Warned by a fortune-teller not to risk flying, the author
- a seasoned correspondent
- took to travelling by rail, road &

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From his prison cell, Jasper Dean tells the unlikely story of his scheming father Martin, his crazy Uncle Terry & how the three of them upset
- mostly unintentionally
- an entire continent. Incorporating death, parenting (good & bad kinds), one labyrinth, first love, a handbook for criminals, a scheme to make everyone rich & an explosive suggestion box, Steve Toltz`s”A Fraction of the Whole is a hilarious, heartbreaking story of families & how to survive them.

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Every morning in Sadar Bazaar, one of the oldest markets in Delhi, a gang of men gather looking for work in the building trade. For five years, Aman Sethi shared their lives, & in particular that of Mohammed Ashraf. Ashraf is a mazdoor, an itinerant house-painter, but he's not a typical labourer
- he's studied biology in college, & after college learnt how to repair TV sets, cut suits, & slice chicken. He lived all over India, but now he finds himself in Delhi: the second most populous city in the country. The morning will bring hangovers, whisky breakfasts & possibly answers to the lingering questions that haunt Ashraf. How did he get here? Why is he the way he is? & is there a way back home? One of the very best young journalists in India, Aman Sethi brings Ashraf vividly alive & illuminates the lives of countless others like him. Wry, humorous & insightful, A Free Man is an unforgettable portrait of an invisible man in his invisible city, & an extraordinary human story.
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Arrested for snorting cocaine off a car bonnet, award-winning author & quintessential dilettante Frederic Beigbeder reflects on his troubled childhood, while spending a night in the cells. In his most autobiographical book to date, the author of the award-winning ' Windows on the World' recounts his stay in police custody, when in January 2008 he was arrested for snorting cocaine outside a Paris nightclub. As he lies in his cell, he revisits his childhood, from the carefree days when his grandfather taught him to skim pebbles at the beach in Cenitz, to his parents' divorce; the conflicting influences of his hedonistic father & his studious, seemingly conventional brother. & then Beigbeder recalls his first, unrequited loves. This patchwork of memories is as much a portrait of the era as it is the story of a fragile, self-critical man who has finally dropped the mask. Witty, sharp, with a pitiless, self-deprecating irony, & yet tender & true, 'A French Novel' is a gem. Beigbeder's search for answers in the lost country of his childhood will speak to a whole generation searching for its soul. ...

Arrested for snorting cocaine off a car bonnet, award-winning author & quintessential dilettante Frederic Beigbeder reflects on his troubled childhood, while spending a night in police custody. Confined to a cell, Frederic Beigbeder`s seeks escape in his childhood memories, only to discover he can recall just one. From this, he reconstructs both his past & that of his family; the glamour of Sixties Paris & his father`s playboy life in New York, so distinct from the experiences of his soldier grandfather, whose lifespan Frederic has now exceeded. His arrest all over the tabloids, Frederic wonders if the time has come to grow up. `A French Novel` is a belated coming-of-age tale, profoundly tender & charmingly ironic. ...

This is the eagerly awaited follow-up to Des Sleightholme's bestseller A Funny Old Life, which instantly established itself as a must-read for Des's multitude of admirers. Former editor of Yachting Monthly for many years, Des is well known for his irreverent outlook on the Establishment & for his unfailing eye for the funny side of things; here he returns with further yarns about the hilarious happenings throughout his life. ...

From small steps to giant leaps, A Galaxy of Her Own tells fifty stories of inspirational women who have been fundamental to the story of humans in space, from scientists to astronauts to some surprising roles in between. From Ada Lovelace in the nineteenth century, to the women behind the Apollo missions, from the astronauts breaking records on the International Space Station to those blazing the way in the race to get to Mars, A Galaxy of Her Own reveals extraordinary stories, champions unsung heroes & celebrates remarkable achievements from around the world. Written by Libby Jackson, a leading UK expert in human space flight, & illustrated with bold & beautiful artwork from the students of London College of Communication, this is a book to delight & inspire trailblazers of all ages. Packed full of both amazing female role models & mind-blowing secrets of space travel, A Galaxy of Her Own is guaranteed to make any reader reach for the stars. ...

During a seven-year journey around India, Emma Levine heard about the wonderful game of buzkashi, a kind of anarchic rugby on horseback where teams of men wrestle & race to grab a headless goat & propel it towards goal. This sparked a desire to explore Asia`s unique traditional sports. ”A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat” is Emma Levine`s absorbing account of her epic adventure, which took her from camel wrestling in Turkey through bull racing in India & traditional gymnastics in Iran. Illustrated with stunning photography, this book evocatively portrays sporting ways of life rarely seen in the western world, revealing what it is about sport that makes it so universally inspiring. ...

` What a desolate place would be a world without a flower! It would be a face without a smile, a feast without a welcome`
- A.J.
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With America quietly gearing up for war in the Middle East, twenty-year-old Tassie Keltjin, a `half-Jewish` farmer`s daughter from the plains of the Midwest, has come to university
- escaping her provincial home to encounter the complex world of culture & politics. When she takes a job as a part-time nanny to a couple who seem at once mysterious & glamorous, Tassie is drawn into the life of their newly-adopted child & increasingly complicated household. As her past becomes increasingly alien to her
- her parents seem older when she visits; her disillusioned brother ever more fixed on joining the military
- Tassie finds herself becoming a stranger to herself. As the year unfolds, love leads her to new & formative experiences
- but it is then that the past & the future burst forth in dramatic & shocking ways. Refracted through the eyes of this memorable narrator, A Gate at the Stairs is a lyrical, beguiling & wise novel of our times.



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