From one of California's most celebrated writers comes a generous and deeply absorbing novel, as filled with warmth and the hope of second chances as the land it describes.Returning from New York to the vineyards of Northern California to be with her dying mother, Anna Torelli never expects that the trip will change her life. But when she meets Arthur Atwater, he father's vineyard manager—a man as emotionally bruised and as fiercely independent as she is—Anna is pulled back into the rhythms of the growing season, into the radiant landscape of her childhood, and into a love affair that rouses her as nothing has before. Carson Valley is also home to Anna's aging father, Victor, the son of Italian immigrants who first planted the vineyard in the 1890s, and his foreman, Antonio Lopez, a Mexican immigrant whose marital troubles deepen when his cousin Omar Perez crosses the border illegally to work the vineyard harvest.Carson Valley is a masterful work of... Views: 56
The Revolt of Aphrodite consists of two novels, Tunc ('then', 'next') and its sequel Numquam ('never'). When Felix Charlock, an inventor, is approached by Merlin's, an influential and successful firm with interests everywhere, something about the extremely generous offer makes him hesitate. But as time goes on, he finds himself tied to 'the Firm' both personally and contractually - and disentangling himself will cost more than he knows... With a cast of tantalising characters, the two novels take the reader from Turkey to Greece, from Switzerland to England. Enigmatic and engrossing, with a marvellous sweep of action and ideas, the novels show Durrell is at his most gothic and comic, and most widely allusive. Views: 55
From Lonely Planet, the world's leading travel guide publisher, Better Than Fiction 2, the follow-up to 2012's Better Than Fiction, is a second serving of true travel stories told by some of the world's best fiction writers including Dave Eggers, Jane Smiley and Karen Joy Fowler.Varied in place, plot and voice, these are stirring and evocative pieces that all share one common characteristic—they manifest a passion for the precious gift of travel, from its unexpected but inevitably enriching lessons about other peoples and places, to the truths, sometimes uncomfortable but always enlarging, it reveals about ourselves.By turns comic, dramatic, and moving – from Francine Prose's confrontation of the mysteries of India to DBC Pierre's search for Hemingway's muse in Italy – these 30 short tales reveal the joys, perils, and surprises of travel, and that truth can often be stranger (and better) than fiction.Whether on a plane en route to your own travel adventure, or... Views: 55
Now revised, updated, and with new recipes, And a Bottle of Rum tells the raucously entertaining story of this most American of liquorsFrom the grog sailors drank on the high seas in the 1700s to the mojitos of Havana bar hoppers, spirits and cocktail columnist Wayne Curtis offers a history of rum and the Americas alike, revealing that the homely spirit once distilled from the industrial waste of the booming sugar trade has managed to infiltrate every stratum of New World society. Curtis takes us from the taverns of the American colonies, where rum delivered both a cheap wallop and cash for the Revolution; to the plundering pirate ships off the coast of Central America; to the watering holes of pre-Castro Cuba; and to the kitsch-laden tiki bars of 1950s America. Here are sugar barons and their armies conquering the Caribbean, Paul Revere stopping for a nip during his famous ride, Prohibitionists marching against "demon rum," Hemingway fattening his liver with... Views: 55
Tom dreamed of being an adventurer. But people told him he was crazy, so he decided to prove them wrong by cycling round the world! The first book followed Tom across Europe and through the mysterious landscapes of Africa. In Part Two, Tom pedals north from the tip of South America up through the Americas towards Alaska. Based on the author's personal experiences and with engaging illustrations, maps and handwritten journal entries throughout, this book provides an immersive experience for any young adventurer. He must contend with deserts, jungles and the massive mountains of the Andes. He meets grizzly bears, fascinating locals, and even a memorable guinea pig. Tom learns about the world, and himself, as he tackles this epic journey. Views: 55
Thomas needs to speak to his mother before she dies.But he's set to give a talk to a conference of physiotherapists in the Netherlands; if he leaves now will he get to her deathbed in time?Will he be able to say what he couldn't say before? He can't concentrate on what is happening now: his mind won't sit still. Should he try to solve his friend's marital crisis? Should he reconsider his separation from his own wife? And why does he need to pee again?In Extremis is Tim Parks's masterwork: a darkly hilarious and deadly serious novel about infidelity, mortality and the frailties of the human body. Views: 55
A gripping Australian adventure story from Bear Grylls, packed with real survival details and dangers at every turn!When Beck Granger follows a mysterious clue to the town of Broome in Northern Australia, it is just the beginning of an adventure that will force him into some of his toughest survival challenges yet!The search for clues takes Beck into the heart of the Outback, where he must battle raging storms, ravenous crocodiles, cunning villains and a secret that may link back to the death of his parents many years ago . . . Views: 55
A young badger named Bart wanders away from his burrow on an adventure. Views: 55
Beautiful and talented registrar Holly Williams needs a kidney transplant and only one person can help her. Her boss — pediatric cardiac surgeon Ryan Murphy. Ryan is Holly's perfect match in every sense. He has already fallen in love with her and he'll do anything to save her life...if only he can persuade her to let him. Views: 54
Three Boys - or the Chiefs of the Clan Mackhai is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by George Manville Fenn is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of George Manville Fenn then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. Views: 54
This is a romp around a university campus beset with business pressures and political chicanery centred on third world riches. The stakes are high and penalties dire. Even so, many are prepared to chance their arm, or for that matter their body, and do! Coincidentally Zombek, an emergent mineral-rich African country, wants to step up progress by introducing hundreds of native-born graduates to help run all areas of their economy. Their own education system is not up to it. They want British university standards. The trouble is that most of their young people are not quite university entrant material. Views: 54
The revered New York Times bestselling author traces the development of technology from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age to explore the single component crucial to advancement—precision—in a superb history that is both an homage and a warning for our future.The rise of manufacturing could not have happened without an attention to precision. At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in eighteenth-century England, standards of measurement were established, giving way to the development of machine tools—machines that make machines. Eventually, the application of precision tools and methods resulted in the creation and mass production of items from guns and glass to mirrors, lenses, and cameras—and eventually gave way to further breakthroughs, including gene splicing, microchips, and the Hadron Collider.Simon Winchester takes us back to origins of the Industrial Age, to England where he introduces the scientific minds that helped usher in modern production: John Wilkinson, Henry Maudslay, Joseph Bramah, Jesse Ramsden, and Joseph Whitworth. It was Thomas Jefferson who later exported their discoveries to the fledgling United States, setting the nation on its course to become a manufacturing titan. Winchester moves forward through time, to today’s cutting-edge developments occurring around the world, from America to Western Europe to Asia.As he introduces the minds and methods that have changed the modern world, Winchester explores fundamental questions. Why is precision important? What are the different tools we use to measure it? Who has invented and perfected it? Has the pursuit of the ultra-precise in so many facets of human life blinded us to other things of equal value, such as an appreciation for the age-old traditions of craftsmanship, art, and high culture? Are we missing something that reflects the world as it is, rather than the world as we think we would wish it to be? And can the precise and the natural co-exist in society?
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