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In the Land of Pain (Virago Modern Classics)
by Alphonse DaudetAlphonse Daudet was a highly popular nineteenth-century French novelist, whose work radiated humour and good cheer. Few knew that for his entire adult life he suffered from syphilis, a disease both unmentionable and incurable at the time. What even fewer realised was that he kept an intimate notebook in which he recorded the development and terrifying effects of the disease. Describing a life in pain, and the sometimes alarming treatments he underwent, Daudet's journal is unique for its comic zest, lucid self-examination and stoicism.Translated by the Booker Prize-winning writer Julian Barnes.
Diary of an Ordinary Schoolgirl
by Margaret Forster23 February Results rolling in! Algebra, 6th = 74%. Not bad. Latin = 55% Thrilled! History top = 85% smashing! Geography, disgusting, 2nd = 67%. In 1954 in Carlisle lived an ordinary 15-year-old schoolgirl called Margaret. She would go on to become an acclaimed writer, the author of the novels Georgy Girl and Diary of an Ordinary Woman as well as biographies and memoirs. But this is her diary from that year; her life. Hers might be a lost world, but her daily observations bring it back in vivid, irresistible detail. 7 May Wonderful feat accomplished yesterday by Roger Bannister! At last, the 4 minute mile. Glad an Englishman got it before anyone else. 24 July Bought a pair of shorts – white, very short with two pockets. Super but rather daring!2 September Mum’s coming back on Saturday. Miss her every minute! I'll never marry and have a family -- housekeeping for two for a week is bad enough -- but for life!
The Dilemma
by Abbie TaylorWOULD YOU DO THE WRONG THING FOR THE RIGHT REASONS?When Dawn became a nurse, she took an oath: first do no harm. It's a promise she believes in, and takes seriously. But one day, Dawn is faced with an unimaginable choice and has to decide where the line between murder and mercy is drawn.When she starts receiving threats, Dawn realizes that someone knows her terrible secret . . . and that their silence will come at a price. She risked everything for what she believed was right once before – but will she know when to stop?*previously published as In Safe Hands*
Family History (Virago Modern Classics #No. 234)
by Vita Sackville-WestEvelyn, aged thirty-nine, is an attractive widow living an irreproachable life. Then she meets Miles, fifteen years her junior, and falls passionately in love. But both lovers have strong personalities and passion does not equal happiness. Evelyn, deeply jealous and conventional is shocked at her lover's casual ways and his insistence on working all day. Miles’s love for Evelyn is real but he cannot devote himself wholly to her whims. Vita Sackville-West collides attitudes to work, sex and society in the changing world of the early 1930s.
Heritage
by Vita Sackville-WestRuth Pennistan is a farmer’s daughter, born and brought up in Kent. But her dark hair and eyes belie a forgotten ancestry – a Spanish gypsy grandmother and a passionate inheritance. Malory, the rather strait-laced guest of the family, falls head over heels in love, even whilst Ruth becomes trapped against her will in a drama of love and tragedy with another man. Vita Sackville-West’s first heroine echoes the passions and contradictions of the author's own life.
Grand Canyon
by Vita Sackville-WestThe Second World War has been won - by the Germans. Only America still stands protected by a precarious promise of peace from the Reich. Lester and Helen, strangers staying at the Grand Canyon Hotel in Arizona are united by their memories of a lost England. When the fragile peace shatters, only Lester and Helen can take charge and lead their fellow guests into an uncertain future.
Seducers in Ecuador & The Heir
by Vita Sackville-WestSeducers in Ecuador is the story of Arthur Lomax, every bit the English gentleman in his white ducks and solar topee, enjoying the pleasures of an Egyptian cruise. But with the addition of a pair of blue spectacles to the outfit, Lomax's entire world changes - to alarming, deadly effect.Peregrine Chase in The Heir is the manager of a Wolverhampton insurance company. But when he inherits a moated Tudor house called Blackboys his resistance to change dissolves in the face of its beauty. Under the spell of house and garden, Peregrine's life - and heart - are transformed.
The Amazing Hat Mystery: (Wodehouse Pick-Me-Up)
by P. G. Wodehouse'Wodehouse is a tonic' - New Yorker. A Wodehouse pick-me-up that'll lift your spirits, whatever your mood.Cheaper and more effective than Valium’.*Offers ‘relief from anxiety, raginess or an afternoon-long tendency towards the sour’.*‘Read when you’re well and when you’re poorly; when you’re travelling, and when you’re not; when you’re feeling clever, and when you’re feeling utterly dim.’*Whatever your mood, P. G. Wodehouse, widely acknowledged to be ‘the best English comic novelist of the century’*, is guaranteed to lift your spirits. Why? Because ‘Mr Wodehouse’s idyllic world can never stale. He has made a world for us to live in and delight in.’*How? ‘You don’t analyse such sunlit perfection, you just bask in its warmth and splendour.’**Olivia Williams *Caitlin Moran *Lynne Truss *Sebastian Faulks *Evelyn Waugh *Stephen FryMeet the Young Men in Spats – all members of the Drones Club, all crossed in love and all busy betting their sometimes non-existent fortunes on unlikely outcomes – that's when they're not recovering from driving their sports cars through, rather than round, Marble Arch.These wonderful comic short stories are the essence of innocent fun. Here, you'll encounter some of Wodehouse's favourite characters – and, in 'The Amazing Hat Mystery', one of his favourite stories.Contents:- The Amazing Hat Mystery - Uncle Fred Flits By - Trouble Down at Tudsleigh
Goodbye to All Cats: (Wodehouse Pick-Me-Up) (Travelman Comedy Ser. #No. 2)
by P. G. Wodehouse'Wodehouse is a tonic' - New Yorker. A Wodehouse pick-me-up that'll lift your spirits, whatever your mood.Cheaper and more effective than Valium’.*Offers ‘relief from anxiety, raginess or an afternoon-long tendency towards the sour’.*‘Read when you’re well and when you’re poorly; when you’re travelling, and when you’re not; when you’re feeling clever, and when you’re feeling utterly dim.’*Whatever your mood, P. G. Wodehouse, widely acknowledged to be ‘the best English comic novelist of the century’*, is guaranteed to lift your spirits. Why? Because ‘Mr Wodehouse’s idyllic world can never stale. He has made a world for us to live in and delight in.’*How? ‘You don’t analyse such sunlit perfection, you just bask in its warmth and splendour.’**Olivia Williams *Caitlin Moran *Lynne Truss *Sebastian Faulks *Evelyn Waugh *Stephen FryEver on the lookout for a quick buck, a solid gold fortune, or at least a plausible little scrounge, the irrepressible Ukridge gives con men a bad name. Looking like an animated blob of mustard in his bright yellow raincoat, he invests time, passion and energy (but seldom actual cash) in a series of increasingly bizarre money-making schemes. Shares in an accident syndicate? Easily arranged. Finance for a dog college? It's yours. And if you throw in some cats, flying unexpectedly from windows, and a young man trying ever-more-desperately to impress the family of his latest love, you get a medley of Wodehouse delights in which lunacy and comic exuberance reign supreme.Contents:- Goodbye to All Cats- Ukridge's Dog College- Ukridge's Accident Syndicate
Mulliner’s Buck-U-Uppo: (Wodehouse Pick-Me-Up)
by P. G. Wodehouse'Wodehouse is a tonic' - New Yorker. A Wodehouse pick-me-up that'll lift your spirits, whatever your mood.‘Cheaper and more effective than Valium’.*Offers ‘relief from anxiety, raginess or an afternoon-long tendency towards the sour’.*‘Read when you’re well and when you’re poorly; when you’re travelling, and when you’re not; when you’re feeling clever, and when you’re feeling utterly dim.’*Whatever your mood, P. G. Wodehouse, widely acknowledged to be ‘the best English comic novelist of the century’*, is guaranteed to lift your spirits. Why? Because ‘Mr Wodehouse’s idyllic world can never stale. He has made a world for us to live in and delight in.’*How? ‘You don’t analyse such sunlit perfection, you just bask in its warmth and splendour.’**Olivia Williams *Caitlin Moran *Lynne Truss *Sebastian Faulks *Evelyn Waugh *Stephen FryIn the Angler's Rest, drinking hot scotch and lemon, sits one of Wodehouse's greatest raconteurs. Mr Mulliner, his vivid imagination lubricated by Miss Postlethwaite the barmaid, has fabulous stories to tell of the extraordinary behaviour of his far-flung family: there’s Cyril, the timid interior designer, who finds himself drunkenly playing 'this little piggy' with his beloved's formidable and angry mother's toes - how can that possibly end well?! And then there's Wilfred, who lights on the formula for Buck-U-Uppo, a tonic given to elephants to enable them to face tigers with the necessary nonchalance… Add one of the best Jeeves and Wooster stories and you’ve got a medley of Wodehouse delights in which lunacy and comic exuberance reign supreme.Contents:- Mulliner’s Buck-u-uppo - The Spot of Art- Strychnine in the Soup
The Smile that Wins: (Wodehouse Pick-Me-Up)
by P. G. Wodehouse'Wodehouse is a tonic' - New Yorker. A Wodehouse pick-me-up that'll lift your spirits, whatever your mood.‘Cheaper and more effective than Valium’.*Offers ‘relief from anxiety, raginess or an afternoon-long tendency towards the sour’.*‘Read when you’re well and when you’re poorly; when you’re travelling, and when you’re not; when you’re feeling clever, and when you’re feeling utterly dim.’*Whatever your mood, P. G. Wodehouse, widely acknowledged to be ‘the best English comic novelist of the century’*, is guaranteed to lift your spirits. Why? Because ‘Mr Wodehouse’s idyllic world can never stale. He has made a world for us to live in and delight in.’*How? ‘You don’t analyse such sunlit perfection, you just bask in its warmth and splendour.’**Olivia Williams *Caitlin Moran *Lynne Truss *Sebastian Faulks *Evelyn Waugh *Stephen FryThis collection contains two of the best Jeeves stories, in which the gentleman’s gentleman endeavours to smooth over Bertie Wooster’s relentless haplessness. Add in the story of a private detective who can make the guilty confess simply by smiling at them, told by one of Wodehouse’s greatest raconteurs, and you’ve got an assortment of Wodehouse delights in which lunacy and comic exuberance reign supreme.Contents:- The Smile that Wins- Jeeves and the Song of Songs- The Great Sermon Handicap
The Candies Save Christmas (The\candies Ser.)
by James PattersonNo sugar, no fat.C'mon, take a look!The best Candies ever... Candies in a book!Treat yourself to the sweetest story you'll read this holiday! The Candies save Christmas when they rescue the loneliest, scraggliest little tree from the lot – in a happy ending children will beg to read again and again!Merry Christmas to allBig, medium, and small!
Give Thank You a Try
by James PattersonIn this follow-up to Give Please a Chance, James Patterson once again pays tribute to the magic of a simple phrase: thank you. With just these two little words, children can express their gratitude for everything from yummy ice-cream sundaes to cosy cuddles with kittens.These delightful scenes of appreciation show just how much politeness can make our world a better place.
Tell Him He's Dead
by Tony ParsonsFrom the Number One Bestselling Crime Author, a brilliant new SHORT STORY featuring murder detective Max Wolfe who is haunted by a nightmare of his own making ...As detective Max Wolfe recovers from the injuries sustained in The Murder Bag, a figure from his past comes back into his life: his childhood sweetheart, now stalked and threatened by her violent ex-partner. As Max attempts to protect her, he is haunted by a nightmare of his own: the reappearance of the terrorist he killed with his car at the start of The Murder Bag.Are they visions brought on by the medication Max is taking? Or is he going mad?Or do some people just have to be killed twice? Praise for the DC Max Wolfe series'Tense and human, fast and authentic' Lee Child'A relentless plot, evocative prose and compelling characters conspire to make this a must read' Jeffery Deaver'Great plotting, great characters and at least two eye-widening twists I didn't see coming' Sophie Hannah'I've long been a fan of Tony Parsons' writing. This is brilliant stuff!' Peter James
The Merchant's Prologue and Tale (PDF)
by Geoffrey Chaucer Edited by Sheila Innes Valerie Allen David KirkhamSix-hundred-year-old tales with modern relevance. This stunning full-colour edition from the bestselling Cambridge School Chaucer series explores the complete text of The Merchant's Prologue and Tale through a wide range of classroom-tested activities and illustrated information, including a map of the Canterbury pilgrimage, a running synopsis of the action, an explanation of unfamiliar words and suggestions for study. Cambridge School Chaucer makes medieval life and language more accessible, helping students appreciate Chaucer's brilliant characters, his wit, sense of irony and love of controversy.
Your Second Life Begins When You Realize You Only Have One: The novel that has made over 2 million readers happier
by Raphaelle Giordano---THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER: 2 million copies sold worldwide! A charming, feel-good and universal story of one woman’s journey from boredom and dissatisfaction to happiness and fulfilment - if you liked The Happiness Project, The Little Paris Bookshop or Eat, Pray, Love, you'll love this.At thirty-eight and a quarter years old, Camille has everything she needs to be happy, or so it seems: a good job, a loving husband, a wonderful son. Why then does she feel as if happiness has slipped through her fingers? All she wants is to find the path to joy. When Claude, a French Sean Connery lookalike and routinologist, offers his unique advice to help get her there, she seizes the opportunity with both hands. Camille’s journey is full of surprising adventures, creative capers and deep meaning, as she sets out to transform her life and realize her dreams one step at a time . . .REAL READERS LOVE IT:'Feel good book! Would definitely recommend!''Great book for 40-somethings wanting a change of direction''I'm loving it. Instead of just being a self-help book on well-being or mindfulness, you're actually seeing life through Camille's eyes, learning practical lessons alongside her.''Loved it!!''Perfect.'
Canto Bight (Star Wars): Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi
by Saladin Ahmed Rae Carson Mira Grant John Jackson MillerAs seen in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, welcome to the casino city of Canto Bight. A place where exotic aliens, captivating creatures, and other would-be high rollers are willing to risk everything to make their fortunes. Set across one fateful evening, these four original novellas explore the deception and danger of the lavish casino city. An honest salesman meets a career criminal as a dream vacation turns into the worst nightmare imaginable in a story by Saladin Ahmed. Dreams and schemes collide when a deal over a priceless bottle of wine becomes a struggle for survival as told by Mira Grant. Old habits die hard when a servant is forced into the mad struggle for power among Canto Bight’s elite in a tale by Rae Carson.A deadbeat gambler has one last chance to turn his luck around, all he has to do is survive one wild night as told by John Jackson Miller. In Canto Bight, one is free to revel in excess, untouched from the problems of a galaxy once again descending into chaos and war. Dreams can become reality, but the stakes have never been higher—for there is a darkness obscured by all the glamour and luxury.
I Too Had a Love Story
by Ravinder SinghTHE MULTI-MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER: a heartbreaking true story that has broken records in India and will make you believe in the power of love.++++Not all love stories are meant to have a happy ending . . .I TOO HAD A LOVE STORY is the tender and heartfelt tale of Ravin and Khushi - two people who found each other on a dating website and fell in love . . . until life put their love to the ultimate test.Do love stories ever die? How would you react if a beautiful person came into your life, and then leaves it, forever?Romantic, emotional and sincere, this heartbreaking true story has already touched a million hearts. This is a must-read for anyone who believes in the magic of love.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (Rollercoasters Ser.)
by John BoyneLines may divide us, but hope will unite us. Nine year old Bruno knows nothing of the Final Solution and the Holocaust. He’s oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe by his country. All he knows is that he has moved from Berlin to a desolate area where he has no one to play with.Until he meets Shmuel. Shmuel lives in a strange parallel existence on the other side of the adjoining wire fence, where everyone wears a uniform of striped pyjamas. Despite the wire fence separating them, the two boys become best friends. As they grow closer, Bruno starts to learn the terrible truth that lies beyond the fence, and what life is like for his friend. John Boyne’s classic novel explores the friendship and loss of innocence of Bruno and Shmuel, during one of the worst points in history.
The Royal Ranger (Ranger's Apprentice #12)
by John FlanaganJohn Flanagan makes a spectacular return to the world of Ranger's Apprentice - but what has happened since you last saw Will and his friends might shock you!Will took an oath when he joined the Ranger Corps. Does it mean nothing to him now?After a senseless tragedy destroys his life, Will is obsessed with punishing those responsible – even if it means leaving the Ranger Corps. His worried friends must find a way to stop him taking such a dark path.It is Halt who suggests the solution: Will must take an apprentice. The candidate Halt has in mind will surprise everyone – and it will be a request Will cannot refuse.Training a rebellious, unwilling apprentice is hard enough. But when a routine mission uncovers a shocking web of crime, Will must decide where his priorities lie – finishing his quest for revenge, or saving innocent lives?The final book of the Ranger’s Apprentice series raises the stakes higher than ever. Is Will on his last mission for the Ranger Corps?
The Crow Girl
by Erik Axl Sund Neil SmithThe international thriller sensationIt starts with just one body – the hands bound, the skin covered in marks.Detective Superintendent Jeanette Kihlberg is determined to find out who is responsible, despite opposition from her superiors. When two more bodies are discovered, it becomes clear that she is hunting a serial killer.With her career on the line, Kihlberg turns to psychotherapist Sofia Zetterlund. Together, they expose a chain of shocking events that began decades ago – but will it lead them to the murderer before someone else dies?'A compulsive page-turner'Sunday Express'Compelling... we are left gasping for breath'Daily Mail'There's a fantastic twist... the pace of its revelations is relentless'Observer
The Nurses of Steeple Street: (Steeple Street 1) (Steeple Street Series)
by Donna DouglasFROM THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE NIGHTINGALE SERIES COMES THE FIRST BOOK IN DONNA DOUGLAS' NEW NURSES OF STEEPLE STREET SERIES.Welcome to the district nurses’ home on Steeple Street, where everyone has a secret…Ambitious young nurse Agnes Sheridan had a promising future ahead of her until a tragic mistake brought all her dreams crashing down and cost her the love and respect of everyone around her. Now she has come to Leeds for a fresh start as a trainee district nurse. But Agnes finds herself facing unexpected challenges as she is assigned to Quarry Hill, one of the city’s most notorious slums. Before she can redeem herself in the eyes of her family, she must first win the trust and respect of her patients and fellow nurses.Does Agnes have what it takes to stay the distance? Or will the tragedy of her past catch up with her?Praise for The Nurses of Steeple Street Series:'Full of well drawn characters and intriguing relationships. Donna Douglas skilfully charts her heroine's attempts to be accepted . . . uncovering secrets, heartbreak and lost loves along the way!'Mary Gibson, author of Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts'Another fantastic Donna Douglas book - how does she do it? Full of colourful characters, wit, sadness, hope and wisdom.'
The Blade Artist
by Irvine WelshJim Francis has finally found the perfect life – and is now unrecognisable, even to himself. A successful painter and sculptor, he lives quietly with his wife, Melanie, and their two young daughters, in an affluent beach town in California. Some say he’s a fake and a con man, while others see him as a genuine visionary.But Francis has a very dark past, with another identity and a very different set of values. When he crosses the Atlantic to his native Scotland, for the funeral of a murdered son he barely knew, his old Edinburgh community expects him to take bloody revenge. But as he confronts his previous life, all those friends and enemies – and, most alarmingly, his former self – Francis seems to have other ideas.When Melanie discovers something gruesome in California, which indicates that her husband’s violent past might also be his psychotic present, things start to go very bad, very quickly. The Blade Artist is an elegant, electrifying novel – ultra violent but curiously redemptive – and it marks the return of one of modern fiction’s most infamous, terrifying characters, the incendiary Francis Begbie from Trainspotting.
Star Wars: Star Wars (Star Wars)
by Alan Dean FosterMore than thirty years ago, Star Wars burst onto the big screen and became a cultural phenomenon. Now the next adventures in this blockbuster saga are poised to captivate old and new fans alike—beginning with the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And alongside the cinematic debut comes the thrilling novel adaptation.Set years after Return of the Jedi, this stunning new action-packed adventure rockets us back into the world of Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Luke Skywalker, while introducing a host of exciting new characters. Darth Vader may have been redeemed and the Emperor vanquished, but peace can be fleeting, and evil does not easily relent. Yet the simple belief in good can still empower ordinary individuals to rise and meet the greatest challenges.So return to that galaxy far, far away, and prepare yourself for what happens when the Force awakens. . . .
The Giant from Nowhere
by Frances Dickens Peter HudspithThis story is about a Giant who lives in Nowhere, with no one around to make friends with. He's so lonely that he goes searching for the village of Somewhere - only to find that he's still too big to fit in! The Giant seems huge and scary to the villagers, but can they learn to understand him and make him feel at home? Beautifully illustrated, this heart-warming tale encourages children to think about inclusivity and tolerance and to develop language skills, while allowing them to take part in the story themselves. Its exploration of differences and belonging make it especially suitable for children with special needs or for whom English is a second language, and the activities will help these children build communication skills. Featuring fun and adaptable lesson plans (also available online) including activities for discussion, creative writing and arts and crafts, it is the perfect resource for children aged 5-8 and those who work with or care for them.