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Single for the Summer: A feel-good romantic comedy you need to read for summer 2018
by Mandy BaggotA feelgood laugh-out-loud romantic comedy to read on the beach this summer Tess Parks has made up her mind: love isn’t for her.When it comes to dating she has one rule: after six weeks with a guy, she ends it. So when her heartbroken best friend invites her for a girly getaway in Corfu, Tess is sure she can stick to their pact to stay single for the summer. But then she meets the gorgeous restaurateur Andras... To keep his overbearing mother off his back, Tess agrees to pretend to date him. But as the two spend time together, Tess begins to realise that this fake relationship is starting to feel like the best one she’s ever had…A funny, escapist beach read set against a beautiful Greek island backdrop. Perfect for fans of Kat French, Sue Roberts and Jenny Oliver**Don't miss Mandy Baggot's new summer rom-com, Desperately Seeking Summer, out now**
The Singing Line: Tracking The Australian Adventures Of My Intrepid Victorian Ancestors (Compass Ser.)
by Alice ThomsonThe story of the man who strung the telegraph across Australia, and the woman who gave her name to Alice Springs. In 1855 an impoverished young scientist from Greenwich told his guardian that he was off to chance his luck in Australia - as Government Astronomer and Superintendent of Telegraphs for the small colony of South Australia. With him went his young wife Alice - after whom Alice Springs would be named. For Charles Todd was following a dream - the near impossible task of stringing a telegraph wire across one of the last uncrossed colonial wilderness, and finally connecting Australia with Britain. In 1997, their great-great-granddaughter Alice followed in their footsteps. Her plan was to track the telegraph and her ancestors, from Adelaide over the thousands of miles of desert, outback, swamp and mountain that Charles Todd had crossed in the 1860s with his 400 men.
Singapore, Singapura: From Miracle to Complacency
by Nicholas WaltonModern Singapore is a miracle. Half a century ago it unwillingly became an independent nation, after it was thrown out of the Malay Federation. It was tiny, poor, almost devoid of resources, and in a hostile neighborhood. Now, this unlikely country is at the top of almost every global national index, from high wealth and low crime to superb education and much-envied stability. But have these achievements bred a dangerous sense of complacency among Singapore's people? Nicholas Walton walked across the entire country in one day, to grasp what it was that made Singapore tick, and to understand the challenges that it now faces. Singapore, Singapura teases out the island's story, from mercantilist Raffles and British colonial rule, through the war years, to independence and the building of the current miracle. There are challenges ahead, from public complacency and the constraints of authoritarian democracy to changing geographic realities and the difficulties of balancing migration in such a tiny state. Singapore's second half-century will be just as exacting as the one since independence--as Walton warns, talk of a "Singapore model" for our hyper-globalized world must face these realities.
Simply: Easy everyday dishes: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
by Sabrina GhayourTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'I have been looking forward to Sabrina Ghayour's new book, Simply, ever since I knew she was writing it... Every page is an invitation to cook.' - Nigella Lawson'Packed with the Iranian-born cook's trademark Persian flavours' - The Herald'The food has immediate "eat me" appeal' - Diana Henry, Sunday Telegraph's 20 Best Cookbooks To Buy This AutumnEasy. Everyday. Simple.Sabrina Ghayour's new collection of unmissable dishes in her signature style, influenced by her love of fabulous flavours, is full of delicious food that can be enjoyed with a minimum of fuss. With sections ranging from Effortless Eating to Traditions With a Twist, Simply provides over 100 bold and exciting recipes that can be enjoyed every day of the week.CONTENTS Chapter one: Effortless Eating Including Spiced carrot & tamarind soup; Date & ginger chicken wings; Baked sweet potato & za'atar chips; Spring onion saladChapter two: Traditions with a Twist Including Green hummus; Kabab koobideh; Persian tahchin; Tahdig e macaroni; Mamen Maleh's borscht; Adas polowChapter three: The Melting Pot Including Steak tartines with tarragon & paprika butter; Chilled pistachio & cucumber soup; Ghayour house chicken kariChapter four: Something Special Including Spiced pork wraps with green apple salsa; Firecracker prawns; Green & black-eyed bean baklava; Mushroom dumplingsChapter five: Cakes, Bakes & Sweet Treats Including Stuffed dates with torched goats' cheese; Lime & black pepper frozen yogurt; Tahini, almond & orange brownies
A Simple Story: Dancing for His Life
by Leila Gierriero'Everything in him seemed to shout this is what I am made of: there is nothing that I cannot do.'The Malambo is no ordinary dance. A murderous feat of endurance, it inspires fear and awe in the young working-class men who dance it. Whoever is crowned Champion at the annual competition in the remote Argentinian town of Laborde is treated as a demigod for the rest of his life - yet once he wins, he must never perform again.Twenty-eight-year-old Rodolfo, who grew up poor and hungry in a flat with a leaking tin roof, has dreamed of winning at Laborde ever since he was a boy. Journalist Leila Guerriero follows him as he prepares for the championship, shredding his muscles, his feet and his nerves in the punishing, relentless struggle to achieve perfection - until, at 5.30am on 12 January, the winner is announced...Combining electrifying storytelling and razor-sharp observation, this is a riveting true story of hardship, passion and dedication; of what it means to sacrifice everything to win, while knowing that ultimately it will destroy you.Leila Guerriero (b. 1967) is one of Argentina's foremost journalists and writers, and has published articles in numerous newspapers and periodicals in South America, Spain and Italy, including El País, Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone. In 2010, she won the CEMEX+FNPI Award, the most prestigious journalism prize in Latin America. A Simple Story is her first full-length publication in English.'Guerriero irrefutably proves that journalism can be one of the beaux arts' Mario Vargas Llosa
A Simple Brazilian Song: Journeys Through The Rio Sound
by James WoodallIn 1992, James Woodall was asked to write an article about a Brazilian musician he'd never heard of, called Chico Buarque. He discovered that Buarque was a national hero in his native country and that interviewing him was a bit like a Latin American interviewing Paul McCartney. Woodall fell under Buarque's spell and began an affair with Brazilian pop music which has lasted to this day. His new passion took him to Brazil and in particular to Rio de Janeiro, world capital of Carnival and samba. Over several visits, he met with Chico Buarque, discovered the city's immodest beach culture and took part in Carnival. He met Chico Buarque's great contemporary, Caetano Veloso and other stars. Picking up Portuguese on the hop, he learnt a great deal about Chico Buarque's life and about the strange and dangerous city where he lives. This book is as much a hymn to Rio de Janeiro as it is to the music that beats at its heart.
Silver Linings: Travels Around Northern Ireland
by Martin FletcherNorthern Ireland has made headlines around the world for three decades. The province has become synonymous with conflict, terrorism and tortuous efforts to forge peace. But what is life there really like? In this enchanting and highly original book Martin Fletcher presents a portrait of Northern Ireland utterly at odds with its dire international image. He paints a compelling picture of a place caught in a time warp since the 1960s, of a land of mountains, lakes and rivers where customs, traditions and old-world charm survive, of an incredibly resourceful province that has given the world not just bombs and bullets but the Titanic, the tyre and the tractor, a dozen American presidents, two prime ministers of New Zealand and a Hindu god. He meets an intelligent, fun-loving, God-fearing people who may do terrible things to each other but who could not be more welcoming to outsiders. He describes a land of awful beauty, a battleground of good and evil, a province populated by saints and sinners that has yet to be rendered bland by the forces of modernity.
Silver Bullets
by Élmer MendozaTormented by past heartbreak and contemporary politics, for Edgar 'Lefty' Mendieta the news of the murder of lawyer Bruno Canizales represents just another day at the office in the drug-ridden city of Culiacán. It soon becomes clear that there is no shortage of suspects in a city where it's hard to tell the gangsters from the politicians. Canizales was the son of a former government minister and the partner of a drug baron's daughter, with his own penchant for cross-dressing and dangerous sex. What is less clear is why the assassin chose to use a silver bullet. And why, two days later, they seem to have struck again. In this sweltering city where a desire for the truth can be as dangerous as any drug, Mendieta's search for justice takes him from mansions to drug dens, in Élmer Mendoza's seminal founding text of Latin America's 'narco-lit' wave.
Silt
by Robert MacfarlaneIn Silt, bestselling travel writer Robert Macfarlane walks the Broomway, the deadliest path in Britain.In one of the most striking chapters of his brilliant 2012 book The Old Ways, Robert Macfarlane walks the Essex offshore path which has claimed the lives of more than sixty people over the centuries. His companion on this atmospheric and potentially perilous journey is his old friend and photographer, David Quentin.In this special e-book edition, the Broomway section of The Old Ways appears alongside a run of twenty-two photographs taken that day by David, which form a haunting counterpoint to the text itself. In a newly written afterword, David reflects on the walk, on Robert Macfarlane's writing and on the fascinating legal terrain which paths like this one traverse even as they cross the land itself.Praise for The Old Ways:'Macfarlane has shown how utterly beautiful a brilliantly written travel book can still be. As perfect as his now classic The Wild Places. Maybe it is even better than that' William Dalrymple, Observer'A lovely book, a poetic investigation into what it is to follow a path, on land and at sea, in the footsteps of both our ancient predecessors and such writers as Edward Thomas: Macfarlane is reviving an entire body of nature writing here' David Sexton, Evening Standard'Beautifully written, moving, thrilling. It reminded me of how much stranger and richer the world is... at walking speed' Philip Pullman, Guardian 'A magnificent meditation on walking and writing. An astonishingly haunted book' Adam Nicolson, Daily Telegraph'The Old Ways sets the imagination tingling . . . it is like reading a prose Odyssey sprinkled with imagist poems' John Carey, Sunday TimesRobert Macfarlane is the author of the award-winning Mountains of the Mind; The Wild Places; The Old Ways, which was shortlisted for the 2012 Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction; and Landmarks, which was shortlisted for the 2015 Samuel Johnson Prize. He is a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.David Quentin is a barrister specialising in tax law. He also takes photographs, teaches Cambridge undergraduates about versification and plays the bass guitar in London-based krautgoth noisegaze outfit The Murder Act.
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World – Illustrated Edition
by Peter FrankopanSet your sails east with this stunningly original new history of the world. Peter Frankopan explores the connections made by people, trade, disease, war, religion, adventure, science and technology in this extraordinary book about how the east married the west with a remarkable voyage at its heart – the journey along the Silk Roads.From ancient world laws laid down by King Hammurabi and the mighty Persian empire, to terrifying huns, the rise of Europe, two world wars and politics today, The Silk Roads moves through time and history sewing together the threads from different peoples, empires and continents into a phenomenal history of the globe.With stories from each and every corner of society, Frankopan's magnificent retelling of his literary triumph The Silk Roads, sumptuously illustrated by Neil Packer, is a must-have world history.
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World – Illustrated Edition
by Peter FrankopanSet your sails east with this stunningly original new history of the world. Peter Frankopan explores the connections made by people, trade, disease, war, religion, adventure, science and technology in this extraordinary book about how the east married the west with a remarkable voyage at its heart – the journey along the Silk Roads.From ancient world laws laid down by King Hammurabi and the mighty Persian empire, to terrifying huns, the rise of Europe, two world wars and politics today, The Silk Roads moves through time and history sewing together the threads from different peoples, empires and continents into a phenomenal history of the globe.With stories from each and every corner of society, Frankopan's magnificent retelling of his literary triumph The Silk Roads, sumptuously illustrated by Neil Packer, is a must-have world history.
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World – Illustrated Edition
by Neil Packer Peter FrankopanSet your sails east with this stunningly original new history of the world.Peter Frankopan, number one bestselling author and historian explores the connections made by people, trade, disease, war, religion, adventure, science and technology in this extraordinary book about how the east married the west with a remarkable voyage at its heart – the journey along the Silk Roads.From ancient world laws laid down by King Hammurabi and the mighty Persian empire, to terrifying huns, the rise of Europe, two world wars and politics today, The Silk Roads moves through time and history sewing together the threads from different peoples, empires and continents into a phenomenal history of the globe.With stories from each and every corner of society, Frankopan's magnificent brand new illustrated edition of his award-winning literary triumph The Silk Roads, sumptuously illustrated by Neil Packer, is a must-have world history.
The Silk Roads: A History of the Great Trading Routes Between East and West
by Geordie TorrTake an intrepid journey through the history of the Silk Roads with this brilliant reference book. Traversing snowy mountain passes, vast, forbidding deserts and stormy seas, these ancient trade routes were about much more than the movement of goods, they paved the way for an unprecedented period of cultural exchange, diplomacy and conflict creating a legacy that continues to affect global geopolitics in the 21st century.Forged over millennia through a desire for enterprise, the Silk Roads have had an profound influence on Eurasia and beyond, connecting cultures, languages, customs and religions. And with China now working to reopen this ancient trade network, the time is right to shine a new light on its history and impact. This edition has been updated with an expanded chapter on China's efforts to reopen this ancient trade network through the Belt and Road Initiative and the many impacts it has had along the way, from its ambitious infrastructure projects to new cities emerging along its route to the growth of a digital silk road, Geordie Torr examines the profound impacts of the revival of the world's greatest trading route.With helpful timelines and useful information boxes, The Silk Roads gives you everything you need to master the history of this world-changing region.
The Silk Road - China and the Karakorum Highway: A Travel Companion
by Jonathan TuckerStretching from the ancient Chinese capital of Xian across the expanses of Central Asia to Rome, the Silk Road was, for 1,500 years, a vibrant network of arteries that carried the lifeblood of nations across the world. Along a multitude of routes everything was exchanged: exotic goods, art, knowledge, religion, philosophy, disease and war. From the East came silk, precious stones, tea, jade, paper, porcelain, spices and cotton; from the West, horses, weapons, wool and linen, aromatics, entertainers and exotic animals. From its earliest beginnings in the days of Alexander the Great and the Han dynasty, the Silk Road expanded and evolved, reaching its peak during the Tang dynasty and the Byzantine Empire and gradually withering away with the decline of the Mongol Empire. In this beautifully illustrated book, which covers the China section of the Silk Road - from Xian through Loulan, Korla, Turfan and Khotan to Kashgar and onwards to India - Jonathan Tucker uses travellers' anecdotes and a wealth of literary and historical sources to celebrate the cultural heritage of the countries that lie along the Silk Road and illuminate the lives of those who once travelled through the very heart of the world.
The Silk Road: A Travel Companion
by Jonathan TuckerStretching from the ancient Chinese capital of Xian across the expanses of Central Asia to Rome, the Silk Road was, for 2,000 years, a vibrant network of arteries that carried the lifeblood of nations across the world. Along a multitude of routes everything was exchanged: exotic goods, art, knowledge, religion, philosophy, disease and war. From the East came silk, tea, jade, paper, porcelain, spices and Buddhism; from the West, horses, weapons, lions, precious stones and cotton. From its earliest beginnings in the days of Alexander the Great and the Han Dynasty, the Silk Road expanded and evolved, reaching its peak under the Tang and Byzantine empires and gradually crumbling along with the decline of the Mongol empire. In this beautifully-illustrated book, which covers the Central Asian section of the Silk Road - from Lake Issy Kul through Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, the Kyzyl Kum Desert, Khiva and Merv to Herat, Kabul and Iran - Jonathan Tucker uses traveller's anecdotes and a wealth of literary and historical sources to celebrate the cultural heritage of the countries that lie along the Silk Road and illuminate the lives of those who once travelled through the very heart of the world.
Silk Dreams, Troubled Road: Love And War On The Old Silk Road - On Horseback Through Central Asia
by Jonny BealbyWhile in Islamabad investigating the possibilities of setting up an adventure travel company, Jonny Bealby met the woman of his dreams. Not only that, but Rachel was the person with whom he could live out his dream -- to travel the Old Silk Road on horseback. On his return to Pakistan that Christmas, however, Jonny was faced with those dreadful words: 'I've met somebody else...' With his heart fixed on this journey and the possibility of a TV deal, Jonny set out to find a Quixotic stranger as his companion. In no time he found Sarah -- attractive, warm and funny -- the perfect candidate for a possible romance. Unfortunately, though, during their search for the Heavenly Horses that would carry them across the Mountains of Heaven, their fledgling friendship was beset by problems of communication, inexperience and the difficulty of adapting to radically different cultures and surroundings. A breathtaking travelogue, and an intriguing and heart-warming illustration of human relationships as they are tested to their limits.
The Silent Traveller: New Edition - with colour illustrations (Silent Traveller Ser. #No. 5)
by Chiang YeeExiled from China in 1933 and separated from his wife and children, Chiang Yee spent over 40 years away from his homeland. During this time he adopted the name The Silent Traveller and produced some of the most evocative, unique and enduring travel books ever written.In this beautifully illustrated edition, originally published in 1948, Chiang Yee looks at wartime Edinburgh from a fresh perspective. Readers will be fascinated by his interpretations of well-known landmarks: the Castle, Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill, while his vivid descriptions create an unforgettable picture of the city and its people in the 1940s.Writing with wry humour, he brings the cultures and literary traditions of China and the West together, emphasising how much we have in common. He broadens our perspectives and encourages us to appreciate the richness of life that can be found everywhere, even in troubled times.
Silent House (Vintage International Ser.)
by Orhan PamukIn an old mansion in Cennethisar, a former fishing village near Istanbul, an old widow Fatma awaits the annual summer visit of her grandchildren. She has lived in the village for decades, ever since her husband, an idealistic young doctor, first arrived to serve the poor fishermen. Now mostly bedridden, she is attended by her faithful servant Recep, a dwarf and the doctor's illegitimate son. Under the creeping shadow of right-wing nationalism and political revolution, they share memories, and grievances, of the early years, before their home became a high-class resort.Her visiting grandchildren are Faruk, a dissipated failed historian; his sensitive leftist sister, Nilgun, has yet to discover the real-life consequences of highminded politics; and Metin, a high school student drawn to the fast life of the nouveaux riches, who dreams of going to America. But it is Recep's nephew Hassan, a high-school dropout, lately fallen in with right-wing nationalism, who will draw this family into the revolution and the growing political cataclysm issuing from Turkey's tumultuous century-long struggle for modernity. By turns deeply moving, hilarious, and terrifying, Silent House pulses with the energy of a great writer's early work even as it offers beguiling evidence of the mature genius for which Orhan Pamuk, winner of the Nobel Prize in 2006, would later be world renowned.
A Silent Death: The brand-new thriller from Number 1 bestseller Peter May
by Peter May**THE BRAND-NEW THRILLER FROM THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER****'A TERRIFIC WRITER' MARK BILLINGHAM****PETER MAY: OVER 4.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE**Set in Southern Spain, A Silent Death is the scorching new thriller from worldwide bestselling author of The Lewis Trilogy, Cast Iron and I'll Keep You Safe.A SILENT VOWSpain, 2020. When ex-pat fugitive Jack Cleland watches his girlfriend die, gunned down in a pursuit involving officer Cristina Sanchez Pradell, he promises to exact his revenge by destroying the policewoman.A SILENT LIFECristina's aunt Ana has been deaf-blind for the entirety of her adult life: the victim of a rare condition named Usher Syndrome. Ana is the centre of Cristina's world - and of Cleland's cruel plan. A SILENT DEATH John Mackenzie - an ingenious yet irascible Glaswegian investigator - is seconded to aid the Spanish authorities in their manhunt. He alone can silence Cleland before the fugitive has the last, bloody, word.Peter May's latest bestseller unites a strong, independent Spaniard with a socially inept Scotsman; a senseless vendetta with a sense-deprived victim, and a red-hot Costa Del Sol with an ice-cold killer.
The Silence of the Stands: Finding the Joy in Football’s Lost Season
by Daniel Gray'Powerful and poignant' Henry Winter 'Empathetic and poignant … the game's answer to A Journal of the Plague Year' Harry Pearson 'The Durham City midfielder wore the resigned look of a man trying to find a jar of harissa in Farmfoods. Up front for Jarrow, a centre-forward darted around frenetically, as if chasing a kite during a hurricane...' When football disappeared in March 2020, writer and broadcaster Daniel Gray used its absence to reflect on everything the game meant to him. That bred a pledge: whenever and wherever fans were allowed to return, he would be there. The Silence of the Stands is the result of that pledge: a joyous travelogue documenting a precarious season, in which behind-closed-doors matches and travel restrictions combined to make trips to Kendal and Workington seem impossibly exotic. Offering a poignant peek at a surreal age and a slab of social history from the two-metre-distanced tea bar queue, this is the moving, heartfelt and surprisingly uplifting story of a unique season that no one wishes to repeat.
The Silence of the Stands: Finding the Joy in Football’s Lost Season
by Daniel GrayThe Durham City midfielder wore the resigned look of a man trying to find a jar of harissa in Farmfoods. Up front for Jarrow, a centre-forward darted around frenetically, as if chasing a kite during a hurricane...When football disappeared in March 2020, Daniel Gray used its absence to reflect on everything the game meant to him. That bred a pledge: whenever and wherever fans were allowed to return, he would be there. The result is this footballing travelogue from a time when boarding a train to Workington suddenly felt impossibly exotic.Gray's 2020/21 season quickly became a year when crowd limits, closed doors and league annulments meant that attending football was something of a secretive, Prohibition pursuit. Grounds were speakeasies and Bovril moonshine. It made his travels from Kendal to Kirkcaldy all the more intriguing. Here were scenes that so few were witnessing; a remarkable, alarming and often darkly funny time in British and sporting culture.The Silence of the Stands is a poignant peek at a surreal age and a slab of social history from the two-metre distanced tea bar queue. It is the moving, heartfelt and surprisingly uplifting story of a unique season that no-one wishes to repeat.
Silence: In the Age of Noise
by Erling KaggeTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERThis breathtaking, inspiring little book teaches us how to find precious moments of silence - whether we are crossing the Antarctic, climbing Everest, or on the train at rush hour.'Quietly, wisely, Silence makes a case for dumbing the din of modern life, and learning to listen again' Robert MacfarlaneWhat is silence?Where can it be found?Why is it more important than ever?Norwegian explorer Erling Kagge once spent fifty days walking solo across Antarctica, his radio broken.In this charming, quietly life-changing book - now an international publishing phenomenon - he takes us on a journey to unlock the power of silence. And he shows us how to find perfect silence in our daily lives, however busy we are.'A bestseller on why finding inner silence is the key to happiness . . . bound to hit our sweet spot for wanting to unplug and disconnect from the world' Evening Standard'Fascinating' The Times'As an explorer Erling Kagge is world class; as a writer he is equally gifted. This breathtaking, inspiring little book teaches us how to find precious moments of silence - whether we are crossing the Antarctic, climbing Everest, or on the train at rush hour' Sir Ranulph Fiennes'Erling Kagge is a philosophical adventurer - or perhaps an adventurous philosopher' New York Times
Sikkim: Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom
by Andrew DuffA remarkable piece of detective work . . . In addition to fascinating human stories, the book is a very valuable addition to how the Cold War played out in South Asia, and to the history of the foreign policies of China, India and the US . . . exceptionally well-written and compelling to read.' - Michael Burleigh, author of Small Wars, Faraway Places 'The last days of a Himalayan kingdom presented in glorious Technicolor. This is a superbly researched work and packed full of extraordinary characters straight out of a James Bond novel, with appearances from Indira Gandhi, Henry Kissinger, Zhou Enlai and Chairman Mao . . . Has great relevance to today's Asia; anyone with an interest in India and China's complex relationship should read this enthralling book.' - Prajwal Parajuly, author of The Gurkha's Daughter and Land Where I Flee This is the true story of Sikkim, a tiny Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas that survived the end of the British Empire only to be annexed by India in 1975. It tells the remarkable tale of Thondup Namgyal, the last King of Sikkim, and his American wife, Hope Cooke, thrust unwittingly into the spotlight as they sought support for Sikkim's independence after their 'fairytale' wedding in 1963. As tensions between India and China spilled over into war in the Himalayas, Sikkim became a pawn in the Cold War in Asia during the 1960s and 1970s. Rumours circulated that Hope was a CIA spy. Meanwhile, a shadowy Scottish adventuress, the Kazini of Chakung, married to Sikkim's leading political figure, coordinated opposition to the Palace. As the world's major powers jostled for regional supremacy during the early 1970s Sikkim and its ruling family never stood a chance. On the eve of declaring an Emergency across India, Indira Gandhi outwitted everyone to bring down the curtain on the 300-year-old Namgyal dynasty. Based on interviews and archive research, as well as a retracing of a journey the author's grandfather made in 1922, this is a thrilling, romantic and informative glimpse of a real life Shangri-La.
Sigrid Rides: The Story of an Extraordinary Friendship and An Adventure on Two Wheels
by Travis Nelson'A one-man, one-cat mission to cheer people up' - The Mirror When Travis Nelson arrived in London, he expected to embark on a new life and a new job. Coming from California, he'd uprooted his wife and his cat, Sigrid, and planned to be here for the long haul. Then Covid-19 struck. Travis's new job vanished as the company cut staff. For two years, and through successive lockdowns, he was stuck in limbo in an unfamiliar city, trying to find his way.To keep himself occupied, Travis set out to discover his adoptive home. He bought a bike and began cycling through London's streets and parks with his unusual travelling companion, Sigrid - his deaf, Norwegian Forest cat - who came along for the ride. But what started as a way of injecting routine and purpose into Travis's life in stressful times, created an internet sensation. When Travis began posting videos of the pair's rides on social media, he drew in another community of people looking for moments of joy in an anxious world.In this charming memoir, Travis charts his adventures with Sigrid. He unlocks a hidden London seen only from cyclist's viewpoint, as well as finding friendship and hope. Most of all, it is the story of one man's relationship with his feline companion - one that has given him direction and a sense of belonging at a time when he felt lost.
Signs of Hope: Messages from Subway Therapy
by Matthew Levee" ChavezA deeply moving and inspiring collection of notes from the most expressive wall in the world.In the days and weeks after the 2016 presidential election, Matthew Chavez showed up in the subway with stacks of brightly colored sticky notes. "Express yourself," he told passersby. The response was electric. Calling himself "Levee"--one who supports the city's emotional tide--Chavez turned an underground maze into a communal art space known as Subway Therapy. News and social media feeds around the world filled with images of this ever-changing, ever-growing wall of remembrances, messages of love, and fierce calls to action. And its spirit was catching. Thousands picked up the mantle to create Subway Therapy walls in cities across the country--San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, Boston, Washington, D.C.--and internationally as well. Signs of Hope is Chavez's tribute to Subway Therapy, showcasing the most inspired and most inspiring of the thousands of 3 x 3 inch notes. Individually these brave and funny and emotional "posts" bring the personal and momentary into the open. Together, they show us a vision of inclusivity and hope.A portion of the author's proceeds will go to the ACLU (aclu.org), supporters of free speech in all its forms, and Win (winnyc.org), the largest provider of shelter and services to New York's homeless families.