Matters - Bookazine

Reading What Hong Kong is Reading

Matters

Q & A with Mike Smith, author of In The Shadow of the Noonday Gun

Mitch Albom talks to us about his new book, The Time Keeper

The New Wimpy Kid, Out Now! Issue 24 Cover photo courtesy: Penguin Books UK

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Best Sellers of 2012 4 Asian Interest 6 Reader’s Focus: Mike Smith 8 Money Talk 10 Non Fiction 12 Page Turners 15 Author Spotlight: Mitch Albom 16 What Girls Want 19 Cooking With The Masters 20 Sneak Peek: Pistachio Crusted Grapes Recipe 21 Fiction 22 Humour 24 Gift Inspiration 25 Books For Young Ladies 26 Books For Young Lads 28 Fun Stuff 29 Great Gifts 31 Books For Tweens 32 Story Time 34 We Recommend 36 Books For Bubs 37 Christmas Books for Kids 39

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Photo Credit: John Rogers

Contents

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13

New From Jeremy Clarkson

page

17 We Speak to Mitch Albom

page

39 Christmas Books for Kids

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Bookazine

Bestsellers of 2012 1

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY #1 E. L. James

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FIFTY SHADES DARKER #2 E. L. James

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FIFTY SHADES FREED #3 E. L. James

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DYING TO BE ME Anita Moorjani

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HONG KONG FOR KIDS Cindy Miller Stephens

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BRING UP THE BODIES Hilary Mantel

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THINKING FAST AND SLOW Daniel Kahneman

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WALKING THE TYCOONS’ ROPE Robert Wang

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THE CASUAL VACANCY JK Rowling

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THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG Richard Mason

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Bestsellers of 2012 1

HONG KONG ABC Diana Wu-David

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THE TALE OF PIN YIN PANDA Sarah Brennan

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MY HONG KONG Joanne O’Callaghan

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THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE Julia Donaldson

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THE HUNGER GAMES #2: CATCHING FIRE Suzanne Collins

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THIS IS HONG KONG Miroslav Sasek

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THE HEROES OF OLYMPUS #3: THE MARK OF ATHENA Rick Riordan

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DILLON ZOOMS TO HONG KONG Jo Rattigan

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DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER Jeff Kinney

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THE FAIRYTALE HAIRDRESSER Abie Longstaff

reading matters issue 24

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Letter from the Editor This Year’s Reading List There are misconceptions people have about certain professions that when you think about it is so completely bizarre. For example, some people think that a priest only prays, but like the head of any organisation, they counsel people, manage the church, plan activities, etc. Sommeliers don’t just drink wine all day and contrary to popular belief my job doesn’t involve just reading lots and lots of books. In fact I wish it did but as I start to arrange meetings for January 2013, I find myself wondering, like everyone else, where did 2012 go? And what about all those books I was supposed to read this year? To add salt to injury, of all the truly great books published in 2012, such as Gone Girl, Don’t Tell the Wolves I’m Home, Why Be Happy When You Could be Normal, I bagged (brown paper bagged) a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey. I don’t usually subscribe to the latest trends but I just had to see what the buzz was about. From what I can tell, the steamy scenes have no doubt contributed to its gigantic success but it is the cliché Cinderella story formula — rich-man-sweeps-innocent-beauty-off-her-feet — that probably resonates with all the women out there. In stark contrast, this year’s Man Booker Prize Winner, Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, restores my hope in our literary workplace. Mantel is the first British writer to win the prize twice and some people have pointed out that she won it both times for the same Cromwell trilogy. But stylistically, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies couldn’t be more different! This is how Mantel is brilliant. Most writers’ books bear a consistency to each other; either because the writer can only write one way, or is afraid they will lose the audience if they write another way (a well-founded fear). Mantel too could have produced a second Wolf Hall and nobody would have faulted her for it – it was brilliant, won the most coveted literary prize and everyone loved it after all. But she didn’t. Wolf Hall is an old-fashioned novel in the best sense, with all the richness, enormity and depth that the term suggests. It covers more than thirty years of Cromwell’s life, from his wretched childhood to potent middle age. But gone is all that expansiveness in Bring Up the Bodies which spans less than a year and feels like it’s taking place in real time. It is almost a play and her dialogue is superb with all the flavour of Tudor English without slipping into pastiche. What’s more is the emotional intelligence with which Henry, Boleyn, Cromwell and others are depicted as characters we can feel for, as opposed to just know about. Mantel has laboured so hard on their portraits that we relate to their sweat and strain as if it was our own. Books truly expand your mind and can transform your world. Every time I get lost in one, I wonder why I don’t read more. So next year I’ve decided my new role in the company is to just read all day long. Ahhh bliss. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Bookazine. Shonee xx

Send your reviews to [email protected]

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Asian InteRest THE CURIOUS DIARY OF MR JAM Nury Vittachi

He tried to bring comedy to Asia, but everyone just laughed at him. Sam Jam’s whole life had been a tragic mistake. As a humorist in Asia he had repeatedly been sacked, blacklisted and chased out of buildings. But he refuses to believe that his audiences of conservative Muslims, Communist officials, religious police and Asian citizens in general have no sense of humor. This funny, poignant tale, which the author describes as “a novel for legal reasons”, is more than just laugh-out-loud entertainment. It shines an essential light on what global culture will look like as eastern ways of thinking start to dominate.

SKETCHES OF HONG KONG: 2013 DESK CALENDAR Lorette Roberts

Watercolour and sketch artist Lorette Roberts has once again produced a vivid and varied calendar for 2013. A red village door, dragon and lion dancers and would you believe….a mermaid, all await. Also in store, is Lorette’s new lined journal featuring small sketches throughout.

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reading matters issue 24

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RED SORGHUM Mo Yan

Spanning three generations, this novel of family and myth is told through a series of flashbacks that depict events of staggering horror set against a landscape of gem-like beauty as the Chinese battle both the Japanese invaders and each other in the turbulent 1930s.

MY LAST EMPRESS Da Chen

TOMBSTONE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF MAO’S GREAT FAMINE Yang Jisheng

When Samuel Pickens’ great love tragically loses her life, Samuel travels the globe, Annabelle always on his mind. Eventually, he comes face to face with the mirror image of his obsession in the last place he would expect, and must discover her secrets and decide how far he will go for a woman he loves.

The most powerful and important Chinese work of recent years, Yang Jisheng’s Tombstone is a passionate, moving and angry account of one of the 20th century’s most nightmarish events: the killing of an estimated 36 million Chinese in 1958-1961 by starvation or physical abuse.

NANJING REQUIEM Ha Jin | THE GARDEN OF EVENING MISTS Tan Twan Eng Send your reviews to [email protected]

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Reader’s focus Mike Smith, author of In the Shadow of the Noonday Gun talks to us about his book and himself. What inspired you to write In the Shadow of the Noonday Gun? My passion is fishing, particularly big game fishing, and preferably with a very light fly fishing set-up. I have been amazed at how good local, Hong Kong, fishing is and have explored both freshwater and sea fishing in Hong Kong waters for the past 40 years. Because most people are of the belief that Hong Kong waters are polluted and over-fished, I wanted to write a book about my experiences, to show how amazing it actually is. This led to a few ‘stories’ being included in the draft ‘fishing book’ and a couple of friends encouraged me to explore the ‘human Interest’ angle. That led to a wide range of stories, covering police, business, horse racing and general Hong Kong life situations, and hence this book. Are you working on another book? If yes, what is it about? I am working on five books. Most of the Hong Kong fishing book has been written, but I stopped work on it in order to get ‘Noonday Gun’ published. I am also working on a massive, 700 page book which covers fishing reel history from Victorian times to the Second World War. This will only appeal to a limited audience of around 500 people, worldwide. However, collecting reels is a big hobby of mine and I think the book writing. If matters issue needs 24 8 reading

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‘Noonday Gun’ is successful, I have a sequel in the works and a couple of other books I am working on. What are you reading at the moment? I am a prolific reader and am buried in Scandinavian detective stories at the moment. There is an amazing amount of talent to cover. This probably began with the Stieg Larsson trilogy, but writers like Henning Mankell and Jo Nesbo have displayed huge talent for the genre. What was your favourite book as a child? As a child I was brought up with Enid Blyton and the famous ‘Biggles’ books which covered the exploits of First World War fighter pilots. Latterly I adjusted to 19th century exploring and shooting books which had all the drama of exploration of virgin territories and the dangers of hunting big game. Do you have a favourite book quote? My favourite quote is ‘I am a tired old man. But I have killed this fish which is my brother...’ It describes the relationship and respect held between hunter and prey. Written in 1952 by Ernest Hemingway and describing the ‘Old Man’s thoughts when he finally won the battle with the giant marlin in the all-time classic,’ The Old Man and The Sea.

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Let's Talk Business

Penguin Group (USA)

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Money Talk The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth John C. Maxwell

Are there tried and true principles that are always certain to help a person grow? John Maxwell says the answer is yes. He has been passionate about personal development for over fifty years, and for the first time, he teaches everything he has gleaned about what it takes to reach our potential. In the way that only he can communicate, John teaches . . . n The Law of the Mirror: You Must See Value in Yourself to Add Value to Yourself n The Law of Awareness: You Must Know Yourself to Grow Yourself n The Law of Modeling: It’s Hard to Improve When You Have No One But Yourself to Follow n The Law of the Rubber Band: Growth Stops When You Lose the Tension Between Where You are and Where You Could Be n The Law of Contribution: Developing Yourself Enables You to Develop Others This third and final book in John Maxwell’s Laws series (following 2-million seller The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork) will help you become a lifelong learner whose potential keeps increasing and never gets “used up.”

Makers: The New Industrial Revolution Chris Anderson | The Price of Civilization: Economics and Ethics After the Fall Jeffrey Sachs | 9 Things Successful People Do Differently Heidi Grant Halvorson

Inside Apple Adam Lashinsky

Inside Apple reveals the secret systems, tactics and leadership strategies that allowed Steve Jobs and his company to churn out hit after hit and inspire a cult-like following for its products. If Apple is Silicon Valley’s answer to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, then author Adam Lashinsky provides readers with a golden ticket to step inside. In this primer on leadership and innovation, the author will introduce readers to concepts like the “DRI” (Apple’s practice of assigning a Directly Responsible Individual to every task) and the Top 100 (an annual ritual in which 100 upand-coming executives are tapped a la Skull & Bones for a secret retreat with company founder Steve Jobs).

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Antifragile Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Antifragility is about loving randomness, uncertainty, opacity, adventure and disorder, and benefitting from a variety of shocks. It is about what to do when you don’t understand. It is a new word because it is a new concept. Many of the greatest breakthroughs in human endeavor come from the trial and error that is part of antifragility. And some of the best systems we know of, including evolution, have antifragility at their heart.

The Icarus Deception Seth Godin

In his bravest and most challenging book yet, Seth Godin shows how we can thrive in an economy that rewards art, not compliance. He explains why true innovators focus on trust, remarkability, leadership, and stories that spread. And he makes a passionate argument for why you should be treating your work as art.

Why I Left Goldman Sachs: A Wall Street Story Greg Smith

On March 14, 2012, more than three million people read Greg Smith’s bombshell Op-Ed in the New York Times titled “Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs.” The column immediately went viral, became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter, and drew passionate responses from former Fed chairman Paul Volcker, legendary General Electric CEO Jack Welch, and New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg. Mostly, though, it hit a nerve among the general public who question the role of Wall Street in society and the callous “take-the-money-and-run” mentality that brought the world economy to its knees a few short years ago. Smith now picks up where his Op-Ed left off describing in page-turning detail how the most storied investment bank on Wall Street went from taking iconic companies like Ford, Sears, and Microsoft public to becoming a “vampire squid” that referred to its clients as “muppets” and paid the government a record half-billion dollars to settle SEC charges. Send your reviews to [email protected]

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Non Fiction BREAKTHROUGH David C. M. Carter In 1954, Roger Bannister decided he would break the four-minutemile record. Not only did he do this, but within a year, his achievement empowered 37 others to do the same. He accomplished his own ‘breakthrough’ and inspired others to push themselves beyond what they thought they could achieve. For the first time, the world’s leading mentor David C. M. Carter shares his most effective ‘breakthrough’ secrets in this practical guide to becoming the best you can be.

UNSTOPPABLE: THE INCREDIBLE POWER OF FAITH IN ACTION Nick Vujicic Millions around the world recognize the smiling face and inspirational message of Nick Vujicic. Despite being born without arms or legs, Nick’s challenges have not kept him from enjoying great adventures, a fulfilling and meaningful career, and loving relationships. Nick has overcome trials and hardships by focusing on the promises that he was created for a unique and specific purpose, that his life has value and is a gift to others.

THE END OF YOUR LIFE BOOK CLUB Will Schwalbe Mary is waiting for her chemotherapy treatments when her son casually asks her what she’s reading. The conversation they have grows into tradition and soon they are reading the same books so they can have something to talk about in the hospital waiting room. We hear their passion for reading and their love for each other in their intimate and searching discussions.

HOW WILL YOU MEASURE YOUR LIFE? Clayton M. Christensen In this groundbreaking book, Christensen puts forth a series of questions: How can I be sure that I’ll find satisfaction in my career? How can I be sure that my personal relationships become enduring sources of happiness? Using lessons from some of the world’s greatest businesses, he provides incredible insights into these challenging questions and more.


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THE TOP GEAR YEARS Jeremy Clarkson We know all about the world according to Clarkson. In a series of record-breaking bestsellers Jeremy has revealed it to be a puzzling, frustrating place where all too often the lunatics seem to be running the asylum. But in The Top Gear Years, we get something rather different. Top Gear was once just a television show about what was probably still known as ‘motoring’. Top Gear magazine arrived in 1993. And that went well. Then, ten years ago, at a former RAF aerodrome in Surrey, Jeremy and his friends built a world that was rather more to his liking: it was called Top Gear HQ. And Top Gear HQ turned out to be to Jeremy what the jungle was to Tarzan: the perfect place to work and play. But they didn’t stop there. With their little corner of the commuter-belt properly sorted out, Jeremy and the boys had a crack at the rest of the world. Soon Top Gear Live was charging around the globe with the subtlety of a mid-seventies rock tour and far-flung outposts were established from North America to China. Five hundred million viewers later, there was an empire of petrol-headed mayhem upon which the sun never set. And all along Jeremy was writing about it, here are the fruits of his labours: the cars, the high jinks, the pleasure and the pain. Brilliantly written and laugh-out-loud funny, The Top Gear Years is Clarkson at his pithy, provocative, hilarious best.

STEVEN GERRARD: MY LIVERPOOL STORY Steven Gerrard Steven Gerrard is a genuine Liverpool legend. Captain at the age of 23, Two FA Cups, Three League Cups, One UEFA Cup, And that Champions League win. Gerrard embodies the spirit and passion of Liverpool football club like no other in the modern era. From the raw but talented youngster who made the jump from the Melwood training ground and took to the famous Anfield turf at 18, to the talismanic skipper who has led his beloved club through thick and thin, this stunningly illustrated book, complete with exclusive new photographs, is the story of his fifteen momentous seasons at Liverpool FC.

ALSO AVAILABLE: TOPGEAR: THE COOL 500 THE COOLEST CARS EVER MADE Matt Master


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Page Turners PHANTOM Jo Nesbo A boy is lying on the floor of an Oslo apartment. He is bleeding and will soon die. In order to place his life and death in some kind of context he begins to tell his story. Meanwhile, former police inspector Harry Hole returns to Oslo after three years abroad. He seeks out his old boss at Police Headquarters to request permission to investigate a homicide. But the case is already closed: the young junkie was in all likelihood shot dead by a fellow addict. Yet, Harry is granted permission to visit the boy’s alleged killer in jail. There, he meets himself and his own history. What follows is the solitary investigation of what appears to be the first impossible case in Harry Hole’s career.

FORBIDDEN Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee MERRY CHRISTMAS, ALEX CROSS James Patterson ROBERT LUDLUM’S THE JANSON COMMAND Paul Garrison THE BLACK BOX Michael Connelly THE FORGOTTEN David Baldacci THE LAST MAN Vince Flynn


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November 9th, 2012

Telephone Interview with

Mitch Albom Interviewer: Amy Cohas

What was the spark that led to the writing of “The Time Keeper”? Just getting older and looking at how I spent my time. These days everyone is time-obsessed. People become obsessed with their Blackberries - that little red light is always competing for your attention. I take a broader view: I was a Blackberry addict – and I had a specific response – I turned it off. I got kind of sick of being a slave to that.

In addition to being a novelist, you are also a highly respected sports journalist. Have you come to see any parallels between the athletes whose stories you cover, and the characters in your books? I guess the only parallel I could draw would be how fleeting things are for a lot of professional athletes: the money, the fame, the adulation, their health. A lot of athletes don’t realize this until it is too late. In “For One More Day” I drew on

Photo Credit: Glenn Triest

Several of your books have become beloved best sellers. What is it that you think people respond to in your work? Well, I don’t know, I’m just grateful everyone is looking for a bit of meaning. “Tuesdays with Morrie” I think had universal appeal because everyone has had a teacher who they remember, who has had an effect on them. “Five People You Meet in Heaven” addresses the fact that so many people ask themselves “does my life matter?” “For One More Day” had a lot to do with my own relationship with my parents. But all of these themes are not just “my story” – they are things that many people can grip on to.

this to depict a character who is a former baseball player with regrets. I have learned lessons about fame being a vapor. What do you think makes a really great story? Well, you have to root for the characters. It has to keep going, something has to happen - you can’t just have somebody experiencing angst and staring out a window. Somebody has to change by the end, somebody has to learn. I want a book to take me someplace different, to have something that stays with me.


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a lasso around an idea, and you hope that you won’t miss. One of the most difficult aspects of writing is that there are so many other things competing with books for people’s attention. Compared with Facebook, youTube, cable TV, etc., books just can’t create as much of an uproar. What are you reading right now? I tend to read multiple books at the same time. There is usually one in my office, one in my bag, one in the house. So right now I’ve got “The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared”, “The Imperfectionists” which is a story about newspapers in Europe, “The Book Thief” and the new Tom Wolfe book about Miami.

What do you enjoy most about writing, and what do you find the most difficult? What I enjoy most is the birthing of an idea, which is like capturing the wind. If you get lucky, you get on paper what is in your head and can transform it into letters. Hopefully, others will feel the same way. This is the fun part, but it can also be the most frustrating. You are trying to throw

Are you working on a new book? I think you are always thinking about your next book. Currently I’m working on a non-fiction book about Haiti and what I’ve been able to see and do through my work with an orphanage. Helping children breaks down so many barriers. I’m also working on a novel about envy – people wanting what other people have. It used to be that people who were famous got that way because of real achievements that everyone could make sense of. These days, ordinary people – take “Jersey Shore” for example – are suddenly elevated to star status, and people ask themselves “Why not me?” This is a very dangerous emotion.

Also Available:


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Game of Thrones 5-Copy Boxed Set

(George R. R. Martin Song of Ice and Fire Series)

The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee: Growing, Roasting, and Drinking, with Recipes

Animal Encyclopedia:

2,500 Animals, From-the-Field Reports, Maps, and More

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Professor Gargoyle

Flowers

National Geographic 125 Years:

Legendary Photographs, Adventures, and Discoveries That Changed the World

Vogue Weddings:

Brides, Dresses, Designers

Unstoppable:

The Incredible Power of Faith in Action

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What Girls want

VALENTINA Evie Blake Milan, 2012. Photographer Valentina Rosselli is living with her lover of one year, Theo Steen, but refuses to commit to anything more. When she is offered an intriguing photography assignment, to take pictures of those engaged in the darker side of desire, she gets drawn into a shadowy world that reveals a part of her she never knew existed.

FLIGHT BEHAVIOUR Barbara Kingsolver From the Orange Prize-winning author of The Lacuna comes a suspenseful and brilliant new novel about catastrophe and denial.

THE GIRL IN THE FLAMMABLE SKIRT Aimee Bender From a man suffering from reverse evolution to a lonely wife who waits for her husband to return from war; to a small town where one girl has a hand made of fire and the other has a hand made of ice. These stories of men and women whose lives are shaped and sometimes twisted by the power of extraordinary desires take us to a place far beyond the imagination.

REFLECTED IN YOU Sylvia Day | THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE HER Junot Diaz | THE HOLIDAY Jane Green | THE MAN WHO FORGOT HIS WIFE John O’Farrell


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Cooking with the Masters JERUSALEM Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi Jerusalem sets 120 of Yotam and Sami’s inspired, accessible recipes within the cultural and religious melting pot of this diverse city. With culinary influences coming from its Muslim, Jewish, Arab, Christian and Armenian communities and with a Mediterranean climate, the range of ingredients and styles is stunning. From soups (frikkeh, chicken with kneidelach), meat and fish (chicken with cardamom rice, sharmula bream with rose petals), Vegetables and salads (chargrilled squash with labneh and pickled walnut salsa), pulses and grains (beetroot and saffron rice), to cakes and desserts (fig and arak trifle, clementine and almond cake), there is something new for everyone to discover.

ANTONIO CARLUCCIO: THE COLLECTION Antonio Carluccio Capturing Antonio’s simple, joyful and no-fuss approach to cooking, this exceptional book provides a unique culinary journey covering every aspect of the Italian meal from antipasti to dolci and featuring mouthwatering dishes from each of Italy’s distinct culinary regions. THE LEBANESE KITCHEN Salma Hage The definitive book on Lebanese home cooking, featuring 500 authentic and delicious recipes that are simple to create at home, ranging from light tempting mezes to rich and hearty main courses.

JAMIE’S 15 MINUTE MEALS Jamie Oliver | NIGELLISSIMA Nigella Lawson | BOUCHON BAKERY Thomas Keller


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Sneak Peek OM COOKING…TEMPTING VEGETARIAN APPETIZERS Chinmaya Mission


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Fiction

CROSS ROADS Wm. Paul Young Anthony Spencer is egotistical, proud of being a self-made business success at the peak of his game, even though the cost of winning was painfully high. A cerebral hemorrhage leaves Tony comatose in a hospital ICU. He ‘awakens’ to find himself in a surreal world, a ‘living’ landscape that mirrors dimensions of his earthly life, from the beautiful to the corrupt. It is here that he has vivid interactions with others he assumes are projections of his own subconscious, but whose directions he follows nonetheless with the possibility that they might lead to authenticity and perhaps, redemption. The adventure draws Tony into deep relational entanglements where he is able to ‘see’ through the literal eyes and experiences of others, but is “blind” to the consequences of hiding his personal agenda and loss that emerge to war against the processes of healing and trust.

ASTRAY Emma Donoghue | BOTH FLESH AND NOT David Foster Wallace | SILENT HOUSE Orhan Pamuk | THE TESTAMENT OF MARY Colm Toibin | THROUGH THE WINDOW Julian Barnes


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THE COLUMBUS AFFAIR Steve Berry

THE RACKETEER John Grisham

PRAETORIAN Simon Scarrow

THE TWELVE Justin Cronin In the present day, as the man-made apocalypse unfolds, three strangers navigate the chaos. Lila, a doctor and an expectant mother, is so shattered by the spread of violence and infection that she continues to plan for her child’s arrival even as society dissolves around her. Kittridge, known to the world as “Last Stand in Denver,” has been forced to flee his stronghold and is now on the road, dodging the infected, armed but alone and well aware that a tank of gas will get him only so far. April is a teenager fighting to guide her little brother safely through a landscape of death and ruin. These three will learn that they have not been fully abandoned—and that in connection lies hope, even on the darkest of nights.

BACK TO BLOOD Tom Wolfe Based on the same sort of detailed, on-scene, high-energy reporting that powered Tom Wolfe’s previous bestselling novels, Bonfire of the Vanities and A Man In Full, Back to Blood is another brilliant, spot-on, scrupulous, and often hilarious reckoning with our times.


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Humour TOTALLY MAD: 60 YEARS OF HUMOUR, SATIRE, STUPIDITY AND STUPIDITY Stephen Colbert & Eric Drysdale For the past six decades (that’s 60 yearswe did the math so you don’t have to) MAD Magazine has keenly observed the American landscape and promptly made fun of everything in sight. Unwavering in their commitment to high quality stupidity, MAD’s legendary artists and writers, long known as “The Usual Gang of Idiots,” have brilliantly satirized politics, celebrities, sports, media, cultural trends, and more.

AMERICA AGAIN Stephen Colbert | PU PU HOT POT: THE WORLD’S BEST RESTAURANT NAMES Ben Brusey | THE ONION BOOK OF KNOWN KNOWLEDGE The Onion | SIMON’S CAT. VS THE WORLD Simon Tofield | CURIOSITY KILLED THE MEERKAT Andrew Pinder | TEXTS FROM DOG October Jones


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Gift Inspiration

WORLD’S BEST TRAVEL EXPERIENCES: 400 EXTRAORDINARY PLACES National Geographic | THE ART BOOK Phaidon | FASHION: THE ULTIMATE BOOK OF COSTUME AND STYLE DK

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VOGUE WEDDINGS: BRIDES DRESSES DESIGNERS Hamish Bowles & Vera Wang A spectacular book of nearly 400 photographs of the weddings and wedding dresses of royalty, social figures, models, artists, actors, musicians and designers which have appeared in Vogue through the magazine’s 120 year history.

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Books for Young Ladies FINALE Becca Fitzpatrick In this gripping conclusion to the Hush Hush saga, Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean they are fated to be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him.

C

WOLF PACT Melissa de la Cruz From the bestselling author of Blue Bloods, comes a series that will reinvent the myth of the werewolf in the same way that Blue Bloods did with vampires with style and NYC flair!

THE KILLABLES Gemma Malley Evil has been eradicated. The City has been established. And citizens may only enter after having the ‘evil’ part of their brain removed. They are labelled on the System according to how ‘good’ they are. If they show signs of the evil emerging, they are labelled a K . . . But no one knows quite what that means. Only that they disappear, never to be seen again . . .

BEAUTIFUL REDEMPTION Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl FALLEN IN LOVE Lauren Kate


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In o p th

C a n re w ch S tw

The Full Trilogy Available Now! Matched Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Crossed In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake. Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

Reached Cassia faces the ultimate choices in the long-anticipated conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again. In this gripping conclusion to the #1 New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without.

Penguin Group (USA)

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Books for Young Lads ONE SHOT KILL (HENDERSON’S BOYS) Robert Muchamore Spring, 1943. The war is turning against Germany, but Hitler isn’t giving up. In a secret bunker deep in occupied France, scientists are hard at work on Hitler’s latest deadly weapon: code name FZG-76.Back in England Henderson’s boys will need to undergo advanced sniper training if they’ve any chance of infiltrating the bunker. Parachuting into occupied France, they track down a secret dossier filled with invaluable material - and uncover the meaning of the enigmatic code. For official purposes, these children do not exist.

WHO COULD THAT BE AT THIS HOUR? Lemony Snicket In a fading town, far from anyone he knew or trusted, a young Lemony Snicket began his apprenticeship in an organization nobody knows about. He started by asking questions that shouldn’t have been on his mind. Now he has written an account that should not be published, in four volumes that shouldn’t be read. This is the first volume.

PITTACUS LORE BOX SET Pittacus Lore | CAHILLS VS VESPERS #5: TRUST NO ONE Linda Sue Park | THE POWER OF FIVE: OBLIVION Anthony Horowitz | THE MARK OF ATHENA Rick Riordan


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Fun Stuff

PIRATES 42 PIECE PUZZLE TEA PARTY 100 PIECE PUZZLE ANGRY BIRDS: HAPPY HOLIDAYS! GAME MOSHI MONSTERS: MOSHI GAMES COMPENDIUM

SAFARI: A PHOTICULAR BOOK Dan Kainen & Carol Kaufmann Safari is a magical journey. Readers, as if on safari, encounter eight wild animals that come alive. Using an innovative lenticular-based technology, precision sliding lenses, and original four-color video imagery, each image is like a 3-D movie on the page, delivering a rich, fluid, immersive visual experience.

SEA-MONKEYS MAGIC CASTLE The Magic Castle Aquarium is small enough to hold in your hand, but large enough to provide shelter for a village of sea-monkeys. It all starts with a packet of dehydrated sea-monkey eggs. Once a home has been prepared, stir in the eggs and watch them hatch right before your eyes. Their home is actually an underwater castle at the base of a clear container to which you add pure bottled or boiled water. Air holes at the rim of the container keep the water oxygenated. The set also comes with a water purifier, sea-monkey food, Amazing Plasma III (no one knows quite what that is), a measuring spoon, a large droplet for agitating the water, a magnifying lid, and more.

AROUND THE WORLD 63 PIECE PUZZLE


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Great Gifts

TIME FOR KIDS: SUPER SCIENCE

RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT! SPECIAL EDITION 2013

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2013

LEGO NINJAGO CHARACTER ENCYCLOPEDIA

LEGO BATMAN VISUAL DICTIONARY

THE LEGO BOOK

LEGO 2013 OFFICIAL ANNUAL

LEGO NINJAGO BRICKMASTER: FIGHT THE POWER OF THE SNAKES

LEGO FRIENDS BRICKMASTER: TREASURE HUNT IN HEARTLAKE CITY


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Books for Tweens THE WORST THING ABOUT MY SISTER Jacqueline Wilson Marty and her sister Melissa couldn’t be more different. Marty loves her Converse trainers, playing football, hiding in her secret den and helping her dad with his DIY. But Melissa loves Justin Bieber and all things pretty & pink. The sisters can manage to live together, despite their occasional scraps but then Mum tells them they have to share a room. For Marty, this turns out to be the very worst thing about having a sister, but when an accident happens, the sisters realise they are closer than they thought.

DORK DIARIES: DEAR DORK Rachel Renee Russell | THE DRAGON PROPHECY Geronimo Stilton | THE JOURNEY TO ATLANTIS Thea Stilton |

STARRY RIVER OF THE SKY Grace Lin The moon is missing from the remote Village of Clear Sky, but only a young boy named Rendi seems to notice! Rendi has run away from home and is now working as a chore boy at the village inn. He can’t help but notice the village’s peculiar inhabitants and their problems; where has the innkeeper’s son gone? Why are Master Chao and Widow Yan always arguing? What is the crying sound Rendi keeps hearing? And how can crazy, old Mr. Shan not know if his pet is a toad or a rabbit?


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THE DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE THIRD WHEEL Jeff Kinney A Valentine’s Day dance at Greg’s middle school has turned his world upside down. As Greg scrambles to find a date, he’s worried he’ll be left out in the cold on the big night. His best friend, Rowley, doesn’t have any prospects either, but that’s a small consolation. An unexpected twist gives Greg a partner for the dance and leaves Rowley the odd man out. But a lot can happen in one night, and in the end, you never know who’s going to be lucky in love.

I FUNNY James Patterson & Chris Grabenstein Jamie Grimm is a middle schooler on a mission: he wants to become the world’s greatest standup comedian—even if he doesn’t have a lot to laugh about these days. He’s new in town and stuck living with his aunt, uncle, and their evil son Stevie, a bully who doesn’t let Jamie’s wheelchair stop him from messing with Jamie as much as possible. But Jamie doesn’t let his situation get him down. He practices the craft of stand-up every day on friends, family, and the willing customers at his Uncle Frankie’s diner.

CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS AND THE TERRIFYING RETURN OF TIPPY TINKLETROUSERS Dav Pilkey | YOU’RE A BAD MAN, MR GUM! Andy Stanton | HORRID HENRY’S A-Z OF EVERYTHING HORRID Francesca Simon | RATBURGER David Walliams


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story Time ANIMAL MYTHS Hong Kong Kids & Judy Butler Seventeen students got together earlier this year and produced this fabulous book for charity. Each student had to come up with a characteristic of an animal (choosing one from the twelve in the calendar cycle) and explain why the animal looks the way it does today. A fantastic book for a fantastic cause!

WHAT’S IN THE WITCH’S KITCHEN Nick Sharratt The witch has hidden a trick and a treat in her magical kitchen cupboards! Which one you find depends on how you open the doors. Whether it’s frogspawn or popcorn, lollipops or rabbit plops there are hilarious rhymes to discover inside in this innovative new novelty book.

CLIFFORD COLLECTION Norman Bridwell Celebrate Clifford’s 50th anniversary with this collection of six classic stories that were originally published beginning in 1963!

THE RAINBOW FISH PUZZLE BOOK Marcus Pfister | THE SELFISH CROCODILE JIGSAW BOOK Faustin Charles Aliens Love Underpants Sound Book | Claire Freedman & Ben Cort


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CALLUM’S INCREDIBLE CONSTRUCTION KIT Jonathan Emmett Callum LOVES to build. And when he is given the most incredible construction kit for his birthday, his imagination runs riot! Callum takes his kit everywhere, and it comes in very handy. But as his constructions get bigger and bigger, the house begins to groan under the weight and the house crashes to the ground! Callum’s construction skills are about to be put to the ultimate test!

SUPERWORM Julia Donaldson Superworm is super-long. Superworm is super-strong. Watch him wiggle! See him squirm! There’s no one like Superworm! If there’s a problem, far or near... Never fear. Our hero’s here! He fishes Spider out of a well, and rescues Toad from a busy road. But who will come to Superworm’s rescue when he’s captured by a wicked Wizard Lizard?

AGAIN! Emily Gravett It’s nearly Cedric the dragon’s bedtime -- there’s just time for his mum to read him his favourite book. Unfortunately for her, Cedric likes the story so much that he wants to hear it again . . . and again. . . and again . . . with incendiary consequences!

THE FAIRYTALE HAIRDRESSER AND CINDERELLA Abie Longstaff The queen of hearts is holding a ball to find the “perfect” girl for her “perfect” prince. But Cinderella doesn’t have an invitation or a dress. Luckily, Kittie Lacey, fabulous hairdresser to the fairytale stars is on hand to give Cinderella a job, find her the “perfect” dress and get her in to the ball. But with so many other fairytale characters to fight through, including a pair of all-too-familiar sisters, will Cinderella and her “perfect” prince ever find each other?


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we Recommend THE BOBO GLOVE Raquel Jaramillo Turn your hand into baby’s favorite toy! The BoBo Glove is a rattle, a pull toy, a teether and a squeaker. And it also comes with a book. It’s a world of fun for baby at your fingertips, and it never needs a battery!

SOFT SHAPES TUB STICKABLES: MERMAIDS Made entirely of child-safe foam, dive into a magical world of mermaids with this bath-sticker set that contains everything needed to bring underwater fairy tales to life.

THE GAME OF SCULPTURE HERVE TULLET The Game of Sculpture is the first interactive book of its kind on sculpture. It encourages children to use their creativity and experiment by adding other materials to the sculpture: a pen, wrapping paper or even a toilet roll.

THE GRUFFALO TIN LUNCHBOX | PUZZLE WHEEL: THINGS THAT GO | WOODEN MAGNETIC LETTERS & NUMBERS


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Books For Bubs TELL ME WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE BIG Joyce Dunbar When Willa wakes up early one morning and tries to do things for herself, she soon has to ask her big brother Willoughby for help. ‘What is it like to be big?’ she wonders. Willoughby has some of the answers, but in the end it’s Mum who makes them both feel good about being small.

THANK YOU BEAR Greg Foley Thank You Bear is a wonderful mystery of a story that asks a question that even the youngest of children will enjoy guessing the answer to, “what is in Bear’s box?” From red fox to gray elephant, colorful animals tell Bear what they think is inside. But it’s not until the very last page, that all is revealed and in the very sweetest way.

DINOSAURS! Jeffrey Burton

YAWN Sally Symes & Nick Sharratt | LLAMA LLAMA TIME TO SHARE Anna Dewdney | SAY BOO TO THE ANIMALS Ian Whybrow & Tim Warnes


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Christmas Joy

LULU THE HONG KONG CAT – CHRISTMAS IN SHAM SHUI PO Ellen WY Leou Lulu’s adventures in the heart of old Hong Kong will be sure to enchant your children with its quirky and beautifully illustrated tale of a little cat and her Christmas redemption against the backdrop of the unique and wonderfully ‘Hong Kong’ world of Sham Shui Po.

SANTA’S CHRISTMAS MUNCH Richard Dungworth & Kate Daubney Join in the riotous fun as you use the Father Christmas hand puppet to chew, chomp and crunch your way through the colourful pages of this lovely Christmas story!

HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS? Jane Yolen & Mark Teague MOSHI MONSTERS: THE NIGHT BEFORE TWISTMAS MR. MEN & LITTLE MISS CHRISTMAS BOX SET Roger Hargreaves 1001 CHRISTMAS STICKERS


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In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything

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