Search results for ""Author Weird"

Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2016Observer Best Fiction of 2016Den of Geek Top Books of 2016Timothy Buchannan buys an abandoned house on the edge of an isolated village on the coast, sight unseen. When he sees the state of it he questions the wisdom of his move, but starts to renovate the house for his wife, Lauren to join him there.When the villagers see smoke rising from the chimney of the neglected house they are disturbed and intrigued by the presence of the incomer, intrigue that begins to verge on obsession. And the longer Timothy stays, the more deeply he becomes entangled in the unsettling experience of life in the small village. Ethan, a fisherman, is particularly perturbed by Timothy’s arrival, but accedes to Timothy’s request to take him out to sea. They set out along the polluted coastline, hauling in weird fish from the contaminated sea, catches that are bought in whole and removed from the village. Timothy starts to ask questions about the previous resident of his house, Perran, questions to which he receives only oblique answers and increasing hostility. As Timothy forges on despite the villagers’ animosity and the code of silence around Perran, he starts to question what has brought him to this place and is forced to confront a painful truth. The Many is an unsettling tale that explores the impact of loss and the devastation that hits when the foundations on which we rely are swept away.

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Watch out, Flash...this time, the trick's on you! No one can pull a trick like James Jesse, the original Trickster. As a member of Flash's Rogues Gallery, Jesse was disrespectful, disregarded, adn finally supplanted by a new, flashier Trickster. But you cna't beat the original...and for his next trick, Jesse is going to change Flash's world forever! Barry Allen's life has already been turned upside down by the death of a beloved speedster and the demise of his relationship with Iris West. Now he returns to Central City to find something he's never seen before: everyone's happy. Unsettingly happy. Unnaturally happy. But Flash can't get in on the good vibes when there's a mystery to solve. On top of all the other weirdness, Flash's ally form the future, Commander Cold, has disappeared. All the clues point to something going on at Iron Heights Prison, so that's where Barry starts his investigation. But you know what they say: the most important part of any trick is misdirection. And while Flash thinks he's solving one mystery, the Trickster is about to pull off his greatest trick right under Barry's nose...and make himself a leegend among all Rogues! Fan-favorite creators Joshua Williamson (Batman/The Flash: The Button) and Scott Kolins (Blue Beetle) continue their epic run with the Fastest Man Alive! Collects The Flash #66-69 and Annual #2.

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The Australian novelist and playwright Helen de Guerry Simpson (1897-1940) published many supernatural short stories. This new edition selects the best of her unsettling writing, adding some little-known stories to her 1925 collection The Baseless Fabric. Featured stories include: 'An Experiment of the Dead', in which a visitor comes to visit a woman in the condemned cell. 'Good Company', in which a traveller in Italy becomes temporarily possessed of a hitchhiker in her mind. 'Grey Sand and White Sand' is the horrifying story of a landscape artist who sees and paints a different view. 'The Outcast', in which a soldier left for dead in the War takes his revenge on his village. 'The Rite', in which a discontented woman enters a wood, and emerges transformed. Helen de Guerry Simpson was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and studied at Oxford. Her novel Boomerang won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for 1932. She died from cancer in 1940. Her close friend, the novelist Margaret Kennedy, took charge of Simpson's daughter Clemence during the war while Simpson was in her last illness. Clemence and Simpson both feature in Kennedy's wartime memoir, Where Stands A Winged Sentry, also published by Handheld Press. The Introduction is by Melissa Edmundson, the leading scholar of women's Weird fiction and supernatural writing from the early 20th century.

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Unlock your ability to unfluster your parenting by identifying your anxiety style so you can turn frustration to flourishing Many moms live under the weight of seemingly constant fear. Moms worry about everything from their kids’ safety and emotional health to that weird little rash on their ankle. They are the referees, social planners, medics, financial consultants, cooks, travel agents, educational specialists, family therapists, and housekeepers. It’s utterly exhausting. Unfortunately, it’s not just exhausting, it leaves them flustered. Most of us don’t have access to the support or resources we need to manage being flustered in a healthier way. Women end up with symptoms ranging from “mom guilt” and “mommy brain” to depression, anxiety, panic attacks, substance abuse, and eating disorders. Moms are more flustered now than ever before. Even women who have no previous experience with anxiety or depression find themselves changed as a result of the physiological shifts, emotional isolation, hormonal imbalances, and unrealistic expectations that accompany motherhood.The Unflustered Mom offers a healthy alternative for dealing with mom-fears. Moms can identify their anxiety, better understand their triggers, their clues, their contributing factors, and their false beliefs. Then, they’ll learn practical tools that can help to dismantle the fears no longer serving them—turn their fluster into flourish.

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A School Library Journal Best Graphic Novel of 2019 A YALSA 2020 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers A YALSA 2020 Great Graphic Novel for Teens Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Roller Girl in this hilarious, one-of-a-kind graphic novel about a half-witch who has just discovered the truth about herself, her family, and her town and is doing her best to survive middle school now that she knows everything!Magic is harder than it looks. Thirteen-year-old Moth Hush loves all things witchy. But she’s about to discover that witches aren’t just the stuff of movies, books, and spooky stories. When some eighth-grade bullies try to ruin her Halloween, something really strange happens. It turns out that Founder’s Bluff, Massachusetts, has a centuries-old history of witch drama. And, surprise: Moth’s family is at the center of it all! When Moth’s new powers show up, things get totally out-of-control. She meets a talking cat, falls into an enchanted diary, and unlocks a hidden witch world. Secrets surface from generations past as Moth unravels the complicated legacy at the heart of her town, her family, and herself. In this spellbinding graphic novel debut, Emma Steinkellner spins a story packed with humor and heart about the weird and wonderful adventures of a witch-in-progress.

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'Electric Wizard is heavy, man - we don't sing about love and flowers.' Jus ObornIn 1993, in the market town of Wimborne Minster in Dorset, England, the heaviest band in the world was born. Led by guitarist and singer Jus Oborn, Electric Wizard began as an untameable power trio. They inhaled the iniquity of their lives and vomited it out in colossal waves of doom metal, synthesising the forbidding local landscape, biker culture, video-nasties, black magic rituals and titanic doses of psychedelics. In 1997 they released their revolutionary second album, Come My Fanatics... Then, after triumphant and calamitous tours of the USA and following the release of arguably the heaviest rock album ever recorded, 2000's Dopethrone, Electric Wizard all but imploded, destroyed by the very reality they were fighting against. However, when guitarist Liz Buckingham joined Oborn on guitar for We Live, they drew a magic circle around themselves in a new line-up that went on to explore deeper occult horrors on modern doom classic Witchcult Today onwards. Come My Fanatics is a kaleidoscopic exploration of the subculture the band has absorbed and, in turn, created. From seventies exploitation cinema, through the writers of Weird Tales magazine and a panoply of the marginal and downright sinister, to the band's own live ceremonial happenings - this is Electric Wizard's world. We're just dying in it.

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The story of video games is often told as the successive rise of computers and consoles from famous names like Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, Sega, Sony and Microsoft. But beyond this familiar tale, there’s a whole world of weird and wonderful gaming machines that seldom get talked about. Curious Video Game Machines reveals the fascinating stories behind a bevy of rare and unusual consoles, computers and coin-ops – like Kimtanktics, a 1970s wargame computer made out of calculator parts, or the suite of Korea-exclusive consoles made by car manufacturer Daewoo. Then there’s the Casio Loopy, a 1990s console that doubled up as a sticker printer, the RDI Halcyon, a 1985 LaserDisc-based machine that could recognise your voice, and the Interton VC 4000, a German console made by a hearing-aid company, as well as a range of bizarre arcade machines, from early attempts at virtual reality to pedal-powered flying contraptions. There are tales of missed opportunities, like the astonishingly powerful Enterprise 64 computer, which got caught in development hell and arrived too late to make an impact on the British microcomputer market. And there are tales of little-known triumphs, like the Galaksija DIY computer kit that introduced a whole generation of Yugoslavians to computing before the country became engulfed by war. Featuring exclusive interviews with creators, developers and collectors, Curious Video Game Machines finally shines a light on the forgotten corners of video-game history.

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Enter the world of robots with this fast-fact-packed exploration of all things robot-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.Robots explores the most incredible, weird and awe-inspiring facts about all kinds of robot 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.Robots takes a look at all sorts of robot: some work in space, some work for the military and some may even work inside the human body! The book covers all kinds of robot essentials, such as inputs and outputs and how robots 'think' and 'learn'. There is also a fun activity to build a bug bot for budding STEMsters to try out!The Stupendous and Tremendous Technology 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 how things work. It covers all the core topics in a fun and accessible way.Title in the series:Clever and Crafty ComputersMega and Mighty MachinesRemarkable and Roving RobotsTerrific and Trailblazing TransportAlso available is Stupendous and Tremendous Science:Ecstatic and Excellent EnergyHappy and Healthy Human BodyPowerful and Pongy PlantsSoaring and Spectacular Space

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Shortlisted, Alistair MacLeod Award for Short Fiction, New Brunswick Book Award for Fiction, and Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction AwardOne of Canada's literary treasures, Mark Anthony Jarman returns with a book of moving and often funny tales of a man's quest for himself. A.S. Byatt says that his writing is "extraordinary, his stories gripping," and in this gorgeous new collection, Jarman delivers something new once again. In Knife Party at the Hotel Europa, Jarman writes about losing and finding love, marriage and melancholy, the dislocation and redemptive power of travel in Italy's sensual summer. A man travels to Italy to escape the memory of love lost, and a marriage ended. He passes through sun-drenched landscapes of cliffs and seaside paradises, while the corpses of refugees wash up on the beach; he parties with the young and beautiful Italians he meets on the train while a man bleeds to death in the hallway. A teenage thief prowls the roof of the tourist hotel at night; an embassy is bombed; holy statues come alive to roam in a gang stealing used restaurant grease. He suffers the acute loneliness of one who has abandoned and been abandoned, and in this exquisite suffering, he finds how beautiful this life can be. In vivid, sensuous prose, Jarman's stories circle and overlap in surprising, weird, and wonderful ways. Tangents turn out to be crucial, allusions are powerful.

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Shortlisted, Alistair MacLeod Award for Short Fiction, New Brunswick Book Award for Fiction, and Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction AwardOne of Canada's literary treasures, Mark Anthony Jarman returns with a book of moving and often funny tales of a man's quest for himself. A.S. Byatt says that his writing is "extraordinary, his stories gripping," and in this gorgeous new collection, Jarman delivers something new once again. In Knife Party at the Hotel Europa, Jarman writes about losing and finding love, marriage and melancholy, the dislocation and redemptive power of travel in Italy's sensual summer. A man travels to Italy to escape the memory of love lost, and a marriage ended. He passes through sun-drenched landscapes of cliffs and seaside paradises, while the corpses of refugees wash up on the beach; he parties with the young and beautiful Italians he meets on the train while a man bleeds to death in the hallway. A teenage thief prowls the roof of the tourist hotel at night; an embassy is bombed; holy statues come alive to roam in a gang stealing used restaurant grease. He suffers the acute loneliness of one who has abandoned and been abandoned, and in this exquisite suffering, he finds how beautiful this life can be. In vivid, sensuous prose, Jarman's stories circle and overlap in surprising, weird, and wonderful ways. Tangents turn out to be crucial, allusions are powerful.

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The first fantasy-writing textbook to combine a historical genre overview with an anthology and comprehensive craft guide, this book explores the blue prints of one of the most popular forms of genre fiction. The first section will acquaint readers with the vast canon of existing fantasy fiction and outline the many sub-genres encompassed within it before examining the important relationship between fantasy and creative writing, the academy and publishing. A craft guide follows which equips students with the key concepts of storytelling as they are impacted by writing through a fantastical lens. These include: - Character and dialogue - Point of view - Plot and structure - Worldbuilding settings, ideologies and cultures - Style and revision The third section guides students through the spectrum of styles as they are classified in fantasy fiction from Epic and high fantasy, through Lovecraftian and Weird fiction, to magical realism and hybrid fantasy. An accompanying anthology will provide students with a greater awareness of the range of possibilities open to them as fantasy writers and will feature such writers as Ursula Le Guin, China Miéville, Theodora Goss, Emrys Donaldson, Ken Liu, C.S.E. Cooney, Vandana Singh, Sofia Samatar, Rebecca Roanhorse, Jessie Ulmer, Yxta Maya Murray, and Rachael K. Jones. With writing exercises, prompts, additional online resources and cues for further reading throughout, this is an essential resource for anyone wanting to write fantastical fiction.

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What is quantum mechanics? Learn from the experts in the ALL-NEW LADYBIRD EXPERT SERIESA clear, simple and entertaining introduction to the weird, mind-bending world of the very, very small.Written by physicist and broadcaster Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Quantum Mechanics explores all the key players, breakthroughs, controversies and unanswered questions of the quantum world.You'll discover:- How the sun shines- Why light is both a wave and a particle- The certainty of the Uncertainty Principle- Schrodinger's Cat- Einstein's spooky action- How to build a quantum computer- Why quantum mechanics drives even its experts completely crazy'Jim Al-Khalili has done an admirable job of condensing the ideas of quantum physics from Max Planck to the possibilities of quantum computers into brisk, straightforward English' THE TIMESLearn about other topics in the Ladybird Experts series including The Big Bang, Gravity, Climate Change and Evolution.Written by the leading lights and most outstanding communicators in their fields, the Ladybird Expert books provide clear, accessible and authoritative introductions to subjects drawn from science, history and culture. For an adult readership, the Ladybird Expert series is produced in the same iconic small format pioneered by the original Ladybirds. Each beautifully illustrated book features the first new illustrations produced in the original Ladybird style for nearly forty years.

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For a zitty face. Take urine eight days old and heat it over the fire; wash your face with it morning and night. In late medieval England, ordinary people, apothecaries and physicians gathered up practical medical tips for everyday use. While some were sensible herbal cures, many were weird and wonderful. This book selects some of the most revolting or remarkable remedies from medieval manuscripts in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. There are embarrassing ailments and painful procedures, icky ingredients and bizarre beliefs. The would-be doctors seem oblivious to pain, and any animal, vegetable or mineral, let alone bodily fluid, can be ground up, smeared on or inserted for medical benefit. Similar ingredients are used in ‘recipes’ for how to make yourself invisible, how to make a woman love you, how to stop dogs from barking at you and how to make freckles disappear. Written in the down-to-earth speech of the time, these remedies often blur the distinction between medicine and magic. They also give a humorous insight into the strange ideas, ingenuity and bravery of men and women in the Middle Ages, and a glimpse of the often gruesome history of medicine through time. The remedies have been collected and transcribed from fifteenth-century manuscripts by students at the University of Oxford. Modern English translations, for easier reading, are given alongside the original Middle English.

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Discover the weird and wacky history of the Romans!Who was the maddest Roman emperor? Why didn't the Romans use toilet paper? And just how dangerous was a Roman tortoise? A Question of History: Ancient Rome answers all these questions and much more.With an engaging question and answer format, this series draws young readers into the fascinating, sometimes gruesome, world of famous peoples and civilisations through history. Each spread opens with a simple question, opening up an exploration of an aspect of the life of a people or civilisation and busting some popular myths along the way!The lively design is supported by annotated photos and cartoons, making history fun and accessible for readers aged 8+.Titles in the series: What happened the pharaoh's brain? And other questions about the Ancient EgyptiansDid the kings of Benin really keep pet leopards? And other questions about the kingdom of BeninDid the Celts really use hair gel? And other questions about the Stone Age, Iron Age and Bronze AgeWhy did the ancient Greeks use elephants in battle? And other questions about the ancient GreeksWhy did the Maya stick needles in their tongues? And other questions about the MayaDid the Romans really eat flamingos? And other questions about the RomansWhy did the Shang write on turtles? And other questions about the Shang Dynasty Did the Vikings really wear horns on their helmets? And other questions about the Vikings

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This book is about having ideas and-a much longer haul-making them work. David Jones, best known for his Daedalus column, tells many stories about creators and their creations, including his own fantastical-seeming contributions to mainstream science-such as unrideable bicycles and chemical gardens in space. His theory of creativity endows each of us with a Random-Ideas Generator, a Censor, and an Observer-Reasoner. Jones applies the theory to a wide range of weird scientific experiments that he has conducted for serious scientific papers, for challenging printed expositions, and for presentations to a TV audience. He even suggests new ones, not yet tried! Creativity is as essential to science as curiosity, physical intuition, and shrewd deduction from well-planned experiments. But, says Jones, ingenuity is very uncertain-even for the greatest inventors, about 80 percent of ideas fail. Jokiness can help, and so can lots of random data. Jones has copious clever advice that will help you have that madly brilliant private thought in the first place-and will encourage you to take it further. Neither dense nor demanding, The Aha! Moment is engrossing, edifying, and scientifically serious; yet it is lightly written, has many jokes, and asks lots of silly questions. As Jones shows, it can often pay to take an absurd idea seriously.

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Marijuana is the everyman drug. Teenagers surreptitiously toke on it, politicians refuse to inhale it, even your mum and dad have had a go. Marijuana is a mellow, let's put on a Barry Manilow CD, open a bottle of vino, and order a pizza drug. It's the easy drug. The no howling at the moon drug. No shooting up and losing your job.The Marijuana Chronicles presents 17 tales of the weird, wonderful and just plain stoned from some of the coolest most chilled out writers around. From drug busts to recipes, this is the stoner's definitive literary bible. Featuring brand-new stories by Joyce Carol Oates, Lee Child, Linda Yablonsky, Jonathan Santlofer, Thad Ziolkowski, Raymond Mungo, Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, Edward M. Gómez, Philip Spitzer, Dean Haspiel, Maggie Estep, Amanda Stern, Bob Holman, Rachel Shteir, Abraham Rodriguez, Jan Heller Levi, and Josh Gilbert. On the heels of The Speed Chronicles (Sherman Alexie, William T. Vollmann, Megan Abbott, James Franco, Beth Lisick, Tao Lin, etc.), The Cocaine Chronicles (Lee Child, Laura Lippman, etc.), and the The Heroin Chronicles (Eric Bogosian, Jerry Stahl, Lydia Lunch, etc.), comes The Marijuana Chronicles. Joyce Carol Oates, Lee Child, Linda Yablonsky, and other take short fiction to a higher level (though they don't inhale).

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The manga series that inspired the card game that swept the globe! 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! In the ruins of Kul Elna, the village wherein the Millennium Items were made, Bakura prepares to complete a ritual that will unleash Necrophades…in the modern world! But if Yu-Gi-Oh changes the past, will the present change too, or is something stranger than time travel at work? * Triple the duels are rolled into this 3-in-1 edition of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series—undivided and in its entirety for the first time! * Releases 4 times a year for 13 volumes. Series ends at volume 13. * Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game is the number one trading card game in the world. * The franchise is a $2 billion industry, with a top-rated TV show, trading cards, action figures, video games, and magazines. * Over 7.2 million Yu-Gi Oh! video games sold through in the US to date.* Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium Duels is available on XBox and Playstation. * Single volumes 1–38 have sold through over 880,000 copies (Bookscan, 2/17).

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We re living in a gig economy. But would you respond to an online ad seeking someone to search for escaped ants? Or take an offer for a free tattoo by someone who needs the practice? How about a mattress for sale tainted by geriatric love or a workout plan that involves throwing Virginia hams? And if you hit reply, and the poster is sketchy about the details or offers to pay you with a gift card for clams, how long would you keep the conversation going? When NYC copywriter Kelly Mahon started posting weird, fake gig ads as a creative outlet, she found that there was someone interested in every bizarre offer she came up with. And the subsequent awkward email threads were equally hilarious and bizarre. Race Me In A Lobster Suit collects Mahon s funniest fabrications, plus the hysterical email conversations that followed as she ratcheted up the crazy. While some respondants become suspicious, others seem willing to play along with the joke. And don t worry, everyone involved agreed to share their emails in the book, so there are no hard feelings. In a world where it seems like everyone s suspicious of everyone else, it s nice to know that there are still people who will at least consider helping a stranger reenact a recurring spider nightmare, or explain the principles of pig Latin to a baffled mother of three.

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The one where I become a mother...Charlotte Crosby is a woman of many talents - reality TV star, Celebrity Big Brother winner, businesswoman extraordinaire, Mastermind contestant - and now a mam!In the six years since her last memoir, the number 1 Sunday Times bestseller Brand New Me, Charlotte has been extremely busy. Leaving the bad boys of her past behind (what WAS she thinking?!), she has travelled the world, started a new family business, met the love of her life, dealt with cancer close to home, suffered the loss of her beloved Nana Jean, and had Alba, her perfect bundle of joy. Here, in Me, Myself and Mini Me, Charlotte talks us through the rollercoaster of these last few jam-packed years and opens up about the realities of pregnancy and parenthood. From dry vaginas and pre-natal depression, to 4am feeds and poo-namis, with her trademark warmth and humour Charlotte perfectly captures the weirdness and wonder of new motherhood.Packed full of heartfelt poems, flashbacks to hysterical life plans from years gone by, touching letters to her younger self, and lessons she has learnt along the way, Charlotte invites you to join her for the latest chapter of life in Crosby Manor.

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A School Library Journal Best Graphic Novel of 2019 A YALSA 2020 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers A YALSA 2020 Great Graphic Novel for Teens Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Roller Girl in this hilarious, one-of-a-kind graphic novel about a half-witch who has just discovered the truth about herself, her family, and her town and is doing her best to survive middle school now that she knows everything!Magic is harder than it looks. Thirteen-year-old Moth Hush loves all things witchy. But she’s about to discover that witches aren’t just the stuff of movies, books, and spooky stories. When some eighth-grade bullies try to ruin her Halloween, something really strange happens. It turns out that Founder’s Bluff, Massachusetts, has a centuries-old history of witch drama. And, surprise: Moth’s family is at the center of it all! When Moth’s new powers show up, things get totally out-of-control. She meets a talking cat, falls into an enchanted diary, and unlocks a hidden witch world. Secrets surface from generations past as Moth unravels the complicated legacy at the heart of her town, her family, and herself. In this spellbinding graphic novel debut, Emma Steinkellner spins a story packed with humor and heart about the weird and wonderful adventures of a witch-in-progress.

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'Very funny, moving and heartwarming' BOB MORTIMER'A bollockbuster!' ADAM BUXTONIf we are cowardly, we are told to grow someIf we're brave, we're said to have huge onesIf it's cold, they are liable to fall off - even if you're a brass monkeyIf we're in trouble, someone will threaten to break themIf we have to work hard, we might very well bust themIf we're in somebody's thrall, then they've got us by themAbout fifteen years ago, Richard Herring first took part in a campaign to encourage men to have a little (non-sexual) feel of their balls every now and again. But it was embarrassing and weird, and if there was something wrong, he didn't want to know about it.Anyway, that kind of stuff only happens to other people, doesn't it?At the start of 2021 Richard Herring was diagnosed with testicular cancer. For a man whose output includes a stand-up tour titled Talking Cock and who regularly interrogates our attitudes towards masculinity, it was a diagnosis that came with additional layers of complexity.Telling Rich's personal story alongside an exploration of what defines masculinity and 'maleness' in society, Can I Have My Ball Back? is not your typical cancer memoir. Whether they're nuts, bollocks, gonads or family jewels; from the phrase 'grow some balls' to infamous WWII songs about Hitler; Rich unpicks the tangle of emotions around his own testing times.

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Discover the weird and wacky history of the ancient Britons!Did the ancient Britons invent lego? Did aliens really land at Stonehenge? And just how did a plant help the Celts win battles?With an engaging question and answer format, this series draws young readers into the fascinating, sometimes gruesome, world of famous peoples and civilisations through history. Each spread opens with a simple question, opening up an exploration of an aspect of the life of a people or civilisation and busting some popular myths along the way!.The lively lay-out is supported by annotated photos and cartoons, making history fun and accessible for every young reader.Titles in the series: What happened to mummies' brains? And other questions about the Ancient EgyptiansDid the kings of Benin really keep pet leopards? And other questions about the kingdom of BeninDid the Celts really use hair gel? And other questions about the Stone Age, Iron Age and Bronze AgeWhy did the ancient Greeks use elephants in battle? And other questions about the ancient GreeksWhy did the Maya stick needles in their tongues? And other questions about the MayaDid the Romans really eat flamingos? And other questions about the RomansWhy did the Shang write on turtles? And other questions about the Shang Dynasty Did the Vikings really wear horns on their helmets? And other questions about the Vikings

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Discover the weird and wacky world of the ancient Greeks!Why did Minoans have strong ankles? How did an owl inspire a city? And why on Earth did the ancient Greeks exercise NAKED?With an engaging question and answer format, this series draws young readers into the fascinating, sometimes gruesome, world of famous peoples and civilisations through history. Each spread opens with a simple question, opening up an exploration of an aspect of the life of a people or civilisation and busting some popular myths along the way!.The lively lay-out is supported by annotated photos and cartoons, making history fun and accessible for every young reader.Titles in the series: What happened to mummies' brains? And other questions about the Ancient EgyptiansDid the kings of Benin really keep pet leopards? And other questions about the kingdom of BeninDid the Celts really use hair gel? And other questions about the Stone Age, Iron Age and Bronze AgeWhy did the ancient Greeks use elephants in battle? And other questions about the ancient GreeksWhy did the Maya stick needles in their tongues? And other questions about the MayaDid the Romans really eat flamingos? And other questions about the RomansWhy did the Shang write on turtles? And other questions about the Shang Dynasty Did the Vikings really wear horns on their helmets? And other questions about the Vikings

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'Like Sir David Attenborough, he has the rare ability to be an excellent communicator and has written an engaging book sprinkled with mind-blowing facts about the deep oceans' - Daily Express'A new informed perspective on the wide, watery world we inhabit' - Coast magazine 'Book of the month''The gripping story of how ocean science has advanced in recent years is captivatingly told by Jon Copley in this introduction to the deep ocean' - China Dialogue'Deftly conjures the wonders of a bathynaut's world' - NatureIt is often said that we know more about space than we do our own oceans, but is that really the case? Or do we in fact know a great deal more about the oceans than many people realise.The wellbeing of our oceans and the life contained within and around them has never been more important. But to truly understand the vital role they play, we need to first understand how the oceans work, how we explore them and learn about the mysteries they hold, and what our effect is on them.Between these pages is everything you need to know about our oceans, explained in 25 questions. Combining untold history of ocean exploration and personal account of what it's like to be a 'bathynaut' diving in a mini-submarine, Ask an Ocean Explorer brings to light weird and wonderful deep-sea creatures and how the oceans and their future is connected to our everyday lives.

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Chaim Caan was just out for a night of fun, blowing off some steam the way a young man will. After the better part of a year spent in COVID lockdowns, he was ready to let his hair down at a night club. But the young woman he encountered that night left him with something to remember her by: she turned Chaim into a vampire. Soon, Chaim finds himself thrust into a weird underground world of mysticism and enchantment as he navigates life as the newly undead, trying to reconcile his beliefs as an Orthodox Jew with the new reality that has been thrust upon him. He is forced to deal with a lot of change: to his body, to his mind, to his perceptions, to his relationships, and even to his world. He finds himself in parts of the world he had never dreamed of being in, and he finds himself doing things that he had never envisioned being a part of his life. And if he can come to terms with these changes, this mild-mannered young man might just find himself a hero. About 1636: The Devil's Opera, by Eric Flint and David Carrico: “Another engaging alternate history from a master of the genre.”—Booklist “. . . an old-style police-procedural mystery, set in 17th century Germany. . . . the threads . . . spin together . . . to weave an addictively entertaining story. . . . a strong addition to a fun series.”—The Galveston County Daily News

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It is a fact universally acknowledged that the British are obsessed with the weather. This is not surprising as no country in the world has such unpredictable weather, with such power to rule people's lives. THE WRONG KIND OF SNOW is the complete daily companion to this national phenomenon. From the Spanish Armada to the invention of the windscreen wiper, each of the 365 entries beautifully illustrates a day in the weird and wonderful history of the British and their weather. 31 January: The Big Freeze of 1963 brings the FA Cup competition to a halt: every football pitch in Britain is frozen: the third round takes 66 days to complete: the Pools Panel is formed as a result. 9 February: British Rail blames the 'Wrong Kind of Snow'. It was a journalist's phrase, but on this day in 1991 it stuck to the beleagured BR like flesh to ice. 15 July: The exceptionally hot and steamy summer of 1858 caused the Great Stink of London, resulting in the building of London's sewage system, still in use today. On the same day in 1930, rainfall in Yorkshire was so heavy that the Whitby lifeboat makes a rescue two miles inland.10 September: A violent storm rather than British sea power defeats the Spanish Armada in 1588. Had the weather held and the fleet reached home, it would have been hailed as a Spanish triumph. Four centuries later, bad light and rain stop play at the Oval . . . And much much more.

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Take on the role of a shape-shifting MEGAHERO in this fully interactive, wacky, choose-your-own-destiny adventure story.You and your mega-computer sidekick, PAL, must save the world from Dinah Shaw - a brilliant scientist who has decided she'd rather be baddie 'DINASAW'. The evil genius has started building deadly robot dinosaurs - can you possibly morph into the right shapes to take down a TERRORSAUR?? Written by the award-winning duo Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore (AKA the 2STEVES) and illustrated by the hilarious Pipi Sposito. Reading age from 7 to 9 years old. Interest range from 7 to 12 years old - suitable for reluctant readers and less confident older readers. Printed using a font approved by the British Dyslexia Association on off-white paper.Read and laugh along with the whole series!October 2020I HERO: MegaHero: Sushi Man - 9781445169477I HERO: MegaHero: Professor Weird - 9781445170039November 2020I HERO: MegaHero: DinaSaw - 9781445170084I HERO: MegaHero: Miss Take - 9781445170091December 2020I HERO: MegaHero: MegaBite - 9781445170121I HERO: MegaHero: Queen of Hearts - 9781445170152

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Venue Stories is an anthology of creative non-fiction that remembers, celebrates and reinvigorates our complex and plural relationship with small and independent music spaces. Written by musicians, promoters, fans and academics who have a shared passion for small music venues and musical cultures in all their splendid variety, this anthology features memoir, essays, life writing, historiography and autoethnography. Each chapter is united by a focus on the personal, the sensory and half-remembered. These are stories that cross disciplinary lines and blur distinctions between creativity, reportage and critical analysis. Venue Stories pays a visit to the toilet venues, back rooms and ad-hoc club nights that make up so much of our musical landscape. It spends time in small and local venues and asks what they mean in personal and cultural terms. Writers visit celebrated spots, long forgotten spaces and emergent venues. Whatever the lineage, they are independent, original and wonderfully weird. The stories are memories of seismic gigs and life-altering raves. They are mosaic remembrances and recollections; funny, heart-breaking, rage induced and sometimes a combination of all of these things. This is a collection of stories by and for fans, band members, merch sellers, pint pullers, journalists with a freebie, roadies with a backache and sound techs with an earache.

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Some people think that museums are boring places full of glass cases, dust and stuff no one cares about: wrong! In a hidden headquarters below the exhibits there's a gang ready to handle dangerous, spooky or just plain weird problems: the Museum Mystery Squad.Techie-genius Nabster, mile-a-minute Kennedy and sharp-eyed Laurie (along with Colin the hamster!) tackle the surprising conundrums happening at the museum. From pre-historic creatures that move and secret Egyptian codes to missing treasure and strange messages from the past, there's no brain-twisting, totally improbable puzzle the Squad can't solve.--------------The discovery of new Viking treasure brings the museum its biggest exhibit yet -- a giant longboat. With such a huge attraction on show there's plenty of room to hide a secret, or two. In the Case of the Vanishing Viking, the Squad investigate legendary longboats, rare runes and hidden hoards to try to solve their latest mystery.---------------Young readers will love the riddles, red herrings and big reveals jam-packed into this fun-filled series of mystery stories by Mike Nicholson. The enjoyable extras like wacky facts and activities, as well as zany illustrations by Mike Phillips, will keep amateur detectives entertained for hours.

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Amy Sedaris meets the nihilistic spirit of millennial/Gen Z humor with a healthy dose of Lisa Frank in Shitty Craft Club: a guide that allows burnt-out, pressured people to accept their imperfections and find inner calm with whatever shitty thing they can make. Did you know that you are a glorious and incredible artist? Wait, really? Well, you are. Through silly and deeply relatable tales from her life, Sam Reece, founder of the Shitty Craft Club, guides you through dozens of craft projects that give you permission to be as weird, wild, and wonderful as you want to be. Making a bunch of pom-poms so you can be your own cheerleader? That's a craft. Sculpting a rhinestone shrimp out of aluminum foil and a glue gun? A craft. Having literally one sip of water (congrats, by the way)? Yup, you bet - a craft. Here at the Shitty Craft Club, there's no limit to what a craft can be, because life is hard. So why not spend a bit of time gluing some trash to more trash if it makes you happy? This is your sign to embrace anti-perfectionism. Join us at the Shitty Craft Club!

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LONGLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2020 LONGLISTED FOR THE RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE 2019 LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2019 LONGLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2019 SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA CROWN AWARDS 2019 'A highly original novel' - Sunday Times, PAPERBACK BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2019 There is a space between life and death: it's called waxworks. Born in Alsace in 1761, the unsightly, diminutive Marie Grosholtz is quickly nicknamed 'Little'. Orphaned at the age of six, she finds employmet in Bern, Switzerland, under the charge of reclusive anatomist, Dr Curtius. In time the unlikely pair form an unlikely bond, and together they pursue an unusual passion: the fine art of wax-modelling. Forced to flee their city, the doctor and his protegee head for the seamy streets of Paris where they open an exhibition hall for their uncanny creations. Though revolution approaches, the curious-minded flock to see the wax heads, eager to scrutinise the faces of royalty and reprobates alike. At 'The Cabinet of Doctor Curtius', heads are made, heads are displayed, and a future is built from wax. From the gutters of pre-revolutionary France to the luxury of the Palace of Versailles, from casting the still-warm heads of The Terror to finding something very like love, Little is the unforgettable story of how a 'bloodstained crumb of a girl' went on to shape the world... 'Don't miss this eccentric charmer' @MargaretAtwood 'Absolutely brilliant' Susan Hill 'Rich and engrossing, there is an extraordinary potency to Carey's material ... A visceral, vivid and moving novel' GUARDIAN 'In this gloriously gruesome imagining of the girlhood of Marie Tussaud, mistress of wax, fleas will bite, rats will run and heads will roll and roll and roll. Guts'n'gore galore: I bloody loved it' SPECTATOR 'A tale as moving as it is macabre' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'One of the most original historical novels of the year... Macabre, funny, touching and oddly life-affirming, Little is a remarkable achievement' SUNDAY TIMES 'Beautifully published... poignant... absorbing' LITERARY REVIEW 'Clever and intriguing' DAILY MAIL 'Marie's story is fascinating in itself, but Carey's talent makes her journey a thing of wonder' NEW YORK TIMES 'By turns witty, ghoulish, poignant and curiously life-affirming, Little is a historical novel unlike any other' BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE 'It is Carey's uniquely inventive style that makes this novel so completely, wickedly, addictive' BIG ISSUE 'Edward Carey is one of the strangest writers we are privileged to have in this country' OBSERVER 'Carey creates an indelible character in Little, sprinkles idiosyncratic drawings throughout and folds his narrative in cunning ways...' BBC 'Full of rich historical detail and beautiful illustrations ... a rare treat of a novel that will stay with you long after you turn the final page' HEAT 'Compulsively readable: so canny and weird and surfeited with the reality of human capacity and ingenuity that I am stymied for comparison. Dickens and David Lynch? Defoe meets Atwood? Judge for yourself...' Gregory Maguire, author of WICKED

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Mumbled voices in an empty attic, heavy footsteps on the stairs when all in the house are asleep, darting shadows across a darkened room . . .It should come as no surprise that with the dawn of the digital age, people have turned their new technology toward the mysterious stories they’ve heard or events they’ve personally experienced. Here, in the dusky gloom where traditional science has refused to enter, a new breed of investigator has introduced us to the strange sounds and weird images from these nocturnal adventures.Like most people, Jeff Cole has always been intrigued by aspects of the paranormal—does the human spirit endure after the body dies, and are there such things as ghosts? Though the deeper questions are best left to priests and scholars, his investigations of well- and lesser-known historical sites indicate the existence of a truly inexplicable phenomenon.Ghostly Encounters chronicles Cole’s journey into the world of ghost hunting, other ghost hunting groups he has met, and the team he ultimately joins. Ghostly Encounters also provides a first-person account of the haunted locations explored, historical background and context to these sites, and audio and video clips so the reader can experience some of the startling evidence captured during these investigations.

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41 plants that will literally take your breath away. Or even eat you! There are many books about Plants. This title does not show the best known, but the most weird and phantastic ones. Welcome to this botanical garden, where human feet have not trodden for many years. Actually, one has-or rather a pair of them have. They belong to a passionate botanist who spends all his time in the company of flowers. He does not seem interested in people, as he feels himself to be a plant rather than a member of the species homo sapiens. He may seem strange-or even scary, like anything unknown-but rest assured that he is completely harmless just like his plants are . . . unless you’re a fly or a beetle, which his carnivorous plants love to eat, that is. No worries, those meat lovers might possibly snatch at your snack if you have a ham sandwich or a sausage in your bag, but that’s all. hough some of the plants from this forgotten botanical garden look predatory at first sight, even spooky, they are still just plants that can never catch you. Enough talking, though! Keep your hats on as our tour of the botanical garden begins . . .

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These projects are fun to build and fun to use Make lights dance to music, play with radio remote control, or build your own metal detector Who says the Science Fair has to end? If you love building gadgets, this book belongs on your radar. Here are complete directions for building ten cool creations that involve light, sound, or vibrations -- a weird microphone, remote control gizmos, talking toys, and more, with full parts and tools lists, safety guidelines, and wiring schematics. Check out ten cool electronics projects, including * Chapter 8 -- Surfing the Radio Waves (how to make your own radio) * Chapter 9 -- Scary Pumpkins (crazy Halloween decorations that have sound, light, and movement) * Chapter 12 -- Hitting Paydirt with an Electronic Metal Detector (a project that can pay for itself) Discover how to * Handle electronic components safely * Read a circuit diagram * Troubleshoot circuits with a multimeter * Build light-activated gadgets * Set up a motion detector * Transform electromagnetic waves into sound Companion Web site * Go to www.dummies.com/go/electronicsprojectsfd * Explore new projects with other electronics hobbyists * Find additional information and project opportunities

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This is a thrill-ride of an adventure, with illustrations by Ben Mantle bringing Boot's world to life. Fans of Toy Story and Charlie Changes into a Chicken will love this hilarious, warm-hearted story about a small robot on a big adventure, full of fun, friendship and a warehouse full of bouncy castles.'Fast, funny and furious. These are definitely my favourite robots.' Eoin ColferToy robot Boot has come a long way since it woke up in a scrapyard with only two and a half glitchy memories. It has a home with its robot pals in an abandoned amusement arcade, and has discovered what true happiness is - although it's still not sure why humans are so leaky and weird ... But when Boot and the gang stumble upon Rusty, an old, broken robot, forgotten in the back of a testing lab, it's time to spring into action. Boot knows there's something special about Rusty - but can they free the old robot and help it find its purpose?Illustrated throughout in glorious black and white by the award-winning Ben Mantle, this is an unforgettable tale of resilience and hope. Read more of Boot's adventures - shortlisted for the Sainsbury's Book Award - including Boot: small robot: BIG adventure and The Creaky Creatures.

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When AA meetings make her want to drink more, alcoholic murderess Maeve sets up a group for psychopaths … The dark, unpredictable, electrifyingly original new thriller from critically acclaimed cult author Will Carver.‘Totally insane, and I mean that in the best of ways. Maeve is a brilliant character … Incredibly dark and very funny’ Harriet Tyce, author of It Ends at Midnight‘I fell in love with Carver's murderous Maeve. This is an Eleanor Oliphant for crime fans. Carver truly at his best’ Sarah Pinborough, author of Insomnia‘Another wild ride … a darkly delicious page-turner’ S J Watson, author of Before I Go To Sleep––––––––––––––Welcome to the Club…Maeve has everything. A high-powered job, a beautiful home, a string of uncomplicated one-night encounters. She’s also an addict: A functioning alcoholic with a dependence on sex and an insatiable appetite for killing men. When she can’t find a support group to share her obsession, she creates her own. And Psychopaths Anonymous is born. Friends of Maeve. Now in a serious relationship, Maeve wants to keep the group a secret. But not everyone in the group adheres to the rules, and when a reckless member raises suspicions with the police, Maeve’s drinking spirals out of control. She needs to stop killing. She needs to close the group. But Maeve can’t seem to quit the things that are bad for her, including her new man…A scathing, violent and darkly funny book about love, connection, obsessions and sex – and the aspects of human nature we’d prefer to hide – Psychopaths Anonymous is also an electrifyingly original, unpredictable thriller that challenges virtually everything.––––––––––––––––––‘Carver is a smart, stylish writer who has created a uniquely scary personality. We glimpse the world seen through the eyes of a grotesque character who is just normal enough to leave us entertained and disturbed in equal part’ Daily Mail ‘Wickedly fun’ Crime Monthly‘Will Carver’s most exciting, original, hilarious and freaky outing yet … I loved it’ Helen FitzGerald, author of Worst Case Scenario‘So in-your-face it’s almost claustrophobic, it’s also a compulsive and unforgettable reading experience’ LoveReading ‘Carver highlights the dark side of the current era, such as the negative consequences of ubiquitous online porn and society’s disregard for its outcasts … [a] powerful look into the abyss of a psychopathic personality’ Publishers Weekly‘Vivid and engaging and completely unexpected’ Lia Middleton, author of When They Find Her‘Dark in the way only Will Carver can be … oozes malevolence from every page’ Victoria Selman, author of Truly Darkly Deeply‘A wickedly dark and funny novel, with a protagonist you can’t help but root for’ Lisa Hall, author of The Woman in the Woods‘Move the hell over Brett Easton Ellis and Chuck Palahniuk … Will Carver is the new lit prince of 21st-century disenfranchised, pop darkness’ Stephen J. Golds‘Maeve is the best female fictional character since Marla Singer...’ Christopher HooleyPraise for Will Carver‘Cements Carver as one of the most exciting authors in Britain. After this, he’ll have his own cult following’ Daily Express‘A novel so dark and creepy Stephen King will be jealous he didn’t think of it first’ Michael Wood‘One of the most compelling and original voices in crime fiction … The whole thing feels like a shot of adrenaline’ Alex North‘Deliciously fresh and malevolent story-telling … If you like something fresh and unusual, grab this book’ Craig Sisterson‘Weirdly page-turning’ Sunday Times‘Laying bare our 21st-century weaknesses and dilemmas, Carver has created a highly original state-of-the-nation novel’ Literary Review‘Arguably the most original crime novel published this year’ Independent‘At once fantastical and appallingly plausible … this mesmeric novel paints a thought-provoking if depressing picture of modern life’ Guardian‘This book is most memorable for its unrepentant darkness…’ Telegraph‘Unlike anything else you’ll read this year’ Heat

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A COSMOPOLITAN BEST NON-FICTION BOOK OF 2022 The Lonely Hunter explores the rise of singledom, the realities of loneliness, and whether it is possible to live contentedly alone. ‘So what’s going on in your love life?’ This seemingly innocent question at a dinner party prompted Aimée Lutkin to finally tell the truth: it had been six years since her last relationship, and she was starting to suspect that it would be better to accept the life she had as a single woman — a life she liked very much — rather than keep searching for a partner. But Lutkin’s answer was met with uproar; surely she couldn’t give up on love? So she threw herself into dating, going on two dates every week over a number of months. Documenting her experiences, Lutkin explores the reality of sexual relationships today and reveals how the cultural messages we receive shape our expectations of love. From weird Tinder hookups to the way the self care industry capitalises on our fear of being alone, and from the complexities of queer dating to the truth about the ‘loneliness epidemic’, she uses her experiences to fearlessly tell a wider story about how we love now.

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He's hot. He's young. He's also evil. He's ... the librarian. Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Glee! in this darkly comic horror.Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Glee! in this darkly comic story. Perfect for fans of Point Horror and R. L. Stine, as well as readers who like their horror and romance with a light-hearted touch. When Cynthia Rothschild’s best friend, Annie, falls head over heels for the new high-school librarian, Cyn can totally see why; he’s really young and very good-looking. But after meeting Mr Gabriel, Cyn realizes something isn’t quite right. Maybe it’s the creepy look in the librarian’s eyes, or the weird feeling Cyn gets whenever she’s around him. Before long Cyn realizes that Mr Gabriel is, in fact ... a demon. Now, in addition to saving the school production of Sweeney Todd from technical disaster and trying not to make a fool of herself with her own hopeless crush, Cyn has to save her best friend from the clutches of the evil librarian, who also seems to be slowly sucking the life force out of the entire student body!

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A nostalgic tome dedicated solely to subjective recollections of the thrilling drama of a cinema manager arranging cinema usherette rotas and checking choc-ice deliveries might not be expected to attract many readers. Yet weird stuff kept happening to Nick Scudamore doing just this. Here he offers a memoir of sticky seats and of scary situations; dead bodies, robberies, audience near riots, bizarre public misbehaviour, even the occasional celebrity. And remarkable movies from the 1970s and 1980s, from high end art-house all the way through to soft-core smut and teen-trash. Both as a memoir and as social history, this autobiography provides much of interest for both the contemporary film enthusiast as well as for the historically curious general reader. From 1979 to 1987 Nick served as manager to a series of art-house cinemas in London, the Screen on Islington Green and the Paris Pullman in Chelsea to name but two. The operational and economic context of films and the film business as a whole has changed so very much in the forty years since the events he remembers that it seems now worthwhile to record just a little of this pre-internet history before it fades from his memory.

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"The poems of Anthony McCann are beautiful, brutal, and unerring. They present us with, or return us to, a complicated, violent, poignant, weird, and mysterious world--a world which is very particularly his, and also our own, re-sung. For some time now I have believed McCann to be one of the finest poets writing today."--Maggie Nelson "McCann demonstrates that the truth surrounds us all; our best way of connecting with it is through compassion and love. With equal parts exuberance and dread, the speaker encourages us to 'waste the whole day feeling these things.'"--Boston Review Thing Music is full of flesh, of creatures tangled in their worlds. Marked variously by the desert and coastal landscapes of Southern California and the intersections of phenomenology and anarchism, these poems are porous bodies, traversed by light and noise. From "Mouth Guitar": Now the pulsing afternoon takes each belly in its hands lifts it up towards some glass and all that's inside While he crawled on with his body towards vengeance or the state Anthony McCann lives in Los Angeles and teaches in the University of California-Riverside's Palm Desert MFA program. He is the "Poet Laureate" of Machine Project, and also teaches courses at the California Institute of the Arts.

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If you love the tingle of chilli on your tongue, get stuck in to this celebration of the all-conquering capsicum – from mild varieties to red-hot peppers – served with a spicy side of trivia, tips and recipes Chillies originated in the Americas but they’ve now gone global, finding their way onto our plates and into our hearts. Whether you get your fix in the form of classic dishes, hot sauces or new culinary creations, chillies offer all kinds of pleasures and possibilities. This book is the perfect pocket guide to these wonders of nature, exploring how they became so widely loved, where their heat comes from, and how they can beguile and benefit our bodies. The Little Book of Chillies will give you a taste of the following and much more: Discover all kinds of fun chilli-related trivia, including how the Scoville scale is used to measure heat levels Trace the journey made by capsicums across centuries and continents Get the lowdown on world-famous chillies as well as the world’s hottest Marvel at the weird and wonderful uses of chillies, from powders and pickles to pepper spray Whip up a selection of recipes with a kick, from a terrific chilli con carne to adventurous dessert options

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Many Freemasons have made the world a better place, while some have been villainous criminals. Members of the Craft have developed forensic science, solved famous crimes and invented all manner of things. Several members of the Royal Family have also been members. Masons have been very active in the criminal justice system, both as 'goodies' and 'baddies': it was a mason who formed the Special Branch to fight terrorism and another who brought the Moors Murders to an end. In some cases, such as the Cleveland Street Scandal, masons found themselves on both sides of the law. The medical profession is also well represented in lodges. Happily, it was a member of the Craft who rescued the Elephant Man, while another masonic doctor was the first to identify an occupational cancer. On the other side of the coin, there have been several evil masonic doctors who committed murder, and one masonic surgeon may have committed regicide, although his motives were merciful. This tells the stories of weird and wonderful masons too - celebrities, film makers, soldiers, explorers, world-famous businessmen, politicians, forgers and scoundrels. There are masons of every character, and all are covered in this book.

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This is a practical guide to caring for your pet, in step-by-step photographs. Ideal for 5- to 9-year-olds, this delightful book will show young readers how to get the most out of being a thoughtful and responsible pet owner. It is packed with essential information and advice, from choosing the right goldfish and preparing a home for it, to feeding it and keeping it healthy. Children will be able to get to grips with the technical aspects of looking after fish, all demonstrated in more than 60 easy-to-follow pictures. There is more to keeping a goldfish than just providing it with a good home. Owning even the smallest pet is a big responsibility - but an enjoyable one. This fascinating book is a useful and accessible guide for young animal lovers on how best to care for their pet. It will tell them all they need to know about the different varieties that are available - from the exotic oranda to the weird and wonderful bubble-eye - where to buy them, when and what to feed them, and which is the best tank to use. Practical guidance is complemented by over 60 detailed photographs showing how to clean and maintain the tank, and even how to keep goldfish outdoors, making this the only book a junior fish keeper will ever need.

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'Truly a slice of magic and a work of imaginative genius.' StarburstA mind-bending mystery spanning continents and centuries for all fans of Neal Stephenson and David Mitchell.'A witty and weird tale with shades of both Philip K Dick, and Kieron Gillen/Jamie McKelvie's comic The Wicked + The Divine.' SFX'An experience that is both absorbing and emotional' SciFi NowMy obsession begins in the magical year 1967, at Luce and the Photons' legendary last secret gig. That night changes my life: I must know who Luce is. But the deeper I dig, the more questions I turn up. Is Luce a rock star or a pretender? An artist or an acid trip?My redemption . . . or my delusion?Drawn into the machinations of mysterious powers, I become the dark shadow who follows the light of Luce. But who follows me? Are they agents of evil or figments of my imagination? And do they follow me still?The quest for Luce will lead me to the farthest corners of the earth and into the deadliest danger. I will lose everything and everyone I love . . . except for Luce.Who is pawn and who is player? Murderer or victim? Betrayer or saviour?I am the only one who knows the truth.This is the truth.This is The Book of Luce.

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Statistical mechanics is our tool for deriving the laws that emerge from complex systems. Sethna's text distills the subject to be accessible to those in all realms of science and engineering -- avoiding extensive use of quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and molecular physics. Statistical mechanics explains how bacteria search for food, and how DNA replication is proof-read in biology; optimizes data compression, and explains transitions in complexity in computer science; explains the onset of chaos, and launched random matrix theory in mathematics; addresses extreme events in engineering; and models pandemics and language usage in the social sciences. Sethna's exercises introduce physicists to these triumphs and a hundred others -- broadening the horizons of scholars both practicing and nascent. Flipped classrooms and remote learning can now rely on 33 pre-class exercises that test reading comprehension (Emergent vs. fundamental; Weirdness in high dimensions; Aging, entropy and DNA), and 70 in-class activities that illuminate and broaden knowledge (Card shuffling; Human correlations; Crackling noises). Science is awash in information, providing ready access to definitions, explanations, and pedagogy. Sethna's text focuses on the tools we use to create new laws, and on the fascinating simple behavior in complex systems that statistical mechanics explains.

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Why are you wearing THAT?! Only joking, you look great! That's the title of this book, which is all about the clothes that people have worn throughout history. Once upon a time, humans didn't wear very much at all, except for the odd animal fur. Nowadays, we have all sorts of cool, weird and wonderful fashions. But how did these fashions develop? And where did they come from? How do people even make clothes? Read this book to find out the answers to these questions and much, much more! You'll learn about three-metre-wide skirts, shoes so pointy they need to be chained to your knees, sports team kits and the future of fashion. Why Are You Wearing THAT? A history of the clothes we wear 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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Maths is all around us. From a single snowflake to the changing seasons; from our favourite songs to the buildings we live in, and even the way our planet spins through space. Don't believe it? Just open up this book and discover some of the weird and wonderful ways that maths affects our everyday lives. You'll also find out about some pioneering mathematicians - from Leonardo Fibonacci, who studied sequences in numbers and nature nearly 800 years ago, to Ada Lovelace, who helped to develop the first computer codes. You can even try some challenges yourself to help you master maths. One day, you could use maths to unlock more strange secrets of the universe! The Hidden Maths Inside Everything 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: 9-10 Reading age: 7-8 years

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THE TIKTOK SENSATION Meet BUNNY: the darkly funny, spellbinding trip of a novel that EVERYONE is talking about 'No punches pulled, no hilarities dodged, no meme unmangled. O Bunny you are sooo genius!' MARGARET ATWOOD We call them Bunnies because that is what they call each other. Seriously. Bunny. Samantha Heather Mackey is an outsider in her small, highly selective MFA program at Warren University. In fact, she is utterly repelled by the rest of her fiction writing cohort – a clique of unbearably twee rich girls who call each other 'Bunny'. But then the Bunnies issue her with an invitation and Samantha finds herself inexplicably drawn to their front door, across the threshold, and down their rabbit hole. Blending sharp satire with fairytale horror, Bunny provides a hilarious look at the dark side of female friendship from one of fiction's most original voices. 'The Secret History meets Jennifer's Body. Brilliant, sharp, weird... I loved it and I couldn't put it down.' KRISTEN ROUPENIAN 'Made me nod and cackle in terrified recognition.' LENA DUNHAM 'Hilarious, hallucinogenic freakery.' DAILY MAIL 'Cerebral and complusively readable.' VANITY FAIR

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