Archives

The General in His Labyrinth

General in His Labyrinth

The General in His Labyrinth (original Spanish title: El general en su laberinto) is a novel by the Colombian writer and Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez. It is a fictionalized account of the last days of Simón Bolívar, liberator and leader of Gran Colombia. First published in 1989, the book traces Bolívar’s final journey from Bogotá to the Caribbean coastline of Colombia in his attempt to leave South America for exile in Europe. In this dictator novel about a continental hero, “despair, sickness, and death inevitably win out over love, health, and life”. Breaking with the traditional heroic portrayal of Bolívar El Libertador, García Márquez depicts a pathetic protagonist, a prematurely aged man who is physically ill and mentally exhausted. The story explores the labyrinth of Bolívar’s life through the narrative of his memories.

Architect’s Apprentice

Architect's Apprentice

(2015) Sixteenth century Istanbul: a stowaway arrives in the city bearing an extraordinary gift for the Sultan. The boy is utterly alone in a foreign land, with no worldly possessions to his name except Chota, a rare white elephant destined for the palace menagerie. So begins an epic adventure that will see young Jahan rise from lowly origins to the highest ranks of the Sultan’s court. Along the way he will meet deceitful courtiers and false friends, gypsies, animal tamers, and the beautiful, mischievous Princess Mihrimah. He will journey on Chota’s back to the furthest corners of the Sultan’s kingdom and back again. And one day he will catch the eye of the royal architect, Sinan, a chance encounter destined to change Jahan’s fortunes forever. Filled with all the colour of the Ottoman Empire, when Istanbul was the teeming centre of civilisation, The Architect’s Apprentice is a magical, sweeping tale of one boy and his elephant caught up in a world of wonder and danger

Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action

Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action

One Hundred Years of Solitude

One of the world’s most famous novels, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, blends the natural with the supernatural in one of the most magical reading experiences on earth. ‘Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice’ Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s great masterpiece is the story of seven generations of the Buendia family and of Macondo, the town they have built. Though little more than a settlement surrounded by mountains, Macondo has its wars and disasters, even its wonders and its miracles. A microcosm of Columbian life, its secrets lie hidden, encoded in a book, and only Aureliano Buendia can fathom its mysteries and reveal its shrouded destiny. Blending political reality with magic realism, fantasy and comic invention, One Hundred Years of Solitude is one of the most daringly original works of the twentieth century. ‘Dazzling’ The New York Times

Digital Minimalism

Digital Minimalism Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World

(2020) Digital Minimalism is the Marie Kondo of mobile phones’ Evening Standard ‘An eloquent, powerful and enjoyably practical guide to cutting back on screen time’ The Times ‘An urgent call to action for anyone serious about being in command of their own life’ Ryan Holiday, author of The Obstacle is the Way ‘What a timely and useful book’ Naomi Alderman, author of The Power Learn how to switch off and find calm Do you find yourself endlessly scrolling through social media or the news while your anxiety rises? Are you feeling frazzled after a long day of long video calls? In this timely book, professor Cal Newport shows us how to pair back digital distractions and live a more meaningful life with less technology. By following a ‘digital declutter’ process, you’ll learn to: · Rethink your relationship with social media · Prioritize ‘high bandwidth’ conversations over low quality text chains · Rediscover the pleasures of the offline world Take back control from your devices and find calm amongst the chaos with Digital Minimalism.

Diary of An Awesome Friendly K

Diary of An Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)

-2019

All the Bright Places

All the Bright Places

(2020) Now a major film starring Elle Fanning and Justice Smith on Netflix.

A compelling and beautiful story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who wants to die.

Theodore Finch constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself, but each time something good stops him.

Violet Markey exists for the future, counting the days until she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief for her late sister.

When they meet on the ledge of a tower, what might have been their end turns into their beginning.

It’s only with Violet that Finch can truly be himself – a funny guy who’s able to find the joy in life.

And when Violet’s with Finch, she forgets to count away the days and starts to live them.

But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink. He’s trying to cling on to all the good things in his life, but will it be enough this time?

‘If you’re looking for the next The Fault in Our Stars, this is it’ – Guardian

‘This book is amazing – I couldn’t put it down’ – Zoe Sugg

‘A searingly honest and heartbreakingly poignant tale about the power and beauty of love’ – Heat

‘Sparkling’ – Entertainment Weekly

White Bird A Wonder Story

White Bird A Wonder Story

(2019) Inspired by her blockbuster phenomenon Wonder, R. J. Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with an unforgettable story of the power of kindness and unrelenting courage in a time of war.

“I was captivated by White Bird. It tells the hardest truths with honesty and calm (so that young readers can hear them). R.J. Palacio brings to life the nature of heroism and the real risks we face today.” –Meg Medina, Newbery award-winning author of Mercy Suarez Changes Gears

In R. J. Palacio’s bestselling collection of stories Auggie & Me, which expands on characters in Wonder, readers were introduced to Julian’s grandmother, Grandmère. Here, Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with Grandmère’s heartrending story: how she, a young Jewish girl, was hidden by a family in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II; how the boy she and her classmates once shunned became her savior and best friend.

Sara’s harrowing experience movingly demonstrates the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives. As Grandmère tells Julian, “It always takes courage to be kind, but in those days, such kindness could cost you everything.” With poignant symbolism and gorgeous artwork that brings Sara’s story out of the past and cements it firmly in this moment in history, White Bird is sure to captivate anyone who was moved by the book Wonder or the blockbuster movie adaptation and its message.

Praise for Wonder:

#1 New York Times bestseller

USA Today bestseller

Time Magazine’s 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time

“In a wonder of a debut, Palacio has written a crackling page-turner filled with characters you can’t help but root for.” –Entertainment Weekly

“Rich and memorable.” –The New York Times

“A beautiful, funny and sometimes sob-making story of quiet transformation.” –The Wall Street Journal

Pop-Up Peekaboo Unicorn

Pop-Up Peekaboo Unicorn

(2019) Meet the colourful unicorns as they explore a magical kingdom in this cute baby board book with flaps to lift and pop-ups to enjoy. Join Moonbeam the purple unicorn as she searches for a friend in the enchanted forest and Sunshine the yellow unicorn as she discovers a secret castle. Which unicorn is hiding behind the colourful rainbow? Lift the flap to see! A magical addition to the best-selling Pop-up Peekaboo series, Pop-Up Peekaboo! Unicorn is a read-aloud children’s book that encourages first learning by introducing little ones to colours and adorable characters. Both parent and child will have fun turning the pages, lifting the flaps, and playing peekaboo. The perfect gift for preschoolers, this book is certain to make them giggle in delight! This sturdy baby book is ideal for preschool play and will keep toddlers entertained time and time again.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 13 THE MELTDOWN

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 13 The Meltdown (Book 13)

(2020) *The thirteenth laugh-out-loud, fully illustrated bestselling Wimpy Kid book!* Snow has shut down Greg Heffley’s middle school! Which should be exciting, but now his neighbourhood is a wintry battlefield. And Greg and his best friend Rowley are caught in the crosshairs of territory battles, epic snowball fights and massive snow forts. Can Greg and Rowley navigate the art of war when their street goes into meltdown? Or will they even survive to see another day? ABOUT DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: * 50% words, 50% cartoons, 100% hilarious! * Hilarious stories that all readers can’t wait to get their hands on * Laughter guaranteed! * 200 million copies sold worldwide ‘Kinney is right up there with J K Rowling as one of the bestselling children’s authors on the planet’ – Independent