Search results for ""chance""

‘An engaging portrait of an indomitable woman at the heart of Golden Age Hollywood’ Gill Paul, bestselling author of The Manhattan Girls ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I was hooked from the first page… it had what I was looking for in the Golden Age of Hollywood’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Really reminded me of City of Girls, the lifestyle, the glamour but also the tenderness… Wonderful!’ NetGalley reviewer For fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and City of Girls. ‘You’re young and beautiful. The world is your oyster – it’s up to you to find your pearl’ When Maybelle Crabtree, a God-fearing farm girl from Kentucky, has a chance encounter with a charismatic stranger, her life changes forever. With an invitation to join the infamous Alla Nazimova and her Sewing Circle, Maybelle’s eyes are opened to a life of decadence and glamour. Able to freely discover her own sexuality, Maybelle embraces all that Hollywood has to offer in the hedonist roaring twenties. But both Maybelle and Alla have secrets that threaten to bring their gilded lives crashing down. Hearts will be broken, careers destroyed and friendships shattered because what happens behind closed doors, doesn’t stay hidden forever… TW: This book contains scenes of a sexual nature, violence, domestic abuse and abortion. Readers have been swept away by Well Behaved Women: ‘An enticing parallel portrait, of women endeavouring to be heard in a glittering but masculine era’ Mandy Robotham, international bestselling author ‘An extraordinary story’ Georgia Kaufmann, author of The Dressmaker of Paris ‘Emotional and poignant… beautifully written and so evocative. A truly fantastic read!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Excellent… I was totally involved in the story, the characters and their lives’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Eye-opening… a trip back in time’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A thoroughly engaging read with fascinating queer women against the backdrop of the Hollywood age. Bravo!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I was not fully prepared to completely fall in love with this book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Beautifully crafted, richly detailed with captivating characters’ ’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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‘The perfect blend of humour, heartache and hope’ Holly Miller, author of Richard & Judy Book Club Pick The Sight of You Chloe and Jack are soulmates. But life has other plans… Chloe is deliriously in love for the very first time. But when Jack, her boyfriend of five months, is killed in a tragic accident, she is left reeling. Their relationship was amazing – but it never really had the chance to get started. Grieving but determined, Chloe decides to live life for the both of them and makes her way through the list of things they’d planned to do together – this time on her own. A heartwarming read about falling in love and finding yourself again after loss, from the author of Never Saw You Coming. Perfect for fans of Me Before You and PS, I Love You. Readers have fallen for Love, Almost: ‘The perfect blend of humour, heartache and hope. I really enjoyed following the twists and turns of Chloe’s journey as she set out to explore what it means to live again after loss’ Holly Miller, author of The Sight of You ‘A beautiful read about life, love and loss – prepare to fall in love with these characters’ Woman’s Way ‘Refreshingly honest, with tears of sadness and tears of laughter from start to finish’ Debbie Johnson, author of Maybe One Day ‘Told movingly, but you’ll often be laughing through your tears’ My Weekly ‘As heart-breaking as it is life-affirming. Love, Almost is a beautiful and fragile story about the journey through grief and all the might-have-beens’ Hannah Sunderland, author of Very Nearly Normal ‘Hankies at the ready for this one … a tale of heartache and hope’ Woman ‘Oh my goodness, I absolutely LOVED this story’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ NetGalley Review ‘The journey Chloe goes on had me hooked on every page’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ NetGalley Review ‘The characters in this book were just so well written, I loved every one of them’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ NetGalley Review ‘Full of love, heartache and laughs’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ NetGalley Review

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'Wonderfully romantic - the perfect summer read' Sandy BarkerEscape to the sun and head off to Italy, with the wonderfully warm and ever-so-page-turning Leonie Mack!TV journalist Lou feels battered and bruised after her divorce from Phil, the father of her daughter Edie. Her confidence and sense of fun have steadily been drained away, and she isn’t sure who she is any more.When the opportunity arises to accompany Edie on a music camp in Italy for a month in the summer, Lou jumps at the chance for new adventures, new horizons and new friends. The hazy warmth of the summer sun, shining brightly over the stunning Lake Garda, slowly brings Lou back to life. Nick Romano, Edie’s music teacher, loves being home in Italy, but coaching his students for their concert in Milan, is bringing back difficult memories. His blossoming friendship with Lou is the perfect distraction, although a summer fling would be easier to conduct without the scrutiny of his mother Greta, not to mention the interference of his extended Italian family.As the summer passes, full of sunshine and breath-taking scenery, gelato and delicious feasts, Lou and Nick get ever closer. But as the time for farewell creeps up on them, will they be able to say goodbye and leave their memories behind in the Italian sun, or can a summer romance last a lifetime?Leonie Mack is back with a sizzling, sun-baked love story, perfect for all fans of Mandy Baggot, Jo Thomas and Carole Matthews. What readers are saying about Leonie Mack:'I read a lot of romance books and I have to say this book is one of the best in terms of chemistry. Readers - we’re talking red hot!''A hot and sizzling read!''An uplifting, intelligent novel with a lot of substance and of course, plenty of romance''I can't stop thinking about this book!''Beautifully written, this is a great take on the opposites attract theme.''A delight to read with lots of fun, romance and funny bits along the way.'

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ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2021 LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2022'A thrilling work' Ta-Nehisi Coates'Lovely and lyrical . . . warm and wonderful' Kiley ReidA queen of punk before her time. A duo on the brink of stardom. A night that will define their story for ever.Opal is a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude, a Black punk artist before her time. Despite her unconventional looks, Opal believes she can be a star. So when the aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles discovers her one night, she takes him up on his offer to make rock music together.In early seventies New York City, just as she's finding her niche as part of a flamboyant and funky creative scene, a rival band signed to her label brandishes a Confederate flag at a promotional concert. Opal's bold protest and the violence that ensues set off a chain of events that will not only change the lives of those she loves, but also be a deadly reminder that repercussions are always harsher for women, especially Black women, who dare to speak their truth.Decades later, as Opal considers a 2016 reunion with Nev, music journalist S. Sunny Shelton seizes the chance to curate an oral history about her idols. Sunny thought she knew most of the stories leading up to the cult duo's most politicized chapter, but as her interviews dig deeper, a nasty new allegation from an unexpected source threatens everything.Provocative and haunting, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev introduces a bold new name in contemporary fiction and a heroine the likes of which we've not seen in storytelling.'An absolutely brilliant book' SARA COLLINS'Musical and revolutionary' JASON REYNOLDS'A marvellous musical tale of friendship, betrayal, and the power that comes with self-reclamation' LAYLA SAAD'Fantastic . . . Magical' ZAKIYA DALILA HARRIS'A packed time capsule that doubles as a stick of dynamite' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'An absorbing tale bursting with colour' COSMOPOLITAN'One of the books of the year' STYLIST'An utterly fresh take on finding one's voice' O, THE OPRAH MAGAZINE

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**WINNER of the PULITZER PRIZE for NON-FICTION 2016**In a thrilling dramatic narrative, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Joby Warrick traces how the strain of militant Islam behind ISIS first arose in a remote Jordanian prison and spread to become the world's greatest threat. When the government of Jordan granted amnesty to a group of political prisoners in 1999, it little realized that among them was Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a terrorist mastermind and soon the architect of an Islamist movement bent on dominating the Middle East. In Black Flags, an unprecedented character-driven account of the rise of ISIS, Joby Warrick shows how the zeal of this one man and the strategic mistakes of Western governments led to the banner of ISIS being raised over huge swathes of Syria and Iraq. Zarqawi began by directing terror attacks from a base in northern Iraq, but it was the allied invasion in 2003 that catapulted him to the head of a vast insurgency. By falsely identifying him as the link between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, Western officials inadvertently spurred like-minded radicals to rally to his cause. Their wave of brutal beheadings and suicide bombings persisted until American and Jordanian intelligence discovered clues that led to a lethal airstrike on Zarqawi’s hideout in 2006. His movement, however, endured. First calling themselves al-Qaeda in Iraq, then Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, his followers sought refuge in unstable, ungoverned pockets on the Iraq-Syria border. When the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, and the rest of the world largely stood by, ISIS seized its chance to pursue Zarqawi’s dream of an ultra-conservative Islamic caliphate. Drawing on unique high-level access to global intelligence sources, Warrick weaves gripping, moment-by-moment operational details with the perspectives of diplomats and spies, generals and heads of state, many of whom foresaw a menace worse than al Qaeda and tried desperately to stop it. Black Flags is a brilliant and definitive history that reveals the long arc of today’s most dangerous extremist threat.

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‘A gorgeous will they/won’t they love story, with depth and surprising twists’ Sun ‘A lovely, heart-warming read’ Closer ‘A proper winter heart-warmer’ Heat ‘If you’re a fan of Jojo Moyes, you’ll love Emma Heatherington’s beautifully written – and also not predictable – Christmas novel’ Yahoo’s Top Books for October A stunning Christmas romance for fans of One Day in December and Jojo Moyes From the moment they meet one December day there’s something between Charlotte Taylor and her brother’s best friend, Tom Farley. But Tom’s already taken and Charlie has to let him go… It’s another five years before their paths cross again only a secret from the past forces Charlie to make a choice. She promises herself she’ll never look back… The years pass and Charlie moves on with her life but she can never forget Tom. He’s always there whispering ‘What if?’. Can Charlie leave the life she has built for one last chance with Tom? Or is the one that got away not really the one at all…? Readers love Rewrite the Stars…! ‘Romantic, cosy and a book that can be read cover to cover in one day because you just can’t put it down’ Yahoo ‘I really enjoyed 'One Day in December' by Josie Silver, so when I read that fans of that book would enjoy this one I already had plenty of expectations in my head… this book absolutely smashed through all those expectations and I love it even more’ Amy A ‘Would have read it in one go if I didn’t have to go to work!’ Carla ‘A definite WOW book’ Sue, Netgalley ‘I absolutely loved this book and was so gutted it had to come to an end’ Shirleyann ‘Absolutely adored this book. I'm a psychological thrillers type of girl generally but every now and then I need something to break up all the crazy and this was a very welcome distraction’ Laura S ‘Touched my heart in a way few others have’ Michelle, Netgalley ‘A wonderfully written Christmas love story which isn't predictable and really enjoyable’ Nicola S Perfect for fans of Bella Osborne, Emma Hannigan and Roisin Meaney!

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Change isn’t going anywhere. Learn how to manage it.We live in a wild world of volatility, unpredictability, chaos, and ambiguity, with change seemingly as the only constant. Change can be difficult. It often induces resistance, panic, and fatigue. And, as you may expect or have experienced first-hand, many organizations aren’t handling change all that well, with many efforts resulting in failure. What you may not realize, however, is that some workplace change initiatives are stunning successes, rolling out smoothly and more easily embraced. Why do some change initiatives fail while others succeed? How can organizations and employees handle change better?In The Hard and Soft Sides of Change Management, Kathryn Zukof offers practices and approaches to help you and your organization roll out, receive, and manage change effectively. Namely, Zukof shows that you need to manage the process (or the “hard”) side and the people (or the “soft”) side of change and find the sweet spot between the two. She demonstrates that when you integrate both sides, you and your organization can make change less of a hit-or-miss affair. Successful change management means deploying sound project management techniques that increase the odds of achieving the outcomes of your change initiative. It also means helping employees understand the need and vision for change, so they feel less threatened by it and become excited and energized by what’s ahead.To deliver best results, you need to: Define the change and how to get there—with project charters and plans. Involve the right people in the right ways—from dedicated change teams to affected stakeholders. Build support, understanding, and awareness—with communication, training, and resistance management plans. Assess progress and adjust along the way—through action reviews and steps to tackle thorny issues. Capturing the inherently messy nature of workplace change—from technology implementations, mergers and acquisitions, and business transformations to office relocations and more—this book offers tangible insights to help you and your organization tackle change challenges. Follow the book’s tools and practices to lessen the messy and objectionable parts of change and actively give your change initiatives the best chance for positive outcomes.

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A young boy named Natt finds his world overturned when his family is uprooted and exiled to Siberia during the occupation of the Soviet Ukraine by Nazi Germany. In 1941, life in Natt’s small town of Zastavna is comfortable and familiar, even if the grownups are acting strange, and his parents treat him like a baby. Natt knows there’s a war on, of course, but he’s glad their family didn’t emigrate to Canada when they had a chance. His mother didn’t want to leave their home, and neither did he. He especially wouldn’t want to leave his best friend, Max. Max is the ideas guy, and he hears what’s going on in the world from his older sisters. Together the boys are two brave musketeers. Then one day Natt goes home and finds his family huddled around the radio. The Russians are taking over. The churches and synagogues will close, Hebrew school will be held in secret, and there are tanks and soldiers in the street. But it’s exciting, too. Natt wants to become a Young Pioneer, to show outstanding revolutionary spirit and make their new leader, Comrade Stalin, proud. But life under the Russians is hard. The soldiers are poor. They eat up all the food and they even take over Natt’s house. Then Natt’s father is arrested, and even Natt is detained and questioned. He feels like a nomad, sleeping at other people’s houses while his mother works to free his father. As the adults try to protect him from the reality of their situation, and local authorities begin to round up deportees bound for Siberia, Natt is filled with a sense of guilt and grief. Why wasn’t he brave enough to look up at the prison window when his mother took him to see his father for what might be the last time? Or can just getting through war be a heroic act in itself? Key Text Features historical note map author’s note Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

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In 1984, John Hanrahan was featured in Interview magazine's iconic Olympic Issue as one of America's top athlete's vying for a spot on the US Olympic Team. He had come within a point of defeating the mighty Soviet world medalist and had defeated other international competitors. He had a shot at a lifelong dream, but then abandoned the final trials. The coach searched frantically for him at LaGuardia airport. He was nowhere to be found. He hadn't exactly fallen off the face of the earth; his face was appearing in worldwide ad campaigns as a top fashion model―but he’d become crippled by addiction, unable to face his competition, and unwilling to confront the severity of his situation.Then, in 1985, Hanrahan died from an overdose. He went to a divine place while a doctor worked frantically to revive him. He was shown the prayers of loved ones and given another chance at life, and he feels he came back for a reason…He returned wanting to shout his story from the rooftops, but was unable to fully share his experiences to help others. He was shackled by the stigma of being judged as an addict, and it wasn’t until he nearly lost his own son to the ravages of addiction that he broke through and gained the strength and courage to tell his story. He describes how he continued to work amidst the craziness of the world fashion markets―Milan, Paris, Zurich, Tokyo, and New York―while trying to find his way toward exorcising the demons of his past and gaining a life worthy of the one he had miraculously regained.He transformed himself to become the trusted personal trainer to influential New Yorkers, such as John Kennedy Jr., Julia Roberts, Howard Stern, Natasha Richardson, Diane Sawyer, Rosie O’Donnell, Mercedes Ruehl, Betty Buckley, and Joan Lunden. He moved his family west and quickly corralled a high-powered Hollywood client base, including Patricia Heaton, David Geffen, Tim Burton, Sandy Gallin, Tara Reid, Beverly DeAngelo, Annabella Sciorra, Cyndi Lauper, Donald De Line, Amy Pascal, Kevin Huvane, Bryan Lourd, Davis Guggenheim and Graydon Carter…all while keeping his past a secret.

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'Both extremely funny and deeply sad, The Writing School examines how and why we tell our own stories. It's beautifully written and structured, compelling, wise and fabulously readable' Lissa Evans'The Writing School is an extraordinary book. It is funny, exhilarating, heart-breaking and passionate. Its delicate pulsing themes are held like a bird in the writer's confident, gentle hand' Katharine Norbury'Life, with its unexpected troughs and highs, the disciplines of teaching a creative writing course and the shadow of a family tragedy provide the focus for a memoir that brims with humour, honesty and intelligence. The Writing School taught me a lot' Elizabeth BuchanA creative writing course is a chance for reinvention. When author Miranda France sets off to teach at a residential writing school in a remote valley, she expects to meet a group of aspiring writers with the usual mix of hope and unrealised ambitions, talents and motivation.Tensions are bound to emerge over the course of the week they spend together: personalities will clash, egos will need to be tamed or gently encouraged. What France doesn't expect, as she takes her tutees through a series of exercises designed to help them explore different aspects of their writing, is that a ghost from her own life will join them.As the daily drama of the writing school unfurls, so memories resurface concerning a death that profoundly shaped the author's world when she was a teenager. Soon France's memories interweave with her present task of thinking about writing and storytelling, and she too becomes a student: asking, what is to be done with our memories of those we have lost? What is behind the urge to put lives into words? And is it ever right to tell another person's story?A delightful and unusual blend of storytelling and memoir, packed full of literary anecdote and insight from the author's own experience as well as that of other writers and poets, The Writing School is a moving and often very funny book about why people write, as well as being a uniquely generous masterclass on the art of writing itself.

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NeoG—the Near-Earth Orbital Guard, a diverse military force that patrols and protects the solar system, inspired by the real-life mission of the Coast Guard—and the crew of Zuma’s Ghost are under attack, and shocking truths are about to be exposed. What the black takes should stay in the black.Ensign Nell “Sapphi” Zika has been working hard to get past her trauma, but the unnerving pleas for help she’s hearing in the Verge and the song she can’t get out of her head are making that increasingly difficult. As Zuma’s Ghost gears up for a final run at the Boarding Games, their expert hacker is feeling anything but confident. Plus, her chief’s robot dog, Doge, is acting weird—a computer problem she can’t find an answer to—and the increasing number of missing freighters is putting everyone living on or stationed around Trappist on edge.It doesn’t help the NeoG’s mission that Dread Treasure is sidelined from competing in the Boarding Games, and Commander D’Arcy Montaglione is stuck on the front lines of the mystery of the missing ships while also stuck in his own head. Never good at trusting people to begin with, he’s struggling to piece together his new crew in the aftermath of a great betrayal, knowing this may be his final chance at command. The last thing he wants to do is prove his enemies right and end up getting shoved behind a desk and forgotten. The easy answer to missing ships is pirates, but D’Arcy soon realizes the easiest answer is rarely the right one out in the vacuum of space. What’s worse is that the actual pirates are scared of something out beyond the asteroid belt. Something that’s been taking their ships too…As the unknowns multiply and one of their mysterious enemies escalates by launching an attack on the NeoG itself, the Interceptor crews must brave both cyber and outer space to hunt down their foes, but no one is prepared for the truth that is revealed or the way it will shake the foundations of everything they believe about the universe.

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From the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Shakira, the world’s most popular Latin American singer. As a child, little Shakira knew she was born to be performer. Even as a little girl, she was full of natural rhythm and she was obsessed with singing, writing songs and dancing whenever she got the opportunity. At 14 years old she recorded her first album, and although it wasn't a success, she knew she had found her calling. She persevered, and within four years she had finally got her first hit! She soon became a Latin American icon, winning many awards and creating global hits across the world, becoming widely known as the Queen of Latin Music. With her fame, Shakira started a foundation to help children in her native country, Colombia and other developing countries across the world, providing them with education and the chance of a better future. This inspiring book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the iconic singer's life. ​Little People, BIG DREAMS is a bestselling biography series for kids that explores the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream. This empowering series of books offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardback and paperback versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. With rewritten text for older children, the treasuries each bring together a multitude of dreamers in a single volume. You can also collect a selection of the books by theme in boxed gift sets. Activity books and a journal provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!

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Originally published in 1918, Rivalry is regarded as the masterpiece of Nagai Kafu, a Japanese novelist known for his brilliant renderings of Tokyo in the early years of modern Japan. Stephen Snyder offers the first English translation of the complete, uncensored text, which has long been celebrated as one of the most convincing and sensually rich portraits of the geisha profession. Rivalry tells a sweeping story in which sexual politics compete with sisterly affection in a world ruled by material transaction. Komayo is a former geisha who, upon the death of her husband, must return to the "world of flower and willow" to escape poverty. A chance encounter with an old patron, Yoshioka, leads to a relationship in which both lovers hope to profit: Yoshioka believes Komayo can restore his lost innocence; Komayo plans to use Yoshioka's patronage to compete in the elaborate music and dance performances staged by her fellow geisha. Yoshioka is eager to ransom Komayo, but as she considers his offer, Komayo falls in love with Segawa, a young actor who promises to turn the talented geisha into the finest dancer in the Shimbashi quarter. Though her feelings for Segawa are genuine, Komayo is eager to use her lover's position to become the lead performer among her peers. Her ambition even tempts her to take on a third patron known only as the "Sea Monster," a repellent but wealthy antiques dealer whose deep pockets promise to shoot Komayo to the height of celebrity. Though she finds herself at the pinnacle of a glittering career, Komayo nevertheless becomes the target of a bitter rivalry between her three lovers that leaves her both thrilled and exhausted, both brutalized and redeemed. Kafu's compelling tale takes readers from the intimate corners of the geisha house to the back rooms of assignation, from the dressing areas of the great kabuki theaters to the lonely country villa of a theater critic and connoisseur of Shimbashi women. His lush depictions of architecture and costumes and his incisive descriptions of urban life and individual motive provide a vivid backdrop for Komayo's struggle-one woman's absorbing quest to find fame, affection, and financial security in the refined but ruthless theater of Shimbashi.

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‘A beautiful book and the perfect Christmas present.’ – Jamie Oliver ‘More than just a compilation of gorgeous recipes: it’s a moving collection of precious food memories that testify to the enduring impact of what we eat.’ – Nigella Lawson These Delicious Things is a collection of nostalgic food memories and recipes from more than 100 of the UK’s top chefs and food writers. Published to support children living in food poverty, it is proof that when people give a piece of themselves for the benefit of others, incredible things can happen. This is both a cookbook and a story book filled with childhood memories and scrumptious feasts. And it’s a book that wants to make a difference by supporting Magic Breakfast, a charity whose aim is to feed children living with food insecurity so they’re not too hungry to learn. With recipes for every occasion and time of day, These Delicious Things provides elevated versions of well known favourites that will impress even the toughest (and smallest) of critics. Featuring household names such as Andi Oliver, Angela Hartnett, Asma Khan, Ching He Huang, Jamie Oliver, Nigel Slater, Nigella Lawson, Ravneet Gill, Raymond Blanc, Stanley Tucci, Thomasina Miers, Tom Kerridge, Yotam Ottolenghi, Zoe Adjonyoh and many more – These Delicious Things is the perfect book for variety and well-loved favourites. Recipes include Homemade Apple Pie, Wild Rabbit Korma, Filipino-style vegetable soup, Far Breton, and even an Apricot sidecar cocktail. The charity Magic Breakfast provides breakfasts for children and young people in the most disadvantaged areas of the UK, fuelling their learning, growth and futures. Having breakfast every morning has real life impacts for children, from achieving better grades to displaying improved behaviour. Breakfast also has genuine effects on communities, helping families and providing a lifeline at a time of uncertainty fuelled by the cost of living crisis. For just 28p, Magic Breakfast can give a child a nutritious breakfast and the chance to succeed at school. Written by the chefs we know and trust, with the future generation in mind, These Delicious Things makes cooking for a cause a pleasure for all.

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A romance like no other . . . this book has it all’ NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A brilliant read and a perfect ending . . . best read of the year’ NetGalley Reviewer The brand new seasonal novel from the author of the bestselling book, A Secret Scottish Escape ‘A charming read full of romance and mystery. Delightful’ Woman’s Weekly When Leonie Baxter finds herself out of a job and out of a relationship, she’s at her wits end. Her life has just been turned upside down and she needs a plan, fast. By chance, on a walk with her rescue puppy, Leonie stumbles across a striking house in the woods; fully furnished but unoccupied. As a journalist, she is determined to find out more, after all, reporting is in her nature. But her attempts are thwarted by Lily Cruickshank who lives in the cottage next door. Why won’t Lily help Leonie? And who is the mysterious Flynn Talbot, whose letter Leonie finds inside the house? And in uncovering the secrets of the abandoned house, will Leonie open her own heart and let love back into her life? The brand new escapist story from the bestselling author of A Secret Scottish Escape and A Scottish Highland Surprise, for fans of Jo Thomas, Trisha Ashley and Cathy Bramley. Readers can’t get enough of The Cottage in the Highlands ‘Mesmerising, magical and moving’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A really lovely book about friendship, romance and second chances’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fabulous . . . a page-turner of a book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Has a lot of heart, a story about all the different types of love’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A feel-good story’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A lovely read . . . I highly recommend this book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Just the right amount of mystery, a bit of adventure and a slow romance’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An excellent cosy mystery and romance’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I was transported to the lives of these characters’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Heartwarming and sweet, a story about second chances’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A surprisingly little twist’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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A gripping memoir written by a 96-year-old Jewish Holocaust survivor about his escape from Nazi-occupied Poland in the 1930's and his adventures with the French Resistance during World War II In 1937, as the Nazi Party tightened its grip on the city of Danzig (now Gdansk, Poland), Justus Rosenberg’s parents made the wrenching decision to send their son to Paris, where he would have the hope of finishing high school and going on to university in safety. He was sixteen years old, and he would not see his family again for sixteen years more. Even after war broke out in 1939, life in France was peaceful for a time—but when the Nazis pushed toward Paris in the spring of 1940, Justus was forced to flee south to Toulouse. There, a chance meeting put Justus in contact with Varian Fry, the American journalist who ran a refugee network that aided several thousand Jews in escaping Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. With his German background, understanding of French cultural, and fluency in several languages, including English, Justus was ideally positioned to thrive in Fry’s network, coming to master an underworld of counterfeit documents, whispered passwords, black market currency, opportunistic gangsters, and clandestine mountain passes. Justus would spend the rest of the war working for Fry and later the French Resistance, helping to provide safe passage for many intellectuals and artists on the run from the Nazis, among them Hannah Arendt, Marc Chagall, Andre Breton, and Max Ernst. Along the way, he would have a number of close scrapes of his own: on one occasion, he was rounded up to be sent to a labor camp in Poland, and had to make a daring escape to save his life; on another, he narrowly survived after his jeep hits a landmine. An epic saga of survival, with the soul of a spy thriller, The Art of Resistance is also an uplifting story of personal triumph. (Several years after the war, Justus was finally able to track down his family, who he feared had died at the Nazis’ hands.) As Justus writes, “I survived the war through a rare combination of good fortune, resourcefulness, optimism, and, most important, the kindness of many good people.”

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The Times Art Book of the Year 2021 FINALIST FOR THE PLUTARCH AWARD 2022 ‘Must surely be the definitive life of Francis Bacon … A biography that no Bacon fan – or indeed foe – can afford to overlook … Mesmerising’ THE TIMES ‘A magnificent triumph … I was captivated by every line’ OBSERVER A decade in the making, based upon hundreds of interviews and extensive new material, Pulitzer Prize winners Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan have written a startlingly original portrait – rich, complex, and subtle – of a commanding modern figure. Bacon concealed many important aspects of his life. He described himself as an asthmatic child in Ireland with foxhunting parents and a tyrannical father, but he was also rescued by a series of formidable women – women who in this biography emerge in their own right. He was never just a dissolute young man but was also a passionate reader, largely self-taught. Early on, influenced by Eileen Gray, he became a hard-working and ambitious designer, a brief career explored here in detail for the first time. He dreamed of remaking the modern room. Bacon worked no less hard or ambitiously as a painter, at first with little success. Throughout the 1930s and early ’40s he suffered ongoing failures, growing isolated and often ill. His health issues throughout his life were far more significant than he revealed. Then came his astonishing breakthrough in 1944, with Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion. In the following decades, he emerged as one of the great iconoclasts and bon vivants of his time, a Wildean figure whom one friend called ‘a terrific grandee.’ Bacon was typically celebrated as a sexual adventurer who liked rough trade, but he never stopped longing for a serious committed relationship, however painful. He continued to make disturbing images of the strangeness within, but developed into a more varied artist than has been recognised, creating in particular an extraordinary series of self-portraits. He was an artist who believed in chance and paradox: the iconoclast eventually became an icon. This is a story, deeply researched and masterfully told, of a sickly boy who became one of the great figures of his time. The twentieth century does not know itself without Bacon.

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Bradt's popular guidebook 52 Wildlife Weekends suggests inspiring itineraries for 52 unforgettable British wildlife-watching breaks, stretching from the Isles of Scilly to northern Scotland - each perfectly timed for every week of the year. Thoroughly updated to reflect Britain's ever-changing natural history, this second edition integrates the latest information on the country's most thrilling wildlife experiences, suggests new target species and showcases fabulous new locations. Written by award-winning author and experienced naturalist James Lowen, 52 Wildlife Weekends remains the only guide to package Britain's nature-watching highlights into deftly timed, user-friendly holiday suggestions. Say it's February and you want to watching otters. Or May: time for spring flowers and bewitching butterflies. Or July, and you fancy marvelling at dragonflies. Or October: the height of bird migration. Whenever in the year you get a chance to escape, this book suggests 48 hours' worth of brilliant wildlife-watching - perfect for staycations, whether as a weekend or part of a longer holiday. 52 Wildlife Weekends suggests a year's worth of short breaks celebrating the full range of Britain's most exciting wildlife, from tiny silver-spotted skipper butterflies to gargantuan basking sharks, and from seabird skyscrapers to ostentatious orchids. Covering more than 40 counties or regions, this unique guide offers engaging descriptions, detailed directions (including grid references and postcodes), accommodation suggestions, and assessments of accessibility and (new for this edition) child-friendliness, plus 180 mouth-watering colour photographs. Find out how, where and when to track down such thrilling creatures as beavers and basking sharks, eagles and otters, dolphins and dragonflies, glow worms and grey seals. Why not open the New Year on a real-life wild goose chase in the Inner Hebrides? Or make a spring pilgrimage to Yorkshire to see truly wild daffodils? Or experience underwater life by peering into rivers for rare fish in Powys, snorkelling in Dorset, or rock-pooling in Devon? Or gawp at starling murmurations, shape-shifting through the autumnal sky, in Suffolk or Somerset. Combining the very best of travel and wildlife guides, and covering both well-known spectacles and less familiar species, Bradt's 52 Wildlife Weekends has something for everyone - wildlife experts and novice ecotourists alike.

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This new, thoroughly updated edition of Bradt's Senegal continues to offer far and away the greatest depth of coverage for this increasingly popular part of West Africa. With over 350 pages of detailed description and 40 maps, this remains the definitive source of information to a country that is often described as the whole of West Africa in microcosm. This new edition includes details of the rapidly changing transport situation, notably the opening of the new international airport and the first bridge to span the Gambia River. All regions of the country are covered, including detailed information on access to Senegal's national parks, with detailed maps, itineraries, and practical information on transport, accommodation and eating for each region. Senegal boasts a variety of landscapes and cultures that belie its compact size. Northern desert wilds give way to the rain-soaked Casamance, fringed by hundreds of kilometres of pristine beaches and the fantastically frenetic capital city, Dakar, surrounded by ocean and proudly perched at the westernmost point on the African continent. This smorgasbord of landscapes is all accessible within a day's travel, making Senegal the perfect choice for anyone looking to sink their teeth into West Africa, for the first time or the hundredth. Natural assets aside, Senegal is home to a world of man-made delectations: Dakar's nightclubs throb well into the morning hours and offer a rare chance to dance yourself silly with superstar musicians on their home turf. With one of Africa's most prolific arts scenes, Senegal attracts numerous visitors for its cultural attractions, and this book provides a thorough and accessible introduction to the music, art, film, and literature of this most creative of countries. Beyond the capital, Saint-Louis' charm is an enchanting throwback to the colonial glamour of the 19th century, and sleepy Île de Gorée is a haunting testament to colonial horror, as visitors peer through the door of no return, where thousands destined for the Americas glimpsed their homes for the final time. With all new first-hand research, Bradt's Senegal is the only guide ready to take you to all corners of this enchanting land.

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**FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR**'Life-affirming' - THE TELEGRAPH'Wonderful' - INDEPENDENT'She made it her mission to learn how to be default happy rather than default disgruntled' - RADIO 4 - WOMAN'S HOUR'Take a leaf out of Gray's book and be kinder to yourself by appreciating life just as it is' - IRISH TIMES'This book came to me in an hour of need - during lockdown when I had to focus on the positive, appreciate simple things, not lose my shit, and value each day. It was a pure joy for me and held my hand' - SADIE FROST'Interesting and joyful. Lights a path that could help us to build resilience against society's urging to compare life milestones with peers' - LANCET PSYCHIATRYUnderwhelmed by your ordinary existence? Disillusioned with your middlin' wage, average body, 'bijou' living situation and imperfect loved ones? Welcome to the club. There are billions of us. The 'default disenchanted'. But, it's not us being brats. Two deeply inconvenient psychological phenomenons conspire against our satisfaction. We have negatively-biased brains, which zoom like doom-drones in on what's wrong with our day, rather than what's right. (Back in the mists of time, this negative bias saved our skins, but now it just makes us anxious). Also, something called the 'hedonic treadmill' means we eternally quest for better, faster, more, like someone stuck on a dystopian, never-ending treadmill. Thankfully, there are scientifically-proven ways in which we can train our brains to be more positive-seeking. And to take a rest from this tireless pursuit. Whew.Catherine Gray knits together illuminating science and hilarious storytelling, unveiling captivating research showing that big bucks don't mean big happiness, extraordinary experiences have a 'comedown' and budget weddings predict a lower chance of divorce. She reminds us what an average body actually is, reveals that exercising for weight loss means we do less exercise, and explores the modern tendency to not just try to keep up with the Murphys, but keep up with the Mega-Murphies (see: the social media elite).Come on in to this soulful and life-affirming read, to discover why an ordinary life may well be the most satisfying one of all.

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A well designed, colourful, and creative Christmas activity book for children, families, and communities to connect with God and one another. Wow! Christmas explores six aspects about the birth of Jesus, including Jesus as the light of the world, ordinary yet extraordinary shepherds, the journey of the wise men, the giving of gifts, the excitement and anticipation waiting for Christmas, and why Christmas is something to celebrate. Each story is explored through offering innovative activities including engaging prayer, craft and create, acting the scene, time for reflection, ideas for discussion, and creative praise. PRAY - Opportunities to pray in a creative way by yourself or with others. PAUSE - Take some time out to reflect on an element of the story and how it fits with our lives now. PLAY - Ideas to get you on your feet and having a bit of fun around the story. CREATE - Craft and make creations that help to explore themes and parts of the story. CELEBRATE - Find joy in the story and ideas in how to rejoice in these together. COMMUNICATE - A chance to chat and connect with each other using the parts of the story as conversation starters. Written by Martha Shrimpton, founder of Nimbus Collective, this book aims to help all ages to connect in a creative way as an individual, as a family and as a community, and also with God. The WOW! series are creative, interactive, and practical books that offer innovative resources to explore stories and themes found in the Bible. They are designed to help you explore your faith with your family or as a group by delving imaginatively into stories and offering reflection time for both adults and children. This series encourages connection and conversation between adults and children/youth through the stories and characters, inspiring empathy for the children and a new way of thinking about these well-known stories for adults. Ideal to use at home or as a resource for church schools and churches, providing a multitude of activities and conversation starters for Sunday schools, intergenerational worship, religious education, and collective worship in schools.

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"Ghost story, love story, and mystery in equal measure, Helene Dunbar's Prelude for Lost Souls is filled with unforgettable characters who reveal the many ways a life can be haunted. Perfect for fans of The Raven Boys."-Lisa Maxwell, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Magician seriesFrom acclaimed author Helene Dunbar comes the start of a spellbinding young adult series about a small town filled with spiritualists and one boy who wants out, perfect for readers who want teen ghost books and fans of Maggie Stiefvater, Maureen Johnson, and Nova Ren Suma.In the town of St. Hilaire, most make their living by talking to the dead. In the summer, the town gates open to tourists seeking answers while all activity is controlled by The Guild, a sinister ruling body that sees everything.Dec Hampton has lived there his entire life, but ever since his parents died, he's been done with it. He knows he has to leave before anyone has a chance to stop him.His best friend Russ won't be surprised when Dec leaves-but he will be heartbroken. Russ is a good medium, maybe even a great one. He's made sacrifices for his gift and will do whatever he can to gain entry to The Guild, even embracing dark forces and contacting the most elusive ghost in town.But when the train of Annie Krylova, the piano prodigy whose music has been Dec's main source of solace, breaks down outside of town, it sets off an unexpected chain of events. And in St. Hilaire, there are no such things as coincidences.Perfect for readers looking for:ghost town booksyoung adult lgbt booksatmospheric storiesPraise for Prelude for Lost Souls:"Dunbar invokes small-town intrigue and plentiful atmosphere with this haunting, romantic tale."-Publishers Weekly"A quietly compelling story."-Kirkus Reviews"Mesmerizing and haunting, Dunbar invites readers into a world of family secrets, anxious ghosts and a society's ruthless grasp for power that will leave you wanting more."-The Nerd DailyAlso by Helene Dunbar:We Are Lost and Found

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As seen on The Daily Show, an illustrated portrait of the Donald J. Trump Twitter account, with analysis and 'scholarly' commentary from the writers of The Daily Show and an introduction by Trevor Noah.In June 2017, just steps from Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah opened The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library, a 4,000-square-foot museum space that gave the 45th president and his amazing Twitter legacy the respect they deserve. In the single weekend it was open to the public, the Library pop-up drew 7,500 visitors and had to turn away countless others.But the Presidential Twitter Library experience should not be limited to the elite coastal few. Not fair! All citizens, even the Mexican ones, should have the chance to see Donald Trump's tweets in their rightful context - organized and commented on in the fearless, hilarious, insightful voice of The Daily Show.This one-of-a-kind exhibition catalogue presents the Library's complete contents, including:The Masterpieces: In-depth critical appreciations of history's most important Trump tweets, from 'Very Stable Genius' to 'Covfefe' to 'Trump Tower Taco Bowl/I Love Hispanics!'The Greatest Battles: @realDonaldTrump's brutal Twitter campaigns against fellow Republicans, Diet Coke, women generally, and Kristen Stewart specificallySad! A Retrospective: a compendium of the many people, events and twists of fate that apparently made Donald Trump feel this human emotionTrumpstradamus: DJT's amazing 140-character predictions-none of which came true!The Hall of Nicknames: the greatest of Trump's monikers, from 'Lyin' Ted' to 'Low I.Q. Crazy Mika', accompanied by original caricature artworkTrump vs. Trump: You're going to want to sit for this one. Donald Trump has sometimes been known to contradict himself.Always the Best: the greatest boasts of the greatest boaster of all time, ever!Comprising hundreds of Trump tweets, and featuring a foreword by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham, and even a place for readers to add their own future Trump tweet highlights - because he is making new Twitter history literally every day - The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library is a unique portrait of an artist whose masterworks will be studied by historians, grammarians, and mental health professionals for years to come.

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'The sweetest, most delicious book . . . Such a gorgeous love story' Marian Keyes'Funny and heartwarming with great characters' Reader review 5 stars'Absolutely gorgeous, swoon worthy romance' Reader review 5 stars Second chances never go out of style... Sophy Stevens always thought she would have everything sorted by the time she was thirty. Instead, she is freshly fired, recently dumped and sleeping on her mum's sofa. So when her absent dad offers her a job at his vintage clothes shop in Primrose Hill, it's one she can't refuse. It will only be for a few months until she is back on her feet, after all.But the Vintage Dress Shop is more magical than she could have even imagined, full of preloved fashion from a 1950s wedding dress to the glittering gems sourced by jeweller Charles. In spite of herself, Sophy starts to fall in love with the store and the process of matching the perfect item with every customer.With each new treasure Sophy uncovers, she begins to wonder if, like these vintage clothes, the store is the key to her second chance... and then there's Charles, who might just end up mending her broken heart...Let Annie Darling sweep you off your feet with this heartwarming and romantic novel, perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Phillipa Ashley. Everyone is falling in love with Annie Darling:'Heartwarming and compelling. A wonderful read which was difficult to put down... Great characters and a lovely romantic story which touches the heart' Reader review 5 stars'The most uplifting, sumptuously indulgent, romantic joy of a book... It tugged all my heartstrings and held me captive until the last, perfect page' Cressida McLaughlin'An absolute delight! I also loved the debonair love interest... It was so nice to see someone pick themselves up and rise from the ashes in such beautiful surroundings surrounded by all these amazing clothes, I loved it!' Reader review 5 stars 'This is the feel good book you must read... With an array of fabulous characters and the perfect ending that made me squeal with delight this warm and charming story will have you enchanted' Nina Pottell

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'A heartwarming story about family, forgiveness and the importance of kindness' FIONA HARPER on The Kindness Club on Mapleberry Lane'Comforting and uplifting, this book is a joy to read' MY WEEKLY'A heartwarming tale' WOMAN'S OWNHome is where the heart is... Joy has made a family for herself. She's turned her beautiful old farmhouse into a safe haven for anyone who is looking for a new beginning. She's always ready with a kind word, a nugget of advice and believes that anyone can change their life for the better, if they really want to. Libby has exchanged her high-flying job in New York for a break in the quiet Somerset countryside. She's soon drawn into Joy's world and into her family of waifs and strays - including Drew, whom Joy once helped get back on his feet. So when a secret from Joy's past threatens everything, can the unlikely group come together to give Joy a second chance of her own? Curl up with this uplifting new story of second chances and finding where you belong, from the author of The Little Village Library, perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Ali McNamara!***Readers adore Helen's heartwarming storytelling'Enchanting... Employing all the warmth and charm of Maeve Binchy, and a special brand of kindness that she has made her own, Rolfe weaves together elements of mystery, romance, family relationships and the warmth of community in a story guaranteed to bring laughter, tears and miles of smiles' Lancashire Post'A warm, comforting tale of family and community which brims with kindness and love' Annie Lyons'A heartwarming story about family, forgiveness and the importance of kindness... If you're looking for a feelgood novel in these difficult times, this is definitely it!' Fiona Harper'A lovely community, full of friendship and love''I enjoyed every minute of this book and found it very hard to put down''Lovely, feel-good...filled with lots of love''Gave you all the emotions: suspense, happiness and excitement''Helen Rolfe's writing brought a smile to my face''Loved loved loved this fabulous book'

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THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Following her bestselling, critically acclaimed The Silence of the Girls, Pat Barker continues her extraordinary retelling of one of our greatest myths.'Myth for a MeToo age. Pat Barker returns to Homer in this gory but unexpectedly uplifting novel' Sunday TimesTroy has fallen. The Greeks have won their bitter war. They can return home as victors - all they need is a good wind to lift their sails. But the wind has vanished, the seas becalmed by vengeful gods, and so the warriors remain in limbo - camped in the shadow of the city they destroyed, kept company by the women they stole from it.The women of Troy.Helen - poor Helen. All that beauty, all that grace - and she was just a mouldy old bone for feral dogs to fight over.Cassandra, who has learned not to be too attached to her own prophecies. They have only ever been believed when she can get a man to deliver them.Stubborn Amina, with her gaze still fixed on the ruined towers of Troy, determined to avenge the slaughter of her king.Hecuba, howling and clawing her cheeks on the silent shore, as if she could make her cries heard in the gloomy halls of Hades. As if she could wake the dead.And Briseis, carrying her future in her womb: the unborn child of the dead hero Achilles. Once again caught up in the disputes of violent men. Once again faced with the chance to shape history.Masterful and enduringly resonant, ambitious and intimate, The Women of Troy continues Pat Barker's extraordinary retelling of one of our greatest classical myths, following on from the critically acclaimed The Silence of the Girls.'Readers turn to Barker's novels for their plain truths and clear-eyed sense of our history and creation stories. But the sombre clarity of her writing is offset by a luminous wisdom' Sunday Times 'The Women Of Troy's immediate beauty is its accessibility and Barker's precise, elegant writing' Metro'Barker has always looked on the world with the combination of a cold eye and a sympathetic understanding. Her characterisation is sharp, her sympathy deep' ipaper

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THE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Winner of the RNA Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year award 'A life-affirming story full of joy and hope' CATHY BRAMLEY 'A sun-filled, fun-filled wonderful escapist adventure' MILLY JOHNSON When does time out become the time of your life? Jodie Jackson is all at sea, in every sense. On a ferry bound for the Isle of Wight, she's leaving her London life, her career, and her husband behind. She'd like a chance to turn back the clocks, but she'll settle for some peace and quiet on her brother Bill's beautifully renovated houseboat, Sunny Days. But from the moment Jodie steps aboard her new home, it's clear she'll struggle to keep herself to herself. If it isn't Marilyn, who cleans for Bill and is under strict instructions to look after Jodie, then it's Ned, the noisy sculptor on the next-door houseboat. Ned's wood carving is hard on the ears, but it's made up for by the fact that he's rather easy on the eyes.Bustled out of the boat by Marilyn and encouraged to explore with Ned, Jodie soon delights in her newfound freedom. But out of mind isn't out of sight, and when her old life comes knocking Jodie is forced to face reality. Will she answer the call or choose a life filled with Sunny Days and Sea Breezes?An absolute must-read from the queen of fun-filled and life-affirming fiction, Sunny Days and Sea Breezes will make your heart sing!'A life-affirming story full of joy and hope' CATHY BRAMLEY'A sun-filled, fun-filled wonderful escapist adventure' MILLY JOHNSON'A wonderful setting where dark clouds part to reveal a happy ending' KATIE FFORDE'A bright and breezy summer story, the next best thing to a seaside trip' SUNDAY MIRROR'A delightful summer read' HELLO!'Packed full of Matthews' signature charm, this has original characters and an escapist setting' WOMAN'Perfect escapism' BELLA'A bright, breezy, summery story!' BEST'A warm summer read' CHOICESUNNY DAYS & SEA BREEZES was a Sunday Times bestseller in hardback on 28th June 2020

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Book Three in the bestselling fantasy series The Foundling, perfect for fans of Shannon Mayer, Jenn Stark and the Sookie Stackhouse novelsWar burned her. Famine nearly killed her. Now Death is at her heels.After her two worlds clashed apocalyptically, Luce Boudreau needed some time out. But Destiny had other ideas. When bodies begin washing ashore down the Mississippi River, Luce discovers they are part of a gruesome, lethal message. Her final sister, Death, is trying to break through. Every sign is clear: the end is coming, but earth will be destroyed - quite literally - over Luce's dead body, even if that means she'll be battling her own nature. And her coterie will stand with her, though Cole keeps standing one step too goddamn far away. Her mysterious new partner, Adam Wu, on the other hand, seems determined to keep her close at all times. And the more Luce learns about the new world she's part of, the deeper the secrets go. Who - if anyone - can she really trust? As the final pieces of an ancient war come together, Luce's chance to fight back comes sooner than she expected. Death can come at her . . . she's eager to return the favour.Readers LOVE Hailey Edwards:'An inventive and multifaceted world with serious heart and one hell of an emotional kick, this is a series that needs to be on your TBR'Bookish Em'Edwards creates amazing fantasy worlds' - (Goodreads reviewer) 'A fantasy of a five-star read!' (Amazon reviewer)'Hailey Edwards has exceeded all expectation' (Goodreads)'Well-plotted fantasy with intriguing characters, heart-pounding action, suspenseful intrigue and subtle romance' (RT Book Reviews)'Edwards has this way of writing that makes you feel like the narrator is talking to you and that you're old friends' (Goodreads)'The world building is fresh . . . The characters are well-drawn and easy to root for. And the romance really hits the spot' (Red Hot Books)'She builds dynamic character bases, using common mythology but takes it one step further using previously unseen species or imbibing currently known species with skills and know how that offers readers something new in the paranormal world' (Smexybooks)

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Seven friends. One killer. You can run, but you can’t hide… It’s Boxing Day and your friendship group has planned a hike. You know tensions are running high. You’ve heard the rumours flying around. But this trip is a chance for you to reconnect. As you head into the reserve, everyone is quiet. It almost feels like you’ve imagined the rift. But as the sun sets, you hear a gun shot. One of your group is dead. And someone you know killed them… A fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller with a killer twist you just won’t see coming. Fans of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley and T.M. Logan will be totally gripped from the very first page. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Readers are completely gripped by HIDE! ‘I am *freaking* out!! … Has me on the edge of my seat…I've had to turn the light on because I genuinely feel like I'm stumbling through pitch-black woods in blinding snow and trying to outrun a murderer! … Incredible!’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Tense, twisty and full of toxic secrets – a chilly fight for survival guaranteed to give you shivers’ T.M. LOGAN, author of Trust Me and The Holiday ‘There’s a touch of Agatha Christie to Hide…her humour is crisp and even and the plotting as keen as an axe in the skull’ THE TIMES ‘Claustrophobic and intense’ Fabulous magazine ‘Holy. Hell. I haven’t finished a thriller this fast since Gone Girl’ NetGalley Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow! I'm so glad that I had a whole day off work to read it as I honestly couldn't put it down’ Goodreads Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An outstanding thriller – impossible for me to put down!’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I am still thinking about it – the last sentence was a jaw-dropper!’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘You’ll definitely be left with your jaw on the floor and your head spinning’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow, what a story! The ending just blew me away’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Wriggle your toes in the sand and feel the warm breeze on your face when you check into the hotel that’s full of dreams… ‘The happy plot is charming… very entertaining’ Publisher's Weekly Three years after ditching her career in New York City, Rosie never thought she’d still be managing the quaint faded Victorian hotel in her seaside hometown. What’s worse, the hotel’s new owners are turning it into a copy of their Florida properties. Flamingos and all. Cultures are clashing and the hotel’s residents stand in the way of the developers’ plans. The hotel is both their home and their family. That’s going to make Rory’s job difficult when he arrives to enforce the changes. And Rosie isn’t exactly on his side, even though it’s the chance to finally restart her career. Rory might be charming, but he’s still there to evict her friends. How can she follow her dreams if it means ending everyone else’s? Praise for Lilly Bartlett: “Absolutely gorgeous!” Debbie Johnson “Full of enjoyment, humour and utter brilliance” 5* Ali the Dragon Slayer “Funny, charming and irresistibly sweet. I loved every minute of this and raced through from first page to last” Jen Med’s Book Reviews “Wowzer, it’s phenomenal! Rosie is one of the best characters I’ve read this year” 10 out of 10 Paige Turner Reviews “Utterly fabulous, completely hilarious, a pure escapist read” 5* Rachel’s Random Reads “I was buzzing through the pages – a story I HIGHLY recommend!” Mrs Mommy Booknerd “Enchanting, huggable, gigglefest – the perfect antidote for when antics in the real world are severely tragic” The Writing Garnet “A brilliant cast of eccentric and very memorable characters” Cheryl’s M-M Reviews “A fun, fondant-sweet, dream of a plot but with a melancholic edge to tug at your heartstrings” My Chestnut Reading Tree “Witty dialogue, engaging and relatable characters – I flew through this story in record time” Books of All Kinds “A beautiful story – a perfect pick-me-up – such a lot of laugh-out-loud moments” BrizzleLass Books “Delightful friendships, witty writing and a sweet romance that is guaranteed to entertain” Rae Reads

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A wounded gunslinger fights for his life in this collection of three classic stories from one of the most popular Western authors of all time!Luck is initially on Cheyenne’s side in “Gunman’s Bluff,” as he manages to kill one Martin brother and wound the other in a shootout. But in the process, Cheyenne himself is shot in the shoulder, and it will be a while before he’ll have use of his right hand. But with the Martin family immediately out for revenge, Cheyenne doesn’t have time to heal, and he’ll need more than just one good hand to keep him alive.“Torridon” tells the story of Paul Torridon, raised from the age of seven by his family’s archrivals, the Bretts. Over the years the hatred between the local clans slows to a simmer, until one day a majestic Brett family colt becomes a one-man horse . . . to none other than Paul Torridon!Finally, in the title story, wealthy rancher Oliver Lane is believed to be near death. Lane’s will calls for his entire fortune to be passed along to his drifter nephew, Sandy Lane, but only if Sandy should return before a set date. After that, it’s all up for grabs for Henry Barnes, and Barnes is not one to leave such matters to chance!Max Brand has been captivating audiences for generations with his vivid tales of wild frontier exploits. Gunman’s Rendezvous finds the legendary author in top form, spinning three edge-of-your-seat stories that find rugged heroes in life-and-death situations.Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction that takes place in the old West. Westerns—books about outlaws, sheriffs, chiefs and warriors, cowboys and Indians—are a genre in which we publish regularly. Our list includes international bestselling authors like Zane Gray and Louis L’Amour, and many more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

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Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children is the story of the landmark research study that uncovered the widely cited "word gap" between children from low-income homes and their more economically advantaged peers. This groundbreaking research has spurred hundreds of studies and programs, including the White House’s Bridging the Word Gap campaign and Too Small to Fail, a joint initiative of the Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton foundation.Betty Hart and Todd Risley wanted to know why, despite best efforts in preschool programs to equalize opportunity, children from low-income homes remain well behind their more economically advantaged peers years later in school. Each month, they recorded one full hour of every word spoken at home between parent and child in 42 families, categorized as professional, working class, or welfare families. Two and a half years of coding and analysing every utterance in 1,318 transcripts followed. By age 3, the recorded spoken vocabularies of the children from the professional families were larger than those of the parents in the welfare families. Between professional and welfare parents, there was a difference of almost 300 words spoken per hour. Extrapolating this verbal interaction to four years, a child in a professional family would accumulate experience with almost 45 million words, while an average child in a welfare family would hear just 13 million—coining the phrase the 30 million word gap.The implications of this painstaking study are staggering: Hart and Risley's follow-up studies at age 9 show that the large differences in children's language experience were tightly linked to large differences in child outcomes. As the authors note in their preface to the 2002 printing of Meaningful Differences, "the most important aspect to evaluate in child care settings for very young children is the amount of talk actually going on, moment by moment, between children and their caregivers." By giving children positive interactions and experiences with adults who take the time to teach vocabulary, oral language concepts, and emergent literacy concepts, children should have a better chance to succeed at school and in the workplace.

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A Wall Street Journal bestseller! Alan Dershowitz, one of America’s most respected legal scholars and a New York Times bestselling author proves—with incontrovertible evidence—that he is entirely innocent of the sexual misconduct accusations against him, while suggesting a roadmap for how such allegations should be handled in a just society. “Maybe the question isn’t what happened to Alan Dershowitz. Maybe it’s what happened to everyone else.”—Politico Alan Dershowitz has been called “one of the most prominent and consistent defenders of civil liberties in America” by Politico and “the nation’s most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer and one of its most distinguished defenders of individual rights” by Newsweek. Yet he has come under intense criticism for applying those same principles, and his famed “shoe‑on‑the‑other‑foot test,” to those accused of sexual misconduct. In Guilt by Accusation, Dershowitz provides an in‑depth analysis of the false accusations against him, alongside a full presentation of the exculpatory evidence that proves his account, including emails from his accuser and an admission of his innocence from her lawyer, David Boies. Additionally, he examines current attitudes toward accusations of sexual misconduct, which are today, in the age of #MeToo, accepted as implicit truth without giving the accused a fair chance to defend themselves and their innocence, and suggests possible pathways back to a society and legal system in which due process is respected above public opinion and the whims of social media mobs. This book is Alan Dershowitz’s plea for fairness for both accuser and accused, his principled stand for due process no matter the allegation, and his compelling assertion of his own innocence. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to know the inside story behind the accusations against him or who cares about the current societal debate over how we should handle accusations of sexual misconduct. The #MeToo movement has generally been a force for good, but as with many good movements, it is being exploited by some bad people for personal profit. Supporters of the #MeToo movement must not allow false accusers to hurt real victims by hiding behind its virtuous shield, turning it into an exploitive sword against innocent people.

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Research shows the best chance a student has at success and persistence in college is to get involved and engaged with the school within 30 days of orientation through relationships, whether with an instructor, staff, or other students. Create Success provides students and instructors with the tools needed to foster these relationships. With agile social learning, instructors can immediately facilitate an active and engaged classroom environment and help students create connections with each other and the school community.Agile—What you need, when you need it. The modular approach of Create Success allows for complete and easy customization from the start. Each of the modules is self-contained, can be used as a stand-alone workshop, and can be taught in any order. New modules can also be created easily and added with this approach. •Each module is 32 pages, focused on a single topic, and designed for consistency.•You can deliver the content in the classroom or online with Connect Plus. For more information about Connect Plus, simply visit the following website: http://connect.mcgraw-hill.com.Social—Connected students stay in school.Social Learning engages students to interact and bond with each other, their instructor, and key personnel at their institution EARLY and OFTEN. This activity-based method of instruction and learning is at the center of every class.•Get Ready activities at the beginning of every section help the class jump right into participating.•Facilitation is made easy with complete Active Classroom Guides for the classroom and online.•Transform your instructors from lecturers into facilitators, mentors, and coaches.Learning—Connect your present to your future.Learning is complete when content is in practice. Create Success harnesses what students are already doing—interacting with one another—into meaningful activities. These activities support a better student now and a better career later.•The Create Success activities build toward a tangible output with the Portfolio Activities that prove learning and reflect growth and accomplishments.•Life outside school hours have a huge impact on student success. The mini-features—Money Smarts, On the Job, and My Success Story—address a holistic vision of life’s challenges and successes.Create Connections, Create Success

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“Offers hope in the face of desperate odds” – ELLE Magazine, ELLE’s Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2020“[D]isturbing and unforgettable memoir…This wrenching story brings to vivid life the plight of the many families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border.” – Publisher’s Weekly, STARRED REVIEW“[The] haunting and eloquent…narrative of a Guatemalan woman's desperate search for a better life." -Kirkus, STARRED ReviewPEOPLE Magazine Best Books of Summer 2020TIME Magazine Best Books of Summer 2020 PARADE Best Books of Summer 2020 Compelling and urgently important, The Book of Rosy is the unforgettable story of one brave mother and her fight to save her family. When Rosayra “Rosy” Pablo Cruz made the agonizing decision to seek asylum in the United States with two of her children, she knew the journey would be arduous, dangerous, and quite possibly deadly. But she had no choice: violence—from gangs, from crime, from spiraling chaos—was making daily life hell. Rosy knew her family’s one chance at survival was to flee Guatemala and go north.After a brutal journey that left them dehydrated, exhausted, and nearly starved, Rosy and her two little boys arrived at the Arizona border. Almost immediately they were seized and forcibly separated by government officials under the Department of Homeland Security’s new “zero tolerance” policy. To her horror Rosy discovered that her flight to safety had only just begun.In The Book of Rosy, with an unprecedented level of sharp detail and soulful intimacy, Rosy tells her story, aided by Julie Schwietert Collazo, founder of Immigrant Families Together, the grassroots organization that reunites mothers and children. She reveals the cruelty of the detention facilities, the excruciating pain of feeling her children ripped from her arms, the abiding faith that staved off despair—and the enduring friendship with Julie, which helped her navigate the darkness and the bottomless Orwellian bureaucracy. A gripping account of the human cost of inhumane policies, The Book of Rosy is also a paean to the unbreakable will of people united by true love, a sense of justice, and hope for a better future.

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One dog. Two strangers. An unfurgettable romance. Wanted: someone nice, normal and trustworthy to housesit a beautiful cottage in the Lake District while the owner is away on a business trip. Must like dogs. Wanting to escape from crap bosses and useless boyfriends, Becky jumps at the chance of the perfect escape – rest, relaxation and dog-sitting a very cute pooch called Bella! But looking after Bella comes with a catch, namely gorgeous, brooding, Chris Hemsworth-worthy Ash James, who claims Bella is his dog and will stop at nothing to get her back! Becky’s not about to hand over lovely Bella to any Tom, Dick or Ash. She’s determined to watch every move Ash James makes…even if it gets her very hot under the collar. Readers are LOVING Bella’s story: ‘I was hooked straight away… If you are in need of a pick me up then this is a book for you’ Ann ‘This was SO fun! I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one weekend…I loved the main characters’ chemistry!!’ Carlene ‘I binged the entirety of this book in one sitting…I felt a smile on my face through the entire thing’ Courtney The romance made me laugh, the puppy made me smile and that’s all i ask for in a book ‘Wow! What a book! … perfect for the current climate’ Georgina ‘Fun and romantic …The couple had great chemistry, and I particularly enjoyed that they made each other comfortable and happy being who they were’ Lu ‘A great escapist romp of a read’ Sarah ‘Funny, lighthearted, and a delightful read’ Lilac ‘A fun and quick read about following your heart, believing in love, and being true to who you are’ Julie ‘A lovely setting full of romance, comedy and of course puppy love’ Isabel ‘Perfect for cozy nights with a glass of wine’ Alice ‘A fun, feel good romance!’ Michelle ‘Just finished this brilliant ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️read…uplifting and enjoyable’ Helen ‘I loved everything about this and will be recommending it to friends and family!’ Jessica

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After Carol Bowen Ball underwent bariatric surgery she found there was very little practical information for weight-loss surgery patients and as a result she wrote the first (and to date only) UK bariatric advice and cookery book – Return to Slender. At the same time she launched BariatricCookery.com a website to support the same patients. A year later she wrote a sequel Return 2 Slender… Second Helpings. Both books have been widely praised by the professional bariatric community as well as pre-op and post-op patients. The recipes in The Bariatric Bible are designed and developed to help at every stage after weight-loss surgery. They are colour-coded to suit the 3 main stages afterwards. These are: the Red or 1st Fluids Stage, the Amber or 2nd Soft/Puréed Stage, the Green or 3rd Eating for Life Stage. They will have a nutritional analysis breakdown. This includes measured calories, protein, carbohydrate and fat levels. Recipes are also further coded for suitability for freezing and for vegetarian eating. A new bariatric lifestyle however isn’t just about food – it is also about exercise, changes in behaviour and relationships, adhering to essential medications; coping with unsettling situations that can de-rail the best of intentions, dealing with social situations like eating out; finding new ideas for a changing body through fashion and beauty advice; and making new healthier habits to replace old destructive ones. As a result the book will be the most comprehensive book of any currently on the market. The book will cover the types of surgery on offer for those who want to know more so that they (along with their bariatric team) can make the best choice from the selection available. It will also look at and advise on the many pre-op diets that are required prior to surgery – sometimes to lose weight as part of the qualification process and also as the liver-reducing diet prior to surgery itself for safe intervention. However, it will mainly focus on advice and recipes for after surgery to help the post-op patient maximise their best chance of long-term success with weight-loss and better health.

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With old age comes grey hair, dodgy knees, a sudden passion for re-runs of Murder, She Wrote, and an apparent God-given licence to speak one's mind and be generally offensive without fear of retribution. Under the guise of passing on the benefits of their experience to family members or just casual acquaintances, old people exercise their right to swear, cuss and insult as they please. These feisty philosophers take no prisoners as they use their scalpel-like tongues to dissect modern life and the younger generations. If challenged over their outrageous comments, they'll play the age card: you know the sort of thing - 'I'm eighty-six, I've fought for my country, and if I want to call you a no-good, lowdown, useless fuckwit, then I'll call you a no-good, lowdown, useless fuckwit, Vicar.'Other gems include:It bugs me when people say, 'Life is short.' What the hell does it mean? Life is the longest damn thing anyone ever does! Are they going to do something that's longer? Son, if it's got tits or tyres, you're gonna have trouble with it. We all have our disappointments in life, son, and I'm talking to mine right now.The only way in which life resembles a bed of roses is that you encounter a lot of pricks along the way. Sure I'm surprised you can't get a job, son. I heard the world was crying out for someone who is lazy, has no qualifications but can spit gum into a waste paper basket from ten feet.Don't you think you might stand a better chance of becoming a captain of industry if you got rid of some of that metal shit on your body - like the nose stud and the eyebrow rings? Donald Trump may have a crap haircut but I bet he doesn't have pierced fucking nipples.Son, if life was fair, Elvis would still be alive and all the impersonators would be dead.The secret of a happy life is to run out of cash and air at exactly the same time.

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A gripping and emotional cross-cultural love story for readers of Dilly Court and Glenda Young.1897Young Annie Maguire is leaving the only home she has ever known, the family farm in County Down, Ireland. Driven away by poverty and the death of Annie's mother, she and her beloved father are looking for a place to start again and settle in Cleator Moor, Cumberland.Robert McClure also grew up in County Down. The illegitimate son of a land agent and the cook from the big house, he spent his childhood being moved from pillar to post, never sure who he was or where he belonged. That is until he found himself in Cleator Moor and invited to join the Orange Order, a Protestant Society.On the 12th of July, day of the Orange March, Annie and Robert meet. Sparks instantly fly, but Annie has been brought up Catholic and is devoted to her community and religion. Brought together by chance, but with backgrounds worlds apart, Annie and Robert will have to fight to be together. But can their love really survive when the weight of the community is against them?Don't miss Katie Hutton's other heart-wrenching sagas, The Gypsy Bride and The Gypsy's Daughter. Available now.- - - - - -Praise for Katie Hutton'Love, loss and everything in between. Another fabulous read by Katie Hutton.' Lynn Johnson, author of Wartime with the Tram Girls'Cleverly balanced between two worlds and weaves a story that's well-written, exciting and full of Romani charm.' Shirley Mann, author of Lily's War and Bobby's War on The Gypsy's Daughter'Cracking characters, tender love story, impeccably researched historical detail. I loved it . . . I couldn't put it down.' Elizabeth Woodcraft, author of The Saturday Girls and The Girls from Greenway'At times, heartbreaking. At others, heartwarming. This is the enchanting story of a young woman's struggle to recover from the traumatic events of her past.' Jennifer Page, author of Freedom from Loneliness'A poignant and compelling story of trauma and the healing power of love: its many voices ring true and a past era in England is evoked with cinematic precision.' Maybelle Wallis, author of Heart of Cruelty'An original gem . . . Captivating.' Patricia O'Reilly, author of The First Rose of Tralee

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Motherland meets Midsomer Murders in this fresh and funny mystery about a group of soon-to-be mums who turn detective when there's a murder at their antenatal class. 'Cosy crime at its finest!' JANICE HALLETT'A sharply witty debut' SIMON BRETT'The epitome of fun and witty cosy crime' iPAPER**DON'T MISS THE NEXT MOTHERS' MURDER CLUB MYSTERY: DEAD TIRED. AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW!**For Alice and her partner Joe, moving to the sleepy Cotswold village of Penton is a chance to embrace country life and prepare for the birth of their unexpected first child. He can take up woodwork; maybe she'll learn to make jam. But the rural idyll they'd hoped for doesn't quite pan out when a dead body is discovered at their local antenatal class and they find themselves suspects in a murder investigation.With a cloud of suspicion hanging over the heads of the whole group, Alice sets out to solve the mystery and clear her name, with the help of her troublesome dog, Helen. However, there are more secrets and tensions in the heart of Penton than first meet the eye. Between the discovery of a shady commune up in the woods, the unearthing of a mysterious death years earlier and the near-tragic poisoning of Helen, Alice is soon in way over her head. CAN YOU SOLVE THE MOTHER OF ALL MURDERS?FEATURED IN THE EVENING STANDARD'S BOOKS TO WATCH IN 2023 AND THE NEW YORK TIMES' 'NEW MYSTERIES FOR A NEW YEAR''A gloriously smart and witty telling of the darker side of NCT groups - this is really funny with edge' HELEN LEDERER'A complete triumph. Perfectly plotted, brilliantly observed and just so much fun' LAUREN BRAVO'A twisty, turny murder mystery guaranteed to satisfy any amateur detective's cravings, with belly laughs big enough to give you stretch marks' FIONA LEITCH, author of The Cornish Wedding Murder 'Kat Ailes nails small town cosy crime in her debut novel. From the first page, I was hooked. I laughed an awful lot; the writing is so clever and funny' CHRIS MCDONALD, author of the Stonebridge Mysteries'A humorous, remarkably touching debut. Pacy, funny, with just the right undertones of dark' EVA VERDE, author of Lives Like Mine

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The story of a union organizer who found a second career in community organizing and helped a Jim Crow city become a better place. Ernest Thompson dedicated his life to organizing the powerless. This lively, illustrated personal narrative of his work shows the great contribution that people’s coalitions can make to the struggle for equality and freedom. Thompson cut his teeth organizing one of the great industrial unions, the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America, and brought his organizing skills and commitment to coalition building to Orange, New Jersey. He built a strong organization and skillfully led fights for school desegregation, black political representation, and strong government in a city he initially thought of as a “dirty Jim Crow town going nowhere.” Thompson came to love the City of Orange and its caring citizens, seeing in its struggles a microcosm of America. This story of people’s power is meant for all who struggle for human rights, economic opportunity, decent housing, effective education, and a chance for children to have a better life. Ernest Thompson (1906-1971) grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, on a farm that had been given to his family at the end of the Civil War. The family was very poor and oppressed by racist practices. Thompson was determined to get away and to obtain power. He migrated to Jersey City, where he became part of the union organizing movement that built the Congress of Industrial Unions (CIO). He became the first African American to hold a fulltime organizing position with his union, the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE). He eventually headed UE’s innovative Fair Employment Practices program and fought for equal rights and pay for women and minority workers. Thompson also helped build the National Negro Labor Council, 1951-1956, and served as its director of organizing. In 1956, under the onslaught of the McCarthy era, UE was split in two, and Thompson lost his job. His wife, Margaret Thompson, brought the local school segregation to his attention. Ernie “Home” Thompson organized to desegregate the regional schools, building strong coalitions and political power for the black community that ultimately served all the people of Orange.

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During his first historic run for the presidency in 2016, Donald Trump made an impassioned plea to the black community. "Give me a chance," he said. "What the hell do you have to lose?" According to Kathy Barnette, black Americans have nothing to lose, except for crime ridden communities, neighbourhoods that have become shooting galleries, more social welfare programs, and the mocking indifference of the Democrat party. Barnette argues that even a cursory look into the black community reveals the destabilising effect liberal policies have had on the black family. There was a time when Barnette bought into the same lie as everyone else-that if you're black, you must be a democrat. In fact, she was born into the Democrat party just as much as she was born into brown skin. There was no point of separation. Until she began to understand what it truly means to be black in America. Barnette contends that being black is more than just the color of her skin. It's a culture and a consciousness, too. In NOTHING TO LOSE, EVERYTHING TO GAIN, Barnette writes about why liberal policies have failed the black community time and time again - and will fail the larger American community as Democrats rush to the hard Left of the party. From the "Great Society" to Kanye West's ongoing war with the liberal establishment, this book provides sharp, eloquent commentary on the most pressing issues facing black Americans today: broken family structure, loss of identity, the legacy of slavery, and more.Barnette argues that President Trump has not been willing to presume that the "black vote" is a foregone conclusion resting comfortably in the back pockets of Democrats. With his plainspoken style and willingness to face harsh truths, the president has done more for the black community than any president since Abraham Lincoln. Barnette insists the time is now to get back what has been lost, to fix the brokenness and to recognise and support those who are actually working in our favour. We have nothing to lose, and even more to gain.

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Literary historians and critics who have written on the influence of Racine in England during the neoclassical period apparently have assumed that the English translators and adapters of Racine’s plays in general succeeded in presenting the real Racine to the English public.Katherine Wheatley here reveals the wide discrepancy between avowed intentions and actual results. Among the English plays she compares with their French originals are Otway’s Titus and Berenice, Congreve’s The Mourning Bride, and Philips’s The Distrest Mother. These comparisons, fully supported by quoted passages, reveal that those among the English public and contemporary critics who could not themselves read French had no chance whatever to know the real Racine: “The adapters and translators, so-called, had eliminated Racine from his tragedies before presenting them to the public.” Unacknowledged excisions and additions, shifts in plot, changes in dénouement, and frequent mistranslation turned Racine’s plays into “wretched travesties.” Two translations of Britannicus, intended for reading rather than for acting, are especially revealing in that they show which Racinian qualities eluded the British translators even when they were not trying to please an English theatergoing audience.Why it is, asks the author, that no English dramatist could or would present Racine as he is to the English public of the neoclassical period? To answer this question she traces the development of Aristotelian formalism in England, showing the relation of the English theory of tragedy to French classical doctrine and the relation of the English adaptations of Racine to the English neoclassical theory of tragedy. She concludes that “deliberate alterations made by the English, far from violating classical tenets, bring Racine’s tragedies closer to the English neoclassical ideal than they were to begin with, and this despite the fact that some tenets of English doctrine came from parallel tenets widely accepted in France.” She finds that “in the last analysis, French classical doctrine was itself a barrier to the understanding of Racinian tragedy in England and an incentive to the sort of change English translators and adapters made in Racine.” This paradox she explains by the fact that Racine himself had broken with the classical tradition as represented by Corneille.

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‘A stunning and devastating indictment of a society scarred and defined by inequality, by one of the most charismatic and compelling voices in politics today’ Owen Jones ‘Faiza’s work is living proof that you don’t have to choose between focusing on class and battling racism, or to triangulate on hate in order to advance a political cause. She’s a testament to the power of rising with your community, and not out of it’ Ash Sarkar'Shaheen overcame a plethora of barriers to get to Oxford and become a leading statistician. In this thought-provoking read, she uses her own unlikely story to probe how society defines your chances in life – and what we can do about it' i At four years old, Dr Faiza Shaheen was told by her mum that one day she would study at the University of Oxford. As the daughter of a car mechanic attending state schools, the odds were low, but she worked hard and succeeded. Today, she’s a leading statistician and standing for election as a Member of Parliament. Why do we glorify success as personal triumph like this? These narratives purposely erase the role of public services, where you are born, and luck – and they tell us that anyone can follow the same path. Rather than making working-class mobility the norm, what Faiza accomplished makes her an exception, and it’s statistically impossible for everyone to be the exception. The inconvenient truth, as this book proves, is that social mobility is a fairy tale. Society today will not give most of us the chance of a secure and fulfilling life. That is unacceptable. Part memoir, part polemic, Know Your Place is a personal and statistical look at how society and the economy are structured, what really defines your life chances and how our current system keeps us locked into an ugly hierarchy. But more than that, it’s a powerful call for collective fighting to reinvent things as we want them to be; it’s about breaking out, finding hope and not staying in your place. We can change things, and this is how.

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Enjoy hours of fun with this classic build-your-own kit, complete with rocket body, detonator, press-out parts, groovy design decals, and a full-color instruction book. Well before Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, people have been fascinated with space—whether it’s the movements of the moon, sun, stars, and planets or the possibilities of what (or who!) they contain—incorporating celestial objects into their mythologies and art. No longer the stuff of science fiction, space (and space travel) continues to challenge our curiosity and our imagination to this day. But even with the advent of private missions to “zero gravity” and travel to Mars a distant possibility, being an astronaut is still out of reach for most of us. So if you’ve ever had dreams of building your own rocket, here’s your chance. The all-in-one Build Your Own Rocket kit is exciting to build, whether on your own or with your family, and will lift off flight after flight. Included in this kit is an easy-to-follow instruction manual for putting together not only the rocket body and boosters, nose cones, and fins, but also the launcher and detonator. Learn why these parts are important and also what helps propel them through the air. Also in the manual are safety tips, hints for streamlining the building process, suggestions for personalizing the rocket with the included design decals, and just a bit of moon mythology. Inside, you will find: 16-page illustrated instruction book with easy-to-follow assembly directions along with space and rocket facts Press-out templates for rocket boosters, nose cones, fins, and more Rocket body tube Foam nose cone and tube Launcher base and detonator Rubber hoses and bicycle-pump-nozzle adapter Design decals to personalize your rocket before lift off This kit is perfect for anyone who has ever dreamed of joining NASA, enjoys tinkering with projects, or just likes to have a good time outdoors. While your rocket won’t go to the moon, you can take it wherever you go and experiment with different types of wind. How far will it go? The sky’s the limit!

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An intimate look at movie star Steve McQueen's reckless life of fast cars, women, and drugs all the way up to his dramatic life-change and terminal cancer diagnosis.Join Greg Laurie as he takes a cross-country drive in his 1968 Highland Green Ford Mustang 390 GT through the canyons of Malibu, the alleys of Hollywood, the wide and open roads of the Midwest, and the streets of New York as he traces the woolly geography of actor Steve McQueen's life, relationships, career, and spiritual journey. This iconic muscle car was the vehicle McQueen drove in his most raucous and enduring film, Bullitt. In the 1960s, McQueen was, according to box office receipts, the biggest movie star of his generation and one of the coolest men to ever walk the planet. Greg Laurie was a teen at the time and an ardent fan of "The King of Cool," first mesmerized by McQueen in 1963's The Great Escape. Like millions of cinema fans, Greg developed a lifelong fascination with the actor. Now he has a chance to tell McQueen's story. McQueen was a complex, contradictory man who lived the same way he drove his motorcycles and cars: fearlessly, ruthlessly, and at top speed. After a lifetime of fast cars, women, and drugs, McQueen took a surprising detour. In this book, Laurie thoughtfully interviews Steve McQueen's friends, co-stars, associates, widow, and pastor to tell of the dramatic life-change for the actor in the spring of 1979--six months before McQueen was diagnosed with terminal cancer. What were the critical steps that led McQueen to make such a life-altering decision? Perhaps more importantly, why is that part of his story so rarely told? This book answers these questions. Greg Laurie will follow the seeds of Christianity that were sown throughout McQueen's improbable life where a Light finally shone into the darkness of his troubled life. These seeds miraculously germinated, allowing McQueen to see that redemption through Jesus Christ is a lasting truth more glittering and real than any magic of the entertainment industry.

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I believe hugely in advertising and blowing my own trumpet, beating the gongs, drums, to attract attention to a show, Phineas Taylor Barnum wrote to a publisher in 1860. "I don't believe in 'duping the public,' but I believe in first attracting and then pleasing them." The name P.T. Barnum is virtually synonymous with the fine art of self-advertisement and the apocryphal statement, "There's a sucker born every minute." Nearly a century after his death, Barnum remains one of America's most celebrated figures. In the Selected Letters of P.T. Barnum, A.H. Saxon brings together more than 300 letters written by the self-styled "Prince of Humbugs." Here we see him, opinionated and exuberant, with only the rarest flashes of introspection and self-doubt, haggling with business partners, blustering over politics, and attempting to get such friends as Mark Twain to endorse his latest schemes. Always the king of showmen, Barnum considered himself a museum man first and was forever on the lookout for "curiosities," whether animate or inanimate. His early career included such outright frauds as Joice Heth, the "161-year-old nurse of George Washington," and the Fejee Mermaid-the desiccated head and torso of a monkey sewn to the body of a fish. Although in later years he projected a more solid, respectable image-managing the irreproachable "legitimate" attraction Jenny Lind, becoming a leading light in the temperance crusade, founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus-much of his daily existence continued to be unabashedly devoted to manipulating public opinion so as to acquire for himself and his enterprises what he delightedly termed "notoriety." His famous autobiography, The Life of P.T. Barnum, which he regularly augmented during the last quarter century of his life, was itself a masterpiece of self-promotion. "Will you have the kindness to announce that I am writing my life & that fifty-seven different publishers have applied for the chance of publishing it," he wrote to a newspaper editor, adding, "Such is the fact-and if it wasn't, why still it ain't a bad announcement." The Selected Letters of P.T. Barnum captures the magic of this consummate showman's life, truly his own "greatest show on earth."

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A revealing, behind-the-scenes examination of how Congress twice fumbled its best chance to hold accountable a president many considered one of the most dangerous in American history. The definitive—and only—insider account of both Trump impeachments, as told by the two reporters on the front lines covering them for The Washington Post and Politico.In a riveting account that flips the script on what readers think they know about the two impeachments of Donald Trump, Rachael Bade and Karoun Demirjian reveal how—and why—congressional oversight failed when it was needed most.Unchecked weaves a vivid narrative of how House Democrats under the lead of a cautious speaker, Nancy Pelosi, hesitated for months to stand up to Trump—and then pulled punches in their effort to oust him in a misguided effort to protect themselves politically. What they left on the cutting room floor would come back to haunt them, as Republicans seized on their missteps to whip an uneasy GOP rank-and-file into line behind Donald Trump, abandoning their scruples to defend a president who some privately believed had indeed abused his power.Even after Trump incited a mob to violently attack the Capitol—a day the authors recount in minute-by-minute, stunning detail — Democrats pressured their own investigators to forego a thorough investigation in the name of safeguarding the Biden agenda. And Republicans, fearful of repelling a base they needed for re-election, missed their best moment to turn their backs on a leader they secretly agreed was destructive to democracy.Sourced from hundreds of interviews with all the key players, the authors of Unchecked pull back the curtain on how both parties pursued political expediency over fact-finding. The end result not only emboldened Trump, giving him room for a political comeback, but also undermined Congress by rendering toothless their most powerful check on a president: the power of impeachment. A dramatic and at times crushing work of investigative reporting, Unchecked is both a gripping page-turner of political intrigue and a detailed case study for historians and political scientists searching for answers about the unravelling of checks and balances that have governed American democracy for centuries.

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