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The Choice
Philly McMahon - 2017
The effects were personally devastating, but amidst the loss there was a glimmer of hope, of opportunity, and what ultimately became the starting point for a journey of remarkable self-discovery.In this profound and inspirational memoir, McMahon traces his and John’s paths, from his earliest recollections of their childhood through the maelstrom of Ballymun’s heroin epidemic. He considers the relationships, tensions, arguments and chance occurrences that pushed them in very different directions: Philly to university, the boardroom and the hallowed turf of Croke Park; John to exile in London, heartbreak and, ultimately, tragedy.Raw, vivid and intensely moving, The Choice is many things – an epic story of triumph in the face of adversity and loss, a family saga, a tribute to the redemptive power of sport – but above all it’s a stirring meditation on the roles compassion and resilience can play in shaping our lives, and those around us, for the better.
After Tears
Niq Mhlongo - 2007
A piercingly funny yet poignant novel by the author of Dog Eat Dog.
Keeping Pet Chickens: Bring Your Garden to Life and Enjoy the Bounty of Fresh Eggs from Your Own Small Flock of Happy Hens
Johannes Paul - 2005
They don't require farmland or much special equipment, and today's modern chicken houses are designed so that anyone with even a little backyard space can keep chickens. The authors of this enlightening new book offer essential advice, provide the basic, easy-to-follow chicken-raising facts, and present their information in clear jargon-free text. Keeping Pet Chickens is arranged as a series of clearly-captioned pictorial spreads, each of which focuses on a particular topic of importance to chicken owners. Topics covered include pure breeds and hybrid chicken varieties, maintaining daily routines, catching and handling hens, keeping chickens in good health, and much more. Sidebars on every two-page spread present additional information and fascinating facts about chickens and chicken raising. Approximately 100 color photos.
Game Changer
Amelia Whitmore - 2016
Hunky seatmate Aiden, who is heading to a buddy’s nuptials, is a sweet distraction from her fear of flying, but she expects her flirtation with the pro football player to end with the flight. In the airport, they discover that Emily’s sister is marrying Aiden’s friend. As the two wedding attendants spend time together in the days leading up to the nuptials, Emily finds herself falling for Aiden—until a pregnant woman crashes the wedding and claims that Aiden is her fiancé and the father of her baby. Emily rushes home to Houston, where she tries to become a hermit, if only her friends and brother would let her. How could she know how much her life would be transformed before her next trip to Cancún?
The Cockroach Dance
Meja Mwangi - 1979
Dusman Gonzaga lives in a squalid tenement building overrun with cockroaches and inhabited by strange characters. His is a world of poverty, fights, bar women and visits to a doctor who doesn't understand him.
Small Things
Nthikeng Mohlele - 2013
I am, however, never sure if this conclusion is without some blemish, some residue, however faint; an ounce of madness. To certain inconclusive degrees, it is clear that some of my disappointments awaited me, gathering rust, years before I was born. I have reason to suspect you will find this tale unusual, but not without beauty. Threads of a spider's web perhaps, to be unwound, cautiously, a thread at a time. This is the story of a dreamer, 'an average man, ' singled out by fate for an uncertain life. Jailed for 18 years under apartheid for unspecified sins, he emerges into a world that has no place for him. His fluctuating fortunes land him on the unpredictable, bitter-winter streets of Johannesburg, where 'harmlessness' is an 'unfortunate trait, ' but tempestuous skylines offer space to breathe. A trumpet and an indigent dog are his accomplices in survival. But, it is his obsessive love for the erratic, hard-hearted Desiree that remains the one constant in his life and impels his search for the elusive meaning of existence. Through his protagonist - the trumpet-playing philosopher poet - author Nthikeng Mohlele weaves unique magic with words, posing powerful questions in his inimitably individualistic and evocative style. Behind this story of love, music and the eternal quest, lies an artistic sensibility as generous as it is complex. The prose is rich in texture, the final effect melancholy and comic in equal proportions. -- J.M. Coetzee, recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature and two-time winner of the Booker Pri
Three Summers
S.J. Sylvis - 2018
My name is Sadie and I was the victim of an attempted robbery at gunpoint three weeks ago." Those were the first words I spoke to my therapist last year and now I can say after my freshman year of college, I've finally broken free of my therapy sessions. The wound on my face has healed and the scar is fading a little more every day. Now if I can just get the scars on my heart to heal that quickly, I'll be golden.But that's looking pretty tricky since the boy who put those scars there is standing just feet away from me under the blistering North Carolina sun. Apparently, we'll be spending the entire summer lifeguarding together at the country club pool.A year ago, I was carefree—I was in love and I didn’t have a worry in the world, except for Rowen.But now, I'm a little older and a lot smarter. I know how to guard my heart. I know how to keep Rowen out. Except. . .he never really left. And I am quickly learning that my mind and heart are at a crossroads. Maybe I don't know how to guard my heart after all. And maybe I don't quite know everything I thought I did. . . ***Recommended for ages 17+ due to language and sexual situations.***
Rise: The Brand New Autobiography
Siya Kolisi - 2021
This book is an extraordinary reminder of what can be achieved with inner belief and an indefatigable spirit.’ JAY SHETTY'Siya's story is well documented, and I am so impressed by the way he conducts himself. As the captain of his team and as a statesman he is measured and thoughtful. He is a leader in every way. An inspiration to a dynamic South African nation.' EDDIE JONES‘Few people embody the tenacity of what the New South Africa stands for, like Siya does. His story mirrors the nations’; in its trials and tribulations and also in it’s triumph against all odds. This is a real life heroes journey.’ TREVOR NOAH‘There is no doubt Siya has made a significant impact on World rugby, especially within South African rugby. [He] is passionate about changing people's lives for the better and uses his position and status to do that.’ MARO ITOJE‘Brilliant’ THE TIMES‘Moving’ THE GUARDIANHis truth. His story. In his words.There have been many comments made and books written about Siya Kolisi, captain of the Springboks, and the first black man to lead his country in over 128 years of South African rugby. But now, for the very first time, Siya Kolisi shares his story in an extraordinarily intimate memoir, charting his journey from being born into the impoverished Zwide township, to leading his proud nation to an astonishing victory at the Rugby World Cup in 2019. However, Rise is not simply a chronology of matches played and games won; it is an exploration of a man’s race and his faith, a masterclass in attaining a positive mindset, and an inspirational reminder that it is possible to defy the odds, no matter how they are stacked against you. In 2020, partly in response to the pandemic, Siya and his wife, Rachel, launched The Kolisi Foundation, providing personal protective equipment to healthcare workers and delivering food parcels throughout South Africa. The title Rise is inspired by Siya’s mother – Phakama – which translates to the book’s name, as well as a celebration of his Xhosa heritage.
Reconciled (The Salvation Society)
Evan Grace
This town isn’t big enough for both of us. Unfortunately, my brother, Lance, is getting married and launching a new wine. Family first, even with the chance that I could run into the man who obliterated my heart ten years ago.I knew I was going to run into him. That’s just how my luck goes. However, I didn’t expect my meeting with my brother’s PR rep to be none other than the man himself. Ranger Brooks, is the breaker of my heart. He’s also the man who still owns it. Regardless of the hurt and the pain he’s caused, I’ll never stop loving him. That doesn’t mean we’re good for one another. I need to keep my distance and keep our interactions strictly professional.Ranger, however, has other plans. He’s apologetic and sincere. He wants to try again, but that’s not a part of my plan. I’m only here for four weeks. Then I’m getting back to my life in Atlanta. Regardless of the pain he caused, I want us to be able to put the past behind us.Just when I think that the fences are mended, there’s a threat to the vineyard and to me. How can I resist the only man I’ve ever loved when danger is lurking? How do I protect my heart and not hand it to him on a silver platter when his arms are the only place I feel safe. Can Ranger save me in more ways than one?
Important Things That Don't Matter: A Novel
David Amsden - 2003
That's it. And I want to tell you things, throw fragments your way that I barely understand. Because it's just funny, flat out, the way someone you don't even know can get up in your face, tweak things that should be so ordinary. Or I think it's funny. Maybe you will too.Hailed by The New Yorker as "a fictional report from the strip-mall front lines of Generation Y,"
Important Things That Don't Matter
is a provocative, moving, darkly funny portrait of family and divorce, a boy and his father, the eighties and nineties, and sex and intimacy that raises vital questions about a generation just now reaching adulthood.
Love, David
Dianne Case - 1986
Anna watches as her older brother upsets the family by involving himself in illegal activities to escape from the poverty of his home life in South Africa.
The Winter Garden
Johanna Verweerd - 2001
Her choice could open the door to answers she's long wondered about, or it could forever chill a heart too long without love.
The Mechanics of Yenagoa
Michael Afenfia - 2020
Some of his troubles are self-inflicted: like his recurring entanglements in love triangles; and his unauthorised joyriding of a customer’s car which sets off a chain of dire events involving drugs, crooked politicians, and assassins. Other troubles are caused by the panorama of characters in his life, like: his sister and her dysfunctional domestic situation; the three other mechanics he employs; and the money-loving preacher who has all but taken over his home. The story is fast-paced with surprising twists and a captivating plot - a Dickenesque page-turner. This is Ebinimi’s story but it is about a lot more than him. It is an exploration of the dynamics between working-class people as they undertake a colourful tour of Yenagoa, one of Nigeria’s lesser-known cities, while using humour, sex, and music, as coping mechanisms for the everyday struggle. It is a modern-classic tale of small lives navigating a big city.
Two Weeks in November: The astonishing inside story of the coup that toppled Mugabe
Douglas Rogers - 2019