1701 Books
When war breaks out in 1939, Patricia and Jean join the Wrens, where they quickly pick up Morse code, and are tasked with intercepting enemy messages and feeding them back to Bletchley Park
The heartwarming and moving story of three fascinating women finding their strength in World War II, perfect for fans of Katie Flynn, Call the Midwife and Downton Abbey It is June 1940, and as the bombs fall, the women at home must dig deep . . . _______ Tucked on the edge of the Lake District lies Mary Vale, a Mother and Baby Home open to unmarried women and their children. But tensions arise when three very different mums-to-be walk through the doors. Plucky shipyard worker Gracie must overcome her shame when her lover turns out to be married. Newly engaged Diana's fiancé tragically goes missing in action days before the wedding, while isolated and bedraggled Zelda turns heads when she arrives from the ghettos of Germany. At Mary Vale, unity is key as the bombs keep falling. But can these very different women put their differences aside to fight a common foe? Praise for Daisy Styles 'Will tug at the heart strings of readers everywhere. Wonderful!' Fiona Ford, author of The Liberty Girls 'Well done Daisy for creating characters that are real women in the best sense. Funny, scheming, loyal and witty, but about all, hardworking and proud. An absolute joy to read' Kate Thompson, bestselling author of Secrets of the Home Front Girls 'Truly endearing characters' Annie Murray, bestselling author of Now The War Is Over
With a new afterword, Why You Are Here: A speech on the opening of the COP26 climate summit As a young man, I felt I was out there in the wild, experiencing the untouched natural world - but it was an illusion. The tragedy of our time has been happening all around us, barely noticeable from day to day - the loss of our planet's wild places, its biodiversity. I have been witness to this decline. A Life on Our Planet contains my witness statement, and my vision for the future - the story of how we came to make this, our greatest mistake, and how, if we act now, we can yet put it right. We have the opportunity to create the perfect home for ourselves and restore the wonderful world we inherited. All we need is the will do so.
This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is an irresistible blend of literature and memoir revealing the big experiences and little moments that shaped Ann Patchett as a daughter, wife, friend and writer. Here, Ann Patchett shares entertaining and moving stories about her tumultuous childhood, her painful early divorce, the excitement of selling her first book, driving a Winnebago from Montana to Yellowstone Park, her joyous discovery of opera, scaling a six-foot wall in order to join the Los Angeles Police Department, the gradual loss of her beloved grandmother, starting her own bookshop in Nashville, her love for her very special dog and, of course, her eventual happy marriage. This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage is a memoir both wide ranging and deeply personal, overflowing with close observation and emotional wisdom, told with wit, honesty and irresistible warmth.
In these hilarious stories of perverse meetings, casual dates and romantic encounters, we are enthralled, saddened, inspired and surprised by the encounters we witness. McCall Smith, a master of the unexpected and a seamless storyteller, revels in offering us the quirky complications inherent in entanglements which human beings engineer for themselves - entanglements that can be shocking, edifying, compulsive, complicated and sometimes, completely disastrous. This is an exceptional collection of stories from an author whose rapidly growing audience delights in his extraordinary imagination and delicious insights into the endlessly fascinating peculiarities of the human condition.
Val was working as a land girl when the Americans arrived at the nearby airfield in 1944. Mike, a young American airman, came into her life soon after, and so too did Peter Woodhouse, a dog badly treated on a neighbouring farm and taken in by her aunt. Little persuasion was needed for Mike to take Peter Woodhouse to the airbase and over time he became the mascot of the American squad, flying with them whenever their Mosquitoes took to the skies. When their plane is shot down over Holland both Mike, and Peter Woodhouse are feared lost. But unknown to their loved ones at home, Mike, and Peter Woodhouse survived the crash. Taken in by the Dutch resistance and with the help of Ubi, a German officer, the pair to remain in hiding till the end of the war when they are reunited with Val. We then follow Val, Mike, and Peter Woodhouse as they rebuild a life in England. And Ubi as he returns to Germany at the end of the war and tries to build a new life for himself. His dream is to run a Wall of Death, a circus ring that pitts motorcyclists against gravity as they attempt to stay upright at ever increasing speed.
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER! 'If you're after an in-depth medical or psychological insight into the menopause, I'm afraid you've opened the wrong book - I'm not a doctor . . . However, I am a woman and I do know how it feels to be menopausal, so this book is written from experience and the heart and I hope it makes you laugh and feel better.' JE Older and Wider is Jenny Eclair's hilarious, irreverent and refreshingly honest compendium of the menopause. From C for Carb-loading and G for Getting Your Shit Together to I for Invisibility and V for Vaginas, Jenny's whistle-stop tour of the menopause in all its glory will make you realise that it really isn't just you. Jenny will share the surprising lessons she has learnt along the way as well as her hard-won tips on the joy of cardigans, dealing with the empty nest (get a lodger) and keeping the lid on the pressure cooker of your temper (count to twenty, ten is never enough). As Jenny says, 'I can't say that I've emerged like a beautiful butterfly from some hideous old menopausal chrysalis and it would be a lie to say that I've found the 'old me' again. But what I have found is the 'new me' - and you know what? I'm completely cool with that.'
Easy and quick 30-minute recipes from Britain's best-loved healthy chef and the nation's favourite PE teacher, Joe Wicks. Bestselling author Joe Wicks, aka The Body Coach, presents this gorgeous book featuring more than a hundred nutritious recipes that are perfect for sharing. Proving once again that you don't need loads of time to cook great food, Joe’s 30-Minute Meals is packed with everyday healthy dishes that you'll want to make, time and time again. Most chapters are simply organized by main ingredient, making it easy to find a recipe for every occasion. Every recipe is labelled as either reduced-carb or carb-refuel, which makes this book a brilliant addition for those already familiar with Joe's popular Lean in 15 eating structure (carbs following workouts or on active days), but the meals are also enjoyable and tasty for all, whether you are following Joe's plan or not. If you're looking for a crowd-pleasing lunch like the Bang Bang Chicken Stir-Fry or something tasty to chuck in the oven at the end of a long day such as Joe’s Sausage and Mushroom Pie, Joe's 30-Minute Meals makes it easy to make a fuss-free, tasty plate of food, every single day. The man who kept the nation moving during lockdown, Joe has sold more than 3 million books in the UK alone. He has more than 4 million followers on social media, where fans share their journeys towards a leaner, fitter lifestyle. All of his books have been non-fiction number one bestsellers.
'I'm a huge fan of Barbara Pym' RICHARD OSMAN 'One of the most endearingly amusing English novels of the twentieth century' ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH Mildred Lathbury is one of those 'excellent women' who is often taken for granted. She is a godsend, 'capable of dealing with most of the stock situations of life - birth, marriage, death, the successful jumble sales, the garden fete spoilt by bad weather'. As such, she often gets herself embroiled in other people's lives - especially those of her glamorous new neighbours, the Napiers, whose marriage seems to be on the rocks. One cannot take sides in these matters, though it is tricky, especially as Mildred, teetering on the edge of spinsterhood, has a soft spot for dashing young Rockingham Napier. This is Barbara Pym's world at its funniest and most touching. 'I pick up her books with joy, as though I were meeting an old, dear friend who comforts me, extends my vision and makes me roar with laughter' Jilly Cooper