A coming-of-age story set in 1950s Singapore, written with photorealistic clarity. Skinny and his friends grow up in a self-sufficient kampong along an unnamed road. Reading about their lives, a distinctive character of their long-gone childhood and of Singapore emerges—raw from a recently concluded war, alive with student riots and social movements. Among the themes explored by the narrator is one of change, such as the transition from rural to urban living and the role of women in a developing society, as if inevitably the road must lead to it. Stories of love, death and forgiveness line the unnamed road at the heart of life in the kampong. Reader Reviews “This is a local book that should be of interest to Westerners because it's such a well told story. This is really one of the first works I've read that didn't have an assumption that Singapore's history is of interest to the rest of the world. This book simply had an unassuming way of speaking about childhood while navigating through an interesting period in time. The writer had such wonderful discipline at keeping perspective and wrestling the story down to size, at delivering a really well-shaped tale that has a lot of universal resonance and local affection. David Leo had a really deft hand.” — Fran Lebowitz “Cherry Days is a very ambitious, and largely very effective, contained novel that is essentially set on one stretch of an unnamed road. The setting is one of the real strengths of the book... a coming-of-age fiction set in the Singapore of the 1950s that effectively creates a mood of nostalgia. There is an elegiac quality to Skinny's story about his long-gone childhood in the kampong, even as the book explores parallel developments in history, especially the changing role of women. The attention to detail in recreating the location and some strong characters are notable highlights. David Leo writes with a simplicity and clarity that works to bolster the essential tone of the narrative.” — Shoba Viswanathan “The unassuming, deceptively simple prose of Cherry Days belies its big-hearted, emotional core, from which the characters are vividly, lovingly and empathetically drawn. The book draws the readers in steadily, keeping them enthralled in the bucolic kampong life and shenanigans of its inhabitants. Yet, layer by layer, it peels away the patina of innocence, revealing the loss and poignancy that comes with growing up. Cherry Days is a treasure trove of precious memories and epitomes of neighbourly love.” —William Phuan, managing director of The Select Centre “Cherry Days appeals with nostalgia and a familiar sense of community. The straightforward prose imparts with affection defining moments and memories of youth and family.” —Tan Mei Ching, writer of novels, short stories, creative nonfiction, plays, children’s books

Collating more than 150 interviews, Independence Days traces the story of the UK independent record label boom from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, a period which saw a new generation of independent spirits take up the baton and revolutionize the course of popular music. The era's most celebrated labels are covered, including Rough Trade, Beggars Banquet/4AD, Factory, Cherry Red and Mute, as well as releases by such notable acts as the Smiths, Joy Division, the Buzzcocks, Elvis Costello, Gary Numan, Teardrop Explodes, and Nick Cave.Interviewees include Rough Trade founder Geoff Travis, Mute Records founder Daniel Miller, 4AD founder Ivo Watts-Russell, Zoo Recordscofounder Bill Drummond, Crass cofounder Penny Rimbaud, Beggars Group founder Martin Mills, Cherry Red cofounder Iain McNay, Good Vibrations founder Terri Hooley, DJ Charlie Gillett, I.R.S. Records founder Miles Copeland, and Sire Records cofounder Seymour Stein."

Be Still will transform your quiet time with 90 heartwarming devotions to calm your mind and refresh your soul with the peace of God.

On our best days, we feel God's love in a huge way. We shine brighter, laugh harder, live without worry or fear of the future--and we passionately love others without judgment. Because when God's love floods our lives, we have no choice but to let it radiate throughout the day. But how about on the hard days, when we aren't feeling it? How are we supposed to reflect God's heart when we feel stuck in the seemingly never-ending dullness of the day-to-day? In this life-changing book, Cleere Cherry Reaves reveals how to stay in God's presence and radiate joy through every day and every circumstance. Offering fresh perspective on topics such as childlike faith, vulnerability, the refining process, laying down worries and fears, and the value of hospitality, Radiate shares the many ways that God's Word unlocks the door to a life filled with peace, trust, love, and light. With its uplifting message, the downcast and the discouraged can live lighter in the present, fully trusting the One they belong to as His joy and love shine through them once more.

This book is a stunningly beautiful record of the nation's biggest springtime festival. As the 100th anniversary of the National Cherry Blossom Festival approaches in the Spring of 2012, millions of people from across the country will gather to revel in the beauty of the Cherry Blossoms. Capturing the true essence of spring, Blunt's striking photography will also allow those who are unable to travel to the festival the chance to experience the splendor of the blooming cherry blossoms through his photography.

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In Kara Candito's prize-winning debut collection a "garish/human theatre" comes to life against richly textured geographic and psychic landscapes. These poems are high-speed meditations on a world where Walter Benjamin meets the "glitzy chain-link of Chanel scarves" and Puccini's Tosca meets the din of the Times Square subway station. Ferociously witty and intensely lyrical, Taste of Cherry speaks to us in a language that is simultaneously private and public, sensual and cerebral.

National Bestseller Now a major motion picture starring Tom Holland and directed by the Russo Brothers. A young medic returns from deployment in Iraq to two things: the woman he loves, and the opioid crisis sweeping across the Midwest. In this “miracle of literary serendipity” (The Washington Post), after finding himself deep in the thrall of heroin addiction, the soldier arrives at what seems like the only logical solution: robbing banks. Written by a singularly talented, wildly imaginative debut novelist, Cherry is a bracingly funny and unexpectedly tender work of fiction straight from the dark heart of America. A PEN/HEMINGWAY AWARD FINALIST A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: THE NEW YORKER • ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY • VULTURE • VOGUE • LIT HUB

Imagine these words: black ice, a car, a truck, a tree, and Northeast Ohio. These words can only add up to a tragic car crash. And they did! The nightmare happened on November 13, 2013, and left me on a journey searching for my brother and God. It seemed like a game that I didn't want to partake in, but I had no choice. This game led me to several hospitals where I spent my time asking the hospital staff if they knew where my brother was. They always led me to a room of an almost lifeless man lying in a bed and often looking at me like he was wondering who I was. Where exactly was my brother, the loud, boisterous man that I once knew for fifty-eight years? He was the man that you would hear before you would even see him. I wanted that brother back and wanted him back immediately! I spent ten years searching for my brother and God. It left me exhausted, mad, bitter, and at times, lonely. How would I go about finding them? I would have been happy if I could just find one of them, but who would be more important to me, my brother or God? I couldn't imagine God turning his back on my brother Father Steve, a devout Catholic priest, because I could only envision God taking care of him every step of the way. Would I be fortunate enough to find out that maybe God and my brother were hanging out the whole time searching for me? Maybe I was the one who was lost! If you like stories about faith, family, love, and willpower then this book is for you!

Draw your child into the world of reading with this endearing collection of thirty-one original and imaginative stories. A Story Book For Beginning Readers will engage, entertain, and encourage both new and struggling readers. Offering timeless lessons about friendship, kindness, home, and family, Connie Silver's fanciful tales include: how twin piglets Twiddle and Twaddle got their names; a little striped pony who realized he wasn't a horse after all; Peyton the alligator with a too-big mouth; the day it rained chocolate in candy-covered Fudgeville; the mystery of the bottomless pond; and much more. Silver's tales start simple and get progressively more challenging to reflect and enhance your child's budding reading skills, vocabulary, and comprehension. Parents and teachers will appreciate the helpful word-review list preceding each story. With popsicles that talk, cats with secrets, and children who want to be all grown up, this storybook serves as both read-aloud fun and an invaluable learning tool, and it's sure to become a favorite on your child's shelf.