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Floating In A Most Peculiar Way: A Memoir
By Louis Chude-Sokei. 2021
The astonishing journey of a bright, utterly displaced boy, from the short-lived African nation of Biafra, to Jamaica, to the…
harshest streets of Los Angeles—a searing memoir that adds fascinating depth to the coming-to-America storyThe first time Chude-Sokei realizes that he is &“first son of the first son&” of a renowned leader of the bygone African nation is in Uncle Daddy and Big Auntie&’s strict religious household in Jamaica, where he lives with other abandoned children. A visiting African has just fallen to his knees to shake him by the shoulders: &“Is this the boy? Is this him?&”Chude-Sokei&’s immersion in the politics of race and belonging across the landscape of the African diaspora takes a turn when his traumatized mother, who has her own extraordinary history as the onetime &“Jackie O of Biafra,&” finally sends for him to come live with her. In Inglewood, Los Angeles, on the eve of gangsta rap and the LA riots, it&’s as if he&’s fallen to Earth. In this world, anything alien—definitely Chude-Sokei&’s secret obsession with science fiction and David Bowie—is a danger, and his yearning to become a Black American gets deeply, sometimes absurdly, complicated. Ultimately, it is a boisterous pan-African family of honorary aunts, uncles, and cousins that becomes his secret society, teaching him the redemptive skill of navigating not just Blackness, but Blacknesses, in his America.Never Grow Up
By Jackie Chan. 2018
A candid, thrilling memoir from one of the most recognizable, influential, and beloved cinematic personalities in the world.Everyone knows Jackie…
Chan. Whether it&’s from Rush Hour, Shanghai Noon, The Karate Kid, or Kung Fu Panda, Jackie is admired by generations of moviegoers for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and mind-bending stunts. In 2016—after fifty-six years in the industry, over 200 films, and many broken bones—he received an honorary Academy Award for his lifetime achievement in film. But at 64 years-old, Jackie is just getting started. Now, in Never Grow Up, the global superstar reflects on his early life, including his childhood years at the China Drama Academy (in which he was enrolled at the age of six), his big breaks (and setbacks) in Hong Kong and Hollywood, his numerous brushes with death (both on and off film sets), and his life as a husband and father (which has been, admittedly and regrettably, imperfect). Jackie has never shied away from his mistakes. Since The Young Master in 1980, Jackie&’s films have ended with a bloopers reel in which he stumbles over his lines, misses his mark, or crashes to the ground in a stunt gone south. In Never Grow Up, Jackie applies the same spirit of openness to his life, proving time and time again why he&’s beloved the world over: he&’s honest, funny, kind, brave beyond reckoning and—after all this time—still young at heart.Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day: My Autobiography - The Sunday Times No 1 Bestseller
By Captain Tom Moore. 2020
Embark on an enchanting journey into our country's past hundred years through the remarkable life of Captain Sir Tom MooreTHE…
NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'A wonderful life story with lessons for us all . . . beautifully written' DAILY TELEGRAPH'Gloriously enthralling' DAILY MAIL__________Captain Sir Tom Moore's story is all our stories . . .Born at the tail end of the Spanish flu epidemic, Tom Moore was raised in the Yorkshire Dales by a loving family that had not escaped tragedy. Yet when the clouds of war threatened, Tom raised his hand and joined up to fight.The Second World War took him to the Far East, where his can-do spirit was forged. Whether fighting for his life in Burma or helming a firm back home, racing motorbikes or raising a family, he always sought to do his very best. To make a difference to those around him.Captain Tom's story is that of our parents and our grandparents.It is the story of the past hundred years here in Britain.__________'Engaging . . . His upbeat nature shines through and reminds us how much worse this year would have been without him' Evening Standard'A wonderful read. Captain Tom is a beacon of light, and hope, and positivity' Piers Morgan, Life Stories, ITV'A great book' Good Morning Britain'A beautiful book. We have so much to learn from Captain Sir Tom' Chris Evans, Virgin Radio 'Fascinating. It's the life story of an ordinary man who is extraordinary' Michael Ball, BBC Radio 2Too Many Tears
By Fiona Doyle. 2013
As heard on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour'Ireland and its people know that Fiona Doyle is a trailblazer' Sunday Independent'A…
wrenching read ... Doyle resists giving her story a Hollywood gloss' Irish Independent'[A] hopeful, horrific read' Ray D'Arcy, Today FM'A testament to her resolve and courage. A remarkable story by a remarkable woman' Irish Times'Always inspirational' National Women's Council of Ireland @NWCI'Fiona Doyle is a hero' Roisin Ingle @roisiningle'Well worth reading' Colette Fitzpatrick, MidWeek, TV3Too Many Tears is the moving and inspiring story of how Fiona Doyle came through the agony and humiliation of being sexually abused by her father, how she foudn the strength to seek justice, and how she coped when, at the final hurdle, it appeared that he was about to escape prison.For as long as she can remember, and well into her teens, Fiona's father raped and abused her. Her mother blamed Fiona for leading him on. The effects on her life were catastrophic.Fiona first reported her father, Patrick O'Brien, to the authorities in the early nineties but the police investigation went nowhere. She made a second complaint in 2010 and this time, it appeared, O'Brien would face the consequences of his crimes . He, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting his daughter and Fiona assumed the next time she came to court, he would be going to jail.Instead, shockingly, having suspended nine years of a twelve-year sentence, the judge released O'Brien on bail. Three days later, following a national outcry and questions in parliament, the presiding judge expressed his 'profound regret' to Fiona Doyle and sent O'Brien to jail.Too Many Tears is Fiona Doyle's story of abuse and its aftermath - the turmoil and isolation she experienced as a child and young girl, the devastating price she continued to pay in her adult life, and how finally she had the courage and tenacity to take on her father - and the authorities - to make him face up to what he had done. It is a startling and inspiring story of survival and hope against the odds.Toby and Sox: The heartwarming tale of a little boy with autism and a dog in a million
By Vikky Turner, Neil Turner. 2016
“I just feel better now Sox is here. Before, I felt like I wanted to die. I couldn't even go…
to parties. Then Sox came along. It feels like our hearts are connected – I love him so much.” TobyWhen Toby Turner was excluded from school for the third time for hitting and kicking his teachers, his family hit rock bottom. Toby, who has autism, felt so upset by his own aggression, he told his parents they would be better off without him.Terrified, Toby’s mum gave up her job as a nursery nurse to teach him at home while they found a place for him in a special school. Eventually, the only way the family could get Toby out of the house was by giving him headphones, sunglasses and a cap to block out the world.After a difficult few years, the family was thrown a lifeline by the charity Dogs for Good, which introduced Toby to Sox. The adorable three-year-old Labrador Golden Retriever was trained by the charity to help children with autism. Within two weeks, he had turned Toby’s life around. Together, as a family unit, and with Sox by their side, the Turners have learned to enjoy life again.To Miss with Love
By Katharine Birbalsingh. 2011
From the whistle-blowing teacher behind the headlines: one inspirational teacher, one extraordinary year, hope and heartbreak on the front lines…
of an inner-city school, To Miss With Love by Katharine Birbalsingh is the remarkable and eye opening exposé of our education system.A third of teachers leave within their first term on the job. This one wouldn't quit for all the world. Meet Furious - sixteen, handsome and completely out of control. Nothing frightens him and no one can get through to him. Now meet Munchkin - a sweet kid with glasses who's an easy target and needs protecting. Then there's Seething and Deranged, two girls who are brimming with bad attitude; Fifty and Cent, who act like gangsters but are afraid of getting beaten up; and Stoic, a brilliant young mind struggling to survive. In the midst of them all, there is a bodyguard and bouncer, a counsellor and confidante, a young woman whose job it is to motivate and inspire them and somehow keep them out of trouble: their teacher. None will make it through the year unscathed. Some may not even make it at all...Spanning a year of shocking truths and hard-won victories, of fights and phone-thefts, teenage pregnancies and the dreaded OFSTED report, this is the remarkable diary of an inner-city school teacher. Revealing the extraordinary chaos, mismanagement and wrong-thinking that plague our education system, it is a funny, surprising and sometimes heartbreaking journey from the frontlines of the classroom to the heart of modern Britain.'The constant frustration, the struggle to hold on to your ideals in the face of a broken system - this book is the story of contemporary state education. It's both heart-breaking and inspiring' Toby Young'Everyone should read this book and do a bit of re-thinking. Straight from the chalk-face - a book which explains why our kids have been failed by State Education' Rod Liddle'The teacher who laid bare the chaos in the education systems. . . by delivering some brutal home truths. . . articulate and inspirational' Daily Mail'Charismatic. . . .electrifying. . . This remarkable woman has neatly identified the problem with education' The TimesKatharine Birbalsingh is Britain's most outspoken and controversial teacher. Educated at a comprehensive school, she earned a degree in philosophy and modern languages at Oxford university and has taught for over a decade in inner-city schools. To Miss with Love was for several years an anonymous blog that exposed the reality of inner-city schools and the problems with the education system. She now writes regularly for the Telegraph and has given evidence at the Commons select committee for education. Her views have sparked a national debate. www.katharinebirbalsingh.comTo Love a Dog: The Story of One Man, One Dog, and a Lifetime of Love and Mystery
By Tom Inglis. 2020
'A little gem of a book' Brendan O'ConnorTom Inglis and his Wheaten terrier Pepe have lived together for eighteen years:…
countless days of walks and play and the odd bit of chaos. Now, though, they are both getting old. To Love a Dog tells the story of Tom's life with Pepe, and looks at the ancient connection between humans and dogs. It explores why we take on the hassle of caring for these pet animals who rely on us so completely, who can create mess and upset in our lives, and who will probably die before us, leaving us behind to grieve. This is a book for everyone who has ever loved a dog.The To-Do List and Other Debacles
By Amy Jones. 2019
'Thrillingly honest, funny, incisive and hopeful, this is the perfect gateway into a discussion on mental health' Marian Keyes'Truly one…
of the most powerful books about mental health that I’ve ever read.' Daisy BuchananOne of the Independent's top ten millennial memoirs of 2019How not to be good? Let me list the ways…Are you a woman? Do you make to-do lists to stop you losing your mind? Have you ever cried in the toilets at work, had a meltdown in the supermarket, or gone off the rails at a hen party? And have you ever been saved from any of the above by your truly brilliant friends?If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then this is the book for you. A moving, funny and brutally honest memoir of one woman’s millennial misadventures, The To-Do List and Other Debacles follows Amy Jones on her journeys through friendship, marriage and mental health disasters in a story that’s as relatable as it is riotous.To be a Gay Man
By Will Young. 2020
In To Be a Gay Man, Will Young speaks out about gay shame, revealing the impact it had on his…
own life, how he learned to deal with it, and how he can now truthfully say he is gay and happy.We know Will as a multi-platinum recording artist, Olivier-nominee, and the first winner of the Idol franchise. But his story began long before his first audition. Looking back on a world where growing up being called gay was the ultimate insult and coming out after a lifetime of hiding his sexuality, Will explores the long-lasting impact repressing his true self has had.As Will’s own story demonstrates, internalised shame in childhood increases the risk of developing low self-worth, and even self-disgust, leading to destructive behaviours in adult life. Will revisits the darkest extremes he has been to, sharing his vulnerabilities, his regrets, tracing his own navigation through it all and showing the way for others who might have felt alone in the same experience.Here you will find a friend, champion and mentor, breaking taboos with frank honesty, and offering invaluable practical advice on overcoming the difficult issues too often faced within the LGBTQ+ community.Through Thick and Thin: My Autobiography
By Gok Wan. 2010
With his infectious energy and charisma, Gok Wan has an incredible gift of making women feel more confident within themselves…
- but it's not until you read his own inspirational story that you find out where he got that gift from. Gok grew up on a Leicester housing estate, with a loving family who ran a Chinese restaurant. For his parents, food meant love - and Gok was so well loved that by the time he was a teenager he weighed 21 stone. Being Asian and gay as well, Gok felt lonely and out of place. He was an easy target for bullies and suffered terribly at their hands. In a moment of inspiration, he decided to reinvent himself with his first style makeover and a larger-than-life personality to go with it. But his next move was to lose a devastating ten stone in nine months. In Through Thick and Thin, for the first time, Gok reveals all about that life changing period. The lessons Gok learnt during this time helped him bounce back to become a stylist to the stars, every woman's best friend and a national treasure. In this intimate memoir Gok tells his full story in his own words. Whether he's recounting the horrors of childhood bullying or riotous anecdotes about his loving family, behind the scenes in the fashion world or TV shows, Gok's voice jumps off the page with all the honesty, wit and warmth we've come to know and love him for.This Is Me: The No 1 Sunday Times Bestseller
By Mrs Hinch. 2020
Get to know the woman behind the Instagram cleaning sensation, Mrs Hinch, in her fascinating and remarkably honest memoir*** FEATURING…
A BONUS CHAPTER ABOUT THE BIRTH OF LENNIE ***THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER'Gut-wrenchingly honest' The Mail on Sunday'I love that woman so much, she is just so great' Rylan Clark-Neal, BBC Radio 2_____________I sometimes can't believe just how much has happened in the last couple of life-changing years. It's been a total whirlwind of a journey, and I'm so grateful to all my followers for their amazing love and support along the way.From my very first toy kitchen which was my pride and joy right through to the my very first Instagram posts stories of my cleaning routine, I'm going to take you back to the start of how it all began. But there is so much more to my story than just cleaning tips; there have been the highest of highs, but also heart-breaking devastating lows.So let's do this! Put your Hinch Lists to one side, get comfy and join me on the sofa with a cuppa. Welcome to my world.This is me: Soph - the wife, the mother and the person behind Mrs Hinch._____________'The sensation' Sun'We're mad about Mrs Hinch' Vogue'My new cleaning goddess' Daily Telegraph'Doing for household chores what Marie Kondo did for tidying' Daily Mirror'Mrs Hinch offers a reassuring structure for the day, a vision of domestic order' GuardianThin
By Grace Bowman. 2006
Bright, popular, pretty and successful, Grace Bowman had the world at her feet. So what drove her to starve herself…
nearly to death at the age of 18? And what, more importantly, made her stop? A grippingly honest account of life with anorexia nervosa, A Shape of My Own is Grace's hearbreaking, shocking and, finally, inspirational memoir. An extraordinary story, it is also a common one - is there a woman in the western world who has a normal relationship with food? A compulsive read, essential for anyone hoping to understand more about eating disorders and overcoming addiction.They Don't Teach This
By Eniola Aluko. 2019
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS*Eni Aluko: 102 appearances for England women's national football team. First female pundit on…
Match of the Day. UN Women UK ambassador. Guardian columnist. First class honors law degree. Now an inspirational author.They Don't Teach This steps beyond the realms of memoir to explore themes of dual nationality and identity, race and institutional prejudice, success, failure and faith. It is an inspiring manifesto to change the way readers and the future generation choose to view the challenges that come in their life applying life lessons with raw truths of Eni's own personal experience.'A fascinating examination of her multiple identities - British and Nigerian, a girl in a boy's world, footballer and academic, a kid from an estate with upper-middle-class parents, a God-fearing rebel... Aluko does not hold back - and few people from the football establishment emerge with their reputation intact' GuardianThat Peckham Boy: Growing Up, Getting Out and Giving Back
By Kenny Imafidon. 2023
'Kenny's story shows us that we all have the potential to achieve extraordinary things. What a hero.' Bear Grylls'If you…
are compelled by a hero's journey, then Kenny Imafidon is a hero for this generation.' Simon SinekFor fans of Poverty Safari and Skint Estate, That Peckham Boy is a real-life manifesto calling for positive change for those on the fringes of society.'When you're writing the story of your life, make sure you're holding the pen. In this life you can be whoever you want to be.'Two days after his eighteenth birthday, Kenny Imafidon was charged with the murder of a seventeen-year-old boy in south-east London. The middle child of a single mother with ambitions for her children, Kenny grew up near an estate in Peckham where deprivation and hopelessness were rife, and gang culture flourished in his community. Kenny faced a minimum of thirty years behind bars - longer than the life he had lived.When the case against Kenny collapsed, he quickly realised that his name was still inextricably linked with a horrific crime he hadn't committed. He decided to rewrite his story. It began with The Kenny Report, which he delivered to the House of Commons and which detailed the experiences of marginalised young people who drift into gangs, and has led to extensive work with charities, communities and policy-makers that is helping to change the narratives of other young people just like Kenny.A candid and unfiltered take on some of the most challenging topics that define our times, That Peckham Boy is a personal manifesto exploring what it means to be young, Black and poor in the city. It is shaped by Kenny's difficult childhood, his transformative time in prison, and the people and conversations that took him from being on trial for murder into the company of some of the most successful people in the world.That Moment When: Life Stories from Way Back Then
By Mo Gilligan. 2021
Come on my journey. Look at where man's come from. I was working in retail in 2017.You might know Mo…
as the critically acclaimed stand-up comedian, BAFTA-winning presenter, Masked Singer judge and social media mega star. But do you know the moments that really made him? Opening up on the turning points, the good times, the challenges and the lessons learned, this is Mo as you've never seen him before.Journeying through childhood memories in South London, Mo reminisces about school days and old-school raving, and takes us behind the scenes of his first comedy gigs, the creation of the original Geezer, selling out national tours and becoming one of TV's most in-demand stars. Share the moment that Mo decided he wanted to be a comedian, the moment he went viral, the moment he realised he was famous (and how to deal with it), the moment his Netflix special dropped, the moment he won his BAFTA and the moments he still has to come.In among the laugh-out-loud observations, life lessons and candid storytelling, there lies the bigger influences in Mo's life - the unsung heroes of the Black British comedy scene, the power of community and the feel-good legacy he wants to create.'The Funniest Man in Britain' The TimesThe Test: My Autobiography
By Brian O'Driscoll. 2014
The number one bestselling autobiography of the greatest rugby player of our time: Brian O'Driscoll. Since 1999, when he made…
his international debut, there has been no greater player in world rugby than Brian O'Driscoll. In 2010 Rugby World magazine named him its world player of the decade - and since then the legend has only grown. Now, at the end of his amazing career - which culminated in fairy-tale fashion with Ireland's victory in the 2014 Six Nations championship - he tells his own story. Honest, gritty and thoughtful, Brian O'Driscoll's Autobiography is not just an essential sports book. It is an essential book about family, friends, hard work, courage and imagination.'Honest, charming and revealing - a thoroughly good read' Rugby World'After reading The Test I warmed even more to O'Driscoll as a player and a man. He stood for a new ethos in Irish sport that refused to accept mediocrity or glorious failure' Fergal Keane, Irish Times'O'Driscoll's honesty ... takes the reader to a place they simply have not been before' Vincent Hogan, Irish Independent'A must-read insight into the life and mind of Ireland's greatest rugby player' Irish Mail on Sunday'There are fascinating insights into the lengths he was willing to go to perform at the highest level' Sunday Business PostTerry Pratchett: The Official Biography
By Rob Wilkins. 2022
WINNER OF THE 2023 LOCUS AWARD FOR NON-FICTIONWINNER OF THE BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION AWARD FOR BEST NON-FICTIONFINALIST FOR THE…
HUGO AWARD FOR BEST RELATED WORKSHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH FANTASY AWARD FOR BEST NON-FICTION'Always readable, illuminating and honest. It made me miss the real Terry.' - Neil Gaiman'Sometimes joyfully, sometimes painfully, intimate . . . it is wonderful to have this closeup picture of the writer's working life.' - Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Observer--------At the time of his death in 2015, award-winning and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett was working on his finest story yet - his own.The creator of the phenomenally bestselling Discworld series, Terry Pratchett was known and loved around the world for his hugely popular books, his smart satirical humour and the humanity of his campaign work. But that's only part of the picture.Before his untimely death, Terry was writing a memoir: the story of a boy who aged six was told by his teacher that he would never amount to anything and spent the rest of his life proving him wrong. For Terry lived a life full of astonishing achievements: becoming one of the UK's bestselling and most beloved writers, winning the prestigious Carnegie Medal and being awarded a knighthood.Now, the book Terry sadly couldn't finish has been written by Rob Wilkins, his former assistant, friend and now head of the Pratchett literary estate. Drawing on his own extensive memories, along with those of the author's family, friends and colleagues, Rob unveils the full picture of Terry's life - from childhood to his astonishing writing career, and how he met and coped with what he called the 'Embuggerance' of Alzheimer's disease.A deeply moving and personal portrait of the extraordinary life of Sir Terry Pratchett, written with unparalleled insight and filled with funny anecdotes, this is the only official biography of one of our finest authors.--------'Spins magic from mundanity in precisely the way Pratchett himself did.' - Telegraph'As frank, funny and unsentimental as anything its subject might have produced himself.' - Mail on SundayTell Me the Truth About Love: 13 Tales from Couple Therapy
By Susanna Abse. 2022
'Brilliant and touching' Maggie O'Farrell'A must-read for everyone wanting to understand more about what makes us fall in - and…
out - of love' Philippa Perry'A charming, useful, kind book about the pains and hopes of relationships' Alain de BottonDrawing on over 30 years of therapeutic encounters with people facing hurdles in their love lives, former Chair of the British Psychoanalytic Council Susanna Abse takes us deep inside one of the most fascinating realms there is: other people's relationships.Candid and captivating, each chapter is inspired by a classic, timeless story. Parents blow their straw house down; Rapunzel yearns for companionship but remains trapped in her castle. Couples strive to navigate the fall from Eden, the bitter taste of the poison apple and strangers in their beds.From dealing with infidelity to navigating our changing role within a single relationship over the course of a lifetime, Tell Me the Truth About Love sheds vivid light on the human heart, and its struggle to both embrace life's greatest gift and protect itself from pain. Inside, you will find solace, wisdom and unparalleled insight into how, and why, we love.Teacher's Pet
By Hayley McGregor. 2017
‘He manipulated me by making me feel special … then duped me into thinking I was to blame.’ Hayley was…
just 12 when she met Mr Willson, the new drama teacher at her school. Good looking and charismatic, he was classic schoolgirl-crush material. Hayley was flattered by the attention he gave her, and he soon befriended her parents. Little did they know they were all being groomed. Hayley allowed Mr Willson to do unspeakable things to her, and after the relationship ended it took almost 20 years of guilt and crippling self-esteem issues before a complete breakdown prompted her to tell her parents, and they went with her to the police. This is the shocking true story of a schoolgirl groomed by her teacher, and her courageous journey to heal the wrongs of her past.Taken: The Agonising True Story of My Missing Sister
By Sharon Hamilton. 2008
'God only knows what fate befell Vicky after, cold and alone at that bus stop, she accepted a lift home.'…
Abducted from a local bus stop, schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton vanished into thin air. Her disappearance left the country in shock and a family torn apart. Sharon - her sister and best friend - never stopped looking for her. Then, seventeen years later, the search came to an abrupt and tragic end.Taken is Sharon Hamilton's heartbreaking true story of what happens to a family when one of its most loved members disappears without a trace. It's about never giving up hope that one day they will come home, and that justice will be done.