Quercus strana 18 z 28

Every day, the sounds around us affect every aspect of our human experience, and thus fundamentally alter our quality of life, for better or worse. It is only recently that scientists have realised that sounds connect us to the world in ways that are every bit as vivid and evocative as visual landscapes. Hearing is the first sense we develop, and as our primary warning sense it is hardwired into our brains. And yet, in an increasingly noisy and distracted world, most people pay scant attention to the sounds around them, causing them to lose contact with the essential skill of listening. Sound Affects is about rediscovering the wonder of sound, and understanding how powerfully it affects us, whether we are paying attention or not. It is also a manual for taking back responsibility for the sounds we consume and the sounds we make, so we can enhance our own happiness, effectiveness and well-being. In the process, the reader will discover that: - stars are like bells, ringing with sound black holes make sound 50 octaves below what we can hear - snapping shrimp may be only 1cm long but they make sound that's as loud as a rock concert - whales can communicate underwater over hundreds of miles with very low frequency sound that travels five times as fast as sound in air - individual cells make unique sounds, enabling scientists detect early signs of metastases - dolphins have names and call each other by them

Sparks fly at the pub, one passionate kiss leads to another and they end up stumbling home to the marina together. The next morning, hungover and shaken by an amazing night together, Lexi is more than ready for Zeke to leave. There's just one small problem . The houseboat they stayed on has been swept out to sea. As their supplies start to run dangerously low, and the waves pick up, Zeke and Lexi soon realise there's much more on the line than their new relationship. How long can they really survive on a drifting houseboat in the North Sea? Will search and rescue find them? And who will they be if they both make it back to dry land? Swept Away is the epic new romance from the million-copy bestselling author of The Flatshare and The No-Show about your one-night stand becoming your one and only lifeline. Sharp, funny and breathtakingly intense, this standout novel is set to capture readers' hearts next spring.

Annie thought the murders were over. She was wrong. It is autumn in Castle Knoll and Annie Adams is busy settling into her new home. She doesn't find Gravesdown Hall particularly cosy, especially since she found two dead bodies there over the summer. What's more, ever since she arrived in the village, Annie has had the creeping sense she's being watched. Lonely, and desperate for some company, Annie starts talking to a stranger she meets in the grounds of the estate. The striking old woman introduces herself as Peony Lane, the fortune-teller who predicted Great Aunt Frances' murder all those years ago. And now she has a fortune to tell Annie. Desperate not to fall into the same trap as Frances, Annie flees Peony Lane, refusing to hear any of her grim predictions. But she can't outrun Peony for long, as hours later she finds her, dead on the floor of Gravesdown Hall, a ruby-hilted dagger plunged into her back. But who killed the mysterious fortune teller and why? And can Frances' library of evidence help Annie solve the case?

Born of the sun and moon, shaped by fire and malady, comes a young woman whose story has never been told . . . They call her Sycorax. Seer. Sage. Sorceress. Outcast by society and all alone in the world, Sycorax must find a way to understand her true nature. But as her powers begin to grow, so too do the suspicions of the local townspeople. For knowledge can be dangerous, and a woman's knowledge is the most dangerous of all . . . With a great storm brewing on the horizon, Sycorax finds herself in increasing peril - but will her powers save her, or will they spell the end for them all? A beautifully written and deeply moving imagining of what came before Shakespeare's The Tempest from the author of A Girl Made of Air.

Two twins. An unbroken bond. A truth unspoken. The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. For as long as she can remember, James's deep connection with her twin brother, Johnny, has gone beyond intuition - she can feel what he feels. So, when Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, James knows before her phone even rings that her brother is gone and that she's alone - truly alone - for the first time in her life. When James arrives in the rural town of Hawthorne, California to settle her brother's affairs, she's forced to rehash the ominous past she and Johnny shared and finally face Micah, the only person who knows about it. He's also the only man she's ever loved. But James soon discovers that the strange connection she had with Johnny isn't quite gone, and the more she immerses herself into his world, the more questions she has about the brother she thought she knew. Johnny was keeping secrets, and he's not the only one. What she uncovers will push her to unravel what happened in the days before Johnny's death, but in the end, she'll have to decide which truths should come to light, and which should stay buried forever.

In his first memoir, beloved comedian and national treasure Bill Bailey shares stories of his life - and the animals he's met along the way. Bill Bailey has always had dogs, including a Patterdale terrier called Rocky who would travel with him in the van to his first shows and occasionally join him on stage. Fast forward a few decades and Bill has shared his home with a variety of birds, dogs, frogs, chameleons and an armadillo called Tommy. 'We even had a giant chicken, a huge Malay cockerel called Kid Creole. After a few stand-offs he took against me. He had to go in the end, I was being stalked in my own back garden.' That chicken apart, animals have always been at the heart of an extraordinary life as one of the nation's favourite comedians, actors, musicians and (thanks to Strictly) dancers: from terriers to the orangutans of Sumatra and the parrots that share his breakfast every morning in west London. Full of the leftfield humour, wit and wisdom that has made Bill Bailey such a beloved performer around the world, My Animals and Other Animals is the story of Bill's life; but more than that, it's the story of how all of our lives are enriched by the animals who accompany us on that journey.

The behind-the-scenes story of a four-year investigation into Andrew Tate, exploring how a failed reality TV star turned accused organised criminal managed to become one of the most famous influencers in the world. In 2022, Andrew Tate went from a little-known kickboxer and failed reality TV star to a lifestyle icon for legions of men and boys, and a figure that would define a new era of misogyny. Tate started the year as a fringe internet celebrity, but by August he was the most googled man in the world. In that same month, Matt Shea and Jamie Tahsin gained access to his Bucharest compound and infamous War Room, making a documentary that would result in the first women coming forward to accuse him publicly of sexual and physical violence. Tate would end the year in a Romanian jail, facing charges of human trafficking, rape and being part of an organised crime group. But the investigations wouldn't stop there. Part Gonzo journalism, part masculinity rabbit hole, this book takes you on Shea and Tahsin's journey to reveal the dark secrets of Andrew Tate, the machine that brought him here, and the ideology he has unleashed on a generation of young men.

Is three days with a cat enough to change your life? The troubled and anxious of Tokyo are desperate to find out. They all have their problems - and they all want to believe that a feline companion from a unique pet shop can help them find a solution. But there are rules: they must be returned after three days, and they must always sleep in their own familiar blankets. In The Blanket Cats, we meet seven such customers, including a couple struggling with infertility, a middle-aged woman on the run from the police, and two families in very different circumstances simply seeking joy. But like all their kind, the blanket cats are mysterious creatures with their own unknowable agendas, who delight in confounding expectations. And perhaps what their hosts are looking for isn't what they really need. Three days may not be enough to change your life. But it might be enough to change how you see it.

Author of the Costa-prizewinning, world-wide bestseller The Tenderness of Wolves, Stef Penney, returns to her snow-covered heartland in this tense mystery set in a small Scandinavian town. Nordland. A region in the Norwegian Arctic; a remote valley that stretches from the sea up to the mountains and glaciers. It is May in what was once a prosperous mining community. The snows are nearly gone and it's a time of spring and school-leavers' celebrations - until Daniel, a popular teenage boy, goes missing. Conflicting stories circulate among his friends, of parties and wild behaviour. As the search for Daniel widens, the police open a disused mine in the mountains. They find human remains, but this body has been there for decades, its identity a mystery. Everyone in this tight knit, isolated community is touched by these events: misanthropic Svea, whose long life in the area stretches back to the heyday of the mines, and beyond. She has cut all ties with her family, except for her granddaughter, Elin, an outsider like her grandmother. Elin and her friend Benny, both impacted by Daniel while he was alive, become entangled in the hunt for answers, while Svea has deep, dark secrets of her own.

The epic finale to the No. 1 New York Times bestselling Silver in the Bone. A stunning new dark fantasy series steeped in magic and mythology from Alexandra Bracken, author of Lore. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas. Join a deadly hunt fuelled by love, revenge and pure adrenaline to find the Mirror of Beasts and break the curse. In her search for a mythical ring to break her brother Cabell's curse, Tamsin saw the Avalon of Arthurian legend fall and the two people she trusted most betray her. Now, back in the mortal world, the stepfather she thought was dead has returned with a warning: Tamsin is the one who is cursed. Meanwhile, Lord Death is harvesting souls with his Wild Hunt and Cabell by his side. To stop him, Tamsin must find the legendary 'Mirror of Beasts' - even if it means enlisting the help of Emrys, her rival-turned-lover-turned-enemy who abandoned her in Avalon. The hunt is on, but can Tamsin save the mortal world and break her curse before it breaks her? A deliciously dark and sweeping new fantasy series from No. 1 fantasy author, Alexandra Bracken.

Race-winning team strategist shows how F1 really works. Welcome to Bernadette 'Bernie' Collins' world. Formula 1 drivers are the public face of Grand Prix racing but behind every driver is a team of several hundred people sharing the same passionate desire to win. On race day it's the Team Strategist who calls the shots, working under immense pressure to make split-second and crucial decisions... Through her eyes and experience as a Chief Race Engineer and F1 Team Strategist, Bernie Collins takes the reader behind the scenes of a Formula 1 team - both in the factory and at the races - to uncover what it takes to put two Formula 1 cars on the grid and go racing. HOW TO WIN A GRAND PRIX gives incredible insight of the entire process from design and construction, through pre-season testing, and how a team prepares for each of the 23 Grands Prix. For race weekend itself, Bernie recreates it hour-by-hour to plunge the reader behind the pit wall and see what it's actually like to get from grid to podium.

The biggest debut of 2024 and a hilarious mystery with a killer hook. Perfect for fans of Knives Out and Only Murders in the Building. FRANCES ALWAYS SAID SHE'D BE MURDERED... SHE WAS RIGHT. In 1965, seventeen-year-old Frances Adams was told by a fortune teller that one day she'd be murdered. Frances spent the next sixty years trying to prevent the crime that would be her eventual demise. Of course, no one took her seriously - until she was dead. For Frances, being the village busybody was a form of insurance. She'd spent a lifetime compiling dirt on every person she met, just in case they might turn out to be her killer. In the heart of her sprawling country estate lies an eccentric library of detective work, where the right person could step in and use her findings to solve her murder. When her great-niece Annie arrives from London and discovers that Frances' worst fear has come true, Annie is thrust into her great-aunt's last act of revenge against her sceptical friends and family. Frances' will stipulates that the person who solves her murder will inherit her millions. Can Annie unravel the mystery and find justice for Frances, or will digging up the past lead her into the path of the killer?

One florist. One pianist. One love story... One hundred years in the making. Ricki Wilde has many talents, but being a Wilde isn't one of them. As the impulsive, artistic daughter of a powerful Atlanta dynasty, she's the opposite of her famous socialite sisters. In her bones, Ricki knows that somewhere, a more exciting life awaits her. So, when she is invited to rent the bottom floor of a Harlem brownstone, Ricki jumps at the chance for a fresh start. She leaves behind her wealth and chaotic romantic decisions to realize her dream of opening a flower shop. Then one evening in February, as the heady scent of night-blooming jasmine fills the air, Ricki encounters a handsome stranger who knocks her world off balance in the most unexpected way. Set against the backdrop of modern Harlem and Renaissance glamour, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a swoon-worthy love story of two passionate artists drawn to the magic, romance, and opportunity of New York.

Some people think foxes go around collecting qi, or life force, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . . Manchuria, 1908: A young woman is found frozen in the snow. Her death is clouded by rumours of foxes, believed to lure people into peril by transforming into beautiful women and men. Bao, a detective with a reputation for sniffing out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman's identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the fox gods, yet they've remained tantalizingly out of reach. Until, perhaps, now. Snow is a creature of many secrets, but most of all, she's a mother seeking vengeance. Hunting a murderer, the trail will take her from northern China to Japan, with Bao following doggedly behind. And as their paths draw ever closer together, both Snow and Bao will encounter old friends and new foes, even as more deaths occur. Epic in scope and full of singular, unforgettable characters, The Fox Wife is a stunning novel about old loves and second chances, the depth of maternal bonds, and ancient folktales that may very well be true.

A revelatory memoir from Liverpool legend and global football star Bobby Firmino. Master of the no-look goal and Anfield favourite, Roberto 'Bobby' Firmino, signed for Liverpool in July 2015. Over the next eight years - and seven winners' medals - he established himself as one of the club's most important players in recent years for his audacious skill, impressive goal scoring, and beaming smile. Jürgen Klopp saw Firmino as the on-pitch 'engine' that drove the club's counter-pressing strategy and together with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané, Firmino formed a formidable attacking trio. The Kop rewarded Roberto with the ultimate accolade - his own song: 'Sí, Se?or, give the ball to Bobby and he will score.' Sí, Senor celebrates Firmino's cherished years in a red shirt and will remind fans why they fell in love with him in the first place.

Minoru Aose is an architect whose greatest achievement is to have designed the Yoshino house, a prizewinning and much discussed private residence built in the shadow of Mount Asama. Aose has never been able to replicate this triumph and his career seems to have hit a barrier, while his marriage has failed. He is shocked to learn that the Yoshino House is empty apart from a single chair, stood facing the north light of nearby Mount Asama. How can he live with the rejection of the work he had put his heart and soul into, the dream house he would have loved to own himself? Aose determines that he must discover the truth behind this cruel and inexplicable dismissal of the Yoshino house and in doing so will find out a truth that goes back to the core of who he is. Plotted with the subtlety of his bestselling masterpiece Six Four, The North Light is Yokoyama at his elusive, tantalising and surprising best.