In January 2008, movie star Patrick Swayze was given the worst news of his life. What he hoped was just a stomach ache was actually stage four pancreatic cancer, a diagnosis that is fatal within a year for 79% of the people to whom it is given. Remarkably, Patrick is not just alive a year later but continuing his treatment, and responding well. But this book isn't just the story of Patrick's fight against cancer. In the public eye from the early 1980s, this is the story of a remarkable life and career. Intended as a low budget, straight-to-video production, Dirty Dancingbecame a cult hit and remains one of the most enduring films of the 80s. Ghost cemented Patrick as a hugely bankable star, in a role that has had a considerable cultural impact. Most recently Patrick has returned to the public's adoring arms in TV's The Beast. This book will chronicle Patrick's personal life as well -- including his treatment for alcoholism following the death of his father and sister's sudden death. What has remained a constant in Patrick's life is his marriage and Patrick and Lisa's love story is inspiring, honest, heartfelt and transcends the typical celebrity marriage. This is a book that anyone who has faced cancer or a terminal illness can turn to: Lisa and Patrick have shown the world that cancer isn't just a diagnosis given to one individual, but a disease that can bring a household together or pull a family apart. Bold, honest and inspiring, Patrick Swayze's memoir is the story of a remarkable man's life and career and of his refusal to give in.

One half of the Righteous Brothers describes his life, from entering amateur singing contests, his R&B influences, to pioneering the “blue-eyed soul” group whose “You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'” was named as the most-played song of the twentieth century. 40,000 first printing.

Lucy Silchester keeps receiving this strange appointment card and sweeping its gold embossed envelope under the rug. Literally. She busies herself with a job she doesn't like, helping out friends, fixing her car, feeding her cat, and devoting her time to her family’s dramas. But Lucy is about to find out that this is one appointment she can’t miss, when Life shows up at her door, in the form of a sloppy but determined man. Life follows her everywhere – from the office, to the bar, and to her bedroom – and Lucy learns that some of the choices she has made and the stories she has told aren’t what they seem. Now her half-truths are about to be revealed, unless Lucy tells the truth about what really matters to her. The Time of My Life is another warm, thought-provoking novel from Cecelia Ahern, internationally bestselling author of P.S. I Love You.

Is it possible that Americans have more free time than they did thirty years ago? While few may believe it, research based on careful records of how we actually spend our time shows that we average more than an hour more free time per day than in the 1960s. Time-use experts John P. Robinson and Geoffrey Godbey received national attention when their controversial findings were first published in 1997. Now the book is updated, with a new chapter that includes results of the 1995&–1997 data from the Americans' Use of Time Project. &“Time for Life, an outstanding work of scholarship that manages to be highly readable, demands the attention of everyone interested in what&’s happening in today&’s society.&” &—Edward Cornish, The Futurist &“Time for Life . . . is excellent fodder for lively classroom discussions, not only about family time use, but about the ontological and epistemological assumptions in the prevailing post-positivist paradigm of family science.&” &—Alan J. Hawkins and Jeffrey Hill, Journal of Marriage and the Family &“Regardless of where you stand on this issue, Robinson and Godbey's arguments and data make for very interesting reading and open a cultural window on American society. . . . This is a piece of scholarship that should be read and its conclusions contemplated by people well outside the readership of this journal. . . . Time for Life is good social science research that should appeal to a broad audience.&” &—Journal of Communication

Every day is the worst day of Jane Stewart's life. No really, that's not a dramatization or overreaction, she's reliving the same, terrible day over and over (and over and over) again.She's late to the same meeting. Endures the same soul crushing lectures from her bosses, who ultimately fire her anyway. And-the cherry on top-she gets to experience getting dumped on repeat. Jane finds herself stuck reliving the same disasters all day long and no matter what she changes, or how she tries to do things different, it all ends in the same abysmal mess. Mostly because Jane's struggle with social anxiety hasn't been cured by being stuck in a time loop on the worst day of her life. Go figure.But then . . . she discovers her long-time crush wants to be more than friends. Freshly motivated to get them beyond their first date, can Jane find a way to break free from the cycle tormenting her? Or will her happily ever after be over before it could begin?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A clever, entertaining look at the compromises women make—and the dangers of getting what you asked for.”—People Jillian Westfield has a life straight out of the women’s magazines she obsessively reads. She’s got the modern-print rugs of Metropolitan Home, the elegant meals from Gourmet, and the clutterfree closets out of Real Simple. With her investment-banker husband behind the wheel and her cherubic eighteen-month-old in the backseat, hers could be the family in the magazines’ Range Rover ads. Yet somehow all of the how-to magazine stories in the world can’t seem to fix her faltering marriage or stop her from asking “What if?” Then one morning Jillian wakes up seven years in the past. She’s back in her Manhattan apartment. She’s back in her fast-paced job. And she’s still with Jackson, the ex-boyfriend, and star of her what-if fantasies. Armed with twenty-twenty hindsight, she’s free to choose all over again. She can reconnect to the mother who abandoned her, she can use ad campaigns from her future to wow her clients, and she can fix the fights that doomed her relationship with Jackson. Or can she? Praise for Time of My Life “A hilarious read.”—Redbook “[Jillian] is easy to understand, a woman trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to do with her life. Scotch is a fluent, spirited writer.”—Boston Globe “A fantastic, often funny novel.”—Hallmark Magazine “Insightful and honest, Winn Scotch keeps it light but delves into the dark doubts of the road not taken.”—Family Circle

A chronicle of an American explorer, sportswoman, socialite, and war heroine.

The long-awaited memoir of Booker T. Jones, leader of the famed Stax Records house band, architect of the Memphis soul sound, and one of the most legendary figures in music. From Booker T. Jones's earliest years in segregated Memphis, music was the driving force in his life. While he worked paper routes and played gigs in local nightclubs to pay for lessons and support his family, Jones, on the side, was also recording sessions in what became the famous Stax Studios-all while still in high school. Not long after, he would form the genre-defining group Booker T. and the MGs, whose recordings went on to sell millions of copies, win a place in Rolling Stone's list of top 500 songs of all time, and help forge collaborations with some of the era's most influential artists, including Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Sam & Dave. Nearly five decades later, Jones's influence continues to help define the music industry, but only now is he ready to tell his remarkable life story. Time is Tight is the deeply moving account of how Jones balanced the brutality of the segregationist South with the loving support of his family and community, all while transforming a burgeoning studio into a musical mecca. Culminating with a definitive account into the inner workings of the Stax label, as well as a fascinating portrait of working with many of the era's most legendary performers-Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and Tom Jones, among them-this extraordinary memoir promises to become a landmark moment in the history of Southern Soul.

'A brilliantly funny new voice' Jenny Colgan Imagine the worst day of your life... Now imagine living it on repeat... This Friday the 13th has been particularly unlucky. Jess has been fired, she's gone from dating two guys to none and she's been kicked out of her flat. As she falls asleep, she is filled with relief that this terrible day is over. Tomorrow she will try to fix things, tomorrow cannot be any worse than this. Except it is. Maybe not worse... but exactly the same. When Jess wakes up the next morning, it is Friday the 13th again. And again. And again. And again. Jess knows how this goes, she's seen the films: this is her wake up call. But she had no idea she needed a wake up call. How is Jess supposed to work out where she's gone wrong when, as far as she's concerned, she's been having the time of her life? Perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane, this modern-day Groundhog Day is the ultimate escape for anyone who has ever wanted a do-over. 'Hilarious and utterly unputdownable' Woman's Own 'Such fun, and so deftly written, with a perfect ending.' Jill Mansell 'A gem - funny, warm, and surprising' Adam Kay 'A poignant and original debut all in one' Sun