in by these poems, but I really lived as I read them; each one holding life and time in a balletics of stress and flow.' Holly Pester

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‘Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars’ Norman Vincent Peale Tim Walker’s monograph Story Teller, published by Thames & Hudson, introduced audiences to this unique photographer’s fantastical, magical worlds, conjured anew with each shoot. But every point must have its counterpoint, day its night, light its dark; creativity is no different. Shoot for the Moon, Walker’s much anticipated followup, draws audiences close to reveal fantasy’s other, darker side. Delving deep into the art and mind of one of the most exciting and original fashion photographers working today, Shoot for the Moon showcases the gamut of Walker’s weird, wild Wonderlands. In images that demand to be read as art as much as fashion, his signature opulence and decadent eccentricity encroach ever further beyond the ‘real’, exploring the mysteries of imagination and inspiration, and where it is they come from. Dazzlingly designed to a lavish spec, with images featuring some of the biggest names in fashion and contemporary culture, and texts and commentary by a collection of noteworthy contributors as well as Walker himself, Shoot for the Moon is set to be an unmissable addition to the lexicon of fashion photography.

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Ever been tempted by the thought of trying juicy deep fried mealworms, proteinrich cricket flower, or swapping your Walkers for salt and vinegar flavoured grasshoppers? If so then you are not alone! Over 2 billion people regularly eat insects as part of their diet, and the world is home to around 1,900 edible insect species.For adventurous foodies and daring dieters comes the newest way to save the planet, eat more protein, and tickle taste buds. But this isn’t an insect cookbook. Instead it’s an informative field guide: exploring the origins of insect eating, offering tips on finding edible bugs and serving up a few delicious ideas of how to eat them once you’ve tracked them down! It includes a comprehensive list on edible insects and where to find them, how to prepare them, their versatile usage and nutritional value as well as a few recipes. A bug-eating checklist covering all known edible bugs so readers can mark off the ones they’ve eaten and seek out new delicacies concludes the book.This is a perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful, and adventurous side of entomophagy.

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Perfect for animal-lovers everywhere! A beautiful crossover book for all ages, this is the book natural-history illustrator Ben has wanted to read since he was a child.Facts and descriptions provide insight into a curated collection of birds and animals - some endangered and some less so - told from the perspective of a detail-obsessed illustrator.Fun to read together or independently, let the secrets of the animals on our planet come to life in vibrant detail.'This is my love letter to Planet Earth; a celebration of her hidden species, from the bold and the beautiful to the interesting but ugly. And while not a complete list, I hope that these few give a glimpse of the outstanding diversity of nature' - Ben Rothery'For wildlife aficionados . . . [Hidden Planet] is filled with stunning illustrations . . . The engaging text is full of intriguing details' - Guardian Children's Books of the Year'Ben Rothery is an extraordinary illustrator of the natural world, and an inspiration to children and grown-ups to write their own love letter to Planet Earth' - Angels and UrchinsAlso available: Sensational Butterflies, Ben Rothery's Weird and Wonderful Animals, Ben Rothery's Deadly and Dangerous Animals and Water World.

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Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of Cornwall, or as it is sometimes obscurely referred to, Merry Jack. Though this isn’t the usual side of the county the tourists, travellers and residents see. This is the real Cornwall, the strange and twisted nooks and crannies of the county’s bizarre history – past, present and future. Following on from the bestselling Portico Strangest titles now comes a book devoted to England’s gloriously coastal, yet most haunted, region. Located in the toes of the outstretched legs of Britain’s old man, Cornwall is a county with more strangeness than you can shake a Cornish pasty at. Cornwall is an area of outstanding natural beauty, as well as outstanding strangness – from ye olde tales of plundering pirates to foulish ghosts drinking in local pubs right through to the most famous of all myths – the bizarre beast that forever stalks Bodmin Moor. Spooky. Cornwall’s Strangest Tales is a treasure trove of the hilarious, the odd and the baffling – an alternative travel guide to some of the county’s best-kept secrets. Read on, if you dare! You have been warned.

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Dundee United On This Day brings to life the most glorious, weird and wonderful moments from the club's history in one irresistible page-turning diary. Formerly Dundee Hibs, very nearly called Dundee City and twice known (when playing in the US) as Dallas Tornado, Dundee United is a club with a colourful past. Within these pages are big derby wins, relegation battles, victories over Barcelona and other top European clubs, a dramatic league title win, cup heartache and eventual cup glory, canine pitch invaders, infamous disallowed goals and much more. Revisit the exploits of club greats like Finn Dossing, Hamish McAlpine, Paul Sturrock, Dave Narey, Mixu Paatelainen and Andy Robertson, and celebrate the successes of legendary managers Jerry Kerr and Jim McLean. You'll enjoy a wealth of evocative and sometimes bizarre anecdotes, enthralling match reports and tales of well-known and less-known figures from 1909 to the present day. With a treasure trove of club history, trivia and facts, this book is a 'must' for Dundee United fans.

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Over ten rainy nights, Thomas, an ex-bargeman who used to be skipper of his own boat, walks the muddy fields of the landlocked German interior and remembers the events that lost him his home, his boat, and his livelihood: his apprenticeship in the cold halls of the Royal Naval College in London; the dangers of the mean streets and waterfront of New York in the 1970s, and Poland under martial law; Germany after the reunification, when for a year or so it seemed that the whole country drifted rudderless, drawn by the current of history to who knows where. Thomas remembers childhood, his first love, and the warnings of his grandfather: Beware the dark company! This mysterious band of men and women dressed in black cast a shadow over his story, as he wrestles with the secrets, the unplumbed depths of his soul, the hazards lurking below a seemingly placid surface, and throughout it all, the rain, falling night after night. Dark Company is a superb example of a distinctly German tradition in weird fiction which claims its roots in Kafka and Herbert Rosendorfer.

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Of all the weird characters Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond has met in Bath, this one is the most extreme: a twenty-first-century private eye called Johnny Getz, whose office is over Shear Amazing, a hairdressing salon. Johnny has been hired by Ruby Hubbard, whose father, an antiques shop owner, has gone missing, and Johnny insists on involving 'Pete' in his investigation.When Diamond, Johnny and Ruby enter the shop, they find a body and a murder investigation is launched. Diamond is forced to house his team in the dilapidated Corn Market building across the street. His problems grow when his boss appoints Lady Bede, from the Police Ethics Committee, as an observer. Worse still, Johnny conducts his own inquiry by latching onto Ruby's stylish friend, a journalist called Olympia.Shootings from a drive-by gunman at key players create mayhem and the pressure is really on. Can the team stop more killings in this normally peaceful city? What happened to Ruby's father? And will Johnny crack the case before Diamond does?

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'People are emotionally drawn to the supernatural. They actively want weird, spooky things to be true . . . Wiseman shows us a higher joy as he deftly skewers the paranormal charlatans, blows away the psychic fog and lets in the clear light of reason.' Richard DawkinsProfessor Richard Wiseman is clear about one thing: paranormal phenomena don't exist. But in the same way that the science of space travel transforms our everyday lives, so research into telepathy, fortune-telling and out-of-body experiences produces remarkable insights into our brains, behaviour and beliefs. Paranormality embarks on a wild ghost chase into this new science of the supernatural and is packed with activities that allow you to experience the impossible. So throw away your crystals, ditch your lucky charms and cancel your subscription to Reincarnation Weekly. It is time to discover the real secrets of the paranormal.Learn how to control your dreams -- and leave your body behindConvince complete strangers that you know all about themUnleash the power of your unconscious mind

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Sara Begner’s requirements are simple: free your mind in the kitchen and bring your appetite. This family cookbook requires no new cooking skills, no magic conjuring tricks, and no weird ingredients. Whether you’re watching ingredients melt together with Begner’s mouthwatering pizza, taking in the aroma of chocolate muffins, or sitting back to watch chicken roast in the oven, these recipes are sure to inspire everyday dinners and generous feasts.With more than seventy easily cooked recipes, you and your family will have a ball in the kitchen. With fruit slices transformed into artful displays, chocolaty confections sprinkled with love, and meats tenderized to perfection, you will be able to bond over a fun-to-make, easy-to-enjoy, home-cooked meal. Helpful hands are sure to enjoy tossing spaghetti, rolling chocolate balls, and cracking eggs for marvelous creations.With the addition of colorful photos and handy tips, these chef-inspired recipes will tempt your taste buds and inspire you to grab the spatula. So head into your kitchen, bring the whole family, and enjoy Cooking Together with those you love.

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Step into Pearl’s world and take a tour around her faded seaside town, past the graffiti walls, bus stops and the old mattress factory. Except – with Pearl as our guide – the colours suddenly pop and every tiny detail becomes rich with interest. From the lido to the hair salon, to the Christmas shop in June, the ordinary becomes magical and every bit of wildness, weirdness and tattiness is whisked into the foreground. "Pearl" is an alter ego of the poet: she's a character who observes the minutiae around her and whose thoughts are a pleasure to follow. This pamphlet follows Pearl as she rollicks around, making her way through a townscape similar but not identical to the too-small-to-be-cities of poet Julia Bird's 70s & 80s childhood. from 'Clementine Pearl'The first time was a fluke. Subsequently, Pearl made plans to visit the Christmas shop at the edge of town every twenty-fifth of June; a day when even if it isn’t hot, it’s light, the day most likely the shop’s most empty of people wanting winter or its antimatter to take into their homes.

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A paperback reissue of Londonopolis (9781849941655) This curious history of London whisks you down the rabbit hole and into the warren of backstreets, landmarks, cemeteries, palaces, markets, museums and secret gardens of the great metropolis. Meet the cockneys, politicians, fairies, philosophers, gangsters and royalty that populate the city, their stories becoming curiouser and curiouser as layers of time and history are peeled back. Find out which tube station once housed the Elgin Marbles and what lies behind a Piccadilly doorway that helped Darwin launch his theory of evolution and caused the Swedes to wage war against Britain. Do you believe in fairies? Do you know which Leadenhall site became a Nag's Head tavern, morphing into the mighty East India Company, before taking flight as the futuristic Lloyds Building? Who named the Natural History Museum's long-tailed dinosaur Mr Whippy? Spanning above and below ground, from the outer suburbs to the inner city, and from the medieval period to the modern day, Londonopolis is a celebration of the weird and the wonderful that makes the mysterious city of London so magical.

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When was the last time you won a perfect game? A game that was not tainted by inferior moves? Every chess player knows that smooth wins are the exception, that play is often chaotic and positions are frequently irrational. The road to victory is generally full of bumps and misadventures. Welcome to the world of imperfection! Chess books usually feature superbly played games. In this book you will see games where weird moves are rewarded. Cyrus Lakdawala knows that playing good chess is all very well, but that beating your opponent is better. He demonstrates the fine art of winning undeserved victories by: miraculously surviving chaos; throwing vile cheapos; refusing to resign in lost positions; getting lucky breaks; provoking unforced errors, and other ways to land on your feet after a roller-coaster ride. Lakdawala shows how you can make sure that it is your opponent, not you, who makes the last blunder. If youd rather win a bad game than lose a good one, then this your ideal guide. The next time the wrong player wins, you will be that player!

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Ellie is no stranger to surprises, so when Amara, a magical mynah bird, visits her one morning and delivers an invitation to a mysterious gathering, Ellie takes it all in her stride. This, she hopes will be the start of her training and the beginning of her search to find the lost Earth Witches. But is she really prepared for the adventure? Will she be strong enough to overcome the dangers that lie ahead and will she learn to control her newly found powers? Ellie Juneman: Earth Witch (in training) is a Child's Eye publication. Child's Eye is the new home for children's literature in the Redshank imprint of Libri Publishing. Designed to appeal to children and parents Child's Eye publishes quirky stories with an edge that deal with a variety of subjects from the child's viewpoint. Scary, cruel, or just downright funny these stories invite the discerning reader to step into the weird and sometimes disconcerting world of a child's imaginings. Child's Eye books can also address issues affecting children such as bullying, family difficulties and health and can provide the stimulus for valuable conversations.

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Tenth-grader Yugi always had his head in some game--until he solved the Millennium Puzzle, an Egyptian artifact containing the spirit of a master gambler from the age of the pharoahs! Possessed by the puzzle, Yugi becomes Yu-Gi-Oh, the King of Games, and challenges evildoers to the Shadow Games...weird games with high stakes and high risks! The second of the Egyptian God Cards is unleashed! Using one of his brainwashed pawns to fight for him, the mysterious Marik traps Yugi in a deadly cage match against one of the most powerful cards in the world…Slifer the Sky Dragon! Then, duels rage around Battle City, and up first, Jonouchi fights Ryota Kajiki, Duelist of the Sea, on his home turf at the Domino City Aquarium! Then Marik's henchmen, the Rare Hunters, force Kaiba and Yugi into a tag-team duel on top of a skyscraper! But the worst is yet to come when Mai and Jonouchi become possessed by Marik! Now, Yugi must fight Marik's mind inside Jonouchi's body. And the rules of this duel say only the the winner comes out alive.

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It may have all started with Syd Barrett, but the persistence and creativity of Roger Waters, Rick Wright, Nick Mason, and David Gilmour meant that Pink Floyd went from one of England's top underground psychedelic bands to one of the biggest rock bands on the planet - all thanks to an album wondering if there really was a dark side of the moon. Pink Floyd in the 1970s: Decades focuses on the band throughout the 1970s from the weird brilliance of Atom Heart Mother to the epic, autobiographical storytelling of The Wall. In between, the band achieved tremendous success with Meddle and Dark Side of the Moon, yet struggled to come to terms with their place in the pantheon of rock music on Wish You Were Here and Animals. The decade of Pink Floyd's greatest successes was mired in shifting musical trends, a balance in power from a democratic equality to one man calling most of the shots, and the large, looming spectre of their erstwhile founder guiding some of the greatest songs and albums of all time. The book explores the music, the defining moments, and the personality clashes that very nearly destroyed the band.

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Jan Svankmajer enjoys a curious sort of anti-reputation: he is famous for being obscure. Unapologetically surrealist, Svankmajer draws on the traditions and techniques of stop-motion animation, collage, montage, puppetry, and clay to craft bizarre filmscapes. If these creative choices are off-putting to some, they have nonetheless won the Czech filmmaker recognition as a visionary animator. Keith Leslie Johnson explores Svankmajer's work as a cinema that spawns new and weird life forms ”hybrids of machine, animal, and non-organic materials like stone and dust. Johnson's ambitious approach unlocks access to the director's world, a place governed by a single, uncanny order of being where all things are at once animated and inert. For Svankmajer, everything is at stake in every aspect of life, whether that life takes the form of an object, creature, or human. Sexuality, social bonds, religious longings ”all get recapitulated on the stage of inanimate things. In Johnson's view, Svankmajer stands as the proponent of a biopolitical, ethical, and ecological outlook that implores us to reprogram our relationship with the vital matter all around us, including ourselves and our bodies.

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Jan Svankmajer enjoys a curious sort of anti-reputation: he is famous for being obscure. Unapologetically surrealist, Svankmajer draws on the traditions and techniques of stop-motion animation, collage, montage, puppetry, and clay to craft bizarre filmscapes. If these creative choices are off-putting to some, they have nonetheless won the Czech filmmaker recognition as a visionary animator. Keith Leslie Johnson explores Svankmajer's work as a cinema that spawns new and weird life forms ”hybrids of machine, animal, and non-organic materials like stone and dust. Johnson's ambitious approach unlocks access to the director's world, a place governed by a single, uncanny order of being where all things are at once animated and inert. For Svankmajer, everything is at stake in every aspect of life, whether that life takes the form of an object, creature, or human. Sexuality, social bonds, religious longings ”all get recapitulated on the stage of inanimate things. In Johnson's view, Svankmajer stands as the proponent of a biopolitical, ethical, and ecological outlook that implores us to reprogram our relationship with the vital matter all around us, including ourselves and our bodies.

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Twenty collectors open their homes to reveal the weird and wonderful world of natural objects. From the cabinets of curiosity of the 19th century to today’s interest in foraged decorations, obsessive and eclectic collectors of natural objects have long filled their homes with their finds - everything from fossils and feathers to seeds and dried flowers. This book offers a glimpse inside twenty homes of the most interesting and creative collectors, revealing the stories behind their collections and how they celebrate their love of nature in their everyday spaces. This new generation of naturalists are using their collections to craft creative careers and decorate their homes with their finds. From a German manor filled with antique taxidermy to the Paris apartment of a sculptor working with feathers and an Italian beachside retreat that showcases foraged shells and pebbles, this book provides a wealth of inspiration for celebrating the beauty of the world around us more sustainably. Practical tips on everything from curating a shelf of objects or using them to decorate walls and surfaces offer plenty of ideas the reader can apply in their own homes. With our ever-increasing interest in finding new ways to reconnect with nature, this will be inspirational reading for all those who want to bring the outdoors in.

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Have you ever wondered why God made things the way they are? Touch and feel His weird and wonderful creations in this thought-provoking book, perfect to share together! Content Benefits: Children will enjoy reading the funny rhymes and looking at the bright and amusing illustrations that introduce each creature that God has made. This is a tactile touch and feel book about funny animals that young children will love! This hilarious touch-and-feel book is a light-hearted introduction to some of God's more unusual creations Innovative and fun silicone touch and feel sections in different colours and textures feature throughout the book, making this exciting for little hands to explore The amusing and enchanting rhyming text will engage both young readers and adults Each spread features a bright and amusing illustration that will entertain young children A Bible verse is included on each double page spread An innovative way to introduce children to God as the creator of the world A great and unusual gift idea for young children Perfect present for a Christening, Dedication or Baptism Suitable for 0 year plus Binding - Board Book Pages - 12 Publisher - Authentic Media

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In the city of San Agustín de Tango, the banal is hard to tell from the bizarre. In a single day, a man is guillotined for preaching the intellectual pleasures of sex; an ostrich in a zoo, reversing roles, devours a lion; and a man, while urinating, goes bungee jumping through time itself—and manages to escape. Or does he? Witness the weird machinery of Yesterday, where the Chilean master Juan Emar deploys irony, digression, and giddy repetitions to ratchet up narrative tension again and again and again, in this thrilling whirlwind of the ecstatically unexpected—all wed to the happiest marriage of any novel, ever. Born in Chile at the tail end of the nineteenth century, Juan Emar was largely overlooked during his lifetime, and lived in self-imposed exile from the literary circles of his day. A cult of Emarians, however, always persisted, and after several rediscoveries in the Spanish-speaking world, he is finally getting his international due with the English-language debut of Yesterday, deftly translated by Megan McDowell. Emar’s work offers unique and delirious pleasures, and will be an epiphany to anglophone readers.

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"Because something is happening, in the distance, approaching from above and below. Weird holes are appearing. I'm often drawn by a void. And that might be the reason I have started to speak." So says the "Scatterwind," the narrator in Robert Perišic's latest novel, A Cat at the Edge of the World . Defying the realms of time and space, the Scatterwind is a knowing presence throughout this story, which spans from the time of ancient Sparta to our contemporary era. Throughout the book, the Scatterwind is drawn to cats, as these animals living on the border of the wild and the domestic, seem to sense the presence that also straddles modes of existence. Perišic's work has long had an uncanny knack for dynamic, richly layered narratives. With A Cat at the Edge of the World, his unique sensitivity for dropping readers into the point of view of both bodiless spirits and animals, Perišic opens a new door into the historical perspective of how human culture developed over the course of thousands of years with this profound novel that will further solidify his reputation as one of the most exciting and important contemporary writers, not only in Croatia, but in all of Europe.

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"Beast enters incisively, like claws. It arrives with gleaming fur and stinking. It's a creature that spills its guts and impels the same from others-peoples, animals, limbs, foodstuffs, logical thinking, familial and sexual relations. In Irene Sola's scenes, there's nothing that isn't jammed together and insecure but what's constant is temperament. Beast comes swiftly, with a brazen laugh and cocked ears. Watch out when the lines pause for weird and possibly lethal detours. As Sola jolts, pulses and pushes off, she might leave the paths littered with bouquets or corpses." -Heather Phillipson "Sensuous, precise, and profoundly generous in their glimpses of strikingly private narratives, Sola's poems feel perfectly placed for the strange heat of our times..." -Ben Rivers "After drinking orange blossom water until she vomited everything that she had inside her, the writer and artist Leonora Carrington wrote that her stomach was `the mirror of the earth'. Sola's Beast has a duckling in the belly; the words it makes her sick up are evil, brittle, full of feeling. I'm excited to see this translation from the Catalan unleashed on UK poetry." -Sophie Collins

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Welcome to Rockhead Primary, a school so ordinary even the teachers think it's boring. But things start to change when a builder knocks down an internal wall and reveals something totally weird... It seems the school - and the world - is safe once more...or is it? Verna Lee and Jamie Ballard face their greatest challenge. How can they save their school from total destruction? Will they win an epic battle in the stars and save the Earth from an evil alien overlord? The answers to all these questions are inside this book. Open it...if you dare! Forbidden Classroom: Battle in the Stars is part of the Astro range from Rising Stars Reading Planet. Astro books are ideal for struggling and reluctant readers aged 7-11. Each book is dual-banded so that children can improve their fluency whilst enjoying exciting fiction and non-fiction relevant to their age. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and questions to support reading at home and develop comprehension skills. Interest age: 10-11 Reading age: 8 -9 years

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Welcome to Rockhead Primary, a school so ordinary even the teachers think it's boring. But things start to change when a builder knocks down an internal wall and reveals something totally weird... Powerful forces are now gathering inside the school, and Verna Lee and Jamie Ballard find themselves pushed aside. They soon realise things are not what they seem, and they take on the dark forces that threaten the human race. But who is a friend, and who is an enemy? The answers to all these questions are inside this book. Open it... if you dare! Forbidden Classroom: Friends and Enemies is part of the Astro range from Rising Stars Reading Planet. Astro books are ideal for struggling and reluctant readers aged 7-11. Each book is dual-banded so that children can improve their fluency whilst enjoying exciting fiction and non-fiction relevant to their age. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and questions to support reading at home and develop comprehension skills. Interest age: 10-11 Reading age: 7-8 years

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*A hilarious, dark adventure for kids and adults!*'A book aimed at kids that captures youthful humour perfectly. By which we mean it's energetic, weird, and delightfully disgusting - 10/10' Starbust Magazine'The bloodthirsty, heartfelt romp your brutal inner child craves' BlizzardComedyIn a town surrounded by deadly mist, and filled with oddities, two young siblings become orphans.And that's the best thing that's happened to them all day.Howard Howard was a Wrecker (a brute and bully by profession) who was brutal and bullish to his children - Aubrey and Aubrey's Sister. Howard Howard deserved to be turned into mince, and thanks to a mysterious duo called The Grinders, that's exactly what happened to Howard Howard. Hunted by the police and their father's gang of Wreckers, the siblings find some new friends to help keep them safe: a talented burglar named Charlie (who has no bones, but a great moustache) and a sword-wielding assassin named Calo (who has a sword, duh.) In a town already revelling in its own chaos and with new dangers around every corner, Aubrey's Sister and Aubrey stumble into a world of secrets, myths and monsters.

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Preorder now and receive the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION while supplies last-featuring gorgeous sprayed edges, as well as exclusive special design features. This breathtaking collectible is only available on a limited first print run, a must-have for any book lover while supplies last in the US and Canada only.She's about to have a serious temporal tantrum.In retrospect, I probably should have passed on the ceviche.It was already a weird Friday. My class is stuck on an eerily remote island for our senior trip, I'm pretty sure Mr. D (call me Max) is hiding something from us, my ex-best friend turned nemesis keeps stealing my candy, and tonight's plan for my boyfriend and me to finally lose our virginity to each other is going hellishly.I mean, ceviche is delicious, don't get me wrong. But a dish made from a supposedly immortal octopus should really come with a warning label.Caution: consuming a telepathic sea creatur

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Against the background of Montrose's campaign of 1644-5, this spirited novel centres on one of Scott's most memorable creations - Sir Dugald Dalgetty of Drumthwacket. This hard-headed Aberdonian contrasts tellingly with the weird and passionate Highland feud in which he becomes perilously entangled, as the narrative moves from Dalgetty's unflinching encounter with the Duke of Argyll, to his dramatic escape from Inveraray Castle, to the battle of Inverlochy. "The Edinburgh Edition respects Scott the artist by 'restoring' versions of the novels that are not quite what his first readers saw. Indeed, it returns to manuscripts that the printers never handled, as Scott's fiction before 1827 was transcribed before it reached the printshop. Each volume of the Edinburgh edition presents an uncluttered text of one work, followed by an Essay on the Text by the editor of the work, a list of the emendations that have been made to the first edition, explanatory notes and a glossary ! The editorial essays are histories of the respective texts. Some of them are almost 100 pages long; when they are put together they constitute a fascinating and lucid account of Scott's methods of compostion and his financial manoeuvres. This edition is for anyone who takes Scott seriously." Times Literary Supplement

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Introduction viiiPART ONE ECCENTRIC LONDONERSAND THEIR ODD PURSUITS 1Chapter 1 !e Eccentric Year 3Chapter 2 Eccentric Londoners 22Eccentric clubs and collectors 22, NorthLondoners: seriously weird and wired 24,Tales of the underground 27Chapter 3 Murderous and Battle"eld London 29Sites of the capital's most macabre killings 29,Ghastly crime and capital punishment 38,Welcome to Wormwood Scrubs 45Chapter 4 Career Eccentrics 49London's oddest and oldest jobs 49Chapter 5 Dead Eccentric London 56London, more dead than alive 56, Where tofind some dead great people 60, !e Londonresurrection men and grave crimes 71Chapter 6 Eccentric Pastimes 72London's oddest museums 72, !e London lidos:Art Deco oases? 82, !eatre: a better Mousetrap andother quirks 85Chapter 7 Eccentric Shopping 88!e shops that time forgot 88, A shock instore at Whiteley's 93Eccentric London ppi-368.indd 4 15/02/2012 13:09vPART TWO THE ECCENTRIC CITY 95Chapter 8 Immortalised London 96London addresses immortalised 96, Rhymeand

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Once in a generation a woman comes along who changes everything. Tina Fey is not that woman, but she met that woman once and acted weird around her. Before 30 Rock, Mean Girls and 'Sarah Palin', Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. She has seen both these dreams come true. At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon -- from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence. Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy.

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Once in a generation a woman comes along who changes everything. Tina Fey is not that woman, but she met that woman once and acted weird around her.Before 30 Rock, Mean Girls and 'Sarah Palin', Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. She has seen both these dreams come true.At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon - from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy.

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Scandal meets sizzle when a runaway bride’s quick getaway lands her in the arms of her almost-groom’s rival, but he has more than business on his mind when he makes her an offer she can’t refuse.Your wedding day is meant to be the happiest day of your life. Not the day you discover your groom is a cheating jerk.When I run, strong arms catch me. It’s just a shame they belong to my ex’s nemesis, Oliver Deubel. Rich and powerful, the man is sin in a suit. He’s also arrogant, demanding, and infuriatingly irresistible.When my wedding disaster goes viral and deportation hangs over my head, Oliver offers me a deal: help him ruin my ex in exchange for my visa. The fine print? Move in with him.I want to laugh in his face, until I discover how ruthless he is. So I decide to repay him by making his life a living hell, and he retaliates by…being nice to me. Which is where things become really weird as lines blur and pr

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A calculus nerd enlists her surly classmate's help to win back her ex-boyfriend, but when sparks start to fly, she realizes there's no algorithm for falling in love.Marlowe Meadows understands a lot of things. She understands that calculus isn't overwhelmingly beautiful to everyone, and that it typically kills the mood when you try to talk Python coding over beer pong. She understands that people were surprised when golden boy Josh asked her out and she went from weird, math-obsessed Marlowe to half of their school's couple goals. Unfortunately, Marlowe was the one surprised when Josh dumped her because he'd prefer a girlfriend who''s more romantic. One with emotional depth.But Marlowe has never failed anything in her life, and she isn't about to start now. When she's paired with Ashton Hayes for an English project, his black clothing and moody eyeliner cause a bit of a systems overload, and the dissonant sounds of his rock band make her brain itch. But when s

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Of all the weird characters Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond has met in Bath, this one is the most extreme: a twenty-first-century private eye called Johnny Getz, whose office is over Shear Amazing, a hairdressing salon. Johnny has been hired by Ruby Hubbard, whose father, an antiques shop owner, has gone missing, and Johnny insists on involving 'Pete' in his investigation.When Diamond, Johnny and Ruby enter the shop, they find a body and a murder investigation is launched. Diamond is forced to house his team in the dilapidated Corn Market building across the street. His problems grow when his boss appoints Lady Bede, from the Police Ethics Committee, as an observer. Worse still, Johnny conducts his own inquiry by latching onto Ruby's stylish friend, a journalist called Olympia.Shootings from a drive-by gunman at key players create mayhem and the pressure is really on. Can the team stop more killings in this normally peaceful city? What happened to Ruby's father? And will Johnny crack the case before Diamond does?

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'Disturbing, moving, and funny; these stories help amplify Williams's tragic vision, for like the plays, they underline his preoccupation and insight into the conflicts of the human heart'New York TimesAcclaimed as one of America's most successful playwrights, Tennessee Williams also published four volumes of short stories. In Collected Stories, these volumes are combined with a wealth of unpublished and uncollected work, ranging from his first his story published in `Weird Tales' when William was seventeen, to his later frank homosexual fantasies. Williams was famous for insisting he write every morning. Even during his darkest days, while mourning a lover, or abusing some substance - he would write. The Collected Stories are from every period of his life, and recreate the milieux Williams knew and chronicled so movingly - from his gypsy youth in St. Louis and New Orleans to his days of celebrity in Hollywood and New York.'The two ingredients of Williams's plays - great gab and steamy sex - are both here in the stories' Edmund White, Sunday Times

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'There is a theory that humans made lists before we invented writing. Adam Sharp's exquisitely arranged, addictively witty book of lists is the reasons why. He is the poet laureate of lists' John Mitchinson, Senior QI Elf'So much to disagree with in this book. And I mean that as a huge recommendation' Richard Osman'Very funny and highly addictive. Adam Sharp, you weird genius' Russell KaneA list of ways to start a conversation with a cat in different countries5. Pss-pss-pss (England)4. Kac-kac-kac (Lithuania)3. Pish-pish-pish (Iran)2. Ming-ming-ming (Philippines)1. Bellowing "What's new pussycat, whoa, oh whoa" (Wales)Are you feeling down in the dumps? Is the chaotic, disordered nature of modern existence freaking you out? Are you feeling...listless? Then this collection of fascinating, hilarious and brilliantly odd lists is the remedy you need. Packed full of incredible facts, from what people say instead of cheese when they're taking a photo in Bulgaria, to what a platypus is called in Mandarin, everything under the sun is here. In order.

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Former editor of the Cabot Cove Gazette, Evelyn Phillips is back in Cabot Cove. Evelyn tells Jessica and Seth that she got a couple of really weird notes from Bertha Mae Cormier so she''s come back to town to check on her old friend. She demands that Jessica come with her to see Bertha Mae, who is a bit dithery but no more so than Jessica remembers her being in recent years. Jessica does become somewhat concerned when Bertha Mae starts to talk about her new neighbor, Martin Terranova. He is quite charming and very health conscious and he teaches yoga and meditation in his pool house. Maureen Metzger says that she and Bertha Mae became friends in Terranova''s class and mentions how solicitous he is to his older clients. Jessica attends one of his classes and does notice that Terranova is flirtatious with several elderly clients, especially Bertha Mae. Evelyn is becoming convinced that Bertha Mae is being mesmerized by Terranova and that he is after Bertha Mae''s money. A short while lat

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On Friday, Gabriel Reece gets struck by lightning while riding his motorcycle.It’s not the worst thing that happens to him that week.Gabe walks away from a smoldering pile of metal without a scratch–or any clothes, which seem to have been vaporized. And that’s weird, but he’s more worried about the sudden disappearance of his brother, Colin, who ditched town the second Gabe accidentally outed himself as gay.Gabe tries to sift through fragmented memories of his crummy childhood for clues to his sudden invincibility, but he barely has time to think before people around town start turning up dead, and Colin is the cops’ number-one suspect. Gabe is sure Colin is innocent, but even he has to admit the evidence is compelling. Especially once the home he shares with Gabe burns to the ground. When Eli Samm, a mysterious and attractive stranger, shows up looking for Colin too, Gabe thinks he might finally have an ally. Except it turns out Eli thinks Colin is a supervillain, and his mission is to put him down….

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Explore the darker side of house plants with this accessible guide to choosing, growing, and caring for carnivorous and predatory plants like Venus flytraps, pitcher plants (in all of their wild and wacky varieties), sundews, and other spooky guys.Carnivorous plants are among the most fascinating botanical specimens in this world. They're weird, they're gorgeous, and they're the perfect addition to your urban jungle of pothos, snake plants, and succulents. However, they can also be intimidating to grow and care for. Let Killer Plants -- with its light approach and adorable two-color illustrations -- be your guide as it walks you through the different types of carnivorous plants and how to keep each variety alive and well.The book answers the many questions you may have surrounding these freaks of nature, such as:* Where the heck do I buy a pitcher plant? Can I grow it from a seed?* Do I need to feed my carnivorous plant flies, or can it survive on water and light alone?* Will a Venus flytrap eat my gerbil?* I have a gnat problem -- what predatory plant can help?

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How well do you know your words?; Buxom used to mean obedient; A cloud was a rock; Raunchy originally meant dirty; Brimming with hidden histories and tantalising twists, The Accidental Dictionary tells the extraordinary stories behind ordinary words.; Our everyday language is full of surprises; its origins are stranger than you might think. Any word might be knocked and buffeted, subjected to twists and turns, expansions and contractions, happy and unhappy accidents. There are intriguing tales behind even the most familiar terms, and they can say as much about the present as they do the past.; Busking, for instance, originally meant piracy. Grin meant to snarl. A bimbo was a man, nice meant ignorant, glamour was magic and a cupboard was a table...; Focusing on 100 surprising threads in the evolution of English, The Accidental Dictionary reveals the etymological origins and quirky developments that have led to the meanings we take for granted today. It is a weird and wonderful journey into words.; So, let's revel in its randomness and delight in its diversity - our dictionary is indeed accidental.

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History, magic, and adventure collide in this riveting middle-grade fantasy novel about an unusual boy who unlocks an ancient relic—and, with it, a forgotten world. Befriended by a band of young witches, Archibald Finch must quickly adapt to survive in Lemurea, where a battle born in the Middle Ages is still unfolding . . . Archibald is a risk-averse boy with quirks that earn him plenty of eye-rolls, especially from his older sister, Hailee. Things get worse when his parents move the family from London to his grandmother’s creepy manor in the English countryside. Now he has to deal with hairless dolls in the library, weird stone creatures on the roof, and a spooky forest at the edge of the backyard. But these turn out to be the least of Archibald's problems . . . One day, as he's exploring the cavernous house, he finds a curious globe that whisks him away to a secret world, hidden for 500 years. Archibald finds himself on a thrilling adventure full of medieval magic, mysterious symbols, and the strangest beasts, while Hailee—who witnessed her brother’s disappearance—embarks on a daring quest to find him.

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For fans of The Witch Boy and Squished, Lunar Boy is a must-have heartwarming coming-of-age graphic novel about a young boy from the moon who discovers a home in the most unlikely places, from debut twin creators Jes and Cin Wibowo. Indu, a boy from the moon, feels like he doesn’t belong. He hasn’t since he and his adoptive mom disembarked from their spaceship—their home—to live on Earth with their new blended family. The kids at school think he’s weird, he has a crush on his pen pal who might not like him back, and his stepfamily doesn’t seem to know what to do with him. Worst of all, Indu can’t even talk to his mom about how he’s feeling because she’s so busy.In a moment of loneliness, Indu calls out to the moon, begging them to take him back. And against all odds, the moon hears him and agrees to bring him home on the first day of the New Year. But as the promised day d

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No matter how much we celebrate individualism and praise the unique, we are, at heart, deeply collective creatures committed to the idea of ‘being normal’. And yet almost all of us feel, in private, that we’re really quite odd, by which we mean : not like anyone else we know. But our picture of what is normal is in fact - very often - way out of line with what is actually true and widespread. Many thoughts, fears and desires that we might assume to be uniquely and disconcertingly strange - and that make us feel painfully ashamed - are in fact completely average. These cards are a tool of self-assessment and reassurance. They ask us to compare ourselves with a range of statements, many of them dark, in order to find out just how weird (or not) we and our loved ones really are. They encourage us not to be ashamed of our uncomfortable thoughts and recognise the sheer normality of our madness, waywardness and alarm. Emergencies Include: ‘I can’t sleep’ ‘I’m in the wrong job’ ‘I might be turning into an addict’ ‘I’m so envious’

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What's up with Cali? Why does she keep changing her gamer tag?It's summertime, and even though his good friend Cali moved to another city, Jaden can connect with her online almost every day to play their favorite game, Cross Ups. His mom has loosened her rules on how often he can play, and he has an amazing new controller that will make him even better at tournaments. But then he gets roped into a dorky summer camp with his buddy Hugh, and Cali starts acting really weird . . . So when a last-minute tournament spot opens up in Cali's city, Jaden jumps at the chance to go.But things go badly from the start. Jaden loses his controller on the train, and his reunion with Cali is awkward. She's unhappy, and Jaden can't figure out why, especially when she's getting better and better at Cross Upsand may even win the tournament. With its sharp dialogue and relatable characters, Anyone's Game, the second book in the Cross Ups series, chronicles the ups and downs of middle

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