The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen
Author: Hendrik Groen
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Total Pages: 345
Release: 2017-07-11
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1455542148

In this #1 international bestseller, an old man who is young at heart proves that life doesn't stop once you enter a nursing home, perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove. Technically speaking, Hendrik Groen is elderly. But at age 83 and one quarter, this feisty curmudgeon has no plans to go out quietly. Bored of weak tea and potted geraniums, exasperated by the indignities of aging, Hendrik has decided to rebel. He begins writing an exposé: secretly recording the antics of day-to-day life in his retirement home, where he refuses to take himself, or his fellow ""inmates,"" too seriously. With an eccentric group of friends, he founds the Old-But-Not-Dead Club, and he and his best friend, Evert, gleefully stir up trouble, enraging the home's humorless director and turning themselves into unlikely heroes. And when a sweet and sassy widow moves in next door, he is determined to savor every ounce of joy in the time he has left, with hilarious and tender consequences. The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen is an inspiring, charming, and laugh-out-loud delight for readers of any age.

On the Bright Side

On the Bright Side
Author: Hendrik Groen
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Total Pages: 358
Release: 2019-03-19
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1538746611

"THE MALE ELENA FERRANTE" -- New York Post In the acclaimed follow-up to the #1 international bestseller The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, everyone's favorite curmudgeon is back and as funny and charming as ever with the newest adventures of the Old-But-Not-Dead Club -- for fans of Frederik Backman and Graeme Simsion. Everyone's favorite octogenarian is back and, together with his pals in the Old-But-Not-Dead Club, he is more determined than ever to wreak havoc and turn a twinkly eye on the brighter side of life. After a year spent mourning the death of his beloved friend Eefje, Hendrik may be older and a little more wobbly, but his youthful appetite for mischief hasn't diminished. When fears arise that the home is set for demolition, it's up to Hendrik and the Old-But-Not-Dead Club to intervene.

Two Old Men and a Baby

Two Old Men and a Baby
Author: Hendrik Groen
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2021-06-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1538753510

Nine years before the events of the #1 international bestseller The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 ¼ Years Old, Hendrik and his best friend Evert embark on a madcap adventure—with an unexpected guest. Hendrik Groen and Evert Duiker, faithful friends in good and bad times, are well over seventy and their lives have quieted down. They see each other once a week to play chess, have a drink, and grab a bite to eat while reflecting on life. But one day, their peace is rudely disturbed when Evert shows up on Hendrik's doorstep with a surprise in the form of an unexpected little guest. He had spotted a stroller with a baby in it—unattended for just a minute—and, in a moment of utter madness, decided to take it for a walk. Hilarious, right? Not to Hendrik, who can barely believe his friend's stupidity. After Evert regains recovers from his momentary lapse of sanity, the two seventy-year-olds resolve to return their charge to its parents—hopefully without being noticed. But the quiet neighborhood is now swarmed by bumbling police officers, and they realize that getting rid of their accidental foster child will be more difficult than expected . . .

Feeding Time

Feeding Time
Author: Adam Biles
Publisher: Galley Beggar Press
Total Pages: 434
Release: 2016-08-18
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1910296740

Chosen by The Observer as a Fiction Pick for 2016 and described as a 'scintillating novel of ideas', Feeding Time is a debut like no other: a blast of rage against the dying of the light. Dot is losing the will to live. Tristan is sick of emptying bedpans. Cornish spends entire days barricaded in his office. And Ruggles... well. Ruggles is damn well going to escape those Nazi villains and get back to active duty. The mix is all the more combustible since Dot, Tristan, Cornish and Ruggles are all under the same roof – that of a rapidly declining old people's home called Green Oaks. There's going to be an explosion. It's going to be messy. And nobody knows who will pick up the pieces.

Exit Lines

Exit Lines
Author: Joan Barfoot
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 201
Release: 2010-12-30
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0297855778

A darkly comic novel about life, death and everything that matters! At three o'clock in the morning, that defenceless hour when anything feels possible, the Idyll Inn's only sounds are the low hum and thrum a building makes to keep itself going. An uneasy hour, it is also the most discreet time for unsavoury acts. If all goes well, there will be no repercussions. At three o'clock in the morning, four people convene in one room to do the unthinkable. All four harbour secrets - of betrayal, sex, fear, and guilt - but all four are united in their loathing of the director of the Inn. Fuelled by Sylvia's secret wine stash, they begin to confess to past demeanours, to abandonment and hope, to questions of love and loyalty. But then one of them asks a question that no one is prepared for... EXIT LINES is a wry, funny but also terribly poignant novel about life's turning points and about how we adapt and change. It is about growing old disgracefully and tackles the 'Big Questions' with a refreshing lightness of touch.

The Orphan of Cemetery Hill

The Orphan of Cemetery Hill
Author: Hester Fox
Publisher: Harlequin
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2020-09-15
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1488056382

The dead won’t bother you if you don’t give them permission. Boston, 1844. Tabby has a peculiar gift: she can communicate with the recently departed. It makes her special, but it also makes her dangerous. As an orphaned child, she fled with her sister, Alice, from their charlatan aunt Bellefonte, who wanted only to exploit Tabby’s gift so she could profit from the recent craze for seances. Now a young woman and tragically separated from Alice, Tabby works with her adopted father, Eli, the kind caretaker of a large Boston cemetery. When a series of macabre grave robberies begins to plague the city, Tabby is ensnared in a deadly plot by the perpetrators, known only as the “Resurrection Men.” In the end, Tabby’s gift will either save both her and the cemetery—or bring about her own destruction. Don't miss Hester Fox's next novel, THE BOOK OF THORNS, where two sisters who never knew the other existed meet on opposite sides during the Napoleonic Wars and must use the magic of flowers to solve the mystery of their mother’s death—while surviving the war raging around them... Look for these other gothic mysteries from Hester Fox: The Last Heir to Blackwood Library The Witch of Willow Hall The Widow of Pale Harbor A Lullaby for Witches

The Secret Diary of Chumleigh the Cat

The Secret Diary of Chumleigh the Cat
Author: Paul Lawrence
Publisher: tfm Publishing Limited
Total Pages: 136
Release: 2024-09-01
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 1913755290

Behind a thin veneer of respectability, life in a small English village is not all it may seem. Through the eyes of Chumleigh the cat, the rural goings on are recorded in this funny and poignant diary, with an element of adult humour. From a cat’s perspective, Chumleigh tells all about life in his house and the antics of his neighbours. From domestic disharmony to a cannabis farm in next door’s garden shed, he sees it all and shares it all in his diary. This is a cat who enjoys the finer elements of feline existence like tuna, sleeping in the warm and cat treats. But life doesn’t always pan out the way he would like. Supported by a rich cast of locals, as odd and individualistic as still found in many small villages, Chumleigh charts a year in his life. Traumatic visits to the vet, turf wars with the local ginger tom and a desire to eliminate a neighbour’s yappy dog are all set down with great humour and insight. If you’ve ever lived in a village or owned a cat, this will make you laugh. If you’ve never lived in a village and never owned a cat, this will be a wonderful insight into what you have been missing. The Secret Diary of Chumleigh the Cat is a year in the life of a cat who never ceases to be amazed at just what goes on around him!

The Gritterman

The Gritterman
Author: Orlando Weeks
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 82
Release: 2017-09-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1846149908

'Sometimes it feels like I might be the only person awake in the whole country. People might find that a lonely thought. Not me...' As the rest of the world sleeps, the Gritterman goes out to work. Through the wind and the snow and the freezing cold, in the blue-black hours when time slips away, he grits the paths and the pavements and the roads. For him, there is romance in the winter and comfort in his purpose. But what would a life without gritting mean? A song for the unsung hero, this is a bittersweet story about stoicism, dignity and a man leaving behind the work that he loves. It is accompanied by the author's own illustrations.

Crosshairs

Crosshairs
Author: Catherine Hernandez
Publisher: Atria Books
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2020-12-08
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1982146028

USA TODAY’s 5 Books Not to Miss Vanity Fair’s Books To Get You Through the Winter Marie Claire’s 2020 Books to Add To Your Reading List PopSugar’s 20 Books Everyone Will Be Talking About Cosmopolitan’s 20 Books to Read this Winter The author of the acclaimed novel Scarborough weaves an unforgettable and timely dystopian tale about a near-future, where a queer Black performer and his allies join forces to rise up when an oppressive regime gathers those deemed “Other” into concentration camps. Set in a terrifyingly familiar near-future, with massive floods leading to rampant homelessness and devastation, a government-sanctioned regime called The Boots seizes on the opportunity to round up communities of color, the disabled, and the LGBTQ+ into labor camps. In the shadows, a new hero emerges. After he loses his livelihood as a drag queen and the love of his life, Kay joins the resistance alongside Bahadur, a transmasculine refugee, and Firuzeh, a headstrong social worker. Guiding them in the use of weapons and close-quarters combat is Beck, a rogue army officer, who helps them plan an uprising at a major televised international event. With her signature “raw yet beautiful, disturbing yet hopeful” (Booklist) prose, Catherine Hernandez creates a vision of the future that is all the more frightening because it is very possible. A cautionary tale filled with fierce and vibrant characters, Crosshairs explores the universal desire to thrive, love, and be loved for being your true self.