Other books that might interest you

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  Seven Steps from Snowdon to...

  Mark Horrell

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  As he teetered on a narrow rock ledge a yak’s bellow short of the stratosphere, with a rubber mask strapped to his face, a pair of mittens the size of a sealion’s flippers, and a drop of two kilometres below him, it’s fair to say Mark Horrell wasn’t entirely happy with the situation he found himself in. 
  He had been an ordinary hiker who had only read books about mountaineering. When he signed up for an organised trek in Nepal with a group of elderly ladies, little did he know that ten years later he would be attempting to climb the world’s highest mountain. 
  But as he travelled across the Himalayas, Andes, Alps and East Africa, following in the footsteps of the pioneers, he dreamed up a seven-point plan to gain the skills and experience which could turn a wild idea into reality. 
  Funny, incisive and heartfelt, his journey provides a refreshingly honest portrait of the joys and torments of a modern-day Everest climber.

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  Brevity Is the Soul - Wit from...

  Kevin Gildea

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  When Ireland (along with much of the rest of the world) went into lockdown last spring, we scratched our heads and wondered what to do to help lift people's spirits.* We joined forces with Irish Pensions & Finance and ran a competition celebrating Irish people's love of a good story – and a good laugh. There were only two requirements: make it funny, and make it (fairly) short. We were overwhelmed by the response: we received hundreds of entries, from all over the island (and further afield), written by people from all walks of life.
  Comedian (and now bookseller) Kevin Gildea agreed to judge the entries. There could only be three winners (well four, in fact: the top prize was split between two outstanding stories) – but the entries were so good, we decided to gather the best of them into a book. And here they are – from the sublime to the ridiculous. Think Graham Norton's Big Red Chair to Samuel Beckett's humour – and all points in between. The result is: Wit from Lockdown Ireland. The contributors are Alan Brady, Sam Windrim, Fiona Whyte, Alan Howley, Noel Dillon-Daly, Eamonn Colfer, Mark Manning, Maria O'Rourke, Rebecca Kennedy, Shane McDonnell, Dan McKenna, Adrian Martin, Brendan Caldwell, A. J. McCallion, Gary Arkins, Steve Coronella, T. K. Vaughan, James Woods, David Butler, Sue Divin, Gabrielle Fogarty, Cathy Conlon, Declan Toohey, Gráinne Enright, Eamann Breen, Daniel O'Keeffe, Edward O'Neill, Cathal Holden, Rachel Fehily, Jim O'Meara, Darragh McManus, Dermot Lane, Anthony Kelly, Yvonne Roche-Harth, Steve Wade, Joseph Joyce, Keith Martin, John Anderson, Tony Clayton-Lea

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  Shtum - A Novel

  Jem Lester

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  A man shares a house with his autistic son and cranky elderly father in this “moving, darkly funny novel” (The Washington Post).   Ben Jewell has hit a breaking point. His profoundly autistic ten-year-old son, Jonah, has never spoken, and Ben and his wife Emma are struggling to cope. When Ben and Emma fake a separation—a strategic yet ill-advised decision to further Jonah’s case in an upcoming tribunal to determine the future of his education—father and son are forced to move in with Georg, Ben’s elderly and cantankerous father.   In a small house in north London, three generations of men—one who can’t talk; two who won’t—are thrown together. As Ben confronts single fatherhood, he must battle a string of well-meaning social workers and his own demons to advocate for his son, learning some harsh lessons about accountability from his father along the way. As the tribunal draws near, Jonah, blissful in his innocence, becomes the prism through which all the complicated strands of personal identity, family history, and misunderstanding are untangled, in this “funny yet heartbreaking” prize-winning debut (The Independent).   “Whether you think Shtum is a novel about autism or about marriage (it’s both, by the way), you will agree that it is, in the end, a love story infused with wit, charm, and a deep appreciation for the complex beauty of damaged souls.” —Jonathan Tropper, New York Times-bestselling author of This is Where I Leave You   “This is the literary territory of Tony Parsons and Nick Hornby, infused with the Jewish humor of Howard Jacobson and Shalom Auslander . . . an exhilarating roller coaster ride between pathos, comedy and anger.” —The Guardian   “A remarkable book, at once hilarious, horrifying, and heartbreaking, written with the glum humor only Brits can carry off.” —The Toronto Star

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  Tom Jones

  Henry Fielding

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  "Tom Jones" is a classic novel by Henry Fielding, published in 1749. Officially titled "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling," it is a comic novel that follows the life and adventures of the title character, Tom Jones, from his birth to his eventual marriage. The story unfolds in the context of Fielding's satire of 18th-century British society, manners, and morality. It is known for its vibrant characters, intricate plot, and the author's direct engagement with the reader, which was innovative for its time.

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  Feeding Dragons

  Franz Pelzer, Brigitte Ciraudo

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  "Dragon food - an audio story by Brigitte Ciraudo and Franz Pelzer.An audio story about the power that images can have in our heads. A story about fear and how to deal with it. Wrapped in a musical fairy tale for adults and children. Read by the author, music & production Franz Pelzer."

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  Hard Eight - A Stephanie Plum Novel

  Janet Evanovich

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  Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has a problem: 7-year-old Annie Soder and her mother, Evelyn, have disappeared. Evelyn's estranged husband, Steven, is not happy. He and Evelyn signed a child custody bond, and Steven wants the bond money to search for Annie. The money was secured by a mortgage on Evelyn's grandmother's house, and the True Blue Bonds Agency wants to take possession of it.Finding a kidnapped child is not Stephanie's thing. But Evelyn's grandmother lives next door to Stephanie's parents, and they're not about to see their neighbor lose her house because of the abduction.Stephanie follows Annie and Evelyn's trail — and finds a lot more than she bargained for. Steven is somehow linked with the very scary Eddie Abruzzi. Trenton cop and on-again, off-again fiancé Joe Morelli, and Stephanie's mentor, Ranger, enter the scene, and because Stephanie needs Ranger's expertise, she accepts his help — even though it might mean paying some past debts.Stephanie, Ranger, Lula, and Evelyn's lawyer/laundromat manager set out to find Annie. The search becomes a race among Stephanie's posse, the True Blue Bonds' agent, and the Abruzzi crew. And did we mention there's a killer rabbit on the loose?This program is produced for mature audiences.A Macmillan Audio production.

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