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The Back-Up Plan
by Alice Judge-TalbotAt 27 years old, I found myself with a broken down marriage and two children under two to raise on my own. I had no other option than to survive. Nah, scratch that, I needed to thrive. But where would I begin? I wasn't sure if I knew how to live alone, let alone how to boss it solo with a couple of kids in tow. It's been a hell of a journey signposted with dating fails, money worries and ex-husband woes, but when was a Back-up Plan ever straightforward? This book is the one I needed to read in the lonely 3am darkness of an unfixable marriage, lying next to a man I was sure I didn't want to be tied to anymore but whom I was too scared to leave. This book is the one I needed to read when I picked up my first packet of anti-depressants and read Elizabeth Wurtzel's Prozac Nation to feel off-the-cuff and cool (but just felt more depressed). This book is the one I needed to read in the infinitely long days that stretched ahead of me alone with two infants, minimal sleep and no hope. This book is the one I needed to read when shamefully I carted my two toddlers to Boots to pick up my very first Morning After Pill after my very first One Night Stand. This book is the I needed to read when my world was about to fall apart.
Four Princes: Henry VIII, Francis I, Charles V, Suleiman the Magnificent and the Obsessions that Forged Modern Europe
by John Julius Norwich'Never before had the world seen four such giants co-existing. Sometimes friends, more often enemies, always rivals, these four men together held Europe in the hollow of their hands.' The colourful story of the four very different men who created our modern world: Henry VIII, Francis I of France, Charles V of Spain and Suleiman the Magnificent: popular history at its best from John Julius Norwich.Four great princes - Henry VIII of England, Francis I of France, Charles V of Spain and Suleiman the Magnificent - were born within a single decade. Each looms large in his country's history and, in this book, John Julius Norwich broadens the scope and shows how, against the rich background of the Renaissance and destruction of the Reformation, their wary obsession with one another laid the foundations for modern Europe. Individually, each man could hardly have been more different - from the scandals of Henry's six wives to Charles's monasticism - but, together, they dominated the world stage. From the Field of the Cloth of Gold, a pageant of jousting, feasting and general carousing so lavish that it nearly bankrupted both France and England, to Suleiman's celebratory pyramid of 2,000 human heads (including those of seven Hungarian bishops) after the battle of Mohács; from Anne Boleyn's six-fingered hand (a potential sign of witchcraft) that had the pious nervously crossing themselves to the real story of the Maltese falcon, Four Princes is history at its vivid, entertaining best. With a cast list that extends from Leonardo da Vinci to Barbarossa, and from Joanna the Mad to le roi grand-nez, John Julius Norwich offers the perfect guide to the most colourful century the world has ever known and brings the past to unforgettable life.(P) 2017 Tantor
Catching the Wolf of Wall Street: More Incredible True Stories of Fortunes, Schemes, Parties, and Prison
by Jordan BelfortListen to what happened next in the follow-up to the bestselling The Wolf of Wall Street, now a major motion picture directed by MARTIN SCORSESE, starring LEONARDO DICAPRIO, MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, JONAH HILL, JEAN DUJARDIN, KYLE CHANDLER and JOANNA LUMLEY.In the 1990s Jordan Belfort became one of the most infamous names in American finance: a brilliant, conniving stock-chopper. He was THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, whose life of greed, power and excess was so outrageous it could only be true; no one could make this up! But the day Jordan was arrested and taken away in handcuffs was not the end of the madness.Catching the Wolf of Wall Street tells of what happened next. After getting out of jail on $10 million bail he had to choose whether to plead guilty and act as a government witness or fight the charges and see his wife be charged as well. he cooperated.With his trademark brash, brazen and thoroughly unputdownable storytelling, Jordan details more incredible true tales of fortunes made and lost, money-making schemes, parties, sex, drugs, marriage, divorce and prison.PRAISE FOR THE WOLF OF WALL STREET'What separates Jordan's story from others like it, is the brutal honesty.' - Leonardo DiCaprio'Raw and frequently hilarious.' - The New York Times'Reads like a cross between Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities and Scorsese's Goodfellas ... Laugh-out funny.' - The Sunday Times(P)2009 Blackstone Audio Inc.
Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life
by Gretchen RubinSocial media powerhouse and New York Times bestselling author of THE HAPPINESS PROJECT, Gretchen Rubin turns her attention homewards - an entertaining and thoughtful mix of literature, memoir and psychology sure to appeal to her huge fan base.In The Happiness Project, she worked out general theories of happiness. Here she goes deeper on factors that matter for home, such as possessions, marriage, time and parenthood. How can she control the cubicle in her pocket? How might she spotlight her family's treasured possessions? And it really was time to replace that dud toaster.And what does she want from her home? A place that calms her, and energises her. A place that, by making her feel safe, will free her to take risks. Also, while Rubin wants to be happier at home, she wants to appreciate how much happiness is there already.So, starting in September (the new January), Rubin dedicates a school year - September through May - to making her home a place of greater simplicity, comfort and love. Each month, Rubin tackles a different theme as she experiments with concrete, manageable resolutions - and this time, she coaxes her family to try some resolutions, as well. With her signature blend of memoir, science, philosophy and experimentation, Rubin's passion for her subject jumps off the page, and reading just a few chapters of this book will inspire readers to find more happiness in their own lives. (P)2018 Penguin Random House LLC
The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life's Perfection
by Michael A. SingerMichael A. Singer, author of The Untethered Soul, tells the extraordinary story of what happened when, after a deep spiritual awakening, he decided to let go of his personal preferences and simply let life call the shots. As Singer takes you on this great experiment and journey into life's perfection, the events that transpire will both challenge your deepest assumptions about life and inspire you to look at your own life in a radically different way.Spirituality is meant to bring about harmony and peace. But the diversity of our philosophies, beliefs, concepts, and views about the soul often leads to confusion. To reconcile the noise that clouds spirituality, Michael Singer combines accounts of his own life journey to enlightenment - from his years as a hippie-loner to his success as a computer program engineer to his work in spiritual and humanitarian efforts - with lessons on how to put aside conflicting beliefs, let go of worries, and transform misdirected desires. Singer provides a road map to a new way of living not in the moment, but to exist in a state of perpetual happiness.(P)2015 Random House Audio
My Stroke of Insight
by Jill Bolte TaylorThe international bestseller and recommended by medics, patients and the NHS, this is a brain scientist's personal experience of a stroke. It tells of her journey and gives rare insight into human consciousness and its possibilities for all of us.On the morning of the 10th December 1996, Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven-year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist experienced a massive stroke when a blood vessel exploded in the left side of her brain. A neuroanatomist by profession, she observed her own mind completely deteriorate to the point that she lost the ability to walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life, all within the space of four hours. As the damaged left side of her brain - the rational, logical, detail and time-oriented side - swung in an out of function, Taylor alternated between two distinct and opposite realities: the euphoric Nirvana of the intuitive and emotional right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace; and the logical left brain, that realized Jill was having a stroke and enabled her to seek help before she was lost completely. In My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey, Taylor brings to light a new perspective on the brain and its capacity for recovery that she gained through the intimate experience of awakening her own injured mind. The journey to recovery took eight years for Jill to feel completely healed. Using her knowledge of how the brain works, her respect for the cells composing her human form, and an amazing mother, Taylor completely repaired her mind and recalibrated her understanding of the world according to the insight gained from her right brain that December morning.(P)2008 Penguin Audiobooks
Chest Pain: A man, a stent and a camper van
by Michael HardingIn late 2018, Michael Harding was in a hotel room in Blanchardstown experiencing severe pains in his chest. He eventually phoned an ambulance and was admitted to hospital, suffering from an acute heart attack. Here, in Chest Pain, he looks at the months before the heart attack when he kept the signs of failing health from his beloved and instead retreated into solitude -- and with his own inimitable style and humour takes us with him through the months after a stent had been inserted in his heart, where he travels the roads of Donegal in a camper van in a journey back to the beloved, and to himself.Chest Pain is a thought-provoking, spell-binding memoir about togetherness and what it means to be alive.
Dear Madam President: An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World
by Jennifer PalmieriDEAR MADAM PRESIDENT is an empowering letter from former White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri to the first woman president, and by extension, to all women working to succeed in any field. By using lessons learned during her experiences with Hillary Clinton, President Obama, and Elizabeth Edwards--to name a few--Palmieri through each chapter creates a forward-thinking framework of inspirational and practical advice for all women everywhere--from boardrooms to living rooms--who are determined to seize control of their lives, their workplaces, and their country. DEAR MADAM PRESIDENT will turn the results of the 2016 election into something incredibly empowering for future female leaders and independent thinkers everywhere.We haven't wrapped our heads around what it should look like for a woman to be in the job of President. Our only models are men. This of course was seen during the Hillary Clinton campaign, and no one knows this better than Jennifer Palmieri. While wildly disappointed by the outcome of the election, Palmieri optimistically argues in the book that the Clinton candidacy and all she experienced on the campaign trail--confusion, admiration, hate, love, acceptance, rejection--can now open the country up to reimagining women in leadership roles. And that is what Palmieri takes on in this book--redefining expectations for women looking to lead and creating a blueprint for women candidates and leaders to follow.(P)2018 Hachette Audio
The Awakened Family: How to Raise Empowered, Resilient, and Conscious Children.
by Dr Shefali TsabaryDr Shefali teaches us how to control our expectations, embrace the present moment, and let go of the anxiety surrounding how best to parent our children.Become the awakened parent you've always wanted to be and watch your children thrive.All parents have aspirations for their children but for some these hopes turn into unrealistic expectations. In many cases, this puts huge amounts of pressure on children and has the potential to cause real harm, hindering your child's development. Challenging modern myths on how kids should be, Dr Shefali helps parents recognise children for who they truly are instead of holding onto society's impossible ideals.Drawing on Eastern philosophy as well as Western psychology, Dr Shefali offers enlightened, practical advice and explains her radically transformative plan which guarantees that you have confident children and a calm and emotionally connected family.(P)2017 Penguin Random House Audio
Love Without End: A Story of Heloise and Abelard
by Melvyn BraggA profoundly thought-provoking, moving novel that breathes fresh life into one of history's most remarkable and enduring love stories. Paris in 1117. Heloise, a brilliant young scholar, is astonished when the famous, radical philosopher, Peter Abelard, consents to be her tutor. But what starts out as a meeting of minds turns into a passionate, dangerous love affair, which incurs terrible retribution. Nine centuries later, Arthur is in Paris to recreate the extraordinary story of Heloise and Abelard in a novel. To his surprise, his daughter visits and agrees to help, challenging his portraits of a couple who seem often inscrutable, sometimes breathtakingly modern. It soon emerges she is on her own mission to discover more about her parents' fractured relationship - and that Arthur's connection to his subject is more emotional than he cares to admit.(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
What is Beautiful in the Sky: A book about endings and beginnings
by Michael Harding'In these strange days Michael Harding's route taking and wise words gently nudge us towards the future, steadying us as we navigate the great unknowns ahead' Joe Duffy The bestselling new book from acclaimed writer and Irish Times columnist. It's dawn and in the early morning light, Michael Harding is walking in his garden in the hills above Lough Allen in Leitrim, dreaming of the new beginning in Donegal he had planned before the world changed in the early months of 2020. Here, in his stunning and intimate new book, we travel with Michael through this day as he looks back at a life lived within, and as part of, the Irish landscape. In doing so, he vividly brings to life what is at the heart of Irish identity: storytelling, love and human connection. With honesty, insight and tenderness, he shows that while everything has changed, that which is important remains the same; and how, in this new world, we can live with hope and faith in everything that is beautiful in the sky. What is Beautiful in the Sky is an account of our times: a record of our past and a promise of new beginnings. 'This morning is special. The air is cleaner than it used to be. Birds sing with a deeper resonance. The apple trees shed their petals and fatten their fruit with an astonishing defiance; as if nature itself carried a coded message; everything will be OK in the end. Hope may seem lost with each new death but love has become more visible in every hospital corridor in the world."Let's begin again."
Meditation For Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-To Book
by Dan HarrisABC News anchor Dan Harris used to think that meditation was for people who collect crystals, play the pan pipes, and use the word namaste without irony. After he had a panic attack on live television, he went on a strange journey that ultimately led him to become one of meditation's most vocal public proponents. <p><p>Science suggests that meditation can lower blood pressure, mitigate depression and anxiety, and literally rewire key parts of the brain, among numerous other benefits. And yet there are millions of people who want to meditate but aren't actually practising. What's holding them back? <p><p>In this guide to mindfulness and meditation for beginners and experienced meditators alike, Harris and his friend Jeff Warren, embark on a cross-country quest to tackle the myths, misconceptions, and self-deceptions that stop people from meditating. They rent a rock-star tour bus and travel across the US, talking to scores of would-be meditators, including parents, police officers, and even a few celebrities. They create a taxonomy of the most common issues ("I suck at this," "I don't have the time," etc.) and offer up science-based life hacks to help people overcome them. <p><p>The book is filled with game-changing and deeply practical meditation instructions. Amid it all unspools the strange and hilarious story of what happens when a congenitally sarcastic, type-A journalist and a groovy Canadian mystic embark on an epic road trip into America's neurotic underbelly, as well as their own.
Elevation
by Stephen KingSet in Castle Rock, ELEVATION is moving story about a man whose mysterious affliction brings a small town together.Castle Rock is a small town, where word gets around quickly. That's why Scott Carey wants to confide only in his friend Doctor Bob Ellis about his strange condition: he's losing weight, without getting thinner, and the scales register the same when he is in his clothes or out of them, however heavy they are. Scott also has new neighbours, who have opened a 'fine dining experience' in town, although it's an experience being shunned by the locals; Deidre McComb and her wife Missy Donaldson don't exactly fit in with the community's expectations. And now Scott seems trapped in a feud with the couple over their dogs dropping their business on his lawn. Missy may be friendly, but Deidre is cold as ice.As the town prepares for its annual Thanksgiving 12k run, Scott starts to understand the prejudices his neighbours face and he tries to help. Unlikely alliances form and the mystery of Scott's affliction brings out the best in people who have indulged the worst in themselves and others.From master storyteller Stephen King, our 'most precious renewable resource, like Shakespeare in the malleability of his work' (Guardian), comes this timely, upbeat tale about finding common ground despite deep-rooted differences. Compelling and eerie, Elevation is as gloriously joyful (with a twinge of deep sadness) as 'It's a Wonderful Life.' (P)2018 Simon & Schuster Audio
Flight or Fright: 17 Turbulent Tales Edited by Stephen King and Bev Vincent
by Stephen King Bev Vincent Michael Lewis Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Richard Matheson Ambrose Bierce E.C. Tubb Tom Bissell Dan Simmons Cody Goodfellow John Varley Joe Hill David Schow Ray Bradbury Roald Dahl Peter Treemayne James L. DickeyFasten your seatbelts for an anthology of turbulent tales curated by Stephen King and Bev Vincent.This exciting new collection, perfect for airport or aeroplane reading, includes an original introduction and story notes for each story by Stephen King, and brand new stories from Stephen King and Joe Hill.Stephen King hates to fly.Now he and co-editor Bev Vincent would like to share this fear of flying with you.Welcome to Flight or Fright, an anthology about all the things that can go horribly wrong when you're suspended six miles in the air, hurtling through space at more than 500 mph and sealed up in a metal tube (like - gulp! - a coffin) with hundreds of strangers. All the ways your trip into the friendly skies can turn into a nightmare, including some we'll bet you've never thought of before... but now you will the next time you walk down the jetway and place your fate in the hands of a total stranger.Featuring brand new stories by Joe Hill and Stephen King, as well as fourteen classic tales and one poem from the likes of Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, Roald Dahl, Dan Simmons, and many others, Flight or Fright is, as King says, "ideal airplane reading, especially on stormy descents... Even if you are safe on the ground, you might want to buckle up nice and tight."Book a flight for this terrifying new anthology that will have you thinking twice about how you want to reach your final destination.Contents:Introduction by Stephen KingCargo by E. Michael LewisThe Horror of the Heights by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleNightmare at 20,000 Feet by Richard MathesonThe Flying Machine by Ambrose BierceLucifer! by E.C. TubbThe Fifth Category by Tom BissellTwo Minutes Forty-Five Seconds by Dan SimmonsDiablitos by Cody GoodfellowAir Raid by John VarleyYou Are Released by Joe HillWarbirds by David J. SchowThe Flying Machine by Ray BradburyZombies on a Plane by Bev VincentThey Shall Not Grow Old by Roald DahlMurder in the Air by Peter TremayneThe Turbulence Expert by Stephen KingFalling by James L. DickeyAfterword by Bev Vincent(P)2018 Simon & Schuster Audio
A Brightness Long Ago
by Guy Gavriel KayInternationally bestselling author Guy Gavriel Kay's latest work is set in a world evoking early Renaissance Italy, with an extraordinary cast of characters.In a chamber overlooking the nighttime waterways of a maritime city, a man looks back on his youth and the people who shaped his life. Danio Cerra's intelligence won him entry to a renowned school, though he was only the son of a tailor. He took service at the court of a ruling count - and soon learned why that man was known as The Beast.Danio's fate changed the moment he recognized Adria Ripoli as she entered the count's chambers one night - intending to kill. Born to power, Adria had chosen a life of danger - and freedom - instead.Other vivid figures share the story: a healer determined to defy her expected lot; a charming, frivolous son of immense wealth; a religious leader more decadent than devout; and, affecting these lives and many more, two mercenary commanders, whose rivalry puts a world in the balance. A Brightness Long Ago offers both compelling drama and deeply moving reflections on the nature of memory, the choices we make in life, and the role played by the turning of Fortune's wheel.(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton LimitedPraise for Guy Gavriel KayPraise for Guy Gavriel Kay 'The greatest living author of epic fantasy' Brandon Sanderson 'Contemporary fiction's finest fantasist' Tor.com 'History and fantasy rarely come together as gracefully or readably as they do in the novels of Guy Gavriel Kay' Washington Post 'One of the (if not the) premiere fantasists of our time' The Financial Times 'Compulsively readable . . . Kay is a global phenomenon . . . a storyteller on the grandest scale' Time Magazine (Canada)(P) 2019 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
The Book of Two Ways: A Novel
by Jodi PicoultOrder Jodi Picoult's stunning new novel about life, death, and missed opportunities. THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'A writer the world should be reading right now.' IndependentWho would you be, if you hadn't turned out to be the person you are now? Dawn is a death doula, and spends her life helping people make the final transition peacefully. But when the plane she's on plummets, she finds herself thinking not of the perfect life she has, but the life she was forced to abandon fifteen years ago - when she left behind a career in Egyptology, and a man she loved. Against the odds, she survives, and the airline offers her a ticket to wherever she needs to get to - but the answer to that question suddenly seems uncertain. As the path of her life forks in two very different directions, Dawn must confront questions she's never truly asked: what does a well-lived life look like? What do we leave behind when we go? And do we make our choices, or do our choices make us?Two possible futures. One impossible choice. ----------------------------------------------------------------'It is hard to exaggerate how well Picoult writes.' Financial Times 'A matchless talent for hitting emotional notes.' Irish Times'A wise, cerebral, propulsive adventure . . . eruditely spans the worlds of Egyptology, university physics and end-of-life care, while never losing sight of its high-stakes human story . . . a captivatingly immersive, multilayered, painstakingly researched and impressively realised exploration of deeply human geographies.' The Sunday Times'This complex, time-shifting romance combines moral hazard with Wuthering Heights echoes and degree-level Egyptology. And there aren't many books you can say that about.' Daily Mail
The Scarlet Pimpernel
by Baroness OrczyA brand new, unabridged recording of Baroness Orczy's classic tale of adventure, read by Julian Rhind-Tutt.Paris, 1792. The Terror has begun. Every day, scores of the French nobility are delivered to the guillotine. Trapped in the capital, they have no way of escape. But rumours abound of a league of young English gentlemen who are risking their lives to spirit French aristocrats away to safety across the Channel. Led by a man known only as the 'Scarlet Pimpernel', they leave no trace behind them save a single note. Determined to stop them, ruthless spymaster Chauvelin travels to England and embarks on a quest to uncover the identity of their leader, forcing the Scarlet Pimpernel and his men to summon all their courage and wits to evade capture and stay alive. (P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
The Extraordinaries (The Extraordinaries)
by T J KluneIn Nova City, there are extraordinary people, capable of feats that defy the imagination. Shadow Star protects the city and manipulates darkness, and Pyro Storm is determined to bring the city to its knees using his power over fire. And then there's Nick who . . . well, being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right? Instead of fighting crime, Nick contends with a new year at school, a father who doesn't trust him, and a best friend named Seth, who may or may not be the love of Nick's short, uneventful life. It should be enough. But after a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City's mightiest hero (and Nick's biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he'll do it with or without Seth's reluctant help . . . Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl meets Brandon Sanderson's Steelheart in TJ Klune's YA debut: a queer coming-of-age story about a fanboy with ADHD and the heroes he loves.(P) 2020 Macmillan Audio
Flash Fire (The Extraordinaries)
by T J KluneFlash Fire is the explosive sequel to The Extraordinaries by USA Today bestselling author TJ Klune.The explosive sequel to The Extraordinaries by USA Today bestselling author TJ Klune.Nick landed himself the superhero boyfriend of his dreams, but with new heroes arriving in Nova City it's up to Nick and his friends to determine who is virtuous and who is villainous. Which is a lot to handle for a guy who just wants to finish his self-insert bakery AU fanfic.'Uproariously funny!' Sophie Gonzales, author of Only Mostly Devastated'The most down-to-earth book about superheroes I've ever read' Mason Deaver, bestselling author of I Wish You All the Best(P) 2021 Macmillan Audio
Walk With Your Wolf: Unlock your intuition, confidence & power with walking therapy
by Jonathan HobanNature is our greatest healer. It's time to start walking and reclaim the wildness in all of us.Walking is a way to get you to listen to yourself openly and honestly, without all the noise that our endless inner critic inflicts upon us.When did you last take a walk? Not a stroll to the shops, or to the pub, but a walk that got you energised, stimulated your senses, allowing you to de-stress? If the answer is that you'd love to walk, but don't have the time, there really are more reasons to get outside than you might think.When we walk we find the space to process our feelings and we begin to have the courage to be vulnerable and honest with ourselves. Walking awakens the intuition that helps us face up to our difficulties and walk alongside them, enabling us to find positive solutions to our problems. Our ancestors knew all about movement - they walked across the planet, understanding nature and learning to respect and work in harmony with it. Written by a London-based therapist, Walk with your Wolf is part memoir, part self-help and part reflection on the connection we must re-establish with our natural, intuitive selves if we are to live healthy, fulfilling lives. Offering practical advice and exercises on how to walk and think as a method of confronting difficult emotions, this book will allow you to reconnect with your intuition, confidence and power.(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
Snowflakes over Moon Cottage: Hope Meadows, Book 4 (Animal Ark Revisited #4)
by Lucy DanielsThe fourth novel in the heartwarming, countryside-set Hope Meadows series.It's Christmas-time in the little Yorkshire village of Welford, and the first snowflakes are just starting to fall. As far as Susan Collins is concerned, this Christmas is all about quality time with her family, especially her son Jack. After a string of terrible dates she's given up on love, and Susan's certainly got plenty to keep her busy. That is, until she meets handsome children's author Douglas Macleod. Dishevelled in appearance with bright red hair he is the opposite of Susan's usual type, but an undeniable spark soon lights up between them. But then Michael Chalk, Jack's father, turns up on the scene wanting to be a family again - and Susan finds herself torn. With snow settling on the ground and the big day fast approaching, who will Susan and Jack be choosing to spend Christmas at Moon Cottage with this year? Hope Meadows is based on the globally bestselling Animal Ark series. Perfect for fans of Katie Fforde, Heidi Swain and Cathy Bramley.*****Praise for the Hope Meadows series**'A stunning, emotional, beautiful tale of friendship and love' Books of All Kinds'Just the right amount of nostalgia... wonderful and very poignant' - The World is a Book Blog'Will leave you feeling cosy and uplifted' - Goodreads'An adorable read [with] a real sense of village community' Bookworms and Shutterbugs(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
The Ninth Metal: The Comet Cycle Book 1 (The Comet Cycle #1)
by Benjamin PercyFrom award-winning author Benjamin Percy comes an explosive, breakout speculative thriller in which a powerful new metal arrives on Earth in the wake of a meteor shower, triggering a massive new 'gold rush' in the Midwest and turning life as we know it on its head. The first of a cycle of novels set in a shared universe. It might have been the end of days. Instead it was the beginning of something shockingly new. They called the comet Cain, after the astronomer who discovered it. It passed 500,000 miles from Earth. We were spared planetary destruction and granted a light show like no other. But, one year later, Earth span into the debris field left by the comet and a meteor storm struck. Roads, buildings and even a small town were annihilated.The meteors impacted heavily around the dying mining town of Northfall, Minnesota. It was the night of a mysterious double murder, the deed overshadowed by the discovery that the burning remains of the rock contained an unknown substance more precious than gold: the Ninth Metal. And with that discovery, everything changed.Benjamin Percy is an award-winning novelist, celebrated comic books writer and author of the Wolverine podcast. The Ninth Metal is the first of a cycle of novels set in a shared universe. (P) 2021 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Rugby: The Perfect Gift for Rugby Fans
by Ian RobertsonIan Robertson joined the BBC during the golden age of radio broadcasting and was given a crash course in the art of sports commentary from some of the greatest names ever to sit behind a microphone: Cliff Morgan and Peter Bromley, Bryon Butler and John Arlott. Almost half a century after being introduced to the rugby airwaves by his inspiring mentor Bill McLaren, the former Scotland fly-half looks back on the most eventful of careers, during which he covered nine British and Irish Lions tours and eight World Cups, including the 2003 tournament that saw England life the Webb Ellis Trophy and "Robbo" pick up awards for his spine-tingling description of Jonny Wilkinson's decisive drop goal.He reflects on his playing days, his role in guiding Cambridge University to a long spell of Varsity Match supremacy and his relationships with some of the union code's most celebrated figures, including Sir Clive Woodward and Jonah Lomu. He also writes vividly and hilariously of his experiences as a horse racing enthusiast, his meetings with some of the world's legendary golfers and his dealings with a stellar cast of sporting outsiders, from Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor to Nelson Mandela. It is a hugely entertaining story that begins in a bygone rugby age, yet has much to say about the game in the here and now.
Rugby: 47 Years of Fun with the BBC
by Ian RobertsonIan Robertson joined the BBC during the golden age of radio broadcasting and was given a crash course in the art of sports commentary from some of the greatest names ever to sit behind a microphone: Cliff Morgan and Peter Bromley, Bryon Butler and John Arlott. Almost half a century after being introduced to the rugby airwaves by his inspiring mentor Bill McLaren, the former Scotland fly-half looks back on the most eventful of careers, during which he covered nine British and Irish Lions tours and eight World Cups, including the 2003 tournament that saw England life the Webb Ellis Trophy and "Robbo" pick up awards for his spine-tingling description of Jonny Wilkinson's decisive drop goal.He reflects on his playing days, his role in guiding Cambridge University to a long spell of Varsity Match supremacy and his relationships with some of the union code's most celebrated figures, including Sir Clive Woodward and Jonah Lomu. He also writes vividly and hilariously of his experiences as a horse racing enthusiast, his meetings with some of the world's legendary golfers and his dealings with a stellar cast of sporting outsiders, from Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor to Nelson Mandela. It is a hugely entertaining story that begins in a bygone rugby age, yet has much to say about the game in the here and now.
Animal Matters: Diary of an Inner City Vet
by Charlotte Rea'Heartwarming and hilarious' Telegraph'With as many horrifying stories as heart-warming ones, this is a fascinating look at the year in the life of a vet at a London animal charity hospital. There are some proper belly laughs as well as some insights that will truly stick with you.' - Alexandra Heminsley, GraziaAn unusual 'dalmation', a TV star with cancer, an out of control budgie. Charlotte Rea has seen them all, and more. Animal Matters is Charlotte's diary of real-life cases written during a one year of her work as a veterinary surgeon in a 24-hour inner-city London animal charity. The diary reveals the reality of working as a vet, how it can be both emotional and amusing, one minute you can be consoling an owner on the loss of their much-loved pet, the next trying to catch an escaped budgie. Charlotte mixes deeply sad moments with amusing and unimaginable ones along with more detailed accounts and reflections back on her training and the experiences she has come up against over the decade since she graduated. Throughout the book you will get to know both the animals and the people and how close the bond between us can be. Charlotte also discusses contemporary issues in veterinary medicine such as animal euthanasia, RSPCA welfare cases, mental health issues within the veterinary profession, ethical concerns around pedigree dog breeding and the laws on dangerous dogs. Animal Matters is a moving and heartwarming book about the unconditional love between animals and humans.