Book picks similar to
A Load of Old Tripe by Gervase Phinn


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Episode 1: Growing Girl: The Extraordinarily Ordinary Life of Cassandra Jones


Tamara Hart Heiner - 2017
    She’s as ordinary as any other 12-year-old.Except no matter how hard she tries, Cassie just can’t seem to fit in. Excited to fill the summer before her seventh grade year, Cassie enrolls in soccer camp. She can’t wait to improve her ball-kicking skills and make a few goals.But Cassie quickly discovers a few obstacles in her path. Namely: herself. As much as she wants to be, she just isn’t very good at the sport. Either camp will be her chance to improve, or it will be the last time she ever plays.

The Greatest Spy Who Never Was


David Codd - 2019
    Schoolboy turned super spy. Both stupidly dangerous and dangerously stupid. Thirteen year old Hugo’s life is turned upside down (or is it downside up?) when his part-time job as a toilet boy in secret organisation, SICK, is unexpectedly upgraded eight levels to that of a spy. His first assignment - to go deep undercover with Agent One and assist him in any way he can. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. Very wrong. A robbery at the Bottle Bank. Diamond smuggling at the Pearly Gates Cemetery. The theft of priceless artifact, Coocamba’s Idol. Hugo is there on each and every occasion, but then so, too, is someone else. Wrinkles, the town of Crooked Elbow’s oldest criminal mastermind. She needs to be stopped and fast. No, quicker than that. Double fast. Before it's too late. In a battle of good versus evil, young versus old, ugly versus even uglier, there can only be one winner ... and it better be Hugo otherwise we're all in trouble! A laugh-out-loud, thrill-a-minute adventure story for children aged 9-12.

Checkout Girl


Denise Deegan - 2013
    She's taken on an unexpected detour back to her life shortly before she died. But she's seeing the world from a different point of view. This is the first time she has ever experienced a detour being the best part of a journey. 'A wonderful, warm read that's guaranteed to tug at the heartstrings,' author Colette Caddle. Checkout Girl was published as part of the short story compilation, Moments, in aid of the tsunami. It was also part of a short story collection published in Germany. Aimee Alexander is the pen name of bestselling Irish author Denise Deegan Checkout Girl includes a short excerpt from Pause to Rewind, a contemporary novel by Aimee Alexander.

The Famous Five Collection 5: Books 13-15


Enid Blyton - 2017
    But after spending a night on the heath, they begin to realise it's not just the moor's past that is shrouded in secrets. Could its treacherous mists hide the answer to a brand-new mystery?Five Have Plenty of FunGeorge is not pleased when a spoilt American girl turns up at Kirrin Cottage. But George hasn't got time to be jealous - Berta is in hiding from kidnappers! The Famous Five are the only ones who can protect her - but will they take on dangerous criminals to help out a stranger?Five On a Secret TrailAnne and George are on a camping trip, waiting for the boys to arrive. One night they see a face at the window of an abandoned cottage close by - and then the Five wake to find ghostly lights ... Anne wants to go home but the others are determined to stay. Who could be snooping around the cottage - and why is a nearby gang trying to make them leave?This 70th anniversary edition features the Classic editions of three Famous Five adventures (books 13-15) in one volume and contains the original cover art and inside drawings by Eileen Soper.

Slick Driver: Memories of Black Widow 14


Bobby G. Ingram - 2017
     I include my own thoughts about bravery and what it takes to fly into a HOT Landing Zone and hoover there while determined well-trained warriors do their best to shoot you down. You might have wondered if You have the courage to do that? I believe You do, but you havn't been in a situation where that level of courage was needed. You would be amazed to know the level of YOUR courage when the circumstances call for you to stand up, and like many of us who went through our fear and shot back at the enemy trying to kill us, combat, took on an almost holy quality. The desire to kill your enemy can be a big part of PTSD, many warriors felt it and some even feel it today. Because it was so powerful I discuss it through out the book.

The Little Cottage by the Sea


A.L. Jambor - 2016
     A short story by A.L. Jambor When Meg’s sister dies, she is devastated. The last of three children, Meg misses her siblings and has never felt so alone. She’s an author, but her emotional state hinders her ability to write, and she can’t sit in front of her computer without trembling. A trip to Port Revere, MA recalls memories of the summers spent there with her family when she was a girl, and Meg decides to buy the Christmas Cottage, an abandoned little house on a bluff near town. She refurbishes it, and with the help of her nephew Zack, starts to come out of her shell. But then the holidays, a time for families and celebrations, arrive, and Meg must again face her loneliness, and guilt over something she can't forgive herself for – she wasn’t there when her sister died and never had a chance to say goodbye. With the cottage almost completed, Meg has one last thing to do; she has to find out if her plumbing is up to snuff, and arranges for a plumber to visit the cottage. On Thanksgiving Day, she is sipping a cup of coffee when someone knocks on the door. She looks out the window and sees an old man, an old truck, and an old dog. Lettering on the truck announces that Angus O’Malley, Plumber Extraordinaire, is standing on her doorstep. What she doesn’t know is that Angus is on a mission and that his appearance heralds the beginning of something wonderful, and the best Christmas Meg has ever had. The Little Cottage by the Sea was formerly published as The Christmas Cottage. The content has not changed. It is a short book of 20,000 words.

Minecraft: Diary of a 6th Grade Zombie: Book 1: The Intruder (Minecraft, Children)


Mine Kid - 2016
    In this book we will dive into the marvelous World of Blocks, which is a fun and strange place to be in, especially if you are a 12 year old Zombie attending the famous Academy of Zombies, trying to solve a mystery along the way.Plunge into this exciting story and see the world from a young Zombie’s perspective as he is learning more about Humans. Everyone thinks that the only thing Zombies are good at is walking slowly by dragging their feet, growling and scaring Humans – but Jake will prove you wrong – Zombies might not be very different from humans after all. Diary of a 6th grade Zombie is a must-read for any kid over 7 years old who loves Minecraft.

A Slippery Slope


Emily Harvale - 2014
    Love shouldn’t be an uphill struggle. Verity Lawton’s fortieth birthday surprise from her husband, Tony isn’t quite what she’s expecting and she needs to get away. Is joining daughter Lucy as a chalet girl in France a step too far? Verity’s cooking is more ‘bleurgh’ than cordon bleu but how difficult can it be to make crème brûlée? Chalet Marianne looks like a dream and so does the owner, Josh Calder. But being a chalet girl involves more than sitting by a fire watching snowflakes fall or dancing the night away. Josh has several rules – and they don’t include Verity snapping at him every time he opens his mouth, taking in a stray dog that seems to have forgotten its job description, or setting the kitchen on fire. Verity’s on a slippery slope – and it’s about to get much worse. When her own mother arrives, along with a repentant Tony, it’s time to make a choice. But is it really hers to make? And will things work out for the best, or is it all downhill from here? Also by EMILY HARVALE Highland Fling Lizzie Marshall's Wedding The Golf Widows' Club Sailing Solo Carole Singer's Christmas Christmas Wishes

Over 50, Overweight & Out Of Breath: A Year Of Going From Super Fat To Super Fit


Laura E. Sinclair - 2013
     "Before I wrote this book, I was diagnosed as MORBIDLY OBESE by my primary-care physician following a yearly visit. The only problem with this diagnosis was that we never discussed this issue. I knew that I was overweight, but it wasn't until I switched doctors and picked up my medical records that I saw this in writing. I saw myself in front of the mirror every day, so I knew things were bad, but it wasn't until I read those words, MORBIDLY OBESE, that the gravity of the situation sunk in." -LAURA SINCLAIR At 55, Laura Sinclair was grossly overweight; the future looked dim and dangerous. Carrying extra weight was setting her up for the possibility of developing a chronic illness--heart disease, stroke, or worse. She decided to take ownership of her life and pave a new road to optimum health and happiness. -Learn how Laura lost over 40% of her body weight and kept it off. -How she reached a level of fitness and athleticism that she thought not possible in her 50s and beyond.

A Time of Peace


Beryl Matthews - 2004
     A TIME OF PEACE tells the story of Kate Freeman, daughter of the inimitable Rose Webster, as she goes to London in 1960 to follow her dream of becoming a photographer. But Kate has a long journey to take before she realises her dreams and a lot of growing up to do. For Kate, her family and friends, the era that was dubbed 'A time of peace' proves to be anything but, as they cope with tragedy, upheaval and the tears and laughter of family life ...

Danny: The Virtues Within


Jer Dunlap - 2013
    It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they

Where Have I Gone?


Pauline Quirke - 2012
    Yes, the 'F' word. Tipping the scales at nearly 20 stone, with creaking knees and a dodgy ankle to boot, at the beginning of 2011 Pauline had reached a crisis point. Something had to change, and fast. It was never going to be an easy ride, but with her trademark warmth and sense of humour, Pauline recounts the highs and lows of the rollercoaster year in which she whips herself, and her life, into shape - with a fair few tales from her celebrated forty-year acting career thrown into the bargain. She reveals all: from the strain of working long hours away from home on one of Britain's most popular soaps to renewing her wedding vows and reuniting with her Birds of a Feather co-stars; from battling the bulge and facing the naysayers to rediscovering the joys of airline travel . . . without a seatbelt extension.Honest and revealing, Where Have I Gone? is brimming with brilliantly funny anecdotes and truly moving moments. So put your feet up and join Pauline as she embarks on the most incredible year of her life.

Alan The Christmas Donkey: The little donkey who made a big difference


Tracy Garton - 2016
    But after a devastatingly difficult winter, with sky high bills, she didn't know if she could afford to carry on - or if she had the physical strength to keep going. Then, in the first week of January, the phone rang. A donkey had been abandoned 130 miles away. Rushing to his rescue Tracy found Alan - forlorn, balding and shivering - tethered up tightly in a supermarket car park. Barely able to walk on his painfully overgrown hooves, he had been left to die. Tracy ran her hands gently over Alan's protruding ribs, and whispered in his ear: 'Don't worry boy, I won't give up on you.' Over the next twelve months, as Tracy grappled with attacks from vandals and perilous flash floods and desperately tried to raise money, Alan gradually recovered - turning into a loveable rogue. As Christmas rolled around, Tracy was too worried about the future to enjoy the festive season. She had no idea that the shy skinny animal she'd rescued was going to give her the greatest gift of all . . . For animal lovers everywhere, Alan The Christmas Donkey is a funny, warm and inspiring read.

A Little Me


Amy Roloff - 2019
    Finally allowing herself to be vulnerable enough to open up to others, she learned that it’s worth risking possible rejection for a chance at genuine relationships.Ultimately, it was Amy’s faith, as well as the support and encouragement of her community of loving family and good friends, that saw her through the dark times and allowed her to realize her greatest dreams and beyond. Amy’s memoir is an inspiring and at times heart-wrenching account of resilience and the strength of the human spirit to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Snowday: A festive feel good romantic comedy (The Riverside Series Book 1)


B.R. Maycock - 2018
     Eloise is too busy juggling the chaos of three kids, an ever present ex-husband and a demanding boss to even remember the last time dating crossed her mind. But as soft snow falls silently all around, romance twinkles with the flakes. After being single for so long, Eloise suddenly has a lot of choices. Too many choices. Will anyone be worthy of melting the guard around her heart to let love in? A fun-filled, festive read for fans of Christie Barlow, Fiona Gibson and Colleen Coleman