Recommended Reads
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D.A.N.'s Little Book of Everyday Poetry Stories
This second book by D. A. Nicholson is structured similarly to his first, D.A.N.’s Little Book of War Poetry, published by Austin Macauley in summer 2022: each poem attempts to tell a single, self-contained story.
The first poem in the book, for instance, tells the story of Mike Tyson (‘The Champ’), and the book contains many others that celebrate such figures as the late Queen, the famous English steeplejack Fred Dibnah and, of course, our own ‘Captain Tom’, who captured everyone’s heart back in the dark days of Covid.
Interspersed with these tributes to well-known personalities are more domestic poems, some clearly autobiographical, some written from other people’s perspectives.
The author hopes the reader enjoys this book as much as he did writing it.
£7.99 -
Little Bean and Little Egg's Historical Day Out: The Collection
Follow in the footsteps of two charming characters, Little Egg and Little Bean, as they embark upon a journey through history, learning about the events that happened inside the castle walls.
What will they find out and who will they meet along the way?
£10.99 -
Molly Mee: The Acceptance
As Molly continues her journey to enlightenment, her inner battle to understand truth from lies continues to be distorted, and the outer worlds collide with misinformation and distortion of the reality she is living, leaving her questioning the pure fabrication of what life is and why we are here. The dance between good and evil continues to evade her ability to see through the veil of darkness and cast her into the light of knowingness. Her struggles with who she is in this lifetime and the hurt of the past haunt her thought process, warping her vision to witness the now.
Will Molly ever accept what being human is? Why she is here?
Fraught with demons of the past, yet experiencing the sweet taste of freedom, peace and tranquillity, does she ever believe that this could come to fruition, and most of all that she is the one to aid humanity into the new dimension, freeing all to enter the new world.
The time is upon us all to join together and raise the vibration, let go of guilt, fear, and shame, and enter a new era of peace, hope, and joy because this is your true destination. Cease buying into fear and propaganda, as they are only there to control you. Are you ready? You can do this.
£10.99 -
The Other Side of the Flag
A small group clustered on the outer deck of the ship, watching the dock and shoreline slowly recede. On one side of me stood the next King of England; on the other, ‘The Best Prime Minister Britain Never Had.’ Beers in hand, we listened as the familiar strains of Rule, Britannia! rose from the crowds ashore and from the countless small craft dotting the harbour. The Royal Yacht of the same name slowly departed from the last vestige of the British Empire, mere minutes after Hong Kong was handed back to Chinese rule, marking the end of 150 years of British governance.
Those standing on the deck were lost in their own thoughts. For me, it was the conclusion of my 17-year odyssey in this most vibrant of city-states. What began as a quest for adventure – a stark contrast to my comfortable but unexciting life in England – ended with my intimate involvement in a pivotal moment in history.
My career in the Royal Hong Kong Police Force had unfolded like a Hollywood script: from the riot squad to bodyguard duty, to a decade in counterterrorism, and finally as the last Aide-de-camp to the last Governor of Hong Kong. Along the way, I experienced countless headline-making incidents – and some that never made it to the press. It was a career rich in exhilaration and variety, far beyond anything I could have imagined when my journey began.
£11.99 -
Jane and the Beanstalk
Think you know the story? Think again. Jane is nothing like Jack. She is bold, brave, polite, and definitely not a thief. Forget golden harps or chickens that lay golden eggs – this is a fresh twist on the tale.
When a giant beanstalk mysteriously appears in her back garden, Jane and her mother are faced with a dilemma. Should they chop it down, or should Jane climb to the top?
Get ready to laugh, be amazed, and be completely enthralled as Jane makes her choice and discovers what lies beyond the clouds in this quirky and humorous adventure.
£8.99 -
Fredrick Frog
Fredrick Frog may be small, but he’s bursting with curiosity and a big, brave heart. He lives snug and safe in the front of his best friend Ella’s pyjamas, where every day feels cosy and complete. But when Ella heads off to school, Fredrick starts to wonder if he’s missing something more.
With a hop and a leap, he sets out on an unexpected adventure, only to find himself face-to-face with a very hungry bird! After a day filled with narrow escapes and surprising discoveries, Fredrick learns that what he was searching for was never far away.
This charming story celebrates the magic of friendship, the thrill of adventure, and the comfort of knowing you’re always right where you belong.
£8.99 -
The Mozhaisk Road
The time is 1978 and Moscow is still the capital of a Communist country. The political police continues to suppress the protests of dissident leader Alexander Razumovsky and his tiny group of supporters. Western observers Howard Wilde and Gels Maybey face an uncertain Christmas after a public rally is roughly broken up in the city’s Pushkin Square.
But when the elderly Razumovsky suddenly steps down in the New Year and a new young leader emerges, the whole world sees a sign of hope. Can this sluggish, downtrodden Russia, despised by its own leaders, suddenly change, inspired by the courage of one Boris Marlinsky? As the Kremlin responds behind the scenes, how close can Western reporters come to grasping the hidden ways of power which seem to seal Russia’s troubled fate?
This forcefully imagined prequel to the real events of 1991 changes the lives of Howard Wilde and Gels Maybey, and their American friends Arthur and Harriet. But what then of their Russian friends? Is it only Western hearts and minds that long for freedom along the Mozhaisk Road?
£14.99 -
Love Big Enough for Two
Mum is expecting a new baby, but what does this mean?
Experience the world through the eyes of Sammy.
Follow Sammy as, overheard snippets of mum’s conversations, result in some hilarious mixed-up thoughts of what a new baby is.
However, when Sammy is finally introduced to the new baby, it is a light bulb moment: ‘Oh, a baby!’
But the big questions are:
What will happen to me when mummy has a new baby? Will mummy still have enough love for me?
Love Big Enough for Two approaches a sensitive subject with humour and warmth. Sammy’s experience will support young children to understand that the arrival of a new baby does not mean they will be loved any less.
£7.99 -
A Lifetime Journey of Trust & Adventure
A Lifetime Journey of Trust & Adventure is a classic, warm, and inspiring recollection from Richard’s childhood, during wartime, to the heights of management in government and business development. Read this personal and reflective real-time life account. This is an intriguing book for everyone who has a progressive personal interest in a challenging lifetime journey.
£17.99 -
Mr Polly's Bonfire Party
Augustus John Polly is a restless academic, uncomfortable in the colonial environment of 1950s Hong Kong. Prompted by sexual fantasies, he is drawn into a conspiracy that unfolds disastrously.“Amidst the decline of empire, a restless colonialist in Hong Kong debates the meaning of history. By turns funny and philosophical, this story of one man’s whimsy – but also courage – in taking a side challenges our own complacencies with political notions of right and wrong, as well as the inequalities of our own time.”– Cyril Wong, poet and fictionalist.“Mr. Polly’s world is a rich tapestry. The reader is transported to a world already gone, but not forgotten. It’s a cornucopia of themes, impressions, and moods. Like preparing a magical potion in a sorcerer’s cauldron, Malcolm Jack’s prose effectively uses a number of fascinating ingredients: The blend is sensuous, lascivious, delicious, funny, witty, ironic, intellectual, philosophical, political, historical, and human – a true cornucopia of life.”– João Mendonça, translator and author.“Malcolm Jack’s latest is a page-turner, a taut political thriller that never loses its momentum. The text has a cinematic quality, the protagonist a quiet Briton who contemplates the end of history and the fragility of empire. Hong Kong is lovingly and nostalgically depicted in glorious Technicolour as a city on the brink of change, at once beguiling and inscrutable.”– Kennie Ting, historian and curator.
£8.99 -
The Whimsical Tale of Silly Goozy
Goozy loved his friends Glitter and Gobble, but not as much as he loved adventure. Have you ever thought about swimming in the skies? How about living in a Christmas tree? Well, that was Goozy. He wanted to see it all and experience everything about life. So, one day, when his circle of friends was no longer enough for him to play and hang out with, he packed his bag and wandered off after taking his inheritance. Hmm… What did he do? Where did he go? How did he feel? Who did he meet? Did he ever come back? Find out in this beautiful story of friendship, belonging, adventure, bravery, and fun.
£9.99 -
All That Love Is
Have you ever been in love? Ever wanted to be in love? Or thought, ‘I’ve had enough of love – it’s so overrated’. Perhaps you’ve sat on the bus or the train going to work and every day the same guy sits opposite you and gives that nod and a smile that makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck and you think, ‘Yes, he is the one’. Or maybe you’ve already met the man of your dreams and knew instantly you would spend the rest of your life with him. Lucky you! Or had your heart broken so many times that when the right guy did come along, you turned and ran a mile.
How about the guy you went to school with, the tough sporty type who always had the girls fawning over him, but you bump into him one day, chat and arrange to meet up for drinks, only to find out that he was in love with you all the time. Relationships in the straight world can be fickle at the best of times, but hey, in the ‘Gay’ arena of life, there are normally no rules except when cupid, that little devil, pokes you both with that pink fluffy arrow, and then… nothing else matters except LOVE.
£8.99
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