First US publication for the Scottish Spence.Neil McGraw is a lad in Glasgow, an only child, the son of a dour undertaker permanently embittered by his wife's death during childbirth. Whenever the boy misbehaves, he's locked in the basement among the coffins, so it's not surprising he asks every body: What happens when you die? Against his will, he finds himself learning the trade. This is less gloomy than it sounds. The story moves at a good clip as the resilient Neil experiments with drinking and dating.The crisis comes when his dad finds him and his girl making out in a coffin. Soon, it's Neil's turn to lock his old man, dead drunk, into the basement, before hightailing it to the London of the Swinging '60s. A friendly queer, Abe Morris, offers him a crash pad, no strings attached, where Neil finds drugs, straight sex, and Zen. The party ends when Abe, stoned, is killed in traffic and Spence abandons conventional narrative to send Neil hopscotching around the world before depositing him, 15 years later, beside the funeral pyres of the Ganges. Here, he gets very sick but is rescued by a vision in a sari: Lila, a Londoner, back home for her father's funeral. The two fall in love and marry, lickety-split, before Neil is summoned back to Glasgow. His father has died, leaving him the business, which Neil gives a hippie twist, producing brightly painted coffins in unusual shapes, with Lila a business partner.The mood is light and buoyant, but novelistic concerns (what makes Lila tick? why do the couple decide not to have kids?) are shelved in favor of a scrapbook of original last rites, seasoned with Eastern mysticism. There's an appealing freshness to Spence's writing; too bad he gives up on credible plotting and characterization.

    teach beginning readers how to identify different species from the shape of their crowns, leaves, lobes, seeds, bark, and fruit. Kids will learn about many trees common to North America.

    The only problem? Ben is bound for Australia in just a week’s time!Determined not to let what they’ve just found go, Ben suggests they get married so that she can go with him. Megan is shocked but doesn’t want to lose him, so she agrees.Virtual strangers the two embark on an unforgettable journey, determined to make a success of their hasty marriage… An adventurous contemporary romance perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy

    Whenever Mommy asks her what she is doing, she always says, "Nothing!" Only Lila can see that she's really wrestling an octopus, racing along in a winged chariot, and flying with birds over a noisy jungle.But playing by yourself can get lonely. So Grandpa decides to join Lila--because using your imagination is even more fun when you play together!Bursting with energy and color, this is a joyous celebration of the imagination and creativity that will speak to child and adult alike.Awards for Time For Bed, Fred!A New York Times Best Illustrated BookA New York Times Book Review Editor's ChoiceA Society of Illustrators Original Art Show PickAwards for Specs for RexA Society of Illustrators Original Art Show Pick

    With more than 180 poems focusing on resilience, inner strength, and self-love, The Salt in His Kiss celebrates the fantastic creature inside every woman.

    Now it's twenty years later, he's back from the Navy and investigating the death of their childhood friend. Turns out, he needs her help. What Private Investigator doesn't want a beautiful, sarcastic redhead for a partner? Together they have to unravel the secrets of the wealthy inhabitants of Point Road and their feelings for each other. As they grow closer, Maggie and Slater follow a trail of deception and murder, hoping to prove their dead friend innocent of what they fear most. No one is safe and the people involved will stop at nothing to cover their trail, a trail that leads the pair into the twisted world of child prostitution and exposes the darkest secrets of Point Road. A wry, romantic dramedy with a mind-blowing conclusion!

    As well as many friends, along the way they encounter the wicked Banksia Men.

    But when she moves to the bright lights of Sydney and falls in love with star footballer Josh Fox, she has to learn – fast.Thrown eyelashes first into the world of WAGs, Jean is way out of her league. She navigates her way through semi-finals, a gruelling social calendar and salacious scandals on Josh's arm, safe in the knowledge he belongs to her – or so she thinks. But as her hair gets blonder, her heels higher and her tops lower, Jean begins to wonder who she's become . . .

    He returned some 20 years later with a wife, four children and the internationally renowned tour company - Contiki Holidays.Written by the founder of Contiki, Only Two Seats Left is the incredible story of how a simple idea with a starting capital of just 25 pounds became a worldwide travel company with an internationally recognised iconic' brand name. To date over two million young people have had the Contiki Challenge.Only Two Seats Left is one of Australasia's great untold business success stories. A touching blend of autobiography, business insight and travel tale all rolled into one book readers won't want to put down.Discover the raw realities of John's journey of difficulties, failures and his most valuable secrets to successful entrepreneurship.In this altogether inspiring narrative, Only Two Seats Left encompasses entrepreneurship, leadership, risk taking, team work, branding, competition and surviving tough times John's personal journey creates a thoroughly entertaining read for anyone who's ever dreamt of taking a risk with that first bold step to venture into the unknown.

    How do you identify a serial killer?What are the tell-tale signs of guilt?Can we now solve the unsolvable?Since even before the first season of Silent Witness in 1996, forensic science has played an increasingly important role in the investigation of violent crimes.With a boom in cold-blooded cases throughout the 1980s, police began to rely on DNA evidence to help them find perpetrators and since then forensic science has taken off as a powerful tool in solving murders. Bestselling true crime author Wensley Clarkson takes us beyond the headlines to examine the real-life stories where forensics have played a crucial role. He speaks to experts who have worked on the most gruesome, most chilling and most shocking crime scenes and explains how notorious criminal cases from across the world were solved.And he shows how the silent witness is often the one who screams the loudest.

    

    learning books today. Sarah and Lass are best friends. They do everything together. But when Sarah and Lass gets mad at each other their friendship may be over.

    In this beautifully illustrated volume, featuring all-new art by Simon Dewey, each of the Ten Virgins from the biblical account is given an identity and an individual story. Each is portrayed with a positive quality or virtue that would be characteristic of a wise virgin. But as their stories unfold and the struggles of their daily lives are revealed, each woman makes choices that ultimately determine whether she will be one of the five who are prepared with lamps trimmed and burning at the coming of the Bridegroom. With an effective blend of scripture and narrative, this expanded, illustrated treatment of the well-known parable allows readers to relate to the actions and motives of the Ten Virgins in a new way.

    

    HIJKLMNOP spell all the words for the things we see. QRSTUV, W's a tricky one, then XY and Z !Captivate and cultivate the imagination while teaching the letters from A to Z. Curious kids can take a trip through the alphabet stopping to see amazing asteroids and big-bellied bats, to row down a rainbow river and meet a yellow yak along the way!A great tool to teach the alphabet at home or in the classroom. Full page, colour pictures where all letters appear in upper and lower case with a fun example of both, easy to remember and identify. ABCs have never been so fun and interesting.WORDS: 105PAGES: 28LEVEL: Toddler, Pre-school, Primary School