Emily is returning home to attend the funeral of her father’s estranged cousin, who in her wisdom, decided to leave her cottage to Emily in her will. As Emily settles in and the days go on, mysterious events unfold; Emily realises that she may have inherited more than just a house. Who will drive Emily to face her innermost beliefs: the ghost who manifests itself and through Emily’s pen demands to have its story told no matter what, or the handsome mystery man she meets while walking on the cliff late one foggy afternoon . . .
When Phil Conway takes his pooch for a walk in the park, the last thing he expects is to be bowled over—literally—by another man, and his dog. Greg Hunter is in from Seattle, visiting his soon to be divorced sister, Sarah, and taking on dog walking duty, when he and Phil first meet. Quickly giving in to the attraction they feel for one another, they plan drinks, dinner, then a day at the beach—and more... But Phil has a wariness of commitment, and Greg's sister is resentful of Phil's intrusion into their lives. It seems the idyll will end without the two men finding the happiness they both crave. But Fate has a funny way of overcoming obstacles. Phil runs into Sarah's husband in the park, and on hearing that the man still loves his wife, initiates a meeting between them, hoping their mutual love will smooth out their differences. All that needs to happen now is for Phil to get over his fear of commitment and ask Greg to move in with him. Nothing difficult about that...or is there?
Can love be so instant it changes everything? After losing the woman she loves, Marianne has chosen to live in exile on a tropical Thai island. At first glance, Emily Kane is just another guest passing through the small B&B she runs, but Emily has demons of her own and, together, they just might find a way to live again.
Sometimes compared to the Saint-Tropez of Brigitte Bardot in the 1950s, Comporta, with its relaxed pace and artistic community, is the ideal destination for those looking to wander off course. It’s the newfound favorite of personalities such as Jacques Grange, Farida Khelfa, François Dumas, the Espírito Santo family, and Madonna, who shares photographs of taking her kids to the beach and horseback riding in the dunes of nearby Carvalhal on weekends. This fishing village boasts swaths of beaches, patchworks of rice paddies, and an ecosystem filled with storks and frogs, all a serene backdrop for the striking homes found there: rustic cabanas and thatched-roof huts reflecting the carefree lifestyle that has become Comporta’s hallmark. This distinctive setting challenges the minds of architects and designers, yielding unique spaces that delightfully blur the line between interior and exterior. Within these pages, the region’s characteristic cobalt blue is reflected from the sky and sea to the walls, shutters, and design pieces that adorn its homes, both picturesque and bold. Discover the beauty and joy of simplicity with Comporta Bliss
What makes a nation happy? Is one country's sense of happiness the same as another's? In the last two decades, psychologists and economists have learned a lot about who's happy and who isn't. The Dutch are, the Romanians aren't, and Americans are somewhere in between... After years of going to the world's least happy countries, Eric Weiner, a veteran foreign correspondent, decided to travel and evaluate each country's different sense of happiness and discover the nation that seemed happiest of all. ·He discovers the relationship between money and happiness in tiny and extremely wealthy Qatar (and it's not a good one) ·He goes to Thailand, and finds that not thinking is a contented way of life. ·He goes to the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, and discovers they have an official policy of Gross National Happiness! ·He asks himself why the British don't do happiness? In Weiner's quest to find the world's happiest places, he eats rotten Icelandic shark, meditates in Bangalore, visits strip clubs in Bangkok and drinks himself into a stupor in Reykjavik. Full of inspired moments, The Geography of Bliss accomplishes a feat few travel books dare and even fewer achieve: to make you happier.
An insightful and beautiful look at how New England's summers have inspired American artists for decades With its stunning coastlines, mountains, lakes, forests, and scenic villages, New England has been an inspiration for American artists since the 19th century. This lively book considers the ways in which painters have responded to the region's summer beauty as well as to its social and cultural preoccupations and characteristics. Works by such artists as Fitz Henry Lane, John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, Maurice Prendergast, Marsden Hartley, Edward Hopper, Hans Hofmann, Andrew Wyeth, Alex Katz, and Yvonne Jacquette depict subjects as wide ranging as the bucolic delights of farms and fields to the atmospheric light of New England's rugged coasts to the ethnic and social diversity of urban street life. Painting Summer in New England highlights the various styles and influences revealed in these works, including photographic realism, Impressionism, Expressionism, and abstraction. In addition, Trevor Fairbrother discusses the tremendous array of works covered by the concept of "painting" and the remarkable richness of thematic imagery that can be seen and understood as "New England." This engaging book is a delightful and invaluable resource for those who live in or are admirers of New England and American art.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of That Summer comes another “fun, feisty” (The Washington Post) novel of family, secrets, and the ties that bind. When her twenty-two-year-old stepdaughter announces her engagement to her pandemic boyfriend, Sarah Danhauser is shocked. But the wheels are in motion. Headstrong Ruby has already set a date (just three months away!) and spoken to her beloved safta, Sarah’s mother Veronica, about having the wedding at the family’s beach house in Cape Cod. Sarah might be worried, but Veronica is thrilled to be bringing the family together one last time before putting the big house on the market. But the road to a wedding day usually comes with a few bumps. Ruby has always known exactly what she wants, but as the wedding date approaches, she finds herself grappling with the wounds left by the mother who walked out when she was a baby. Veronica ends up facing unexpected news, thanks to her meddling sister, and must revisit the choices she made long ago, when she was a bestselling novelist with a different life. Sarah’s twin brother, Sam, is recovering from a terrible loss, and confronting big questions about who he is—questions he hopes to resolve during his stay on the Cape. Sarah’s husband, Eli, who’s been inexplicably distant during the pandemic, confronts the consequences of a long ago lapse from his typical good-guy behavior. And Sarah, frustrated by her husband, concerned about her stepdaughter, and worn out by the challenges of the quarantine, faces the alluring reappearance of someone from her past and a life that could have been. When the wedding day arrives, lovers are revealed as their true selves, misunderstandings take on a life of their own, and secrets come to light. There are confrontations and revelations that will touch each member of the extended family, ensuring that nothing will ever be the same. From “the undisputed boss of the beach read” (The New York Times), The Summer Place is a testament to family in all its messy glory; a story about what we sacrifice and how we forgive. Enthralling, witty, big-hearted, and sharply observed, “this first-rate page-turner” (Publishers Weekly) is Jennifer Weiner’s love letter to the Outer Cape and the power of home, the way our lives are enriched by the people we call family, and the endless ways love can surprise us.
“If you've been looking to be inspired by nature and everything your garden gives you, you'll be enriched by the tips and wisdom presented in this book.” —Garden Design Magazine There has never been a better time to dedicate yourself to a life enriched by nature. In A Year at Brandywine Cottage, David Culp inspires you to find that connection in the comfort of your own backyard. Organized seasonally, A Year at Brandywine Cottage is filled with fresh ideas and trusted advice on flower gardening, growing vegetables and herbs, creating simple floral arrangements, and cooking seasonally with home-grown produce. You’ll find suggested tasks for each month, including advice on when to plant and harvest, how to weed and water, and what to plant for year-round beauty. Packed with glorious photography by Rob Cardillo and brimming with practical tips, A Year at Brandywine Cottage is your guide to living your best life in—and out—of the garden.
