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The lochside stretch I was rolling through formed the trickily named Achaglachgach Forest, where I panted up and down Glen Achaglachgach, past Achaglachgach House and through Achaglachgach village, which was totally deserted. Maybe they’d all choked to death trying to say ‘Achaglachgach’.
Richard Guise yearned to take on a physical challenge before he reached the age where walking across the kitchen would fall into that category. And so he donned a cagoule, packed his saddlebags and set off for an adventure on a bike named Tetley. This is the tale of his 586-mile, 16-day ride through the Highlands of Scotland, along the dramatically beautiful west coast from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to Cape Wrath in the north.
Freewheeling along isolated roads where traffic problems consist of the occasional retreating sheep and stopping for lunch on deserted beaches, he has time to ponder the Laws of Cycle Touring and take in spectacular sights, from craggy, cloud-shrouded mountain ranges to lochside forests.
Guise discovers the little-known history of this unique part of Britain. He is the classic observant outsider, picking up on the oddities and strange beauty of the place and telling it all with gentle humour – even amid severe bouts of traditional Highland weather.

Tune in to you

This tracker is a useful tool to help you map out your overall well-being over time. Whether you want to check in with yourself and track daily habits or learn about what shapes your emotions, this book is the perfect place to start.

With monthly trackers to record sleep, exercise and more, plus a selection of activities to let your creativity flow, this journal helps you practise daily self-care for lasting health and happiness.

She was particularly taken with the small narrow ledges that ran along either side of the boat. For a cat, four inches is an airport runway – she could dance a Moonwalk along them on her two hind legs, juggling at the same time.

Steve has a new member of crew aboard his narrowboat, Justice – but maybe not the kind he’d have wanted if he’d known the trouble she’d cause. Kit, an untidy bundle of fur with all the attitude you would expect from a ‘sarf Lunnun’ cat, joins him on a mission to discover lost parts of England. Steve gets a different perspective on the modern world as he cruises the canals through a landscape unchanged for centuries, visiting picturesque towns and waterway festivals along the way.

If I’d really been serious about getting to grips with my mid-life crisis, then I’d have been better opting for a course of therapy than going off travelling. Or if I had to travel, I’d have been better opting for somewhere warm with a beach…

In an attempt to get to grips with a BIG birthday, Steve sets out from Oxford to explore what makes the English… well, so English. His quirky humour is inspired by Tom Rolt, who took to the canals on a similar journey immortalised in the book ‘Narrow Boat’, kick-starting the revival of Britain’s waterways. Prepare for a generous helping of mayhem, mishaps and the staple of every English summer: torrential rain. First published as ‘Fruit Flies Like a Banana’ this revised edition with new material is published to coincide with the 70-year anniversary of Tom Rolt’s own classic trip.

It was two in the morning. We dragged ourselves out of bed and went downstairs again. The conservatory was devastated. Anything free-standing had been pulled over; anything wooden had been attacked. There, in the middle of the scene, the queen of chaos herself was standing on top of the table with rolling eyes and a tongue twice its normal length.

Andrew had always wanted a dog – something you could mould into the perfect playmate. Tail going like a windscreen wiper, tongue a pink strip, wet-nosed, bright-eyed – what boy wouldn’t want such a force in his life?

But a man of thirty-seven? And an ex-racing greyhound?

Dash is a heart-warming memoir about the adoption of a champion greyhound bitch and her transformation into ring-bearer at her new owner’s wedding. Set over a watershed twelve months, it’s the story of wanting the perfect dog and planning the perfect wedding. ‘Dash’ is far from perfect, but that’s half the fun. The novelty of a man trying to organise a wedding is the other half.

Discover the true tales of extraordinary felines with this heart-warming and inspirational collection, perfect for fans of A Streetcat Named Bob and Nala’s World

Meet some of the world’s most incredible real-life cat heroes in this awesome compendium of true stories, including:
– Scarlett, the brave mother who went into a burning building five times to rescue her kittens.
– Emily, the cat who survived an epic journey across the Atlantic trapped in a shipping container from America to France.
– Oscar, the care-home cat who predicts when residents are about to pass on and comforts them in their final hours.

Whether they’re testing the boundaries of their nine lives or demonstrating unusual talents, cats are always full of surprises. In Super Cats, prepare to meet the most surprising of all.

From loyal companions who put their lives at risk to help others to intuitive cats who detected danger when no one else did, these extraordinary felines will capture your heart and make you marvel at their astonishing powers.

Bodie was on death row in a Los Angeles shelter, having been abandoned by his owner. Belinda was in a heap on the floor of her vintage apartment, having been dumped by the man of her dreams. Two lost souls ready to find a new life.
Together they embark on a 2,000-mile West Coast road trip taking in spectacular Big Sur, a pack run in the wilds of Oregon, afternoon tea at Doris Day’s dog-loving hotel in Carmel, a fragrant encounter with the creator of Kennel No.5 furfume and a bar stop in a small town near San Francisco where a dog was elected mayor, two years running…
Join Belinda and Bodie on this soul-searching adventure along one of the most iconic highways in America and you too will feel the wind in your hair and a wag in your tail.

Meet the inspirational animals who went from being rescued to becoming rescuer in these incredible true stories

You’ll read all about…
– Constantine and Crystal, the guinea pigs who gave a bullied girl with autism a reason to smile
– Alex, the tiger who inspired a homeless drug addict to get her life back on track
– Angel, the horse who helped her owner to lose weight and regain her confidence
– Daniel, the duck who was rescued from a food market and succeeded in soothing his owner’s PTSD

… as well as many other animal heroes who came to their owner’s aid – whether it was helping them to recover from mental illness, relationship breakdown or bereavement.

These remarkable creatures all repaid the love and appreciation that their human companions displayed in caring for them. Let these uplifting stories warm your heart, and show you that adopted animals can heal our pain and transform our lives.

Over the years, authors, artists and amblers aplenty have felt the pull of the Thames, and now travel writer Tom Chesshyre is following in their footsteps.

He’s walking the length of the river from the Cotswolds to the North Sea – a winding journey of over two hundred miles. Join him for an illuminating stroll past meadows, churches and palaces, country estates and council estates, factories and dockyards. Setting forth in the summer of Brexit, and meeting a host of interesting characters along the way, Chesshyre explores the living present and remarkable past of England’s longest and most iconic river.

It’s time to meet your new superheroes

Discover the fascinating stories behind 38 iconic people of colour, all of them ground-breakers, risk-takers and game-changers. Whether they are activists, athletes, scientists or superstars, every one of them has been a trailblazer in their field and has paved the way for future change. It’s time these individuals took centre stage and had their achievements celebrated the world over.

This book will introduce you to some of the most influential people of colour from across the globe and throughout history, including several modern-day icons.

Among others, you will learn about the incredible lives and achievements of:
– Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
– Barack Obama
– Chadwick Boseman
– Florence Price
– Jimi Hendrix
– Kamala Harris
– Laverne Cox
– Malala Yousafzai
– Maria Tallchief
– RuPaul

Each inspiring profile also features a bespoke illustration.

Be empowered and inspired by their extraordinary stories, their awesome accomplishments and their words of wisdom in this pocketbook of remarkable people.

The man with the gun pushed me down onto the carpet. I tried to cower to make my body curl smaller, instinctively covering my head.
Oh God, please don’t kill me.’ My words clung to my teeth and now my whole body was so cold. All I had left were these words.
‘Please. Please don’t kill me. Jesus. God. Please.’
I wanted to live and I knew it with absolute certainty. I don’t want to die.

Emma Slade was a high-flying debt analyst for a large investment bank, when she was taken hostage in a hotel room on a business trip to Jakarta. She thought she was lucky to come out of it unscathed, but over the ensuing weeks and months, as the financial markets crashed, Emma became her own distressed asset as the trauma following the event took hold.

Realising her view on life had profoundly changed she embarked upon a journey, discovering the healing power of yoga and, in Bhutan, opening her eyes to a kinder, more peaceful way of living.

From fast-paced City life to the stillness of Bhutan’s Himalayan mountains, Set Free is the inspiring true story of Emma’s astonishing life lived to extremes and all that that entails: work, travel, spirituality, Buddhism, relationships, and the underlying question of what makes a meaningful life.

“A vibrant, often hilarious emotional and physical journey. And let’s be honest, who hasn’t wanted to drift away on a narrowboat?” – Ian Moore, author of Death and Croissants

All Boats Are Sinking is a memoir of love, life and chaos on a narrowboat, perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton, Helen Fielding and Phoebe Waller-Bridge

“All boats are sinking, Hannah, just at different rates.”

After a break-up, some hit the gym; some cut their hair; others have a one-night stand. In the aftermath of her break-up, Hannah bought a narrowboat.

Newly single and plunged into life on the water, Hannah had to learn quickly how to grapple with exploding toilets, disappearing hulls, and the curious glances and questions from pedestrians on the towpath. But when career burn-out, a global pandemic and an ill-advised rebound relationship threatened to sink her, Hannah felt the need to escape. In a bid to let go of the past and restore her sense of self-worth, she embarked on a narrowboat odyssey which took her from the bustling streets of London to the tranquil yet dramatic waterways of West Yorkshire.

Suffering from an apparent magnetism to drama but buoyed by her brilliant friends, Hannah tells of the challenges of off-grid life as a single 30-something on the water. All this as she tries to balance the tension between owning her singledom and giving in to a deep desire to find love.

Peppered with lists, recipes, maps, footnotes and diagrams, and spanning hundreds of miles of the British waterways, it’s an uplifting and often hilarious story of adventure and personal growth, and of a woman trying to keep her boat and life afloat. And to answer that perennial question: yes, it’s cold on the boat in winter.

When Kate Allan’s beloved black cat, Oscar, is found lying severely injured in a field near their Jersey home, she is sure the accident-prone boy has met his end. With both hind legs severed by a combine-harvester, his life hangs in the balance; luckily for Oscar, his vet knows Noel Fitzpatrick, star of Channel 4’s The Supervet, who agrees to try pioneering surgery to replace his legs with specially created prosthetics.

This is the amazing true account of a loving family faced with agonising decisions and unexpected twists of fate, and a courageous black feline destined to become the world’s first bionic cat.

Keep track of you

This tracker is a useful tool to help you document your stress levels over time. Whether you want to understand what makes you feel stressed and why or learn more about your mood patterns, this book is the perfect place to start.

Including a monthly stress tracker, calming activities, relaxation exercises and more, this journal helps you to develop not only an awareness of your stress levels, but also an understanding of how you can manage them.

With simple advice and guided activities, this workbook is a comforting companion to support you through your healing journey after experiencing loss

Grief is the natural response to loss, and it’s something that affects everyone at some point in their lives. It can manifest itself in many ways – sadness, panic, confusion, anger – and it’s often completely unpredictable. If you’re experiencing grief, you may feel isolated and alone, but this guided workbook is here to support you through each step of this personal journey.

Filled with activities for exploring your emotions and coming to terms with your grief, this book will help you begin the gradual healing process. Inside you will find:

– An overview of what grief is and how you might experience it
– Tips to help you cope with the immediate feelings of grief
– Journal activities to help you understand how your loss has impacted your life
– Ideas and advice for coping with grief in the long term

Grief may never fully go away, and the path to healing might not be a straightforward one, but the guidance in these pages will help you work through it at your own pace to rediscover a sense of meaning and joy in this new life.

“A truly inspiring journey that celebrates the healing power of adventure. A must-read.” – Levison Wood

“Wonderfully relatable on so many levels. Simon’s wanderlust, mental roller coaster and reactions to a fast-changing world had me enthralled in his journey, but very much reflecting on my own over the past few years. A brilliantly crafted book which holds a mirror up to the world we live in.” – Mark Beaumont

“Simon’s cycle ride around his own country is a fine demonstration that adventure and transformation begins on your own doorstep.” – Alastair Humphreys


The remarkable and inspirational true story of how one man battled grief and anxiety, one pedal stroke at a time, on a 3,500-mile adventure around Britain

In March 2020, as Britain entered its first lockdown, Simon Parker’s life fell apart; his travel journalism career vanished overnight and shortly afterwards he received the tragic news that a close friend had died. With a long-suppressed anxiety disorder starting to rear its head, he turned to the only therapies he knew and trusted: travel and exercise.

Setting off on his bike from the northernmost point of Shetland with only a sleeping bag and a camping stove, Simon would end up cycling 3,427 miles around Britain. En route, he would meet hundreds of resilient Britons, who were all, in their own way, riding out the storm just like he was. Even in his gloomiest moments he began to see that a chink of light was never too far away.

Riding Out is a story of optimism and hope, and a ground-level portrait of Britain as it transforms from a country in crisis to a nation on the mend. From Shetland to the Scillies, Dover to Durness, Simon learns that life’s sharpest corners are best navigated at the gentle pace of a bicycle.

An illustrated compendium of kickass women in sport, from around the world and throughout history, including legends like Billie Jean King and modern-day superstars like Simone Biles and Dina Asher-Smith. The perfect book to inspire any sports fan.

Meet your new superheroes

Discover the fascinating stories behind 38 iconic and internationally renowned women in sport, all of them record-breakers, trailblazers and game-changers. Whether from the world of soccer, tennis, gymnastics, swimming, boxing or skiing, every one of these women has been a ground-breaker in her field. It’s time these individuals took centre stage and had their achievements celebrated the world over.

Be empowered and inspired by their extraordinary stories, their awesome achievements and their wonder-words of wisdom with this pocketbook of remarkable women from across the globe and throughout history. Among others, you will learn about the incredible lives and achievements of:
– Simone Biles
– Serena Williams
– Dina Asher-Smith
– Rachael Heyhoe Flint
– Jessica Ennis-Hill
– Nicola Adams
– Danica Patrick
– Paula Radcliffe
– Michelle Kwan
– Megan Rapinoe
– Ellen MacArthur
– Ibtihaj Muhammad
– Ronda Rousey

Each inspiring profile also features a bespoke illustration.

This is the tale of an epic three-month adventure through unexplored jungle terrain – and it might even change your life

Fuelled by a zest for life and the desire to explore the world around her, Pip Stewart took on a world-first challenge: following Guyana’s Essequibo River from source to sea. With the help of guides from the Waî Waî indigenous community, Pip and her teammates journeyed through the rainforest, facing peril every day as they kayaked rapids, traversed waterfalls and hacked their way through the mountainous jungle of the Guiana Shield, before finally reaching the Atlantic Ocean.

Survival skills and a flesh-eating parasite weren’t the only things Pip took home from the rainforest. From contending with snakes to learning about the value of community, forgiveness and self-belief, in Life Lessons from the Amazon Pip shares many pearls of wisdom that we can all apply to our own lives. Her hard-won insights invite us to embrace the wildness within ourselves and live more every day.

From the co-author of the best-selling Running Made Easy, with a foreword by running legend Kathrine Switzer.

Lisa Jackson is a surprising cheerleader for the joys of running. Formerly a committed fitness-phobe, she became a marathon runner at 31, and ran her first 56-mile ultramarathon aged 41. And unlike many runners, Lisa’s not afraid to finish last – in fact, she’s done so in 20 of the 90-plus marathons she’s completed so far.

But this isn’t just Lisa’s story, it’s also that of the extraordinary people she’s met along the way – tutu-clad fun-runners, octogenarians, 250-mile ultrarunners – whose tales of loss and laughter are sure to inspire you just as much as they’ve inspired her. This book is for anyone who longs to experience the sense of connection and achievement that running has to offer, whether you’re a nervous novice or a seasoned marathoner dreaming of doing an ultra. An account of the triumph of tenacity over a lack of talent, Your Pace or Mine? is proof that running really isn’t about the time you do, but the time you have!

Meet the inspirational dogs who went from being rescued to becoming rescuer, in these incredible true stories.

You’ll read all about…
– Toby, the golden retriever who performed the Heimlich manoeuvre to save his owner’s life
– Liam, the Lhaso Apso-Poodle mix who helped his owner battle an eating disorder
– Hercules, the St Bernard who saved his owners from burglars on the first day he moved in
– Alfie, the terrier who gave a bullied girl a new lease of life

… as well as many other canine heroes who came to their owner’s aid – whether it was saving them from physical threats, or helping them to recover from mental illness, PTSD and bereavement.

These remarkable dogs all repaid the love and appreciation that their owners displayed in rescuing them. Let these uplifting stories warm your heart, and show you that adopted dogs truly are man’s best friend.

Follow the hilarious misadventures of Ian Moore and his family as their search for serenity in rural France leads them on a journey of chaos, commotion and comedy

Comedian, mod and professional grump Ian Moore has had enough. Tired of being unable to park anywhere near his cramped house in a noisy town he doesn’t like, he hatches a plan to move his wife and young son to a remote corner of the Loire Valley in search of serenity and space.

Several years later, Ian finds himself up to his neck in bilingual offspring, feral cats, promiscuous horses, dysfunctional spaniels and needy hens; he’s wrestling with electric fences, a foreign language, a mountain of animal waste and a wife who collects livestock like there’s a biblical flood on the horizon, all while trying not to dirty his pristine loafers.

But despite the ups, downs and increasing demands of Ian’s showbiz career, the Moore family persevere in true Brit style to create a unique, colourful and ultimately rewarding life in their new home – à la campagne!

Fearlessness has got nothing to do with being unafraid. It’s about doing things anyway, getting on with it, living, whether you’re afraid or not.

Fuzzy-haired, free-spirited, cello-playing Catrina is devastated when her lover, Jack, leaves her to go surfing on the other side of the world. Trapped in a dead-end job and torn by his departure, she dreams of running away. But how do you run away when you’re flat broke? Luckily, her friend Andrew comes up with a plan: they’ll get an old van, turn it into a camper and busk their way from Norway to Portugal, via Nordkapp, the land of the Midnight Sun.

When a tragic accident occurs, the journey suddenly takes on new meaning. As she navigates personal loss and the daily challenges of life on the road, Catrina begins to learn the true meaning of love and courage and, above all else, the importance of following her dreams.

This is an unforgettable story of a journey like no other – a deeply emotional and inspirational debut by a unique writer.

This guided journal contains everything you need to learn the skills of the clairvoyant and decipher messages from the universe

The ability to foresee our future is something we all long for, and with the help of this guided journal you’ll find yourself harnessing your psychic abilities in no time. From naeviology to numerology, tasseography to tarot and everything in between, this book will be your ultimate guide to fortune telling.

Discover the fascinating history behind different divination techniques and how to tap into your own magical abilities with step-by-step instructions and thought-provoking questions. Packed with activities, methods and space to log your interpretations and findings, this book will help you develop your psychic gifts and discover your true path.

Learn how to:
– Analyze the lines and formations of your palm
– Create your own dowsing rods and master the art of rhabdomancy
– Interpret the meaning behind your dreams
– Decipher your birth chart

Your destiny awaits!

Felix, the resourceful feline that survived an epic journey trapped in a shipping container from the Middle East to Britain
Scarlett, the brave mother that went into a burning building five times to rescue her kittens
Oscar, the care-home cat that predicts when residents are about to pass on and comforts them in their final hours.
How much do you really know about the abilities of domestic cats? Whether they’re using up one of their nine lives to make a lucky escape or demonstrating unusual talents, cats are full of surprises. From loyal moggies to courageous life-saving kitty heroes and extraordinary survivors, Wonder Cats contains heart-warming and moving tales that demonstrate the astonishing powers of remarkable felines.