'Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year. Friends and family all flock home for a few weeks and there are endless parties and gatherings to go to, where you can catch up and laugh away together into the early hours. The other fantastic thing about Christmas is that it's the one time of year that we all allow ourselves to indulge in an enormous amount of gorgeously rich and delicious food. There are some lovely festive recipes in this chapter to enjoy with your nearest and dearest.' Sophie Enjoy gorgeous December recipes, including: - Sausages and Lentils with Baby Leaf Salad and Honey - Cranberry and Coconut Florentines - Christmassy Red Velvet Cupcakes - Pan-Fried Fillet Steak with Spinach and Potato Gratin - Throw-it-all-in Frittata - Jessie's Gooey Hot Choc Pud - Honey-Roasted Duck with Creamy Parsnips and Gravy - Guard's Pudding

Pumpkins, squash, warm soups, hearty puddings. October brings a seasonal change and it's the perfect time to wrap up, stay inside and get kooking. Taken from the fantastic new cookbook Sophie Kooks, by Sophie Morris, discover tips on using all the amazing new produce that is at its best in October and enjoy October's recipes Recipes include: - Grandpa's Famous Fishcakes - Hazelnut Swirl Cookies - Chicken, Leek and Butter Bean Soup - Oaty Blackberry and Apple Crumble - Spicy Hummus with Pitta - Curried Lamb with Coriander and Sweet Potato Mash - Wholegrain Mustard Salmon with Pea Couscous - Crêpes with Orange Butter Sauce

Enjoy heartwarming February recipes, including: - Pasta Amatriciana - Chorizo - Bean and Cabbage Stew - Dark Chocolate and Orange Cookies - Baked Apples - Spicy Chicken Thighs with Cannellini Beans - Herb-Crusted Cod with Pepper Ratatouille and Rosemary Chips - Lucinda's Lemon Drizzle Cake - Tomato and Chilli Soup with Crunchy Croutons

Winter is beginning to set in, so light the fire, close the curtains and curl up with some savoury comfort food! Taken from the fantastic new cookbook by Sophie Morris Sophie Kooks, discover tips on using all the produce that is at its best in November and enjoy some gorgeous November recipes, including: - Beef and Thyme Cobbler - Banana Bread - Chicken Tikka Masala with Garlic and Coriander Naans - Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce and Toasted Hazlenuts - Baked Eggs with Parma Ham and Cheese - Spanish Tapas of Paprika Chicken - Patatas Bravas and Chorizo in Red Wine - Pasta with Butternut Squash - Sage and Smoky Bacon - Easy-Peasy Sticky Toffee Pudding

'Only in March do I begin to feel that winter has finally gone. It's great to see the brighter days. Trees starting to bloom and new spring vegetables popping up. As the month goes on I slowly move away from comfort food towards lighter dishes like pastas and vibrant, fresh curries. I love this time of year with all its promise of longer days and summertime soon to come' Sophie. Taken from the fantastic cookbook by Sophie Kooks, discover tips on using all the produce that is at its best in March and enjoy gorgeous March recipes.

'Summer is here! It's funny how even a little sunshine has a way of making people beam. For me, May means long walks in the evenings, eating outside in the garden (whenever possible) and lots of healthy, fresh salads to use up all the lovely summer veg that's available'. Enjoy gorgeous May recipes, including: - Sirloin Steak Salad with Asian Greens - Mum's Epic Chocolate Mousse - Roast Asparagus in Parma Ham - Lemon Crunch - Chicken and Broccoli Gratin - Fish Goujons with Quick Tartare Sauce and Minty Pea Puree - Melktert - Lemon and Garlic Lamb Chops with Peanut Pesto - Chilli Potato Salad.

June screams strawberries and cream – synonymous with Wimbledon, of course. During the school holidays, I played tennis every day with my mum; and we still joke about how many years it took her to part with that old-fashioned, wooden racket of hers! These days I'm still glued to the tennis at the end of June. It's my ritual to perch myself on the sofa and watch match after match, while indulging in a summery strawberry dessert. Some of the desserts in this chapter contain strawberries; and every recipe in this chapter is as easy as it is irresistible' Sophie. Enjoy gorgeous June recipes including: - Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce - Roast Stuffed Mushrooms with Cherry Tomatoes - Plaice Parcels with Parsley Butter, and Avocado and Tomato Salad - Roast Salmon Salad with Broad Beans, Peppers and Avocado - Mini Strawberry Cheese cakes - Roast Asparagus and Tomatoes with Baked Potatoes - Caramel, Peach and Almond Cake - Strawberry Shortbread Stacks

PART MEMOIR AND PART ELEGY, READING MY FATHER IS THE STORY OF A DAUGHTER COMING TO KNOW HER FATHER AT LAST— A GIANT AMONG TWENTIETH-CENTURY AMERICAN NOVELISTS AND A MAN WHOSE DEVASTATING DEPRESSION DARKENED THE FAMILY LANDSCAPE. In Reading My Father, William Styron’s youngest child explores the life of a fascinating and difficult man whose own memoir, Darkness Visible, so searingly chronicled his battle with major depression. Alexandra Styron’s parents—the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Sophie’s Choice and his political activist wife, Rose—were, for half a century, leading players on the world’s cultural stage. Alexandra was raised under both the halo of her father’s brilliance and the long shadow of his troubled mind. A drinker, a carouser, and above all “a high priest at the altar of fiction,” Styron helped define the concept of The Big Male Writer that gave so much of twentieth-century American fiction a muscular, glamorous aura. In constant pursuit of The Great Novel, he and his work were the dominant force in his family’s life, his turbulent moods the weather in their ecosystem. From Styron’s Tidewater, Virginia, youth and precocious literary debut to the triumphs of his best-known books and on through his spiral into depression, Reading My Father portrays the epic sweep of an American artist’s life, offering a ringside seat on a great literary generation’s friendships and their dramas. It is also a tale of filial love, beautifully written, with humor, compassion, and grace.

As owner of successful Irish food company, Kooky Dough, Sophie Morris knows the appeal of real food made in an express way. Running her business means Sophie is constantly on the go and often exhausted after long days at work. Yet Sophie never compromises when it comes to food. Instead she takes time in the kitchen to switch off from work and enjoy making a home-cooked meal to lift her energy and her spirits. It's what 'kooking' is all about! Sophie gives you her favourite recipes for all the things she cooks during her busy week. Things that aren't too tiring or complicated, but that are so much more inspiring than beans on toast (again!). From easy meals such as Easy Kofta Curry and Crispy Caramelised Chicken Thighs; to delicious desserts including Mum's Epic Chocolate Mousse and Easy-Peasy Sticky Toffee Pudding; to restorative snacks such as Mango Lassi and Healthy Fruit and Oat Snack Bars, there are almost 100 new ideas to help you get 'kooking' too.