Showing results by author "Usher" in All Categories

In Letters of Note: Music, Shaun Usher brings together a riveting collection of letters by and about some of the musicians and music that enrich our lives. Wonderfully wide-ranging and illuminating, it will delight music lovers of all stripes. A star-studded cast of readers brings the letters to life, with contributions from Sanjeev Bhaskar, Louise Brealey, Simon Callow, Nick Cave, Crystal Clarke, Benedict Cumberbatch, Adrian Edmondson, Stephen Fry, Danny Huston, Toby Jones, Jude Law, Stephen Mangan, Miriam Margolyes, Clarke Peters, Juliet Stevenson and Mark Strong.

Speeches of Note is a celebration of oratory old, new and unspoken. It is an obsessively curated, richly illustrated and sumptuously produced collection of speeches from throughout the ages. Some are surprising, inspiring, hilarious; others are moving, comforting, enlightening. Some of these speeches changed the course of history; others are all but unknown, even undelivered to this day, such as the chilling public announcement to be made by President Nixon should Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become stranded on the moon. All are extraordinary.

Imagine Game of Thrones merged with Witcher but with a horror spin. Aethuran Dark Saga has often been branded a dramatized audiobook as the richness of the world portrayed puts it miles ahead of many other podcasts. This show takes no prisoners and immerses the listener in a dismal gritty world drenched in blood and filled with wailings of its inhabitants. It's as gripping as it is unforgiving, written and acted with true passion and attention to detail, which is going to make your heart grow with compassion towards the characters, only to shatter it to pieces a minute later. In this world, ...

After the Second Kingside War, magical folks like baker Lillie Dean are once again able to live freely and use magic openly. Lillie is taking this new freedom to heart, and has just moved to the seaside town of Silverkeep to start a brand new bakery and begin her life again.

In Letters of Note: Mothers, Shaun Usher gathers together exceptional missives by and to mothers, celebrating the joy and grief, humour and frustration, wisdom and sacrifice the role brings to both parent and child. A star-studded cast of readers brings the letters to life, with contributions from Louise Brealey, Simon Callow, Crystal Clarke, Benedict Cumberbatch, Adrian Edmondson, Neil Gaiman, Toby Jones, Ferdinand Kingsley, Jude Law, Helen McCrory, Natascha McElhone, Miriam Margolyes, Clarke Peters, Juliet Stevenson and Meera Syal.

Tara Babcock awakes the morning after her 30th birthday with a hangover that could kill an elephant - and the knowledge she is still no closer to achieving closure on her marriage breakup. Things go from bad to worse when she discovers that, not only is her ex-husband engaged to her cousin - Tash, the woman he left her for - but that Jake is also running for Lord Mayor of Sydney.

After flunking out of university, PJ Norris has been given a new quest: search a world newly-freed from an evil queen for more dragon shifters like himself. Along with his best friend Grant, they set out with nothing but an amulet and PJ's burgeoning dragon senses to guide them. The first stop is a former queenside stronghold of Gilramore, where townsfolk are being bothered by swarms of butterflies. The mayor and townsfolk swear there's no one with magic in their midst, but as PJ uncovers more of their secrets, he realizes the queen's grip might've not been as strong as advertised.

It's been thirteen years since the Dark Years ended. Thirteen years since the mad War Faery responsible was imprisoned in stone. Now, with goblin attacks on the rise, it seems Galanta, the Goblin Queen, is intent on returning the land to chaos and terror. Isadora Scrumpleton is trying not to think about the Dark Years. She's just been chosen by her "familiar", found out she's half faery, and discovered she's dating the second-in-line to the Faery Throne. That's enough for one teenage witch to handle. But when goblins attack her village, Izzy is forced into action....

In Letters of Note: Fathers, Shaun Usher collects letters celebrating weird and wonderful dads.

Shaun Usher brings together fascinating correspondence about the universe beyond our planet, containing hopeful thoughts about the future of space travel, awestruck messages penned about the worlds beyond our own and celebrations of the human ingenuity that has facilitated our understanding of the cosmos.

A brand-new collection from the internationally best-selling author of Letters of Note.

Magical baker Lillie Dean is settling into her new life in Silverkeep, along with all the creatures who'd come out of hiding after magic was made legal once more. The south side of town near the wharf is bustling with new neighbors, including merchant Jeremias Scarp, who's just procured a magical pendant that he swears is going to take his fledgling business to the next level. But when that pendant goes missing, Lillie's on the case to find out who might've taken it, while also avoiding the attention of powerful Mr. Globe.

Joey Jacobson, a young Jewish man from Westmount on the Island of Montreal, trained as a navigator and bomb-aimer in Western Canada. On arriving in England, he was assigned to No. 106 Squadron, a British unit tasked with the bombing of Germany. Joey Jacobson’s War tells, in his own words, why he enlisted, his understanding of strategy, tactics, and the effectiveness of the air war at its lowest point, how he responded to the inevitable battle stress, and how he became both a hopeful idealist and a seasoned airman.

Happy ever afters are for suckers, and Cat Keller is no sucker. After years of watching her mother go from marriage to marriage, heartbreak to heartbreak, she’s put a set of rules into place–never stay the night, never bring a boy home–to avoid the same fate. Then she meets radio deejay and local heartthrob Jude Oliver. One by one, Cat’s rules bend and break under Jude’s patience and persistence. Soon, only one rule remains: no falling in love. Can Cat keep the walls around her heart intact? Or will she face her biggest fears and allow herself to fall?

Bev's on the hunt to understand her mysterious past, and that means a visit to her dear friend Merv. The six-foot moleman doesn't have the answers, but takes her to the secret, underground town of Lower Pigsend, thriving with all the magical creatures seeking refuge after the war. Upon returning to the Weary Dragon, Bev is confronted by sentries from the underground town. They accuse her of stealing a magical talisman that protects the town and - even worse - have threatened to arrest Merv for building a tunnel to the surface.

A timeless tale of courage, resistance and friendship, The Umbrella Mouse is a heart-stopping adventure drawing on the true stories of animals caught in the conflict of WWII, winner of the 2019 Sainsbury's Book Prize for Fiction and selected for Waterstones Book of the Month. 1944, and London is...

Big dreams. Tierney Chandler had 'em. Why else would she leave her small town—and her picture-perfect fiancé—behind? Nine years later, the town's still small, her dreams are mostly still dreams, and her still-perfect ex is still interested. And, it turns out, so is his cousin. Jack Elliott has changed a lot in the years since Tierney left, even if his old crush on her hasn’t. His easy charm (and irresistible baked goods) reel her in, and she finds herself making excuses to come home for the first time in years.

In each episode of the Mastering McConaughey Podcast listeners will be treated to a lighthearted critique of Matthew McConaughey’s acting, a drink of the week, and a little wisdom, all done McConaughey-style. Featuring permanent guest-hosts and occasional special guests, this podcast is guaranteed to make you feel alright (alright, alright).

A climate catastrophe can be avoided, but only with rapid and sustained investment in companies and projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To the surprise of many, this has already begun. Investors are abandoning fossil-fuel companies and other polluting industries and financing businesses offering climate solutions. Rising risks, evolving social norms, government policies, and technological innovation are all accelerating this movement of capital.

How to to a beautiful human being.