Showing titles in Entertainment & Celebrities

Isy woke up one day in her late 20s to discover that the invisible deal she'd done with her best mates - that they'd prolong growing up for as long as possible - had all been in her head. Everyone around her is suddenly into mortgages, farmers' markets and nappies rather than the idea of running naked into the sea or getting hammered in Plymouth with 80-year-old men.

Greg Graffin is the lead vocalist and songwriter of Bad Religion, recently described as “America's most significant punk band.” Since its inception in Los Angeles in 1980, Bad Religion has produced 18 studio albums, become a long-running global touring powerhouse, and has established a durable legacy as one of the most influential punk rock bands of all time. Punk Paradox is Graffin's life narrative before and during L.A. punk's early years, detailing his observations on the genre's explosive growth and his band's steady rise in importance.

As one of Taylor Swift’s most trusted music journalists, Rob Sheffield has enjoyed close access to the mega-star. His unique insight has afforded him a singular perspective of Taylor’s world, as well as her impact on the world. Inspired by his years of this exclusive access, and the Swiftie response to his commentary on their beloved Taylor, Sheffield merges reportage and criticism in a way that only he can.

Born to Estonian parents in 1950s Bradford, Tamm's rise to fame took her from a Northern childhood to life in the fast lane: via TV appearances in Coronation Street and Girls of Slender Means to leading roles in feature films – including the cult Tales that Witness Madness, and The Odessa File, which pitched her career into the international arena. In 1978, Mary became part of essential Saturday night television as she joined the cast of Doctor Who, alongside Tom Baker, as the superlative Time Lady, Romana!

Online quizmaster Jay Flynn was down on his luck as the Covid pandemic broke. He'd lost his pub, The Crown in Lancashire, which he'd been running with his wife, and was looking for ways to keep the loyal locals together for whom the regular weekly quiz was a lifeline. He set up a quiz night on Facebook but forgot to mark the event as private. Before long 800 people had registered their interest and it was about to go viral around the world.

Known for her childhood role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on the classic NBC show Little House on the Prairie, Melissa Gilbert has spent nearly her entire life in Hollywood. From Dancing with the Stars to a turn in politics, she is always on the lookout for her next project. She just had no idea that her latest one would be completely life changing. When her husband introduces her to the wilds of rural Michigan, Melissa begins to fall back in love with nature. And when work takes them to New York, they find a rustic cottage in the Catskill Mountains to call home.

From a childhood spent making smoke bombs, killing wasps and carving soap in '70s Kent, Harry Hill then found himself in charge of hundreds of sick people as a junior doctor. Out of his depth and terrified, he chucked it all in to pursue his dream of becoming a stand-up comedian. Battling his way through the '90s comedy circuit, he quickly rose to become a household name and one of the UK's most celebrated comics, almost making it to the top of the showbiz tree.

Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter. One of the world's leading contemporary recording artists, she is known for narrative songs about her personal life, which have received widespread media coverage. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 14 to pursue a career in country music. She signed with the label Big Machine Records and became the youngest artist ever signed by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house

Helen Skelton is no stranger to doing hard things, from kayaking the entire length of the Amazon to competing in a boxing match for Sports Relief. Her ability to dig deep and find the inner strength and to carry on no matter the challenge - physical, mental, or emotional - is nothing short of remarkable. Helen grew up on a farm in Cumbria and credits her deep connection with nature and family for grounding her throughout the experiences in her life. In My Stride explores the lessons Helen has learned through life and adventure.

Down the Highway is an essential biography for Bob Dylan fans and all music enthusiasts, delivering the full, fascinating story of the life and work of this great artist. Author Howard Sounes interviewed more than 250 key people in Dylan’s circle, and gained access to previously unseen documents, to create a fresh and compelling book that takes the reader on a journey from Dylan’s childhood in a Minnesota mining town, through his rise to fame in the 1960s, to his current status as the senior figure in popular music.

Picking up immediately after The McCartney Legacy, Volume 1, authors Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair have brought the same exhaustive research ethos to Volume 2 that made the first volume a critical success. Arguably the most authoritative text on the life of Paul McCartney, Volume 2 follows McCartney the man, establishing himself as a musician beyond Beatlemania and his legacy throughout the 20th century through the present day.

If you found The Amazing Book is Not on Fire at least mildly interesting, or even if you didn't read it at all, then you will love our audiobook! Not only do you get us sensually narrating the whole thing in your ears, but there are over three hours of exclusive behind-the-scenes commentary on the book, and irrelevant Dan and Phil banter straight from our mouths to your ears! Who doesn't want that? Okay, that came out kind of weird, but trust us you'll like it. I guess we have to rephrase the blurb..?

The Temptations' heritage, influence, and contributions to American culture and the global music landscape is undeniable. The group produced some of the greatest music of our era and it transcends generations. Through the years, the group's trademark razor-sharp choreography, finely tuned harmonies, and compelling vocals made them the exemplars of the Motown sound. Their story is one of courage, struggle, triumphs, setbacks, and ultimately, international superstardom.

In 2005, Anna Massey was awarded a CBE for services to drama.Daughter of the Canadian actor, Raymond Massey (perhaps best-known for his role as Dr Gillespie in the TV series Dr Killdare), and Adrianne Allen (also a very successful stage actress), drama was in her blood. Her brother, Daniel, was a much-acclaimed actor. And even her godfather was one of the great film directors of all time – John Ford.

In this audiobook, Helen Forrester continues the moving story of her early life with an account of the war years in blitz-torn Liverpool, and the happiness which she so nearly captured, but which was to elude her twice.

Behind the curtain of her happy on-screen persona, Valerie Bertinelli’s life has been no easy ride, especially when it comes to her own self-image and self-worth. She waged a war against herself for years, learning to equate her value to her appearance as a child star on One Day at a Time and punishing herself in order to fit into the unachievable Hollywood mold. She struggled to make her marriage to Eddie Van Halen—the true love of her life—work, despite all the rifts the rock-star lifestyle created between them.

Born in 1957 in Deptford, south London, Danny's first job after dropping out of school at the age of 15 was in One Stop Records, a small record shop in London's West End, frequented by Elton John and Mick Jagger, a store rather like the one in High Fidelity.

The voice, the dressing-down, the cigarette in its holder, remain unmistakable. There is rarely a week when one of Private Lives, Hay Fever, and Blithe Spirit is not in production somewhere in the world. Phrases from Noël Coward's songs - "Mad About The Boy", "Mad Dogs and Englishman" - are forever lodged in the public consciousness. He was at one point the most highly paid author in the world. Yet some of his most striking and daring writing remains unfamiliar.

This is the definitive biography of Freddie Mercury. Written by an award-winning rock journalist, Lesley-Ann Jones toured widely with Queen forming lasting friendships with the band. Now, having secured access to the remaining band members and those who were closest to Freddie, from childhood to death, Lesley-Ann has written the most in depth account of one of music's best loved and most complex figures.

As Bing Crosby once put it, the rise of Tiny Tim represents "one of the most phenomenal success stories in show business". In 1968, after years of playing dive bars and lesbian cabarets on the Greenwich Village scene, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Bob Dylan and Lenny Bruce, the falsetto-voiced, ukulele-playing Tiny Tim landed a recording contract with Frank Sinatra’s Reprise label and an appearance on NBC’s Laugh-In. The resulting album, God Bless Tiny Tim, and its single, "Tip-Toe Thru the Tulips with Me", catapulted him to the highest levels of fame.