Before We Was We

New Foreword by Irvine Welsh. In Before We Was We Madness tell us how they became them. A story of seven originals, whose collective graft, energy and talent took them from the sweaty depths of the Hope and Anchor's basement to the Top of the Pops studio. In their own words they each look back on shared adventures. Playing music together, riding freight trains, spraying graffiti and stealing records. Walking in one another's footsteps by day and rising up through the city's exploding pub music scene by night. Before We Was We is irreverent, funny and full of character. Just like them.

A mother tells her own daughter what she was like and what she used to do when she was a little girl.

Suggs is one of pop music's most enduring and likeable figures. Written with the assured style and wit of a natural raconteur, this hugely entertaining and insightful autobiography takes you from his colorful early life on a North London council estate, through the heady early days of Punk and 2-Tone, to the eighties, where Madness became the biggest selling singles band of the decade. Along the way he tells you what it's like to grow up in sixties Soho, go globetrotting with your best mates, to make a dead pigeon fly and cause an earthquake in Finsbury Park.

Madness were true originals who mixed ska and reggae rhythms with social comment and music hall humour to become a British group like no other. They were the most successful UK singles band of the 80s, offering a larky down-to-earth take on Thatcher’s Britain through hits like ‘My Girl’, ‘One Step Beyond’, ‘House Of Fun’ and ‘Baggy Trousers’. Their appeal endures to this day, Madness’ latter-day concerts having become fun-packed celebrations of one of the best-loved songbooks in British pop. Like most bands Madness had their trials and tribulations, including band disputes, accusations of racism and an eventual split. But by then they had become a unique part of British pop history. In this book, John Reed tells their colourful story with a perceptive industry eye and the help of insights from many insiders and colleagues of the band.

THE BLOCKBUSTER HIT—Over two million copies sold! A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller “Poignant, engrossing.”—People • “Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power.”—Paula McLain Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty. Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption. Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong. Publishers Weekly’s #3 Longest-Running Bestseller of 2017 • Winner of the Southern Book Prize • If All Arkansas Read the Same Book Selection This edition includes a new essay by the author about shantyboat life.

‘For fans of Jodi Picoult and Liane Moriarty, this book is an intense page-turner… a book that you won't be able to put down until the very last page. It’s awesome, read it!’ Our Grand Life A new home can be a happy ending. Or a fresh start. Or a hiding place... Of all the emotions single mother Kate Jones feels as she walks into her brand new house on Parkview Road, hope is the most unexpected. She has changed her name and her daughter’s, and moved across the country to escape the single mistake that destroyed their lives. Kate isn’t the only woman on the street starting afresh. Warm, whirlwind Gisela with her busy life and confident children, and sharp, composed Sally, with her spontaneous marriage and high-flying career, are the first new friends Kate has allowed herself in years. Whilst part of her envies their seemingly perfect lives, their friendship might help Kate to leave her guilt behind. Until one day, everything changes. Kate is called to the scene of a devastating car accident, the consequences of which will test everything the women thought they knew about each other, and themselves. Can Kate stop her own secrets from unravelling, or was her hope for a new life in vain? From the bestselling author of The Silent Wife, The Woman I Was Before is a book about the things we hide from those closest to us – and the terrible consequences that keeping those secrets can have. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain. Readers love The Woman I Was Before: ‘It’s been a long time since I read a whole book in 24 hours but there was no way I was putting down The Woman I Was Before. No one writes complex, painful family love like Kerry Fisher. Real and raw but funny too. Loved it!’ Iona Grey, author of Letters to the Lost ‘Wow, what a corker of a novel… exactly the sort of novel that creeps into your life and you don’t want to put down… will keep you turning the pages, anxiously, excitedly and soon to reach a thrilling conclusion.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars ‘Loved it!!!! Fell in love with the characters, so real and relatable.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars ‘I was absolutely smitten with this book! I enjoyed it from the first page to the last.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘I loved this book – I lost my whole Sunday reading – just couldn't put it down!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Kate’s secret, when revealed, is gut-wrenching... An excellent read.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘A cracking character-driven story that enthralled me.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘5 stars! Kerry Fisher has once again nailed it with this fantastic book about how our lives may not really be as wonderful as we like to present them on social media.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘This is the first book I’ve read by Ms Fisher and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! It sucked me in from the beginning!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Wives and mothers have an inexplicable need to use social media to share cozy snapshots and smart hash-tags that give the sense of a bright and shiny life. Kerry Fisher writes an endearing story about what really happens outside of the photo frame for women who are dealing with the challenges life brings. A wonderful read.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘There are secrets galore, some big, some bigger. Very well done!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Absolutely loved this book.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘An excellent read.’ NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars ‘I enjoyed every page.’ NetGalley Reviewer

“Readers will be riveted.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) The Ethan I Was Before is an award-winning story of love and loss, wonder and adventure, and ultimately of hope. Lost in the Sun meets The Thing About Jellyfish in Ali Standish’s breathtaking debut. A poignant middle grade novel of friendship and forgiveness, this is a classic in the making. Ethan had been many things. He was always ready for adventure and always willing to accept a dare, especially from his best friend, Kacey. But that was before. Before the accident that took Kacey from him. Before his family moved from Boston to the small town of Palm Knot, Georgia. Palm Knot may be tiny, but it’s the home of possibility and second chances. It’s also home to Coralee, a girl with a big personality and even bigger stories. Coralee may be just the friend Ethan needs, except Ethan isn’t the only one with secrets. Coralee’s are catching up with her, and what she’s hiding might be putting both their lives at risk. Don't miss Ali Standish's captivating new novel, August Isle, hitting shelves Winter 2019! Okra Pick (Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance) * Indie Introduce Pick * Indie Next Pick * Goodreads Choice Award Semifinalist * Carnegie Medal Longlist Title * Southern Book Prize Longlist Title * A Bank Street Best Book of the Year * A Children's Book Review Best Book of the Year * Georgia Children's Book Award Nominee * Recipient of the North Carolina Young People's Literature Award

The New York Times bestseller with more than 1 million copies sold worldwide Inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive—and to reunite—We Were the Lucky Ones is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds. “Love in the face of global adversity? It couldn't be more timely.” —Glamour It is the spring of 1939 and three generations of the Kurc family are doing their best to live normal lives, even as the shadow of war grows closer. The talk around the family Seder table is of new babies and budding romance, not of the increasing hardships threatening Jews in their hometown of Radom, Poland. But soon the horrors overtaking Europe will become inescapable and the Kurcs will be flung to the far corners of the world, each desperately trying to navigate his or her own path to safety. As one sibling is forced into exile, another attempts to flee the continent, while others struggle to escape certain death, either by working grueling hours on empty stomachs in the factories of the ghetto or by hiding as gentiles in plain sight. Driven by an unwavering will to survive and by the fear that they may never see one another again, the Kurcs must rely on hope, ingenuity, and inner strength to persevere. An extraordinary, propulsive novel, We Were the Lucky Ones demonstrates how in the face of the twentieth century’s darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive.

Revised edition of the best-selling memoir that has been read by over a million people worldwide with translations in 29 languages. After too many years of unfulfilling work, Bronnie Ware began searching for a job with heart. Despite having no formal qualifications or previous experience in the field, she found herself working in palliative care. During the time she spent tending to those who were dying, Bronnie's life was transformed. Later, she wrote an Internet blog post, outlining the most common regrets that the people she had cared for had expressed. The post gained so much momentum that it was viewed by more than three million readers worldwide in its first year. At the request of many, Bronnie subsequently wrote a book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, to share her story. Bronnie has had a colourful and diverse life. By applying the lessons of those nearing their death to her own life, she developed an understanding that it is possible for everyone, if we make the right choices, to die with peace of mind. In this revised edition of the best-selling memoir that has been read by over a million people worldwide, with translations in 29 languages, Bronnie expresses how significant these regrets are and how we can positively address these issues while we still have the time. The Top Five Regrets of the Dying gives hope for a better world. It is a courageous, life-changing book that will leave you feeling more compassionate and inspired to live the life you are truly here to live.