Publisher: Hero
A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends; and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter.
A farmer in old Japan prays to the gods for a wife, someone who is kind, beautiful, and hardworking. What would be even better is if she didn’t eat at all, saving him both money and food. Imagine his surprise when just such a woman shows up at his house one night. But all is not perfect. The gods have quite the sense of humor, and the farmer soon learns what kind of monster he is living with. But is it too late?“The Wife Who Didn’t Eat” is author Thersa Matsuura’s retelling of a classic horror-tinged Japanese folktale, “Kwazu Nyobo”. Here she reads her version of the story followed by a short commentary with some of her research notes and thoughts on the tale. Both the short story and commentary come in at just under one hour. Thersa Matsuura is a published author of two short story collections, one nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. You can also find her on her podcast, Uncanny Japan, where she talks more about the more obscure parts of Japanese culture. Reviews: “Very soothing, educational and entertaining. Love this deep dive into Japanese culture. Not to mention just the right amount of Spooky.” By Spooks76“High production value and haunting storytelling helps shed light onto Japanese folklore. Teresa is clear, concise and highlights stories that might otherwise never be heard by Western ears. Highly recommend!” By JameswhojamesyuShow book
A decade after her dramatic launch into fame, celebrated jockey Michelle Payne reflects on what she's learned about love, loss, courage and kindness. The Melbourne Cup: the most prestigious horse race in Australia and never won by a female jockey—until 2015. When Michelle Payne swept across the finish line, she made history and galloped straight into our hearts. Yet what came next for Michelle was an even wilder ride: a whirlwind of international celebrity that drove her to breaking point, a second catastrophic race fall and an excruciating fight to walk again. Ten years later, Ride On reveals exactly what empowered Michelle's trailblazing win and her following triumphs in the face of extraordinary adversity and pain—the experiences, perspective and discipline that helped her dig deeper and reach further than she'd ever thought possible. Taking us on an inspirational journey, Michelle shares how she found the courage, resilience and work ethic to keep fighting and winning; how horses helped her heal; and how kindness helped her survive the devastating deaths of her mother, brother and two sisters. From childhood dream to dazzling success, this book takes us behind the glamour to encounter the raw, poignant and astounding story of a life lived against the odds: lessons of love and loss, hope and happiness, patience over power and finding the will—no matter what—to ride on.Show book
Wallis, Diana and Meghan: Three Wives, One Narrative One was a married American socialite who embarked on a scandalous affair with the future king of England. Another was an aristocratic ingenue whose winsome charm captured the world’s imagination. And the third was a thirty-something actress whose outspokenness put her on a collision course with the British public. The marriages of Wallis Simpson, Diana Spencer, and Meghan Markle into the British royal family sparked a series of crises that at times seemed to threaten the future of the monarchy itself. In Unroyal, veteran New York Times reporter and former London correspondent Sarah Lyall revisits how each royal wife threatened the stability of—and was ultimately rejected by—this most ancient and opaque of institutions. Using archival material and interviews with experts like the bestselling author Tina Brown, the royal biographer Andrew Morton, and the social commentator and broadcaster Afua Hirsch, Lyall’s audio documentary examines three pivotal TV interviews in which each woman pushed up against the official royal narrative: Wallis in 1970, Diana in 1995, and Meghan in 2021. Lyall describes the differences and highlights the similarities between the women at these three flexion points to examine the endless codependent dance between the monarchy, the public, and the news media and to shed fresh light on the fraught intersection of power, fame, and family politics in an institution torn between tradition and modernization. Narrated by the author against a beguiling soundscape of contemporaneous news footage and a spectral score, Unroyal blends the probing inquisition of You’re Wrong About with the historical intrigue of The Crown, serving both neophytes and obsessives a delectable royal feast for the ears.Show book
Soldiering is a serious, frequently bloody business. That aspect has been documented endlessly. But behind the blood, thunder and de-humanising aspects of conflict are people – people in uniform and people supporting them. All of them have personal feelings and aspirations and they experience the humdrum assortment of daily occurrences that closely match those of their counterparts in civil society. Those aspects of their lives are not widely reported, or appreciated, and it is on those that this book has its focus. 'Life Wasn't Boring' relates the life, times, successes, failures and, most importantly, the personal inter-actions and loves of a professional infantry officer and his family, over more than a third of the century that was his service. Some parts are as serious as can be expected of a military account. Other parts might surprise, entertain and even amuse the reader. Together they hold up a mirror to reveal the human side of being a soldier.Show book
Quarantined in a southwestern desert city in the midst of her high-risk pregnancy, Margo Steines felt her life narrow around her growing body, compelling her to reckon with the violence entangled in its history. She was a professional dominatrix in New York City, a homestead farmer in a brutal relationship, a welder on a high-rise building crew, and a Mixed Martial Arts enthusiast; each of her many lives brought a new vantage point from which to see how power and masculinity coalesce?and how her body paid the price. With unflinching candor, Steines searches for the roots of her erstwhile attraction to pain while charting the complicated triumph of tenderness and care.Show book
“Orenstein is such a breezy, funny writer, it’s easy to forget she’s an important thinker too.”—People In this lively, funny memoir, Peggy Orenstein sets out to make a sweater from scratch—shearing, spinning, dyeing wool—and in the process discovers how we find our deepest selves through craft. Orenstein spins a yarn that will appeal to everyone. The COVID pandemic propelled many people to change their lives in ways large and small. Some adopted puppies. Others stress-baked. Peggy Orenstein, a lifelong knitter, went just a little further. To keep herself engaged and cope with a series of seismic shifts in family life, she set out to make a garment from the ground up: learning to shear sheep, spin and dye yarn, then knitting herself a sweater. Orenstein hoped the project would help her process not just wool but her grief over the recent death of her mother and the decline of her dad, the impending departure of her college-bound daughter, and other thorny issues of aging as a woman in a culture that by turns ignores and disdains them. What she didn’t expect was a journey into some of the major issues of our time: climate anxiety, racial justice, women’s rights, the impact of technology, sustainability, and, ultimately, the meaning of home. With her wry voice, sharp intelligence, and exuberant honesty, Orenstein shares her year-long journey as daughter, wife, mother, writer, and maker—and teaches us all something about creativity and connection. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook. Unraveling is a memoir that explores Peggy Orenstein's journey into the world of knitting as a way to cope with the pandemic and other personal struggles. Through her exploration of the cultural history of wool dying, carding, and spinning, she provides readers with a deeper understanding of the true meaning of creativity and the importance of pursuing hobbies. This book is a perfect gift for anyone looking for inspiration and insight into the power of DIY projects.Show book
