Mongol [mong-gohl], noun, 1. a member of a pastoral people now living chiefly in Mongolia. 2. (offensive) a person affected with Down’s Syndrome. Uuganaa is a Mongol living in Britain, far from the world she grew up in: as a nomadic herder she lived in a yurt, eating marmot meat, distilling vodka from goat’s yoghurt and learning about Comrade Lenin. When her new-born son Billy is diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome, she finds herself facing bigotry and taboo as well as heartbreak. In this powerful memoir, Uuganaa skilfully interweaves the extraordinary story of her own childhood in Mongolia with the sadly short life of Billy, who becomes a symbol of union and disunion, cultures and complexity, stigma and superstition – and inspires Uuganaa to challenge prejudice. Mongol is the touching story of one woman’s transformation from outsider to fearless champion of love, respect and tolerance. It’s a moving tribute by a remarkable woman to her beloved baby son, testifying to his lasting impact on a sometimes imperfect world.

What did I know about life, a wee heifer like me, a twenty-two-year-old no-mates stay-at-home from the rump end of Cumbernauld? What did I even know about sex, never mind drugs, or violence, or murder? Alison, a naive Scottish girl, moves to Barcelona and meets Chloe, a foxy American heiress. Chloe, as well as introducing Alison to a multitude of sins, teaches her new friend about the sweet taste of revenge. They soon embark on a sex-and-drugs romp through the gothic streets of Barcelona, while composing vengeful postcards home. Dear Lisa and Lauren, Enjoying sangria on La Rambla. Don’t know if you’d like it here. The hot weather would be a nightmare for your athlete’s foot and intimate itching – think of the thigh chafing! Nasty. Hasta la vista, Alison xxx But Alison quickly realises that there is a high price to pay for their decadent lifestyle as she finds herself caught up in a world of cruelty, deceit and murder –

Trisha, a lonely unsentimental boozer, unexpectedly inherits a home in the Highlands. She wastes no time leaving Glasgow – and her estranged husband, her insolent teenage son and her boring job. Having pictured a rural idyll, she finds rain, sheep, and kamikaze midges. And more rain. Her only companion is a smelly, brain-damaged dog, but a night of whisky-fuelled high jinks with a frozen salmon leads to a dramatic discovery that will change her future forever, and maybe even her past.

Heart of the Hero’ gives a compelling insight into the lives of some of the world’s most famous explorers, through the eyes of the women who inspired them to achieve great things. Author Kari Herbert explores the unpredictable, often heartbreaking stories of seven remarkable women who were indispensable companions, intrepid travellers and sometimes even the driving force behind our best-loved polar heroes, such as Scott and Shackleton. Drawing on her own unique experience as the daughter of a pioneering polar explorer, and using extracts from previously unpublished historic journals and letters, Herbert blends deeply personal accounts of longing, betrayal and hope with tales of peril and adventure.

Ancient Egypt: land of pharaohs, mummies, and mystery. In her latest book, Clare Gibson seeks to uncover the hidden meanings in Egyptian art and to discover the story of the people who created this magnificent civilisation. Through a detailed interpretation of the beautiful Egyptian art, Gibson discovers the forgotten hopes and dreams, magic and religion of a lost empire. Wall-paintings and illustrations, jewelry and golden burial goods – these are not just beautiful objects, but also hold the secrets to understanding the Egyptians’ life. Gibson combines threads of history, religion, and symbology to breathe new life in a lost empire.
The full-colour illustrations, many in full- or double-page spread, allow the reader to fully appreciate the beauty of the artworks, while the many detail images highlight significant symbols. The book is enhanced by a brief introduction to the mysterious hieroglyphs.

Centuries before European explorers ‘discovered’ the Americas, the ancient Maya flourished in thriving cities like Palenque and Chichen Itza, where they tracked the stars and created elaborate cosmic calendars, built temples to their gods, performed human sacrifices – and drank chocolate. Incoming priests did their best to stamp out the indigenous ways, but the sculptures, cities, murals and even books, highlighted in brilliant Mayan Blue, survived to tell the true story of a vanished civilisation. This lavishly illustrated book goes beyond the apocalyptic 2012 predictions surrounding the end of the Long Count calendar: it delves deep into the mysterious Maya world to uncover the true story of an empire by studying its artefacts. As the players on the cosmic ball court knew, the survivor is the winner.

Gibson teaches how to decipher the hidden clues to the meanings beneath a painting’s surface, whether sacred, mythological or allegorical. This work features 50 masterpieces that are decoded in detail, with reproductions and useful reference summaries.

This beautiful volume will open your eyes to the messages that the great masters of Renaissance art conveyed through symbols and visual codes. As you linger over its pages, you’ll learn how to decipher all kinds of hidden clues to the deeper meanings that lie beneath the artistry of a painting’s surface.

Man Booker Prize 2016, shortlist.

The majesty and beauty of trees have inspired poets for centuries, and this magnificent anthology brings together the finest poems from around the world celebrating trees. Featuring poetry giants such as Seamus Heaney, Robert Frost, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Robert Burns, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, ‘Into the Forest’ includes poems related to the Tree Ogham (Gaelic) tree alphabet, which links a species to each letter. Tapping into the growing public passion for woods and trees, ‘Into the Forest’ is the only stand-alone tree poetry anthology in print, and is a must for both nature lovers and poetry enthusiasts.