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Meg Rosoff grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and moved to London in 1989. The bestselling author of ten books, she has won or been shortlisted for twenty international awards including the Orange First Novel Prize, the Carnegie Medal, the National Book Award and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Her first novel, How I Live Now, has sold over one million copies and was made into a feature film. Meg Rosoff was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2014. She lives in London with her husband, daughter and two lurchers.
Author photo © Eamonn McCabe
With characteristic vision and grace Meg Rosoff has done it again in this exquisite novel that merits a place alongside I Capture the Castle, Bonjour Tristesse and The Lost Estate (Le Grand Meaulnes) for its coming-of-age, loss-of-innocence excellence. Though contemporary, it feels timeless and elementally affecting, much like the Great Godden’s impact on the family whose story it tells. With an idyllic seaside summer stretching ahead, the tingling anticipation of The Great Godden’s unnamed teenage narrator is deliciously palpable: “This year is going to be the best ever: the best weather, the best food, the best fun. The actors assembled, the summer begins.” But there are still two more actors to take to the stage - enter the Godden brothers in a shiny black car. The narrator’s older sister Mattie is immediately smitten by magnetic, handsome, self-assured Kit: “She was desperate to lose her virginity, and what sort of person would say no to Mattie? Surely not some movie star’s kid, fresh off the plane?” Though Mattie is certainly attractive, it’s obvious that charmer Kit has the upper hand of any situation, but might he also be a trouble-maker, as his curt, less-of-a-looker brother warns? Such wonderings underpin some of this novel’s essence. With the stage fully set and summer speeding towards the climax of a wedding, it poses fundamental questions about motivation, and the nature of agency, of lust, of the desire to be seen for who you are. Quivering with unease, passion and paranoia, it also reveals how past experiences engrave themselves upon us, creating fault-lines that may crack and cause future ructions. Sophisticated, seductive and smoothly readable, this is a summer story par excellence, and a coming-of-age tale for all times.
A crazy New York romance, not that the city matters for this is about getting out of a rut and embracing the new, however terrifying. It is very charming, it is also Meg Rosoff’s first adult novel and very suitable for the ‘nearly grown-up’ too. Light, humorous, predictable and short, it’s a great curl-up, warm read. Jonathan’s brother is off to Dubai for six months and leaves his collie and spaniel for Jonathan to look after in his tiny New York apartment. These are well trained, highly intelligent and lovable creatures who seem to know Jonathan better than he knows himself and eventually take his wellbeing into their control. Then Jonathan realises that nothing will happen in his life unless he gets off his arse and does something to make it happen. Consequently the last quarter of the book is pure farce. Great fun. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
Poor Jonathan. He doesn't remember life being this confusing back in the good old days before everyone expected him to act like a person. But one thing he knows for sure: if he can make it in New York City, he can make it anywhere. Will he get out of advertising, meet the girl of his dreams and figure out the gender of his secret crush? Given how it's going so far, probably not.
Award-winning Meg Rosoff brilliantly unravels a story of secrets and surprises as seen through the eyes of twelve year old Mila. An only child, Mila is a sharp observer of the world around her; she picks up the small details that people think they are keeping hidden and which adults easily miss. Accompanying her father on a long trip to a remote place to find his best-friend who has gone missing, Mila sensitively detects buried sorrows and tensions which may be useful as explanations. What Mila learns is important and leads to the uncovering of truths that have been kept from her. Meg Rosoff captures perfectly the way Mila, like other sensitive teenagers, sees behind what adults tell her and creates her own understanding of their actions. ~ Julia Eccleshare
The hugely anticipated sixth novel from the Carnegie Medal-winning author Meg Rosoff. Mila is on a mission: a mission to find her father’s best friend, Matthew, who has gone missing. Though only twelve years old, Mila’s razor-sharp perception means that she sees clues that no adult sees: she detects emotions buried deep and unlocks secrets long-held. Characteristically tightly wrought, Rosoff captures perfectly the emotions of a girl teetering on the edge of adulthood. As Mila catches glimpses of an adult world shrouded in darkness and intrigue, luckily for her, she also encounters a giant Easter egg, a boy called Jake and a faithful friend in the form of a dog called Honey.
WHAT IF GOD WERE A TEENAGE BOY? In the beginning there was Bob. And Bob created the heavens and the earth and the beasts of the field and the creatures of the sea, and twenty-five million other species including lots and lots of gorgeous girls. And all of this, he created in just six days. Six days! Congratulations Bob! No wonder Earth is such a mess. Imagine that God is a typical teenage boy. He is lazy, careless, self-obsessed, sex-mad - and about to meet Lucy, the most beautiful girl on earth. Unfortunately, whenever Bob falls in love, disaster follows. Let us pray that Bob does not fall in love with Lucy. This is Meg Rosoff at her ingenious best; a cracking story full of brilliant humour and teen angst. In fact it's so good we reckon you'll read it in a sitting.
Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 12 November 2009. Meg Rosoff has written another superb book for young adults, although this will be equally enjoyed by the more mature adults out there too! Pell leaves home determined not to get caught in the spiral of poverty and drudgery her mother fell in to and on the journey to find a better life she learns a lot about herself, the importance of family and above all about the true nature of love. A beautifully told book.
Shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book Award 2007.An extraordinary story of a powerful teenage friendship that crosses all bariers. A lonely boy trying to manage the containing conversion of his boarding school meets Finn living alone in a hut near the shore. How the two build a relationship that is so important to each, despite knowing so little about each other, is wholly captivating. Once again, Meg Rossoff who has already won prizes for How I Live Now and Just In Case seems able to inhabit a teenager's mind. Costa Book Awards 2007 Judges' comment: "Its central character caught between childhood and adulthood, this poignant and affecting book, tinged with melancholy, is both haunting and elegiac."
A 2012 World Book Night selection. One of the best crossover children/adult books I have read since The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It has the sort of old worldly feel of I Capture a Castle which suddenly turns into a novel of survival and violence when Britain is invaded. It's a coming-of-age tale, a story of love and endurance but it's real charm is in its style. Big ideas simply told, it is utterly hypnotic.Comparison: Dodie Smith, Sue Fletcher, Mark Haddon.Similar this month: Deborah Lawrenson, Jodi Picoult.
This is the story of one family, one dreamy summer - the summer when everything changes. In a holiday house by the sea, in a big, messy family, one teenager watches as brothers and sisters, parents and older cousins fill hot days with wine and games and planning a wedding. Enter the Goddens - irresistible, charming, languidly sexy Kit and surly, silent Hugo. Suddenly there's a serpent in this paradise - and the consequences will be devastating. From bestselling, award-winning author Meg Rosoff comes a lyrical and quintessential coming-of-age tale - a summer book that's as heady, timeless and irresistible as Bonjour Tristesse and I Capture the Castle but as sharp and fresh as Normal People.
From award-winning author Meg Rosoff comes this clever, laugh-out-loud picture book about a family's surprising newest member--a moose! When he first arrives, everyone is expecting the usual kind of baby. But right away, his family notices there's something different about this one. Instead of two feet, he has four hooves. Instead of drinking milk, he eats twigs and weeds. Instead of a tiny human, they bring home a moose baby! With his long legs, silky ears, and sturdy antlers, the moose baby is admired everywhere he goes. Everyone wishes they had a moose baby too. But what will happen when he starts to outgrow their little home? Here's a delightfully quirky and completely irresistible new sibling picture book about the true meaning of family and the power of love to transcend any difference.
Pa has just landed a new job, and it's put an unusual spring in his step. But a new job means a new house in a new part of town, and now the Peacheys are getting ready to move. Amidst the chaos, nobody seems to notice that Betty is struggling with this big change. Nobody, that is, except McTavish. Will the canny family dog be able to put a smile back on Betty's face? The fourth instalment of this critically acclaimed series brings a touching and witty take to one of life's most common anxieties.
The Peachey family enjoy fine meals each night now that everyone takes turns cooking. Everyone, that is, except grumbling Pa Peachey - until some unsatisfactory bread pushes him to try baking. Convinced that he has found his true calling, Pa sets his sights on winning the town Bake Off. Unfortunately, his great ideas far surpass his skills, and soon Pa's ambitions are crumbling under the weight of 3,784 pieces of gingerbread ... McTavish smells disaster in the making, and it looks like he's going to have to save the day - again.
It's summer and the Peachey family is in crisis - again. Youngest child Betty Peachey is trying to persuade the family to go to the Faraway Campsite of Ma Peachey's idyllic dreams. But most of the Peacheys are still resisting. Pa Peachey is convinced that terrible dangers lurk in the `wild', Ollie only cares about whether there's a `disco', and Ava has her nose deep in philosophy books...But marvellous McTavish, always one step ahead of the Peacheys, quietly works out a way to get the family enjoying their holiday, together.
The Peachey family is in crisis. No one cooks dinner, no one picks up the dirty washing and thekids are always late for school. All because Mum has resigned from being Mum and taken up yogainstead. She's in the tree pose; everyone else is in the doghouse. Except McTavish, a rescue dog witha difference, on a mission to sort his new family out...Filled to the brim with Meg's wry humour and beautiful prose, this is a story for the young and the young at heart.
Mit dem Deutschen Jugendliteraturpreis ausgezeichnet!Als David Case seinen kleinen Bruder eines Tages nur knapp vor einem Sturz aus dem Fenster bewahrt, wird ihm bewusst: Uns trennt oft nur ein Wimpernschlag von der Katastrophe. Und er ist sich sicher, dass das Schicksal wieder zuschlagen wird. Also versucht er, sich vor ihm zu verstecken. Er versucht, seinem eigenen Schicksal aus dem Weg zu gehen. David nimmt eine komplett neue Identitat an, andert seinen Namen in Justin Case und verlasst sein Zuhause. Doch so einfach lasst sich das Schicksal nicht austricksen.
The first adult novel from acclaimed, bestselling author Meg Rosoff, a perfect summer read about a young New Yorker whose career and love life are turned upside down when he starts taking care of his brother's two dogs.Jonathan is a copywriter at Comrade advertising agency, working on the most lucrative and most numbingly tedious account, Broadway Depot. His best friend Max works at the next desk, keeping him sane. Jonathan's girlfriend, Julie, works for Bridal 360, an online wedding magazine. When Julie suggests they get married for a live online wedding feature, Jonathan finds himself on a conveyor belt, hurtling towards the rest of his life. When his brother asks him to look after his dogs, Jonathan begins to see the world around him differently. Could a border collie and a cocker spaniel hold the key to his true happiness? Their sly maneuvering on daily walks and visits to Dr. Clare, the lady vet, suggest that dog sense is several notches higher than human emotional intelligence. A contemporary romantic comedy set in Manhattan, Jonathan Unleashed is as much a love letter to the city as it is a story about tangled relationships, and dogs. Hilarious, wise and heart-warming, Meg Rosoff's novel will touch a nerve with anyone thinking about what they really want to do with their lives, and which eddy they might allow themselves to be caught in.
National Book Award finalist and bestselling author Meg Rosoff's charming, hilarious new novel about a young New Yorkers search for happiness and the two dogs who help him find itthe perfect summer readJonathan Trefoils boss is unhinged, his relationship baffling and his apartment just the wrong side of legal. His girlfriend wants to marry someone just like himonly richer and with a different sense of humor. He doesnt remember life being this confusing, back before everyone expected him to act like a grown up.When his brother asks him to look after his dogs, Jonathans world view begins to shift. Could a Border Collie and a Cocker Spaniel have the key to life, the universe, and everything? Their sly maneuvering on daily walks and visits to the alluring vet suggest that human emotional intelligence may not be top dog after all.A funny, wise romantic comedy set in Manhattan, Jonathan Unleashed is a story of tangled relationships, friendships, and dogs. Rosoffs novel is for everyone wondering what to be when they grow up, and how on earth to get there.
Jonathan Trefoil's boss is unhinged, his relationship baffling and his apartment just the wrong side of legal. His girlfriend wants to marry someone just like him - only richer and more organised with a different sense of humour. On the plus side, his two flatmates are determined to fix his life - or possibly to destroy it altogether. It's difficult to be certain as they only speak dog. Poor Jonathan. He doesn't remember life being this confusing back in the good old days before everyone expected him to act like a person. But one thing he knows for sure: if he can make it in New York City, he can make it anywhere. Will he get out of advertising, meet the girl of his dreams and figure out the gender of his secret crush? Given how it's going so far, probably not.
Ein chaotisches Roadmovie und eine liebevolle FamiliengeschichteMeg Rosoffs neues Meisterwerk erzahlt von Mila, einer sensiblen und scharfsinnigen Zwolfjahrigen. Sie macht sich zusammen mit ihrem Vater auf die Suche nach dessen bestem Freund Matthew, der spurlos verschwunden ist. Zusammen fahren die beiden quer durch den Osten der USA bis hoch an die kanadische Grenze. Aber es ist auch die Geschichte einer besonderen Vater-Tochter-Beziehung, und daruber, wie unterschiedlich die beiden die Welt sehen. Mila findet Matthew schlielich und kann ihn zur Ruckkehr bewegen. Was dann wird, kann sie nicht beeinflussen. Aber sie hat gelernt, dass die Suche manchmal mehr enthullt als die Entdeckung.Geschichten uber das Erwachsenwerden gibt es viele, aber nur wenigen Autoren gelingt es, sie so authentisch und einfuhlsam zu erzahlen wie Meg Rosoff.
Ein fesselnder Roman uber eine auergewohnliche erste Liebe"e;Nach all den Jahren kann ich an diese Nacht kaum zuruckdenken, ohne in wunderbaren und schrecklichen Emotionen gleichzeitig zu versinken, in einem Gefuhl so tief wie das Meer und so weit wie der nachtliche Himmel. Naturlich war es Liebe, aber das wusste ich damals nicht."e;Hilary ist sechzehn, schon von zwei Schulen geflogen und unglucklicher Schuler eines kalten, trostlosen Internats. Sein einziger Lichtblick: Die heimlichen Ausfluge zu Finn in die kleine, windschiefe Hutte direkt am Meer ...
Ein Roman - so intensiv und so unvergesslich wie die erste groe LiebeDie funfzehnjahrige Daisy aus New York verbringt die Ferien bei ihren exzentrischen Verwandten in England, die idyllisch auf dem Land leben. Dort verliebt sie sich in ihren Cousin Edmond. Doch urplotzlich wird Grobritannien von Bombenanschlagen erschuttert, es bricht ein Krieg aus, und Daisy und Edmond werden getrennt. Sie erleben die Wirren und die Grausamkeiten eines Krieges, den keiner versteht, und versuchen zu uberleben. Und sie suchen einander ...Meg Rosoffs Debutroman So lebe ich jetzt machte die Autorin uber Nacht beruhmt. Er wurde mit unzahligen Preisen ausgezeichnet und von der Presse begeistert aufgenommen: ein bewegendes, ein mitreiendes Buch, das den Leser von der ersten Seite an gefangennimmt.- Guardian Award 2004 - Michael L. Printz Award 2005 - Branford Boase Award 2005 - Shortlist Booktrust Teenage Prize 2005 - LUCHS des Jahres 2005 - Eule des Monats November 2005 - Nominiert fur den Deutschen Jugendliteraturpreis 2006
The downloadable audiobook edition of Meg Rosoffs charming coming-of-age novel, How I Live Now, set over a summer of love and destruction. Read by the actress Amber Sealey. American girl Daisy has had a troubled background, and is sent from New York to stay with her charmingly shambolic family of British cousins, who she has never met. They are Isaac, Edmond, Osbert, and Piper. And two dogs and a goat. Daisy has never met anyone quite like them before - and, as a dreamy English summer progresses, Daisy finds herself caught in a timeless bubble as she slowly begins to piece herself together with the the help of her super-eccentric and slightly psychic cousins. Not only does Daisy get better as she easily succumbs to the charms of their adult-free rural home, but she finds herself falling in love with one of her cousins in this intense, gorgeous, summery bubble where they live a timeless existence. So timeless, that when war breaks out they barely seem to notice . . .Daisys life is changed forever - and the world is too.
How I Live Now is an original and poignant book by Meg Rosoff, now a film tie-in edition to celebrate the release of the major film starring Saoirse Ronan. How I Live Now is the powerful and engaging story of Daisy, the precocious New Yorker and her English cousin Edmond, torn apart as war breaks out in London, from the multi award-winning Meg Rosoff. How I Live Now has been adapted for the big screen by Kevin Macdonald. Fifteen-year-old Daisy thinks she knows all about love. Her mother died giving birth to her, and now her dad has sent her away for the summer, to live in the English countryside with cousins she's never even met. There she'll discover what real love is: something violent, mysterious and wonderful. There her world will be turned upside down and a perfect summer will explode into a million bewildering pieces. How will Daisy live then? 'Fresh, honest, rude, funny. I put it down with tears on my face' - Julie Myerson, Guardian 'Assured, powerful, engaging . . . you will want to read everything that Rosoff is capable of writing' - Observer 'An unforgettable adventure' - Sunday Times Bestselling author Meg Rosoff has received great critical acclaim since the publication of her first novel How I Live Now (winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize). Her other novels, Just in Case (winner of the 2007 Carnegie Medal), The Bride's Farewell and What I Was which was described by The Times as 'Samuel Beckett on ecstasy', are also available from Puffin. Follow Meg on Twitter @megrosoff. Also by Meg Rosoff: How I Live Now; Just In Case; What I Was; The Bride's Farewell; There is No Dog
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