Recommended Reads
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The World According to Stoopball
In the Bronx of the 1930s, paradise for a kid was stickball in the street or roasting potatoes in a vacant lot. Nuns ran school with a firm hand, while the restless work ethic of immigrant communities shaped life at home. Long before the digital era, young people ruled the world of play. But they grew up quickly against a backdrop of war. Retired Rear Admiral (USNR) Joe Callo revisits his youth and offers insight on the pursuit of meaning in an over-circuited modern age.
£11.99 -
The World According to Stoopball
In the Bronx of the 1930s, paradise for a kid was stickball in the street or roasting potatoes in a vacant lot. Nuns ran school with a firm hand, while the restless work ethic of immigrant communities shaped life at home. Long before the digital era, young people ruled the world of play. But they grew up quickly against a backdrop of war. Retired Rear Admiral (USNR) Joe Callo revisits his youth and offers insight on the pursuit of meaning in an over-circuited modern age.
£11.99 -
Beyond the Chair
I have a very severe disability: I use a wheelchair full-time, have very limited use of my hands, and some people find it difficult to understand me when I speak.
This book is about how I achieved my PhD, the highest qualification a person can earn. My research took place at a special school, where I formed advocacy sessions with the young people there. In these sessions, we discussed their hopes and plans for life after school. I also shared my own experience transitioning from special education to mainstream schooling, as many of them had disabilities similar to mine.
One of the main challenges in my research was the way I gathered data. Traditional one-on-one interviews were impossible because I relied on my personal assistant to interpret my speech, while each young person often required their own interpreter. As a result, we had to explore alternative methods for collecting information.
Because I am unable to use pen and paper, observations were also challenging. My personal assistant took notes for me while we were at the school, and I would type them up on my computer when I got home.
£7.99 -
Beyond the Chair
I have a very severe disability: I use a wheelchair full-time, have very limited use of my hands, and some people find it difficult to understand me when I speak.
This book is about how I achieved my PhD, the highest qualification a person can earn. My research took place at a special school, where I formed advocacy sessions with the young people there. In these sessions, we discussed their hopes and plans for life after school. I also shared my own experience transitioning from special education to mainstream schooling, as many of them had disabilities similar to mine.
One of the main challenges in my research was the way I gathered data. Traditional one-on-one interviews were impossible because I relied on my personal assistant to interpret my speech, while each young person often required their own interpreter. As a result, we had to explore alternative methods for collecting information.
Because I am unable to use pen and paper, observations were also challenging. My personal assistant took notes for me while we were at the school, and I would type them up on my computer when I got home.
£7.99 -
Just Smile
I play a game when I’m feeling down,
It helps me turn my frown around.
Step by step, follow me,
You, too, can smile like a chimpanzee!This book gives children scientific strategies to help regulate emotional distress using physical actions.
Big, slow breaths activate a nerve in the brain that helps calm the body. The deep pressure of a squeeze or a cuddle will help you to relax. And a forced smile can trick your brain into thinking that you are happy.
£8.99 -
Glimmershade
Spite at last is named: the Necromancer is its leader and he is seeking a return to the World that banished him. Earth’s Blood, once thought to be the Dwarves, is now revealed in the One Tree; it is everyone’s and everything’s. And this is what the Necromancer needs to return as within it is the power of hope and despair, a prophecy which seems to suggest his mastery of the past, the present and the future.Caliphe and Taithe are sucked deeper and deeper into his designs as they travel within the mountains and the great forest of Glimmershade. Terrible truths are revealed to both as they battle Dark Witches, rogue Giants, Neffelin, ancient forestalls, and venture into the hidden fortresses of Raven’s Loft and Gul-a-Dor.The Effelin, Caliphe’s race, are ruined by their past, and this is what they must first undo in overcoming the Necromancer. The past is his. But can they save the present and the future from him? This is the fight they face and to do that they must not only understand their pasts, but also come to terms with their futures which seem increasingly bleak. Can they hold onto the love they have for each other, in the face of mounting criticism from foes and allies alike?
£16.99 -
Little Stories
Step into a world where the surreal and the unexpected collide in this collection of twelve captivating short stories. Each tale invites you to explore strange and wondrous realms: a little girl embarks on a quest for friendship, while a Halloween pumpkin delivers an astonishing surprise. You’ll encounter a book so enthralling that it literally pulls readers into its pages. As you delve deeper into this collection, you’ll uncover the hidden mysteries beneath our basements, discover the secrets of escape, and confront your most terrifying nightmares. Journey through the curious origins of oranges, learn the perils of midnight flights, and unravel the intricacies of crafting the perfect story. The final trio of stories takes a different turn, offering a glimpse into the truth about humanity and revealing how coincidences can shape our world – for better or for worse.
£6.99 -
The Angry Butcher of Berwick
The Angry Butcher of Berwick is infamous throughout the town, and everyone knows he’s angry.
For years, the Butcher has served the people of Berwick. He knows your mum, dad, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, grandma, grandad, and even your dog, and they all know he’s grumpy.
He cannot walk through the town without being recognized, and everyone knows he’s miserable. Once, the Butcher loved to laugh, joke, and have fun with his friends, but those days are long gone, and they all know it.
What happened to the Butcher? Why is he so angry?
Can anyone help him find happiness again?
£7.99 -
The Silver Necklace
“A fascinating glimpse into complex characters on both right and wrong sides of the law, by author and retired judge Jack Billings, who undoubtedly has seen both up-close.”
Randi Bjornstad, career journalist, founder, Eugene Scene, e-magazine
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Police always encounter people they never forget. For Megan O’Brian, one was Chad Mitchell, a scared, mistreated little boy she encountered while working as a juvenile corrections officer. She always wondered what happened to him. Then they met again.
By then a sheriff’s detective, O’Brian was lead investigator for the disappearance of talented Cassie Edwards, who failed to return home from her regular bus trip to and from a piano lesson after her 15th birthday party. She wore as always her favorite gift, a beautiful and unusual necklace, given to her by her grandmother.
The trail goes frustratingly cold as O’Brian and fellow investigators, Cal Underwood and Herman Jackson, search in vain for clues to her whereabouts and her fate, until a deer poacher finds Cassie’s body in a remote area.
But finding her killer eludes them, until O’Brian has a sudden, middle-of-the-night realization: a photograph Jackson had taken of recovered stolen property in another case. One of those photos shows an unusual necklace, identical to the one Cassie wore in a picture from her birthday party.
Did Cassie’s killer take the necklace as a trophy? How did it get into a trove of stolen property? Did the killer try to get rid of it? Or was it stolen from the killer? And who were they looking for?
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“Well-developed characters, engaging story, professional police work. A good read.”
Kurt Wuest, Lane County Sheriff’s Detective (ret.)
“Untreated autism, methamphetamine addiction, interstate fencing of stolen property propel this story of murder and apprehension to a conclusion.”
Chuck Tilby, Captain, Eugene Police Department (ret.)
“Billings’ writing evokes Michael Connelly. A bus system’s operation is cleverly woven into the plot.”
Mark Pangborn, General Manager, Lane Transit District (ret.)
£10.99 -
The Silver Necklace
“A fascinating glimpse into complex characters on both right and wrong sides of the law, by author and retired judge Jack Billings, who undoubtedly has seen both up-close.”
Randi Bjornstad, career journalist, founder, Eugene Scene, e-magazine
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Police always encounter people they never forget. For Megan O’Brian, one was Chad Mitchell, a scared, mistreated little boy she encountered while working as a juvenile corrections officer. She always wondered what happened to him. Then they met again.
By then a sheriff’s detective, O’Brian was lead investigator for the disappearance of talented Cassie Edwards, who failed to return home from her regular bus trip to and from a piano lesson after her 15th birthday party. She wore as always her favorite gift, a beautiful and unusual necklace, given to her by her grandmother.
The trail goes frustratingly cold as O’Brian and fellow investigators, Cal Underwood and Herman Jackson, search in vain for clues to her whereabouts and her fate, until a deer poacher finds Cassie’s body in a remote area.
But finding her killer eludes them, until O’Brian has a sudden, middle-of-the-night realization: a photograph Jackson had taken of recovered stolen property in another case. One of those photos shows an unusual necklace, identical to the one Cassie wore in a picture from her birthday party.
Did Cassie’s killer take the necklace as a trophy? How did it get into a trove of stolen property? Did the killer try to get rid of it? Or was it stolen from the killer? And who were they looking for?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Well-developed characters, engaging story, professional police work. A good read.”
Kurt Wuest, Lane County Sheriff’s Detective (ret.)
“Untreated autism, methamphetamine addiction, interstate fencing of stolen property propel this story of murder and apprehension to a conclusion.”
Chuck Tilby, Captain, Eugene Police Department (ret.)
“Billings’ writing evokes Michael Connelly. A bus system’s operation is cleverly woven into the plot.”
Mark Pangborn, General Manager, Lane Transit District (ret.)
£10.99 -
The Man with the Dog
In this story, Nikolaus encounters both his ghostly nemesis and the love of his life, Heidi. Through her unwavering love, Heidi becomes his saviour, guiding him out of life’s darkest moments. Together, they embark on an unforgettable journey, discovering the power of family and the irreplaceable bonds of friendship.
At Nikolaus’s side is Kimi, his loyal and ever-present companion, a shining beacon of hope through the shadows of time. As Nikolaus triumphs over adversity, he marries Heidi, building a life filled with love and a family of their own.
This story is a celebration of love’s enduring power and the strength found in unity during life’s greatest struggles.
£7.99 -
Rebellion
Claudius’s invasion of Britannia was achieved almost unopposed. The few pockets of credible resistance were ruthlessly crushed by the machine that was the Roman army. What followed was a tense but relatively peaceful co-existence, even some merging of cultures.
That peaceful life was shattered by greed and oppression, when the new Emperor, Nero, forces a change in hierarchy in the province. Paulinus, a brutal Governor, and Catus, the mercilessly greedy Procurator, badly misjudged the mood of the Britons. A misjudgement that led to something that had never happened before: a uniting of the Britannic tribes. Theft of inheritance, a viciously humiliating beating of Queen Boudica, and the rape of her daughters sets in motion a rebellion that grows into an unstoppable, often uncontrollable army.
Weyland, a Briton and the son of a blacksmith, who as a boy was trained by a Roman soldier to fight as a Roman, becomes an unlikely player in Boudica’s plans to draw the Governor into fulfilling his pledge to eradicate the Druids. Now, with the majority of the Roman army in the west of the country, Boudica sets about gathering together an overwhelming horde, hell-bent on revenge for years of occupation. There can be only one outcome: victory or death.
£14.99
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