The publication of the King James version of the Bible, translated between 1603 and 1611, coincided with an extraordinary flowering of English literature and is universally acknowledged as the greatest influence on English-language literature in history. Now, world-class literary writers introduce the book of the King James Bible in a series of beautifully designed, small-format volumes. The introducers' passionate, provocative, and personal engagements with the spirituality and the language of the text make the Bible come alive as a stunning work of literature and remind us of its overwhelming contemporary relevance.
Seventh grader Oliver, a Civil War buff and weekend reenactor, is partnered with two misfits--Ella, who is on the verge of failing all her classes, and Kevin, who is Oliver's lunch companion--to create a documentary about the wartime experience of a Civil War contemporary, and while they conduct research in local historical societies, collaborate on a script, and edit the film, they discover secrets about their Pennsylvania soldier and learn how to be friends with each other.
‘Letters to Matthew’ invites you into the world of grief. It is not sugar coated or edited to make it an easy read, which is why it has been separated into two distinct parts. Part one contains the heartfelt letters written by grieving mother Louise to her son Matthew after he died at the age of twenty-seven. The letters are a mixture of anguish, deep sorrow, humour, wisdom, personal insights and experiences that may resonate with others who have lost a special person. Part two is about her journey of self-discovery and how Louise turned her grief and loss into something positive. This book is not about fixing people or forcing the healing process because, as the book explains, there is no cure for grief. Grief can only be absorbed, carried, experienced and cared for. The loss of a child is unimaginable, but Louise has managed to turn this heart-breaking experience into something positive. By sharing her letters, insights, thoughts and feelings with the world she is not only keeping Matthew’s memory alive but also giving hope to other people that life can meaningful again after the death of a loved one. Grief is a sensitive subject which makes it challenging for writers to describe in a way that feels both real and honest. Louise has shown her vulnerability and documented her experience in a very brave and open-hearted way. The book does have an uplifting ending!
Endearing and enlightening. Dear Hunter is a book that readers won't soon forget. Matt DiGeronimo holds his young son's hand, pulls him across the boundaries of time for a father-son sit-down, discussing life's most complex issues with graceful simplicity. DiGeronimo guides his future Hunter through the vicissitudes of life that he will face as a young man, bringing us along on the journey. Gentle and pensive in its delivery, yet powerful and impactful in its message, no topic is off-limits: Love, Mental health. Decision making. Courage. Bullies. Influence. Confidence. Procrastination. Politics. Finance. Integrity. And so much more. Dear Hunter provides us with a timeless work that is the result of DiGeronimo's lifetime of experiences as a nuclear engineer, United States Navy submarine officer, an entrepreneur, a radio talk show host, a political candidate, an artist, an author--and a dad.
“Methamphetamine was a huge part of this case . . . It was a horrible murder driven by drugs.” — Prosecutor Cal Rerucha, who convicted Matthew Shepard's killers On the night of October 6, 1998, twenty-one-year-old Matthew Shepard left a bar with two alleged “strangers,” Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. Eighteen hours later, Matthew was found tied to a log fence on the outskirts of town, unconscious and barely alive. Overnight, a politically expedient myth took the place of important facts. By the time Matthew died a few days later, his name was synonymous with anti-gay hate. The Book of Matt, first published in 2013, demonstrated that the truth was in fact far more complicated – and daunting. Stephen Jimenez’s account revealed primary documents that had been under seal, and gave voice to many with firsthand knowledge of the case who had not been heard from, including members of law enforcement. In his Introduction to this updated edition, journalist Andrew Sullivan writes: “No one wanted Steve Jimenez to report this story, let alone go back and back to Laramie, Wyoming, asking awkward questions, puzzling over strange discrepancies, re-interviewing sources, seeking a deeper, more complex truth about the ghastly killing than America, it turned out, was prepared to hear. It was worse than that, actually. Not only did no one want to hear more about it, but many were incensed that the case was being re-examined at all.” As a gay man Jimenez felt an added moral imperative to tell the story of Matthew’s murder honestly, and his reporting has been thoroughly corroborated. “I urge you to read [The Book of Matt] carefully and skeptically,” Sullivan writes, “and to see better how life rarely fits into the neat boxes we want it to inhabit. That Matthew Shepard was a meth dealer and meth user says nothing that bad about him, and in no way mitigates the hideous brutality of the crime that killed him; instead it shows how vulnerable so many are to the drug’s escapist lure and its astonishing capacity to heighten sexual pleasure so that it’s the only thing you want to live for. Shepard was a victim twice over: of meth and of a fellow meth user.”
This is a remarkable story. It will change the way you look at life. For a couple of weeks, Matthew Ames didn't feel well. The busy father of four young children knew things were not quite right but suddenly he was in Emergency, with a severe case of toxic shock syndrome – the common bacteria Strep A had entered his bloodstream and his body had gone into shutdown. He was put into an induced coma and the only way he could be kept alive was to have all his limbs amputated. Diane Ames knew exactly what her husband would want and that he would cope – he had always been optimistic and practical. Despite a one per cent chance of survival, she asked the doctors to go ahead with the radical operation. And so began the inspiring story of an ordinary family's courage and determination to make the most of a terrible situation. What happened to Matthew could happen to anyone. But not everyone would accept what life offers and pursue possibilities in the way that he does. Matthew has astounded doctors with his adaptation to a new way of living, so much so that he is about to become a bionic man. And he has never once questioned Diane's decision – it gave him the chance to truly understand how much family matters and to appreciate humanity.
For almost four decades, Bartholomew Neil has done nothing but live with his mom. When she begins calling him Richard—for reasons unknown—and then dies, Bartholomew is woefully unprepared.” A clue comes in the form of a “Free Tibet” letter he finds in his mother’s underwear drawer, and so Bartholomew awkwardly starts his new life, writing Richard Gere a series of highly intimate fan letters. Jung’s theory of synchronicity, the mystery of women, the Dalai Lama’s teachings, alien abduction, cat telepathy and the Catholic Church are all explored in depth by Bartholomew’s epistles—but mostly the letters outline one man’s heartbreakingly earnest attempt to assemble a family of his own. A struggling priest, a “girlbrarian,” her foul-mouthed brother and Richard Gere (well, sort of) join the quest. In a rented Ford Focus, they travel to Canada in search of Bartholomew’s biological father and end up finding so much more.
The year was 1801. The explorer Matthew Flinders was shortly to set sail for 'Terra Australis'. Could he possibly win the heart of Ann Chappelle before he departed?She was sweet-natured, clever and dignified and came from a modest though genteel home. Having lost her seagoing father at a tender age, Ann wanted no attachment with a naval man.He was personable, steadfast and ambitious and was making his mark as a navigator in the Pacific. He was torn between his love for the sea and his love for her.They married. Three months later Matthew left for Australia, where he surveyed the southern coast and circumnavigated the continent. It was a time of hostility between France and England. En route home, he was detained by the French - for six years.
