Other books that might interest you

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  The Claus Are Out - What it’s...

  Darren Scott Sommer

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  You’d think that being a Shopping Centre Santa at Christmas in Australia might be fun, but it’s actually full of tears, screaming, and tantrums… and the kids can be pretty wild, too. While working as a Stand-up Comedian, Darren Scott Sommer is suddenly thrust into the Big Red Suit at a major Adelaide shopping centre for an entire month. He used to think that handling hecklers was easy, but 6-year-olds can be really mean. 
  In this hilarious and eye-opening memoir, discover what really happens when you step into Santa’s boots. Follow Darren’s journey as he takes on the role at one of Adelaide’s biggest shopping centres in the outer suburb of Elizabeth. This is where he will spend the next four weeks remembering reindeer names, listening to requests for the latest toys, and being peed on by small children. 
  And before he can even settle into his new and unusual position, he finds himself being accused by centre management of promising an Xbox to an 8-year-old, getting asked by a little girl if Santa could bring her mum home from the hospital, and being told by a 12-year-old boy that he’s not the real Santa Claus… all while struggling to deal with the incredible heat that wearing wool, microfibre, and a polyester beard will produce in the middle of an Australian summer. 
  Equal parts comedy and confession, this book is for anyone who’s ever wondered what life is like behind the big white beard—and for those who know that sometimes the funniest stories come from the most unexpected places. 
  This is Santa, unwrapped.

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  The Strength of Love - Embracing...

  Kate Garraway

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  AS SEEN ON ITV'S DOCUMENTARY KATE GARRAWAY: DEREK'S STORY*** The Sunday Times Bestseller ***'Intimate, tender and brutally honest ... a remarkable book.' Decca Aitkenhead, The Sunday Times'These are probably the toughest times we have faced in many decades, and we all have to find within us the strength and resilience to get through and to find happiness and love in our futures, whatever life throws at us.'Kate Garraway has had to learn how to adapt ever since her husband Derek began his fight against the devastating impact of Covid, a condition that has left him needing 24-hour care at home and long spells in hospital, before he sadly passed away in January, surrounded by his loving family. In The Strength of Love, Kate explores issues that resonate with so many of us. She looks at the impact of trauma as well as the importance of resilience, adaptability, curiosity and positivity when recovering from it. She talks about identity, purpose, how to embrace uncertainty and take back control of our lives. Through her and Derek's story, she provides comfort and wisdom that will help anyone who has ever felt desperate, lonely or experienced profound loss, or who is fearful about what the future holds.Despite all that she and her family have had to endure, Kate shows us that love truly is the most powerful and resilient emotion of all.

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  Learning America - One Woman's...

  Luma Mufleh

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  “[From] an influential educational leader and activist…an impassioned, penetrating critique and inspiring model for progress.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review 
  It was a wrong turn that changed everything. When Luma Mufleh—a Muslim, gay, refugee woman from hyper-conservative Jordan—stumbled upon a pick-up game of soccer in Clarkston, Georgia, something compelled her to join.  The players, 11- and 12-year-olds from Liberia, Afghanistan, and Sudan, soon welcomed her as coach of their ragtag but fiercely competitive group. Drawn into their lives, Mufleh learned that few of her players, all local public school students, could read a single word. She asks, “Where was the America that took me in? That protected me? How can I get these kids to that America?” 
  Learning America traces the story of how Mufleh grew a group of kids into a soccer team and then into a nationally acclaimed network of schools for refugee children. The journey is inspiring and hard-won: Fugees schools accept only those most in need; no student passes a grade without earning it; the failure of any student is the responsibility of all. Soccer as a part of every school day is a powerful catalyst to heal trauma, create belonging, and accelerate learning. Finally, this gifted storyteller delivers provocative, indelible portraits of student after student making leaps in learning that aren’t supposed to be possible for children born into trauma--stories that shine powerful light on the path to educational justice for all of America’s most left-behind. 
  Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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  A Longing to Belong -...

  Michelle Lee-Barnewall

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  Growing up in the only Korean family in a Minnesota town, Michelle Lee-Barnewall has felt the pain of racial discrimination and the resulting identity confusion that follows. Through the telling of her personal story, she seeks to transcend the current divide between those who emphasize social justice concerns and those who believe these concerns compromise the core of the gospel. 
  A Longing to Belong integrates a biblical worldview and personal experience on the topic of race and race relations. Lee-Barnewall writes as both a New Testament scholar and an Asian American who has personally experienced what it means to be racially marginalized, seeking to filter those experiences through the lens of the New Testament and what it has to say to us today about our Christian calling and our identity in Christ as a member of his body. 
  A Longing to Belong spurs readers to consider what it means to live as racially distinctive people in a fallen world that abounds in misunderstanding and pain and is in desperate need of the gospel of grace, especially as manifested in the redeemed Christian community. This memoir extends the discussion beyond academic discussion of race relations and personal narratives by demonstrating how theology and experience are necessarily intertwined and mutually contribute to our understanding of race and our relationships with each other. Rather than arguing for one "side," Lee-Barnewall shares examples rooted in her own experience in light of an overarching kingdom theology.

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  Cicero - Biography of a Roman...

  Kelly Mass

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  Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and Academic skeptic who became a prominent figure in the political and intellectual life of the late Roman Republic. He is best remembered for his eloquence and his staunch defense of ethical ideals in the face of political turmoil, a period that ultimately led to the rise of the Roman Empire. Cicero’s influence extended far beyond his time as he became one of Rome's most revered orators and prose stylists, producing an extensive body of work encompassing treatises on rhetoric, philosophy, and politics. His works remain fundamental to the study of Latin and Western philosophy today. 
  Cicero was born into a wealthy municipal family within the Roman equestrian order and held the esteemed office of consul in 63 BC, a significant achievement in his career. His oratorical prowess was unrivaled, and his skill in public speaking earned him a reputation that endured through the centuries. His publications spanned a broad range of subjects, from the theoretical aspects of rhetoric to the practical concerns of governance and philosophy. Cicero’s mastery of the Latin language was profound—he is said to have written over three-quarters of all surviving Latin literature from his time. His works, characterized by their clarity and depth, formed the foundation for subsequent Latin prose, influencing European languages and thinkers well into the 19th century.

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  Music and Mayhem - One Man's...

  Keith Donald

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  Music and Mayhem charts the immersive and explosive life of one of Ireland's most important musicians, and the golden decade of Irish music he was at the very centre of.   
  Keith Donald's story begins in Unionist east Belfast, hurtling through vivid memories of a childhood as a musical prodigy, first performing at the BBC aged ten. His story takes him to the classics department of Trinity College Dublin in the early 60s, a hotbed of new ideas, before he becomes enveloped in the beauty of tenor sax. Jazz clubs by night and studying classics by day, Donald soon felt the early onset alcohol addiction, fueld by childhood PTSD. From university he joined the booming showband scene with The Federals in Belfast and The Greenbeats in Dublin, touring the dancehalls and marquees of the Irish country.   
  The 70s saw Donald building a music career in Dublin and Europe, coping with addiction, a crumbling marriage, and forging a separate life as a qualified social worker. It was the 1980s however, when his greatest breakthrough came to pass withthe formation of the Celtic rock supergroup Moving Hearts. With the Hearts Donald was manager, star performer and inspiration, alongside bandmates including Christy Moore and Donal Lunny. Their fusion of jazz, rock and traditional music created the soundtrack of an era and paved the way for a generation of Irish musicians.   

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