The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun


Gretchen Rubin - 2009
    “The days are long, but the years are short,” she realized. “Time is passing, and I’m not focusing enough on the things that really matter.” In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.In this lively and compelling account, Rubin chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Among other things, she found that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that money can help buy happiness, when spent wisely; that outer order contributes to inner calm; and that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference.

True Ghost Stories of First Responders


Eve S. Evans - 2021
    They’ve experienced events they can’t otherwise explain. Same with other professions that deal with injuries, accidents, or death. Police officers, firemen, 911 operators, they’ve seen the worst that people can do to one another, and they’ve all had brushes with the unexplained. Don’t believe in ghosts? This book might change your mind steal any hope of sleep. These stories are unexplainable, true accounts from first responders, police officers, firemen, and 911 operators, told from the perspective of everyday people. Every single tale between these covers is one hundred percent true. Think you can explain them? We dare you to try.

What It Takes: Fighting for My Life and My Love of the Game


Mark Herzlich - 2014
    But after being named the conference’s top defensive player his junior season, the budding star was sidelined by a persistent, debilitating pain in his left leg.After months of tests, Herzlich received a shocking diagnosis: He had Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. Doctors put his odds of survival as low as fifteen percent—and no one thought he would be able to run, much less play, again. Then Herzlich learned of a radical alternative treatment that would give him the best chance to regain his strength and maybe even play football again. He had a choice to make, one that would allow him the chance to return to the game he loved, but it came at the risk of his life.Herzlich relied on family, friends, faith, and deep wells of determination to help him through treatment, and his drastic plan worked. Not only could he run, but he was stronger than ever physically, and mentally ready to battle his way to a spot on an NFL roster. When he was passed over by all 32 teams in the draft, he dug deeper and continued his training, winning a spot in the Giants’ training camp, and eventually, on the team.Mark Herzlich fought a battle against cancer, against statistics, and some days against himself. Told with candor and raw emotion, this is a story for anyone who has ever fought to beat the odds, for anyone who has ever been told that what they are about to attempt is next to impossible.Herzlich’s story embodies powerful lessons about what can be achieved through persistence and belief, and he serves as living proof that overcoming the impossible is only the beginning.With a foreword by New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin

No Regrets


Coleen Nolan - 2013
    As a member of the Nolan sisters, Coleen Nolan was born into the spotlight and has stayed there ever since. She has now become one of the nation's favourite TV presenters and is used to newspapers and magazines claiming to have the inside story of her private life. In No Regrets Coleen finally reveals the truth of what really happened during the last few rollercoaster years, truly the worst of her life. Whilst it's certainly been a traumatic time for the whole family, Coleen is a survivor. First and foremost, she is a mum and is determined to hold her family together. The Nolans finally put aside their infamous feud to rally round their beloved sister Bernie, who tragically lost her fight with cancer on the 4th of July last year, aged just 52. In this memoir, Coleen movingly describes her struggle to deal with the emotional scars that come from losing someone so close and the effect it has had on her own life. In this incredibly candid memoir, Coleen writes with raw honesty about her family troubles, her career highs and lows, and her struggle with her body image. In recent years, Coleen has found herself in both a plastic surgeon's office looking at a £20,000 bill to 'fix her face' and at a breast cancer clinic asking for the removal of her healthy breasts to avoid becoming the fourth sister in the family to be struck down by cancer. Wonderfully warm and moving, and brilliantly funny and honest, No Regrets will take you from laughter to tears and back again as you share in Coleen's very personal journey.

Hands of an Angel, Mind of a Demon, Heart of a Saint: True Stories from a 10 Year Paramedic


David Chase Stone - 2017
    This tell-all story will put you on the front line of the reality of street paramedicine. From gruesome and violent encounters to making split-second decisions which may have cost a life, experience the emotional struggle our responders have to deal with on a daily basis. Through the highs and lows of his career, ten-year Paramedic David Stone doesn't hold back as he tells of the circumstances which haunted him and eventually drove him out of the career... and why it was all worth it in the end. Ride front seat with this thrill-packed memoir encompassing over a decade of true stories from the medic who experienced it.

Cross My Heart


Ferne McCann - 2016
    Since exploding onto our screens, Ferne has become one of TOWIE’s standout cast members and is widely regarded for her style and inimitable personality. Renowned for her straight talking attitude and unbridled wit, Ferne is a regular on TV and chat shows. She is currently working on This Morning as a showbiz reporter and her exclusive column in Star Magazine is the longest running celebrity column to date. Before Fern found fame, she was one of London's top hair stylists & colourist, which provided major grounding for her passion and talent for fashion and beauty.

To the Wilds of Alaska: A New Life in the Alaskan Wilderness


Janette Ross Riehle - 2016
    And while they weren’t survivalists they survived, and even thrived, for months at a time in the subarctic wilderness without electricity, telephones, indoor plumbing or ready access to medical services. Sylvia, an attractive, strong-minded 14-year-old who loved the outdoors, came to Alaska with her family in 1934, hoping to escape the despair and poverty of the Depression years in southern Oregon. Although their first winter on a forested 160-acre homestead was spent in a log cabin without windows or a floor, it was still better than back in Oregon where things were tough. Three years later, while working at a fish cannery in Anchorage, Sylvia came to the notice of a good-looking, good-natured young man who had spent the previous two winters on the remote Yentna River with his older brother. Vernon was looking for a wife to move to the wilderness with him and immediately decided that she was the one. Six weeks later they were married and ready to begin their life together in a world that no longer exists—a world of sled dogs, moose meat, fresh trout, snowshoes, outboard motors and wooden dories. They worked hard and faced many dangers, but enjoyed their life depending largely on their own resources and on each other. While written for the general public, this book, as well as the other three in the series, is also suitable for older children who are interested in how families lived in earlier times and in far different circumstances than their own. The later books are written in part from the perspective of the children, as well as that of their parents.

Behind the Laughter


Sherrie Hewson - 2011
    From her dazzling performances in the Carry On films to Russ Abbott's Madhouse, to her favourite character Maureen Holdsworth in Coronation Street to the green hills of Emmerdale, Sherrie's warmth and good humour won her a place in the heart of the nation. And now an adored presenter on Loose Women, which she joined eight years ago, Sherrie has become a friend and confidante to the millions who tune in for her naughty sense of fun, openness and quick wit.But behind the laughter Sherrie has been hiding a secret heartache. After 30 years of marriage, she is finally divorcing the man who cheated on her and squandered all her money, leaving her bankrupt, on the brink of an alcohol problem and suicidal. It has taken her nine years to reach this point; but Sherrie is now ready to share her story – and it's one that at times seems more fitting to a soap opera than real life.From living in a brothel to being ditched at the altar, to living in fear of her stalker to nearly murdering her Corrie co-star (by accident, of course!), to the on- and off-screen lovers, friends and foe, to struggling to conceive her much-loved daughter,Sherrie – a natural storyteller – always manages to see the funny side and tells it like it is with warmth and a cheeky smile.Brimming with brilliantly funny anecdotes and larger-than-life characters, Sherrie’s story will delight, entertain and, above all, make you laugh.

101 Quotes and Sayings From Maya Angelou: Inspirational Quotes From Phenomenal Woman


Ronda Buckley - 2014
    Maya Angelou, she is a poet, writer of memoirs, novelist, educator, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker and human rights activists.

Still Whispering After All These Years: My Autobiography


Bob Harris - 2015
    He continues to be a household name today and his velvety voice can be heard on Radio 2's The Bob Harris Show and Bob Harris Country. In this fully revised and updated autobiography, with a forward by Robert Plant, Bob tells his story of over 40 years of broadcasting with the BBC, from the young, passionate music fan who moved to London determined to make music his life, to being presented with an OBE for his services to music broadcasting. Much like his musical heroes, Bob's personal life has had somewhat of a rock 'n' roll vibe: he has been married three times, gone bankrupt, fought cancer, weathered a very public spat with a fellow DJ and has had to revamp his career four times. Throughout all these times, however, his love of music and talent for broadcasting has endured. The Whispering Years is a frank, vibrant and inspiring tale of one of the most influential names on the radio and reveals the story of the man behind the voice.

When Heaven Calls


Matt Fraser - 2020
    Based on the questions he gets, they seem to think he spends most of his time sitting cross-legged in a trance, maybe hovering a few inches off the ground, leaving his physical body behind as he journeys across the veil to the spirit realm. But it’s not like that at all. The real Matt Fraser is just an ordinary twenty-eight-year-old guy…who happens to talk to dead people. Born into a psychic family, Matt carries on the legacy passed down from his late Grandmother Mary by connecting people to their dearly departed loved ones and delivering messages from the other side. His sold-out live group readings, television appearances, and popular private readings have allowed him to bring hope and healing to fans from around the world. Now, in When Heaven Calls, Matt opens up about his life as a psychic medium—including how he discovered his spiritual gift, what it’s like to connect with souls on the other side, what communicating with the dead has taught him about embracing life, and how you can tap into your own intuitive awareness to manifest your dreams, goals, and desires.

Put A Wet Paper Towel on It: The Weird and Wonderful World of Primary Schools


Lee Parkinson - 2021
    It will also explore the pressures of modern-day teaching, revealing exactly what it takes to wrangle a chaotic classroom (or seven) on a weekly basis. From the absolute characters found in the staffroom to school-trip mishaps and everything else inbetween, Put A Wet Paper Towel on It is a must-read for teachers and parents alike.So sit up straight, four legs on your chair, fingers on lips and get ready to take a trip down memory lane. And remember – when in doubt, just put a wet paper towel on it.

Why Bowie Matters


Will Brooker - 2019
    His greatest hits were sung tearfully in pubs up and down Britain, garlands of flowers were left at the Aladdin Sane mural in his old stomping ground of Brixton and tributes poured in from a galaxy of stars. To many of us, Bowie was so much more than a pop idol. But why?In Why Bowie Matters, Professor Will Brooker answers that question persuasively, as both a fan and an academic. A Bowie obsessive since childhood, he hit the headlines over the course of a year-long immersive research project that took him from London to Berlin and New York, following in Bowie’s footsteps, only listening to music and reading books he loved, and even at times adopting his fashion.In this original and illuminating book, Professor Brooker approaches Bowie from various angles, re-tracing his childhood on the streets of Bromley, taking us through his record collection and bookshelves, and deciphering the symbols and codes of his final work, Blackstar to piece together how an ordinary suburban teenager turned himself into a legend, and how perhaps we too could be a little more Bowie.He shows us that while David Robert Jones died on that terrible day in January, David Bowie will live on forever.

My First 79 Years: Isaac Stern


Isaac Stern - 1999
    One of the few people who has known every major classical musician of the last two-thirds of the twentieth century, he shares his personal and artistic experiences in this warm, passionate account of his life: the story of his rise to eminence; his feelings about music and the violin; and his great friendships and collaborations with colleagues such as Leonard Bernstein and Pablo Casals. Stern the man, the musician, and the cultural institution come alive in the most readable and revealing musical autobiography of the decade.

Why Are There Monkeys? (and Other Questions for God)


Brooke Jones - 2021
    I loved it!" Howard Rosenberg -- Pulitzer Prize winning former Los Angeles Times columnist and author.Brooke Jones, Breast Cancer Warrior, Political Satirist, and former star of San Francisco and Los Angeles radio died...but her death was short-lived. 8 minutes passed here on Earth while she was busy being dead, but she wasn't on Earth -- she was at Heaven's Front Door, having a Question and Answer Session with God!"What is the meaning of life?" "What religion is God?" "Is God male or female?" Brooke asked every question she could think of, and God provided the answers. The first thing she learned was that God has a sense of humor! (Well of course God has a sense of humor -- have you ever seen a Platypus?)Was she returned to the Land Of The Living because of the startling final question she asked? Did all that she experienced really happen, or was it just the hallucination of a dying brain? She didn't know, until...she was given proof - absolute proof - proof she could not possibly deny!'Why Are There Monkeys? (and other questions for God)" is the absolutely TRUE, INSPIRATIONAL, laugh-out-loud FUNNY story of one woman's Near-Death Question and Answer Session with God. "By God, Brooke Jones is a hell of a writer!" Ben Fong-Torres -- former Editor of Rolling Stone Magazine."Delightful, insightful, spiritual, and startlingly funny! It left me, an atheist, more of a believer than I was before. I loved every minute of it!" Ray Richmond -- former columnist with The Hollywood Reporter, Daily Variety, Orange County Register, LA Herald-Examiner.