George Gordon Wentworth (1946-2011) lived a humdrum life. He was a barely adequate teacher in a fairly world-renowned independent school in Kent and kept a copious diary of his quotidian existence. Most of what he recorded was dross. However, amongst all the utterly uninteresting tailings of his life there were some nuggets and grains to catch the attention. The precious incidents worth recording all reflect the fact that Wentworth was, for the most part, an unwitting fool whose antics and...

Two New Yorkers ride the same train yet live on different planets. Rich Life Poor Life reveals why: one man sees every minute, message, and meeting as an investment; the other spends those same moments on distractions that compound into lifelong scarcity. Tony Stuart dissects the unseen “rules of the game” - turn commute time into deal time, build social capital that pays six-figure dividends, and pursue discomfort because growth lives on its far side.Inside you will learn how to t...

**WINNER OF THE AGATHA, ARTHUR ELLIS, DILYS, AND DEBUT DAGGER AWARDS“Wonderfully entertaining . . . sure to be one of the most loved mysteries of the year . . . [Flavia is] a delightful, intrepid, acid-tongued new heroine.”—Chicago Sun-Times**Coming soon as the major motion picture Flavia Girl Detective!It is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for p...

A number one bestseller in Britain, Stephen Fry's astonishingly frank, funny, wise memoir is the book that his fans everywhere have been waiting for. Since his PBS television debut in the Blackadder series, the American profile of this multitalented writer, actor and comedian has grown steadily, especially in the wake of his title role in the film Wilde, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination, and his supporting role in A Civil Action.Fry has already ...

"Country Girl is Edna O'Brien's exquisite account of her dashing, barrier-busting, up-and-down life."-National Public RadioWhen Edna O'Brien's first novel, The Country Girls, was published in 1960, it so scandalized the O'Briens' local parish that the book was burned by its priest. O'Brien was undeterred and has since created a body of work that bears comparison with the best writing of the twentieth century. Country Girl brings us face-to-face with a life of high drama and...

A WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK • Six stories from the beloved "Queen of Crime"—swift, cunning murder mysteries from throughout her extraordinary career."A sophisticated collection. . . . Stylishly told and worthy of being read aloud by the fire.” —The New York Times Book Review**“An unexpected delight. . . . This small collection is indeed a gift. . . . James’ skills at complicating the genre are never more apparent than h...

"If you've ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you'll relish a visit to Fairacre." —Jan KaronAfter many years of teaching in the charming English village of Fairacre, Miss Read settles down to what she hopes will be a relaxing retirement. But, of course, it is not entirely so. Having bid farewell to her pupils at Fairacre School, Miss Read finds herself as busy and in demand as ever: on holiday in Florence, helping with church and school affairs, and offering a kind ea...

A secretive child by nature, Susanna makes a covert list of everything she knows about her absent father, determined that one day she will find him. Unable and unwilling to adapt to life in her mother's unsympathetic household, she distances herself as much as possible.When she finally discovers her father's whereabouts and seeks him out, in the free and unconventional atmosphere of 1970s Chelsea, she conceals her identity, beginning an illicit affair that can only end in disaster....

Even a small English village can't escape growing pains— "If you've ever enjoyed a visit to Mitford, you'll relish a visit to Fairacre." (Jan Karon, #1 New York Times–bestselling author).Times are changing in the charming downland village of Fairacre, and Miss Read isn't certain it's all for the best. The new commuter lifestyle has caused a decline in attendance at the local school, and officials are threatening closure. Miss Read worries about the failing...

‘Give me the boy and I will show you the man’ the saying goes. In this warm, tender, wonderfully evocative and often hilarious memoir one of the best-loved men in Britain, Alan Titchmarsh, brilliantly recalls his childhood in 1950s Yorkshire.Growing up in the beautiful landscape that surrounds Ilkley in Wharfedale inspired Alan’s early passion for nature.In a time of post-war austerity, hard work and ‘making do’ was not just the lot of the grown-ups; for the young Alan it was...

A marvelous collection from "the greatest living writer of short stories in the English language" (The New Yorker).Four-time winner of the O. Henry Prize, three-time winner of the Whitbread Prize, and five-time finalist for the Man Booker Prize, William Trevor is one of the most acclaimed authors of our time. Over a career spanning more than half a century, Trevor has crafted exquisitely rendered tales that brilliantly illuminate the human condition. Bring...

Winner of the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year: Peter Dickinson targets England's upper classes in this murderous and strikingly original theme-park mysteryTourists are waiting in line for entry into the world of Old England, a graceful, elegant country house run as a theme park, complete with wrought-iron gates, pet lions, and maids in white caps greeting visitors with a bob and a curtsy.But this fantasy world turns very real when one of the ...