Life Stories

1. The woman in me

by Britney Spears

€24.99 €35.00

The Woman in Me  is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope. In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice-her truth-was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey-and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.   Written with remarkable candour and humour, Spears's ground-breaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love-and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.  ____________________________________ 'The sharpness of her perspective is a miracle... May her truth pose a legitimate threat to the system that exploited her' - Guardian 'Britney Spears holds nothing back in her short, bittersweet and extremely powerful memoir. That it hasn't turned into a complete tragedy is a testament to Spears's essential fortitude of spirit - something that burns off these pages' - Telegraph 'Spears's prose contains more compassion and perspective than bitterness or self-pity' - The Times 'It's nearly impossible to come out of it without empathy for and real outrage on behalf of Spears, whose admitted bitterness over the dire circumstances of the last decade-plus of her life is tempered by an enduring, insistent optimism' - New York Times  

2. Friends, lovers and the big terrible thing

by Matthew Perry

€17.99 €23.80

'There's never been a more honest or raw memoir ... and it may just save lives' Daily Mail 'Funny, fascinating, compelling ... also a wonderful read for fans of Friends ' The Times The beloved star of Friends takes us behind the scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this candid, funny, and revelatory memoir that delivers a powerful message of hope and persistence. Here is the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, who takes us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who travelled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us . . . and so much more. In an extraordinary story that only he could tell - and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it - Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he's found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends , sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humour, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fuelled it despite seemingly having it all. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening - as well as a hand extended to anyone struggling with sobriety. Unflinchingly honest, moving, and uproariously funny, this is the book fans have been waiting for. 'An unflinching and often harrowing must-read for 90s pop culture fans' Guardian 'Written with Chandler's trademark sarcasm and self-deprecation' Telegraph 'A hopeful read ... I started to think of [it] not as a celebrity memoir about addiction, but as an addiction memoir written by a man who understands his own history through the prism of showbiz' Independent

3. Rambling Man My Life on the Road TBP

by Billy Connolly

€17.99 €23.80

A book of global adventures with Billy Connolly - an unconventional travel memoir that criss-crosses the world, encapsulating a lifetime of incredible journeys and hundreds of fascinating encounters. In my fantasy of the Rambling Man who is something of a hobo, walking - or maybe jumping into the car of a moving train - is what he does. He slings his guitar or banjo over his shoulder and strides out along the road to the next town. There he plays a few songs at a local gig and meets a beautiful woman who feeds and shags him. It's a wonderful life, and a million miles better than sitting on your couch watching reality TV. During his lifetime of global adventures, Sir Billy Connolly's genuine curiosity and natural ability to connect with the people he meets on the road has made him a true 'citizen of the world'. A good trip, in my book, should be littered with little detours. Travelling from A to B is all very well, but you risk missing out on so much . . . In RAMBLING MAN, Billy takes us with him on his incredible journeys criss-crossing the world. But this is no conventional travel memoir. From Ireland to India, Australia to the Arctic, we join the Big Yin on an international voyage full of detours, digressions and the most eccentric of characters - all underscored by the chosen soundtrack of the ultimate ramblin' man himself.

4. My name is Barbra

by Barbra Streisand

€34.99 €35.00

A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER and THE TIMES MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023. The exhilarating and startlingly honest autobiography of the living legend. 'Over almost a thousand pages, the diva to end them all documents her rise to the top and the tears and joys that went with it . What really brings this alive is Barbra Streisand's admission of the insecurity that drives her.' The Times 'Exhilarating . leaves blood on the page . My Name Is Barbra is 992 pages of startling honesty and self-reflection, deadpan parenthetical asides, encyclopedic recall of onstage outfits, and rigorous analyses of her films' Vanity Fair 'I have been patiently waiting for Barbra Streisand's autobiography for 54 years..My Name is Barbra is a Streisand obsessive's dream come true. It addresses all the rumours and misrepresentations of her long and extraordinary life, from nearly missing out on A Star is Born to dating Pierre Trudeau, Omar Sharif and Marlon Brando. The wait has been worth every word!' - Richard E Grant, Sunday Times 'The mother of all memoirs' New Yorker 'A brilliant memoir' Hillary Clinton 'Glorious, exuberant, chatty and candid, a 970-page victory lap past all who ever doubted, diminished or dissed her . . . generous dollops of chutzpah . Nobody puts Barbra in the corner' New York Times 'Mystical, messy, bawdy and funny . My Name is Barbra confides her insecurities and a ravening hunger for fame . silent but eloquent and vociferous writing' Peter Conrad, The Observer 'At heart this is a story so bursting with life, fury, unbelievable ambition and food (Streisand loves to eat) that you come away from it exhausted but smiling . hear hear!' The Guardian 'This enormous, poignant memoir from the ultimate showbusiness trouper shows that you can never have it all (even if you're Barbra). The writing is great and the likeable formidable personality shines through . . . deeper than the average celebrity memoir' The Times 'A glorious doorstopper. the sheer ambition of this intricately woven memoir makes it a fascinating read. The delicate pages bring to mind a Russian novel or, perhaps more appropriately for the many who view Streisand as akin to a deity, a bible. And yet, Streisand writes relatively succinctly, with warmth and wit. Behind the sequins, beneath the wigs and through the glass of the recording studio, there's just a woman who dreamed of being famous and make it happen, on her terms. It's an accomplished and entrancing walk through a life well lived' Evening Standard

5. Scattershot

by Bernie Taupin

€17.99 €23.80

*THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER* *A Times Best Music Book of 2023* 'This is the most glorious of books. I am besotted by the life I never knew he had.' -Elton John 'Every page of Scattershot is a delight, a joy, a name-dropper fan's delight. Divine. I couldn't put it down.' -Pete Townshend 'Hilarious and so emotionally true, Scattershot is like a letter from a cherished friend. You'll want to keep it close, so you can read it again and again.' -Cameron Crowe 'Touching. Charming. Humble. Witty. And exquisitely written. Taupin's words need no musical accompaniment. They sing with a poets voice.' -Gary Oldman 'Eloquent and inspiring' -Robert Hilburn, author of Johnny Cash: The Life 'A funny, zippy narrative' -MOJO 'An entertaining ride that doesn't spare the horses' -RTE Guide 'Sharply written' -The Independent 'Self deprecating and refreshingly honest' - Sunday Times This is the memoir music fans have been waiting for. Half of one of the greatest creative partnerships in popular music, Bernie Taupin is the man who wrote the lyrics for Elton John, who conceived the ideas that spawned countless hits, and sold millions and millions of records. Together, they were a duo, a unit, an immovable object. Their extraordinary, half-century-and-counting creative relationship has been chronicled in biopics (like 2019's Rocketman ) and even John's own autobiography, Me . But Taupin, a famously private person, has kept his own account of their adventures close to his chest, until now. Written with honesty and candour, Scatterhot allows the reader to witness events unfolding from Taupin's singular perspective, sometimes front and center, sometimes from the edge, yet always described vibrantly, with an infectious energy that only a vivid songwriter's prose could offer. From his childhood in the East Midlands of England whose imagination was sparked and forever informed by the distinctly American mythopoetics of country music and cowboys, to the glittering, star-studded fishbowl of '70s and '80s Beverly Hills, Scattershot is simultaneously a Tom Jones-- like picaresque journey across a landscape of unforgettable characters, as well as a striking, first-hand account of a creative era like no other and one man's experience at the core of it. An exciting, multi-decade whirlwind, Scattershot whizzes around the world as we ride shotgun with Bernie on his extraordinary life. We visit New York with him and Elton on the cusp of global fame. We spend time with him in Australia al

6. Oh Miriam Stories From An Extraordinary Life P/B

by Miriam Margolyes

€16.99 €23.80

Join us on another unforgettable adventure through the extraordinary life and strong opinions of Miriam Margolyes. 'My new bookiscalled OH MIRIAM! -something that has been said to me a lot over the years, often in tones of strong disapproval. It contains lots more revelations and stories and discoveries and I can't wait to share it with you all!' From being escorted off the Today programme (for saying what we were all thinking) to declaring her love to Vanessa Redgrave; from Tales of the Unexpected to Graham Norton's sofa, she is our most loved and most outspoken national treasure. Oh Miriam! takes you inside both her head and her heart. Buckle up for the most irrepressible, hilarious and moving read of 2023

7. This much is true

by Miriam Margolyes

€12.75 €15.95

'There is no one on earth quite so wonderful' STEPHEN FRY 'As outrageously entertaining as you'd expect' Daily Express BAFTA-winning actor, voice of everything from Monkey to the Cadbury's Caramel Rabbit, creator of a myriad of unforgettable characters from Lady Whiteadder to Professor Sprout, MIRIAM MARGOLYES, OBE, is the nation's favourite (and naughtiest) treasure. Now, at the age of 80, she has finally decided to tell her extraordinary life story - and it's well worth the wait. Find out how being conceived in an air-raid gave her curly hair; what pranks led to her being known as the naughtiest girl Oxford High School ever had; how she ended up posing nude for Augustus John as a teenager; why Bob Monkhouse was the best (male) kiss she's ever had; and what happened next after Warren Beatty asked 'Do you fuck?' From declaring her love to Vanessa Redgrave to being told to be quiet by the Queen, this book is packed with brilliant, hilarious stories. With a cast list stretching from Scorsese to Streisand, a cross-dressing Leonardo di Caprio to Isaiah Berlin, This Much Is True is as warm and honest, as full of life and surprises, as its inimitable author.

8. T.V. TPB

by Peter Kay

€15.99 €23.80

The long-awaited return of the comedy national treasure. Join Peter Kay on his incredible journey through the great and the good of TV: from tea-making in Granada, to behind the scenes on Phoenix Nights, Max & Paddy and his legendary performance as John Redmond in Car Share. Charming, sidesplittingly funny and utterly unforgettable, T.V.: Big Adventures on the Small Screen is Peter Kay at his vivid, nostalgic and hilarious best.

9. Making It So H/B

by Patrick Stewart

€26.99 €35.00

The long-awaited memoir from iconic, beloved actor and living legend Sir Patrick Stewart! From his acclaimed stage triumphs to his legendary onscreen work in the Star Trek and X-Men franchises, Sir Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences around the world and across multiple generations with his indelible command of stage and screen.  Now, he presents his long-awaited memoir, MAKING IT SO, a revealing portrait of an artist whose astonishing life, from his humble beginnings in Yorkshire, England to the heights of Hollywood and worldwide acclaim, proves a story as exuberant, definitive, and enduring as the author himself.

10. Finucane and me

by John Clarke

€21.99 €24.99

Marian Finucane was a trailblazing broadcaster, the first to champion women's issues on air, and respected for her fairness, empathy and doggedness. One of a small group of Irish people known simply by their first name, the nation mourned when she died suddenly, aged 69, in January 2020.   But John Clarke, Marian's widower, doesn't use her eponymous moniker - instead, he calls her 'Finucane'. It highlights the gap between the woman so many felt they knew and the woman he loved - the real Marian - who was by turns curious, fiery, emotional, stubborn, charming and endlessly excited by life.   When John and Marian first got together, they promised each other that they'd never be boring. What ensued was forty years of conversation and thousands of miles travelled. Finucane & Me is an unexpected love story: the story of two people who 'made a pact for madness'; the story of a never-ending search for meaning; the story of two people who lived life to its fullest.

11. Modern Family P/B

by Brian Dowling-Gourounlian

€18.99 €19.99

Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian are among Ireland’s most beloved television personalities and social media stars. The internet exploded when the couple announced they were expecting their first child, with Brian’s sister Aoife acting as their surrogate. Their daughter, Blake, was born in September 2022. In this book, Brian and Arthur detail their long journeys, separately and together, before finally realising the dream of creating their own very happy family. From births, to deaths, marriage and everything in between this heartfelt and hilarious memoir brings Arthur and Brian’s positive and inspiring attitude to the page as they journey towards parenthood. Brian and Arthur’s Modern Family reflects on the universal cycles of adversity, love and grief experienced by all of us as we strive to achieve our dreams, sharing what they have learned along the way about what really matters.

12. Behind The Seams H/B

by Dolly Parton

€41.99 €56.00

A beautifully illustrated celebration of Dolly Parton's iconic sense of style through entertaining personal stories and 450 full-color photographs, including exclusive images from her private costume archive. In Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, global superstar Dolly Parton shares, for the first time, the full story behind her lifelong passion for fashion, including how she developed her own, distinctly Dolly style, which has defied convention and endeared her to fans around the world. Featuring behind-the-scenes stories from Dolly Parton's life and career, and the largest reveal of her private costume archive, this gorgeously photographed book spotlights her most unforgettable looks from the 1960s to now. The sky-high heels, famous wigs, bold makeup, eye-catching stage clothes - she shares them all. Along the way, Parton discusses memorable outfits from her past, from the clothes her mother would sew out of feed sacks (including her "Coat of Many Colors") and the bold dresses and hairdos that shook up Nashville, to the bunny suit on the cover of Playboy, evening wear at Studio 54, costumes from her most famous film and TV roles, and the daring styles that continue to entertain and inspire today. Filled with candor, humor, and lots and lots of rhinestones, Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones is a shining tribute to one of the most beloved musicians in history, a treasured keepsake for anyone who loves Dolly Parton, and an indispensable guide to forging your own path to beauty and confidence

13. Sandy Kelly - in my own words

by Sandy Kelly

€24.99

Born in Sligo into a family of travelling entertainers, Sandy Kelly has become one of the top musical performers in Ireland. Sandy was co-opted into the family variety show from an early age. As a teenager she sang on the social club circuit in the UK, playing an ever more prominent role. When she returned to Ireland, she developed initially as a pop performer before following her instincts and concentrating on a music career. Her landmark 1989 recording of the Patsy Cline hit 'Crazy' led her to perform on stages all over the world, including the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and the lead role in Patsy - The Musical in London's West End. But the music industry can be a tough place. Sandy has dealt with prejudice and financial pressures. Alongside the glamour of show business, she has experienced the heartaches of divorce, family illness and death, and faced the challenges of raising a daughter with special needs. Sandy has stood strong at the heart of Ireland's music scene for over four decades. Here, for the first time, she recounts the highs - and lows - of a lifetime in music, in her own words.

14. Be useful

by Arnold Schwarzenegger

€18.99 €23.80

THE INSTANT NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER The seven rules to follow to realise your true purpose in life-distilled by Arnold Schwarzenegger from his own journey of ceaseless reinvention and extraordinary achievement, and available for absolutely anyone. The world's greatest bodybuilder. The world's highest paid movie star. The leader of the world's sixth largest economy. That these are the same person sounds like the setup to a joke. But this is no joke. This is Arnold Schwarzenegger. And this did not happen by accident. Arnold's stratospheric success happened as part of a process. As the result of clear vision, big thinking, hard work, direct communication, resilient problem-solving, open-minded curiosity, and a commitment to giving back. All of it guided by the one lesson Arnold's father hammered into him above all: be useful. As Arnold conquered every realm he entered, he kept his father's adage close to his heart. Written with his uniquely earnest, blunt, powerful voice, BE USEFUL takes readers on an inspirational tour through Arnold's toolkit for a meaningful life. Arnold shows us how to put those tools to work, in service of whatever fulfilling future we can dream up for ourselves. He brings his insights to vivid life with compelling personal stories, life-changing successes and life-threatening failures alike--some of them famous, some told here for the first time ever. Too many of us struggle to disconnect from our self-pity and connect to our purpose. At an early age, Arnold forged the mental tools to build the ladder out of the poverty and narrow-mindedness of his rural Austrian hometown, tools he used to add rung after rung from there. Now he has shared that wisdom with all of us. As he puts it, no one is going to come rescue you -- you only have yourself. The good news, it turns out, is that you are all you need. The instant number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, October 2023

15. Big Beacon TPB

by Alan Partridge

€19.99 €23.80

In Big Beacon, Norwich's favourite son and best broadcaster, Alan Partridge, triumphs against the odds. TWICE. Using an innovative 'dual narrative' structure you sometimes see in films, Big Beacon tells the story of how Partridge heroically rebuilt his TV career, rising like a phoenix from the desolate wasteland of local radio to climb to the summit of Mount Primetime and regain the nationwide prominence his talent merits. But then something quite unexpected and moving, because Big Beacon also tells the story of a selfless man, driven to restore an old lighthouse to its former glory, motivated by nothing more than respect for a quietly heroic old building that many take for granted, which some people think is a metaphor for Alan himself even though it's not really for them to say.* Leaving his old life behind and relocating to a small coastal village in Kent, Alan battles through adversity, wins the hearts and minds of a suspicious community, and ultimately shows himself to be a quite wonderful man. * The two strands will run in tandem, their narrative arcs mirroring each other to make the parallels between the two stories abundantly clear to the less able reader.

16. Worthy

by Jada Pinkett Smith

€19.04 €23.80

A gripping, painfully honest and ultimately inspirational, New York Times bestselling memoir from global superstar and creator of the Red Table Talk series Jada Pinkett Smith. 'It's a shame that Pinkett Smith's marriage has taken up so much attention because, as Worthy shows, it's far from the most interesting thing about her' Sunday Times Magazine In a media driven landscape that crafts narratives for our celebrities, Smith recounts her story in an intimate conversation with readers. Along the way, she explores her path to accepting her power as a woman, and her discovery that a strong sense of self is every woman's right and saving grace. An impactful and rare memoir that engages and educates, Worthy is a courageous love song to self, to family, to life, and to the world. From an unconventional upbringing in Baltimore, to an unconventional marriage to one of the most famous men in the world, adhering to the status quo has never been a familiar road for Jada Pinkett Smith. In Worthy, Smith strips herself of all the labels and stories crafted by others, and reclaims her narrative with radical self-love. Worthy teaches us who Jada is, and how to embrace our most authentic loveable souls.

17. The twat files

by Dawn French

€18.99 €23.80

IF YOU LOVE DAWN, YOU'LL LOVE HEARING ABOUT ALL THE TIMES SHE'S BEEN A COMPLETE TWAT . . . When I was younger I wanted to be an interesting, sophisticated, semi-heroic, multi-layered person. BUT. That kind of perfect is impossible. Being an actual twat is much more the real me. Sorry to boast, but I am a champion twat. In The Twat Files I will tell you about all the times I've been a total and utter twat. The moments where I've misunderstood stuff and messed up. In my life these have been key because: Mistakes tell us about ourselves. Mistakes tell us about others. Mistakes are hilarious. Mistakes expose our flaws. Mistakes show us ourselves honestly. Mistakes are gloriously human. My hope is that these stories might fire up yer engines to remind you of just what a massive twat you also are. Let's celebrate and revel in this most delightful of traits together. That would be perfectly twatty. 'This woman is a national treasure' Mail on Sunday 'Dawn French is a wonderful writer' Daily Mail

18. Caution to the Wind

by Terry Prone

€22.50

Terry Prone has been a household name from the night, at thirteen years of age, when she tangled with the panel of a TV programme. Within a year of that, she was a regular panellist on the Late Late Show, known as a fearless teenager willing to take on anybody. At fifteen, she lied about her age to get into the Abbey Theatre School of Acting and soon starred in a West End production. Later, as Ireland’s Outstanding Teenager, she was interviewed by Barbara Walters on US television.That was just the beginning of a phenomenal success story that made her the most successful businesswoman in Ireland from the 1970s, training people all over the world in communications while at the same time publishing thirty books and thousands of newspaper columns.But at the heart of this book is the love story that forced Terry to throw caution to the wind. Because Tom Savage was a priest, and the church put every obstacle in their way. He was fired. She was fired. They weren’t allowed to marry. They considered emigration. Yet they re-invented themselves. Tom became first producer of RTE’s Morning Ireland and Terry was picked for the team setting up the Gay Byrne Hour. They set up a business training captains of industry and politicians. And then, when their son, Anton, was just six, Terry had a car crash that nearly killed her and left her in a wheelchair for a year. One year later came Tom’s diagnosis of stomach cancer. Filled with laughter and love, with triumph and disaster, Caution to the Wind is an honest, funny account of an astonishing life. While Terry Prone is a seasoned author of novels and business books, Caution to the Wind is first book she has written about her personal life, and proves to be thoughtful, evocative and engaging.

19. How Does She Do It. The Kids Tyson and Me TPB

by Paris Fury

€16.99 €23.80

Paris Fury can pack a week into everyone else's day. So how does she do it? Looking after six children, keeping house, while being there for her World Heavyweight husband Tyson, still looking amazing - and finding time for herself - is just a shortlist of what she manages.  A lot can go wrong and often does, but Paris takes it all in her stride. She learnt her great home-making skills in her Gypsy childhood and here she shares all about daily life with the big Fury family and what works to keep life running - from shopping, mealtimes and big celebrations, to being ready for the unexpected, handling a crisis, and the tricks she knows to keep their home clean and uncluttered, as well as warm and welcoming. Balancing day-to-day parenting with Tyson alongside his boxing career, she is open about the stresses that go along with all the travel, fun and excitement. Finding time for herself too, Paris's incredible can-do, ready-for-anything attitude is a real inspiration to us all.

20. The extraordinary life of an ordinary man

by Paul Newman

€12.32 €15.40

As seen in The Last Movie Stars documentary - the raw, candid, unvarnished memoir of an icon. The greatest movie star of the past 75 years covers everything: his traumatic childhood, his career, his drinking, his thoughts on Marlon Brando, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, his greatest roles, acting, his intimate life with Joanne Woodward, his innermost fears and passions and joys. With thoughts/comments throughout from Joanne Woodward, Tom Cruise and many others. In 1986, Paul Newman and his closest friend, screenwriter Stewart Stern, began an extraordinary project. Stuart was to compile an oral history, to have Newman's family and friends and those who worked closely with him, talk about the actor's life. And then Newman would work with Stewart and give his side of the story. The only stipulation was that anyone who spoke on the record had to be completely honest. That same stipulation applied to Newman himself. The project lasted five years. The result is an extraordinary memoir, culled from thousands of pages of transcripts. The book is insightful, revealing, surprising. Newman's voice is powerful, sometimes funny, sometimes painful, always meeting that high standard of searing honesty. The additional voices - from childhood friends and Navy buddies, from family members and film and theater collaborators such as Tom Cruise, George Roy Hill, Martin Ritt, and John Huston - that run throughout add richness and color and context to the story Newman is telling. Newman's often traumatic childhood is brilliantly detailed. He talks about his teenage insecurities, his early failures with women, his rise to stardom, his early rivals (Brando and Dean), his first marriage, his drinking, his philanthropy, the death of his son Scott, his strong desire for his daughters to know and understand the truth about their father. Perhaps the most moving material in the book centers around his relationship with Joanne Woodward - their love for each other, his dependence on her, the way she shaped him intellectually, emotionally and sexually. THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF AN ORDINARY MAN is revelatory and introspective, personal and analytical, loving and tender in some places, always complex and profound. Praise for Paul Newman 'One of the greatest screen actors of all time and a beautiful man.' Daniel Craig 'He set the bar too high for the rest of us. Not just actors, but all of us.' George Clooney ''He was my hero.' Julia Roberts 'Paul was an American Icon.' President Bill Clinton

21. Tupac Shakur

by Staci Robinson

€28.34 €35.00

*OUT NOW* 'A superstar in every aspect of the word.' Eminem 'An incredible poet.' Stevie Wonder The first and only Estate-authorized biography of the legendary artist, Tupac Shakur, a moving exploration of his life and powerful legacy, fully illustrated with photos, mementos, handwritten poetry, musings, and more *AS SEEN IN THE ACCLAIMED DISNEY + DOCUMENTARY 'DEAR MAMA'* 'A touching, empathetic portrait of a friend. Even familiar stories achieve new intimacy at closer range. And small moments help clarify longstanding narratives, colouring in the outlines of this well-known tale of the actor-rapper-activist who died at 25. Access to the late rapper's journals gives Staci Robinson's authorized biography a rare intimacy' New York Times Artist, Poet, Actor, Revolutionary, Legend- Tupac Shakur Tupac Shakur is one of the greatest and most controversial artists of all time. More than a quarter of a century after his tragic death in 1996 at the age of just twenty-five, he continues to be one of the most misunderstood, complicated and prolific figures in modern history. Tupac's unapologetic lyrics, for which he was villainized by many at the time, read in these pages as prophecy. His cry of outrage in a country that repeatedly told Black men and women that their lives did not matter, continues to inspire his fans around the world. In Tupac Shakur, author and screenwriter Staci Robinson-who knew Tupac as a young man and who was entrusted by his mother, Afeni Shakur, to write his biography-peels back the myths and unpacks the complexities that have shadowed Tupac's existence. With exclusive access to his private notebooks, letters, unpublished lyrics and uncensored conversations with those who knew and loved him best, Robinson tells a powerful story of a life defined by politics and art, and a man driven by equal parts brilliance and impulsiveness. It is a story of a mother and son bound together by a love for each other and for their people, and the relationship that endured through their darkest times. It is a political story that begins in the whirlwind of the 60's Civil Rights Movement, and takes you through a young artist's awakening to rage and purpose in the nineties era of Rodney King. It is a story of dizzying success and its devastating consequences. And, of course, it is the story of his music, his timeless message that will never die as it continues to touch and inspire past, present and future generations. 'A reverential and exhaustive telling of Shaku

22. Berserker TPB

by Adrian Edmondson

€17.99 €23.80

Berserk: out of control with anger or excitement; wild or frenzied.  Berserkers: an elite Norse fighting corp who are apparently off their tits on hallucinogenic drugs and fight with a particular fury and senseless abandon which is still evident in many Scandinavian heavy metal groups to this day. How did a child brought up in a conservative Christian household - and who spent his formative years incarcerated in repressive boarding schools - end up getting arrested in SoHo as part of the 1980s alternative comedy scene and revolutionizing the genre with his outrageously violent characters? Could it be his Norse (10% berserker) heritage? Berserker! is Ade Edmondson's story, told for the very first time. Full of wisdom, nostalgia and uniquely observed humour; with reflections on the 1980-1990s alternative comedy scene and his own curious (possibly Scandinavian?) family background interwoven with star-studded anecdotes and set to a soundtrack of pop hits which transport the reader through time, it’s a memoir like no other.

23. Memoirs of a wonky-eyed man

by Jason Byrne

€18.99 €22.99

Jason Byrne is 17. With his leaving cert under his belt but no idea what to do next, who better to ask for advice than his dad, Paddy? There’s a (very) short stint studying accountancy (he was asked to leave); a FÁS course with juvenile offenders to become a waiter that leads to an apprenticeship in Jury’s (he was the only one not in prison), and a job in a lighting warehouse (it ended with a collapsed lung). But no matter what the problem, Paddy Byrne is always ready with a wise word: ‘Sure, that’s life, son. Just don't tell your mother.’ This is not just a memoir. It is a celebration of a generation, a celebration of life and of Jason’s wonderful relationship with his dad, Paddy Byrne – the man who never gave a b*llix.

24. A portrait of the piss artist as a young man

by Tadhg Hickey

€12.99 €19.60

It was love at first taste for fifteen-year-old Tadhg Hickey when he drank a can of Scrumpy Jack on the night of his exam results. Straight away it provided a cure for that constant feeling of 'something wrong, something not quite right', a way of numbing anxiety and childhood trauma. He realised he was extraordinarily good at drinking and energetically threw himself into a life of pubs, parties and staying pissed, while also managing to become a comedian. But alcohol had the last laugh ... A Portrait of the Piss Artist as a Young Man shows us the often-hilarious lengths of self-deception an alcoholic will go to, the horrific consequences of addiction and the redemptive process of recovering from this deadly but ultimately treatable illness, and remaining sober. A deeply touching memoir and with a side of self-help, Tadhg's easy-going writing style belies his serious message - that each of us has the power to change our lives.

25. Glutton

by Ed Gamble

€15.99 €21.00

From a young age, Ed Gamble's immaculate bibs and extremely dirty nappies hinted at his capacious appetite.  Before he could walk, Ed already knew that he preferred poached salmon to puree, that celery was a calorie-sapping waste of time, and that mashed potatoes should be made with lashings of butter. Whilst he might ordinarily have been upset by the calls of 'precocious little sh*t' coming from his family, he was too busy staging rebellions against the patronising list of misery that is a children's menu. In Glutton, Ed shares a relatable buffet of experiences and stories from a life lived through food.  From the trials of being a diabetic with a sweet tooth to his teenage battles with obesity, to the joy of cooking and the power of food to bring us together, this is a wonderful, hilarious and heart-warming memoir of a delightful obsession.

26. Born to Be a Footballer H/B

by Liam Brady

€21.99 €28.00

"Being a footballer was my destiny." After being expelled from school for playing football for his country, fifteen-year-old Liam Brady travelled to London to join Arsenal, and soon became an indispensable part of their glorious 1970s team. Rightly considered one of the Republic of Ireland's best-ever footballers, he went on to enjoy successes with Juventus, Sampdoria and West Ham, as well as managing Celtic and Brighton and Hove, and becoming assistant manager of his national team. Today he is best know n for his much-respected TV punditry and searingly intelligent insights into the game he adores. Full of honest insights, amusing anecdotes and recollections of extraordinary times, with Born to be a Footballer Brady delivers a compelling story of a fifty-year career that is unparalleled in Irish sport.

27. Keira & Me H/B

by Noel Fitzpatrick

€19.99 €26.60

'With you by my side, just doing my best was the best thing to do.' Keira is a very special dog. She held the key to Noel's heart from the moment he first met her. That's because Keira doesn't judge. She can see beyond the superficial things that often divide us. When Noel struggles, Keira is there to remind him he need only do his best, with integrity and kindness, and a will to do the right thing. When he sees only darkness, Keira is ready to lend a paw and lift him back into the light. Based on the real Keira and Noel and their life together, Keira & Me captures the true, powerful bond between human and animal. Inspiring, healing and a heartfelt celebration of love, this beautifully illustrated fable teaches us all how to embrace the ups with the downs, the joy and the sorrow, that make up a life. For animal lovers everywhere, or anyone who needs a little comfort this Christmas, Keira & Me promises to break your heart - and put it back together again.

28. Sonic life

by Thurston Moore

€16.79 €21.00

A music-obsessed retrospective, beginning with his childhood epiphany of rock 'n' roll in the early 1960s into an infatuation with the subversive world of 1970s punk and no wave blasting forth from New York City - where he eventually runs off to join a band in 1978. By 1981 Moore would form the legendary and notorious experimental rock group Sonic Youth, who proceeded to record and tour relentlessly for almost 30 years, always progressing, always exploring. Along the way we meet a constellation of artists and musicians who colluded and collided with Sonic Youth including Velvet Underground, Stooges, Patti Smith, Television, Sex Pistols, Clash, Nirvana, Hole, Beastie Boys, Neil Young and a cavalcade of other musical visionaries, as well as figures from the art world - Jean Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Gerhard Richter. Simply put, Thurston Moore and Sonic Youth changed the sound of modern alternative rock music and opened the minds of a generation of artists to new possibilities within the form. This is essential reading.

29. Bowie at the BBC

by David Bowie

€27.99 €35.00

A LOUDER THAN WAR BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A unique insight... An excellent companion for both the casual and obsessive Bowie fan' Louder Then War The life of an icon, in his own words. David Bowie had a unique relationship with the BBC, making more appearances on 'the beeb' than any other broadcaster throughout his career. An anonymous pre-fame teenager, a blossoming starlet, a white-hot rock star and a veritable elder statesman of pop: the BBC had the inside scoop on it all. In this fascinating collection of BBC television and radio transcripts, Bowie's life story is told in his own words, across more than 35 appearances spanning over forty years. Each provides an illuminating snapshot of moments in a remarkable career. But read together, they offer a completely new take on Bowie himself, a first-person look at the rise and rise of a star. Compiled and guided by David Bowie expert and BBC journalist Tom Hagler, Bowie at the BBC is the complete story of an incredible life lived on the airwaves.

30. Madonna

by Mary Gabriel

€20.49 €26.59

*A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR | A GUARDIAN MEMOIR OF THE YEAR | A TELEGRAPH BEST MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR * 'Chronicles, in enthralling detail, Madonna Louise Ciccone's path from terrifyingly ambitious trainee dancer to pop colossus, all the while placing her in a wider social and cultural context.' GUARDIAN MAGAZINE 'Gabriel charts her extraordinary life, right through to pop icon. She deserves a biographer as meticulous, intelligent and insightful as Gabriel.' DAILY MAIL 'Madonna built the house in which nearly all female artists now live . . . A Rebel Life brings home not just her obvious willpower and strength, but her fearlessness and sheer intelligence' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'A fascinating take on one of music's greatest icons' BELFAST TELEGRAPH 'It's a mark of Gabriel's skill that she has managed to wrestle this complex, sprawling, eventful life into a book that rarely flags and conveys its subject's wider significance without tipping into hagiography. We come to understand Madonna the person as well as Madonna the concept: a woman who, for a generation, embodied female artistic, sexual and financial liberation.' GUARDIAN In this exceptional biography, Pulitzer Prize finalist Mary Gabriel chronicles the meteoric rise and enduring influence of the greatest female pop icon of the modern era: Madonna. With her arrival on the music scene in the early 1980s, Madonna generated nothing short of an explosion - as great as that of Elvis or the Beatles - taking the nation by storm with her liberated politics and breathtaking talent. But Madonna was more than just a pop star. Everywhere, fans gravitated to her as an emblem of a new age, one in which feminism could shed the buttoned-down demeanour of the 1970s and feel relevant to a new generation. Amid the scourge of AIDS, she brought queer identities into the mainstream, fiercely defending a person's right to love whomever - and be whoever - they wanted. Despite fierce criticism, she never separated her music from her political activism. And as an artist, she never stopped experimenting. Madonna existed to push past boundaries by creating provocative, visionary music, videos, films and live performances that changed culture globally. Deftly tracing Madonna's story from her Michigan roots to her rise to super-stardom, master biographer Mary Gabriel captures the dramatic life and achievements of one of the greatest artists of our time.

31. The twelve Dels of Christmas

by David Jason

€9.49 €12.60

"What a brilliant Christmas gift" Chris Moyles "Like sitting down by the fire with [Sir David] and hearing your stories ... Full of surprises" Lorraine Kelly Think of this memoir as a Christmas special in book form, from someone who has been involved in a few of those and understands a bit about the concept. But a Christmas special very much like Only Fools and Horses, in the sense that the stories will be always heading outwards, ranging far and wide and well beyond the traditional festive gags involving giblets left in turkeys. As I sift through various festive-related episodes in my career, loosening the ribbons, parting the wrapping paper, I'll be doing my best to reach any relevant conclusions about life, work and the meaning of it all that I can usefully pass on to you - baubles of wisdom if you like. Or certainly baubles. You'll learn why I have the perfect face to play Scrooge. And if you're lucky I'll also share what it's like to fly in a helicopter with my old mucker Tom Cruise. Merry Christmas, you plonkers.

32. Agatha Christie

by Lucy Worsley

€11.99 €15.40

With access to personal letters and papers that have rarely been seen, Lucy Worsley's biography is both authoritative and entertaining and makes us realise what an extraordinary pioneer Agatha Christie was - truly a woman who wrote the twentieth century.

33. My Crazy World P/B

by Christy Dignam

€12.76 €15.95

Christy Dignam, lead singer of Aslan and one of Ireland's greatest rock stars, reveals all in this extraordinary tale of excess and devotion to his music. Growing up in Finglas, Dublin, there was only one thing Christy Dignam ever wanted to do - and that was sing. By the early 1980s, he had formed the band Aslan, part of a new wave of acts coming out of Ireland. Repeatedly chewed up and spat out in the feeding frenzy to sign 'the next U2', they stuck to their principles. developed a loyal following, and their first album Feel No Shame went to No 1 in their home country, showcased by the song 'This Is', which Christy proudly acknowledges has become 'part of Ireland's DNA'. But just as America seemed ready to fall for Aslan, Dignam was battling with heroin addiction, perhaps caused by having been sexually abused as a child, and so he was kicked out of the band. In 1993, after five years in the wilderness, he rejoined Aslan, leading the outfit to a triumphant second coming, despite struggling with further drug problems and serious illness. In this compelling memoir, Dignam looks back over his long career, vividly bringing to life the good times and the bad, but always remembering that at the heart of it all are his songs and his family.

34. American Prometheus

by Kai Bird

€13.99 €18.20

***THE INSPIRATION FOR OPPENHEIMER, WINNER OF 7 OSCARS, INCLUDING BEST PICTURE, BEST DIRECTOR AND BEST ACTOR*** THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR NONFICTION 'Reads like a thriller, gripping and terrifying' Sunday Times Physicist and polymath, as familiar with Hindu scriptures as he was with quantum mechanics, J. Robert Oppenheimer - director of the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb - was the most famous scientist of his generation. In their meticulous and riveting biography, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin reveal a brilliant, ambitious, complex and flawed man, profoundly involved with some of the momentous events of the twentieth century.

35. Rememberings

by Sinéad O'Connor

€11.99 €15.95

THE LANDMARK MEMOIR OF A GLOBAL MUSIC ICON SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2021 Sinéad O'Connor's voice and trademark shaved head made her famous by the age of twenty-one. Her recording of Prince's 'Nothing Compares 2 U' made her a global icon. She outraged millions when she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on American television. O'Connor was unapologetic and impossible to ignore, calling out hypocrisy wherever she saw it. She remained that way for over three decades. In her acclaimed No 1 bestselling memoir Rememberings , O'Connor told her story - the heartache of growing up in a family falling apart; her early forays into the Dublin music scene; her adventures and misadventures in the world of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll; the fulfilment of being a mother; her ongoing spiritual quest - and through it all, her abiding passion for music. Rememberings is intimate, replete with candid anecdotes and full of hard-won insights. It is a unique and remarkable chronicle by a unique and remarkable artist. ***** 'Inspiring, liberating, hilarious and fascinating' Irish Times 'Beautifully observed ... lyrical, funny and anguished' Guardian 'Her voice on the page is as fearless, riveting and unforgettable as her voice in song. The cadence alone is hypnotic, her story essential. Rememberings is a must-read' Michael Stipe 'So good, you'll want to read it twice' Sunday Independent 'A soul-bearing, brutally honest account of an extraordinary life' BBC Online 'Tremendous . . . fierce and funny' Sunday Times Books of the Year

36. I'm glad my mom died

by Jennette McCurdy

€23.20 €29.00

A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor-including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother-and how she retook control of her life. Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother's dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called "calorie restriction," eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, "Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn't tint hers?" She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income. In I'm Glad My Mom Died , Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail-just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly , she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi ("Hi Gale!"), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants. Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I'm Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.

37. Love Pamela TPB

by Pamela Anderson

€17.39 €21.75

PAMELA ANDERSON’s blond bombshell image was ubiquitous in the 1990s. Discovered in the stands during a Canadian football game, she was quickly launched into superstardom, becoming Playboy‘s favorite cover girl and an emblem of Hollywood glamour and sex appeal. Yet the Pamela Anderson we think we know was created through happenstance rather than careful cultivation. Love, Pamela brings forth her true story, that of a small town girl getting tangled up in her own dreams.Growing up on Vancouver Island, the daughter of young, wild, and unwittingly stylish parents, Pamela lived a hardscrabble childhood but developed a deep love for nature, populating her world with misfits, apparitional friends, and injured animals. Eventually overcoming her natural shyness, Pamela let her restless imagination propel her into a life few can dream of, in Hollywood and the Playboy Mansion. As her star rose, she found herself becoming a fixture of tabloid fodder, at the height of an era when paparazzi tactics were bent on destroying a person’s image and self-esteem.Pamela forged ahead with grace, finding sanctuary in her love of art and literature, and emerged a devoted mother and activist. Now, having returned to the island of her childhood, after a memorable run starring as Roxie in Chicago on Broadway, Pamela is telling her story, a story of an irrepressible free spirit coming home and discovering herself anew at every turn. With vivid prose interspersed with bursts of original poetry, Love, Pamela is a pensive, layered, and unforgettable memoir.

38. Beyond The Story: 10-Year Record of BTS

by Myeongseok Kang

€36.99 €56.00

THE FIRST EVER OFFICIAL BOOK- Published in celebration of BTS's 10th Anniversary, stories that go beyond what you already know about BTS, including unreleased photos, QR codes of videos, and all album information. After taking their first step into the world on June 13, 2013, BTS will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut in June 2023. They have risen to the peak as an iconic global artist and during this meaningful time, they look back on their footsteps in the first official book. In doing so, BTS nurtures the power to build brighter days and they choose to take another step on a road that no one has gone before. BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes stories of their journey so far through interviews and more than three years of in-depth coverage by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and other Korean pop culture in various media. Presented chronologically in seven chapters from before the debut of BTS to the present, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a sincere, lively, and deep story. In individual interviews that have been conducted without a camera or makeup, they illuminate their musical journey from multiple angles and discuss its significance. In addition, portrait photos that show BTS as individuals and artists open the book, and throughout there are concept photos, tracklists of all previous albums, and over 330 QR codes. As digital artists, BTS has been communicating with the world through the internet and this book allows readers to immediately access trailers, music videos, and more online to have a rich understanding of all the key moments in BTS history. Complete with a timeline of all major milestones, BEYOND THE STORY is a remarkable archive-truly everything about BTS in one volume.

39. Call me Mrs. Brown

by Brendan O'Carroll

€11.99 €15.40

Give them a feckin' great time with the hilarious and remarkably honest autobiography from the star of Mrs Brown's Boys, Brendan O'Carroll A story of humour born of pain, success wrung from adversity and of the steely ambition beneath the affable exterior - Sunday Life __________ 'What? What is it?' 'You're colour-blind.' Nothing? Nothing? I was aghast. 'But that could be dangerous. I mean, when I start to drive how will I be able to tell traffic lights?' 'I'll give you a hint, son, the red one is on the forking top.' Before he became the nation's favourite Mammy, Brendan O'Carroll was known simply as Brendan. The youngest of ten children from a poor family in Dublin, Brendan left school at the mere age of 12 to begin what would become a long and varied working life. He would go on to be a waiter, a publican, a window cleaner and a publisher amongst other jobs. Throughout the tough moments, Brendan always had humour and a good story to tell alongside the ever-guiding inspiration of his own Mammy, a formidable figure who became Ireland's first female Labour MP. His hope and determination meant he never gave up, and eventually a chance opportunity to perform stand-up would pave the way for the TV show that would become 'Mrs. Brown's Boys'. In his own unique voice, Brendan O'Carroll strings together the threads of his life, a helter-skelter story tracing the helter-skelter journey of a scrawny kid from Finglas, Dublin to TV screens around the world, told with warmth, humour, a touch of mischievousness - and more than a few coincidences. __________

40. Fly Away Paul TPB

by Lesley-Ann Jones

€19.04 €23.80

The first definitive account of Paul McCartney's time in Wings, to be published on the 50th anniversary of the bestselling album Band on the Run No comprehensive biography of the time Paul McCartney spent with Wings has ever been published. A period often dismissed as McCartney's 'missing' years, in fact the band lasted for a decade: two years longer than the Beatles, and wielded such impact and influence that they at one point achieved the status as the biggest live band in the world. Band on the Run sold over 6 million copies worldwide and became EMI's biggest selling album of the 1970s in the UK. Music biographer Lesley-Ann Jones has met McCartney many times and knew his late wife Linda. Here she shows how crucial Linda was to the evolution of Wings - at great cost to herself given the ridicule she was to encounter. But Linda saw that McCartney needed the band in the wake of the break up of the Beatles.  Drawing on extensive interviews and her trademark meticulous research, the author shows how this period in Paul McCartney's career was to become crucial not only to his development as an artist, but to his very survival

41. Karma

by Boy George

€18.99 €23.80

The definitive autobiography from Culture Club frontman and LGBTQ+ icon, Boy George Karma is the definitive autobiography from music icon, Boy George - the fabulous Grammy, Brit and Ivor Novello award-winning lead singer of 80s pop/reggae band, Culture Club. Told in his inimitable style, Karma will reflect on Boy George's life as a kid growing up in sixties London, through the hedonism of the seventies and the glam rock and punk rock revolution that birthed Culture Club, and the heydays of the nineties meeting musical legends like David Bowie, Madonna and Prince - as well as addressing all those rumours. The book will reveal the highs and lows of love, loss, addiction, recovery, prison, and celebrity on Boy George's journey through fame to finally embracing the man and artist that he is today: 'I went to a lot of trouble to create Boy George and then I went through a whole battle for years about not wanting to be him. But now I enjoy and embrace it in a way that I wasn't able to as a young person.... I'm learning to be George Alan O'Dowd from Eltham who it turns out is quite an interesting person.' With all the humour, honesty, sarcasm (and hats!) that you'd expect, Karma gives us a unique insight into Boy George's incredible story and the true evolution of a music icon.

42. My account

by Colleen Rooney

€16.99 €21.00

You may think you know everything about the seemingly dazzling life of Coleen Rooney. From growing up in Liverpool, where she met her childhood sweetheart Wayne, her career as a successful columnist to raising a family, every detail of her life has been widely reported on. Now in her own words, Coleen reveals the reality of living under such intense public scrutiny and how it has affected her life as a wife, mother and friend. Most notably she reveals her deepest thoughts and feelings about an infamous tale of friendship and betrayal played out on the national stage.

43. Different Aspects Tpb

by Michael Ball

€18.39 €23.80

DISCOVER THE CHARMING MEMOIR FROM THE BELOVED WEST END LEGEND - THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TREAT FOR MUSCIAL THEATRE FANS In 1989, a young Michael Ball landed the lead role in the musical Aspects of Love. It was a moment that changed his life forever. It was the first time he worked with legends of the stage like Andrew Lloyd Webber and Trevor Nunn; it was from that show that came his smash hit song, Love Changes Everything, which rode high in the charts for 15 weeks; it was then, also, that he first met his long-term partner Cathy McGowan and battled back against the stage fright that had threatened his career. Over three decades later, Michael returns to a new production of the same show where he made his name, definitely older, possibly wiser, and with a lifetime's worth of stories to tell. In Different Aspects, Michael takes us backstage inside the making of a West End hit, while diving back into memories to explore that moment in his twenties when the world was at his feet and his life changed beyond recognition. Part exploration of the pitfalls and pratfalls of modern theatre and part exploration of his life, his career and his relationships, Different Aspects is the story of a life lived on the stage. There is laughter, there is tears, there is sweat and some blood, there is even some Roger Moore, although, famously, not quite enough. And through it all the show goes on. Take your seats ladies and gentlemen, the lights are dimming, the performance is about to start.

44. Amy winehouse - in her words

by Amy Winehouse

€30.99 €43.50

Global icon Six-time Grammy winner Headline-maker The most talented recording artist of her generation Much has been said about Amy Winehouse since her tragic death aged just 27. But who was the real Amy? Amy Winehouse: In Her Words shines a spotlight on her incredible writing talent, her wit, her charm and lust for life. Bringing together Amy's own never-before-seen journals, handwritten lyrics and family photographs together for the first time, this intimate tribute traces her creative evolution from growing up in North London to global superstardom, and provides a rare insight into the girl who became a legend. * The Estate of Amy Winehouse will donate 100% of the advance and royalties it receives (net of agency fees charged) from the production and sale of this book to The Amy Winehouse Foundation (registered charity number 1143740). The minimum donation will be £70,000. These funds will assist the charity in continuing their vital work helping thousands of young people to feel supported in managing their emotional wellbeing and making informed life choices. Initiatives include Amy's Place, which provides addiction recovery housing for young women; resilience-building programmes in schools and music therapy programmes supporting children with special educational needs and life-limiting conditions. More information can be found at https://amywinehousefoundation.org.

45. A pocketful of happiness

by Richard E. Grant

€10.99 €14.00

'A gorgeously candid account of acting and show business. And an intimate and heartfelt story of love, loss and a life spent together. It is an honour to be invited in on these diaries. I cannot remember being so moved by a book' Dolly Alderton 'Fascinating, funny and heart wrenching' Dame Julie Walters 'An emotional rollercoaster - profoundly moving and wonderfully entertaining. A brilliant memoir about living, loving and losing' Bernardine Evaristo Richard E. Grant emigrated from Swaziland to London in 1982, with dreams of making it as an actor, when he unexpectedly met and fell in love with renowned dialect coach Joan Washington. Their relationship and marriage, navigating the highs and lows of Hollywood, parenthood and loss, lasted almost forty years. When Joan died in 2021, her final challenge to him was to find 'a pocketful of happiness in every day'. This honest and frequently hilarious memoir is written in honour of that challenge -  Richard has faithfully kept a diary since childhood, and in these entries he shares in raw detail everything he has experienced : both the pain of losing his beloved wife, and the excitement of their life together, from the role that transformed his life overnight in Withnail & I to his thrilling Oscar nomination thirty years later for Can You Ever Forgive Me?   Told with candour in Richard's utterly unique style, A Pocketful of Happiness is a powerful, funny and moving celebration of life's unexpected joys.

46. Shooting star

by Paul Rees

€23.99 €30.80

A Resident Book of the Year 'A masterpiece. Beautiful, tragic and immaculately researched.' - Matt Everett 'Elliott was one of the best songwriters of our day and a formidable musician.' - Beck 'There's an undercurrent of real sadness in a lot of his music ... and that's just really the way he was.' - Steve Drozd, Flaming Lips In 2003, Steven 'Elliott' Smith died from two stab wounds to the heart. To this day, the autopsy evidence remains inconclusive as to whether the wounds were self-inflicted or the result of homicide. Either way, this tragic end to Elliott's short-lived though prodigiously talented life became the dark denouement of a story riddled with depression, mental illness, addiction and chronic substance abuse. Yet it is also a story of worldwide critical acclaim, of Oscar nominations and of some of the finest recorded music of the late twentieth century. Now, two decades after Elliott's death, Shooting Star seeks to encapsulate the many complexities of this shy, funny, engaging, enigmatic musician and his desperately troubled soul. With contributions from those closest to Elliott who have not previously spoken about their friend, this masterful biography places the singer-songwriter's vulnerabilities and decline within the broader context of all that he achieved: the sheer, stark beauty of the records he made and the resounding impact they went on to have across a whole spectrum of contemporary music. This is the definitive account of Elliott Smith - a once-in-a-generation artist.

47. Scenes from my life

by Michael Kenneth Williams

€12.32 €15.40

The New York Times Bestseller ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times , NPR, The Root A moving, unflinching memoir of hard-won success, struggles with addiction, and a lifelong mission to give back. When Michael K. Williams died on 6 September 2021, he left behind a career as one of the most electrifying actors of his generation. From his star turn as Omar Little in The Wire to Chalky White in Boardwalk Empire to Emmy-nominated roles in HBO's The Night Of and Lovecraft Country , Williams inhabited a slew of indelible roles that he portrayed with a rawness and vulnerability that leapt off the screen. Beyond the nominations and acclaim, Williams played characters who connected, whose humanity couldn't be denied, whose stories were too often left out of the main narrative. At the time of his death, Williams had nearly finished a memoir that tells the story of his past while looking to the future, a book that merges his life and his life's work. Mike, as his friends knew him, was so much more than an actor. In Scenes from My Life , he traces his life in whole, from his childhood in East Flatbush and his early years as a dancer to his battles with addiction and the bar fight that left his face with his distinguishing scar. He was a committed Brooklyn resident and activist who dedicated his life to working with social justice organisations and his community, especially in helping at-risk youth find their voice and carve out their future. Williams worked to keep the spotlight on those he fought for and with, whom he believed in with his whole heart. Imbued with poignance and raw honesty, Scenes from My Life is the story of a performer who gave his all to everything he did - in his own voice, in his own words, as only he could. 'Immensely inspiring and candid' - Publishers Weekly ' Soul-baring' - The Washington Post 'A gripping, revelatory memoir' - NPR 'William's cool rasp leaps off every page, his story told in the direct yet impassioned language that defined his greatest characters' - Vulture

48. Pageboy

by Elliot Page

€23.80

It was two months before the world premiere of 'Juno', and Elliot Page was in his first ever queer bar. The hot summer air hung heavy around him as he looked at her. And then it happened. In front of everyone. A previously unfathomable experience. Here he was on the precipice of discovering himself as a queer person, as a trans person. Getting closer to his desires, his dreams, himself, without the repression he'd carried for so long. But for Elliot, two steps forward had always come with one step back. With Juno's massive success, Elliot became one of the world's most beloved actors. His dreams were coming true, but the pressure to perform suffocated him. He was forced to play the part of the glossy young starlet, a role that made his skin crawl, on and off set. The career that had been an escape out of his reality and into a world of imagination was suddenly a nightmare.

49. My lady parts

by Doon Mackichan

€18.39 €23.80

Doon Mackichan is best known for her comedy characters in the hugely popular Brass Eye , Smack the Pony and Toast of London - but throughout her career there are parts she's refused to take and stereotypes she's continually defied. The Feisty Feminist. The Hot Lesbian. The Desperate Cougar. In My Lady Parts , Doon shares her experience on stage, screen and in real life, examining how our culture still expects women to adhere to certain stereotypes - and punishes those who don't. Doon looks at the stories we are telling and asks: what do these roles we give women tell us about their value in the society we live in? How do we hold our heads up without fear and say no to those that objectify us? The Deranged Mother. The Stupid Tart. The Hag. This is a courageous, vulnerable and empowering account of being a woman in an industry that has been exposed for its deep-rooted sexism. It is, above all, a call to reflect on - and radically rework - the implications such attitudes have for future generations.

50. Running up that hill

by Tom Doyle

€11.99 €15.40

A Times Book of the Year An Uncut Magazine Book of the Year A Waterstones Music Book of the Year A Virgin Radio Book of the Year A Louder Book of the Year 'Probably the best Bush book to date.' - Record Collector Kate Bush: the subject of murmured legend and one of the most idiosyncratic musicians of the modern era. Comprising fifty chapters or 'visions', Running Up That Hill is a multi-faceted biography of this famously elusive figure, viewing her life and work from fresh and illuminating angles. Featuring details from the author's one-to-one conversations with Kate, as well as vignettes of her key songs, albums, videos and concerts, this artful, candid and often brutally funny portrait introduces the reader to the refreshingly real Kate Bush. Along the way, the narrative also includes vivid reconstructions of transformative moments in her career and insights from the friends and collaborators closest to Kate, including her photographer brother John Carder Bush and fellow artists David Gilmour, John Lydon and Youth. Running Up That Hill is a vibrant and comprehensive re-examination of Kate Bush and her many creative landmarks.

51. Yearbook

by Seth Rogen

€9.79 €14.00

THE NEW YORK TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Hi! I'm Seth! I was asked to describe my book, Yearbook, for the inside cover flap (which is a gross phrase) and for websites like this one, so... here it goes!!! Yearbook is a collection of true stories that I desperately hope are just funny at worst, and life-changingly amazing at best. (I understand that it's likely the former, which is a fancy "book" way of saying "the first one.") I talk about my grandparents, doing stand-up comedy as a teenager, bar mitzvahs and Jewish summer camp, and tell way more stories about doing drugs than my mother would like. I also talk about some of my adventures in Los Angeles, and surely say things about other famous people that will create a wildly awkward conversation for me at a party one day. I hope you enjoy the book should you buy it, and if you don't enjoy it, I'm sorry. If you ever see me on the street and explain the situation, I'll do my best to make it up to you.

52. Who I am

by Melanie C.

€11.19 €14.00

'What a woman and what a book!' Elizabeth Day 'Fabulous!' Zoe Ball 'Sporty Spice telling it like it is.' Independent 'Incredibly profound, vulnerable and honest.' Steven Bartlett 'Absolutely brilliant, especially for young girls.' Chris Evans I never told my story before because I wasn't ready. Now, finally, I am. Twenty-five years ago, The Spice Girls released our first ever single, 'Wannabe'. At that moment, my life changed forever. I was suddenly part of one of the biggest groups in history, releasing hit after hit and living out everything I'd ever dreamed of... The BRITs, Spiceworld, the London 2012 Olympics and more! I have been known as Sporty Spice, Mel C, Melanie C and plain old Melanie Chisholm, but what you will read within the pages of this book is who I truly am and everything I've been through. I want to share with you my crazy experiences, my amazing journey and my full self. I hope you enjoy it with me.

53. The storyteller

by David Grohl

€12.75 €15.95

THE SUNDAY TIMES NO 1 BESTSELLER  *  ONE OF NME 's BEST MUSIC BOOKS OF 2021  *  ONE OF VARIETY 'S BEST MUSIC BOOKS OF 2021  *  INCLUDED IN AUDIBLE'S BEST OF THE YEAR LIST So, I've written a book.   Having entertained the idea for years, and even offered a few questionable opportunities ('It's a piece of cake! Just do four hours of interviews, find someone else to write it, put your face on the cover, and voila!'), I have decided to write these stories just as I have always done, in my own hand. The joy that I have felt from chronicling these tales is not unlike listening back to a song that I've recorded and can't wait to share with the world, or reading a primitive journal entry from a stained notebook, or even hearing my voice bounce between the Kiss posters on my wall as a child.    This certainly doesn't mean that I'm quitting my day job, but it does give me a place to shed a little light on what it's like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, walking through life while living out the crazy dreams I had as young musician. From hitting the road with Scream at 18 years old, to my time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, jamming with Iggy Pop or playing at the Academy Awards or dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, drumming for Tom Petty or meeting Sir Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall, bedtime stories with Joan Jett or a chance meeting with Little Richard, to flying halfway around the world for one epic night with my daughters.the list goes on. I look forward to focusing the lens through which I see these memories a little sharper for you with much excitement.   

54. Greenlights

by Matthew McConaughey

€9.49 €14.00

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER - MILLIONS OF COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE Gloriously bonkers - Guardian, Best Autobiographies and Memoirs of 2020 A rollicking, contemplative trip - Financial Times From the Academy Award®-winning actor, an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction. I've been in this life for fifty years, been trying to work out its riddle for forty-two, and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last thirty-five. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me. Recently, I worked up the courage to sit down with those diaries. I found stories I experienced, lessons I learned and forgot, poems, prayers, prescriptions, beliefs about what matters, some great photographs, and a whole bunch of bumper stickers. I found a reliable theme, an approach to living that gave me more satisfaction, at the time, and still: If you know how, and when, to deal with life's challenges - how to get relative with the inevitable - you can enjoy a state of success I call 'catching greenlights.' So I took a one-way ticket to the desert and wrote this book: an album, a record, a story of my life so far. This is fifty years of my sights and seens, felts and figured-outs, cools and shamefuls. Graces, truths, and beauties of brutality. Getting away withs, getting caughts, and getting wets while trying to dance between the raindrops. Hopefully, it's medicine that tastes good, a couple of aspirin instead of the infirmary, a spaceship to Mars without needing your pilot's license, going to church without having to be born again, and laughing through the tears. It's a love letter. To life. It's also a guide to catching more greenlights-and to realising that the yellows and reds eventually turn green too. Good luck.