"London, 1950s. A beloved quiz show celebrity and his aging wife abandon their familiar life to seek out a boy they’ve never met: Nathan Scrzimshaw — a quiet, awkward teenager whose world revolves around school, football, and church. Or so it seems.But Nathan’s girlfriends whisper otherwise. And his younger brother Clement is documenting every twist — especially the ones Nathan cannot remember. Plagued by a mysterious 'glow' known as the Draco Syndrome, Nathan becomes the object of obsession for girls, women, and rivals alike.The first part of a two-volume literary thriller exploring fractured memory, spiritual disturbance, and the paranormal invasion of normal life."
"Is Nathan Scrzimshaw dead? Even he isn’t sure. Shot and mourned, Nathan attends his own funeral—through the eyes of others. But when he awakens inside Wake Jones aboard a ship bound for Australia, his confusion deepens. Where is Wake? Why is the Draco energy still within him?As women respond to his glow and jealous men circle, Nathan must navigate identity, danger, and the lingering pull of his past. Are other Dracos watching? Is this a resurrection… or something more disturbing?The surreal, genre-bending conclusion to a story of dual identity, metaphysical mystery, and the strange sensual logic of being (possibly) dead."
"Bloomsbury presents The Lost Chapel of Westminster: How a Royal Chapel Became the House of Commons by John Cooper, read by Jeremy Clyde.
The fascinating history of St Stephen's Chapel in the Palace of Westminster, a building at the heart of British life for over 700 years.
Begun in 1292, the royal chapel of St Stephen was the crowning glory of the old palace of Westminster – a place of worship for kings and a showcase of the finest architecture, ritual and music the Plantagenets could muster. But in 1548, as the Protestant Reformation reached its height, St Stephen's was given a new purpose as the House of Commons. Burned out in the great palace fire of 1834, the Commons chamber was then recreated on a remarkably similar medieval design, perpetuating a way of doing politics that is recognisable to this day.
St Stephen's has been part of many lives over the centuries, from the medieval masons who worked through the Black Death to complete the chapel, to the generations of MPs who locked horns in the Commons chamber. Threading together religion, politics, art, architecture and narrative history, John Cooper tells the story of the lost chapel, an iconic building that reflects the national transition from medieval divine-right monarchy to modern parliamentary democracy. P 2024 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC C 2024 John Cooper"
"Meditation has been credited for a myriad of great benefits to the people who practice it. It helps people do everything from overcoming addiction to attaining success and improving health.
I say that meditation is even more powerful. You see, all these things are two-dimensional at best. They combine body and mind only, leaving out the third, even more powerful component of the self-called the soul/spirit.
The thing that hardly anyone ever notices is that the chief cause of stress is an imbalance in the self. This self comprises body, mind, and soul. When you leave one out, you will struggle to be complete. Leave out more than one aspect of the self and—well, it will not be pretty.
In this book, I have put together a complete guide to stress-free living by combining meditation with Buddhist teachings for total harmony in every area of your life. I have also incorporated deep truths about stress within the book. Some of these lessons include:
The two universal causes for stress are unmet needs and a perceived threat. Every single stress or stressful situation can be categorized as one of those two things.
When you are not being true to yourself, your mind, body, and spirit will always be at odds. When your life is in balance, you will always find the strength to overcome any kind of stress.
Through meditation, you are better able to avoid letting your emotions suck you into the melodrama with which they come. This allows you to take a step back and tackle issues in your life in an objective and stress-free manner.
To become truly spiritually enlightened, you must first find absolution for the mistakes that you have made. As you pay your self-imposed penance for your mistakes, your conscience will be cleared along the way, as will much of your stress."
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