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The Owl at the Window: A memoir of loss and hope
by Carl GorhamWinner of Best Memoir at the East Anglian Book Awards'She is dead. She was here just now and she was alive. How can she suddenly be dead? People in history are dead. Old people are dead. Grandparents are dead. Other people are dead. Not people like me. Not this person. The person I was married to. Had a child with. Not the person who was standing next to me. Chatting. Laughing. Being.' Shock is just one of many emotions explored in award-winning TV comedy writer Carl Gorham's account of his bereavement which is by turns deeply moving and darkly humorous.Part love story, part widower's diary, part tales of single parenting, it tells of his wife's cancer, her premature death and his attempts to rebuild his life afterwards with his six -year old daughter. Realised in a series of vivid snapshots, it takes the reader on an extraordinary journey from Oxford to Australia, from Norfolk to Hong Kong through fear, despair, pain and anger to hope, laughter and renewal.The Owl at the Window is a fresh and original exploration of what it means to lose a partner in your forties, and how Carl learned to live again.(P)2017 Hodder & Stoughton
The Oyster Catcher: A warm and witty novel filled with Irish charm
by Jo ThomasIt's sink or swim in the search for love. . . Ebook bestseller The Oyster Catcher is Jo Thomas's first irresistibly feel-good novel, set on the coast of Ireland. 'A world you long to live in with characters you love' Katie Fforde Dooleybridge, County Galway: the last place Fiona Clutterbuck expects to end up, alone, on her wedding night.But after the words 'I do' have barely left her mouth, that's exactly where she is - with only her sequined shoes and a crashed camper van for company.One thing is certain: Fi can't go back. So when the opportunity arises to work for brooding local oyster farmer, Sean Thornton, she jumps at the chance. Now Fi must navigate suspicious locals, jealous rivals and an unpredictable boss if she's to find a new life, and love, on the Irish coast. And nothing - not even a chronic fear of water - is going to hold her back. Join Fi as she learns the rules of the ocean - and picks up a few pearls of Irish wisdom along the way...What readers are saying about The Oyster Catcher:'A fantastic debut novel which was the perfect escapism read; I literally could not put it down and read it at every opportunity I could get''Beautifully written. You feel like you are breathing in the sea air and walking along the sand''A realistic romance with some strong and colourful characters, set in a fascinating, modern Irish coastal community'
The Oyster Catcher: A warm and witty novel filled with Irish charm
by Jo ThomasKindle bestseller The Oyster Catcher is Jo Thomas's first irresistibly feel-good novel, set on the coast of Ireland. 'A world you long to live in with characters you love' Katie FfordeDooleybridge, County Galway: the last place Fiona Clutterbuck expects to end up, alone, on her wedding night.But after the words 'I do' have barely left her mouth, that's exactly where she is - with only her sequinned shoes and a crashed camper van for company.One thing is certain: Fi can't go back. So when the opportunity arises to work for brooding local oyster farmer, Sean Thornton, she jumps at the chance. Now Fi must navigate suspicious locals, jealous rivals and an unpredictable boss if she's to find a new life, and love, on the Irish coast. And nothing - not even a chronic fear of water - is going to hold her back.Join Fi as she learns the rules of the ocean - and picks up a few pearls of Irish wisdom along the way... Glowing praise for The Oyster Catcher:'A warm and witty debut' Carole Matthews'A perfect pearl of a story. I loved it' Milly Johnson'A heart-warming tale full of Celtic charm... What more could you wish for?' Ali McNamara(P)2017 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
The PARTY BIBLE
by Connor Pritchard Dominic RussoHallefrickinlujah, it's here--your ultimate party-planning guide. Forget the stuffy dinner conversations. And the plates of cheese. And the wine (unless it's boxed, or bottled three-buck Chuck). It's time to tap into a powder keg of debauchery. Brought to you by Connor and Dominic, founders of The 5th Year and scholars in the art of the party, this book serves up dozens of out-of-the-box ideas, along with advice on throwing a successful shindig and plenty of suggestions on how to take the shenanigans to the next level. You'll find ridiculously fun ways to get your drink on, like . . . Tour de Franzia:Spandex-clad partiers chant, ?Go, go, go? as their wine-mouthed friends race through boxes of the classy stuff. Brownbag Surprise:Guests have to MacGyver their own costumes out of whatever's inside the brownbag they're given. Fake Wake:It's like a real Irish wake--except even the stiff's drunk. Donkey Punch Dinner Party:Where placing your Cleveland Steamer Meatballs between a bowl of Dirty Sanchez Seven-Layer Dip and a tray of Dutch Oven Biscuits isn't out of place. So ditch the popped-collar polos and wayfarers and move on from the played-out '80s theme. It's time to try something new. And as entertaining as it is instructive, this book is destined to become your gospel whenever you're looking for a good time. The party's on.
The Pain and the Great One
by Judy Blume Debbie Ohi"Sometimes I think Mom and Dad love her more than me."--The Pain "Sometimes I think Mom and Dad love him more than me."--The Great One The Great One thinks her brother, the Pain, is a messy slowpoke who gets dessert even if he doesn't finish dinner. She thinks her parents love him more than they love her. The Pain thinks his older sister, the Great One, is a bossy know-it-all. Just because she's older, she gets to feed the cat and play real songs on the piano. He thinks his parents love her more than they love him. How will they ever find out who is loved more?
The Painspotter's Guide to Broken Britain
by Andrew HolmesWelcome to Broken Britain!MPs are blaming 'The System' for their thieving behaviour. Bankers have burnt through more cash than President Mugabe and still been bailed out. Britain is Broke. Only one thing's going to sort this mess out - some good old-fashioned finger pointing. It's time to take revenge... Painspotting style.Let the Painspotting commence!This book is more effective than Prozac and cheaper than therapy. You may be angry, you may be mad, you may even be institutionalised, but put the baseball bat away, hang up your lynching rope, and let the Painspotting commence!50 of the bestLove them, hate them, blame them, rate them: The Painspotter's Guide to Broken Britain introduces the 50 most frightful characters you'll meet in a financial crisis, so prepare to laugh out loud at the Frightened Fat Cat, the Miserable Middle Class, the Self-help Saddo and many more.
The Pairing
by Casey McQuistonIn #1 New York Times bestselling author Casey McQuiston's latest romantic comedy, two bisexual exes accidentally book the same European food and wine tour and challenge each other to a hookup competition to prove they're over each other—except they're definitely not.Theo and Kit have been a lot of things: childhood best friends, crushes, in love, and now estranged exes. After a brutal breakup on the transatlantic flight to their dream European food and wine tour, they exited each other's lives once and for all.Time apart has done them good. Theo has found confidence as a hustling bartender by night and aspiring sommelier by day, with a long roster of casual lovers. Kit, who never returned to America, graduated as the reigning sex god of his pastry school class and now bakes at one of the finest restaurants in Paris. Sure, nothing really compares to what they had, and life stretches out long and lonely ahead of them, but—yeah. It's in the past.All that remains is the unused voucher for the European tour that never happened, good for 48 months after its original date and about to expire. Four years later, it seems like a great idea to finally take the trip. Solo. Separately.It's not until they board the tour bus that they discover they've both accidentally had the exact same idea, and now they're trapped with each other for three weeks of stunning views, luscious flavors, and the most romantic cities of France, Spain, and Italy. It's fine. There's nothing left between them. So much nothing that, when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot Italian tour guide first, Kit is totally game. And why stop there? Why not a full-on European hookup competition?But sometimes a taste of everything only makes you crave what you can't have.
The Palgrave Handbook of Music in Comedy Cinema
by Emilio Audissino Emile WennekesThis handbook tackles the understudied relationship between music and comedy cinema by analysing the nature, perception, and function of music from fresh perspectives. Its approach is not only multidisciplinary, but also interdisciplinary in its close examination of how music and other cinematic devices interact in the creation of comedy. The volume addresses gender representation, national identities, stylistic strategies, and employs inputs from cultural studies, musicology, music theory, psychology, cognitivism, semiotics, formal and stylistic film analysis, and psychoanalysis. It is organised in four sections: general introductions, theoretical investigations, music and comedy within national cinemas, and exemplary case studies of films or authors.
The Palliser Novels Volume One: Can You Forgive Her?, Phineas Finn, and The Eustace Diamonds (The Palliser Novels)
by Anthony TrollopeThree novels of propriety and politics in Victorian England—the basis for the BBC adaptation.Also known as the Parliamentary Novels, the first three books in Anthony Trollope&’s renowned series follow the lives of an aristocrat, his wife, and the political and social circles in which they move.Can You Forgive Her?: This revealing romp through proper society follows three different women who dare to defy Victorian standards.Phineas Finn: An adventurous Irishman sets out to find his fortune among proper English society—and winds up entering the world of Parliament.The Eustace Diamonds: An ambitious, keenly intelligent woman finds that lying is the easiest way to get through life.
The Pancake Problem (Weenie Featuring Frank and Beans #2)
by Maureen FergusFans of Narwhal and Jelly will love this laugh-out-loud graphic novel: a pancake adventure with Weenie, Frank and Beans featuring wiener dog smooches, a huge pile of stinky brussels sprouts and a whole lot of syrup.Weenie loves his human, Bob. He loves his guinea pig friend Beans and his cat friend Frank. He loves naps, adventures and sharing. In fact, Weenie loves pretty much everything (except brussels sprouts). And Weenie SUPER LOVES pancakes. Maybe too much. When the SuperSonic Pancake Maker malfunctions, Weenie knows exactly what to do! Sort of . . .
The Pancatantra
by Sarma, Visnu Visnu SarmaFirst recorded 1500 years ago, but taking its origins from a far earlier oral tradition, the Pancatantra is ascribed by legend to the celebrated, half-mythical teacher Visnu Sarma. Asked by a great king to awaken the dulled intelligence of his three idle sons, the aging Sarma is said to have composed the great work as a series of entertaining and edifying fables narrated by a wide range of humans and animals, and together intended to provide the young princes with vital guidance for life. Since first leaving India before AD 570, the Pancatantra has been widely translated and has influenced a cast number of works in India, the Arab world and Europe, including the Arabian Nights, the Canterbury Tales and the Fables of La Fontaine. Enduring and profound, it is among the earliest and most popular of all books of fables.
The Panda Problem
by Deborah UnderwoodThe critically adored, New York Times bestselling Deborah Underwood delights with a hilariously meta celebration of storytelling out of control.Every story needs a problem.But Panda doesn't have a problem.Unless . . . Panda is the problem.The New York Times bestselling author of Here Comes the Easter Cat and The Quiet Book loses control of the narrative in the funniest, most exuberant, most kid-delighting way in this adventurous ode to what makes a story--and what makes a story great."Highly entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny."--Kirkus"Supremely silly."--Publishers Weekly"Excellent...Cute, cute book."--School Library Connection"Entertaining...humorous." --BCCB"Kid-friendly...visually appealing...cheeky...adorable."--The Horn Book"Hilarious, inventive...A joyful read aloud." --SLJ, The Classroom Bookshelf
The Papers of Samuel Marchbanks
by Robertson Davies&“Davies introduces us to his alter ego . . . A humorous and insightful picture of postwar Canadian life as seen through the eyes of a delightful eccentric.&”—Library Journal As editor and later publisher of the Peterborough Examiner, Robertson Davies published witty, curmudgeonly, mischievous, and fiercely individualistic columns under the name of his alter ego, Samuel Marchbanks. In 1985, Davies edited and selected from his alter ego&’s observations to bring together previous titles in the Marchbanks bibliography: The Diary (1947), The Table Talk (1949), and Samuel Marchbanks&’ Almanack (1967). Marchbanks opines on politics, on his furnace, on theatre, on the taxman, on trains, on Christmas, on book-banners, on manners, indeed on everything under the sun. Not only this, but Davies&’s copious and quite delectable Notes are &“calculated to remove all Difficulties caused by the passage of Time and to offer the Wisdom, not to speak of Whimsicality, of this astonishing man to the Modern Public, in the most convenient form.&” &“This writing of four decades ago is consistently incisive, insulting, funny, relevant and altogether interesting.&”—The New York Times &“Now this crank of the first order is on full display for the first time in America . . . To explain to his younger American readers such arcana as &‘telegrams&’ and &‘coal-burning furnaces,&’ Davies has added graceful and comic notes that rival the entertaining opinions of Marchbanks himself.&”—South Florida Sun-Sentinel
The Paradise Problem
by Christina LaurenChristina Lauren, the instant New York Times bestselling and &“reigning romance queens&” (PopSugar) of modern classics such as The Unhoneymooners and Love and Other Words, returns with a swoonworthy novel following the buttoned-up heir of a grocery chain and his free-spirited artist ex as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance.Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam &“West&” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she&’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways. Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There&’s just one catch. Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather&’s will, Liam won&’t see a penny until he&’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he&’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he&’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife. But in the presence of his family, Liam&’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.
The Paradox of Vertical Flight
by Emil OstrovskiWhat happens when you put a suicidal eighteen-year-old philosophy student, his ex-girlfriend, his best friend, and his newborn baby in a truck and send them to Grandmas house? This debut novel by Emil Ostrovski will appeal to fans of John Green, Chris Crutcher, and Jay Asher. On the morning of his eighteenth birthday, philosophy student and high school senior Jack Polovsky is somewhat seriously thinking of suicide when his cell phone rings. Jacks ex-girlfriend, Jess, has given birth, and Jack is the father. Jack hasnt spoken with Jess in about nine months--and she wants him to see the baby before he is adopted. The new teenage father kidnaps the baby, names him Socrates, stocks up on baby supplies at Wal-Mart, and hits the road with his best friend, Tommy, and the ex-girlfriend. As they head to Grandmas house (eluding the police at every turn), Jack tells baby Socrates about Homer, Troy, Aristotle, the real Socrates, and the Greek myths--because all stories spring from those stories, really. Even this one. Funny, heart-wrenching, and wholly original, this debut novel by Emil Ostrovski explores the nature of family, love, friendship, fate, fatherhood, and myth.
The Paranoid's Pocket Guide: Hundreds Of Things You Never Knew You Had To Worry About
by Cameron Tuttle“[A] compendium of beyond-Seinfeldian, fear-inducing factlets . . . What if, snorting back laughter while reading it, you rupture a key blood vessel?” —Entertainment WeeklyAre you worried sick? If not, maybe you should be. Because a pair of drawstring sweatpants could bring about your most embarrassing moment. And a toothpick in your sandwich can be the deadliest of weapons. Including hundreds of bizarre-but-true things that can get you, this compact volume will induce nervous page flipping and make even the most snug and secure folks bona fide paranoiacs. Chilling black and white photographs document the everyday items that menace your safety. But whether it’s archibutyrophobia (the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth) or phobophobia (the fear of fear itself) that eventually gets you, don’t be afraid to buy this book. You never know what might happen to you if you don’t.“A new handbook for our times . . . a numbing catalog of afflictions and conditions, possibilities and probabilities of everything that can, and surely will, go terribly, terribly wrong.” —Washington City Paper
The Parasites
by Daphne Du Mauriercontemporary novel set mainly in London, Paris and at the Wyndham family country estate. Du Maurier is familiar with the theatrical world she depicts in this psychological study of a family.
The Parasites (Virago Modern Classics #17)
by Daphne Du MaurierFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA'When people play the game: Name three or four persons whom you would choose to have with you on a desert island - they never choose the Delaneys. They don't even choose us one by one as individuals. We have earned, not always fairly we consider, the reputation of being difficult guests . . .'Maria, Niall and Celia have grown up in the shadow of their famous parents - their father, a flamboyant singer and their mother, a talented dancer. Now pursuing their own creative dreams, all three siblings feel an undeniable bond, but it is Maria and Niall who share the secret of their parents' pasts. Alternately comic and poignant, The Parasites is based on the artistic milieu its author knew best, and draws the reader effortlessly into that magical world.
The Parasites (Vmc Ser. #550)
by Daphne Du MaurierFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA'When people play the game: Name three or four persons whom you would choose to have with you on a desert island - they never choose the Delaneys. They don't even choose us one by one as individuals. We have earned, not always fairly we consider, the reputation of being difficult guests . . .'Maria, Niall and Celia have grown up in the shadow of their famous parents - their father, a flamboyant singer and their mother, a talented dancer. Now pursuing their own creative dreams, all three siblings feel an undeniable bond, but it is Maria and Niall who share the secret of their parents' pasts. Alternately comic and poignant, The Parasites is based on the artistic milieu its author knew best, and draws the reader effortlessly into that magical world.
The Parent Agency
by Jim Field David BaddielA boy travels to an alternate world where kids get to choose their own parents in this zany, internationally bestselling adventure, which combines the be-careful-what-you-wish-for humor of The Chocolate Touch with the classic appeal of Roald Dahl.Barry Bennett is sick of his parents. They're boring, they're too strict, and it's their fault his name is Barry. So he makes a wish for better ones--and is whisked away to the Parent Agency, where kids get to pick out their perfect parents.For Barry, this seems like a dream come true. But as he's about to discover, choosing a new mom and dad isn't as simple as it sounds...The Parent Agency is the first children's book by British author and comedian David Baddiel, and it includes illustrations by Roald Dahl Funny Prize-winning artist Jim Field.
The Parent Plan Part 1 (36 Hours)
by Paula Detmer Riggs36 Hours SerialAs a devastating summer storm hits Grand Springs, Colorado, the next thirty-six hours will change the town and its residents forever....The Parent Plan Part 1As the rains bring mudslides down the mountain at Devil's Butte, little Vicki Sloane is trapped alone in a dark cave. Anxiously waiting while rescuers search for her are her parents, Karen and Cassidy Sloane.Dr. Karen Sloane is used to being in charge and saving lives at the hospital. But she feels shattered and helpless in the face of this disaster. Her only comfort is Cassidy's strong arms. When he accuses Karen of neglecting Vicki, his anger toward her is as chilling as the cold rain.For rancher Cassidy Sloane, family is the most important thing, and all he ever wanted was to take care of his wife and daughter. But does Karen even need him anymore? She seems to care about her patients more than her family, and now Vicki's been put in danger.Will Vicki's accident bring this loving but strong-willed couple together, or drive them further apart?The story continues in The Parent Plan Parts 2 and 3.
The Parent Plan: Part 2 (36 Hours)
by Paula Detmer Riggs36 Hours SerialAs a devastating summer storm hits Grand Springs, Colorado, the next thirty-six hours will change the town and its residents forever....The Parent Plan Part 2Cassidy has been angry and hostile ever since Vicki's accident, blaming Karen for working at the hospital while Vicki needed her. It's causing a rift in their marriage that gets bigger every day. Karen can't face the loneliness anymore of being with a man too frozen inside to love.Is a separation the only way out? And if Karen and Cassidy try to solve their problems apart, how can they ever get back together?The story concludes in The Parent Plan Part 3.
The Parent Plan: Part 3 (36 Hours)
by Paula Detmer Riggs36 Hours SerialAs a devastating summer storm hits Grand Springs, Colorado, the next thirty-six hours will change the town and its residents forever....The Parent Plan Part 3Vicki's accident the night of the storm deepened the cracks in the already fragile marriage of her parents, Karen and Cassidy Sloane.Cassidy buries the pain of his broken relationship in work on his ranch. As past demons resurface, his bottled-up feelings threaten to explode. He knows he's made mistakes, but is it too late to heal his marriage?Vicki needs a father, and Karen misses the strong, loving man she fell in love with. But if this marriage is going to succeed, Karen will need to help Cassidy learn there is no single way to be a loving family.Don't miss the final book in the 36 Hours serial, You Must Remember This by Marilyn Pappano.
The Parent Swap Shop (Early Reader Ser.)
by Francesca Simon Pete WilliamsonEarly Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books. A blue Early Reader is perfect for sharing and reading together. A red Early Reader is the next step on your reading journey.Ava is sick and tired of her parents always telling her what to do. Nag nag nag. Why can't she have the kind of parents that let her eat sweets all day? Or parents who never make her go to bed, or eat vegetables?Then she sees an advert for the Parent Swap Shop, and Ava knows it's time to trade in the old ones for a new and improved Mum and Dad.
The Parent Swap Shop (Early Reader)
by Francesca SimonEarly Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books. A blue Early Reader is perfect for sharing and reading together. A red Early Reader is the next step on your reading journey.Ava is sick and tired of her parents always telling her what to do. Nag nag nag. Why can't she have the kind of parents that let her eat sweets all day? Or parents who never make her go to bed, or eat vegetables?Then she sees an advert for the Parent Swap Shop, and Ava knows it's time to trade in the old ones for a new and improved Mum and Dad.