'Heartfelt, honest, illuminating and wise' Julia Samuel, author of This Too Shall Pass. Perfect for fans of This Is Going to Hurt. Grief. Anger. Joy. Fear. Distraction. Disgust. Hope. All emotions we expect to encounter over our lifetime. But what if this was every day? And what if your ability to manage them was the difference between life and death? For Aoife Abbey, a doctor in intensive care, these experiences are part of the job - from grief when you make a potentially fatal mistake to joy when the ward unexpectedly breaks into song. Seven Signs of Life is Abbey's extraordinary account of what it means to be alive and how it feels to care for a living. An insightful, tender and inspiring memoir that explores the reality of life on the NHS front line. 'Brilliant, compelling... A hugely life-affirming book' Mail on Sunday
Immerse yourself in a literary wonderland with this collection of timeless Christmas tales. 'There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas’ said Charles Dickens. From yuletide carols to scrumptious food to presents under the tree, from cold winter nights in Victorian London to countryside festivities by the fire, from the melancholies of the season to the injustices, our best writers have seen it all and written it down. A Vintage Christmas captures the very essence of what Christmas means to us and what real magic can be found, written by some of the world’s finest authors, including Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, Anthony Trollope, Laurie Lee, E. Nesbit and Alice Munro. Stories in A Vintage Christmas: ‘Carol-Barking’ from Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee ‘Obadiah Oak, Mrs Griffiths and the Carol Singers’ by Louis de Bernières ‘The Turkey Season’ by Alice Munro ‘Christmas at Thompson Hall’ by Anthony Trollope ‘Christmas Shopping’ from The Green Road by Anne Enright ‘A Conscience Pudding’ from The New Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit ‘Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm’ by Stella Gibbons ‘There Never Was Such a Goose’ from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens ‘Let Nothing You Dismay’ by Helen Simpson ‘Christmas Is a Sad Season for the Poor’ by John Cheever ‘A Serious Talk’ by Raymond Carver ‘The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle’ by Arthur Conan Doyle VINTAGE MINIS: GREAT MINDS. BIG IDEAS. LITTLE BOOKS. Vintage Minis bring you the world’s greatest writers on the experiences that make us human – from birth to death and everything in between.
The perfect gift for the Spice Girls fan in your life! ‘Lauren Bravo is one of my very favourite writers.’ Dolly Alderton 'A joyous and energetic celebration of girlhood, friendship and pop culture. If you have ever sung into the lid of a can of Impulse body spray, you need to read this.' Daisy Buchanan The words 'girl power' conjure vivid memories of short skirts and platform boots. But it wasn't just about the look, it was about feminism. The Spice Girls gave a generation their first glimpse of the power of friendship, of staying true to yourself, of sheer bloody-mindedness. And the girl power generation went on to kick-start a new conversation around gender equality. We may have grown up asking What Would the Spice Girls Do?, but their particular brand of feminism is as relevant today as it was twenty years ago – we still need that fun and fearlessness, we still need accessible and all-embracing equality... we still need a zig-a-zig-ah. ‘The Spice Girls’ arrival on the pop scene marked the gateway to a modern form of feminism, all dressed up as a riotously good time.’ Stylist As featured in Elle magazine's Best Feminist Gift Books
Pre-order The Secret Language of the Stars to discover all about the new blend of eastern and western astrology. For thousands of years, humans around the world have sought answers in the stars. Now, expert astrologer Jessica Adams brings the wisdom of the sun signs and the Chinese zodiac together, with profiles that are more insightful than ever. Animastrology is a beautiful and fun guide to the 144 combined astrological signs. Each is symbolized by an animal which reflects the sign's instinctive nature. Discover which animal you are and uncover your strengths and weaknesses, your hidden talents and your quirks. Find out the whether you are really compatible with the signs you are drawn to and which should be avoided at all costs. Luxurious and beautifully illustrated, this book is the perfect keepsake to share with family and friends.
________ ‘Promises to show readers how to think boldly and spark imaginative thought’ (FT) ________ Creativity is a powerful force. It drives innovation, boosts our economy and enables us to fulfil our human potential. But what actually is creativity? Is it overrated? And where exactly do ideas come from in the first place? In this book, design gurus Stephen Bayley and Roger Mavity debunk the myths and common misconceptions that form our current thinking around this complex subject. In showing readers how to think boldly and remain undaunted by challenges, they examine the phenomenon from all sides: not only the creativity of invention and of imagination but also that of perception and of discovery, in order to reveal the truths we often overlook. Ultimately, How to Steal Fire will help you reclaim yourself from the anonymous dreariness of a data-driven culture and spark imaginative thought.
The totally gripping psychological thriller, from the million-copy bestselling author of the Helen Grace series. 'The perfect psychological thriller' 5***** Reader Review ________ Nothing surprises Adam Brandt anymore. As a forensic psychologist, he's seen and heard everything. That is, until he meets Kassie. Because she claims to have a terrible gift - with one look into your eyes, she can see when and how you will die. Adam doesn't believe her. But then a serial killer starts wreaking havoc across the city, and only Kassie seems to know where he'll strike next. Against all his intuition, Adam starts to think Kassie might be telling the truth. He just doesn't realise how dangerous this trust might be . . . ________ 'Strikingly well-told, and with a compelling central character' Daily Mail 'Keeps you guessing right to the end' 5***** Reader Review Praise for M. J. Arlidge: 'Page-turningly chilling' The Times 'Taut, fast-paced, truly excellent' Sun
Inspired by Dr. A. K. Benjamin's years working as a clinical neuropsychologist at a London hospital, this multilayered narrative interweaves Benjamin's own sometimes shocking personal experiences with those of his mentally disordered patients. What do doctors actually think about when you list your problems in the consulting room? Are they really listening to you? Is the connection all in your head? Every day for ten years--even while his hospital became the set for a reality television series--clinical neuropsychologist A. K. Benjamin confronted these questions, and this book is his attempt to tell the truth about what happens in these rooms in hospitals the world over. What begins as a series of exquisitely observed case studies examining personalities on the brink of collapse soon morphs into a unique work of nonfiction as Benjamin's own psyche begins to twist the story in surprising ways. Blazingly original, Let Me Not Be Mad undermines the authority we so willingly hand over to clinical psychologists as it bears witness to the self-obsession of Western society, and ultimately offers a glimpse of what it might mean to be sane and truly empathetic. Fractured, sad, playful, brilliant, and confrontational, this is a confession by a professional that delves into the heart of the patient-doctor relationship and ultimately finds love. This twisting psychological journey will be read and reread.
For many, “Greece” is synonymous with “ancient Greece,” the civilization that gave us much that defines Western culture today. But, how did Greece come to be so powerfully attached to the legacy of the ancients in the first place and then define an identity for itself that is at once Greek and modern? This book reveals the remarkable achievement, during the last three hundred years, of building a modern nation on the ruins of a vanished civilization—sometimes literally so. This is the story of the Greek nation-state but also, and more fundamentally, of the collective identity that goes with it. It is not only a history of events and high politics; it is also a history of culture, of the arts, of people, and of ideas. Opening with the birth of the Greek nation-state, which emerged from encounters between Christian Europe and the Ottoman Empire, Roderick Beaton carries his story into the present moment and Greece’s contentious post-recession relationship with the rest of the European Union. Through close examination of how Greeks have understood their shared identity, Beaton reveals a centuries-old tension over the Greek sense of self. How does Greece illuminate the difference between a geographically bounded state and the shared history and culture that make up a nation? A magisterial look at the development of a national identity through history, Greece: Biography of a Modern Nation is singular in its approach. By treating modern Greece as a biographical subject, a living entity in its own right, Beaton encourages us to take a fresh look at a people and culture long celebrated for their past, even as they strive to build a future as part of the modern West.
From beloved poet and YouTuber Savannah Brown comes this riveting young adult LGBTQ suspense debut, hailed as "Both ominous and deliciously twisted" (Booklist) and "Visceral, pitch-perfect...A captivatingly moody, introspective drama." (Kirkus Reviews) Sometimes it's safer for the truth to stay a secret. Sydney's dad is the only psychiatrist for miles in their small Ohio town. He knows everybody's secrets. Which is why it's so shocking when he's killed in an accident. Grief-stricken Sydney can't understand why the police have no explanation for what happened the night of her dad's car crash. And when June Copeland, the homecoming queen whose life seems perfect, shows up at the funeral, Sydney's confusion grows. Sydney and June grow closer in the wake of the accident, but it's clear that not everyone is happy about their new friendship. What is picture-perfect June hiding? And does Sydney even want to know? This winding mystery of complex grief, imperfect friendships, and burning secrets is perfect for fans of Sadie and Natasha Preston.
Winner of the 2020 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, this intoxicating story of a teenage girl who trades her a middle–class upbringing for a quest for meaning in 1980s Mexico is “a surreal, captivating tale about the power of a youthful imagination, the lure of teenage transgression, and its inevitable disappointments” (Los Angeles Review of Books). One autumn afternoon in Mexico City, seventeen–year–old Luisa does not return home from school. Instead, she boards a bus to the Pacific coast with Tomás, a boy she barely knows. He seems to represent everything her life is lacking―recklessness, impulse, independence. Tomás may also help Luisa fulfill an unusual obsession: she wants to track down a traveling troupe of Ukrainian dwarfs. According to newspaper reports, the dwarfs recently escaped a Soviet circus touring Mexico. The imagined fates of these performers fill Luisa’s surreal dreams as she settles in a beach community in Oaxaca. Surrounded by hippies, nudists, beachcombers, and eccentric storytellers, Luisa searches for someone, anyone, who will “promise, no matter what, to remain a mystery.” It is a quest more easily envisioned than accomplished. As she wanders the shoreline and visits the local bar, Luisa begins to disappear dangerously into the lives of strangers on Zipolite, the “Beach of the Dead.” Meanwhile, her father has set out to find his missing daughter. A mesmeric portrait of transgression and disenchantment unfolds. Set to a pulsing soundtrack of Joy Division, Nick Cave, and Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sea Monsters is a brilliantly playful and supple novel about the moments and mysteries that shape us. "Aridjis is deft at conjuring the teenage swooniness that apprehends meaning below every surface. Like Sebald’s or Cusk’s, her haunted writing patrols its own omissions . . . The figure of the shipwreck looms large for Aridjis. It becomes a useful lens through which to see this book, which is self–contained, inscrutable, and weirdly captivating, like a salvaged object that wants to return to the sea." ―Katy Waldman, The New Yorker
