Walking to Maine: A Scoutmaster's Journey on the Appalachian Trail


Glenn Justis - 2019
    When the challenge of hiking the entire 2,190 mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine called out to him, he knew he had to show his scouts and others he had the perseverance to accomplish a dream. On a cold January morning, he set off alone from Georgia and started his nearly 5 month adventure to Maine. The challenges and tragedies he faced before and during his hike tested his resolve and changed his life. In Walking to Maine, readers join Glenn on the Appalachian Trail as he battles the mountains and the weather through 14 states seeking to push himself out of his comfort zone and to learn more about himself. He will meet interesting people from all walks of life and discover the goodness that stills exists in the hearts of total strangers. Along the way he will encounter brutal conditions and personal tragedy. Through it all he will follow the same lessons he taught his scouts and keep pushing north towards his goal. He will learn that the trail provides those who hike it everything they need and he will learn to enjoy the simple pleasures that we all take for granted in our daily lives.

The Girl with the Dove Tattoo


Brian D. McLaren - 2012
    . . you’re cleaning and setting tables, and preparing for the lunch rush. The front door swings open—and four men quickly stumble in as if taking refuge.Taken aback, you study their faces. One is a kind-faced Asian man with a shaved head, another looks as ancient as the hills with shocking white hair and beard, and the other two, well, they look awfully familiar. If you were a betting person, you would put down money that they were Jesus, Moses, the Buddha and Mohammed . . . but then again, this is Sunset Strip, so it could just be reality TV.Meet Crystal—a waitress who ends up in just this predicament. What seems like the beginning of an old joke turns into the conversation of a lifetime.THE GIRL WITH THE DOVE TATTOO—a tale about religion, violence, peace, and identity. A new story by Brian D. McLaren.

The Shipping Forecast: A Miscellany


Nic Compton - 2016
    It has inspired songs, poetry and imaginations across the globe – as well as providing a very real service for the nation’s seafarers who might fall prey to storms and gales. In 1995, a plan to move the late-night broadcast by just 12 minutes caused a national outcry and was ultimately scrapped.Published with Radio 4 and the Met Office, The Shipping Forecast is the official miscellany for seafarers and armchair travellers alike. From the places themselves – how they got their names, what’s happened there through the ages – to the poems and parodies that it’s inspired, this is a beautifully evocative tribute to one of Britain's – and Radio 4's – best-loved broadcasts.

Three Men in a Van: Guildford to Gibraltar by the Back Roads


Jeremy Hastings - 2017
     When the fifty-something friends from Lancashire decide to take some time out together, little do they know that they will end up traversing Spain from north to south in an old and somewhat unsightly mini-campervan. Garrulous Geoff, hefty Harry and the relatively rational Jeremy, unused to spending longer than an evening in each other’s company, are thrust together for a month of travel and cohabitation which the latter relates to us with candour, pulling no punches when it comes to describing their more embarrassing escapades.

Señor Lard Arse & Fat Man: A journey around the Iberian coast line of Spain & Portugal


Martin Barber - 2019
    They have lifelong endearing names for each other – Lard Arse and Fat Man. Whilst on a fishing trip in Spain, they hatch a plan to travel around the Iberian Peninsula on motorbikes. No problem for Dave as a proficient biker of many years, but Martin is a complete beginner to riding motorcycles. He doesn’t even have a motorcycle licence. Follow Martin through the trials of taking his bike test, juggling a busy life and planning the journey with Dave while they live in different countries. Nothing can be taken for granted when these two plan anything. When everything is in place their journey through Spain and Portugal begins, starting in Marbella, then riding west along the Spanish coast and up through Portugal, through the northern coast of Spain and over the Pyrenees, finishing with the east coast of Spain and heading back into Marbella. Expect to laugh in places at their simple boyish behavior, as they act like two teenage, middle-aged men with mental age of young men going through puberty. They experience many comical events, as well as close calls for Martin the novice on his first-ever ride out. This book is a light-hearted but a true travel journal of two good friends enjoying their journey on the road in the sun.

Eagle to the Son: The story of Isaiah (Heroes and Heroines of the Old Testament Book 1)


Nina Gould - 2015
    The novel gives an insight into the life and times of Isaiah and his wife Bethulah, a prophetess. Their courtship and marriage is depicted sensitively and with humor. Gifted with eagle-like vision Isaiah is able to see the glory who is Jesus. Seer, statesman, evangelist, teacher and preacher, he is called by God to give a message which is often rejected. He lives during the reign of five kings, serving those kings who are men of faith loyally, but scorned by those who have fallen into idolatry. These are turbulent times with wars and rumors of wars and peoples being carried off into exile by the cruel Assyrians. To ensure Jerusalem's water supply in times of siege, wise King Hezekiah has a 1/3 mile tunnel built under Jerusalem, an amazing feat for that era. There are times of joy, with the Passover Feast being re-introduced with great celebrationsSurrounded by a group of disciples in his latter years, Isaiah pens his great work to the glory of God.His words resonate down the centuries: 'Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given' and 'He was pierced for our transgressions.'Also in the series: Abigail: a Home for God. The story of David's 3rd Wife.

Cookham To Cannes: The South of France - Lobsters & Lunatics


Brent Tyler
    Deciding that taking a leap into the unknown was better than making no decision at all, they borrowed a little money from some good friends, packed up their belongings and headed to a mobile home site just outside Cannes. Whilst there, they would look for work with the hope of settling in the region. What no one bothered to tell France’s newest arrivals was that the people they were about to be interviewed by and eventually work for were all blisteringly, yet deliciously mad. Whilst minding his own business in the garden belonging to one of these certifiable lunatics, Brent gets adopted by a dog with his own obsession, maintaining the author's theory that sanity is an extremely rare commodity in the south of France.

Shadow of the Burj


J. Jackson Bentley - 2012
    Their small task force is assigned to work for Sheikh Mahmoud, who is distressed to discover that men whose true loyalty is to the radical preacher, British-born Mullah Khaweini, have infiltrated his own security forces. Whilst the trio try to unravel two complex frauds that are funding Middle Eastern terrorism, they uncover a plot that nobody anticipated - a monstrous plan to bring Dubai to its knees. The three agents have very little time to stop Khaweini, but all they know is that somehow the infamous bomb-maker, The Shadow, and the radical Mullah are in this together.This fast paced thriller from the writer of the City of London thrillers is based in Dubai and reeks of the authenticity that J Jackson Bentley brings to all of his books. The story is told in just over 105,000 words and approximately 270 paperback pages.

Arab Spring, Christian Winter: Islam Unleashed on the Church and the World (Free eBook Sampler)


Ralph Stice - 2014
    This book will help ensure that your faith is built on Christ alone and the assurance of spending eternity with Him, not the sometimes-scary flow of history. You will also get a complete education on Islam and its possible role in the End Times.”Joel RichardsonNew York Times bestselling author and internationally recognized teacherArab Spring, Christian Winter will help you tie newspaper headlines to your scriptural knowledge of the Last Days. Ralph Stice draws a clear link between the Arab Spring and the rise of a worldwide power that appears to be ushering in the coming Antichrist. This book will also show you what you need to watch for in tomorrow’s news and guide you on how to fortify your faith for stormy days ahead. The Western Church has much to learn from Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East. Familiar Scripture passages are unfolding with new clarity to believers everywhere.Learn:•Why the Arab Spring had to happen to fulfill scriptural prophecy•How the Arab Spring led to the unleashing of pure Islam •Which nation could be the crucial link between East and West and produce an Antichrist figure•The responses of Middle Eastern Christians to intense persecution and what we Western believers can learn from themFear not! He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). We will discover Jesus in a fresh way when we face true persecution. How will your faith withstand the great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again (Matthew 24:21)? Brothers and sisters in Christ are facing this reality every day, right now. About the Author Ralph Stice has lived in Islamic communities on three continents over 11 years’ time as a witness for Christ. During that time, he has interacted with a wide variety of Muslims at many levels of society. He also has read widely on the subject of Islam and has spoken in nearly 100 churches about the world’s second-largest religion. He has recently founded RWS Ministries, a non-profit organization determined to inform Christians about Islam and inform Muslims about Jesus’s true identity and lordship. He blogs frequently on developments in the Islamic world and is a keen observer of political and spiritual developments in the Middle East.

Happier Than A Billionaire: An Acre in Paradise


Nadine Hays Pisani - 2017
     A celebration of one couple's decision to dig deeper roots in one of the happiest places on earth. In her best work to date, Nadine Hays Pisani shares what it's like to follow her dream of starting a new business on a strict budget in Costa Rica. Along the way, she shares the ups and downs of renting, buying, and building her new home in this country known for red tape, taking its time, and the Pura Vida lifestyle. She struggles to live alongside construction crews, invading critters, and a delusional husband who insists everything will work out fine. Nadine introduces a variety of zany characters, makes new friends, and wrestles with unending challenges all while celebrating this beautiful country. This is a stand-alone story, so if you are new to the Happier Than A Billionaire series, it's fine to start right here. But be warned, your friends will wonder why you are wearing a silly grin for the weeks that follow.

Reflections of Sunflowers (The Sunflowers Trilogy Series)


Ruth Silvestre - 2004
    In 1976 their dream of owning a peaceful summer retreat came true when they stumbled across this derelict farmhouse surrounded by fields and orchards, and saw what it could become. Over the years there has been the inevitable sadness, but also the joys of new grandchildren, anniversaries, village fetes, and splendid meals taken with their neighbours. And whilst the family has seen many changes in its time, the warm and welcoming atmosphere they first fell in love with has remained the same. Now they face their own personal tragedy, but through all their sorrows Bel-Air continues to be a place of hope and happiness, as well as extraordinary beauty.

French Dreams, Dogs and a Dodgy Motor: Discovering our little home in Haute Provence and all that came next.


Jane Smyth - 2020
    Hard work, study and a determination to fulfil a long-held dream eventually became a reality when a computer search led to the discovery and purchase of their much loved mountain property. Follow Jane and Rob on their journey through a mosaic of early memories, anecdotes, observations and funny stories. As they travelled back and forth from their home in the UK to the Alpes de Haute Provence, their journeys over the years have provided a rich source of material, from a weird encounter with strangers on a ferry to the trouble dogs can get you into. Jane brings to life these and other experiences, introduces residents and neighbours and peppers her tale with facts and vivid descriptions of the area, making you want to pack your bags and see it for yourself!

Africa


Lonely Planet - 1977
    It provides practical information on health, visas, transport and places to stay and eat.

The Places in Between


Rory Stewart - 2004
    By day he passed through mountains covered in nine feet of snow, hamlets burned and emptied by the Taliban, and communities thriving amid the remains of medieval civilizations. By night he slept on villagers' floors, shared their meals, and listened to their stories of the recent and ancient past. Along the way Stewart met heroes and rogues, tribal elders and teenage soldiers, Taliban commanders and foreign-aid workers. He was also adopted by an unexpected companion-a retired fighting mastiff he named Babur in honor of Afghanistan's first Mughal emperor, in whose footsteps the pair was following. Through these encounters--by turns touching, confounding, surprising, and funny--Stewart makes tangible the forces of tradition, ideology, and allegiance that shape life in the map's countless places in between.

A History of the World in 100 Objects


Neil MacGregor - 2010
    Encompassing a grand sweep of human history, A History of the World in 100 Objects begins with one of the earliest surviving objects made by human hands, a chopping tool from the Olduvai gorge in Africa, and ends with objects which characterise the world we live in today. Seen through MacGregor's eyes, history is a kaleidoscope - shifting, interconnected, constantly surprising, and shaping our world today in ways that most of us have never imagined. A stone pillar tells us about a great Indian emperor preaching tolerance to his people; Spanish pieces of eight tell us about the beginning of a global currency; and an early Victorian tea-set speaks to us about the impact of empire. An intellectual and visual feast, this is one of the most engrossing and unusual history books published in years. 'Brilliant, engagingly written, deeply researched' Mary Beard, Guardian 'A triumph: hugely popular, and rightly lauded as one of the most effective and intellectually ambitious initiatives in the making of 'public history' for many decades' Sunday Telegraph 'Highly intelligent, delightfully written and utterly absorbing ' Timothy Clifford, Spectator 'This is a story book, vivid and witty, shining with insights, connections, shocks and delights' Gillian Reynolds Daily Telegraph