Andrew Smith's job is to visit the homes of those who've died alone and search for a next of kin or at least money for the funeral. In his spare time, he takes comfort in Ella Fitzgerald’s music and an online community of model train aficionados. When he absentmindedly lies at a job interview, you think that he simply just can’t be bothered explaining how it all started, but gradually you realize there’s more to it and that he’s found some sort of solace in his imaginary life. Then comes Peggy, and this is just the beginning. Dark and funny, Something to Live For is a story exploring loneliness, the ways we shield ourselves from others, and the walls we build. But it’s also a story of love and friendship and finding the strength to break those walls.
If you are a football fan, like I am, you know that David Goldblatt's new book is a must read. His vast knowledge of the game and extensive research goes beyond what's happening within 90 minutes between twenty-two players on the football field. To the fans it is so much more: it's passion, sense of belonging, dedication, religion - and Goldblatt manages to capture that and so much more. Football has gotten into every aspect of today's world and every aspect of our lives. Exploring socio-economic, political, national and global implications of the game throughout continents, teams and competitions, Goldblatt will take you on a journey - through football and the world in the 21st century - that you won't regret taking.
Loosely based on the events that took place during the Orange revolution in Ukraine in the winter of 2004, Independence Square follows the lives of the politicians, protesters and diplomats involved, one way or another. Alternating chapters cover the occurrences during the revolution and the results of it some 13 years later. A British diplomat caught in the middle of it all, politics, manipulation, intrigue, corruption, betrayal; battles won but lives ruined. It's a thriller that will have you turning the pages, and wondering who was it that won; was it the people on the streets or the figures pulling the strings from the shadows?
