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Great Rides According to G
by Geraint ThomasAcross the UK, into Europe and further afield, these are the training rides, races and journeys closest to his heart. From one-day classics in the Peak District and Snowdonia to the rolling roads of Tuscany and the wide-open vistas of New Zealand's South Island, these are the routes you'll want to ride alongside Britain's favourite cycling superstar.We ride out with him from his winter home in the south of France, and around his old Tuscan training base as a GB Olympic hopeful at the very start of his career. We take in the valley roads of the Tour de Suisse (overall winner, 2022), and the sinuous coastal roads of Milan - San Remo.We go long in Mallorca and bounce along the short cobbled secteurs of Belgium; we take in the vineyards around Adelaide and the bright blue skies of southern California.And we have guest rides too: from world champion Remco Evenepoel and his favourite winter training ride in Calpe, Spain; around Yorkshire, with Olympic mountain bike champion, world cyclo-cross champion and newly crowned winner of Strade Bianche, Tom Pidcock; in the wilds of western Ireland from champion sprinter Sam Bennett.Twenty rides, twenty adventures you'll never forget. All of this in a small-size hardback that can slide just as easily into your hand luggage as the back pocket of your jersey.
HONEST: The (Uncut) Memoirs of Boris Johnson
by Lucien Young*The memoirs of Boris Johnson, complete and unabridged, including all the great material he had to take out for being either too incendiary or too obviously made up*Ghostwritten by Lucien Young, while Boris was sunbathing on a donor's private island.Offering a comprehensive account of his meteoric rise (and even more meteoric fall) we follow Boris from Eton and the Bullingdon club, via stints in journalism and as London mayor, before finally making it into Number 10 via slick and sophisticated campaign tactics such as lying and hiding in a fridge. It will outline in bonce-combusting detail the up and downs - but mostly ups! - of his tenure in Downing Street, from Getting Brexit Done and battling the Wizards of Woke, to nearly dying because he shook too many hands. This is BoJo as you've never seen him before.
War Dog: The no-man's-land puppy who took to the skies
by Damien Lewis'Damien Lewis is both a meticulous historian and a born storyteller' Lee ChildIn the winter of 1939 in the cold snow of no-man's-land, two loners met and began an extraordinary journey together, one that would bind them for the rest of their lives. One was an orphaned puppy, abandoned by his owners as they fled the approaching Nazi forces. The other, a lost soul of a different sort - a Czech airman, flying for the French Air Force but soon to be bound for the RAF and the country that he would call home.Airman Robert Bozdech stumbled across the tiny German Shepherd after being shot down during a daring mission over enemy lines. Unable to desert his charge, he hid the dog inside his flying jacket as he made his escape. In the months that followed the pair would save each other's lives countless times as they fled France and flew together with Bomber Command; the puppy - which Robert named Ant - becoming the Squadron mascot along the way. Wounded repeatedly in action, shot, facing crash-landings and parachute bailouts, Ant was eventually grounded due to injury. Even then he refused to abandon his duty, waiting patiently beside the runway for his master's return from every sortie.By the end of the war Robert and Ant had become very British war heroes, and Ant was justly awarded the Dickin Medal, the 'Animal VC'. Their story will touch the heart of anyone who understands the bond that exists between one man and his dog.
SÍ SEÑOR: My Liverpool Years - THE LONG-AWAITED MEMOIR FROM A LIVERPOOL LEGEND
by Roberto FirminoA revelatory memoir from Liverpool legend and global football star Bobby Firmino.Master of the no-look goal and Anfield favourite, Roberto 'Bobby' Firmino, signed for Liverpool in July 2015. Over the next eight years - and seven winners' medals - he established himself as one of the club's most important players in recent years for his audacious skill, impressive goal scoring, and beaming smile.Jürgen Klopp saw Firmino as the on-pitch 'engine' that drove the club's counter-pressing strategy and together with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané, Firmino formed a formidable attacking trio. The Kop rewarded Roberto with the ultimate accolade - his own song: 'Sí, Señor, give the ball to Bobby and he will score.' Sí, Señor celebrates Firmino's cherished years in a red shirt and will remind fans why they fell in love with him in the first place.
Human Resource Management: Strategic and International Perspectives
by Jonathan Crawshaw Pawan Budhwar Ann DavisThis popular text treats international, strategic and contemporary issues as central to the study and practice of Human Resource Management. Its practical focus helps you develop the skills needed for the world of work, through learning features such as HRM in Practice, Developing Key Skills and Debating HRM. The fourth edition has been thoroughly updated and brings you: • Case studies which offer a link between theory and practical challenges in the international HR environment • A new chapter on Work-Related Mental Health and Wellbeing • Coverage of cutting-edge topics such as Diversity and Inclusion, Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence and Corporate Social Responsibility • NEW Future Insights and Considering Sustainability features Jonathan R. Crawshaw is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) and Director of Research for the Work and Organisation Department at Aston Business School, Aston University. Pawan Budhwar is the 50th Anniversary Professor of International HRM at Aston Business school. Ann Davis is Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Resourcing and Development at the University of Sydney Business School.
Human Resource Management: Strategic and International Perspectives
by Jonathan Crawshaw Pawan Budhwar Ann DavisThis popular text treats international, strategic and contemporary issues as central to the study and practice of Human Resource Management. Its practical focus helps you develop the skills needed for the world of work, through learning features such as HRM in Practice, Developing Key Skills and Debating HRM. The fourth edition has been thoroughly updated and brings you: • Case studies which offer a link between theory and practical challenges in the international HR environment • A new chapter on Work-Related Mental Health and Wellbeing • Coverage of cutting-edge topics such as Diversity and Inclusion, Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence and Corporate Social Responsibility • NEW Future Insights and Considering Sustainability features Jonathan R. Crawshaw is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) and Director of Research for the Work and Organisation Department at Aston Business School, Aston University. Pawan Budhwar is the 50th Anniversary Professor of International HRM at Aston Business school. Ann Davis is Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Resourcing and Development at the University of Sydney Business School.
Human Resource Management: Strategic and International Perspectives
This popular text treats international, strategic and contemporary issues as central to the study and practice of Human Resource Management. Its practical focus helps you develop the skills needed for the world of work, through learning features such as HRM in Practice, Developing Key Skills and Debating HRM. The fourth edition has been thoroughly updated and brings you: • Case studies which offer a link between theory and practical challenges in the international HR environment • A new chapter on Work-Related Mental Health and Wellbeing • Coverage of cutting-edge topics such as Diversity and Inclusion, Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence and Corporate Social Responsibility • NEW Future Insights and Considering Sustainability features Jonathan R. Crawshaw is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) and Director of Research for the Work and Organisation Department at Aston Business School, Aston University. Pawan Budhwar is the 50th Anniversary Professor of International HRM at Aston Business school. Ann Davis is Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Resourcing and Development at the University of Sydney Business School.
The Letters I Will Never Send: poems to read, to write and to share
by Isabella Dorta'these letters thus far have remained unsent, i want you to change that for me.' Embrace honesty and heal beautifully.In the letters i will never send, TikTok poet Isabella Dorta urges you to leave nothing unsaid and take comfort in moving poems on love, heartbreak, mental health and self-discovery.With beautiful line illustrations and over 100 poems written in the form of confessional letters addressed to the most influential figures in your life:Your younger selfYour future selfYour loverYour bodyYour familyand moreTake the ultimate step. Read, rip out, burn or send the letters out into the world. Write your own and share them with the people in your life. Just don't hold back!
Pageboy: A Memoir: The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller
by Elliot Page#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERINSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Singular' Daily Telegraph'Powerful' New York Times'Vital' i'Vivid… Moving… Juicy' NPR'A profoundly talented writer' Elizabeth Day'Raw, harrowing, and often heartbreaking' LA Times'Written by a sensitive soul' GuardianBefore the world premiere of Juno Elliot Page was on the edge of self-discovery. But with Juno's massive success and his dreams coming true, Elliot found himself trapped by the spotlight and the pressure to perform was suffocating him. Until enough was enough. From chasing down secret love affairs to battling body image and working through his difficult childhood, Pageboy is a beautiful, intimate book about searching for ourselves and our place in the world.'An emotional read, delivered in image-drenched prose.' Washington Post'The emergence of our true selves is all of our life's work. Pageboy helps chart the course.' Jamie Lee Curtis'Pageboy is like listening to a friend... Now is an excellent time to read this humanizing and well-written memoir.' Associated Press
The Trainspotter's Notebook: The unmissable book from TikTok's trainspotting sensation
by Francis BourgeoisThe adventure filled memoir from the world's most beloved trainspotter, TikTok sensation Francis Bourgeois.'Francis is one of the kindest, most genuine people I've met in a long time. His passion and unadulterated happiness is inspiring. I can't wait for more magical adventures with him.' - Joe Jonas'A National Treasure Of The TikTok Age.' - Grazia'Thrashing builds and builds. I look down and pull up my sleeve: I've got goosebumps, making all the hairs on my arm stand on end. I'm absolutely buzzing.' From sleeping in a car to get a good shot of 73962 Dick Mabbutt to trainspotting with Niall Horan, Francis Bourgeois has been on one hell of a ride over the past year. Bringing joy to millions, his epic journeys have highlighted the importance of connecting with your passions.In The Trainspotter's Notebook, Francis shares his greatest trainspotting adventures and takes you with him across the fields and footbridges of Britain, passing through historic terminals and backwater stations in pursuit of tones, thrash and locomotive perfection. Told in his inimitable style, these hilarious and heart-warming tales take you behind the scenes of his most popular videos, and celebrate the places and people of the railway.Are you ready to depart?'Oh for goodness sake, I'm on the wrong platform!'
Spare
by Prince Harry The Duke of SussexIt was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother's coffin as the world watched in sorrow - and horror. As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling - and how their lives would play out from that point on.For Harry, this is that story at last.With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.Prince Harry wishes to support British charities with donations from his proceeds from Spare. The Duke of Sussex has donated $1,500,000 to Sentebale, an organisation he founded with Prince Seeiso in their mothers' legacies, which supports vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana affected by HIV/AIDS. Prince Harry will also donate to the non-profit organisation WellChild in the amount of £300,000. WellChild, which he has been Royal patron of for fifteen years, makes it possible for children and young people with complex health needs to be cared for at home instead of hospital, wherever possible.
Ten Hag: The Biography
by Maarten MeijerGood is not good enough. You have to be even better - Erik ten HagWho is Erik ten Hag? Calm and cool-headed, he ignores critics, follows his own methods and relentlessly pursues perfection on the pitch. His uncanny ability to analyse and solve problems - the 'process' as Ten Hag calls it - has unfailingly led to breakthrough. There is no magic. There is only intelligence at work, personal devotion to players and near-obsessive attention to detail.At Ajax, Ten Hag brooked no dissent and moulded his team into a smoothly operating unit of attack. His team enjoyed an astonishing run, winning three league cups in a row and reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in a quarter of a century. Along the way, they produced some of the brightest and most entertaining football seen in Europe for years.Maarten Meijer's definitive biography follows Erik ten Hag, from his upbringing in the Dutch countryside to his domestic triumphs and European victories. Meijer's book is the ultimate guide to the man with the momentous task of ending a decade of disappointment at Manchester United, and beginning a new era of great and winning football.
Lifescapes: A Biographer’s Search for the Soul
by Ann WroeThe acclaimed biographer and obituarist for The Economist reflects on a career spent pursuing life and capturing it on the page.It is soul that I go looking for. Or, to put it another way, real life.'She's a genius, I believe' HILARY MANTEL'A masterful celebration' JOHN BANVILLE'A rare and beautiful book' KAPKA KASSABOVA'What is life?' asked the poet Shelley, and could not come up with an answer. Scientists, too, for all their understanding of how life manifests, thrives and evolves, have still not plumbed that fundamental question. Yet biographers and obituarists continue to corral lives in a few columns, or a few hundred pages, aware all the time how fleeting and elusive their subject is.In this dazzlingly original blend of memoir, biography, observation and poetry, Ann Wroe reflects on the art and impossibility of capturing life on the page. Through her experiences and those of others, through people she has known, studied or merely glimpsed in windows, she movingly explores what makes a life and how that life lingers after.Animated by Wroe's rare imagination, eye for the telling detail, and the wit, beauty and clarity of her writing, Lifescapes is a luminous, deeply personal answer to Shelley's question.
Nowhere to Run: The ridiculous life of a semi-professional football club chairman
by Jonathan Sayer‘Captures the illogical romance of the sport’ NEW STATESMANEver wondered what it would be like to run your local football club?On the second oldest football pitch in the world, Jonathan Sayer stands atop a beer crate to address the assembled fans. As his initial optimism begins to slip through his fingers, the new chairman of Ashton United starts to realize the scale of the challenge ahead.With a fan-led mutiny on his hands, a star striker on crutches, and a record number of games without a win, Jonathan is forced to make a series of increasingly desperate decisions – from sinking his life savings into an ever-spiralling wage bill to inviting a local priest to perform a late-night exorcism on the pitch.Chronicling the euphoric highs and bitter disappointments of the less glamourous side of the beautiful game, Nowhere to Run is the hilarious, heart-warming tale of life in the hot seat of a non-league football club.‘A glorious chronicle of memorable highs, bitter disappointments and never-ending bills’MIRROR
Babi Yar: The Story of Ukraine's Holocaust
by A. AnatoliThis gripping story of Kyiv during the Second World War told by a young boy who saw it all.'Rightly hailed a masterpiece' Daily Mail'So here is my invitation: enter into my fate, imagine that you are twelve, that the world is at war and that nobody knows what is going to happen next...'When the German army rolled into Kyiv in 1941 the young Anatoli was just twelve years old. He began writing down what he saw in his journals.Within ten days of the invasion, the Nazis had begun their campaign of fear and murder in Ukraine. Babi Yar (Babyn Yar in Ukrainian) was the place where the executions of Jews and many others took place. It was one of the largest massacres in the history of the Holocaust. Anatoli could hear the machine guns from his house.Anatoli’s clear, compelling voice, honesty and determination guide us through the horrors of that time. Babi Yar has the compulsion and narration of fiction but everything recounted here is true.'Extraordinary' Orlando Figes, Guardian'A vivid first-hand account of life under one of the most savage of occupation regimes... A book which must be read and never forgotten' The TimesThis is the complete, uncensored version of Babi Yar - its history written into the text. Parts shown in bold are those cut by the Russian censors, parts in brackets show later additions.
Boris Johnson: The Adventure Where You Take Back Control
by Iain HollingsheadNow that Boris Johnson has left Downing Street to spend more time with his families, you can celebrate/lament his departure with this multiple-choice adventure where you take back control. Packed with 350 million* endings, this is the perfect stocking filler this Christmas.(* - this figure may be misleading).Yes, you are Boris Johnson, about to embark on a quest to fulfil your childhood ambition to be World King, a position so important that you will have to invent it first.It's not going to be easy.You will be entranced by a monster called Trump, bewitched by a sorceress called Carrie, captivated by your backbench Orcs - and royally shafted by a little hobgoblin called Michael Gove.Not everyone wants you to be World King.So watch out for those false turns which see you begging Prince Harry for a job, rotting in a Dubai jail, recruited by the KGB, wandering round Kabul trying to find 150 dogs to rescue, starting WWIII or mistaking wine, cheese, vomit and karaoke for a work event.And try instead to use your magical powers to become the Emperor of this land; the star of the hit musical "Boris on Broadway"; or even the PM who leads Britain back into the EU in 2024.Yes, you are The Neverending Tory.And this is your story.Kids of all ages love The Neverending Tory:"I read the endings where he doesn't become Prime Minister again and again"T. May, age 65, Maidenhead"I have never been Prime Minister, but this book gave me the chance to see what it might be like"J. Corbyn, age 73, The Allotment, North London
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm: The powerful, emotional novel about the temptations of dangerous love
by LAURA WARRELLFinalist of the 2023 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction'Told in a rich array of voices, this gorgeously written debut explores the myriad syncopations of love and desire' Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere'Beautifully and cleverly written...The novel's tender, sensual, enchanting prose entices you into a world of deep longing' Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church LadiesLove is messy. Love can make us feel alive. It can also bring us down. Sometimes we look for it in all the wrong places. This is a novel about longing, desire and dreams; about passion and risk and all the places in between.Maggie is pregnant with Circus Palmer's child. This may be her last chance, but she craves her freedom.Pia is Circus's ex-wife, still in love with the fantasy of the man who conjured jazz tunes for her into the night, but who left many years before.Koko, Circus's daughter, is lost in the maelstrom of teenage years, the confusion of awakening desire and yearning for the father she barely knows.Peach is a barmaid who just wants someone to see the person she is inside.Odessa is on the run from a mistake that can't be undone.And then there's Circus, Circus Palmer, a jazz trumpeter whose moment of glory is fading. Selfish, damaged, scared, perhaps the only person Circus is fooling is himself.Delivered in a lush orchestration of diverse female voices, Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is a provocative and gripping novel about the desire to be loved, and the need to belong.*****'An exceptional debut...This story is an example of how love, in all of its polyrhythms, can sometimes sound like song, and other times like noise. And this book is an example of how a great story can become a bass drum, kicking and thumping in your belly far after it's over. A modern masterpiece.' Jason Reynolds, author of Look Both Ways'Soulful... Elegant, unexpected and wrenching as the "fierce" sounds that emerge from Circus's trumpet . . . Unforgettable' New York Times Book Review'[An] emerging literary superstar . . . This sensual and sensuous debut is a kaleidoscopic character study, a polyphonic riff on the modern-day Casanova from the perspectives of the myriad women in his wake' Oprah Daily'A sultry and subversive debut. Laura Warrell's prose sparkles, but it's what she's got to say about sex and love and being a woman that will take your breath away. This book is a love song, and Warrell knows how to hold all the right notes.' Rachel Beanland, author of Florence Adler Swims Forever'Jazz music is to be played sweet, soft, plenty rhythm,' proclaimed Jelly Roll Morton, and Warrell plays her exceptional first novel with plenty of rhythm and tenderness, delivered in brisk, mordantly gorgeous language' Library Journal'A book about desire and about love, about where these emotions meet and part and sometimes interlace in inescapable ways...a classic in the making.' Brian Castleberry, author of Nine Shiny Objects
Abroad in Japan: The No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller
by Chris BroadTHE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER'Chris Broad explores Japan in all its quirky glory..Endlessly fascinating!'Will Ferguson, author of Hokkaido Highway Blues'Carves a unique path across Japan bringing him into contact with far too many cats, heartening renewal in Tohoku, and even pizza with Ken Watanabe.'Iain Maloney, author of The Only Gaijin in the Village'Fascinating, fact-packed and very funny..An excellent and enjoyable read for the Japan-curious. I loved it and learned a lot.'Sam Baldwin, author of For Fukui's Sake: Two years in rural JapanWhen Englishman Chris Broad landed in a rural village in northern Japan he wondered if he'd made a huge mistake. With no knowledge of the language and zero teaching experience, was he about to be the most quickly fired English teacher in Japan's history?Abroad in Japan charts a decade of living in a foreign land and the chaos and culture clash that came with it. Packed with hilarious and fascinating stories, this book seeks out to unravel one the world's most complex cultures.Spanning ten years and all forty-seven prefectures, Chris takes us from the lush rice fields of the countryside to the frenetic neon-lit streets of Tokyo. With blockbuster moments such as a terrifying North Korean missile incident, a mortifying experience at a love hotel and a week spent with Japan's biggest movie star, Abroad in Japan is an extraordinary and informative journey through the Land of the Rising Sun.Number one Sunday Times bestseller, August 2023
A Head Full of Music: The soundtrack to my life
by Cliff RichardForeword by Bob StanleyOn a sunny Saturday morning in May 1956, a fifteen-year-old, then called Harry Webb, was mooching down Waltham Cross High Street. He heard some music blaring out of a parked car. It stopped him in his tracks.The song was 'Heartbreak Hotel' by Elvis Presley. It sounded like nothing he had ever heard before. In that instant, the schoolboy who was destined to take the hit parade by storm as Cliff Richard fell in love with rock and roll. It gave him the thrill, the purpose and the mission that has shaped his life ever since.Cliff lives in and for music. And with 65 years as a hitmaker, the music filling his head is a broad category. His soundtrack begins by blasting us all back into that first life-changing explosion of rock and also includes great soul soul stars such as Aretha Franklin, longtime colleagues like Elton John, and much-missed close friends Cilla Black and Olivia Newton-John.This book is meaningful to Cliff on many levels. The 30 or so songs here that make up the soundtrack to his life have each moved him deeply, but it's also about the legendary artists he met, and often got to know. He shares those stories and memories with you, too.A Head Full of Music is a vibrant personal journey for Cliff, and it's a joy to accompany him on it. Get wired for sound with him and read on.
The Talk: from the winner of the Pulitzer Prize
by Darrin BellFor readers of The Hate U Give and The New Jim Crow, an urgent graphic memoir on police brutality and anti-Blackness in twenty-first-century Amerikkka'The Ta-Nehisi Coates of comics' Garry Trudeau, creator of Doonesbury'You won't be able to put it down' Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home'I loved this book. You will too' Victor LaValle, author of The ChangelingDarrin Bell was six years old when he had The Talk: his mother told him he couldn't have a realistic water gun. She said she feared for his safety, that police tend to think of little Black boys as older and less innocent than they really are.Through evocative illustrations and sharp humour, Bell examines how The Talk shaped intimate and public moments from childhood to adulthood. While coming of age in Los Angeles - and finding a voice through cartooning - Bell becomes painfully aware of being regarded as dangerous by white teachers, neighbours and police officers, and thus of his mortality. Drawing attention to the brutal murders of African Americans, and showcasing revealing insights and cartoons along the way, he brings us up to the moment of reckoning when people took to the streets protesting the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.And now Bell must decide whether he and his own six-year-old son are ready to have The Talk.
Older and Bolder: My A-Z of surviving almost everything
by Esther RantzenBe bolder as you grow older, and make sure you float above any challenges that threaten to overwhelm you. Multi-award-winning broadcaster, founder of Childline and The Silver Line, campaigner, mother, grandmother and joyous trailblazer of our times, Dame Esther Rantzen dazzles in the glory of getting older and ever bolder.And now in this energising A-Z, she time-travels through her most signi?cant memories, from meeting Princess Diana to creating a national outrage with a mischievous short ?lm about a driving dog, and re?ects with candour and humour on the life lessons she's learned, revealing the hints, hacks and personal philosophies that have been her secrets to surviving almost everything.We may not all achieve what Dame Esther has, but here we can soak up her wisdom, laugh with her, learn from her, embrace the passing years and march boldly on.
A Purposeful Life: What I’ve Learned About Breaking Barriers and Inspiring Change
by Dawn Butler'Dawn Butler is a history-making, game-changing, ceiling-smashing politician.This powerful book offers a fascinating insight into both the personal and political sides of her journey.'Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London'When I was younger my parents taught me to be resilient and my brothers told me to be resistant, and now I think it's time for a revolution. Let's complete the power of three.'The third Black woman ever to be elected as an MP, Dawn Butler is a pioneer who speaks truth to power. Famously ejected from the House of Commons for calling Boris Johnson a liar, Dawn’s sense of purpose has carried her over countless hurdles to help her stand up for what is right and influence transformation, from the Met Police to the NHS.Now, for the first time she recalls the pivotal moments in her life, to give others the courage and conviction to dream big and improve the world around them. Revealing how traditional routes to success and power are outdated, Dawn’s story shows that by celebrating the strength of diverse communities, looking at an issue from all angles and embracing intersectionality, it’s easier than we think to disrupt a broken system.This uplifting and hopeful read shows how anybody can make positive change, even when the world around us feels fractured beyond repair.
Face the Music: My Story
by Alfie BoeThe Sunday Times bestsellerThe intimate and uplifting memoir from one of Britain's most loved singers - this is Alfie, off stage.Bringing his characteristic sense of cheeky humour to the page, in this heartfelt book Alfie describes for the first time the highs and lows of over a decade singing and performing across the world. From personal dinners with Queen Elizabeth II and following in the steps of King of Rock 'n' Roll Elvis in Vegas to mischievous antics with Michael Ball, Alfie's book takes us backstage to witness his brilliant career memories.But this book is also a heartfelt insight to Alfie's unmasked truth for the first time ever. His unflinching honesty reveals not only the success stories, but also the pressures and how, through challenging times, he learned more about himself than he ever thought possible.Laying bare the events that have shaped Alfie into the performer he is today, Face the Music demonstrates to us all that it's not our mistakes that define us - but instead, how we choose to come back from them.
Word Monkey
by Christopher FowlerThis is the memoir Christopher Fowler always wanted to write about 'writing'.It's the story of how a young bookworm growing up in a house where there was nothing to read but knitting pamphlets and motorcycle manuals became a writer - a 'word monkey' - and pursued a sort of career in popular fiction. It's a book full of brilliant insights and sharp observations about the highs and lows and pitfalls and pleasures of his profession and about his favourite (and not-so-favourite) novelists. For would-be writers, Word Monkey is a treasure trove of sage advice on what to watch out for, to approach with caution or, indeed, to avoid at all costs.But woven into this hugely entertaining, inspiring and politely opinionated account of a writer's life is an altogether darker thread. Because in Spring 2020, as the world went into lockdown, Chris was diagnosed with terminal cancer and his world was turned upside down. And yet Word Monkey is anything but a misery memoir. In prose as light as air, he recounts with candour, grace and typically self-deprecating humour what he came to realise would be the final chapter in his story. The result is a deeply moving, often very funny and surprisingly uplifting account of someone suddenly having to confront and come to terms with their own mortality.
Lesbian Love Story: A Queer History of Sapphic Romance
by Amelia Possanza'A RARE TREAT ... UTTERLY FASCINATING' Julia Armfield | 'GORGEOUSLY, QUINTESESSENTIALLY LESBIAN' Lily Lindon | 'THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE' Paula Akpan | 'PASSIONATE' Kate Charlesworth | 'A RADICAL ACT OF QUEER LOVE' Kestral Gaian | 'AN INCREDIBLE, AFFIRMING BOOK' Lois ShearingA TIME MAGAZINE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2023 * A BUZZFEED MOST ANTICIPATED LGBTQ+ BOOK OF 2023 * A ZIBBY MAG MOST ANTICIPATEDLesbian Love Story is a genre-defying history of sapphic romance like no other. On her quest to discovering lesbian role models from the past, Amelia Possanza uncovers seven incredible love stories in the archives. Expertly blending her subjects' own words with richly imagined and vigorously researched moments from recorded archives and other fragments, Possanza weaves together a vivid narrative around the construction of lesbianism. She takes us with her as she uncovers each lesbian's story, yearning and longing alongside them and growing into her own queerness.This is a celebration of women who love women - sapphics - and a paean to those who have long existed outside of traditional definitions of sexuality and gender, defying the confines of heteronormativity. Each of the lesbians in this collection moved through the world in their own way and helped the world. Their stories illuminate a forgotten and demonised history and show us all a new way to understand what love means when there is nothing material to be gained.