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<p><b>In this riveting and immersive biography, acclaimed author Mary Gabriel details the meteoric rise and enduring influence of </b><b>perhaps the greatest pop icon of the modern era: Madonna.</b><br/><br/>With her arrival on the pop music scene in the early 1980s, Madonna generated nothing short of an explosion - as great as that of Elvis or the Beatles or Michael Jackson - <b>taking the world by storm with her liberated politics and breath-taking talent.</b> Within two years of her 1983 debut album, a shopping mall in California was nicknamed "The Madonna Mall" because it was overrun with "Material Girls". Later that year, the flagship Macy's store in Manhattan held a Madonna lookalike contest with Andy Warhol as judge, and opened a department called "Madonna-land".<br/><br/>Everywhere, women and men gravitated to the singer and actor as an emblem of a new age, one in which the <b>women's liberation</b> could shed the buttoned-down demeanour and reserved seriousness of the '60s and '70s and continue to make tremendous strides for a new generation. Topping charts again and again with provocative, visionary music and videos, <b>Madonna brought queer and sexually-curious identities into the mainstream</b>, fiercely defending a person's right to love whomever, and the space to be who they wanted.<br/><br/>Now, after almost <b>45 years in the spotlight, and in her 65th year</b>, no stranger to controversy, Madonna stands as one of the staunchest supporters of women's and LGBTQ+ rights and continues to represent a lionized emblem of liberation throughout the world.<br/><br/>Deftly tracing the artist's life and influence from her Michigan roots through to her sold out concerts around the globe, master biographer Mary Gabriel captures the <b>inspiration, fame, and activism</b> of one of the greatest music icons of our time.</p>

<p>The beloved star of Friends takes us behind the scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this candid, funny, and revelatory memoir that delivers a powerful message of hope and persistence.</p><p></p><p>'Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.'</p><p>So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare.</p><p>Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who travelled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us. . . and so much more.</p><p></p><p>In an extraordinary story that only he could tell - and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it - Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he's found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humour, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fuelled it despite seemingly having it all.</p><p>Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening - as well as a hand extended to anyone struggling with sobriety.</p><p>Unflinchingly honest, moving, and uproariously funny, this is the book fans have been waiting for.</p><div><span style="color:#1a1a1a;font-family:'Source Sans Pro', Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;background-color:#ffffff;"><br/></u></div>

<p>The much-anticipated first book from Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler</p> <p>With over 70 million records sold, heavy-metal pioneers Black Sabbath are one of the most influential bands of all time. From the very beginning, Geezer Butler was at the heart of their success. He named the group, provided the bass behind their distinctive sound and wrote the lyrics that resonated so powerfully with fans around the world.</p> <p>At long last, Geezer is ready to tell his side of the Sabbath story, from early days as a scrappy blues quartet through to the many lineup changes, the record-breaking tours and the international hell-raising with Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward.</p> <p>Featuring Geezer's candid reflections on his working-class childhood in Luftwaffe-battered Birmingham, his almost-life as an accountant and his fascination with horror, religion and the occult,<em> Into the Void </em>reveals the softer side of the heavy-metal legend, while holding nothing back.</p> <p>Like Geezer's bass lines and the story of Black Sabbath themselves,<em> Into the Void </em>is original, dramatic and one hell of a ride.</p>

<p><i>The saying goes that "God only gives you what you can handle." Well God didn't grow up in my atheist, Wiccan, fame-laden, oversexed, teetotalling, drug-free, cloistered, chaotic, non-communicative, workaholic, feral-feeling house.'</i><br/><br/>For Moon Unit, daughter of musician Frank Zappa and his 'manager', Gail, processing a life so unique, so punctuated by the whims of creative urges, the tastes of popular culture and the calculus of celebrity, has at times been eviscerating. But it is her deep sense of humour and unshakeable humility that keeps her - and this memoir - pinned to the ground.<br/><br/>A child-star at age 14 after her accidental international hit single (recorded with her father), 'Valley Girl', turned her into a reluctant celebrity, Moon Unit Zappa's life has been utterly extraordinary from her birth in 1967 into a family that was already blessed/cursed as music royalty thanks to the acknowledged genius of Frank. But what are the consequences of growing up in a family who spend most of their time naked arguing about sexual/extra-marital liaisons and practising white magic in a free-for-all state of nonconformist, virtuoso abandon?<br/><br/><i>Earth to Moon</i> is a reckoning with self-esteem, the ghosts of the past and a mother and a father who, in the process of leaving their mark upon on the world, scarred their first daughter on home soil. Brutally self-deprecating and funny as hell, it belies a rose-tinted perspective on the 70s and 80s west coast American scene, from within the belly of the beast of the rock and roll world.</p>

<p>One of the few indisputable geniuses of pop music, Sly Stone is a trailblazer who created a new kind of music, mixing Black and white, male and female, funk and rock; penned some of the most iconic anthems of the 1960s and 70s, from "Everyday People" to "Family Affair"; and electrified audiences with a persona and stage presence that set a lasting standard for pop culture performance. Yet he has also been a cautionary tale, known as much for how he dropped out of sight as for what put him in the spotlight in the first place. As much as people know the music, the man remains a mystery. In <i>Thank You</i>, his much-anticipated memoir, he's finally ready to share his story - a story that many thought he'd never have the chance to tell. Written with Ben Greenman, who has written memoirs with George Clinton and Brian Wilson among others, <i>Thank You</i> will include a foreword by Questlove. The book was created in collaboration with Sly Stone's manager Arlene Hirschkowitz.<br/><br/><b> "For as long as I can remember folks have been asking me to tell my story," </b>says Stone.<b> "I wasn't ready. I had to be in a new frame of mind to become Sylvester Stewart again to tell the true story of Sly Stone. It's been a wild ride and hopefully my fans enjoy it too."</b></p>

<p><b>*With a foreword by Sir Peter Jackson*</b><br/><i><b><br/>Buckle up, grab a dram, and get ready for another unforgettable wild ride.</b></i><br/><br/>They're back! Stars of <i>Outlander</i>, Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish are no strangers to the rugged beauty of Scotland. But this time they're setting their sights on a new horizon: New Zealand.<br/><br/>Join our intrepid Scotsmen on their latest epic adventure across The Land of the Long White Cloud in this thrilling follow-up to <i>Clanlands</i>. Setting out to explore a country that Graham calls home, and that Sam has longed to visit, these sturdy friends immerse themselves in all that New Zealand has to offer: stunning landscapes, rich history, world-class food and drink, and - much to Graham's mounting anxiety and Sam's deep satisfaction - famously adrenaline-fuelled activities! As ever there's not nearly enough space in their trusty camper van and with plenty of good-natured competition and tormenting to go around, Sam and Graham's friendship is put to the test once again. Along the way we learn about the length and breadth of this jewel of the Southern Seas, exploring the fascinating story of its people while testing the very limits of Graham's sanity.<br/><br/>Like the very best buddy movie sequel, this latest instalment is full of unforgettable experiences and loveable characters and promises to be an even more memorable ride with two of the most entertaining travel companions around.<br/><br/><i>So, say goodbye to your inhibitions and kia ora to New Zealand like you've never seen it before.</i></p>

<p><b>Soon to be an AppleTV+ series,</b> <i>Enzo</i> uncovers a wealth of new facts about the origins, ambitions, and private life of Enzo Ferrari.<br/><br/>Drawing on years of original research conducted in Italy and abroad, this book lays bare the hidden aspects of Ferrari's career. From his earliest failed business ventures, to his political dealings with Italy's fascist government, Allied occupiers, and even Communist leaders.<br/><br/>Revisit all the highlights of Ferrari's rise to greatness. Including his driving career in the 1920s, his management of racing teams for Alfa Romeo in the 1930s and the launch of his own company and team in the late 1940s.<br/><br/>A must have for Ferrari and Formula 1 fans, this definitive biography makes previous accounts obsolete.</p>