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Sew What! Bags: 18 Pattern-Free Projects You Can Customize to Fit Your Needs
by Lexie BarnesFrom daypacks for hiking to everyday grocery totes, bags are an essential accessory for life on the go. In this inspiring guide, Lexie Barnes shows you how to create handmade bags that provide customized functionality while showcasing your own personal style. With step-by-step instructions for 18 pattern-free projects that include drawstring sacks, handbags, and messenger bags, Barnes encourages you to experiment with bold fabrics, hand-picked materials, and purpose-tailored dimensions to create fashionably unique bags that are suitable for your individual needs.
Sex Comes First: 15 Ways to Help Your Relationship . . . Without Leaving Your Bedroom
by Joel D. Block Kimberly Dawn Neumann"He works too much." "She expects me to know what she's thinking." "We don't trust one another."There's a lot that gets in the way of a happy relationship-work, jealousy, and communication issues, just to name a few. However, one thing definitely brings a couple together: sex. Relationship experts Dr. Joel Block and Kimberly Dawn Neumann teach couples how to use sex to build and strengthen their relationship. This new approach shows couples how to use sexual intimacy to conquer obstacles outside the bedroom. The authors identify fifteen of the most common problems couples run into and offer their sexual solution to each one. Sex Comes First will leave everyone satisfied-in every way possible.
The Shaking Woman, or A History of My Nerves
by Siri HustvedtIn this unique neurological memoir Siri Hustvedt attempts to solve her own mysterious conditionWhile speaking at a memorial event for her father in 2006, Siri Hustvedt suffered a violent seizure from the neck down. Despite her flapping arms and shaking legs, she continued to speak clearly and was able to finish her speech. It was as if she had suddenly become two people: a calm orator and a shuddering wreck. Then the seizures happened again and again. The Shaking Woman or A History of My Nerves tracks Hustvedt's search for a diagnosis, one that takes her inside the thought processes of several scientific disciplines, each one of which offers a distinct perspective on her paroxysms but no ready solution. In the process, she finds herself entangled in fundamental questions: What is the relationship between brain and mind? How do we remember? What is the self? During her investigations, Hustvedt joins a discussion group in which neurologists, psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, and brain scientists trade ideas to develop a new field: neuropsychoanalysis. She volunteers as a writing teacher for psychiatric in-patients at the Payne Whitney clinic in New York City and unearths precedents in medical history that illuminate the origins of and shifts in our theories about the mind-body problem. In The Shaking Woman, Hustvedt synthesizes her experience and research into a compelling mystery: Who is the shaking woman? In the end, the story she tells becomes, in the words of George Makari, author of Revolution in Mind, "a brilliant illumination for us all."
The Shell Country Alphabet: The Classic Guide to the British Countryside
by Geoffrey GrigsonIn the 1960s Geoffrey Grigson travelled around England writing the story of the secret landscape that is all around us, if only we take the time to look and see. The result is a book that will take you on an imaginative journey, revealing hidden stories, unexpected places and strange phenomena. From green men, ice-scratches, cross-legged knights and weathercocks to rainbows, clouds and stars; from place-names and poets to mazes, dene-holes and sham ruins, via avenues, dewponds and village greens, The Shell Country Alphabet will help you discover the world that remains, just off the motorway.'Geoffrey Grigson resurrected the minor, the provincial and the parochial ... [he was] an erudite and unrivalled topographer ... ardent in promoting informed awareness of the distinctiveness of place' Toby Barnard'An anthologist of genius' P.J. Kavanagh
Shoptimism: Why the American Consumer Will Keep On Buying No Matter What
by Lee EisenbergIn this smart, engaging book, Lee Eisenberg, best-selling author of The Number: A Completely Different Way to Think about the Rest of Your Life, leads us on a provocative and entertaining tour of America's love/hate affair with shopping, a pursuit that, even in hard times, remains a true national pastime. Why do we shop and buy the way we do? In a work that will explain much about the American character, Eisenberg chronicles the dynamics of selling and buying from almost every angle. Neither a cheerleader for consumption nor an anti-consumerist scold, he explores with boundless curiosity the vast machinery aimed at inducing us to purchase everything from hair mousse to a little black dress. He leads us, with understated humor, into the broad universe of marketing, retailing, advertising, and consumer and scientific research--an arsenal of powerful forces that combine to form what he calls "The Sell Side." Through the rest of the book, Eisenberg leads us through the "Buy Side" -- a journey directly into our own hearts and minds, asking among other questions: What are we really looking for when we buy? Why are we alternately excited, guilt-ridden, satisfied, disappointed, and recklessly impulsive? What are our biases, need for status, impulses to self-express, that lead us individually to buy what we buy? Are you a classic buyer (your head wants to do the right thing), or a romantic buyer (your heart just wants to have fun)? How do men and women differ in their attitudes towards shopping, and does the old cliche -- "Women shop, men buy" -- apply any longer? Of special interest are the author's findings on the subject of What Makes a Good Buy? We all purchase things that we sooner or later regret, but what are the guidelines for making purchases that we'll never regret? What, for instance, defines the perfect gift? Brimming with wit and surprise, Shoptimism will be delightful and instructive reading for anyone with a credit card and a healthy curiosity about American culture, through good times and bad. For here, in one vivid journey, is a memorable, panoramic portrait of our everyday self-delusions, desires, and dreams.
Showtime: The Inside Story of Fianna Fáil in Power
by Pat LeahyIn boom and in bust, Ireland has been led by Fianna Fáil. Showtime gets behind the party's remarkable dominance of the political landscape and leading political writer Pat Leahy, tells the gripping story of how it won, kept and has used power since the mid-1990s.Showtime explains how Fianna Fáil operated during the boom years - from November 1994, when Bertie Ahern assumed leadership of a battered party, expecting to become Taoiseach but instead finding himself cast into opposition, to the day he relinquished the party leadership on the brink of the bust. For a decade after it achieved power in 1997, Fianna Fáil led the government during an unprecedented economic boom and enjoyed riches beyond the wildest dreams of any previous administration. Showtime reveals how government really worked in these years: the favours, the grudges, the backroom deals, the political strokes, the policy compromises and the choices that have led the country to where it is today.Showtime is politics in the raw: the exciting, enlightening and sometimes disturbing story of a remarkable era that changed the face of modern Ireland.
Shrapnel
by Robert SwindellsIt's the height of World War Two. Britain is being ravaged by bombs and most young men are off fighting. Gordon wishes he was too. Maybe then he wouldn't get bullied for having a cowardly family . . . Gordon's dad didn't serve in World War One, and now his older brother Raymond isn't serving in World War Two - he's gone missing. When Gordon finds a revolver hidden in his house, he tracks Raymond down, but ends up involved in more than he'd bargined for. Raymond enlists Gordon's help to deliver and collect some 'packages'. But is the work actually for the government? And will it have terrible consequences?
Siege of Heaven: (The Crusade Trilogy: III): a powerful, fast-paced and exciting adventure steeped in the atmosphere of the First Crusade
by Tom HarperIf you love Conn Iggulden, Lindsey Davis and Steven Pressfield, you will love this breathtaking historical adventure, brimming with murder, betrayal, bloodshed and romance, from the pen of prizewinning author Tom Harper.'Harper's portrayal of Byzantium and the intrigues that threaten its destruction is vivid and convincing.' -- Sunday Times'Harper effortlessly draws the reader into an unfamiliar time bringing alive the characters and their motivations' -- Publisher's Weekly'A must read' -- ***** Reader review'Superb read. Thoroughly enjoyed it' -- ***** Reader review'A real joy to read. Keeps you wanting to read more, griping and exciting right to the end'-- ***** Reader review*******************************************************************BETRAYAL AND BLOODSHED. WHO WILL CONQUER?August, 1098: after countless battles and sieges, the surviving soldiers of the first crusade are at last within reach of their ultimate goal - Jerusalem. But rivalries fester and new enemies are massing against them in the Holy Land.Demetrios Askiates, the Emperor's spy, has had enough of the crusade's violence and hypocrisy and longs to return home. But when a routine diplomatic mission leads to a deadly ambush, he realises he has been snared in the vast power struggles which underlie the crusade. The only way out now leads through the Holy City.From the plague-bound city of Antioch to the heart of Muslim Egypt, Demetrios must accompany the army of warlords and fanatics to the very gates of Jerusalem.But what awaits him there is an apocalypse of pillage, bloodshed and slaughter...Who will be the victor?Siege of Heaven ends the Crusade trilogy. Have you read The Mosaic of Shadows and Knights of the Cross?
Silent Blade (The World of Kinsmen #1)
by Ilona AndrewsThe World of KinsmenFamily is everything. Talent is power. And revenge is sweet.In a distant, future world Kinsmen—small powerful groups of genetically and technologically advanced families—control vast financial empires. They are their own country, their own rulers, and their only limits are other Kinsmen. The struggle for power is a bloody, full-contact sport: in business, on the battlefield...and sometimes in the bedroom. Old hatreds die hard. Old love dies harder.br>On the planet Rada, Meli Galdes’ family is of minor rank, and were relying on her marriage to Celino, the razor-smart, ruthless leader of the powerful Carvanna empire. When he abruptly breaks their engagement, he ruins her family and guarantees that Meli will never marry, as no suitor will oppose the rich and influential Carvannas. But Meli has a rare, secret, lethal—and valuable—talent. As a melder of energy, she’s capable of severing anything in her path. So she ‘leaves’ her family and trains to become one of the best and most lethal of assassins, all the while covertly guarding her family’s interests. Now she’s ready to quit; but she has one more assignment.To kill the man who ruined her life.
Silver Shark (The World of Kinsmen #2)
by Ilona AndrewsThe World of KinsmenFamily is everything. Talent is power. And revenge is sweet.In a distant, future world Kinsmen—small powerful groups of genetically and technologically advanced families—control vast financial empires. They are their own country, their own rulers, and their only limits are other Kinsmen. The struggle for power is a bloody, full-contact sport: in business, on the battlefield...and sometimes in the bedroom. Claire Shannon is a killer…and her weapon is her mind.Born on a planet torn by war for over 300 years, Claire is a soldier: a psycher, with the ability to read, control, and destroy the minds of enemy psychers and to infiltrate the biological network where they battle to death.When Claire’s faction loses the war, she barely escapes extermination from both sides, as her talent brands her as too dangerous to society. By so-deeply burying her ability that she avoids detection, Claire is instead deported to Rada as a refugee, where she must find work to remain. She finds a job as personal assistant to Venturo Escana, a premiere kinsman; one of Rada’s most wealthy entrepreneurs—and most powerful psychers.She thought she had left war behind, but now she must hide her skills and her growing feelings from Venturo…and this battle might just cost her everything…
Sisters of the Sword: Journey Through Fire (Sisters of the Sword #3)
by Maya SnowSometimes a samurai's most dangerous opponent is herself. Ever since their father's murder, Kimi and Hana have honed their fighting skills and prepared for vengeance against their vicious uncle Hidehira. They have become true warriors with the hearts of samurai. Now their fight has become more than just a personal vendetta. As Hidehira's quest for power continues, he is destroying the province and is poised to invade the rest of the kingdom. After both girls are nearly killed in a fire while fighting their uncle's soldiers, their mother insists on attempting to enlist the support of the Shogun. But at the Shogun's court, the sisters are torn apart by their differences, especially when they rediscover an old friend with a shrouded past. Danger lurks in the most elegant circumstances—behind the smiling face of an aristocrat as well as behind the mask of a ninja—and true peril awaits the sisters where they least expect it. . . .
Sisters of the Sword: Chasing the Secret (Sisters of the Sword #2)
by Maya SnowWe held our weapons ready. I felt power humming through my limbs.Kimi and her sister, Hana, disguised themselves as boys to learn the ways of the samurai—and to prepare themselves to take revenge on the uncle who murdered their father and older brothers. After receiving word that their mother and younger brother are alive and in hiding, the sisters set off on a treacherous journey to find them. But giving up is not an option—if they fail, they will lose the last of their family forever.Don't miss any of Kimi and Hana's adventures!
Size Matters: a witty and warm-hearted comedy from bestselling author Judy Astley
by Judy AstleyFans of Carole Matthews, Jenny Colgan, Lucy Diamond and Milly Johnson will love this uplifting and upbeat comic novel from bestselling author Judy Astley. The perfect dose of escapism!'As irresistible as triple choc fudge cake - with extra cream' -- Mail on Sunday'A witty take on a modern dilemma' -- Woman and Home'You'll love this funny novel' -- Sun'Real wit...The story is so entertaining' -- Scottish Daily Record'A refreshingly good read' -- ***** Reader review'Good fun' -- ***** Reader review'I couldn't put the book down. Great read!' -- ***** Reader review****************************************************************************************Does losing weight make you a happier person?Jay has always envied her cousin Delphine. While Jay was brought up in a large, noisy and chaotic family, Delphine was indulged, perfectly dressed with a co-ordinated bedroom, an immaculate wardrobe, dancing lessons and monogrammed silver-backed hairbrushes.Now Jay lives happily with her architect husband and their three teenage children, running a successful cleaning company and trying to keep some kind of order on her disorderly household, while Delphine has long since disappeared to Australia with her second husband.But Jay does sometimes wonder whether she should be more like her cousin - utterly well-organised and with a seemingly perfect body.So Jay decides to diet. But what should it be? She tries a range, with a variety of successes and failures.But then Delphine reappears, with a third husband in prospect and the same old air of apparently effortless superiority. But Jay never considers that perhaps Delphine is the envious one...
The Sleepyhead's Bedside Companion
by Sean CoughlanThis is a quirky, amusing, information-packed book for all lovers of sleep. It's a celebration of nature's greatest free gift, the perfect companion for the bedside table. It's the book to curl up with before falling asleep.It looks at the history, culture, folklore, language and science of sleep. Did you know that the siesta was once a British tradition? Why do we say 'sleep like a top'? Does counting sheep work? What are the very best sleeps? Who invented pyjamas? If dogs sleep so much, why are they always yawning? What are the best films about sleep? Do today's children have less sleep than Edwardian children? Does booze help or hinder sleep?Not only is sleep a great natural pleasure, it's also essential to good health. The book examines how a lack of sleep is increasingly seen as a health risk.Sleep is also the place of dreams and nightmares. Why are so many dreams the same and what are the archetypal recurring dreams? What is the origin of the word 'nightmare'? And what do Bugs Bunny, the surrealists and Freud have to do with dreaming?Sleep is there to be enjoyed. It's not worth getting into bed for anything else.
So Bright and Delicate: Love Letters and Poems of John Keats to Fanny Brawne
by Jane Campion John KeatsPublished to coincide with the release of the film Bright Star, written and directed by Oscar Winner Jane Campion (The Piano, In the Cut), starring Abbie Cornish (Elizabeth: The Golden Age) and Ben Whishaw (Brideshead Revisited, Perfume)John Keats died aged just twenty-five. He left behind some of the most exquisite and moving verse and love letters ever written, inspired by his great love for Fanny Brawne. Although they knew each other for just a few short years and spent a great deal of that time apart - separated by Keats' worsening illness, which forced a move abroad - Keats wrote again and again about and to his love, right until his very last poem, called simply 'To Fanny'. She, in turn, would wear the ring he had given her until her death. So Bright and Delicate is the passionate, heartrending story of this tragic affair, told through the private notes and public art of a great poet.
So Long At The Fair: a compelling saga of one woman’s search for fulfilment that you won’t be able to put down…
by Jess FoleyIf you like Catherine Cookson, Dilly Court and Katie Flynn, then this absorbing, moving and highly emotional saga from much loved author Jess Foley is perfect for you. A wonderful coming of age saga you'll want to revisit time and time again...'A jolly good read... Abbie is a great character, buffeted by fate but a powerful woman of her time' -- Susan Sallis'Jess has really captured the sense of a family united against great odds. Her heroine, Abbie, is strong but flawed as all good heroines should be and as we follow her triumphs and trials we see her change from a girl to a woman in the most dramatic and satisfying of ways' -- Iris Gower'Compulsive and well-paced' -- Wiltshire Times'Couldn't put it down' -- ***** Reader review'I have read this book over and over and never get tired of reading it.' -- ***** Reader review'Lovely read!' -- ***** Reader review*****************************************************************************LOVE, PASSION AND THE STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE...Growing up in a small Wiltshire village, Abbie Morris has always known what lies ahead of her - a dull and dismal life of drudgery. Matters get worse when Abbie is twelve and their emotional, spirited mother casts them into a crisis for which no one is prepared.Six years later, the Morris family have rebuilt their lives, and when Abbie and Beatie, Abbie's adored elder sister, set off for the county fair, the world seems a good place.But their new-found happiness is short-lived. A chance encounter with Louis, a personable, handsome stranger, has repercussions that threaten to destroy Abbie's peace of mind for ever.Abbie struggles to forget what happened that night and to get on with her life, and when she meets charming, honourable Arthur - and re-encounters Louis - it becomes clear that she might never recover from the night they stayed so long at the fair...
Soldiers and Lovers
by Leslie ThomasIn a sunlit, secret valley in the green mountains of central Italy, two people meet away from the horrors and clamour of battle. David Hopkins, a young fisherman from west Wales and Kate Medhurst, from a genteel town in the Thames Valley, embark upon an idyllic love affair away from the conflict that surrounds them. However, they cannot escape the war forever, and when they are targeted by a single enemy aeroplane their dreams are destroyed.Weeks later, Hopkins wakes up in a Russian hospital in Vienna where he's slowly recovering from serious wounds - with no recollection of the past. Eventually, transferred to an American hospital and then repatriated to Britain, Hopkins reluctantly returns to Wales. And there, alone and haunted by the months he cannot remember, Hopkins embarks upon a journey of rediscovery...
Sonnets
by William ShakespeareINTRODUCTION BY GERMAINE GREERShakespeare's sonnets are lyrical, haunting, beautiful and often breath-taking, representing one of the finest bodies of poetry ever penned. They demonstrate the writer's skill in capturing the full range of human emotions within a carefully prescribed form and creating something unique in every one. Some are familiar - Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? - others unexpected, but together they form an extraordinary meditation on the nature of love, lust, beauty and time.
The Soul Trade
by E E RichardsonWhen Nick Spencer stumbles upon Bargains, the odd little back street shop seems like the perfect place to buy the present he's been searching for. And when the shopkeeper wants to take some of Nick's artwork instead of money for payment, he's even happier.But Nick soon realizes that the deal he's made is not quite the bargain he thought it was. His drawing skills have disappeared, and when he returns to the shop he finds himself trapped into a job he didn't sign up for, collecting debts for the mysterious Mr Grey. As his assignments grow steadily more and more traumatic and the shop takes over more and more of his life, the question becomes not when he'll earn his way out . . . but if he'll ever get out at all.
Speed Shrinking: A Novel
by Susan Shapiro"Proust had a cookie. Susan Shapiro has a cupcake—and a really hilarious book."—Patricia Marx, author of Him, Her, Him Again, the End of HimIn Susan Shapiro's laugh-out-loud funny fictional debut Speed Shrinking, Manhattan self-help author Julia Goodman thinks she's got her addictive personality under control. Then her beloved psychoanalyst moves away at the same time her husband takes off to L.A. and her best friend gets married and moves to Ohio. Feeling lonely and left out, Julia fills in the void with food, becomes a cupcake addict, and blimps out. This is a huge problem—especially since she's about to go on national television to plug her hot new self-help book about how she conquered her sugar addiction. Navigating her insurance network, Julia desperately sees eight shrinks in eight days, speed-dating for Dr. Replacement—or any other new guru—to help shrink back her body and anxiety in time for her close-up.
Spirit of Adventure: Eagle Scouts and the Making of America's Future
by Alvin TownleyAn extraordinary journey alongside America's new generation of Eagle Scouts, who are discovering their purpose and bringing the values of Scouting to the world.Over the past century, Scouts have helped to guide the course of American history. But what does Scouting and the Eagle badge mean to the Scouts of today? How will they shape the future of Scouting and America itself? In Spirit of Adventure, Scouting expert and Eagle Scout Alvin Townley finds the answer.Townley traveled across the country and to the far corners of the globe to meet these young Eagle Scouts. He found them everywhere, continuing the life of adventure and service that they had begun in Scouting. He discovered them in Afghanistan providing medical care to villagers, in Australia saving coral reefs, at the Super Bowl and Olympic venues striving for victory, on desert cliffs and at inner-city schools teaching new lessons, in Africa bringing hope to children, and on the windswept deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz preparing for takeoff.Whether doctors, activists, servicemen, entrepreneurs, or teachers, these young men are changing the world through bold actions that capture the essence of the Scouting tradition. In Spirit of Adventure, Townley answers important questions about the future of Scouting and America, while revealing stories of service, courage, and pure excitement that introduce our nation to an inspiring new generation of leaders.
A Spy in the House (The Agency Mysteries)
by Y. S. LeeRescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan and thief Mary Quinn is offered a place at Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls where she is trained to be part of an all-female investigative unit called The Agency and, at age seventeen, she infiltrates a rich merchant's home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships.
Spy Pups: Treasure Quest (Spy Pups)
by Andrew CopeOur favourite canine secret agent Lara has two brand-new puppies! And they're ready for an adventure at Aunt Aggie's smuggler's cottage, with its creaky floorboards and dark hidden tunnels . . . Especially when there's an ancient castle nearby with a legend of hidden gold.Soon the Spy Pups are sniffing out an underground adventure - can they reach the treasure in time?
St George: Let's Hear it For England!
by Alison MaloneyPope Gelasius, who canonized St George in 494, described him as one of those 'whose names are rightly reverenced among us, but whose actions are known only to God.' The story of England's Patron Saint is so encased in myth and legend that the truth of his remarkable life is unknown to the great majority of us.In many ways the attitude of the English, reflects the many contradictions in the story of St George and the growth of his legend worldwide. A Christian martyr, murdered by a Roman emperor in Palestine, he is a legendary dragon-slayer who saved a virgin princess from sacrifice - but not before insisting her entire town converts to Christianity. Yet he is also the model for mythical Islamic hero Al Khidr. He is the Patron Saint of England but never set foot on English soil and the legend of his knightly deeds came from the imagination of a bishop in Italy. In recent years, through national pride more than religious fervour, the popularity of St George's Day has risen sharply, with more parades, parties and pub get-togethers than we saw in the latter half of the twentieth century.
Stand Up Virgin Soldiers
by Leslie ThomasThe worst has happened. On the eve of their return to Blighty, Brigg and his fellow National Servicemen find themselves sentenced to another six months in Panglin Barracks...Many of the surviving characters from The Virgin Soldiers live again in these pages: dogged Tasker, the odious Sergeant Wellbeloved, the vulnerable Colonel Bromley Pickering and the comically touching Juicy Lucy.But we encounter new characters too: the fanatical and demented Lieutenant Grainger; the endearing Welshman, Morris Morris - strong as a horse but bafflingly buxom; US Private Clay - mysteriously lost in transit by the American Army; and last, but not least, Bernice Harrison, the sporting nurse who threatens to replace the wayward Lucy in Brigg's affections...