For The Best of Gerald Durrell she has chosen evocative, quirky, engaging and humorous pieces to give a wonderful picture of how his extraordinary life unfolded. Starting with his early naturalist days and the rapid development of his passion for animals, this anthology includes writings of his collecting trips to such places as Cameroon, Argentina and Madagascar, his growing concern about the nature of zoos, the emergence of his conservation plans, and the realization of his lifelong dream, a zoo of his own, and how it became a model for the future.

    Our companions are an aging poet, who is sad because he can no longer write—he has lost the joy he used to have in simply being alive–and a young, mischievous female donkey, who is sad because she can't run and play—she has a touch of arthritis. . . . There is a moral, of course, but any moral looks dull next to the simple happiness of the old poet and his long-eared muse."—The New Yorker

    

    Her mother may stand silently at the sink year after year, or lie in the basement weeping, but Albanese is determined to flee the deadening certainty of her parents' lives. Her story does not disappoint us.By turns haunting, hilarious, tragic, and romantic, Blue Suburbia is the chronicle of a determined young woman who overcomes family limitations, socio-economic obstacles, and personal fears to build a happy -- and blessedly ordinary -- life. Written entirely in free verse, Blue Suburbia's cadence is a steady, rhythmic heartbeat, pulsing with pain, rebellion, love, and triumph. This is the story many of us might tell, if we had the courage.

    Now, more than ever, Melissa's message is needed by others, and her promise to all who journey with her is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE.Who would ever guess that Melissa Bernstein, happily-married mother of 6, creator of over 5,000 toys which have sold over a billion dollars, begins many days the same way far too many others do, wondering if she'll make it to tomorrow? Melissa shows us that when darkness descends, and it seems there's no escape, there actually is a way out, there actually is hope, and there actually is a path that can lead to meaning and purpose.Melissa takes us on her path through depression, revealing how her "lifelines" transformed despair into a beacon of hope. Filled with prose, gorgeous photography, and many of Melissa's verses that express her struggles and breakthroughs, LifeLines is committed to helping others who are "stuck" develop a plan for themselves to survive and thrive.A book of struggle and salvation, connection and community, LifeLines is a framework for people seeking to understand their emotional lives and to develop their own path to self-discovery and inner transformation.

    But the high drama, angst, and catastrophes aren’t confined to her character’s plotlines. In this captivating memoir, Melody reveals behind-the-scenes tales of her own riveting journey to becoming an icon.As Nikki Newman went from impoverished stripper to resourceful, vivacious heroine―with missteps as gripping as her triumphs―Melody became a household name, enthralling audiences across the globe. But her road to stardom also had to be one to freedom marked by an escape fit for cinema. In Always Young and Restless, Melody tells of her troubled, untraditional upbringing for the first time.Readers will learn how she suffered at home with her hoarder grandmother, whose cruelty as her manager is shockingly extreme; abuse at the hands of industry men; the intensity of acting in feature films with Alfred Hitchcock and Clint Eastwood; and how she finally took control of her life and career, in a getaway move as daring as any on The Young and the Restless. And of course, Melody divulges forty years’ worth of juicy on-and-off-set details of what it’s like to be one-half of the show’s most successful supercouple, “Niktor,” plus her personal path to healing, love, and family. In witty, warm prose, meet the shining, persevering heart of an American icon―and prepare to be moved by a life story fit for a soap opera star.

    

    She traveled extensively with her husband, Billy Graham, on his many Crusades around the world. While their five children were growing up, she took on the responsibilities of managing the household to give Billy the freedom to travel and preach wherever God called him.These poems, first published as a collection in 1977, are from all phases and periods of her life. "I wrote because, at times, I had to. It was write, or develop an ulcer-or forget," she said. "I chose to write. At times I even wrote for the sheer fun."Numerous family photos taken over the years-including some never before published-add a rich context to this edition, creating a treasured memory book of the life of this remarkable woman.

    In 2006 Will Elliott had his first novel the Pilo Family Circus published. It won five literary awards and great acclaim, nationally and internationally. What nobody knew was that the young author of that work of terrifying fantasy had recently recovered from a psychotic episode and been diagnosed as schizophrenic. Strange Places takes us on a journey through psychosis and out the other side, documenting the delusions, the drugs and the insights that recovery brings. A beautifully written memoir of a harrowing - and enlightening - time, from one of Australia's best young writers.

    Len Goodman tells all about his new-found fame, his experiences on Strictly Come Dancing, and also on the no.1 US show Dancing with the Stars and his encounters with the likes of Heather Mills-McCartney and John Sergeant. But the real story is in his East End roots. And Len's early life couldn't be more East End. The son of a Bethnal Green costermonger he spent his formative years running the fruit and veg barrow and being bathed at night in the same water Nan used to cook the beetroot. There are echoes of Billy Elliot too. Though Len was a welder in the London Docks, he dreamt of being a professional footballer, and came close to making the grade had he not broken his foot on Hackney Marshes. The doctor recommended ballroom dancing as a light aid to his recovery. And Len, it turned out, was a natural. At first his family and work mates mocked, but soon he had made the final of a national competition and the welders descended en masse to the Albert Hall to cheer him on. With his dance partner, and then wife Cheryl, Len won the British Championships in his late twenties and ballroom dancing became his life. Funny and heart-warming, Len Goodman's autobiography has all the honest East End charm of Tommy Steele, Mike Read or Roberta Taylor.

    All 97 counties of it! Surely it can't be as bad as everyone tells him. After twenty years living abroad, he thinks the time is right to search his homeland for the best of British using new eyes, those of a foreign tourist, and in the only way he knows how – by bicycle. Armed with a list of recommendations gathered from friends and strangers alike and the most spontaneous of routes, he pedals 5,000 miles through damp English country lanes, soggy Welsh moorland and windswept Scottish mountains. He gets wet quite often. Following on from the success and irreverent style of both No Place Like Home, Thank God and Hungry for Miles, Steven seeks out the quirky in the people he meets, the places he visits and the food he eats. Can his initial store of positivity survive the journey, or will it be ground down by the traffic, the weather and his British, vegetable-free diet of beer, pies and pork scratchings? In this, Book 1, The Journey South, Steven travels from Merseyside to Warwickshire, through the whole of Wales, the West Country, the south coast and to London. Armed with a bag of googly eyes, he meets a poetry-prescribing nurse, stumbles across Hilda Ogden's lawnmower, has his footwear stolen by foxes, discovers some very special Mexican fleas, crashes the TARDIS and visits dozens of British capitals, including its infidelity capital, its boob job capital and its dogging capital. He experiences "real" Britain – the good and the bad – its Morris dancers, pie 'n' mash and the pinnacle of British culture, a good old-fashioned street fight. The concluding part, The Journey North, covering the east of England, Scotland and the north-west of England will be available in Summer 2017.

    Most, but not all. A Kilo of String is the story-so-far of this not-particularly-plucky couple’s often bewildering experiences among the descendants of Sophocles, Plato and Nana Mouskouri with occasional digressions into total irrelevances. This is a book which is almost guaranteed not to change your life, but what it will do is answer many of the fundamental questions about life in Greece, such as: How do you avoid ordering a double tomato for your pine marten when booking a hotel room? Should olive harvesting be registered with the Dangerous Sports Association? Why are chicken livers useful (other than to the chickens themselves)? Oh yes, and there are some serious bits too about how life in Greece has changed since the beginning of the economic crisis.

    When a 30-something woman signs up on a dating website for people looking to get married, she realizes just how delightful, vexing, amusing and befuddling trying to find the perfect husband can be. Based on real experiences, this book is not a guide to dating, but rather a delightful collection of episodes about meeting potential partners, epiphanies about them and soul-searching questions that will make you see relationships without the rose-tinted glasses. Especially pertinent to this age of online dating, this delicious-as-a-cappuccino book is for all those in love, looking for love or in between. With advice as sage (gained the hard way) as that in He's Just Not That Into You and scenarios as funny and outrageous as those in Sex and the City, 50 Cups of Coffee is a hilarious, honest and witty book, perfect to curl up with when a suitable beau or bae is not available.

     Four full-length, heart-pounding MC romances filled with suspense, explosive chemistry, and hot bikers who will take you on a fast and steamy ride. Book One: STEEL Steel is the fierce and feared President of the Night Rebels MC, one of the most notorious outlaw clubs in Colorado. With his tatted muscular body, ebony hair, and green eyes, he is a magnet to women. Never turning away a sexy body, he indulges in casual sex, but nothing more. Until he meets his daughter’s feisty social worker, Breanna. Their attraction is intense. Steel has his hands full when danger comes knocking at his door. Time is running out as a dark force threatens to destroy his family and Breanna—the woman whom he has vowed to make his own. Book Two: MUERTO Muerto, six feet of muscles and tats, is an officer in the Night Rebels MC. Women clamor to him, but he’s never found a woman who stirs something deep inside him. Until Raven comes into the club’s pool hall, hustles the customers, and then gives him some attitude. Her boldness and sassiness pique his interest, and her smoky gray eyes pull him right in. Raven is drawn to the handsome biker, but she’s sure he’s nothing but a heartbreaker. Slowly she lets her guard down and allows herself to trust him. But unknown to her, someone is lurking in the darkness watching her ... waiting to strike. Will Muerto be able to save her in time? Book Three: DIABLO Diablo, Sergeant-At-Arms of the Night Rebels MC, doesn’t chase women the way his fellow brothers do. Even though women flock to him, he pushes them away. His past haunts him and rage burns deep inside him. But when he sees Fallon—his employer’s daughter—her hazel eyes reflect sadness and regret, and he’s drawn to the loneliness that fills her up. He knows he should stay away from her but he can’t. Fallon doesn’t trust men, but when her eyes lock with Diablo’s, she sees kindness behind his rough and gruff exterior. Just when Fallon and Diablo learn to trust each other, shadows from years ago emerge from the darkness, turning their world upside down. Book Four: GOLDIE Goldie, Road Captain of the Night Rebels MC, loves women and women love him. He’s a simple man who only needs his Harley, whiskey, and women—in that order. But when his best friend's little sister stumbles into his tattoo shop, wanting an ink job on her sexy bottom, his easy life becomes complicated. Hailey can’t believe what a hunk her brother’s best friend turned out to be all these years later. She’s always had a crush on him, and now they are both all grown up. Goldie appreciates that Hailey has filled out so nicely in all the right places, and he knows he should stay away from her. She’s off limits and he should forget all about her. The problem is that he can’t Hailey or her sweet tattoo out of his mind. Forbidden love never tasted so sweet. Now all they have to do is make sure no one finds out and all will be good. Yeah … right. Each of the books in the Insurgents MC Romance Series are standalone romance novels. The books contain violence, sexual assault (not graphic), strong language, and steamy/graphic sexual scenes. They describe the life and actions of an outlaw motorcycle club. HEA. No cliffhangers.

    A collection of poetry about depression, survival, and healing: featuring "Self-Love Manifesto" an inspirational poem that became viral on Tumblr which explores what it truly means to fall in love with your being.