Publisher: Reading Essentials
Humorous essays look at banking, ghosts, laundry, golf, landlords, success, fishing, and daily life...
As contemporary today as it was over a century ago, this relatively unsentimental tale of labor relations still packs a punch. (Summary by BellonaTimes)Show book
A London graphic designer is suddenly forced to take over his South Asian family’s convenience store in this “hugely enjoyable” novel (The Sunday Express). “Sathnam Sanghera’s witty first novel chronicles three generations of a Punjabi Indian family in England. After his father dies, Arjan Banga, a graphic designer in London, returns to the dreary West Midlands to help run the family convenience store. The move causes tension with his white fiancée, Freya, whom his mother regards with passive-aggressive disapproval. Arjan must explain to customers that ‘as a Sikh I was not expected to marry my cousin or join Al Qaeda’ and smile politely at their interpretations of his name (‘Mind if I call you Andy?’). Torn between familial duty and the freedom he enjoys in London, he gains unlikely clarity from his dimwitted friend Ranjit—a pot-smoking devotee of Steven Seagal movies, Xbox and hip-hop. Arjan’s woes are comic, but the novel’s depth is evident as it sheds light on the economic and political struggles of immigrants.” —The New York Times From an author whose work has been shortlisted for Costa and PEN Awards, this novel about a man trapped between British and Punjabi culture is “filled with details of the lives of Sikhs from the late ’60s to the riots of 2011. The divisions within the Sikh population are poignantly and comically captured in the protests against the Wolverhampton Transport Department’s ban on turbans” (Los Angeles Review of Books). “Sanghera’s precise, hilarious rendition of voices and cultural details is the signal pleasure of a novel rich in humor, history, and heart.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)Show book
London Calling is the independent social and political observation of an observant Londoner. Albert Jack has written 18 books, including four worldwide best-sellers, on subjects ranging between history, politics, religion and war. This collection is Part One in a series of five. 'Albert Jack offers a crash-course in skeptical thinking and - although he doesn't put it like this - ways to wield Occam's Razor and focus on the real evidence.' - The Independent (London) The man with the answers is Albert Jack (Daily Mail) Go armed with the truth and an original perspective. https://albertjack.com/category/the-jack-report/Show book
The Parsec-Award Winning How to Succeed in Evil series has sold over 10,000 copies, garnered 200+ positive reviews on Amazon and had over 53,000+ podiobooks downloads. "It's Like Terry Pratchett writing Batman" "Think Hitchhiker's Guide to Superheroes" When an on-the-job accident kills his crew and transforms a hard-working plumber into the Mighty Manligator, Evil Efficiency Consultants, Topper, Edwin and Agnes struggle to help the half-man, half-alligator use his newfound powers to make money saving the city from disaster, reunite with his family and elude the claws of the Lynx (Read: Half-assed, Trust Fund Batman). Will the Manligator have what it takes to abandon his cold-blooded path of revenge and learn How to Succeed in Evil? How to Succeed in Evil is the continuing saga of Edwin Windsor and Associates, Evil Efficiency consultants, who strive, against all odds, to make their megalo- and ego-manicial clients more villainous and profitable. If you've ever wonder why villains make such bad choices. If you think a loving satire of both superheroes and consulting is long-overdue, this is the series for you.Show book
Polinka, written by Anton Chekhov, is an evocative social commentary that explores the complexity of human relationships within a patriarchal society. Through the lens of a rural Russian family, we are presented with an artful inquiry into the negotiation of power and gender roles within a homogeneous cultural context. The narrative centers on protagonist Polinka, who struggles to find her voice amidst oppressive social constraints. In this way, Chekhov challenges the audience to question their assumptions about traditional gender relations. Read in English, unabridged.Show book
Amal Awad's life changed when her father was diagnosed with kidney failure. It was a shock to see the impact it had on him, both physically and mentally, and the way the side effects trickled onto those around him. Work had always made him feel whole and retirement was a challenge.On a mission to help her father and support her mother, Amal began spending every Friday with her parents. She saw the gaps in discussion around ageing and sickness. Amal's personal experiences prompted her to explore how Australians are ageing, how sickness affects the afflicted and those around them, and what solutions exist when hope seems lost.So many people are similarly navigating a new reality - weeks dotted with doctor appointments; conversations that deplete and reveal at the same time; reshaped family relationships. Amal speaks with doctors, nurses, an aged care psychologist, specialists, politicians, ageing people living alone and others in a retirement village, to gain insights and to consider solutions.At a time when ageism and health is high on the public's radar, what we're not always talking about is how to deal with the anxiety, depression and overall challenges that come with someone you love facing their mortality and a decline in health.Fridays with My Folks shares heartfelt, honest stories that will help others who are in similar positions. People who are having to reorient themselves when the boat has taken a battering and they have to take a new direction.This book stems from personal experiences, but it expands to a much wider, more universal discussion about life, suffering, coping and hope.Show book
