First comes love... then comes marriage... now the nosey aunties are asking when I’m going to have a baby. In this laugh-out-loud, heartwarming romantic comedy, our strong female protagonist - a British Bengali girl - is contemplating starting a family. But with a blossoming career and a transient life away from family, is she truly ready for the life changing journey of becoming a mum? The meddling aunties, competitive cousins, and her adorable, yet overbearing, mother all have something to say about it. As the community chimes in with unsolicited opinions, our heroine must navigate the noise while staying true to herself. Set against the backdrop of a vibrant and culturally rich community, this romcom delves into the themes of family, identity, diversity and belonging. Through laughter, love, and acerbic, glass half empty pessimism, our endearing heroine embarks on a journey of self-discovery and self love. Blending her signature humour with bags of emotion, Halima Khatun’s The Secret Diary of a Broody Bengali is an unputdownable tale that will have you eagerly turning the pages, desperate for just one more chapter. About the author Halima Khatun is a former journalist (having worked for ITV and the BBC), writer and PR consultant. Since she was a child, she knew that words would be her thing. With a lifelong passion for writing, Halima wrote her first novel - a coming-of-age children's story - at the age of 12. It was politely turned down by all the major publishing houses. However, proving that writing was indeed her forte, Halima went on to study English and journalism and was one of just four people in the UK to be granted a BBC scholarship during her postgraduate studies. She has since written for a number of publications including the HuffPost and Yahoo! Style, and has been featured in the Express, Metro and other national publications. Halima also blogs on lifestyle, food and travel and parenthood on halimabobs.com. You can find her books and more on halimakhatun.co.uk.

I found me a man, now I just need to figure out how to live with him… Step into the world of The Secret Diary of a Bengali Newlywed – An Unputdownable Tale of Love, Identity, and the Journey of Starting a New Life! Our acerbic protagonist is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. With a new husband by her side, a new city to explore, and a set of in-laws with their own set of expectations, she's ready to embrace the next chapter of her life as a Bengali bride. They say that when you marry someone, you marry their entire family. And as she navigates her way through this new phase, she quickly learns the truth behind that statement. After the whirlwind of finding a man and surviving the chaotic planning of her big fat Bangladeshi wedding, she assumes that the newlywed phase will be a walk in the park. But as reality sets in, she realizes that there's much more to this journey than meets the eye. Will she find her place in this new dynamic, or will she face unexpected challenges along the way? In this latest installment of The Secret series, award-winning author Halima Khatun weaves a captivating narrative that delves deep into themes of race, identity, belonging, and the intricacies of family dynamics. With her signature blend of self-deprecation and acerbic humor, Khatun invites readers to join her glass half-full heroine as she navigates the twists and turns of her biggest life changes yet. The Secret Diary of a Bengali Newlywed is a heartfelt exploration of love, self-discovery, and the complexities of cultural expectations. Through the eyes of our relatable protagonist, Khatun takes us on a poignant journey that will resonate with readers from all walks of life. Immerse yourself in this page turner that showcases Halima Khatun's unrivaled ability to capture the essence of human emotions and the triumphs and tribulations of life.

“A perfect book”—and basis for the Maggie Smith film—about a teacher who makes a lasting impression on her female students in the years before World War II (Chicago Tribune). “Give me a girl at an impressionable age, and she is mine for life!” So asserts Jean Brodie, a magnetic, dubious, and sometimes comic teacher at the conservative Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh. Brodie selects six favorite pupils to mold—and she doesn’t stop with just their intellectual lives. She has a plan for them all, including how they will live, whom they will love, and what sacrifices they will make to uphold her ideals. When the girls reach adulthood and begin to find their own destinies, Jean Brodie’s indelible imprint is a gift to some, and a curse to others. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is Spark’s masterpiece, a novel that offers one of twentieth-century English literature’s most iconic and complex characters—a woman at once admirable and sinister, benevolent and conniving. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Muriel Spark including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s archive at the National Library of Scotland.

"A brilliant, witty, and altogether satisfying book." — New York Times Book Review The classic work on the development of human language by the world’s leading expert on language and the mind In The Language Instinct, the world's expert on language and mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about language: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it evolved. With deft use of examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution. The Language Instinct received the William James Book Prize from the American Psychological Association and the Public Interest Award from the Linguistics Society of America. This edition includes an update on advances in the science of language since The Language Instinct was first published.

"Bishop's engrossing and readable account provides us with a fascinating picture of European myths concerning the Land of the Snows and of the role these myths played in shaping perceptions of the Orient. Bishop's riveting portrait of European conceptions is an important and exceptionally well written contribution to an understanding of Western attitudes toward Tibet and all of East Asia."--Morris Rossabi, author of Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times

An 'own voice' women's fiction short story - the diverse read you need. A mum on a mission to matchmake. A daughter with ideas of her own. A suitor that threatens to tear them apart... When it comes to arranged marriages, you never hear the perspective of the mother of the 'bride'. So now it's time. This short story offers a unique insight into the struggles of someone desperately trying to blend traditional expectations with modern reality, whilst hoping to do the best for her children. Because no one ever asks mum, it's time we heard her side of the story. From the author of the Bookbrunch Best Adult Fiction 2021 award-winner The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage and The Secret Diary of a Bengali Bridezilla, comes this unique journey from Bangladesh to Britain. Taking you from rural life to suburban displacement, from hardships and heartache, all through the eyes of the woman who saw it all. It's not like any of the other Muslim girl books or British chick-lit you've read- it'll make you laugh and cry. About the author Halima Khatun is a former journalist (having worked for ITV and the BBC), writer and PR consultant. Since she was a child, she knew that words would be her thing. With a lifelong passion for writing, Halima wrote her first novel - a coming-of-age children's story - at the age of 12. It was politely turned down by all the major publishing houses. However, proving that writing was indeed her forte, Halima went on to study English and Journalism and was one of just four people in the UK to be granted a BBC scholarship during her postgraduate studies. She has since written for a number of publications including the HuffPost and Yahoo! Style, and has been featured in the Express, Metro and other national publications. Halima also blogs on lifestyle, food and travel and parenthood on HalimaBobs. This is where she also shares updates on her novels. Halima is a regular guest on the BBC Asian Network and frequently contributes to the HuffPost. Read the whole The Secret series! #1 The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage #2 The Secret Diary of a Bengali Bridezilla Free related short story from the mother of the bride’s perspective: No One Ever Asks Mum. Keywords: bengali, free fiction, free ebook, free reads, short story, multicultural fiction, Bangladeshi fiction, bridezilla book, funny reads, heartwarming stories, arranged marriage, books by woc, women of colour, women of color, strong Muslim female, Muslim girl books, British chick lit, British-Bengali, British Muslim, British Asian, diverse reads, funny chick-lit, women’s fiction by women of colour, women’s fiction, sweet romance, cultural insight.

The Muslim Bridget Jones - the hilarious romantic comedy from the writer behind Nadiya Hussain's bestselling The Secret Lives of the Amir Sisters. Sofia Khan is single once more, after her sort-of-boyfriend proves just a little too close to his parents. And she'd be happy that way too, if her boss hadn't asked her to write a book about the weird and wonderful world of Muslim dating. Of course, even though she definitely isn't looking for love, to write the book she does need to do a little research . . . 'Snort-Diet-Coke-out-of-your-nostrils funny . . . will resonate with any woman who's looking for love' Sarra Manning, author of It Felt Like a Kiss 'Funny and sparky . . . a smart and acerbic romcom . . . Read Ayisha Malik's book: it's huge fun.' Jenny Colgan

Sofia Khan is going about everything the wrong way. She is twice-divorced, homeless and - worst of all - refusing to give up on a fostered baby girl. Sofia's just not behaving like a normal woman should. Sofia doesn't see it like that. She's planning to adopt Millie, and she's sure it'll be worth it

Anagram Solver is the essential guide to cracking all types of quiz and crossword featuring anagrams. Containing over 200,000 words and phrases, Anagram Solver includes plural noun forms, palindromes, idioms, first names and all parts of speech. Anagrams are grouped by the number of letters they contain with the letters set out in alphabetical order so that once the letters of an anagram are arranged alphabetically, finding the solution is as easy as locating the word in a dictionary.

Patrick Pearse was not only leader of the 1916 Easter Rising but also one of the main ideologues of the IRA. Based on new material on his childhood and underground activities, this book places him in a European context and provides an intimate account of the development of his ideas on cultural regeneration, education, patriotism and militarism.