Friday, 30 April 2021
Thursday, 29 April 2021
Sunday, 25 April 2021
Daughter Of Narcissus by Lady Colin Campbell
Paperback: I genuinely believed then, and still believe now, that the relationship between a parent and a child is sacred. I believe it is ordained by God and that we are put on this earth to fulfil a destiny which we can only ever partly understand but which, in its entirety, is one of our real purposes on this earth. - Lady Colin Campbell
Daughter of Narcissus (2009) is a stunning analysis by the author of the serious personality disorder of narcissism through her own dysfunctional family, positioned at the heart of international society from the middle of the 20th century to present day.
Dr Anna Brocklebank considers it one of the most significant and inspiring books ever written on the subject of narcissism and believes it should become a medical reference book as well as a popular best seller.
Departing from her former studies of the Royal Family and the Super Rich, Georgie Campbell turns her intelligence, insight and energy on to her own family's past to reveal the reality beneath serious personality disorders, and the emotional terrorism they engender.
The book straddles two conflicting worlds: the white elitism of the British Colonial way of life and the empowerment of the black race post-Independence. It provides an insightful record of why the colonial age had to end, while also giving the reader an insider's view of the political and sociological difficulties that nationhood brought to the inhabitants of the colonies. In doing so, Georgie Campbell paints a vivid picture of the way of life that allowed the narcissistic personality disorder of her mother to flourish.
Daughter of Narcissus not only places the disorder of narcissism in its proper sociological context, but it also exposes the shocking behaviour of the disordered personality. It is disarmingly honest and revelatory, a compulsive read - in the words of Dr. Brocklebank, it is "gripping" - a fascinating history of a family who learnt to survive unbelievable misconduct in order to lead purposeful and affirming lives.
About the author: Lady Colin Campbell is a highly successful and prolific author and has been a prominent and often controversial figure in royal and social circles for many years. She perhaps is best known for her international bestselling book Diana in Private (1992) and her subsequent extended and revelatory biography of the Princess of Wales, The Real Diana published in 2004. She has written books on the Royal Family, been a long term columnist and appeared numerous times on TV and Radio as an experienced Royal Insider and expert on the British aristocracy, including her 2015 appearance on ITV as Lady C on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here and Royal Wives At War on BBC. In 1997, she published her autobiography, A Life Worth Living, which was serialised in The Daily Mail.
Born in Jamaica, she spent much of her early adult life in America where she became a model and studied apparel design. She is connected to British royalty through common ancestors such as the Emperor Charlemagne and William the Conqueror as well as, through her marriage, to the uncle of the Duke of Argyll, who is a cousin of the Queen. She has two sons and lives in London.
Saturday, 24 April 2021
The Geometry Of Holding Hands (An Isabel Dalhousie Novel Series) by Alexander McCall Smith
Hardback: Isabel looked. 'The geometry of holding hands,' she said. She reached out and took his hand, the hand of the man she loved beyond any expression of love, and who reciprocated that love, every moment of it, every atom, every contour, every echo.
When Isabel Dalhousie and her husband Jamie book a table at an expensive Edinburgh restaurant, she finds herself battling with her conscience. Lately, there has been a lull in work for the Review of Applied Ethics, and the care of their young sons, Charlie and Magnus, is often undertaken by their housekeeper Grace. Is Isabel deserving of such a luxurious dinner?
But Isabel holds herself to impossible moral standards. Not so, the parents of one of Jamie's students, who have no qualms about ensuring their son's place in the school orchestra, despite his mediocre talent. In the restaurant, Isabel witnesses a row between local businessmen; another reminder that thoughtless ambition is too often second nature to others.
Compelled to intervene in the aftermath, Isabel's sense of integrity is observed by a fellow diner, Iain Melrose, who seeks out her help. He must decide which of his remaining relatives should one day inherit his estate. Isabel, he believes, would make a just executor of his will.
While she deliberates, another troubling situation arises with her niece, Cat, whose relationship with the unlikeable Leo is causing her to behave recklessly, putting Isabel in a very difficult position.
Faced with such weighty decisions, can Isabel balance compassion and integrity to make the right choice for all, and to protect those she holds dear to her heart?
The Geometry of Holding Hands (2020) is the thirteenth instalment in the winsome Isabel Dalhousie Novel series set in Edinburgh, Scotland.
About the author: Alexander McCall Smith, often referred to as ‘Sandy’, is one of the world’s most prolific and best-loved authors. His various series of books have been translated into forty-six languages and become bestsellers throughout the world. These include the highly successful The No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, the popular 44 Scotland Street novels, the Isabel Dalhousie novels, the von Igelfeld series and the new Detective Varg novels. He also writes stand-alone novels, children's fiction and libretti for short operas.
Alexander has received numerous awards for his writing and holds thirteen honorary doctorates from universities in Europe and North America. He is Professor Emeritus of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh. In 2007, he received a CBE for services to literature and in 2011 was honoured by the President of Botswana for services through literature to the country. In 2015, he received the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction and in 2017, The National Arts Club (of America) Medal of Honour for Achievement in Literature.
Rating: 5/5
Friday, 23 April 2021
HKH Kronprinsessen Mary Elizabeth af Danmark, Countess of Monpezat
Translation from the Danish: When we read with children, we increase their vocabulary and imagination, and with a larger vocabulary, they become better at expressing themselves with their own words. It strengthens their ability to enter into communities that benefit them both now and in the future.
Thursday, 22 April 2021
Wednesday, 21 April 2021
Monday, 19 April 2021
Catch And Kill: Lies, Spies And A Conspiracy To Protect Predators (True Crime) by Ronan Farrow
Paperback: That kind of silence isn't just wrong. It's dangerous. It sends a message to victims that it's not worth the anguish of coming forward. It sends a message about who we are as a society, what we'll overlook, who we'll ignore, who matters and who doesn't. - Ronan Farrow
In a dramatic account of violence and espionage, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Ronan Farrow exposes serial abusers and a cabal of powerful interests hell-bent on covering up the truth, at any cost.
In 2017, a routine network television investigation led Ronan Farrow to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood’s most powerful producers (Harvey Weinstein) was a predator, protected by fear, wealth, and a conspiracy of silence. As Farrow drew closer to the truth, shadowy operatives, from high-priced lawyers to elite war-hardened spies, mounted a secret campaign of intimidation, threatening his career, following his every move and weaponizing an account of abuse in his own family.
All the while, Farrow and his producer faced a degree of resistance that could not be explained – until now. And a trail of clues revealed corruption and cover-ups from Hollywood, to Washington, and beyond.
This is the untold story of the exotic tactics of surveillance and intimidation deployed by wealthy and connected men to threaten journalists, evade accountability and silence victims of abuse – and it is the story of the women who risked everything to expose the truth and spark a global movement.
Both a spy thriller and a meticulous work of investigative journalism, Catch and Kill (2019) breaks devastating new stories about the rampant abuse of power – and sheds far-reaching light on investigations that shook the culture. Catch and Kill takes place between 2016 and 2020. It contains descriptions of sexual violence that some readers may find upsetting or traumatic.
Catch and Kill won the LA Times Book Prize in 2020; and voted one of the Best Books of the Year in Time, NPR, Washington Post, Bloomberg News, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Public Library, Fortune, Los Angeles Times, E! News, The Telegraph, Apple, Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal. It was a No 1 Bestseller on IndieBound; a Bestseller on USA Today, New York Times, Wall Street Journal; a Book Prize Finalist on Los Angeles Times; and a Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in Autobiography.
About the author: Ronan Farrow is a contributing writer to the New Yorker, where his investigative reporting has won the Pulitzer Prize for public service, the National Magazine Award and the George Polk Award, among other honours. He previously worked as an anchor and investigative reporter at MSNBC and NBC News and is currently producing documentaries for HBO. His print commentary and reporting has appeared in publications including the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post. Before his career in journalism, he served as a State Department official in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He is also the author of the New York Times bestseller War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence.
Farrow has been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People and one of GQ‘s Men of the Year. He is a graduate of Yale Law School and a member of the New York Bar. He recently completed a DPhil in political science at Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He lives in New York.
Saturday, 17 April 2021
Friday, 16 April 2021
Wednesday, 14 April 2021
God The Joy Of My Life: Saint Teresa Of The Andes by Michael D Griffin OCD
Paperback: Teresa of Jesus of the Andes was the first Chilean saint when she was canonized in 1993 by Pope St John Paul II.
In 1919, she entered the Discalced Carmelites of Santiago at age eighteen and died only eleven months later. An inspiration to young people, she lived a vibrant social life amidst school, sports, music, and friends, all the while being completely devoted to her faith.
This volume, first published in 1989, contains both a biography written by Father Michael Griffin OCD and his translation of the saint’s personal diary. Father Griffin’s biography captures the whole of St Teresa’s life, including her spiritual development up until her early death as a young nun. Her personal diary shows a young woman striving after holiness and a deep relationship with God.
Also included are a full chronology of her life and the two homilies of Pope St John Paul II given at her beatification and canonization.
This book is a reprint of the 1993 edition by Teresian Charism Press published in 2021.
Cover image (center): This photo of the saint was taken a few months before entering the convent.
About the author: Fr Michael D Griffin OCD (1924-2016) was born in Philadelphia, Pa, and entered the Discalced Carmelites when he was eighteen years old. Ordained to the priesthood in 1950, Father Michael served as a moral theology professor and later as a chaplain at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, DC. He spent much of his life promoting the cause of St Teresa of Jesus of the Andes through his books and speaking engagements.
Tuesday, 13 April 2021
Conversations With My Heart: Contemplations On God And The World by Metropolitan Anastasy (Gribanovsky)
Paperback: I considered the days of old, and remembered the years of ages past, and I pondered. By night I communed with my own heart, and searched my soul. - Psalm 76:6-7
Metropolitan Anastasy was a leading figure of the Russian emigration following the Communist takeover of his country. A man of erudition, he formed a bridge between two worlds -- the Imperial Court of the last Tsar and the transient 20th century Russian diaspora. These reflections from his diary in the calamitous post-revolutionary period offer the groanings of his heart and musings on the eternal mercy of God which he writes “are part of my very essence.”
They draw upon wisdom from sources as diverse as writers of classical antiquity, authors, composers and inventors of the age of enlightenment, offering unique perspectives on these.
Conversations With My Heart (2019) is enhanced by a short life of the author written by Archbishop Averky (Taushev) together with several black and white photographs.
It is translated from the Russian by Nicholas Kotar and edited by Holy Trinity Monastery.
About the author: Metropolitan Anastasy (Gribanovsky) (1873–1965) was the second First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. He was born into a priest’s family in the Tambov Province of Imperial Russia. He went on to study at Moscow Theological Academy under Archimandrite (later Metropolitan) Anthony (Khrapovitsky), the future head of ROCOR. He was ordained a priest and in 1906 consecrated as a vicar bishop in the Moscow diocese. A few years later he became Archbishop of Kishinev. After the Russian Revolution he joined ROCOR and served as the head of the Jerusalem Ecclesiastical Mission. After the death of Metropolitan Anthony in 1936, he was unanimously elected Metropolitan. Under his nearly thirty years as First Hierarch, ROCOR moved its headquarters to the United States from Germany and underwent a great expansion in America. He retired in 1964, seeing the election of his successor Metropolitan Philaret (Vosnesensky) and reposed in the Lord in 1965. He is buried in a crypt beneath the altar of the main cathedral of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY.
About the translator: Deacon Nicholas Kotar is a recent graduate of Holy Trinity Seminary and an assistant editor at Holy Trinity Publications in Jordanville, NY. He also has a degree in Russian Literature from UC Berkeley. Having begun conducting with the youth choir in the Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco, Nicholas helped establish the St John of San Francisco Men’s Chorale, which has released two disks to date: Rejoice in Song and Chrysostom. Currently he conducts the monastery and seminary choir at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville. He is also a founding member of Conquering Time, an ensemble of performance, visual, and literary artists inspired by the Inklings that stages original works of storytelling and traditional music and publishes new poetry and prose.
Monday, 12 April 2021
Saturday, 10 April 2021
A Promise Of Ankles (A 44 Scotland Street Novel Series) by Alexander McCall Smith
Hardback: Matthew smiled at the memory. This was exactly what the same English teacher had meant when he talked to them about intertextuality, about how one piece of writing lives on in another; how one thought prompts another, until a tapestry of association and cross-reference results. - Chapter 22, A Very Strange Hotel
At the bottom of a sharply descending street - in the topographical sense - in Edinburgh's Georgian New Town, new residents have moved in to number 44 Scotland Street, joining the already well-known and much-loved denizens of that remarkable building. They appear to be a bit of a mystery, but so, too, do other things.
What exactly did Sister Maria-Fiore, the aphorism-coining socialite nun, find on the No 23 bus?
Could it be the remains of a hitherto unknown Neanderthal, homo Watsoniensis?
On the romantic front, long-suffering Stuart's hopes of kindling a new relationship are dashed, thanks to chino-wearing narcissist Bruce, effortlessly exercising his powers of charm. The Promised Land beckons for Bertie who is off to Glasgow for a school exchange that takes him doon the watter.
Back in Edinburgh, the Duke of Johannesburg's desire to learn a new language, involving his Gaelic-speaking driver Pàdruig, has gone horribly wrong; to be immersed in a language, it seems, can be a captivating linguistic mistake. And the patrons of Big Lou's cafe are in for a gastronomic treat. In other words, everything in Edinburgh is absolutely normal.
Every chapter of A Promise of Ankles (2020), the fourteenth instalment in the world's longest-running 44 Scotland Street series, will have you laughing out loud. With deft charm, affection and wit, these, now familiar, characters come alive on each page.
About the author: Alexander McCall Smith, often referred to as ‘Sandy’, is one of the world’s most prolific and best-loved authors. His various series of books have been translated into forty-six languages and become bestsellers throughout the world. These include the highly successful The No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, the popular 44 Scotland Street novels, the Isabel Dalhousie novels, the von Igelfeld series and the new Detective Varg novels. He also writes stand-alone novels, children's fiction and libretti for short operas.
Alexander has received numerous awards for his writing and holds thirteen honorary doctorates from universities in Europe and North America. He is Professor Emeritus of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh. In 2007, he received a CBE for services to literature and in 2011 was honoured by the President of Botswana for services through literature to the country. In 2015, he received the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction and in 2017, The National Arts Club (of America) Medal of Honour for Achievement in Literature. In 2020, he received the honorary fellowship of the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival.
Rating: 5/5
Seven Kinds Of People You Find In Bookshops by Shaun Bythell
Hardback: In twenty years behind the till in The Bookshop, Wigtown, Shaun Bythell has met pretty much every kind of customer there is - from the charming, erudite and deep-pocketed to the eccentric, flatulent and possibly larcenous.
In Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops (2020), he distils the essence of his experience into a warm, witty and quirky taxonomy of the book-loving public.
So, step inside to meet the crafty Antiquarian, the shy and retiring Erotica Browser and gormless yet strangely likeable shop assistant Student Hugo - along with much loved bookseller favourites like the passionate Sci-Fi Fan, the voracious Railway Collector and the ever-elusive Perfect Customer.
About the author: Shaun runs Wigtown’s The Bookshop, the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland set in its only officially designated ‘National Book Town’. When not working amongst The Bookshop’s mile of shelving, Shaun’s hobbies include eavesdropping on customers, uploading book-themed re-workings of Sugarhill Gang songs to YouTube and shooting Amazon Kindles in the wild.
https://www.facebook.com/thebookshopwigtown
Sunday, 4 April 2021
Saturday, 3 April 2021
The Devil You Don't Know: Recognising and Resisting Evil in Everyday Life by Louis J Cameli
Paperback: With insight reminiscent of The Screwtape Letters, Reverend Louis J Cameli challenges readers to reconsider what they have always believed about the devil.
In some ways, it is easy to believe in a devil who makes heads spin round and enables people to levitate. Many movies and books about possession and exorcism have trained spiritual seekers to identify evil by its expected Hollywood conventions. By contrast, in The Devil You Don't Know: Recognizing and Resisting Evil in Everyday Life (2011), Cameli, nationally renowned pastoral leader and priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, paints a challenging, unsettling portrait of the devil as a formidable adversary who works great harm, often in quiet, less-seen ways.
While remaining a fixture of popular culture, the devil has - until now - been largely ignored in contemporary spiritual writing. Cameli exposes the devil's tactics of deception, division, diversion, and discouragement, in individuals and also in institutions.
This thoroughly biblical, deft exploration considers the personal and social dimensions of sin, and offers both enlightenment and hope in the power of Christ to overcome evil.
About the author: Fr Louis John Cameli is a Chicago Heights, Illinois, native and a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago. He studied theology at the Gregorian University in Rome, where he received his licentiate in theology in 1970 and a doctorate in theology with a specialization in spirituality in 1975. Fr Cameli is the author of more than a dozen books, including The Devil You Don’t Know: Recognizing and Resisting the Evil in Every Day and Catholic Teaching on Homosexuality: New Paths to Understanding. He has been a contributor to Chicago Studies, the Priest, and America. In 2001, he served as principal writer and general editor of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop’s document The Basic Plan for the Ongoing Formation of Priests.
Before and after his doctoral studies, Fr Cameli served in two parish assignments. In 1975, he became professor of spirituality, director of spiritual life, and dean of theology at Mundelein Seminary of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, Illinois. In 1996, Cardinal Bernardin appointed Fr Cameli as director of ongoing formation of priests in the Archdiocese of Chicago and director of the Cardinal Stritch Retreat House in Mundelein.
In 2002, he received the Blessed Pope John XXIII award from the National Organization for the Continuing Education of Roman Catholic Clergy for his contributions to the continuing education and ongoing formation of priests.
In 2005, he was appointed pastor of Divine Savior Parish in Norridge, Illinois. In 2006, he received the National Catholic Educational Association’s Seminary Department’s John Paul II Seminary Leadership Award. In March 2009, Cardinal Francis George appointed Fr Cameli as his delegate for Christian Formation and Mission with residence at Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago.
Fr Cameli has also served as a retreat director for priests' retreats and as a presenter for priests' convocations in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand.
Friday, 2 April 2021
Pekoe Most Poison (A Tea Shop Mystery Series) by Laura Childs
Paperback: In the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs, Theodosia Browning attends a “Rat Tea,” where the mice will play...at murder.
When Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is invited by Doreen Briggs, one of Charleston’s most prominent hostesses, to a “Rat Tea,” she is understandably intrigued. As servers dressed in rodent costumes and wearing white gloves offer elegant finger sandwiches and fine teas, Theo learns these parties date back to early twentieth-century Charleston, where the cream of society would sponsor so-called rat teas to promote city rodent control and better public health.
But this party goes from odd to chaotic when a fire starts at one of the tables and Doreen’s entrepreneur husband suddenly goes into convulsions and drops dead. Has his favorite orange pekoe tea been poisoned? Theo smells a rat.
The distraught Doreen soon engages Theo to pursue a discreet inquiry into who might have murdered her husband. As Theo and her tea sommelier review the guest list for suspects, they soon find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
Pekoe Most Poison (2017) is the eighteenth instalment in the delightful and charming Tea Shop Mystery series set in Charleston, South Carolina. It includes delicious recipes such as Quickie-Not-So-Picky Chicken Tetrazzini and tea time tips from Laura Childs.
About the author: Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, the Scrapbooking Mysteries, and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, enjoys travel, and has two Shar-Peis.
Rating: 5/5
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