Whiskey and Charlie


Book Description

"A sharp, perceptive novel about family and forgiveness, Whiskey & Charlie will stay with me for a very long time." Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train A captivating debut novel of brothers who have drifted apart and the accident that will determine their future, by an unforgettable new voice in fiction. Whiskey and Charlie might have come from the same family, but they'd tell you two completely different stories about growing up. Whiskey is everything Charlie is not bold, daring, carefree and Charlie blames his twin brother for always stealing the limelight, always getting everything, always pushing Charlie back. By the time the twins reach adulthood, they are barely even speaking to each other. When they were just boys, the secret language they whispered back and forth over their crackly walkie-talkies connected them, in a way. The two-way alphabet (alpha, bravo, charlie, delta) became their code, their lifeline. But as the brothers grew up, they grew apart. When Charlie hears that Whiskey has been in a terrible accident and has slipped into a coma, Charlie can't make sense of it. Who is he without Whiskey? As days and weeks slip by and the chances of Whiskey recovering grow ever more slim, Charlie is forced to consider that he may never get to say all the things he wants to say. A compelling and unforgettable novel about rivalry and redemption, Whiskey & Charlie is perfect for anyone whose family has ever been less than picture-perfect. "A finely crafted novel that keeps us reading because we care about the characters. It's a terrific book."—Graeme Simsion, New York Times bestselling author of The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect




Whisky and Ice


Book Description

During the Roaring Twenties, Ben Kerr was known as the "King of the Rumrunners." The U.S. Coast Guard put him at the top of the most-wanted list and offered a reward of $5,000. But ending up in Club Fed was not Kerr’s only worry - he had to contend with Hamilton crime lords Rocco and Bessie Perri. Whisky and Ice takes the reader back to the Prohibition era, when Canada and the United States were obsessed with "demon liquor" (not to mention the endless posturing by politicians). As Hunt aptly writes, the U.S. during Porhibition "was about as dry as the mud flats of the Mississippi at high tide."




Pure Heart


Book Description

There is nothing stronger than a mother’s love . . . except a good glass of moonshine. The mountains of North Carolina are rich—lush with the greens and blues of the seven-mile views and bursting with a culture where the ways of Old Appalachia meet the new South. This is the heart of moonshine country, where they practice an art passed down from generation to generation, crafted not only out of pride and ingenuity, but also out of a daring to push the boundaries of the law to create a product that has come, in many ways, to symbolize America. Troy Ball is a classic Southern belle, with an easy charm, impeccable manners, a wide smile, and golden-blond hair. But beneath that crisp white blouse and strand of pearls is a streak of tenacity a mile wide. In the early 2000s, Troy and her husband, Charlie, left their native Texas for the up-and-coming town of Asheville, North Carolina, because the climate was better for the health of their two severely ill, special-needs sons. Troy found there something the dedicated mom never expected: time for herself. And then along came Forrest Jarrett, an Appalachian raconteur with a pickup truck, a thousand stories to tell, and a sip or two of white squeezings, aka moonshine, to share with the newcomer. What followed was a surprising friendship and a five-year journey into the heart of distilling old-fashioned corn whiskey. Stretching back to Colonial times and forward to today and the Byzantine laws Troy had to navigate to become the first female legal moonshiner in the history of the South, this a true moonshine-making odyssey that will touch your soul. When the real estate crash wiped out her family financially and threatened the safety of her children, Troy realized that moonshine was more than a hobby . . . her world-class whiskey (and newfound friends) could save her family, too. Pure Heart is a story of dedication, inspiration, and days spent in a run-down shack in the company of some of the finest and funniest good-old boys you’d ever want to meet. It is the story of how a strong woman used grit and determination to launch a thriving business, and what a mother will do to help her children. It is also about sharing a drink with friends—and all that is great about the South.




A Knight of Another Sort


Book Description

Charlie Birger's legacy is that of the most popular and, arguably, the most violent gangster in southern Illinois during the 1920s. A Russian immigrant who first proved his grit on the streets of St. Louis as a newsboy, Birger later excelled in boxing and breaking horses in the West. But the coming of Prohibition to the coal fields of southern Illinois provided the opportunity for Birger to become a key figure in a maelstrom of violence that would shock the country. Bolstered by years of research and interviews, Gary DeNeal tenders an insightful biography of this controversial character. Enhanced by newly discovered photographs and a new chapter, the second edition of A Knight of Another Sort brings Birger and his bloody era vividly to life.




Never Look at the Empty Seats


Book Description

The Incredible Story of a Country Music Legend Few artists have left a more indelible mark on America’s musical landscape than Charlie Daniels. Readers will experience a soft, personal side of Charlie Daniels that has never before been documented. In his own words, he presents the path from his post-depression childhood to performing for millions as one of the most successful country acts of all time and what he has learned along the way. The book also includes insights into the many musicians that orbited Charlie’s world, including Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette and many more. Charlie was officially inducted into The Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016, shortly before his 80th birthday. He now shares the inside stories, reflections, and rare personal photographs from his earliest days in the 1940s to his self-taught guitar and fiddle playing high school days of the fifties through his rise to music stardom in the seventies, eighties and beyond. Charlie Daniels presents a life lesson for all of us regardless of profession: “Walk on stage with a positive attitude. Your troubles are your own and are not included in the ticket price. Some nights you have more to give than others, but put it all out there every show. You're concerned with the people who showed up, not the ones who didn't. So give them a show and…Never look at the empty seats!”




Malt Whisky


Book Description

'Scotland's leading whisky expert' - The Times Malt whisky has captured the hearts of spirits drinkers worldwide. This companion to Scotland's distilleries explores the history of malt whisky, how it is distilled and the contribution made by each ingredient throughout the process. Author Charles MacLean, a world authority on Scottish malt whisky, shows you how best to appreciate whisky and evaluate its subtleties, as well as how to describe its complex aromas and flavours. Malt Whisky includes a detailed A-Z directory of Scotland's distilleries with full-colour maps and more than 150 photographs. Tasting notes are also provided, as well as tips on buying malt whisky, a guide to visiting distilleries and the best whisky societies and websites available worldwide. This book is an invaluable guide for lovers of malt whisky, whether you are deciding which whiskies to buy, organizing a tasting, or simply armchair dreaming, dram in hand. - Recommendations from a world-respected authority - More than 250 maps and illustrations - A-Z directory of Scotland's malt whisky distilleries - Tasting notes for a variety of whiskies - Tips on buying and collecting




Work and Other Sins


Book Description

Pulitzer Prize-winning "New York Times" reporter Charlie LeDuff gives his incomparable take on the city and its denizens-the bars, the workingmen, the gamblers, the eccentrics, the lonesome, and the wise. "Work and Other Sins" is filled to burst with stories of the fascinating, one-of-a-kind characters who populate the modern metropolis. In these pages we meet a Long Island used-car salesman; a professional Santa; the men who change the light bulbs atop the Empire State Building; a Sinatra imitator; a retired Harlem chorus-line girl; a lighthouse keeper; a saloon priest; Latin lovers; a host of barroom regulars; and myriad others-all of whom present their take on working, drinking, gambling, dying, and countless other facts of life. Charlie LeDuff takes us to the watering holes, prisons, veterans' hospitals, firehouses, apartment buildings, baseball fields, and graveyards that make up the landscape of modern life. Also included is LeDuff's acclaimed series of articles on Squad One, the Brooklyn firehouse that suffered devastating losses on September 11, as well as his Pulitzer Prize-winning piece on workers in a North Carolina slaughterhouse. LeDuff captures the spirit of the people and places he profiles with a dead-on feel for character and idiom and his signature wry wit. But more than that, LeDuff lets his characters speak for themselves. What results is at turns riotous, dirt-under-the-nails, contemplative, salty, joyous, whiskey tinged-an utterly unique vision of life in the Big Apple and beyond.




Ava's Man


Book Description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • With the same emotional generosity and effortlessly compelling storytelling that made All Over But the Shoutin’ a beloved bestseller, Rick Bragg continues his personal history of the Deep South. This time he’s writing about his grandfather Charlie Bundrum, a man who died before Bragg was born but left an indelible imprint on the people who loved him. Drawing on their memories, Bragg reconstructs the life of an unlettered roofer who kept food on his family’s table through the worst of the Great Depression; a moonshiner who drank exactly one pint for every gallon he sold; an unregenerate brawler, who could sit for hours with a baby in the crook of his arm. In telling Charlie’s story, Bragg conjures up the backwoods hamlets of Georgia and Alabama in the years when the roads were still dirt and real men never cussed in front of ladies. A masterly family chronicle and a human portrait so vivid you can smell the cornbread and whiskey, Ava’s Man is unforgettable.




Whisky


Book Description

Featuring an introduction by renowned whisky writer, Ian Buxton and a foreword by Charlie Maclean, this facsimile commemorative edition is aimed at whisky enthusiasts and casual dram-takers.




Next Whiskey Bar


Book Description

A collection of short stories and plays links characters on the edge of self-destruction with their favorite watering holes highlighting their stream of whiskey consciousness. Sidle up to a bar stool and stake a claim. In Next Whiskey Bar: Stories, Plays, and Drunk Talk, Charlie Moodie shares an eclectic collection of entertaining tales that bring to life the kinds of lonely characters who teeter on the periphery of self-destruction, lurk in dark watering holes, and tell timeless stories to anyone who will listen. Moodie begins with three tales about people who are on a perpetual quest to find themselves. Declan is a young man who attempts to drown his troubles in a glass of whiskey; Katrina is a maid who lives in Parisif only on Sunday afternoons; and Cara has a big heart, but only she knows if she can achieve her dreams. With a common theme of music, Moodie weaves a tapestry of stories that illustrate his characters challenges as they struggle to understand each other in an uncertain world where love, loss, acceptance, and grief swirl within streams of whiskey consciousness. From the Great Depression to the driving buzz of the todays cities, Next Whiskey Bar takes you to the back of a bar, where listening to the music and eavesdropping on the sweet drunk talk make it all worthwhile. Moodie begins with three tales about people who are on a perpetual quest to find themselves. Declan is a young man who attempts to drown his troubles in a glass of whiskey; Katrina is a maid who lives in Parisif only on Sunday afternoons; and Cara has a big heart, but only she knows if she can achieve her dreams. With a common theme of music, Moodie weaves a tapestry of stories that illustrate his characters challenges as they struggle to understand each other in an uncertain world where love, loss, acceptance, and grief swirl within streams of whiskey consciousness. From the Great Depression to the driving buzz of the todays cities, Next Whiskey Bar takes you to the back of a bar, where listening to the music and eavesdropping on the sweet drunk talk make it all worthwhile.




Recent Books