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It's a Wonderful Word: The Real Origins of Our Favourite Words
by Albert JackDid you know that an assassin is a hashish-eater and a yokel a country woodpecker? That Dr Mesmer mesmerised patients back to health or that Samuel Pepys enjoyed a good game of handicap? While we're at it, what have spondulics to do with spines or lawyers with avocados?In It's a Wonderful Word, bestselling author Albert Jack collects over 500 of the strangest, funniest-sounding and most delightful words in the English language, and traces them back to their often puzzling origins. While brushing up on your gibberish or gobbledygook, discover why bastards should resent travelling salesmen, why sheets should remain on tenterhooks and why you should never set down a tumbler before finishing your drink.From blotto to bamboozle and from claptrap to quango, Albert Jack's addictive anecdotes bring the world's most colourful language to life and are guaranteed to surprise and entertain.
A Home for Alice: A gritty, heartwarming family saga for fans of Poldark
by Gloria CookAll she wants is a roof over her head...After her plans to elope with her married lover fall through, Rachel Kivell is broken-hearted, and saddened that she must remain in her small Cornish mining town, with all of its dark secrets.But her brooding is put to an end when the loving but childlike Alice Bowden turns up on her doorstep. Poor orphaned Alice has nowhere to go, but Rachel cannot see herself taking on the responsibilities of a child. Can she put her worries aside, or will Alice never find a place to call home? Note: Previously published as All in a Day
I Saw Eternity the Other Night: King's College, Cambridge, and an English Singing Style
by Timothy DayThe sound of the choir of King's College, Cambridge - its voices perfectly blended, its emotions restrained, its impact sublime - has become famous all over the world, and for many, the distillation of a particular kind of Englishness. This is especially so at Christmas time, with the broadcast of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, whose centenary is celebrated this year. How did this small band of men and boys in a famous fenland town in England come to sing in the extraordinary way they did in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries?It has been widely assumed that the King's style essentially continues an English choral tradition inherited directly from the Middle Ages. In this original and illuminating book, Timothy Day shows that this could hardly be further from the truth. Until the 1930s, the singing at King's was full of high Victorian emotionalism, like that at many other English choral foundations well into the twentieth century.The choir's modern sound was brought about by two intertwined revolutions, one social and one musical. From 1928, singing with the trebles in place of the old lay clerks, the choir was fully made up of choral scholars - college men, reading for a degree. Under two exceptional directors of music - Boris Ord from 1929 and David Willcocks from 1958 - the style was transformed and the choir broadcast and recorded until it became the epitome of English choral singing, setting the benchmark for all other choral foundations either to imitate or to react against. Its style has now been taken over and adapted by classical performers who sing both sacred and secular music in secular settings all over the world with a precision inspired by the King's tradition.I Saw Eternity the Other Night investigates the timbres of voices, the enunciation of words, the use of vibrato. But the singing of all human beings, in whatever style, always reflects in profound and subtle ways their preoccupations and attitudes to life. These are the underlying themes explored by this book.
In Strength And Shadow: The Mervyn Davies Story
by David Roach Mervyn DaviesFew rugby players have matched the achievements of Welshman Mervyn Davies, the shrewd, gutsy number 8 with the heart of a lion. In what was a remarkable career, he won two Grand Slams, three Triple Crowns, earned thirty-eight consecutive Wales caps, was captain of his national team and played in two victorious Lions tours. From the tail end of the 1960s through the first half of the glorious '70s period, 'Merv the Swerve' - with that mop of black hair and trademark headband - cut an iconic figure in the world's great rugby arenas. Teammates and opponents respected him, fans loved him and he was a natural leader of men both on and off the field.Then, in March 1976, everything changed. Mervyn was leading Swansea in a semi-final cup clash when he suffered a massive brain haemorrhage. He began that fateful Sunday preparing for just another high-profile game but ended it fighting for his life. Wales, and the watching sporting world, could do nothing but wait and hope. And just when the odds seemed stacked irreversibly against him, Mervyn did what he had always done: he beat them. Mervyn's life story is one of what was and what might have been. From locker-room tales to the loneliness of rehabilitation, Mervyn's account is funny, moving and honest. He writes about his many highs and lows, about losing rugby but regaining his life, and shares his thoughts on the days he spent in shadow and in strength.
It's All Going Wonderfully Well
by Rosa Hoskins'Will resonate with any bereaved reader' Daily Mail'A heart-warming memoir' OK‘Laugh. There’s humour to be found everywhere, even in your darkest days there’s something to joke about. Laugh long and loud and make other people laugh. It’s good for you. Whatever you do, always give it a good go. Don’t be afraid of failure and disappointment. If you fall flat on your face then get straight back up. You’ll always regret not trying. Disappointment is temporary; regret is forever. Love with all your heart. In the end, love is the only thing that matters.’These were just some of the lessons that Rosa’s dad, Bob Hoskins, taught her. In the years following his death, they are words that she keeps close to her heart.Remembering the times they shared together and featuring interviews with those who knew and worked with her dad – including Judi Dench, Ray Winstone and Robert Zemeckis – IT’S ALL GOING WONDERFULLY WELL is a revealing portrait of one of the country’s best-loved actors, and a moving story of a close bond between father and daughter.
Home From War: How Love Conquered the Horrors of a Soldier's Afghan Nightmare
by Marnie Summerfield Smith Martyn Compton Michelle ComptonLance Corporal Martyn Compton's life was changed beyond recognition when he was blown up in a Taliban ambush that killed three of his colleagues. His survival was described as a 'miracle', as he suffered third-degree burns to 75 per cent of his body. He endured 15 operations and doctors used shark cartilage as a base for new skin on his face.But he did not have to face this gruelling ordeal alone. From the moment she heard of his near-fatal wounds, Martyn's fiancée Michelle Clifford found an inner strength to help them both face the future. During Martyn's treatment, Michelle kept a diary in which she revealed the innermost thoughts and emotions she wished she could relay to her wounded partner.Home From War gives a rare insight into the story behind the headlines when soldiers die or are injured. It is also the account of Martyn's battle for adequate compensation. This exploration of how one courageous man came to terms with losing his handsome young face cannot fail to inspire.
I Should Be So Lucky: an uplifting and hilarious novel from the ever astute Astley
by Judy AstleyCertain to raise a smile and warm your heart; escape for an afternoon with this gem from Judy Astley. Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Milly Johnson and Trisha Ashley...'Warm, funny and unerringly true to life' - Katie Fforde'A light, enjoyable, well-written read populated by appealing characters you won't be able to resist warming to.' - Sara Lawrence, DAILY MAIL'Frothy fun from an author worth noting' - DAILY EXPRESS******************************************************SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOUR OWN LUCK...Viola hasn't had much luck with men. Her first husband, Marco, companion of her youth and father of her only child, left her when he realised he was gay.Her second, Rhys, ended his high-octane, fame-filled life by driving his Porsche into a wall. No wonder her family always believes she needs looking after, and her friends think she really shouldn't be allowed out on her own. Which is why, at the age of thirty-five, she finds herself back at home, living with Mum.Viola knows she has to take charge, and fast.With a stroppy teenage daughter, a demanding mother, and siblings who want to control her life for her, where is she going to turn?
In Sunshine Or In Shadow: an unmissable and unforgettable novel of friendship and love from bestselling author Charlotte Bingham
by Charlotte BinghamLet million copy and Sunday Times bestselling author Charlotte Bingham sweep you away with this sparkling, moving and emotionally charged novel of the complexities of female friendship. If you like Louise Douglas, Dinah Jefferies and Kristin Hannah, you will love this!"Superbly written...A big, fat, cheering up that brings the magic of childhood reading back to life in an adult world" - DAILY MAIL"Smashing" - Prima"Will satisfy all Bingham's fans" - SUNDAY TIMES"Outstanding" -- ***** Reader review"Another excellent read by Charlotte Bingham" -- ***** Reader review***********************************************************************************EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENTS CAN HAVE LASTING CONSEQUENCES...Brougham is the stateliest of stately homes, but for Lady Artemis Deverill it proves a lonely, loveless place. Eleanor Milligan, born in downtown Boston, knows only poverty and a continuing battle against bullying brothers and a sadistic father.From the moment Artemis and Ellie meet on a liner sailing to Ireland, they are destined to become friends. And when Eleanor's Cousin Rose asks not only Eleanor but also Artemis to stay on at Strand House, County Cork, it marks the start of what is for both of them an idyllic time.But with the arrival of the devastatingly handsome artist, Hugo Tanner, it seems as though nothing will be quite the same.For in the sunlit pre-war summer, all three become emotionally entwined, with startling consequences that threaten to haunt them for the rest of their lives...
It's A Boy Girl Thing
by Anne FinnisIf you've ever wondered what boys really think of girls and what girls really think of boys, this is your chance to find out. Do boys think girls have a better dress sense? Do girls think boys are better at maths and science? And who has the most disgusting habits? Packed full of opinions, from the ridiculous to the frighteningly spot-on, this book might make you mad, it might make you laugh out loud and it will certainly surprise you.
I Want! I Want!
by Vicki FeaverThe title of Vicki Feaver’s remarkable new collection derives from Blake’s illustration of a child standing with one foot on a ladder to the moon, crying ‘I want! I want!’ In the title poem it represents her childhood ambition to be a poet; in another, she rejects pressure towards achievement and longs to return to the sensual world of the earth. This startlingly honest book follows the ladder of a life for seventy-five years, in poems that show how much is connected. Unlocking the voice of a silenced, powerless girl, Feaver writes about an apparently stable childhood which, to her, was painfully insecure: tormented with parental expectations and sibling jealousy, torn between mother and grandmother. The eleven-year-old who wanted to become a poet becomes the woman ‘buried under ice with words burning inside’, who becomes the old woman still ‘searching for words’ – fearful now of memory loss and a failing body.I Want! I Want! is the work of a poet looking for a pattern in her life before it’s too late. Urgent, accessible and deeply moving, this is poetry of witness and survival: a vivid testament to the triumph of a poet’s spirit.
Home in May (Storycuts)
by Su TongYongshan is taking her son back to Licheng to visit relatives, and to see the town where she grew up. But when they get there, all she could find were desolate houses. Even the people on the street seemed not to recognise her. But then, in the rubble of her old neighbourhood, Yongshan finds something to grab hold of - a memento of the past.Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Madwoman on the Bridge.
Homer's Odyssey: An Embiggened Simpsons Guide
by Four Finger DiscountRemember when The Simpsons was the funniest show on television?The Simpsons is the longest running comedy in history. Gracing our screens since 1989, with over 600 episodes, the show is a cultural phenomenon. Whilst it is still drawing huge ratings numbers, there is no argument that during the 90s the show was at its zenith. No other comedy has had as big an impact on society. The Simpsons has influenced the way we communicate with each other. Niche quotes and references have become the secret handshake of millions around the world. In the course of this book, we remember the iconic characters – Hank Scorpio and Lionel Hutz, Rex Banner and Frank Grimes - and we dissect seminal episodes such as Cape Feare, Marge Vs the Monorail and Who Shot Mr. Burns.From celebrity cameos to musical moments, from hidden jokes to insane trivia, this is the essential companion to golden age of The Simpsons. Homer’s Odyssey is a hilarious, intelligent and in-depth analysis of the greatest show on earth. So grab yourself a Flaming Moe, settle in to your groove on the couch, and enjoy our guide to your favourite yellow family.
I Wished For You
by Amy HubermanTHE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER'Poignant and laugh-out-loud funny ... proof not just that Huberman can write, but that she can do so with wit, insight and charm' Irish TimesGrace and Robbie seem destined to be together for ever, but when he unexpectedly goes down on bended knee, Grace freaks out. Cue the mother of all meltdowns.On top of that, Grace is not exactly fulfilled by her job - dressing well-to-do ladies with way more money than style. Cue - in her addled state - losing it in work, with disastrous consequences.Into Grace's train-wreck of a life comes Verity - ex-Hollywood costume lady and vintage clothing queen. Verity has seen it all and done it all and her life makes Grace's look about as exciting as Songs of Praise. Verity tells Grace that the secret of happiness is to discover her 'heart wish'. If only Grace could work out what her heart's greatest wish really is ...Amy Huberman is both a star and a trendsetter, but as a writer she is blessed with an earthy, off-beat and irreverent sense of humour which makes her a gifted and original story teller._______________'Huberman has a light touch, but she handles well the realities of big themes like marital breakdown, defeated ambition' Sunday Independent'So full of feeling and SO funny ... a refreshing and honest take on the true priorities of a modern woman' Dawn O'Porter
In the Absence of Men
by Philippe Besson'An astonishing love story, beautifully told' Time Out'I am sixteen. I am as old as the century'It is 1916. Vincent is sixteen, on the brink of manhood. Vincent is aristocratic and privileged, frequenting the salons of Paris while France is at war and the city almost deserted of men. In that brutal summer, Vincent's beauty and precocity captivate two men: Marcel, thirty years his senior, a writer and celebrated socialite; and Arthur, the twenty-one year old son of one of the servants, who is now a soldier at the front. As both relationships develop Vincent intuitively tries to keep his passions separate, but over the weeks of indolent Parisian summer and far-off war, confidences are made, absences endured, secrets revealed. All of these men will suffer, and Vincent will lose the last vestiges of his childhood innocence. In the Absence of Men is a stunning first novel to discover this pride season: in its daring in representation and celebration of gay sexuality, in the beauty of its prose and in its delicacy of feeling.
It's Earlier 'Tis Getting: The Christmas Book of Irish Mammies
by Colm O'ReganChristmas – a time for peace, joy and Mammies. While others are focusing on Santa/Santy, the school nativity play, the office party and its wild cousin the Twelve Pubs, panicked present shopping and the delicate diplomacy of in-law visiting, the Irish Mammy is mobilized in her war-room – ready for the campaign. Electric blankets have been set to maximum power; cards have been despatched; the turkey has been ordered; the decorations have been retrieved from the Place Where The Decorations Go and the fifth Big Shop (to get breadcrumbs) has been completed. There are homecomings from near and far, new arrivals, drama, bustle, tears and laughter, and Mammy at the heart of it all, directing operations. There’s bound to be something she’s forgotten – but luckily, just like a certain someone, she’s made a list.
Home is Where the Start Is: How Your Family Made You, and How You Can Make Yourself Even Better
by Richard HoganIThe bestselling guide for understanding how your family made you, and how you can make yourself even better. 'Excellent' - Brendan O'Connor, RTÉ Radio One'I loved it' - Síle Seoige, Ready to Be Real * * *Our early years at home are when we lay down the blueprint for being a partner, parent, sibling, friend, colleague, neighbour, and even a citizen. Home is where we become who we are.Even the best of childhoods is imperfect. And if there were difficulties - whether due to simple personality clashes, or issues such as authoritarian parenting, family break-up, illness, loss or addiction - it may be an ongoing struggle to manage our moods and emotions, though we may have no idea why. Psychotherapist Richard Hogan has seen it all when it comes to how the early years shape us - and he knows we can work on ourselves to rewrite the blueprint. In this book he draws on extensive research and thousands of conversations in the therapy room to explain how.Packed full of eye-opening and liberating ideas, fascinating case studies and practical tools, Home is Where the Start Is also includes a remarkable account of Richard's own challenges as a child and teenager. He knows exactly what it's like to face the past squarely, grapple with the legacy of childhood unhappiness and work on creating a better future.Home is Where the Start Is will help you become the best version of yourself you can be. And it is an invaluable source of advice for parents to give your child the best possible start.* * *'Filled with articulate and fundamentally encouraging advice' - Sunday Independent 'A book of hope' - RSVP 'An essential guide for anyone who wants to break free from the cycles of family dysfunction' - Irish Examiner'Refreshing . . . for everyone who's interested in simply living better, with a little more stress and a lot more joy' - Anglo-Celt
Homework Sucks!: A Drivetime Book of Really Useful Information
by Simon MayoCan a crocodile spit? What does the Queen have for dinner? How do you measure a rainbow? Why is q always followed by u?Originally open for children to phone in with their homework issues, these days the ‘Homework Sucks’ segment of Simon Mayo’s award-winning Drivetime show invites listeners of all ages to send in questions they've always wanted to ask. Because the chances are a member of the very clever Radio 2 audience will have an answer. So now all you need to do is learn the contents of this book by heart. We apologize if, in the process, you become:a) smarter b) more interesting c) better at pub quizzes d) all of the aboveGot a question? Got a better answer? Join in! #homeworksucks
Ian McEwan: The Essential Guide (Vintage Living Texts #16)
by Jonathan Noakes Margaret ReynoldsIn Vintage Living Texts teachers and students will find the essential guide to the works of Ian McEwan. This guide will deal with his themes, genre and narrative technique, and a close reading of the texts will be accompanied with likely exam questions, and contexts and comparisons - as well as providing a rich source of ideas for intelligent and inventive ways of approaching the novels.
In the City: A Celebration of London Music
by Paul Du Noyer'A dense and colourful account of one of the most vibrant musical centres in the world, In the City almost puts you on that train to London' GuardianIn this fascinating history of London's music, which was the 2009 Sunday Times 'Music Book of the Year', Paul Du Noyer, critically-acclaimed music writer and founding editor of MOJO, celebrates the people and places that have made London the most exciting and diverse musical city on earth. The West End musicals, Ronnie Scott's jazz club, Abbey Road, mod culture, the Kinks, the Who and the Rolling Stones are just as much a part of London as the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the Routemaster. Du Noyer's captivating book charts the city's music history and landmarks and will appeal to residents, visitors and exiles alike.
It's Marty!
by Marty MorrisseyMarty Morrissey - GAA broadcaster extraordinaire and one of the hardest-working people in show business - has been to every corner of Ireland (and a few interesting ones further afield) in his illustrious career. Everywhere he goes, he makes friends and hears terrific stories - and sometimes he becomes a character in them. Now he's sharing them with us, in a book full of his trademark warmth, wit and energy.Starting with his childhood in the Bronx and west Clare, Marty introduces us to the people and places that have mattered most to him. He takes us through his adventures as a Gaelic footballer and hurler, schoolteacher, and coach of schools teams and underage sides for his beloved club, Kilmurry Ibrickane. And he tells the story of his remarkable rise as a broadcaster, from the back of tractors and trailers flatbed trucks to Croke Park on All Ireland finals days - despite having being told by RTÉ Sport that his voice on an early audition tape was 'too thin, too high-pitched'.Now, having established himself as a beloved figure across the full spectrum of the Irish airwaves, Marty is ready to show us who he really is. It's Marty! is an invitation to join the Marty Party, a rollicking ride through contemporary Irish life and sport, from a true national treasure._______________________'There's a lot of craic and a lot of warmth in it' Newstalk'Fantastic!' 2FM Breakfast'A really good read . . . honest and really funny' Miriam O'Callaghan
Homoeopathic Drug Pictures
by Margaret L TylerNow in its fourth edition, this standard text on homoeopathy highlights different plants and the illnesses that can be treated by them.
Ian Rush - An Autobiography With Ken Gorman
by Ian RushIan Rush is one of the greatest goal scorers of all time. This will be his full and long-awaited autobiography and as such its publication this autumn will be a key event in sports publishing. In it 'Rushie', one of Liverpool's most revered and long-standing players, reveals in depth the trials and triumphs of his career, playing under such great Liverpool managers as Shankly, Paisley, Fagan, Dalglish and Evans; and his thoughts and feelings about fellow players John Barnes, Jamie Redknapp and Robbie Fowler. Aside from Liverpool, Rush takes a frank look at his time playing for home country Wales, where he is the record goal scorer. It will also deal with his views on the game and where it is heading, as well as his own future after playing in the FA Cup Final when he leaves Liverpool at the end of the 1996 season.
In the Danger Zone
by Stefan GatesAward-winning food writer Stefan Gates has travelled the world to investigate how people cook, eat and survive in extreme conditions for the acclaimed BBC television series Cooking in the Danger Zone. He drank radioactive wine with babushkas in Chernobyl, ate fat-tailed sheep with Taliban warlords in Afghanistan, yak's penis with Chinese Communists, civet cat with the Karen rebels deep in the Burmese jungle and rotting walrus with the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic.In this book Stefan takes us on an extraordinary personal journey as he tries to understand a world in crisis, and meets people caught up in war, poverty and environmental disasters. This behind-the-scenes account is hugely entertaining and thought provoking, blending war and food, ethics and emotions, comedy and tragedy.
It's Not About Size: Bigger Brands for Smaller Businesses
by Paul DickinsonAs one of Britain's best-loved brands, Virgin is synonymous with enterprise and business know-how. This series of inspiring and practical business guides has been created with the help of Warwick Business School, one of the world's leading teaching and research instituions in the field of business and management. Warwick's Centre for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises has internationally acclaimed expertise in the subject of entrepreneurship, gained by working closely with start-up and growth-seeking companies, focusing on their practical needs.Branding is one of the most important aspects of marketing for any enterprise. In this straightforward and captivating guide, Paul Dickinson who has worked to define some of the biggest brands in the world, shows how an eye for detail and design can help to re-energise any company or organisation.In this book, you'll find out how simple brand identifiers like colour and 'feel' can make powerful statements about your company, no matter what its size. Paul Dickinson shows how to change the way you think about your company's identity, and how to take simple steps to increase your sales and profits through effective branding and enhanced customer satisfaction. Fascinating case studies demonstrate how the theory has been turned into practical steps - and checklists and action plans will enable you to do the same.
Home of the Gentry
by Ivan TurgenevOn one level the novel is about the homecoming of Lavretsky, who, broken and disillusioned by a failed marriage, returns to his estate and finds love again - only to lose it. The sense of loss and of unfulfilled promise, beautifully captured by Turgenev, reflects his underlying theme that humanity is not destined to experience happiness except as something ephemeral and inevitably doomed. On another level Turgenev is presenting the homecoming of a whole generation of young Russians who have fallen under the spell of European ideas that have uprooted them from Russia, their 'home', but have proved ultimately superfluous. In tragic bewilderment, they attempt to find reconciliation with their land.