Would It Surprise You to Know... ?


Book Description

'Ronnie has overcome a heart-breaking start in life to achieve great success and no one deserves it more. What a dude, what a life!' - Fiona Bruce 'Brilliant...a mercurial memoir of a meritorious life.' - Lemn Sissay For decades, Ronnie Archer-Morgan has brought to life the fascinating, often surprising backstories behind our most cherished heirlooms and household objects on the Antiques Roadshow. Now, he tells his own unlikely story. Born in the fifties to a Sierra Leonean mother battling mental health problems, Ronnie spent his childhood in and out of care. After difficult beginnings, marked by abuse, racism and brushes with both criminals and the police, he got into music, managing to get DJ gigs and, later, worked as a celebrity hairdresser for Vidal Sassoon and Smile in the height of seventies London. A flair for spotting antiques led him to start his own Knightsbridge gallery, ultimately becoming one of the most respected figures in the industry, culminating in a regular spot as an expert on the nation's Sunday favourite, Antiques Roadshow. Told with rich warmth, this is an extraordinary journey from deprivation and abuse to adventure and success against the odds - with stories of the incredible objects which shaped the way. 'A surprising story, like many of the objects he appraises on the Antiques Roadshow' - Kate Adie, broadcaster and bestselling author 'A fascinating, rollercoaster read, very well told.' - Times




Surprise!


Book Description

A laugh-out-loud story of trying to make new friends and appreciating the ones you have from debut author-illustrator Caroline Hadilaksono Bear, Squirrel, and Raccoon have been friends a long time. A loooooooong time. So when a family of city folks comes to the neighborhood, the friends think that a surprise welcome party is just the kind of fun they've been looking for. Well, the party turns out to be quite the surprise indeed, but maybe not exactly what Bear, Squirrel, and Raccoon were imagining? Laugh-out-loud fun for friends and families of all species




If I Ran the Zoo


Book Description

Gerald tells of the very unusual animals he would add to the zoo, if he were in charge.




Dazzle Ships


Book Description

A visually stunning look at innovative and eye-popping measures used to protect ships during World War I. During World War I, British and American ships were painted with bold colors and crazy patterns from bow to stern. Why would anyone put such eye-catching designs on ships? Desperate to protect ships from German torpedo attacks, British lieutenant-commander Norman Wilkinson proposed what became known as dazzle. These stunning patterns and colors were meant to confuse the enemy about a ship's speed and direction. By the end of the war, more than four thousand ships had been painted with these mesmerizing designs. Author Chris Barton and illustrator Victo Ngai vividly bring to life this little-known story of how the unlikely and the improbable became just plain dazzling. "[A] conversational, compelling, and visually arresting story . . ."—starred, Publishers Weekly "Barton's lively text is matched by Ngai's engrossing artwork, which employs dazzle techniques throughout her inventive spreads."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books New York Public Library Best Books for Kids Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year




The Surprise Date Challenge


Book Description

Has your relationship lost its luster? Are you afraid it will? We've come up with a simple-and fun-way to help couples reach new levels of connection and commitment. So long, predictability. Hello, passion. Ready for some mystery and adventure? Let us show you how to be stronger and happier than ever-for the long haul.




I Will Surprise My Friend!


Book Description

Best friends Elephant and Piggie decide that they will try to surprise each other, with unexpected results.




Blood Hollow


Book Description

Blood Hollow immerses readers in an eerie mystery surrounding a racially charged murder in small-town Minnesota.







Surprise Yourself


Book Description

Make every day a new beginning with this lively illustrated journal from the author of Me, You, Us Brimming with fun and quirky ways to learn, create and grow, this charming journal presents simple activities to make every day count. Prompts include: Compliment a stranger Be a tourist in your own town for the day Steal someone else's morning routine Go stargazing - Invent a new recipe Let a dog take you for a walk Revisit a place from your childhood Organise a treasure hunt Start a club - Romance yourself Learn a few words of a new language Interview the oldest woman you know. Filled with delightful illustrations and plenty of room to record your own reflections and insights, this is a DIY happiness guide to share with a friend or use as a secret personal playbook for jump-starting each day. Flip to any page and begin!




Surprise Me


Book Description

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Party Crasher and Love Your Life comes a witty and emotionally charged novel that delves into the heart of a marriage, and how those we love and think we know best can sometimes surprise us the most “Sophie Kinsella keeps her finger on the cultural pulse, while leaving me giddy with laughter.”—Jojo Moyes, author of The Giver of Stars and The Last Letter from Your Lover After ten years together, Sylvie and Dan have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, and beautiful twin girls, and they communicate so seamlessly they finish each other’s sentences. They have a happy marriage and believe they know everything there is to know about each other. Until it’s casually mentioned to them that they could be together for another sixty-eight years . . . and panic sets in. They decide to bring surprises into their marriage to keep it fresh and fun. But in their pursuit of Project Surprise Me—from unexpected gifts to restaurant dates to sexy photo shoots—mishaps arise, with disastrous and comical results. Gradually, surprises turn to shocking truths. And when a scandal from the past is uncovered, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other at all. With a colorful cast of eccentric characters, razor-sharp observations, and her signature wit and charm, Sophie Kinsella presents a humorous yet moving portrait of a marriage—its intricacies, comforts, and complications. Surprise Me reveals that hidden layers in a close relationship are often yet to be discovered. Praise for Surprise Me “Genuinely funny.”—The New York Times Book Review “A delightful take on the mixed blessings of marital longevity.”—People “Unexpected and wholly satisfying.”—USA Today “In her signature fashion, Sophie Kinsella brings a cast of quirky, funny characters to this new work. [She] keeps the laughs coming. . . . Readers will follow the story with bated breath as the couple struggle to make their marriage right after everything they thought they knew about each other proves wrong.”—Library Journal “Heartfelt . . . What at first seems like a light novel about familiar woes turns into a deeper story about trust, family, and perception.”—Publishers Weekly “Winsome and zesty, Kinsella’s latest delivers all the hallmarks her many fans have come to expect.”—Booklist “Pure fun . . . a hilariously moving look at marriage and the power of mixing things up.”—Kirkus Reviews