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Sheetrock & Shellac: A Thinking Person's Guide to the Art and Science of Home Improvement
by David OwenIn a world of extreme makeovers, this book is a thoughtful, adventure-filled, witty look at what the space we live in says about us, the pleasures of home renovation projects great and small, and how home renovation can change our lives. Few things define us as powerfully as the place where we live. The size and location of a house may reveal basic facts about our financial or social status, but it is the personal touches -- a paint color or a homemade desk -- that reflect our aspirations, our tastes, our secret desires. In Sheetrock & Shellac, David Owen recounts his renovation and home construction projects in small-town Connecticut -- from catching the home improvement bug while watching workmen replacing a leaky roof to his first tentative foray into DIY (successfully building an enclosure for a bathroom radiator that had "turned into a sort of low-tech factory for converting splattered urine into odor and dust"). As his skill grows, so does his confidence: replacing a broken light switch turns into wiring an entire room, making bookcases is followed by building an office. Some of the more overly imaginative projects -- for instance, an ambition to install sinks and hot and cold faucets in all the rooms of the house -- never come to fruition but are amusingly recounted for other intrepid home designers. Owen's two-hundred-year-old farmhouse provides numerous occasions for home improvement projects, and layers (literally) of fascination. Owen quickly learns the hard way when to tackle a project himself and when to turn for help. But soon he's so comfortable with the undertaking that he decides to take the big leap from renovation to building a completely new home from the ground up. In this case, Owen decides to build a weekend cabin a mere six miles away from his home. From a discourse on kitchen countertop materials to the complete history of concrete, to a near-disastrous mishap with a tree, a newly constructed roof, and an overzealous chainsaw, Owen's journey through home designing and building proves both enthrallingly educating and hilariously detailed. New Yorker writer Owen's engaging narrative, filled with a wealth of practical information, hands-on tips, and canny insights, explores the ways in which the human processes of construction and renovation leave all the parties transformed. More than a simple how-to, Sheetrock & Shellac is a why-to, a wellspring of savvy advice and encouragement for anyone who has ever contemplated changing their surroundings and changing their life.
Shirley
by Charlotte BronteStruggling manufacturer Robert Moore has introduced labour saving machinery to his Yorkshire mill, arousing a ferment of unemployment and discontent among his workers. Robert considers marriage to the wealthy and independent Shirley Keeldar to solve his financial woes, yet his heart lies with his cousin Caroline, who, bored and desperate, lives as a dependent in her uncle's home with no prospect of a career. Shirley, meanwhile, is in love with Robert's brother, an impoverished tutor - a match opposed by her family. As industrial unrest builds to a potentially fatal pitch, can the four be reconciled? Set during the Napoleonic wars at a time of national economic struggles, Shirley (1849) is an unsentimental, yet passionate depiction of conflict between classes, sexes and generations.
Should You be Laughing at This?
by Hugleikur DagssonHugleikur Dagsson is from Iceland. During the winter in Iceland there are only three hours of daylight. During the summer in Iceland there is no darkness. Iceland’s national drink is called ‘Black Death’. Iceland's national dish is putrefied shark meat. In Iceland this book is a cult-bestseller. The questions you should ask yourself is:Should you be laughing at this?
Shriek: A Novel (The Ambergris Trilogy #2)
by Jeff VanderMeerFrom the author of Borne and Annihilation comes the paperback reissue of his cult classic Shriek: An Afterword.An epic yet personal look at several decades of life, love, and death in the imaginary city of Ambergris—previously chronicled in Jeff VanderMeer’s acclaimed City of Saints and Madmen—Shriek: An Afterword relates the scandalous, heartbreaking, and horrifying secret history of two squabbling siblings and their confidantes, protectors, and enemies.Narrated with flamboyant intensity and under increasingly urgent conditions by the ex-society figure Janice Shriek, this afterword presents a vivid gallery of characters and events, emphasizing the adventures of Janice’s brother Duncan, a historian obsessed with a doomed love affair and a secret that may kill or transform him; a war between rival publishing houses that will change Ambergris forever; and the gray caps, a marginalized people armed with advanced fungal technologies, who have been waiting underground for their chance to mold the future of the city.After reading this introduction to the Family Shriek—part academic treatise, part tell-all biography—you’ll never look at history in quite the same way.
The Sidewalk Artist: A Novel
by Gina Buonaguro Janice Kirk"A fantasia of a double tale skimming through the art capitals of Europe with double muses, double love pursuits, double Raphaels, even double authors, a tale dripping with idealized romantic settings, mystery, art, and a touch of magic, The Sidewalk Artist will keep readers wondering what is real and what is artifice--as fine paintings always do."--Susan Vreeland, author of Girl in Hyacinth BlueWhile in Europe researching her next novel, twenty-something American Tulia Rose falls headlong into a romance with a handsome sidewalk artist. As he takes her on a tour of Europe's artistic treasures, she begins writing the story of the painter Raphael and his secret lover. Yet as her own affair grows deeper, Tulia's sidewalk artist grows more mysterious. Why does he seem so familiar? And what is his connection to the great Renaissance painter? Set in Paris and Italy, this lyrical first novel interweaves two parallel love stories, offering readers a unique view on the research and inspiration that goes into creating historical novels such as The Girl with the Pearl Earring and The Birth of Venus.
A Sign Of The Times: An Adams Family Saga Novel (The Adams Family #28)
by Mary Jane StaplesIt's 1959, and Boots Adams and his wife Polly are at their favourite Camberwell pub when they witness with horror a sudden and vicious attack on the barman, Joe, by a knife-wielding thug. Is this a sign of the times?Is contempt for old traditions and enthusiasm for everything new and fashionable going to threaten the Adams family and their easy-going existence? While Gemma is courted by one of the young men who works for her father, her twin brother James finds himself affected by his girlfriend's intriguing family secrets.And just who is the mysterious new student from Finland who arrives at Gemma's college?
Silken Embrace
by Christina ShellyThe Bigger Picture is a radical and powerful organisation of dominant women intent on turning young men into ultra glamorous she-males to become house maids that serve wealthy women and demanding men. Shelly manages to escape the strict training program and shelters with Mrs Ambrose, a beautiful and glamorous widow who runs a rival academy. But it's not long before thebeautiful and severe agents of the Bigger Picture track her down and return her to captivity,where her erotic torments and re-education continue, with an even greater creativity and extremity than ever before.
Sir Francis Drake
by Dr John SugdenHow well do you know the life of one of Britain’s great maritime heroes? Discover the truth behind a man who remains a legendary figure of history more than four hundred years after his death.Sir Francis Drake’s career is one of the most colourful on record. The most daring of the corsairs who raided the West Indies and Spanish Main, he led the English into the Pacific, and cirumnavigated the world to bring home the Golden Hind laden with Spanish treasure. His attacks on Spanish cities and ships transformed his private war into a struggle for surivival between Protestant England and Catholic Spain, in which he became Elizabeth I's most prominent admiral and marked the emergence of England as major maritime nation.‘Excellent...It deserves to become the standard Drake life. His scholarship is impeccable’ Frank McLynn, Sunday Telegraph
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Legends from the Ancient North)
by Petra Borner'Tomorrow I must set off to receive that blow, to seek out that creature in green, God help me!'J.R.R. Tolkien spent much of his life studying, translating and teaching the great epic stories of northern Europe, filled with heroes, dragons, trolls, dwarves and magic. He was hugely influential for his advocacy of Beowulf as a great work of literature and, even if he had never written The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, would be recognised today as a significant figure in the rediscovery of these extraordinary tales.Legends from the Ancient North brings together from Penguin Classics five of the key works behind Tolkien's fiction.They are startling, brutal, strange pieces of writing, with an elemental power brilliantly preserved in these translations.They plunge the reader into a world of treachery, quests, chivalry, trials of strength.They are the most ancient narratives that exist from northern Europe and bring us as near as we will ever get to the origins of the magical landscape of Middle-earth (Midgard) which Tolkien remade in the 20th century.
Sky Hunters: Operation Southern Cross (Sky Hunters)
by Jack ShaneThe expert, the fearless, the crazy-the most lethal weapon in the U.S. arsenalOnly the best can make it in X-Battalion, the top-secret experimental arm of the U.S. military's TF-160 Nightstalkers. The mavericks and madmen who fly the highest tech attack helicopters make their own rules as they shuttle CIA spooks and Special Ops commandos to high-risk zones -- and leap into the fight without question whenever the need arises.But fresh from a successful mission against a Colombian drug lord, XBat finds itself the target of a new and unexpected enemy: fighter jets from a revitalized Venezuelan air force. A brutal new-age SS is coming alive in this volatile South America powderkeg, with the power to start a war and a terrifying weapon to help them win it. But now they've got XBat's rogue warriors on their tail, who are determined to pursue the growing threat from Caracas to Cuba . . . and eliminate it by any means necessary.
Slave of the Spartans
by Yolanda CelbridgeBen Fraunce goes up to Oxford to read classics, and is sucked into the Society of Spartans: a cult of female domination specialising in the cruel punishment of innocent males, by bare-bottom flogging, and humiliating cross-dressing. When he is allowed by the Spartan dommes to spend his summer vacations on their Greek island, toiling as a naked slave, under their whips, or with his young skirtedbody used to satisfy their most lustful and decadent desires, he at last understands that no male is ever innocent.
The Smelliest Day at the Zoo
by Alan RusbridgerSlap bang in the middle of the hottest day of the year, the zoo’s drains have blocked up and there’s nowhere for the animals' poo to go! Mr Pickles the zoo keeper (who is looking distinctly green) must decide what to do with it all . . . Before the naughty chimps beat him to it!
Snake Eyes (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation #8)
by Max Allan CollinsLuck is on the side of most during the incident at the Four Kings Casino and Hotel, when the simmering tension between two rival biker gangs suddenly boils over into all-out violence -- miraculously, there are only two fatalities despite the hundreds of rounds fired on the casino floor. Called to an out-of-control crime scene -- located outside Las Vegas in the legendary town of Boot Hill -- forensic investigators Gil Grissom, Catherine Willows, Nick Stokes, and Sara Sidle quickly discover that the two casino shootout victims were no innocent bystanders: one was the powerful leader of the Predator gang, and the other a luckless card dealer who may have borne witness to an elaborately staged execution. Meanwhile, back in the glitter of Sin City, CSIs Warrick Brown and Greg Sanders have their own hands full, as the dark side of this desert metropolis is about to wreak havoc on the two investigators via a seemingly endless series of crimes. . . .
The Society Of Sin
by Sian Lacey TaylderAn erotic, Gothic thriller set in rural Dorset in the late 19th Century, a period when educated women were beginning to question their sexuality.The Society of Sin was conceived on a hot and sticky summer's evening inside a mansion house on a large country estate when, after an opium-fuelled night of passion, Lady P and her close friend Samantha Powerstock succumbed to desires they had both repressed for years. Now, a year later, they have invite a select few to join their exclusive association. But only genuine hedonists need apply.Prospective members are interrogated over a sumptuous dinner then given an assignment which they must fulfil. Failure to do so results in instant expulsion and the prospect of being 'named and shamed' in the exclusive circles they currently frequent. However, successful completion of the task opens for them a Pandora's box of pain and pleasure.
The Soldier's Girl (The Adams Family #29)
by Mary Jane StaplesYoung Maisie Gibbs is a conscientious young woman, though life is harder since both her parents passed away. She is relieved when she finds a position as a housemaid in Kensington, under the watchful eyes of the formidable housekeeper, Mrs Carpenter, and she quickly settles in.When she meets a handsome young soldier, she is tempted to give him his marching orders. But gradually Corporal Daniel Adams starts to win her over. When tragedy strikes the Fairfax household, Maisie is lucky she has Daniel to rely on - a good sign of things to come?A delight for fans of the Adams family - the heartwarming story of Daniel and Chinese Lady.
Song of Ireland
by Juilene Osborne-McKnightThe Sons of Mil long held the dream of the Island of Destiny close to their hearts. A dream perhaps, but to these restless, adventuring people it was a shining emerald prize to be won by those who were brave or foolhardy enough to sail to the very ends of the known world. For the Bard Amergin and his people that dream comes true. When they land safely on the shores of this enchanted isle, they know that they have won the favor of their gods. In joy, they begin to build their settlement. Soon it is clear that they are not alone in this green and pleasant land; their fellow inhabitants are the secretive Danu, a people who resonate power and mystery in abundance. As Amergin negotiates with the Danu so that both peoples may peacefully share the island's wealth, he sees their beauty, their wisdom, and their love for the land. And one more thing. Amergin's second sight shows him that the Danu are not human.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Sons of the Oak: (the Runelords, Brotherhood Of The Wolf, Wizardborn, The Lair Of Bones, Sons Of The Oak, Worldbinder, The Wyrmling Horde, Chaosbound) (The Runelords #5)
by David FarlandCertain works of fantasy are immediately recognizable as monuments, towering above the rest of the category. Authors of those works, such as Stephen R. Donaldson, Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind, come immediately to mind. Add to that list David Farland, whose epic fantasy series continues now.The story picks up eight years after the events of Lair of Bones and begins a new chapter in the Runelords saga focusing on Gaborn's son, Fallion. Gaborn, the Earth King, has been traveling far from his home, to strange and unknown places. While beyond the edge of the earth, he finally succumbs to the accelerated aging that comes from all of the endowments he has taken. His death is the signal for a revolution, an attack from the supernatural realms by immensely powerful immortal beings. These forces have discovered that Gaborn's son is the resurrection of an immortal, one whose potential power is so great that he might be able to reorder the entire universe. Fallion's enemies have decided that they must control him, and failing that, destroy him. He is only a child, but he is the heir to Gaborn's kingdom, and so must flee to the ends of the earth to avoid the destruction of all that Gaborn accomplished. One of the mightiest of contemporary fantasy epics continues.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Spiritual Verses
by The Jalaluddin RumiBegun in 1262 AD, Masnavi-ye Ma ‘navi, or ‘spiritual couplets', is thought to be the longest single-authored ‘mystical’ poem ever written. As the spiritual masterpiece of the Persian Sufi tradition, it teaches how to progress to the ultimate goal of the Sufi path - union with God. Jalaloddin Rumi was a poet and a mystic, but he was first a teacher; in these verses he draws the reader into the complexities of human love and separation and explains the path to divine love through the elimination of self-regard and worldly desires. Drawing on diverse sources from bawdy tales and fables to stories of the prophet Mohammed, these verses are brief in expression yet copious in meaning.
Squaddie: A Soldier's Story
by Steven McLaughlinFrom the harsh realities of basic training to post-war chaos in Iraq and knife-edge tension in Northern Ireland, Squaddie takes us to a place not advertised in army recruitment brochures. It exposes the grim reality of everyday soldiering for the 'grunts on the ground'.After the tragic death of his brother, and in the dark days following 9/11, McLaughlin felt compelled to fulfil his lifelong ambition to serve in the army. He followed his late brother into the elite Royal Green Jackets and passed the arduous Combat Infantryman's Course at the age of 31. Thereafter, McLaughlin found himself submerged in a world of casual violence.Squaddie is a snapshot of infantry soldiering in the twenty-first century. It takes us into the heart of an ancient institution that is struggling to retain its tough traditions in a rapidly changing world. All of the fears and anxieties that the modern soldier carries as his burden are laid bare, as well as the occasional joys and triumphs that can make him feel like he is doing the best job in the world.This is an account of army life by someone who has been there and done it.
Stancliffe's Hotel (Penguin Little Black Classics)
by Charlotte Bronte'Reader, if you're ready, so am I.'These witty vignettes, set in Charlotte Brontë's imaginary world of Angria, feature debauched aristocrats, high-society courtesans and the rakish, brooding hero Zamorna, and offer a fascinating insight into Brontë's early writing. One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics' huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.
Starting A Business In Britain: A Comprehensive Guide and Directory
by Brian O'KaneThousands of new businesses are set up each year in Britain, it is a breeding ground for new companies and entrepreneurs - consider the drinks company Innocent, Yo! Sushi or The Iron Bed Company. This guide will help readers increase their chances of emulating these companies' success.• Deciding if you have what it takes• Researching an idea• Writing a business plan• Raising finance• Getting your business up and runningThis revised and updated edition, including a comprehensive directory of organisations and sources to help you on your way, is indispensable for anyone wishing to branch out on their own
The Step Child: A true story of a broken childhood
by Donna Ford Linda Watson-BrownThe true story of Donna Ford, who between the ages of five and eleven was abused by her stepmother Helen. Labelled 'the bastard', the 'little witch' and 'the evil one'; beaten, isolated and afraid to even look at her own reflection, this beautiful little child was told she was lucky to be the victim of abuse - abuse which began as physical and mental, but progressed to the most appalling sexual attacks. Despite an horrendous early life, Donna is now a successful artist and mother of three with an enormous enthusiasm and an optimism which completely belies her experiences.In 2003, Donna watched as her stepmother was found guilty of 'procuring a minor' for sexual abuse and sentenced to two years in prison. Beautifully written and savagely honest, The Step Child is Donna's story. It is an inspiring tribute to the resilience of the human spirit.
Steven Gerrard: My Story
by Steven GerrardSteven Gerrard is a hero to millions as the inspirational captain of Liverpool FC and a key member of the England team. His bestselling autobiography, Gerrard, published in September 2006, is an honest and fascinating account of his life-long obsession with football and the tensions and thrills of playing at the top level.Now the book is available in this abridged version that is perfect for all young football fans.
Stillness Through My Prayers
by Stanislaus KennedyStillness: A deep silence and quiet calm, bringing feelings of peace, solace, contentment and serenity.You may need this book if you have ever felt afraid, unsure, anxious or uncertain...You may need this book if you have ever had sleepless nights, feared the morning, faced difficult decisions, felt worried about the future or craved an answer to life's many mysteries...You may need this book to start to trust and accept, to forgive and let go, with love and peace.In Stillness Through My Prayer, Sister Stan shares simple, profound and calming prayers that she herself uses to help her achieve Stillness - that most elusive and treasured state of mind.
Stop What You’re Doing and Read…Classic Crime: The Adventures And Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes & The Murders in the Rue Morgue
by Arthur Conan Doyle Edgar Allan PoeTo mark the publication of Stop What You're Doing and Read This!, a collection of essays celebrating reading, Vintage Classics are releasing 12 limited edition themed ebook 'bundles', to tempt readers to discover and rediscover great books. THE ADVENTURES AND MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMESA collection of Sherlock Holmes's most memorable and intriguing cases, including adventures with mysterious masked strangers, ingenious heists, murderous plots and hidden jewels, which take the famous detective and his faithful sidekick Dr Watson from the streets of London and the English countryside to a chilling encounter at the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland.THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUEEdgar Allan Poe invented the genre of detective fiction with these three mesmerising stories of a young French eccentric named C. Auguste Dupin: 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue', 'The Mystery of Marie Rogêt' and 'The Purloined Letter'. Poe's short mysteries inspired the creation of countless literary sleuths, among them Sherlock Holmes.Today the unique Dupin stories still stand out as utterly engrossing page-turners.