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How many times have we heard that reading builds empathy? That we can travel through books? How often have we were heard about the importance of diversifying our bookshelves? Or claimed that books saved our lives? These familiar words - beautiful, aspirational - are sometimes even true. But award-winning novelist Elaine Castillo has more ambitious hopes for our reading culture, and in this collection of linked essays, she moves to wrest reading away from the aspirations of uniting people in empathetic harmony and reposition it as thornier, ultimately more rewarding work. How to Read Now explores the politics and ethics of reading, and insists that we are capable of something better: a more engaged relationship not just with our fiction and our art, but with our buried and entangled histories. Smart, funny, galvanizing, and sometimes profane, Castillo attacks the stale questions and less-than-critical proclamations that masquerade as vital discussion: reimagining the cartography of the classics, building a moral case against the settler colonialism of lauded writers like Joan Didion, taking aim at Nobel Prize winners and toppling indie filmmakers, and celebrating glorious moments in everything from popular TV like The Watchmen to the films of Wong Kar-wai and the work of contemporary poets like Tommy Pico. At once a deeply personal and searching history of one woman's reading life, and a wide-ranging and urgent intervention into our globalized conversations about why reading matters today, How to Read Now empowers us to embrace a more complicated, embodied form of reading, inviting us to acknowledge complicated truths, ignite surprising connections, imagine a more daring solidarity, and create space for a riskier intimacy - within ourselves, and with each other. 'I cannot say enough about How to Read Now... Check it out' Roxane Gay'A red-hot grenade... One of my favourite books of the year' Jia Tolentino 'Energetically brilliant, warmly humane, incisively funny' Andrew Sean Greer 'I gasped, shouted, and holler-laughed ... Phenomenal' R.O.Kwon 'A wake-up call. A broadside. A rich and brilliant war cry' Chris Power ISBN 9781838954925 -
hether it's knowing when to curl up for a good nap or taking time out to sniff the catnip, cats know a thing or two about living your best life. Discover these hidden cats and their secret knowledge in CATFFIRMATIONS. Distract yourself from your troubles by searching for the hidden cats in every page of captivating minimalist artwork. Repeat the affirmations to find your most centered and playful self. This little book is the purrfect combination of sincere and silly to help you find the confidence to know you will always land on your feet. ISBN 9781797217727 -
From the creation of the first encyclopedia to Wikipedia, from ancient museums to modern kindergarten classes - here is award-winning writer Simon Winchester's brilliant and all-encompassing look at how humans acquire, retain, and pass on information and data, and how technology continues to change our lives and our minds. With the advent of the internet, any topic we want to know about is instantly available with the touch of a smartphone button. With so much knowledge at our fingertips, what is there left for our brains to do? At a time when we seem to be stripping all value from the idea of knowing things - no need for maths, no need for map reading, no need for memorisation - are we risking our ability to think? As we empty our minds, will we one day be incapable of thoughtfulness? Addressing these questions, Simon Winchester explores how humans have attained, stored and disseminated knowledge. Examining such disciplines as education, journalism, encyclopedia creation, museum curation, photography and broadcasting, he looks at a whole range of knowledge diffusion - from the cuneiform writings of Babylon to the machine-made genius of artificial intelligence, by way of Gutenberg, Google and Wikipedia to the huge Victorian assemblage of the Mundaneum, the collection of everything ever known, currently stored in a damp basement in northern Belgium.Studded with strange and fascinating details, Knowing What We Know is a deep dive into learning and the human mind. Throughout this fascinating tour, Winchester forces us to ponder what rational humans are becoming. What good is all this knowledge if it leads to lack of thought? What is information without wisdom? Does Rene Descartes' 'Cogito, ergo sum'-'I think, therefore I am', the foundation for human knowledge widely accepted since the Enlightenment - still hold? And what will the world be like if no one in it is wise? ISBN 9780008484392 -
Why is blood red? Why are carrots orange? Who invented the lightbulb? Why is the world 'going green'? Is the sky really blue? And what is ultraviolet light?You'll discover the answers to these questions - and many more - in this incredible collection of scientific facts about colour. We'll talk about light (the most important thing) and waves (not the kind you see at the beach - though you will learn why the sea looks blue!). You'll find out how some animals are able to glow in the dark and how others change their colours to hide from predators. Keep reading to discover why leaves change colour in the autumn, why your veins look blue but your blood is red, and why the language we use shapes the colours we see . . . And you'll learn exactly how to make a rainbow - in space. Great for Ages 7+. ISBN 9780241519721 -
A comic about dinosaurs supporting one another through life from the international bestselling team behind dinosaur therapy, @dinosandcomics. Including exclusive, never-before-seen bonus comics, dinosaurs explore the meaning and significance of true friendship. ISBN 9780008578947 -
So many of the words we use to articulate the experiences women share feel awkward or alien. Medical terms are accurate but antiseptic. Slang often perpetuates stereotypes. Where are the plain, honest words for women's daily lives? From the dawn of Old English to the present day, Dr. Jenni Nuttall guides readers through the evolution of the words we have used to describe bodies, menstruation, sexuality, the consequences of male violence, childbirth, paid and unpaid work, and gender. Along the way, she argues that, paradoxically, as women have made slow progress towards equality, we've lost some of the most expressive and eloquent bits of our vocabulary. Inspired by Nuttall's deep knowledge of the English language as well as conversations with her teenage daughter, this is a book for anyone who loves language - and for feminists who want to look to the past in order to move forward. ISBN 9780349015293 -
From G. T. Karber, the creator of the popular online daily mystery game Murdle, comes this fiendishly compulsive and absolutely killer collection of 100 original murder mystery logic puzzles. Join Deductive Logico and pit your wits against a slew of dastardly villains in order to discover: - Who committed the ghastly deed? What weapon was used to dispatch the victim? Where did the dreadful demise occur? These humorous mini-mystery puzzles challenge you to find whodunit, how, where, and why. Examine the clues, interview the witnesses, and use the power of deduction to complete the grid and catch the culprit. Packed with illustrations, codes, and maps, this is the must-have detective casebook for the secret sleuth in everyone. Are you the next Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot? You'll soon find out, if you dare to Murdle! ISBN 9781800818026 -
In Big Beacon, Norwich's favourite son and best broadcaster, Alan Partridge, triumphs against the odds. TWICE. Using an innovative 'dual narrative' structure you sometimes see in films, Big Beacon tells the story of how Partridge heroically rebuilt his TV career, rising like a phoenix from the desolate wasteland of local radio to climb to the summit of Mount Primetime and regain the nationwide prominence his talent merits. But then something quite unexpected and moving, because Big Beacon also tells the story of a selfless man, driven to restore an old lighthouse to its former glory, motivated by nothing more than respect for a quietly heroic old building that many take for granted, which some people think is a metaphor for Alan himself even though it's not really for them to say.* Leaving his old life behind and relocating to a small coastal village in Kent, Alan battles through adversity, wins the hearts and minds of a suspicious community, and ultimately shows himself to be a quite wonderful man. *The two strands will run in tandem, their narrative arcs mirroring each other to make the parallels between the two stories abundantly clear to the less able reader. Published 12th October 2023. Order Now. ISBN 9781398719224 -
Hello, human, my name's Lennnie. It really is a chaotic torrential downpour of debauchery out there... but I promise you're gonna be okay. REALLY TRULY ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY FINE. Even if it doesn't feel like it right now. Wherever we are in life, all of us yearn for a world filled with more kindness, compassion and community. Lennnie - everyone's favourite adorable, sassy, loving animated blob - is here for us, keeping it real, dodging empty platitudes and delivering a dose of gentle, down-to-earth positivity to get us through even the darkest days. Hardback 144 pages ISBN 9780008600457 -
A light-hearted, fully-illustrated retro-style picture book with 60+ Irish words and phrases for you to practise with your furry best friend. Suitable as a first introduction to Irish for learners of all ages: for adults who would like a fun way to pick up a few basic words for when visiting Ireland or to connect with their heritage, or for children, who will love the cute pictures. Pronunciation guide for every phrase, and many of the words and phrases can also be used in non cat-related situations! ISBN 9781800993402 -
Nothing about PJ Gallagher's life has followed the usual script... Adopted at six months old by Dubliners Sean and Helen Gallagher, PJ spent much of his childhood knocking back Lucozade with the local alcoholics in his parents' northside pub. But the chaos that reigned for his first ten years was nothing compared to what happened when - having lost the pub - Helen took in psychiatric patients from the local hospital to give them 'care in the community'. Now it was a household of ten - PJ, his sister, his parents and six lost souls. Worst. Idea. Ever. Madhouse is PJ's riotous life story. The fantastic fantasies that come with being adopted (what if your birth parents are gangster space aliens on the run?). Being a kid while the adults around you are usually drunk, throwing house Masses or taking you to Camp Jesus instead of Trabolgan. Struggling at school, leaving early and discovering a talent for comedy. Making Naked Camera and creating iconic characters like Jake Stevens, the Dirty Aul One and Jumper Man. Acting in the ground-breaking The Young Offenders. Finally, finding a home in radio. PJ also writes powerfully about mental breakdown and what he learned from his spell in a psychiatric hospital. Most surprising - to PJ more than anyone - is the prospect of becoming a dad in his late forties, when he always thought of 'family' as a trap. Madhouse is the funny, insightful and moving story of someone just trying to keep his head above water - and how he is making sense of it all at last! Published 2nd November 2023 - Order Now. -
Literature departments are staffed by, and tend to be focused on turning out, "good" readers attentive to nuance, aware of history, interested in literary texts as self-contained works. But the vast majority of readers are, to use Merve Emre's tongue-in-cheek term, "bad" readers. They read fiction and poetry to be moved, distracted, instructed, improved, engaged as citizens. How should we think about those readers, and what should we make of the structures, well outside the academy, that generate them? We should, Emre argues, think of such readers not as non-literary but as paraliterary thriving outside the institutions we take as central to the literary world. She traces this phenomenon to the postwar period, when literature played a key role in the rise of American power. At the same time as American universities were producing good readers by the hundreds, many more thousands of bad readers were learning elsewhere to be disciplined public communicators, whether in diplomatic and ambassadorial missions, private and public cultural exchange programs, multinational corporations, or global activist groups. As we grapple with literature's diminished role in the public sphere, Paraliterary suggests a new way to think about literature, its audience, and its potential, one that looks at the civic institutions that have long engaged readers ignored by the academy. -
"Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself." So begins Virginia Woolf's beloved fourth novel. First published in 1925, Mrs. Dalloway has long been considered Woolf's masterpiece. A pivotal work of literary modernism, its simple plot-centred on an upper-class Londoner preparing to give a party-is complicated by Woolf's satire of the English social system. For decades, Woolf's rapturous style and vision of individual consciousness have challenged and inspired readers, novelists and scholars alike. In this annotated volume based on the original British edition, acclaimed essayist and Oxford don Merve Emre mines Woolf's diaries and notes on writing to take us into the making of Mrs. Dalloway, revealing the novel's artistry and astonishing originality. Alongside her generous commentary, Emre offers hundreds of illustrations and little-seen photographs from Woolf's life. The result is not only an essential volume for students and Woolf devotees but an incomparable gift to all lovers of literature. -
As any feminist who talks about the problems of girls and women will know, the first question you will ever be asked is 'But what about MEN?' After eleven years of writing bestsellers about women and dismissing this question, having been very sure that the concerns of feminism and men are very different things, Caitlin Moran realised that this wasn't quite right, and that the problems of feminism are also the problems of, yes, men. So, what about men? Why do they only go to the doctor if their wife or girlfriend makes them? Why do they never discuss their penises with each other - but make endless jokes about their balls? What is porn doing for young men? Is their fondness for super-skinny jeans leading to an epidemic of bad mental health? Are men allowed to be sad? Are men allowed to lose? Have Men's Rights Activists confused 'power' with 'empowerment'? And is Jordan B Peterson just your mum - but with some mad theory about a lobster? In this book, Caitlin intends to answer all this and more - because if men haven't yet answered the question 'What About Men?', it's going to be down to a busy woman to do it. 'A must-read eye-opener that makes you laugh, cry, get angry and get happy on every page. It's magnificent' Bob Mortimer 'Our greatest modern writer on women turns her eyes on men - and it's all good' David Baddiel -
The first and best compendium of facts weirder than fiction, of intriguing information and must-talk-about trivia has spawned many imitators - but none as addictive or successful. For nearly three decades the editors researched curious facts, unusual statistics and the incredible stories behind them. The most entertaining and informative of these have been brought together in this edition. -
Join us on another unforgettable adventure through the extraordinary life and strong opinions of Miriam Margolyes. 'My new book is called OH MIRIAM! - something that has been said to me a lot over the years, often in tones of strong disapproval. It contains lots more revelations and stories and discoveries and I can't wait to share it with you all!' From being escorted off the Today programme (for saying what we were all thinking) to declaring her love to Vanessa Redgrave; from Tales of the Unexpected to Graham Norton's sofa, she is our most loved and most outspoken national treasure. Oh Miriam! takes you inside both her head and her heart. Buckle up for the most irrepressible, hilarious and moving read of 2023. Published 14th September 2023 - Order Now. -
It was love at first taste for fifteen-year-old Tadhg Hickey when he drank a can of Scrumpy Jack on the night of his exam results. Straight away it provided a cure for that constant feeling of 'something wrong, something not quite right', a way of numbing anxiety and childhood trauma. He realised he was extraordinarily good at drinking and energetically threw himself into a life of pubs, parties and staying pissed, while also managing to become a comedian. But alcohol had the last laugh ... A Portrait of the Piss Artist as a Young Man shows us the often-hilarious lengths of self-deception an alcoholic will go to, the horrific consequences of addiction and the redemptive process of recovering from this deadly but ultimately treatable illness, and remaining sober. A deeply touching memoir and with a side of self-help, Tadhg's easy-going writing style belies his serious message - that each of us has the power to change our lives. Published 7th September 2023 - Order Now. -
Jason Byrne is 17. With his leaving cert under his belt but no idea what to do next, who better to ask for advice than his dad, Paddy? There's a (very) short stint studying accountancy (he was asked to leave); a FAS course with juvenile offenders to become a waiter that leads to an apprenticeship in Jury's (he was the only one not in prison), and a job in a lighting warehouse (it ended with a collapsed lung). But no matter what the problem, Paddy Byrne is always ready with a wise word: 'Sure, that's life, son. Just don't tell your mother.' This is not just a memoir. It is a celebration of a generation, a celebration of life and of Jason's wonderful relationship with his dad, Paddy Byrne - the man who never gave a b*llix. Published 21st September 2023 - Order Now.
