Holiday Memoir

Dylan Thomas wrote "A Child's Christmas in Wales" in 1955, in which he recreated the atmosphere of Christmas Past as he remembered it. Each one of us will have similar memories of the glitter and the emotions of this time of innocence, plenty, fun, anticipation, and excitement.

Drawing on a vast amount of new material that has surfaced in the last decade, critically acclaimed jazz writer John Szwed considers how her life inflected her art, her influences, her uncanny voice and rhythmic genius, a number of her signature songs, and her legacy.

The stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul will encourage listeners to stay upbeat, because there's always a brighter way to look at life. This collection includes 32 Stories of Christmas humor, memories, and holiday traditions.

From poignant to bizarre, the "writers" of these 25 letters are a diverse group with the strangest requests. The cleverly written songs are even funnier than the letters.

Laurie Lee left his childhood home in the Cotswolds when he was 19, but it remained with him throughout his life until, many years later, he returned for good. This collection brings to life the sights, sounds, landscapes and traditions of his home - from centuries-old May Day rituals to his own patch of garden, from carol singing in crunching snow to pub conversations and songs. Here, too, he writes about the mysteries of love, living in wartime Chelsea, Winston Churchill's wintry funeral and his battle, in old age, to save his beloved Slad Valley from developers.

In Harlem’s tumultuous history, there are many tragedies. For those growing up in this part of New York City, a young man known simply as Fritz from West 112th Street became an urban legend in Harlem. In the 1970s, Richard “Fritz” Simmons is introduced to the drug trade by an associate of the Lucchese crime family, one of the five families of La Cosa Nostra (the Mafia). After negotiating a deal with the Medellín Cartel, Fritz becomes New York’s Cocaine Consignment King. Harlem Holiday brings her inside scoop after almost three decades of silence.

Billie Holiday: Jazz Singer is a full-length biography about Billie Holiday from her birth in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to her childhood in Baltimore, Maryland, through her 30-year career by Meredith Coleman McGee.

Bautizada Vicente Aurelio, Samantha se encamina hacia los senderos de la masculinidad, por los cuales los tropiezos y las trampas son frecuentes: niño afeminado, sensible, es seducido, a sus doce años, por el atlético y viril David que le promete amor eterno en la iglesia de San José. Asus diecinueve años, deja Orizaba para emanciparse y liberarse en la Ciudad de México. Tras haber concluido sus estudios de hotelería, trabaja como recepcionista en varios hoteles, pero a Samantha le gusta el mundo de la farándula y de la diversión nocturna.

US president from 1901 to 1909, an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, acclaimed historian … and a lover of books. This is an insight into Roosevelt’s reading interests and ideas about selecting reading material.

Ascolta e rivivi la storia della mitica cantante americana. Un ritratto a tutto tondo di una delle grandi voci della musica! Da Valentina Mattarozzi, cantautrice bolognese da sempre appassionata di musica, danza, disegno e recitazione. Valentina ha all'attivo album e concerti, e naviga ogni giorno nelle acque profonde dello swing, del jazz, del blues e anche del pop.

Richard heads off to Thailand on holiday - alone - and reflects on getting older over a bottle of beer and a plate of chicken satay. An hilarious episode from Richard's new book, How Not to Grow Up.

In 1978, Kim "Howard" Johnson ran away to join the circus - Monty Python's Flying Circus, that is. The Pythons converged on Tunisia to film their timeless classic Life of Brian, and Howard found himself in the thick of it, doubling for nearly all the Pythons, playing more roles in the film than John Cleese, and managing to ruin only one shot. He became the unit journalist, substitute still photographer, Roman soldier, peasant, near-stalker, and, ultimately, friend and confidant of the comedy legends.

Double Luck is filled with examples of how the human spirit can triumph over adversity. In the Chinese language, the word crisis is written with two symbols: one meaning "danger" and the other meaning "opportunity". Although Chi Fa's childhood was filled with crisis, he always looked for opportunity. His successful triumph over crisis after crisis is an inspiration for all who seek hope in the face of great challenges.

In Jrue Holiday: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball’s All-Star Point Guards, you'll learn the inspirational story of one of basketball's all-star guards, Jrue Holiday. Holiday has carved out a steady NBA career for himself, having been selected as an all-star back in just his fourth season, and having received a number of accolades including but not limited to All-Defensive First Team, Teammate of the Year, and the Sportsmanship Award.

Sprinkled with humor, Our Last Christmas Wish is a raw and inspiring story of hope, faith, and love. Chris’ resolution to live with meaning and his determination to inspire that passion in others kindles joy and warmth in the true spirit of Christmas, enriching lives around the world as his story is shared year after year.

Christmas is eagerly awaited by Lulu, a young girl living in a small Wisconsin town during the Great Depression. Anticipation is transformed into anxiety when Daddy loses his job, doubts about Santa flicker, and that Shirley Temple doll seems further away than ever. Mama reveals her own brutal Christmas as an orphan, adding new worries. But it's Lulu's deep faith and vibrant hope that keeps her looking forward to each new day and the glorious gift of Christmas.

Peter, the naughty rabbit, helps himself to the crops from Mr. MacGregor's garden, to the dismay of all.

The perfect gift book, featuring the writing of Meryl Streep, Bill Bailey, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Caitlin Moran, Richard Ayoade, Emily Watson and others, to coincide with the upcoming movie Last Christmas, starring Emma Thompson, Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. When you think back to Christmases past, what (if anything) made it magical? This is a beautiful, funny and soulful collection of personal essays about the meaning of Christmas, written by a unique plethora of voices from the boulevards of Hollywood to the soup kitchens of Covent Garden.

If Billie Holiday wanted to become a jazz singer, she chose the best of all eras in which to attempt it. A wave of great jazz and jazz/pop crossover artists swept over the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s, generating a golden age for the genre. Emerging from such a powerful group of talented vocalists was not easy. The woman who has come to represent a model of great, instinctive jazz singing came from nowhere, had nothing, and virtually had no one. She was raw and untrained, but went forward with limited and quirky vocal gifts.

Für Rainer Maria Rilke war Weihnachten schon immer das wichtigste Fest des Jahres, das er oft in selbstgewählter Stille und mit dem Schreiben liebevoller Briefe verbrachte. Am 24. Dezember stellte sie sich ein, die "unvergleichliche Erwartung", die für ihn mit Heiligabend verbunden war. Eindringlich und nahbar beschreibt er in seinen Briefen an Familie und Freunde wie Anton Kippenberg, Lou Andreas-Salomé oder Franz Xaver Kappus, was ihm das "liebe alte Fest" bedeutet.