Garlic & Sapphires" is Ruth Reichl's riotous account of the many disguises she employs to dine undetected when she takes on the much coveted & highly prestigious job of " New York Times" restaurant critic. Reichl knows that to be a good critic she has to be anonymous
- but her picture is posted in every four-star low-star kitchen in town & so she embarks on an extraordinary
- & hilarious
- undercover game of disguise
- keeping even her husband & son in the dark. There is her stint as Molly a frumpy blonde in an off-beige Armani suit that Ruth takes on when reviewing Le Cirque resulting in a double review of the restaurant: first she ate there as Molly; & then as she was coddled & pampered on her visit there as Ruth " New York Times" food critic. Then there is the eccentric mysterious red head on whom her husband
- both disconcertingly & reassuringly
- develops a terrible crush. She becomes Brenda the earth mother Chloe the seductress & even Miriam her own (deceased) mother. What is even more remarkable about Reichl's spy games is that as she takes on these various guises she finds herself changed not just physically but also in character revealing how one's outer appearance can very much influence one's inner character expectations & appetites."





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The peasants of Paradise County in China have been eking out an existence virtually unchanged for hundreds of years until a glut on the garlic market forces them to watch the crop that is their lifeblood wilt rot & blacken in the fields
- leading them to storm the seat of corrupt Communist officialdom in an apocalyptic riot. Against this heroic backdrop unfold three intricately interwoven tales of love loyalty & retribution: between man & woman father & child friend & friend. Banned in China following Tianamen Square The Garlic Ballads" is a bawdy mystical & brawling novel that portrays a landscape at once strange & utterly compelling & a people whose fierce passions overflow the rigid confines of their traditions."
...

The magic of garlic for cooking & healing has been known since the dawn of civilisation. Garlic: The Mighty Bulb" is a comprehensive guide to using garlic at home not just a staple when cooking but in a variety of ways. Theres advice on growing your own (the best varieties for health) & how to cultivate & store the plant to maintain its healing properties. Author Natasha Edwards also demonstrates how to dry & plait garlic into traditional grapes how to make up decongestants & boost the immune system. Plus a collection of 50 simple & varied recipes from classic dishes such as aioli & chicken with 40 cloves of garlic to salad dressings & immune boosting winter soups." ...

In a strange room in Morocco Mary Russell is trying to solve a pressing mystery: Who am I? She has awakened with shadows in her mind blood on her hands & soldiers pounding at the door. Out in the hive-like streets she discovers herself strangely adept in the skills of the underworld escaping through alleys & rooftops picking pockets & locks. She is clothed like a man & armed only with her wits & a scrap of paper showing a mysterious symbol. Overhead warplanes pass ominously north. Meanwhile Holmes is pulled by two old friends & a distant relation into the growing war between France Spain & the Rif Revolt led by Emir Abd el-Krim
- who could be a Robin Hood or a power-mad tribesman. The shadows of war are drawing over the ancient city of Fez & Holmes badly wants the wisdom & courage of his wife whom he discovers to his horror has gone missing. As Holmes searches for her & Russell searches for herself each tries to crack deadly parallel puzzles before its too late for them for Africa & for the peace of Europe.
...

The Prince a political treatise by the Florentine public servant & political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli is widely regarded as the most important exploration of politics
- & in particular the politics of power
- ever written. In Garments of Court & Palace Philip Bobbitt a preeminent & original interpreter of modern statecraft presents a vivid portrait of Machiavelli's Italy & demonstrates how The Prince articulates a new idea of government that emerged during the Renaissance. Bobbitt argues that when The Prince is read alongside the Discourses modern readers can see clearly how Machiavelli prophesied the end of the feudal era & the birth of a recognizably modern polity. As this book shows publication of The Prince in 1532 represents nothing less than a revolutionary moment in our understanding of the place of the law & war in the creation & maintenance of the modern state.

...

Stranded with the Tempting Stranger Brandon wasn't used to being ignored. So when Cassie Garrison refused his repeated attempts at contact he set out to teach the elusive heiress a lesson. But once his seductive mission was accomplished would he find his professional mission at war with his personal interests? Secrets of the Tycoon's Bride Adam Garrison needed a wife
- a perfect respectable wife
- fast! & Lauryn was the ideal candidate. But when she turned his 'proposal' down the bachelor billionaire suddenly became more determined than ever to capture her as his bride. No matter what the consequences... The Executive's Surprise Baby Unwed & pregnant with the Garrisons' arch-enemy's baby Brooke planned to keep the paternity secret...until millionaire hotel mogul Jordan learned the truth. He was not about to let her fear of scandal stop him from claiming his child. Or from making Brooke his wife!

...

Garth Evans is a sculptor as capable of evoking intimacy & simplicity as he is of dealing with the monumental & the timeless. This complete survey of his unique career is long overdue & reveals a wealth of innovative & powerful work much of it previously unseen in print. As narratives of British sculpture are reconsidered Evans is emerging as one of the most creative & influential artists to bridge the generation of Antony Caro & Philip King with that of Tony Cragg Richard Deacon Antony Gormley Alison Wilding & Bill Woodrow. This investigation into Evans' hugely varied visually eventful & challenging practice explores connections across geographies & timeframes as well as contextualizing major changes & new departures in his work. Garth Evans was born in Manchester in 1934 & settled in the USA at the midpoint of his career. He has exhibited widely in Europe & America since the early 1960s & his work is represented in major public & private collections in Australia Brazil Portugal USA & UK (including the Arts Council Collection Leeds City Art Galleries the British Museum the V&A & Tate). Evans has been the recipient of numerous awards as well as holding a number of distinguished teaching positions. Since 1988 he has taught at the Studio School in New York City where he is head of sculpture. ...

Great Britain's national treasure Gary Barlow has achieved unrivalled success with boyband Take That as a solo artist & songwriter & as a judge on The X Factor. However the path to fame is rarely easy & Gary's journey has been full of inspiring highs & distinct lows. From happy beginnings growing up in Frodshaw Cheshire as the second son to Marge & Colin Barlow Gary spent his youth immersing himself in music writing songs & learning how to play the piano. By the age of 15 Gary was struggling to break into the music industry & doing a string of gigs around the UK before landing what was to be the job that propelled him into the limelight. After hiring Barry Wooley as his manager Gary was soon in talks with casting agent Nigel Martin-Smith. Realising Gary's potential & admiring an early demo of ' A Million Love Songs' Nigel signed him up as the front man for new boy bad Take That & the rest as they say is history. Between 1990 & 1996 Take That sold millions of records packed out area tours & created an army of fans who were subsequently devastated when Take That announced their split in 1996. Gary made an attempt at a solo career but it wasn't to be & he slipped out of the public consciousness before finding the confidence to begin songwriting & collaborating with other artists to make his records. In 2005 Gary's life was to take another unexpected turn when Take That announced they were getting back together. With a new lease of life they went onto have continued record- breaking success. Gary was soon offered a slot as head judge on ITV's hit TV show The X Factor & in 2012 he was awarded an OBE
- providing that there was more to him than Take That.
...

Born in 1962 Gary Hume emerged as one of the leading figures of the group of young artists working in London in the 1990s known as the YBAs. After graduating from Goldsmiths College London in 1988 he achieved early success with paintings based on hospital doors rendered with gloss on panel & displayed in groups of four. Despite their international success Hume abandoned the formal manoeuvring of the door series in the early 1990s in favour of a simple flat figurative & abstract paintings featuring startling colour combinations & appropriated images ranging from animals to celebrities to flowers. Hume was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1996 represented Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1999 & was elected a Royal Academician in 2001. His work has been the subject of a number of monographic shows in UK & Europe. Published to coincide with the joint exhibition Gary Hume & Patrick Caulfield at Tate Britain in June 2013 this book will include thirty paintings by Hume that concentrate on his more edgier-side encompassing works from almost 20 years of his career as well brand new pieces. Including an introductory essay by Katharine Stout & an essay by US art writer Jack Bankowsky this concise account of Hume's work is a timely addition to the bibliography of this important British contemporary painter. ...

Gary Linekers
- Football: Its Unbelievable!" is a unique light-hearted look at the global game. Fronted by " Match of
...