Shayne won't get out of the car. It's the summer of 1972 and the whole family has come up to Grandpa Murphy's cottage for their annual trip. Three generations are out on the property, swimming, wandering through the forest, fixing up the clubhouse, getting ready to sing around the fire, and having a lovely time. And Shayne won't get out of the car.A novel in sixteen stories, East Grand Lake is a lovely, thoughtful, warm-hearted tale of life at the lake with a big family. Following the Murphy Clan from one evening to the next, Tim Ryan captures the many tiny, important dramas that occur simultaneously, sometimes invisibly, when everyone gets together. A pair of brothers hunt frogs. The girl cousins make a bid for supremacy. A boy is afraid of the end of the dock. Over one sun-soaked day, the Murphy family wrestles with grief, aging, betrayal, mental illness, and the many small fictions that occur when people share their lives. Written with humour, compassion, and authenticity, East Grand Lake welcomes readers into the complex inner world of a large and loving family. This is a book for everyone who misses or wishes for summer vacation.

Abbey Harris is a independent, career woman who enjoys a comfortable life style in the leafy, Cheshire suburbs. One Sunday she spots an advertisement for a charity looking for volunteers to work on an ecological project in southern Africa, and impulsively applies. Abbey arrives in Kasane, Botswana. As she settles into her new life in the African bush, she encounters a poisonous snake, has a brush with black magic and also has to contend with Anna, a stunning South African who is determined to rekindle a relationship with Darren, Abbey's new husband. The Perils of Skinny-dipping is a story about love, cultural differences and human nature in a stunning and unique environment.

Shayne won't get out of the car. It's the summer of 1972 and the whole family has come up to Grandpa Murphy's cottage for their annual trip. Three generations are out on the property, swimming, wandering through the forest, fixing up the clubhouse, getting ready to sing around the fire, and having a lovely time. And Shayne won't get out of the car.A novel in sixteen stories, East Grand Lake is a lovely, thoughtful, warm-hearted tale of life at the lake with a big family. Following the Murphy Clan from one evening to the next, Tim Ryan captures the many tiny, important dramas that occur simultaneously, sometimes invisibly, when everyone gets together. A pair of brothers hunt frogs. The girl cousins make a bid for supremacy. A boy is afraid of the end of the dock. Over one sun-soaked day, the Murphy family wrestles with grief, aging, betrayal, mental illness, and the many small fictions that occur when people share their lives. Written with humour, compassion, and authenticity, East Grand Lake welcomes readers into the complex inner world of a large and loving family. This is a book for everyone who misses or wishes for summer vacation.

For most of history, Americans have lived close to the land, their food was accessed locally and they processed it in their own kitchens. But as the US population and economy boomed in the last century, they industrialized their food system - with food coming far from home and processed multiple times. And it has taken a toll: America is now faced with polluted soil and unsustainable practices, as well as increasing health problems. The country is faced with historic levels of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other causes of preventable death. The Real Food Revolution by Congressman Tim Ryan is a manifesto for a new food movement- the family farm, 21st-century style. In it, readers will find information on: -The history and current state of our food systems -Myriad negative impacts of our present food practices on our health and our planet -Pros and cons of the current US farm bill and what changes could help restore our nation -How people can get involved, with actionable steps at the end of each chapter