Neither use nor ornament is a book about personal productivity, narrated from the perspective of its obstacles: clutter and procrastination. It offers a challenge to the self-help promise of a clutter-free life, lived in a permanent state of efficiency and flow. The book reveals how contemporary projections of the good, productive life rely on images of failure. Riffing on the aphorism ‘less is more’ – a dominant refrain in present day productivity advice – it tells stories about streamlining, efficiency and tidiness over a time period of around 100 years. By focusing on the shadows of productivity advice, Neither use nor ornament seeks to unravel the moral narratives that hold individuals to account for their inefficiencies and muddles.

Bill Naughton was best-known for his novel Alfie, which became a classic film of the 60s starring Michael Caine, and for plays such as Spring and Port Wine. His short stories and children's books are also modern classics, and include A Goalkeeper's Revenge and A Dog Called Nelson.Born in Ireland, in Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo in 1910, his family moved to Lancashire when he was four. In On the Pig's Back (1987), the first book in his autobiographical trilogy, he described his childhood in Bolton during the Great War, and his attempts at writing when he worked as a lorry-driver. After years of struggle, he had by 1945 published a number of stories, many of them in the wartime Lilliput magazine, and his first book, A Roof Over Your Head, was hailed by John Betjeman as 'a work of genius'. In Saintly Billy (1988) he went back to chart his Catholic upbringing in an immigrant Irish family in a close-knit Lancashire mining community during the 1920s. Neither Use Nor Ornament is the third part of his autobiography. It opens as he's just turned fourteen, and has his first taste of the world of work when the milkman sacks him as his helper for spilling too much milk from the pail - and being 'neither use nor ornament'. Those harsh words pursue him when he leaves school to work in the alien world of the weaving sheds. But young Billy is destined to become a writer remarkable for his insights into human behaviour, and for his sharp recall of that other world of childhood.Lilliput editor Dennis Ritts called Bill Naughton 'the finest short story writer that this country has ever known'. Welcoming his autobiography in the Sunday Mirror, he praised Naughton's rare ability to 'get the feel of warmth and childhood innocence' into his writing. 'It is a moving book by a singular individualist who had to struggle hard to make himself known.'Bill Naughton died in 1992 after completing this last part of his autobiography. The first two volumes were published by Oxford University Press. Alfie was reissued in 1993 in Allison & Busby's Twentieth Century Classics series.

If you believe idioms are a "e;tough nut to crack,"e; this Dictionary of Idioms will help you dispel that belief; you would surely abandon your opinion of idioms being a bunch of insignificant words to that of a lively one to use to attract attention of readers and listeners. You will discover 'idioms' can add beauty, remove unwanted seriousness and bring life to any conversation - written or spoken. Rightly and scientifically designed, this dictionary contains hundreds of common idioms, sayings, and expressions. Use of everyday idioms bring colour to any writing and speech. Since they don't really mean, word by word, what they say, idioms can stump even regular writers and speakers. When and where to uidioms becomes 'as easy as pie' with this Dictionary of Idioms. Alphabetical listing makes searching idioms a 'piece of cake.'Whether you are fluent in English or just a learner, this dictionary can help you read, write and speak with new understanding and a lot more fun!Special features:o Widely used and popular idioms given with meaningso Inclusion of foreign idioms currently in use in English languageo Arranged Alphabetically: A - Zo Useful grammatical information given as AppendicesAn authoritative dictionary to spice up written and oral communication for students, writers, speakers and interested readers!

Volume 11 Sermons 607-667 Charles Spurgeon (19 June 1834 – 31 January 1892) is one of the church’s most famous preachers and Christianity’s foremost prolific writers. Called the “Prince of Preachers,” he was one of England's most notable ministers for most of the second half of the nineteenth century, and he still remains highly influential among Christians of different denominations today. His sermons have spread all over the world, and his many printed works have been cherished classics for decades. In his lifetime, Spurgeon preached to more than 10 million people, often up to ten times each week. He was the pastor of the congregation of the New Park Street Chapel (later the Metropolitan Tabernacle) in London for 38 years. He was an inexhaustible author of various kinds of works including sermons, commentaries, an autobiography, as well as books on prayer, devotionals, magazines, poetry, hymns and more. Spurgeon was known to produce powerful sermons of penetrating thought and divine inspiration, and his oratory and writing skills held his audiences spellbound. Many Christians have discovered Spurgeon's messages to be among the best in Christian literature. Edward Walford wrote in Old and New London: Volume 6 (1878) quoting an article from the Times regarding one of Spurgeon’s meetings at Surrey: “Fancy a congregation consisting of 10,000 souls, streaming into the hall, mounting the galleries, humming, buzzing, and swarming—a mighty hive of bees—eager to secure at first the best places, and, at last, any place at all. After waiting more than half an hour—for if you wish to have a seat you must be there at least that space of time in advance—Mr. Spurgeon ascended his tribune. To the hum, and rush, and trampling of men, succeeded a low, concentrated thrill and murmur of devotion, which seemed to run at once, like an electric current, through the breast of every one present, and by this magnetic chain the preacher held us fast bound for about two hours. It is not my purpose to give a summary of his discourse. It is enough to say of his voice, that its power and volume are sufficient to reach every one in that vast assembly; of his language, that it is neither high-flown nor homely; of his style, that it is at times familiar, at times declamatory, but always happy, and often eloquent; of his doctrine, that neither the 'Calvinist' nor the 'Baptist' appears in the forefront of the battle which is waged by Mr. Spurgeon with relentless animosity, and with Gospel weapons, against irreligion, cant, hypocrisy, pride, and those secret bosom-sins which so easily beset a man in daily life; and to sum up all in a word, it is enough to say of the man himself, that he impresses you with a perfect conviction of his sincerity.” More than a hundred years after his death, Charles Spurgeon’s legacy continues to effectively inspire the church around the world. For this reason, Delmarva Publications has chosen to republish the complete works of Charles Spurgeon.

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From New York Times bestselling author Celeste Bradley comes Book 6 of The Wicked Worthingtons Series. At last! The story of healing the war-torn heart of Lysander Worthington! Lysander Worthington has existed in a dark place since he came back from the war. His heart seems like a locked chamber, hidden even from his beloved family. Life seems like a constant battlefield. When Lysander encounters an enraged farm animal in a remote Yorkshire village, his battle instincts take over! Isolated doctor's widow, Gemma Oakes, has a habit of taking in the bent and the broken. When a handsome stranger rides into her village and proceeds to destroy their festival, Gemma believes she can help this beautiful, damaged man cleanse his heart of war. Lysander's darkness appeals to Gemma's nurturing spirit, while his beautiful body mesmerizes her senses. Lysander has kept his secret for so many years, but Gemma's inner strength and open heart tempt him to speak at last. Among the beloved, misfit inhabitants (not all human!) of Yew Manor, can Lysander and Gemma trust enough to understand broken hearts can mend, and shattered souls love again? Praise for the Wicked Worthingtons Series "A charming and very romantic story with lots of laughs along the way." --Fresh Fiction "I adored this story and the wonderful hero and heroine who shed all their inhibitions and fears." --Smexy Books "An exciting and sweet historical love story." --Feminist Fairy Tale Reviews "A laugh-out-loud funny novel." --Harlequin Junkie Under the covers... If you've perused the earlier books in the Wicked Worthingtons series, you'll recall that Lysander Worthington is a shadow of a man, a dark presence in the cheerful Worthington household. The war has set him apart from his loving family and he doesn't know how to reach out to them. To write this book, I had to balance the usual lighthearted Worthington humor and hijinks with an earnest look at traumatic damage. As a storyteller, I hope I've both delivered an entertaining and romantic (and sexy!) story and also have done justice to the difficult and tragic effects of PTSD. I learned so much while looking into this devastating disorder. This is a thing that can happen to any of us, at any time in our lives, not just a distant ordeal that happens to soldiers in far away lands. Blessed healing to any heart and mind suffering in such a dark place.

Scobie Donoghue was once the king of the weekend. His twenties were spent working hard and playing harder. A lovable rogue, the lads wanted to be him and the girls wanted to be with him. But now, about to turn forty and returning to his small midlands hometown, Scobie is back in his childhood bed, single, burnt out and depressed. The life he thought he had left behind has moved on – but has he? Going Back, Eugene O'Brien's heartwarming debut novel, continues the story of hit TV series Pure Mule, capturing the whole world in one Irish town: the highs and the lows, from addiction and mental-health issues to love and redemption. It will take some time and a lot of soul-searching, but maybe Scobie Donoghue is finally ready to grow up. 'I was delighted to get reacquainted with Scobie Donoghue. This is a timely book, engaging and entertaining. It lifts the lid on and exposes the underbelly of the disenfranchised in a community that has been pulled apart since the heady days of the Celtic Tiger.' Liz Nugent

'I found the photograph album by chance when we were clearing out the old coach house. It must have been sitting on the garage shelf for years among all the other family rejects.' When a woman finds a lost photo album in a garage clearout, she is drawn to the images of her ancestors. But one image in particular stands out: a baby sitting in the lap of its mother, both draped from head to toe in a cotton lace curtain or something, completely enveloped and unrecognizable. Who are they and what has happened to them? In a story that moves between 2012 and 1850, the shocking secrets of one family are gradually revealed…

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION “Brilliant, beautiful, heartbreaking.”—J.Courtney Sullivan, New York Times Book Review “TRESPASSES vaults Kennedy into the ranks of such contemporary masters as McCann, Claire Keegan, Colin Barrett, and fellow Sligo resident, Kevin Barry.” —Oprah Daily Set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, a shattering novel about a young woman caught between allegiance to community and a dangerous passion. Amid daily reports of violence, Cushla lives a quiet life with her mother in a small town near Belfast, teaching at a parochial school and moonlighting at her family’s pub. There she meets Michael Agnew, a Protestant barrister who’s made a name for himself defending IRA members. Against her better judgment, Cushla lets herself get drawn in by him and his sophisticated world, and an affair ignites. Then the father of a student is savagely beaten, setting in motion a chain reaction that will threaten everything, and everyone, Cushla most wants to protect.

Bristol, England, in the early Nineteenth Century. The slave trade has been abolished but slavery itself has not yet been outlawed. Bess, a young woman of mixed heritage, has an ambiguous position in the home of the once-eminent Liston family. Raised and educated alongside the family’s children, Richard and Artemisia, she has been increasingly confined to the role of a domestic servant since the death of Joshua Liston, the household’s head. When Richard Liston instigates an introduction between Captain Adam Bryce, a Royal Naval officer of repute, and his sister, Artemisia, Adam shows greater interest in Bess. Pressed by Artemisia to stalk Adam, Bess’s problems begin. And when the ailing matriarch, Elizabeth Liston, presents Bess with an impossible choice, the weaving of a web of deceit commences that will ultimately push Bess and Artemisia’s friendship to the brink. As the scene shifts to rural Somerset, things are far from serene: Sebastian Weston, occupant of the grand Milton Abbey, means to hold both Bess and Artemisia in his thrall. Rivalries ensue, the bond between Artemisia and Bess being strained by their allegiances to the men in their lives. Charting the turbulent waters of family commitments and amorous liaisons, it’s hard to fathom who can be trusted and whom to love. "This isn't your normal Regency novel. It’s something different: well-written, with plenty to love throughout, it’s a story that will have you hooked," (Goodreads). "The narrative flows with vitality, despair and every nuance of Bess through her eyes, thoughts, and words. She battles societal prejudice and embraces men and women of integrity; kindness her forte," (5-star review). "Recommended; a thoroughly enjoyable Regency period novel," (5-star review). "A good book; a nice, easy read," (Bookshelf Adventures' Review).