Shed the consumer of tourism, and discover the real person making her way through Spain. The boringly stage-managed holiday environment is not for her. Instead, she experiences Spain behind the scenesa Spain peopled with generous eccentricities and fiesta-loving citizens of Europe. On her travelsnot plastic funded and traveling in a sixteen-year-old BMWshe finds idyllic and appalling places to stay in and picnics in paradise. This woman relishes a challenge. There are thousands of miles of fascinating description and humorous observations as she takes us to the mountains, the middle, and the Med. The artificial Spain is groomed to pamper the British visitor; the real Spain accepts people for what they are.
'Wonderfully romantic, full of mystery and magic. I fell in love with Ballykiltara!' - Cathy Bramley You'll find a warm welcome in this magical story from Ali McNamara, bestselling author of Daisy's Vintage Cornish Camper Van and From Notting Hill with Love, Actually ------------------------------------- One summer, property seeker, Serendipity Parker finds herself on the beautiful west coast of Ireland, hunting for a home for a wealthy Irish client. But when she finds the perfect house in the small town of Ballykiltara, there's a problem; nobody seems to know who owns it. 'The Welcome House' is a local legend. Its front door is always open for those in need of shelter, and there's always a plentiful supply of food in the cupboards for the hungry or poor. While Ren desperately tries to find the owner to see if she can negotiate a sale, she begins to delve deeper into the history and legends that surround the old house and the town. But for a woman who has always been focussed on her work, she's remarkably distracted by Finn, the attractive manager of the local hotel. But will she ever discover the real truth behind the mysterious 'Welcome House'? Or will the house cast its magical spell over Ren and help her to find true happiness? ------------------------------------------ 'Breathtakingly scenic, full of love, friendship, romance, magic... made me want to move to Ballykiltara right away' - Alex Brown, author of The Secret of Orchard Cottage What readers are saying about The Summer of Serendipity 'A really heartwarming novel' - The Booktrail 'Make sure you pack it into your case for any summer trips you might be planning' - t*rexes and tiaras 'A magical read full of mystery, romance and mythical Irish charm. This summery novel will make you look at your own life with new eyes and see that spark of magic in the stories that surround you every day' - Laura Bambrey Books 'An enticing novel, bringing together a wonderful story, filled with friendly, realistic characters, gorgeous scenery, and a little bit of magic' - Whispering Stories 'Another warm and funny love story from Ali and I highly recommend escaping with it this summer' - One More Page
What a colourful life the author of these poems has led and it certainly shows in his various works. I love that they are not all of the same cloth from a subject and mood perspective. From the seriousness of What land is this I gaze upon? with its uplifting, almost spiritual words which build up the scene so masterfully to the tongue-in-cheek humour of Gary the Grasshopper, - the Matatu and -the Auldest Swinger in Town, the diversity is fabulous. As whole I found the poetry extremely clever and often wickedly and tremendously witty. Whether detailed or brief, each poem successfully tells a story, which to carry the reader along with the intended mood of the author. Being South African, I laughed so hard and was so thoroughly entertained by the Matatu as it so accurately describes a minibus taxi as if in fact it could feel. I chuckled further at - the Auldest Swinger in Town, which was the perfect marriage of humour, poetry and superb storytelling. Monkey on a Rope was also brilliantly clever (and educational) and I particularly loved the ending which tied in so beautifully and gives a thought-provoking touch. I do believe the poet has a way with words that is superbly entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed his work.
This middle grade, magical-realism novel from the author of The Flourishing of Floralie Laurel is about an Irish girl who is sent to a mysterious town in Virginia to live with her long-lost mother, and is Alice Hoffman's Nightbird meets Claire Legrand's The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls! Amidst the 1971 Troubles between the Irish Republican Army and Northern Ireland, twelve-year-old Finn lives in a world of her own of fairy tales. Raised by her grandmother, Nuala, who is the village storyteller, Finn spends her days playing make-believe in the forest, weaving tall tales to tell her friend Darcy, longing to go to the island of Inis Eala to meet the swans there, and waiting for her father to return from the war. She's long since stopped believing in happy endings and miracles, preferring to believe instead in serendipity, or "happy mistakes." While Nuala revels in the safety and routine of their quiet village life, spunky Finn craves adventure . . . something that comes to her more quickly than expected. When Darcy becomes lost at sea and Nuala suddenly passes away, Finn is shipped off to the affluent town of Starlight Valley, Virginia, to live with her long-lost mother, Aoife, and half-sister, Posy-Kate. Finn is initially excited to get to know her newfound family, but she can't help but notice that things are a bit unusual. The town is encircled by thorn trees, and even stranger is Aoife's house, where the walls are covered with swan feathers and decorated with swan heads--and Aoife's shoes appear to be made out of swan bills. Finn tries to ignore the sinking feeling that something isn't right, but she starts to believe that what's happening isn't random. Instead, it's taken directly from one of her grandmother's famous folktales, The Children of Lir, where a scorned mother turns all of her children into swans. But Finn stopped believing in those stories a long time ago . . . could they actually be true?
In the course of research, most scholars have known moments of surprise, catastrophe, or good fortune, though they seldom refer to these occurrences in reports or discuss them with students. Serendipity in Rhetoric, Writing, and Literacy Research reveals the different kinds of work scholars, particularly those in rhetoric, writing, and literacy, need to do in order to recognize a serendipitous discovery or a missed opportunity. In published scholarship and research, the path toward discovery seems clean and direct. The dead ends, backtrackings, start-overs, and stumbles that occur throughout the research process are elided, and seems that the researchers started at point A and arrived safely and neatly at point B without incident, as if by magic. The path, however, is never truly clear and straight. Research and writing is messy. Serendipity in Rhetoric, Writing, and Literacy Research features chapters from twenty-three writing scholars who have experienced moments of serendipity in their own work—not by magic or pure chance but through openness and active waiting, which offer an opportunity to prepare the mind. Serendipity in Rhetoric, Writing, and Literacy Research illustrates the reality of doing research: there is no reliable prescription or one-size-fits-all manual, but success can be found with focused dedication and an open mind. Contributors: Ellen Barton, Zachary C. Beare, Lynn Z. Bloom, Jennifer Clary-Lemon, Caren Wakerman Converse, Gale Coskan-Johnson, Kim Donehower, Bill Endres, Shirley E. Faulkner-Springfield, Lynée Lewis Gaillet, Brad Gyori, Judy Holiday, Gesa E. Kirsch, Lori Ostergaard, Doreen Piano, Liz Rohan, Ryan Skinnell, Patricia Wilde, Daniel Wuebben
In this work Craig Packer introduces the reader to the real world of fieldwork - initiating assistants to lion research in the Serengeti, helping a doctoral student collect data, collaborating with Jane Goodall on primate research.
Two men meet for a pint in a Dublin pub. They chew the fat, set the world to rights, take the piss… They talk about their wives, their kids, their kids’ pets, their football teams and – this being Ireland in 2011–12 –about the euro, the crash, the presidential election, the Queen’s visit. But these men are not parochial or small-minded; one of them knows where to find the missing Colonel Gaddafi (he’s working as a cleaner at Dublin Airport); they worry about Greek debt, the IMF and the bondholders ( whatever they might be); in their fashion, they mourn the deaths of Whitney Houston, Donna Summer, Davy Jones and Robin Gibb; and they ask each other the really important questions like ‘Would you ever let yourself be digitally enhanced?’ Inspired by a year’s worth of news, Two Pints distils the essence of Roddy Doyle’s comic genius. This book shares the concision of a collection of poems, and the timing of a virtuoso comedian.
The Latest Edition Of The #1 Bestselling Trend Series Shared Online More Than 1 Million Times! The Non-Obvious series of books is an annual trend report on the top 15 trends likely to affect business and consumer behaviour in the upcoming year. The book has been a Wall Street Journal bestseller, the research has been viewed and shared online more by more than a million readers and the report has been a multi-year #1 best seller online.
THE IRISH CULTURE BOOK 1 - Activity Book is an illustrated book full of fun, informative activities and discussions on Irish culture. It can be used by anyone with an interest in exploring Irish culture. The book is useful for both native and non-native English speakers, for short and long-term visitors to Ireland and anyone wanting to get to the heart of what Irish people are really about. The discussions deepen critical thinking skills essential for success in a new culture, for both studying and working in Ireland. The book is full of thought-provoking activities and gives users great opportunities for comparative reflection on their own cultures. There are over 350 questions, over 100 quotations including Irish proverbs; as well as questionnaires, matching and correcting exercises; quizzes and creative problem-solving tasks.
