A humorous and charming investigation into what it really means to have proper mannersMost of us know a bit about what passes for good manners—holding doors open, sending thank-you notes, no elbows on the table—and we certainly know bad manners when we see them. But where has this patchwork of beliefs and behaviors come from? How did manners develop? How do they change? And why do they matter so much? In examining English manners, Henry Hitchings delves into the English character and investigates what it means to be English. Sorry! presents an amusing, illuminating, and quirky audit of British manners. From basic table manners to appropriate sexual conduct, via hospitality, chivalry, faux pas, and online etiquette, Hitchings traces the history of England's customs and courtesies. Putting some of the most astute observers of humanity—including Jane Austen and Samuel Pepys—under the microscope, he uses their... Views: 68
It's a steamy June afternoon in Louisiana, circa 1956, and Sissy LeBlanc is sitting on her front porch, wondering -- half seriously -- if she could kill herself with aspirins and Coca-Cola. She's been living in stifling old Gentry since the day she was born and trapped in a sham of a marriage to PeeWee LeBlanc since she was only seventeen. In short, she's fed up, restless, and ready for an adventure.Sissy just never imagined temptation would come into her life that breathless summer day as she sat smoking on her porch swing. For although she may have been fixated on the taut muscles of the lineman shimmying down the telephone pole across the street, she hadn't allowed herself to imagine that he'd be none other than her high school sweetheart, Parker Davidson, who left town fourteen years before without so much as a wave good-bye. But suddenly, here he is, leaning in for a kiss that will stir up more excitement than Sissy could ever have imagined... Views: 68
Thalia and James have been invited to Purgatory to celebrate Christmas with Kalen and Maggie. It's been months since Thalia 'graduated' the program and her and James are happy as can be and Thalia is looking forward to having a normal Christmas. Well... as normal as it can be when it's held at a submissive training school in the middle of rural Scotland and you're helping to cook dinner Views: 68
“What I’m about to tell took place near the little town of Alpine, Texas, when I was fresh out of the service and had some money in my pockets. . . . The thing that happened shouldn’t have happened and I wish it never did. But there’s no denying it and in a way I’ve been on the lam because of it ever since.” So begins the title story of In an Arid Land, a collection that depicts episodes in the lives of ordinary people facing real problems. Testament to the challenges of everyday life, the stories often revolve around tragic turning points—the loss of a loved one, divorce, retirement, or the pains of growing up and old. Malone’s characters are, indeed, often on the lam. Views: 68
The story of Patrick Mullins, Ireland's lost soldier. On 15 September 1961, Trooper Patrick Mullins (18) was posted missing after the bloody ambush of an Irish UN convoy in a suburb of Elisabethville in the Katanga province of the Congo. The circumstances of that fateful day have remained shrouded in confusion and contradiction for five decades – until now. Missing in Action reveals for the first time how an ill-equipped and heavily out-gunned Irish soldier fought with astonishing courage against heavily armed and ruthless Katangan gendarmes. Through interviews with the survivors and access to military intelligence sources, the truth about Trooper Mullins' heroic last stand and ultimate fate can now be told. Views: 68
Be careful what you wish for...Antonia has always put everyone else before herself. Shy and quiet, her life in a small village in Wicklow has been devoted to her invalid mother and singing in the local church choir. Somehow, it's easier that way. But when she is left alone her friends encourage her to audition for a television talent show. Blessed with a glorious singing voice, she is suddenly thrust into the limelight and enters the world of celebrity and glamour. She's the Girl from Nowhere, but can she cope with this startling new life? Antonia discovers that this business is tougher than she ever thought possible, but also that she's stronger than she thought she was. And she finds that help can come from the most unexpected places...From the number one bestselling author of Take A Look At Me Now, winner of the Galaxy Irish Popular Fiction Book of the Year. Views: 68
Shed the blood. Speak the words. Change the world.......Blue Words. Views: 68
Hoping to live with her great-uncle Henry Capitain, Margaret Donnington found him a reprobate and took refuge at Winterford Manor. It seemed Roland, Lord Pargeter, was in need of a wife, and he offered Margaret a marriage of convenience for one year. She thought she had strayed into a madhouse but, with little money and no chance of a job, she had to accept. Only after the marriage did Margaret learn of the family curse, and how dangerous it would he for her... Views: 68
This riotous account of "the family unit" was a smash hit in Europe, Canada, and England. In the Times Literary Supplement, author Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale) praised Barbara Gowdy's novel as surprising and delightful, containing moments "at the same time preposterous and strangely moving." The Canary family guards many secrets, including the mystery of tiny daughter, Joan, who was dropped on her head at birth and has never spoken. Joan plays the piano like Mozart, yet has never had a lesson. The outrageous hilarity rises into a climax that creates a stunning new definition of family togetherness.Gowdy's “delightfully quirky novel”(New York Times Book Review) about an oddball Toronto family is “so brilliantly crafted and flat-out fun to read that she makes sinners of us all” (Washington Post Book World). A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. Views: 68
'She's a Queen of Words' CAITLIN MORAN. 'One of the great lionesses of modern English literature' HARPER'S BAZAAR. 'Readable, articulate and fascinating' THE SCOTSMAN. 'Outrageously funny' DAILY EXPRESS. 'Sharp, witty, incisive' THE TIMES. 'Wise, knowing, forthright' INDEPENDENT.Reviewers have been describing Fay Weldon's inimitable voice for years. Now, here is Fay Weldon in her own words. Choosing and and introducing twenty-one of her favourite short stories written throughout her fifty year career as one of Britain's foremost novelists. Included as a bonus is a new novella, The Ted Dreams, a ghost story for the age of cyber culture, big pharma, and surveillance. Views: 68
