Meet Paris, the spunky seeing-eye dog. This yellow Labrador had style, intelligence, and such a mischievous nature that she could simply ignore you if you tried to interrupt what she was doing. With a playful demeanour, soft coat and paintbrush tail, Paris was just Paris; a larger than life character who gave unconditional love to everyone in the family and beyond. In the nine years that she lived with Stephen Hayes, she laid her paws on the hearts of many. She also laid her head on the laps of many, especially around the dinner table in the hope that they might drop a piece of food into her mouth. This is her story, and the memories of those whom she left behind.

A memoir in essays that expands on the viral sensation “The Crane Wife” with a frank and funny look at love, intimacy, and self in the twenty-first century. From friends and lovers to blood family and chosen family, this “elegant masterpiece” (Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Hunger) asks what more expansive definitions of love might offer ​us all. A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: TIME, THE GUARDIAN, GARDEN & GUN "Hauser builds their life's inventory out of deconstructed personal narratives, resulting in a reading experience that's rich like a complicated dessert—not for wolfing down but for savoring in small bites." —The New York Times “Clever, heartfelt, and wrenching.” —Time “Brilliant.” —Oprah Daily Ten days after calling off their wedding, CJ Hauser went on an expedition to Texas to study the whooping crane. After a week wading through the gulf, they realized they'd almost signed up to live someone else's life. What if you released yourself from traditional narratives of happiness? What if you looked for ways to leave room for the unexpected? In Hauser’s case, this meant dissecting pop culture touchstone, from The Philadelphia Story to The X Files, to learn how not to lose yourself in a relationship. They attended a robot convention, contemplated grief at John Belushi’s gravesite, and officiated a wedding. Most importantly, they mapped the difference between the stories we’re asked to hold versus those we choose to carry. Told with the late-night barstool directness of your wisest, most bighearted friend, The Crane Wife is a book for everyone whose path doesn't look the way they thought it would; for everyone learning to find joy in the not-knowing and to build a new sort of life story, a new sort of family, a new sort of home to live in.

Following on from Helen Constantine's hugely successful Paris Tales, the twenty-two short stories included in More Metro Tales take the reader on an fascinating journey around Paris by metro. The journey begins at the Gare du Nord, stops at twenty underground stations along the way, and ends at Lamarck-Caulaincourt. Some of these stories actually take place in the metro itself, but most are to be found when you emerge above ground. They range from the 15th-century account of the miraculous Saint Genevieve, patron saint of Paris, through tales by favourite writers such as Zola, Simenon, and Maupassant, to Martine Delerm's evocation of the last hours of Modigliani's mistress, Jeanne Hébuterne. Gérard de Nerval evokes the thriving, bustling market in Les Halles in the 1850s; Colette recounts her involvement in a traffic accident near the Opéra; Boulanger describes a blackly funny experience in Père Lachaise. Each story is illustrated with a black-and-white photograph and there is a map and suggested itinerary round the metro system. Readers will find familiar and unfamiliar writers here, but all are masterly writers of the short story and each evokes a different aspect of this endlessly intriguing and much-loved city, whether the traveller is on the metro or at home sitting in an armchair.

One copy donated by Myra Taylor.

"The French Revolution: A History Vol. I" book written by means of Thomas Carlyle, stands as a monumental painting that vividly captures the tumultuous occasions of one of the most transformative intervals in world history. Carlyle's narrative skillfully reconstructs the complex socio-political landscape of late 18th-century France, offering readers a gripping account of the French Revolution. The first extent of Carlyle's work lays the foundation for the overarching ancient narrative. With a unique and impassioned prose style, Carlyle immerses readers in the chaotic and modern environment of France, detailing the discontent some of the masses, the decadence of the aristocracy, and the spark that ignited the flames of rise up. The creator's deep engagement with number one resources and his philosophical reflections make a contribution to the richness of the narrative. Carlyle's paintings are going beyond a mere chronological retelling; it's miles a profound evaluation of the forces that formed an era. The author explores the beliefs, conflicts, and the relentless pursuit of justice by the French humans. While the paintings aren't without controversy, being influenced by way of Carlyle's own perspectives, it remains a great ancient account that remains studied for its literary merit and its effect on shaping perceptions of the French Revolution.