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  A Profitable Weakness - From...

  George Gissing

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  George Robert Gissing was born on November 22nd, 1857 in Wakefield, Yorkshire.  
  He was educated at Back Lane School in Wakefield. Gissing loved school. He was enthusiastic with a thirst for learning and always diligent.  By the age of ten he was reading Dickens, a lifelong hero. 
  In 1872 Gissing won a scholarship to Owens College. Whilst there Gissing worked hard but remained solitary. Unfortunately, he had run short of funds and stole from his fellow students. He was arrested, prosecuted, found guilty, expelled and sentenced to a month's hard labour in 1876. 
  On release he decided to start over.  In September 1876 he travelled to the United States. Here he wrote short stories for the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers. On his return home he was ready for novels. 
  Gissing self-published his first novel but it failed to sell.  His second was acquired but never published. His writing career was static.  Something had to change.  And it did. 
  By 1884 The Unclassed was published.  Now everything he wrote was published. Both Isabel Clarendon and Demos appeared in 1886. He mined the lives of the working class as diligently as any capitalist. 
  In 1889 Gissing used the proceeds from the sale of The Nether World to go to Italy. This trip formed the basis for his 1890 work The Emancipated. 
  Gissing's works began to command higher payments. New Grub Street (1891) brought a fee of £250.  
  Short stories followed and in 1895, three novellas were published; Eve's Ransom, The Paying Guest and Sleeping Fires. Gissing was careful to keep up with the changing attitudes of his audience.  
  Unfortunately, he was also diagnosed as suffering from emphysema. The last years of his life were spent as a semi-invalid in France but he continued to write. 1899; The Crown of Life. Our Friend the Charlatan appeared in 1901, followed two years later by The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft. 
  George Robert Gissing died aged 46 on December 28th, 1903 after catching a chill on a winter walk.

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  Forgotten Authors The - Men -...

  Vladimir Korolenko, Charles...

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  Throughout the long centuries of human history is the want, and the need, to share information, to exchange ideas and for that knowledge and experience, for curiosity and learning, to be the basis of a civil society. 
  In literature the ambition is much narrower.  In order to be known, to be popular, you had to be published.  And for that people had to know you existed and your ideas worth reading.  Obviously for most of humanity’s time people couldn’t read and texts couldn’t be published in any great number. 
  In the 15th Century Gutenberg’s printing press began the revolution to address the second and by the 19th century had gathered pace with startling speed and mass distribution.  Education for the many was brought in to help people understand more of their world and, with new skills, how to have a better place within it.  Now, if the powers that owned the presses and means of distribution agreed an audience would now be able to avail themselves of your ideas, your printed words.  
  Sadly, in the thirst for the new, the recent and the past fell from sight, relegated to dark corners and dusty shelves.   
  But the printed word is rarely without someone, somewhere busying themselves through piles of papers and books rediscovering what a good story is, whatever its age. 
  In this volume we offer up a small selection of those talents whose time has now come again.

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  The Life of St Augustine

  FRS F. W. Farrar DD

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  St. Augustine was the greatest Western philosopher for 1,000 years and a dominant influence on the history of Christian theology. From his conversion in 386 to his death in 430, he remained a great teacher, church statesman, and polemical theologian. St. Thomas Aquinas was one of many scholars influenced by Augustine’s theories. Four hundred of his sermons survive, and some are still foundational to theology students today. His Confessions stands among the great classics of spiritual autobiography, and his City of God is still in print.

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  She Is Victorious!

  Constance G Williams

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  In "She is Victorious!", Constance Williams shares an inspiring journey of resilience and hope through the eyes of Francesca, a young girl who faced rejection at birth. Diagnosed with Down syndrome, Francesca was sent away by her mother, leaving her feeling lost and unloved. But with the support of her father’s family, she discovered the warmth and love she had always longed for. As Francesca navigates through childhood struggles, including abuse and the tragic loss of her son, she learns the incredible power of faith and love. Despite the pain, she finds strength in God and the unexpected gift of communication with her son’s spirit. This connection guides her through life’s challenges, helping her to heal and grow. This heartfelt story highlights the power of perseverance and the ability to rise above adversity. "She is Victorious!" is not just a story of survival; it’s an empowering message that encourages readers to find their strength and embrace their true selves, no matter the obstacles they face.

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  With and Without You

  Kelsey Parker

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  “They say the first year is the hardest.” 
   
  Kelsey Parker’s world was turned upside down in the summer of 2020 when her husband Tom, singer in boyband The Wanted, was cruelly diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. 
   
  Heavily pregnant with their second child and coping with her own heartache at losing her partner of 13 years, Kelsey remained a tower of strength and positivity for Tom during his darkest days. When traditional treatments stopped working, she spent hours researching alternative therapies to give her husband extra time with his young children Aurelia and Bodhi. 
   
  Hope came late in 2021 when Tom’s tumour became stable, but sadly his condition quickly deteriorated and on March 30, 2022, aged just 33, he died surrounded by his loyal wife, family and friends. 
   
  With And Without You is her moving, deeply personal story of the first 12 months since Tom’s tragic passing. An intimate diary of how she coped with a year of unwanted firsts – first birthdays, first Christmas, first Valentine’s Day – all without the love of her life. It is the story of how she rebuilt her life, and bravely found a way to face the future. Since Tom’s death, Kelsey has been an inspiration to many and a rock to the couple’s children. She has sought to raise awareness of glioblastoma and has bravely campaigned for vital funds for more research into the disease. She has also found spirituality – following Tom’s long held belief there is something greater than just one life. 
   
  With And Without You is not only a story of coping with unimaginable heartbreak and grief, but how your love for someone you’ve lost can be turned into something positive and bring hope and light into your life as you carry on your journey without them.

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  Will I Ever Have Sex Again? - A...

  Sofie Hagen

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  'This book had sex with my brain!' SARA PASCOE'Hilarious. Intimate. Vital.' JAMEELA JAMIL'I couldn't put the book down!' LAURA BATESComedian Sofie Hagen has not had sex in 3,000 days (and counting). And it turns out, she's not the only one . . .In an attempt to find out why we're not having the sex we want, Sofie asks the questions: can we blame a lacking sex education? Is it all just sexual trauma? Where's the radical sexual liberation we were promised? What are we going to do about this? Should she have slept with that guy in that bush that one time? How do you overcome being a 35-year-old virgin (when it comes to queer sex, that is)? How do the socially awkward and the neurodiverse have sex?In Will I Ever Have Sex Again?, Sofie Hagen explores the quirks and difficulties of being an 'involuntary celibate' (but one of the feminist, progressive ones). With a blend of memoir and conversations with experts, therapists, sex workers, porn stars, comedians and public figures, this is a humorous and bold undertaking to gain a better understanding of how we can think, talk and feel about sex.The audiobook includes an exclusive bonus interview with fellow comedian, friend and author, Sara Pascoe.'I was expecting a tad more tahini' YOTTAM OTTOLENGHI 'Refreshingly honest' ROSIE JONES'Warm, Curious, Charming' AUBREY GORDON

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