The Miseducation of Monique Ross

The Miseducation of Monique Ross, like Ms. Lauryn Hill’s debut album, is a love story: unapologetically in a league of its own with no other author ever utilizing its concept. Each chapter in the book is named after a track from the album. Monique likes to think if Lauryn Hill’s album were a book, it would be this one and vice versa.

It's a controversial feminist memoir that reads like fiction. It's unconventional, touching, strong, immersive, authentic, thought provoking, complex, emotional, powerful, intelligent, uncomfortably bold, direct, daring, unapologetic, inspiring, empowering, uplifting, raw, uncut, erotic and full of emotion and vulnerability. And its word play would leave the late great Maya Angelou proud to know she inspired it. If it could be summed up in one word, it would be self-liberating. There is something in this book for everyone, all told from Monique’s perspective.

To the author that's what sets it apart from anything else because like her, The Miseducation of Monique Ross says all the things that everyone else is afraid to say. It gives out those inner thoughts – the ones you think to yourself and maybe would share with only your closest friends or family members and sometimes simply keep to yourself because they’re that inappropriate. It touches on everything from women's issues, mental health issues, abortion, miscarriages, divorce, dating, parenting, marital issues, family, and most importantly love and other drugs.

Thread of Fate

A friendship first made on a 1950s holiday, a document unsigned at the last moment, the suggestion made by a stranger, a photograph taken in Spain, all elements in a chain of events leading to a totally unexpected romantic encounter quite late in life.

This is the story of a childhood in the 1930s, taking us through carefree days at the seaside, when it is never too young to fall in love. An account of wartime on the east coast and day-to-day work behind a pharmacy counter in those long, dark years, is interlaced with notes on severe winters from a daily 80-year record kept by a dedicated amateur weatherman.

Along the way there are accounts of incidents of a supernatural nature, how a smoking habit may have saved a life which it took away in later years, encounters with fire, in one case a little too close for comfort.

Readers can form their own opinion as to whether the happenings set down in these pages are just a matter of random chance, or is there indeed a guiding thread of predestination leading to a totally unexpected change of lifestyle.

Endeavour to Rise – Misdemeanours, Musings, Meditations, Mistakes and Mastery

Autobiography by way of a confessional, this book is a ramble through the author’s experiences, impressions, opinions and ideas formed over seven decades. This autobiography sees the author regret her failed relationships, financial mismanagement, folly and fecklessness. It also sees her celebrate success, achievements, courage and a lifetime of service as a nurse.This book is a call for you to recognize yourself as a unique miracle of creation. It offers some cautionary tales and urges you to rid yourself of guilt, blame and shame and to think for yourself.Exploring the eternal questions about the meaning of life e.g. ‘Why are we here?’, ‘Is there a God?’ and ‘Why is there so much suffering?’, this book invites you to reflect on your own life, your truth and your reality so you can shell your emotional baggage. It can also be seen as an exercise in vanity and self-indulgence.

School Shit

Kevin candidly presents the highs and lows of a teaching career spanning four decades, and useful advice on how to motivate children to learn. The book is intended to appeal to practising professionals, anyone considering teaching as a career, and those with an interest in what goes on behind school doors. Kevin's style relies heavily on humour, particularly when recalling children's mischievous natures.        The fun element is being systematically squeezed out of learning and teaching. Fear of failure underpins the ethos of many of our schools. Children and teachers too often find themselves operating in a stifling educational culture that prioritises performance data. Educational success is defined by the measurable.Child-centred education has become an anachronism. The case is argued that individual children and their unique talents and abilities matter. Radical changes to school practices are advocated if our institutions are to do justice to school populations of the future.

We Were Tourists

Jim Toomey was already a successful drummer when he became a part of a new group, The Tourists, in the late seventies. He formed the group with Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart, Peet Coombes and Eddie Chin.From their early beginnings in London, finding their sound and their voice, through their success, their recordings, TV appearances, and their tours across the world, this is the story of The Tourists, told by the man sitting behind the drums.In a series of anecdotes and tales of the band's journey, we gain insight into the inner workings of a successful band; the fun and success, but also the work, the creativity, the pressures of seemingly endless tours, the good and the bad sides of the business, and the all too familiar trajectory of a band which sowed the seeds of music which endure 40 years later.