I was born twice: first as a baby girl on a remarkably smogless Detroit day of January 1960; & then again as a teenage boy in an emergency room near Petoskey Michigan in August of l 974.. . My birth certificate lists my name as Calliope Helen Stephanides. My most recent drivers license.. .records my first name simply as Cal. So begins the breathtaking story of Calliope Stephanides & three generations of the Greek-American Stephanides family who travel from a tiny village overlooking Mount Olympus in Asia Minor to Prohibition era Detroit witnessing its glory days as the Motor City & the race riots of l 967 before they move out to the tree-lined streets of suburban Grosse Point Michigan. To understand why Calliope is not like other girls she has to uncover a guilty family secret & the astonishing genetic history that turns Callie into Cal one of the most audacious & wondrous narrators in contemporary fiction. Lyrical & thrilling Middlesex is an exhilarating reinvention of the American epic. ...

A moving hilarious & deeply perceptive novel of universal themes: family love & greed. Edie & Richard have been married for over 30 years living in the Chicago suburbs. Everyone who knew them
- even their own children Robin & Benny
- agreed that Edie was a tough woman to love but no-one expected Richard to walk out on her especially not in her condition. Edie is 59 years old she weighs 300 pounds & her doctors have told her shell die if she doesnt stop eating. As Richard is shut out by the family & seeks solace in the world of internet dating Robin is dragged back from the city & forced to rebuild a relationship with her mother. Meanwhile Benny & his neurotic wife Rachelle try to take control of the situation. But have any of them stopped to think about whether Edie really wants to be saved? Written with sly humour warmth & great insight The Middlesteins" is a novel about what it means to be part of a family."

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The weary traveller passing through Middleton in days of old would have witnessed a more pastoral idyllic scene that we can only imagine. Just what kind of reception would one have been greeted with when stopping off at Ye Olde Boar's Head back in the 1700s? Was it a stern set of 'rules of the inn' or a warm hearty welcome to the town when the pace of life was much slower & the streets were devoid of the traffic & crowds we see today? The advent of photography brought scenes as they were from the mid-1800s onwards demonstrating a true reflection of life on the streets. Many of these early captured scenes have been transformed beyond recognition but a surprising number remain relatively untouched. This book follows a journey of exploration meandering from north to south to look at just how much or how little has changed in Middleton Through Time. ...

Which army used camels disguised as war elephants? Which illustrious warlord was killed by a midget ninja hidden in his latrine? How was a Japanese vessel sunk by live cows dropped by the Soviet air force? & just what kind of weapon was the Bohemian Ear Spoon? These are just a few of the important questions of military history answered in this book. Midget Ninja & tactical laxatives is a light-hearted look at some of the most bizarre incidents weirdest weapons & strangest stratagems to be found in the annals of warfare. Drawn from all periods of history there is something here for every reader with an interest in military history and/or a sense of humour. Some of the sections included: War Elephants & How to Stop Them (including the infamous blazing pigs) Ignominious Deaths (eg the midget ninja in the latrine)A Misplaced Sense of Honour (eg the sniper who let George Washington live) Suicide Missions (eg mass suicide as a diversion tactic & a case of self-decapitation) Weird & Wonderful Weapons: (such as the WW2 bat bomb -with real bats) Stranger things happen at Sea (eg million-ton ice ships & death by blocked toilet) God is on our side (of omens oracles & the ancient battle stopped by a UFO) An Army Marches on its Stomach (eg the tactical use of laxatives & the Greek army immobilized for 3 days by hallucinogenic honey) ...

Of all the acts of gallantry in World War II few were as audacious as the attack by midget submarines on the pride of the German fleet the battleship Tirpitz lying in her fortified mooring in a Norwegian fjord. Lieutenant Godfrey Place was in command of submarine X7 in September 1943 & travelled over 1000 miles negotiating minefields & antisubmarine nets to accurately place four tons of high explosive under the hull of the Tirpitz. He was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1944 at the age of 22. Taken prisoner he was repatriated to England at the end of the war & continued to serve in the Royal Navy for 25 years flying with 801 squadron in the Korean War & served on aircraft carriers at Suez Nigeria & the withdrawal from Aden. On his retirement in 1970 he had the distinction of being the last serving naval officer to hold the Victoria Cross. Using many first-hand accounts the book details his life from a childhood spent partly in East Africa to being Chairman of the Victoria Cross & George Cross Association for over 20 years. It draws on previously unpublished material including his own recollections on the attack on the Tirpitz & his time as a prisoner of war. ...

As one of the country's largest bus operators outside the London area the Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus Co better known as Midland Red had a network of bus garages that straddled its empire. Some of these such as those at Heath Hayes Kineton & Stratford-upon-Avon had been inherited from companies that had been taken over by Midland Red most notably Stratford Blue but the vast majority of the almost 40 depots & outstations operated by the company were built specifically for the operator. Whilst the architecture bequeathed to London transport during the 1920s & 1930s is well known the fact that Midland Red also employed architects to produce stylish depots & other buildings during this period is less familiar. One of the classic Midland Red depots Leicester Southgates was a product of this era; due to close imminently the depot facade is listed as being of architectural interest. This book chronicles the history of each of the bus depots operated by Midland Red prior to its demise in the 1980s along with the story of its central works in Birmingham. The book provides an overview of the development allied to individual depot histories. The illustrations feature views of the depots themselves vehicles in & around the depots as well as images recording vehicles in operation from the depots covered. The company possessed about 50 depots & outstations; each will be illustrated with particular attention paid to the more significant sites such as the central works. ...

In the exciting second Warriors story arc the wild cats of the forest have lived in peace & harmony for many moons -- but new prophecies from their warrior ancestors speak of a mysterious destiny & grave danger for the clans. Now the time has come for a new generation of heroes to arise as the quest to save the warrior cats begins! Darkness air water & sky will come together & shake the forest to its roots! The wild cats of the forest have lived in peace & harmony for many moons -- but a doom that will change everything is coming. Strange messages from their warrior ancestors speak of terrifying new prophecies danger & a mysterious destiny. All the signs point to young warrior Brambleclaw as the cat with the fate of the forest in his paws. But why would the son of wicked cat Tigerstar be chosen to be a hero? & who are the other cats mentioned in the prophecy? All Brambleclaw knows for sure is that the strength & courage of the greatest warriors will be needed now as the quest to save the Clans begins! ...

violet has always been in the shadow of her mesmerising controlling brother Will & when a shocking secret about Will's past is revealed things get even worse. violet retreats further into her own fantasy world built around the fairy characters created by her favourite author Casper Dream. The arrival of a new girl at school Jasmine seems like it might change violet's life for the better. But is Jasmine a true friend? & will violet ever manage to break free of Will's spell? ...

The vampire love triangle that spawned hundreds of thousands of fans-and inspired a major new dramatisation shown on ITV2 concludes in this powerful final volume of The Vampire Diaries. In Midnight golden girl Elena Gilbert is back from the Dark Dimension having successfully freed her vampire boyfriend Stefan Salvatore from imprisonment. Saving Stefan had an unlikely consequence: his vampire brother Damon Salvatore has become a mortal. While the trio reels from this latest twist they must still deal with the demons that have taken over Elena's hometown Fell's Church. MIDNIGHT takes Elena Stefan & Damon to their darkest moments yet... Danger romance & paranormal mystery will keep readers fascinated with this captivating finale to the New York Times bestselling series. ...

The vampire love triangle that spawned hundreds of thousands of fans-and inspired a major new dramatisation shown on ITV2 -concludes in this powerful final volume of The Vampire Diaries. In Midnight golden girl Elena Gilbert is back from the Dark Dimension having successfully freed her vampire boyfriend Stefan Salvatore from imprisonment. Saving Stefan had an unlikely consequence: his vampire brother Damon Salvatore has become a mortal. While the trio reels from this latest twist they must still deal with the demons that have taken over Elena's hometown Fell's Church. As in every L.J. Smith novel no matter how dark the night there is always a happy ending. MIDNIGHT takes Elena Stefan & Damon to their darkest moments yet...?? Danger romance & paranormal mystery will keep readers fascinated with this captivating finale to the New York Times bestselling series. ...