Only the author of Flaubert's Parrot could give us a novel that is at once a note-perfect rendition of the angsts and attitudes of English adolescence, a giddy comedy of sexual awakening in the 1960s, and a portrait of the accommodations that some of us call "growing up" and others "selling out."

    But this is the 1920s and he lives in Stilbourne, a small English country town where everyone knows what everyone else is getting up to, and where love, lust and rebellion are closely followed by revenge and embarrassment.

    Bensons novels. They are full of wit, back biting, snobbery and a wonderful one-upmanship. They are the sort of stories that you will revisit, just in case you've missed something in a previous reading!This two book presentation will provide the reader with many hours of hilarity. Highly recommended.

    In "The Nigger of the 'Narcissus'" a ship's crew struggles with morale as a black member of the crew lay dying. In the shorter work "The Secret Sharer" a captain on his night watch discovers an officer that has come aboard has been accused of a murder. In both works through the context of a voyage at sea Conrad masterfully explores the psychological and moral issues that are at the heart of mankind.

    Switching points of view among many characters, she builds with accumulating effect the picture of life in a town forgotten by time yet affected dramatically by it. Historical time- represented by Druid ruins, the local eighteenth-century country manor, and the last aristocrats who occupied it in the 1920s- is juxtaposed against the banalities of life in today's world.

    Even on the ship's voyage across, the Russian sensibility begins to pervade: lots of secrets and lots of vodka. When his American wife is stricken by a painful rash and he is interrogated at his hotel by Soviet agents who know that he is trying to sell stylish synthetic dresses to the masses starved for fashion, his precarious inner balance is thrown off for good. More drink follows, discoveries of his wife's illicit affair with another woman, and his own submerged sexual feelings come breaking through the surface, bubbling up in Russian champagne and caviar.

    A lonely art historian absorbed in her research seizes the opportunity to share in the joys and pleasures of the lives of a glittering couple, only to find her hopes of companionship and happiness shattered.

    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

    It asks what would have happened if Damien Hirst had never arrived? If someone else had become the most notorious and influential young British artist? And what if that someone had been more talented, more provocative, more outrageous? And far, far funnier?Early on in this bravura debut we are informed that Hirst was hit and killed by a train in 1989 (“apparently when drunk”) – and the focus of everyone’s attention falls instead on Randall. Randall – a big, lumbering ape of a man – is a genius of language as much as art, supremely able to baffle, bemuse and amuse the press, public and all around him. He makes a fortune, causes chaos, changes the art world – the whole world – and provides brilliant quips every step of the way: “There’s only two things you can do with art: make it, and buy it. Everything else – talking about it, thinking about it, selling it, looking at it – either comes under one of those two, or doesn’t count.”

    Replacing the slim volume which introduced Stevie Smith to American readers, New Selected Poems is chronologically arranged and contains 165 poems along with many of the author's doodles.

    A fear that eats away at you - fear of death, of illness, of needles, of fire. Even of feeligns themselves. In London, Emma Tate's life is collapsing around her - her job is in jeopardy, her parents have been killed in a car crash for which she blames herself, and her husband's business is failing. Seeking respite, Emma, her husband and two of their friends hope to find some temporary peace in a country house. But Roxton is a place of strange secrets. What is the reason for the closure of the mine? What riddles are hidden in the stained glass of the church? What mysterious force is at large? Emma's desire to uncover these secrets will lead her into a nightmare from which there will be no waking.

    A young English gentleman and one of the "idle rich", Bertie frequently appears alongside his valet, Jeeves, whose intelligence manages to save Bertie or one of his friends from numerous awkward situations. As the first-person narrator of ten novels and over 30 short stories, Bertie Wooster ranks as one of the most vivid comic creations in popular literature. Jeeves presents the ideal image of the gentleman, being highly competent, dignified, and respectful. Incredibly knowledgeable about topics ranging from horse racing to history, Jeeves has an encyclopedic knowledge of literature and academic subjects. He frequently quotes from Shakespeare and the romantic poets. Well informed about members of the British aristocracy thanks to the club book of the Junior Ganymede Club, he also seems to have a considerable number of useful connections among various servants. Jeeves uses his knowledge and connections to solve problems inconspicuously. Jeeves & Wooster Series: Right Ho, Jeeves Leave It to Jeeves Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest Jeeves and the Hard-boiled Egg Absent Treatment Helping Freddie Rallying Round Old George Doing Clarence a Bit of Good The Aunt and the Sluggard Jeeves Takes Charge Jeeves in the Springtime Aunt Agatha Takes the Count Scoring off Jeeves Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch Jeeves and the Chump Cyril Comrade Bingo The Great Sermon Handicap The Purity of the Turf The Metropolitan Touch The Delayed Exit of Claude and Eustace Bingo and the Little Woman Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest Jeeves and the Hard-boiled Egg Bertie Changes His Mind

    

    Jimmy Carpenter has dreams and they come true. He started having them as a young child and he thought everyone did the same thing. However, Jimmy has had a dream and the nightmare vision is terrifying. Jimmy is having difficulty deciding if this dream is real or a product of his imagination. He puts the dream aside but learns from his mother that his father was a dream and not a part of reality. When his only dream that had never come true, does, then he knows the nightmare is coming and everyone is going to die. Bestselling author, Saxon Andrew delivers a page turner that will make you believe that Jimmy’s Dream is a nightmare that could actually happen. Sit down and hold on. Some Dreams are Nightmares. Excerpt from Jimmy's Dreams: Candice was awoken by Jimmy pulling on her arm and yelling for her to get up, “What’s going on!” “MOM, GET DRESSED NOW! GET DRESSED!” Candice pulled on a robe and slippers and Jimmy pulled on her arm. “JIMMY!” “COME ON MOM, WE DON’T HAVE MUCH LONGER!!” Candice saw terror in Jimmy’s eyes as he released her arm and ran out of the door to the apartment. “Jimmy, wait!” “COME ON!” Candice saw him run down the flight of stairs to the front door of the building and go outside. She ran after him as fast as she could and found him waiting for her outside the entrance. He grabbed her hand and pulled her with all his strength toward the end of the street. She stopped him and said, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Jimmy released her hand and ran as fast as his legs would carry him. “JIMMY, STOP!” She was forced to run after him and as they arrived at the end of the street, she heard a huge blast over her shoulder that caused her to stumble forward and as she felt heat on her back. She continued chasing Jimmy until he stopped two blocks away. She reached him and lifted him into her arms. She turned around and saw their apartment building and the two buildings next to it burning in huge flames that lept high into the nighttime sky. Her eyes were wide open as she watched the flames begin spreading into the surrounding buildings. She looked at Jimmy shaking in fear of what had just happened and said, “How did you know?” “I had a dream.” Let me know what you think by contacting me at saxonandrew@msn.com Find us on Facebook at saxonandrewsuniverse.

    Is it a prank, or a grim warning? Julia’s fears that somebody is trying to kill Barker are confirmed when a dead body with a striking resemblance to him is found on his doorstep the very next day, just as their romance is deepening. Barker might be on temporary suspension from his role as Detective Inspector at the village police station, but that doesn’t mean he’s short of enemies in Peridale, especially when a dark face from his past arrives in the small village to stir up painful memories. With an unclear list of suspects and motives, Julia vows to keep Barker safe, but can they figure out the puzzle as they work outside of the law in a race against time to stop Barker paying the ultimate price? SHORTBREAD AND SORROW (Book 5) When Julia’s gran, Dot, wins an all-inclusive spa trip to Scotland, Julia finds it difficult to refuse the offer of a relaxing week away from her café. Along with her sister, Sue, they pack up her tiny vintage car and drive all the way from Peridale to Seirbigh Castle, ready to be pampered. The last thing Julia expected was to be caught up in another murder investigation, but when the cruel owner of the family-run spa, Henry McLaughlin, is shot dead, she can’t resist ditching the facemasks and massages in favour of cracking the case. Julia quickly befriends the young cook and talented-baker, Blair, and acquires a job in the kitchen so she can observe the strange family in the wake of the murder. Henry’s wife and children are acting suspicious, and with an incompetent young Detective Inspector on the case, Julia makes it her mission to discover the secrets held within the ancient walls before Seirbigh Castle claims another victim. ESPRESSO AND EVIL (Book 6) When a coffee shop opens in the village, Julia is surprised when her customers flock to the new business, leaving her café almost empty. A failed protest against the corporate chain store leaves Julia wondering if her café can survive, but she suddenly has bigger fish to fry when the owner of the coffee shop is poisoned, and she is framed for his murder. As Julia attempts to clear her name, she is stopped in her tracks when an unwanted familiar face arrives in Peridale. Her past and present crash together, threatening to jeopardise her blossoming relationship with Barker. Julia's history is back to haunt her, and she is forced to deal with the consequences of her actions before it is too late. Somebody is trying to frame Julia for her rival's murder, but can she juggle her most challenging case yet with her complicated love life before she loses more than just her café? Books 4-6 books in the Peridale Cafe series! Can be read as standalones but will be enjoyed more as part of the series. A light, cozy mystery read with a cat loving and cafe-owning female amateur sleuth, in a small village setting with quirky characters. No cliffhangers, swearing, gore or graphic scenes! FULL PERIDALE CAFE READING ORDER: 1. Pancakes and Corpses 2. Lemonade and Lies 3. Doughnuts and Deception 4.