Recommended Reads
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The Amazing Adventure of Billy and Bobby Beaver
It was mid-February and bitterly cold in Stockbridge Marsh. The beaver family went about their daily chores, unaware that their peaceful world was about to change completely.
The safety of their home is suddenly threatened when a mysterious group, believed to have died out generations ago, reappears. Even more shocking, this very group has kidnapped the only child of the beavers’ closest friends.
Now, it is up to young twins Billy and Bobby to go on a rescue mission. They are still very young, with no experience and no idea where the child has been taken. They do not even know which direction to go.
In short, they really had no idea what they were getting themselves into.
£9.99 -
Caught between Christ and Christendom
Already in his 1503 Enchiridion – some five years before his work on the New Testament – the great Christian humanist, Desiderius Erasmus, observed: “We are living in a world that has grown alien to the world of Christ in life and doctrine.” In the Paraklesis, the introduction to the first, 1516, edition of his New Testament, he explained how this had come about: “We drag down the teachings of heaven and force them like a Lydian rule to fit our own life-patterns.” To explain this phenomenon, however, he made a slight change in Romans 12: 11 of his 1519 New Testament: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord,” to “serving the time.” Based on a passage in Chrysostom’s writings, this change allowed Erasmus to explain, if not justify, the Church’s accommodation of Christ’s teachings to the changing times.
Several years later, in 1522, he published his Paraphrase on the Gospel of Matthew. Blaming the problem on the absence of any teaching in the practice of infant baptism, Erasmus, in the preface, proposed teaching basic Christian doctrine to young people when they had reached the age of puberty. But then in his paraphrase on Matthew 20: 18-20 – known then as “Christ’s command to baptize,” he laid out a comprehensive interpretation of adult, believer’s baptism. Ulrich Zwingli picked up Erasmus’ accommodation in 1522; Erasmus’ radical followers chose believer’s baptism on January 21, 1525. Unresolved in Erasmus’ mind, these two conflicting positions were thus introduced to the Swiss Reformation, causing the conflict this study depicts.
£18.99 -
Paddy
PADDY
Do we ever know what’s really going on in someone’s head?
Based on true events and set in the early 2000s, Paddy is a story about a young man from The Liberties in Dublin suffering with poor mental health, who travels to Amsterdam with his drug-dealing best friend and his anti-drugs activist brother.
The consequences of the journey are life-changing for them all.
The Liberties Trilogy is a series of stories about the values of characters who grew up in the heart of inner-city Dublin in the 1980s against the backdrop of high unemployment, a heroin epidemic, political corruption, an over-influential church, the Troubles and HIV/AIDS crisis.
Praise for Paddy:
“Paddy is a remarkable insight into the social narrative of the time, charmingly walking the double-edged sword of great personal conflict and the Irish sense of humour.” – my sister-in-law
“If this book had been written in the eighties, it would have been banned.” – my friend
“Every parent should read this.” - my sister
“A whirlwind of emotions.” - my other sister
“It’s very raunchy, Christopher.” – my 78-year-old aunt
“It made me cry.” – my other half
£12.99 -
Tim and the Alien
Embark on an extraordinary journey with Tim, as he encounters a peculiar boy under the most extraordinary circumstances, forging an unbreakable bond of friendship that lasts a lifetime. Together, they embark on adventures that are truly out of this world, in a realm where the concept of time, whether past or present, holds no sway.Dive into the heart of the unknown alongside them, as Tim is whisked away to realms far beyond his wildest dreams, meeting individuals he could scarcely have imagined existed.
£8.99 -
Run Your Own Race
We all run a race in life every day, but how do we prepare for it? This pure and heart-warming book uses running as a metaphor for the journey of preparation, action, and learning from life’s activities.
Rachel draws from her years of experience as a runner to share valuable advice and insights, helping children understand what to expect on a school race day. More importantly, she encourages young readers to see that ‘running’ their race – whether on the track or in life – is more approachable than they might think.
£8.99 -
Let God Speak
God is an enumeration of His attributes.
God is spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
The spirit of God silently moves through space and time, and the very first thing God speaks into existence is Light.
Fast forward along the timeline, and we read in John 1:1, almost in the same respect as Genesis, ‘In the beginning was the Word,’ and it continues until John says something very fascinating: Jesus is the Light of men.
It all makes sense now, doesn’t it?
If God, as they say, is all-knowing, He indeed knew our fate before creating us. He knew, therefore, to put our Savior in place before everything.
When God said, ‘Let there be Light,’ He created the Christ at that very moment, bringing forth our Redeemer.
He uttered our way home into existence.
God is amazing!
He loves us so much that He forgave us before He even made us.
As for the dark, it was and always will be consumed by the Light.
Light, the word that would best describe it…
£6.99 -
A Yeti Under My Bed
How much damage can one Yeti possibly attract when such a highly advanced cultural creature as he comes into contact with rural England? He is polite, considerate, intelligent, peaceable and discreet, so surely all will be well. Unfortunately, he is also a heavy drinker, unembarrassed by bodily functions, over seven foot tall, overtly evangelical in his Christianity, and highly protective of his new young human-human friend Phyllis.
You’ve heard of ‘Chaos Theory’? Well, meet Gordon the Yeti – the probable design model for the concept.
£7.99 -
LeadingMatters
Much in life happens by chance and accident. This is not the case when it comes to bringing out the best in people. That requires personal mastery and the capacity to lead. These are not gifted at birth; both must be learnt without prejudice and prescription. Hundreds of millions of people simply never have that opportunity. That must change.
Discovering and living up to our best has no age, gender, or contextual restrictions other than what we allow. We choose our responses. LeadingMatters.
‘A lifetime of condensed leadership learning and wisdom across cultures and companies. Priceless! Don’t delay – read it NOW.’
JOHANN AHLERS, Retired Engineering Leader, Southern Africa
‘A compelling, easy to read and apply synopsis of pragmatic actions for personal and leadership development. The lessons are applicable to all who really want to make the
most of their life and simultaneously help others who wish to do the same.’
BHASKAR NARAYAN, Institute Director, CSIR, India£16.99 -
Pussycat
In the 1970s, Pussycat achieved phenomenal success both nationally and internationally, captivating audiences with their records and stage performances. With their hit ‘Mississippi’, they became the first Dutch band to reach number one in the UK. The single soared to the top in fifteen countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, South Africa, New Zealand, and Brazil, claiming the number one spot in nine of them. This remarkable success was the result of years of hard work and dedication, paving the way for even greater achievements.
This book transports readers to a time when pop music was still in its adolescence, recounting the story of Pussycat: a band of down-to-earth youngsters from Limburg, Netherlands. Despite their fame, they always stayed true to themselves. Through the eyes of Lou Willé, readers are offered a behind-the-scenes look at their journey. So, hop on and take a nostalgic ride through this fascinating chapter of music history.
£21.99 -
Driven by Demons: Bipolar Olympian
This is the remarkable story of a young man battling intense mood swings, who turns to physical risk and his exceptional talent for rowing and sculling to keep depression at bay. For years, he struggles without understanding the true nature of his condition.
His journey is at times amusing, at times desperate, but always deeply human. As he carves out a name for himself in the world of amateur rowing, his unpredictable and often outrageous behavior unsettles his crewmates. Yet, despite the chaos, he achieves extraordinary triumphs – competing in five World Rowing Championships, two Olympic Games, and winning seven Henley Regatta titles, including the prestigious Diamond Sculls.
But the same challenges that once saved him eventually lead to his downfall. When he reaches his lowest point, feeling as though he has lost everything, his long search for stability truly begins.
“We thought he felt no pain.”
Hugh Matheson
Tim’s younger brother, on reading a draft:
“What is it, a confession or an excuse?”
£11.99 -
My Amazing Bedroom 2
Imagine if your sister had a secret that you knew,
And your bedroom, unknown to her, was quite amazing too!
Adventures and discoveries, each time you close your eyes,
A chance to dream and drift away, each night a new surprise.If your bedroom could take you anywhere while you slept, where would you like to go? You could travel into space, or under the ocean, or into the jungle, or even have your own haunted house!
Would you tell your parents?
Would you tell your sister?
Would you keep it as your own special secret?Read about the wonderful experiences of one little boy as he sleeps in his amazing bedroom.
£8.99 -
Reimagine Hong Kong
CO-CREATING HONG KONG In Reimagine Hong Kong, Jia Jia explores the cultural identity of China’s special administrative region, which began to emerge in the mid-twentieth century during its time as a British colony. His critique delves into the contradictions and dichotomies that have defined Hong Kong, weaving together history, philosophy, sociology, and economics. Jia Jia believes it is time to take a long, reflective look at his hometown, two and a half decades after its return to China. He started writing this memoir during the last wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. His analysis of real estate, urbanism, popular culture, linguistics, literature, and food culture offers a unique and thought-provoking perspective on the global financial centre’s past, present, and future. Reimagine Hong Kong addresses three fundamental questions: Does Hong Kong have an “identity crisis”? Why has it been labelled a “cultural desert”? Has Hong Kong fostered its own “meaninglessness” and “tastelessness”? This compelling thesis reimagines the metropolis “from a distance” while addressing global universal issues through its local culture. The author takes readers on an unforgettable journey from London’s theatres to New York’s skyscrapers, Tokyo’s nano homes, and back to vernacular heritage architecture, neon signs, and tea restaurants, alongside various social phenomena. This anthology is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the unprecedented conflicts from the early twenty-first century, shaped by geopolitics and ideologies, including the “woke” movement.’ Accompanied by a captivating photograph by Wong Wei-him, each chapter serves as a study on the cross-cultural impacts of the digital revolution, postmodernity, postcolonialism, and late capitalism on social structure, human behaviour, aesthetics, and taste. Jia Jia concludes by reflecting on futurism and posthumanism.
£18.99
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