Book picks similar to
Naughty by Mark Chester
tbr-pile
_sport
library-saved-list
on-the-shelf
The Mile
Craig Smith - 2013
Three friends: a nationalist, a unionist and a couldnae-care-lesser meet for a pub crawl down Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile. Can Ian convince Euan to vote for independence or is he just gambling with all their futures? Will Euan’s defence of the union break Ian’s resolve, or is he just hanging on to another struggling marriage? Does Stuart even care? And how can a travel writer have a fear of flying? And who is the mysterious ninety-five year old man in the red tartan trousers? The Mile is an entertaining alcohol-fuelled stagger down a street that has a lot more to it than tartan rugs and cashmere shops. Join our friends, their hangers-on, and their pursuers, as they take in 300 years of Scottish history. And a skinful of beer and whisky… REVIEW "This is a much-needed injection of booze-soaked banter and comedy into the independence debate. Assured and heartwarming stuff." Doug Johnstone "A witty comedy with a big heart and surprise waiting at every pub stop, The Mile is a whirlwind of laughs, loss and love. If that isn’t enough to get you reading, then you may never find out how Scotland is like a millionaire’s shortcake … " Karyn Dougan, Glasgow Review of Books
The Handover
David M. Barnett - 2021
'It should be Daisy on days and Nate on nights,' Marion on the reception says to her at least once a month, as though Daisy hasn't yet got the joke.Daisy is the night security guard at the Manchester Museum of Social History. She takes her job very seriously, protecting the museum from troublemakers and anyone who openly mocks the fact they have a dinosaur on display.Nate works the day shift, though he'd be more suited as a museum guide the way he chats with the visitors. Daisy doesn't approve: every one of them is a potential threat and befriending them could impair his judgement.Daisy and Nate don't have much to do with each other except for the five minutes when they're shifts overlap at handover. He passes the torch over to her - like a baton - always with a smirk on his face, and she asks him for a full report of the day, which he gives reluctantly. It's the only interaction they have... until strange things begin to happen at the museum.Daisy notices priceless objects are going missing but then reappearing, with no explanation (and nothing showing on the CCTV, which is why she doesn't trust technology). No one believes her except Nate, and he agrees to help her solve the mystery.They soon discover they have a lot more in common than they realised... and their investigations uncover more than just the truth. Could they have feelings for one another?
The Keys To The Garden
Susan Sallis - 1999
When Lucy married Len on a golden July day, Martha tried hard to make the best of things. Len was a good man who would make Lucy happy. They wouldn't be living far away. And the arrival of grandchildren was something she anticipated eagerly.
Unexpectedly, Len's job took the newly married couple overseas, where their first child was born. But sorrow, not joy, came with Dominic's birth. On their return, Lucy's best friend, Jennifer, as flighty as Lucy was conventional, was anxious to provide her own kind of consolation...
Martha, who was experiencing unlooked-for and at first unwelcome changes in her own life, clung fast to the maternal bond that meant so much to herself and Lucy. Everything she had come to depend on was overturned, however, before Martha was able to find her own kind of happiness in a very different existence.
One of Susan Sallis's most poignant and involving novels, The Keys to the Garden explores the mother-daughter relationship with a rare insight.
A Man Walks On To a Pitch: Stories from a Life in Football
Harry Redknapp - 2014
Harry started in an age where players were ordinary blokes who might live on the same street as you and earn a similar wage. Now he manages in an era of player power, multi-million pound wages and teams assembled from around the globe.As he shares stories of some of the legends and journeymen he played, coached, argued and drank with, Harry picks a team for each decade from the 1950s to the present. He gets to the heart of what was right and wrong with each era and explores the changes in the game from lifestyle to tactics. He weaves his choices together with unforgettable tales from the training pitches, boot rooms and card schools.There are tales of the untutored genius of Duncan Edwards and Tom Finney, legendary tough Scots like Bobby Collins, Dave Mackay and Billy Bremner, the world-beaters of 1966, unpredictable one-off wizards from Sir Stanley Matthews to Matt Le Tissier, natural-born goalscorers from Greaves to Dalglish and the greatest foreign players to grace our game from Trautmann to Bergkamp. It is one of the best informal histories of the British game you’ll ever read.
First Lady
Michael Dobbs - 2006
So when she overhears gossip of her husband’s affair, it is a shattering blow. For some women such things seem part of the Westminster game, but Ginny is no ordinary woman. She decides that there is only one way to stop being a perpetual victim of the system, and that is to become its master. Ginny will not be satisfied until she is the wife of the Prime Minister. And so begins a voyage of personal discovery for Ginny that will change her from devoted mother and housewife to ultimate manipulator. Driven by the intuition and determination of a wronged woman, she takes ruthless advantage of the ineptitude of men. Ministers, editors, churchmen and even the Monarch fall victim to her wiles. Yet in the pitiless world of politics, one man’s success can only be achieved by the ruination of many others, and Ginny will discover there is a high price to pay for pushing her husband to the very top…As with his brilliant House of Cards series, so with First Lady, Michael Dobbs ruthlessly dissects the greed, corruption and lust for advancement in twenty-first century Westminster. It is a novel as witty as it is moving, as compelling an entertainment as it is an intimate insight into the darker corners of the human soul.
Lavender Lane
Christina Jones - 2004
Bob and Amy Phillips and their four grown-up children run Lavender Cabs in the small Berkshire market town of Appleford. Everyone is involved. The business has grown – through three generations – into a thriving taxi and garage business. But when Bob is taken ill, he and Amy decide to retire to Devon, but to do this they would have to sell the business which would throw the entire family’s lives into turmoil…
The Pupil
Ros Carne - 2020
She is well-regarded by her peers. Her clients are happy. But behind the scenes her life is disordered. Her son grows increasingly distant from her. The married man she is sleeping with fails to give her what she needs.When a trainee lawyer is allocated to Mel it is poor timing. The last thing she wants is a pupil watching her every move. And Natasha does watch. She sees each detail – and every mistake. Mel cannot shake the feeling that Natasha isn’t just learning the job. She is learning Mel.Natasha is good at getting what she wants, and now Mel has the power to give her all she desires. But when Mel chooses not to, Natasha knows just what Mel’s vulnerabilities are – and how to turn them against her. Mel’s secrets could ruin her. But who will be believed?A twisted and gripping tale of desperation and revenge perfect for fans of Renée Knight, Sarah Vaughan and Michelle Frances.
The Healer
Sharon Thompson - 2019
Her family and community are wary of the beautiful child. As Molly becomes a teenager life gets harder and she loses faith in everything.
Molly is surrounded in danger. She must make choices. But will she chose the right path or is she doomed to a life of misery? Will she survive in a world of violence and crime? Will The Healer ever be healed?
The Second Child
Caroline Bond - 2018
The couple have the same hopes and aspirations as any parent. But their expectations are shattered when they discover that their perfect daughter has been born with a flaw; a tiny, but life-changing glitch that is destined to shape her future, and theirs, irrevocably. Over time the family learn to adapt and even thrive. Then one day a blood test casts doubt on the very basis of their family. Lauren is not Phil's child. Suddenly, their precious family is on the brink of destruction. But the truth they face is far more complex and challenging than simple infidelity. It tests their capacity to love, each other and their children, and it raises the question of what makes - and what breaks - a family.'A thoughtful, wrenching and, at times, tear-jerking novel.' -- Elizabeth Buchan'I stayed up long into the night to finish The Second Child... a carefully crafted and utterly compelling tale.' -- Amanda Brooke
SEO - The Sassy Way to Ranking #1 in Google - when you have NO CLUE!: A Beginner's Guide to Search Engine Optimization (Beginner Internet Marketing Series Book 6)
Gundi Gabrielle - 2017
If you don't know what "SEO" stands for or what a "backlink" is, this book will get you up to speed in a quick 1 hour read and show you some basic steps to optimize your site and blog posts. There are no advanced ninja tricks here, but simply the meat and potato basics of what SEO is and how you can best use it without spending a fortune Have you ever wondered how websites end up on page 1 in Google - and…. why your site isn’t there? Does it just “happen”? Is it luck? Do you need to know someone at Google? Or…… are there actual techniques that can help you get to #1? The good news is: there are! The Art of Ranking in Google is called SEO and people who do it well, make a LOT of money! Why? Because the higher you rank, the more people will visit your site = potential customers -> the more money you can make. SEO is a form of internet marketing, just like Google or Facebook Ads, yet a lot more effective and stable once set up - and in the long run, far less expensive! For blogging purposes, SEO is next to Kindle Publishing the most effective strategy to grow an audience long term - and also, to market affiliate products (=monetize your site). And you need to start from Day 1. - This is the one technique you cannot put off for later! This book will take you as a complete novice and take you step by step through: What SEO is all about? The main techniques and strategies to start ranking in Google and how even as a total beginner you can start employing them from day 1. The pitfalls and dangers along the way (Google Penalties) How to structure your Posts for optimal ranking chances How to structure your overall Site for optimal Google recognition Basic - but effective Backlinking strategies Social Media Implementation Most of all - this book will help you understand what it’s really all about and why it is so important to employ SEO techniques from day 1! This is the one technique you cannot put off till later and while you might feel overwhelmed in the beginning with all the new things to learn, this book will make it painless and easy to get started with minimal time input. Go back to the TOP to purchase - see your there….;-
A Daughter's Sorrow
Cathy Sharp - 2017
With a drunken, violent mother, an unemployed brother who can't stay out of pub brawls and a wayward sister vulnerable to the smooth talk of shady men, it's hardly surprising when she falls for cheeky local lad, Ernie.But when he breaks her heart, she is drawn to the kind figure of Joe, despite the bad boys of the criminal underworld who lurk in the shadows and seem to have him in their sights.Bridget and Joe try hard to keep a hold on their livelihoods and to keep to the straight and narrow path, but misfortune dogs them and it seems that happiness is always just out of reach…
Cold Case Confession: Unravelling the Betty Ketani Murder
Alex Eliseev - 2016
The chilling words are followed by a confession to a murder committed nearly 13 years earlier. The chance discovery of the letter on 31 March 2012 reawakens a case long considered to have run cold, and a hunt begins for the men who kidnapped and killed Betty Ketani – and were convinced they had gotten away with it. The investigation spans five countries, with a world-renowned DNA laboratory called in to help solve the forensic puzzle. The author of the confession letter might have feared death, but he is very much alive, as are others implicated in the crime.Betty Ketani, a mother of three, came to Johannesburg in search of better prospects for her family. She found work cooking at one of the city’s most popular restaurants, and then one day she mysteriously disappeared. Those out to avenge her death want to bring closure to Betty’s family, still agonising over her fate all these years later.The storyline would not be out of place as a Hollywood movie – and it’s all completely true. Written by the reporter who broke the story, Cold Case Confession goes behind the headlines to share exclusive material gathered in four years of investigations, including the most elusive piece of the puzzle: who would want Betty Ketani dead, and why?‘Wonderful, evocative and vivid writing. Eliseev is a very exciting new talent.’ – Peter James‘This case is like an Agatha Christie whodunnit: abduction, murder and a confession.’ – Carte Blanche‘A relentless search for truth and justice. Cold Case Confession is a story that inspires confidence in the system and affirms that, indeed, we are all equal before the law.’ – Thuli Madonsela
High: My Prison Journey as One of the Infamous Peru Two
Michaella McCollum - 2019
This is the truth of her time in prison, told through her own diaries and letters to her mother, family and friends, recounting tales of vicious guards, psychotic inmates and horrendous prison conditions.A brilliantly affecting tale of a naïve young girl who starts out in the Ibiza party scene and comes of age in the dark heart of Peru, before finally emerging into the sun a stronger, more confident, mature young woman.
The Dark Vault
Victoria Schwab - 2018
The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was: a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous-it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost, Da's death was hard enough, but now that her little brother is gone too, Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself may crumble and fall.