In 1852, when prestigious Alabama plantation owner Cornelius Allen gives his daughter Clarissa's hand in marriage, she takes with her a gift: Sarah—her slave and her half-sister. Raised by an educated mother, Clarissa is not the proper Southern belle she appears to be, with ambitions of loving whom she chooses. Sarah equally hides behind the façade of being a docile house slave as she plots to escape. Both women bring these tumultuous secrets and desires with them to their new home, igniting events that spiral into a tale beyond what you ever imagined possible. Told through the alternating viewpoints of Sarah and Theodora Allen, Cornelius' wife, Marlen Suyapa Bodden's The Wedding Gift is an intimate portrait of slavery and the 19th Century South that will leave readers breathless.

This fanthology is the first ever authorised book about indie legends The Wedding Present. With an introduction and commentary from band founder and mainstay David Gedge, The Wedding Present: Sometimes These Words Don t Have To Be Said is a collection of over 400 fan memories interspersed with insights from collaborators from across the band s career. These include former band members Peter Solowka, Shaun Charman, Paul Dorrington, Terry De Castro, Simon Cleave, Graeme Ramsay and Patrick Alexander and the band s producers and engineers including Chris Allison, Steve Lyon, Steve Albini and Grammy Award-winning Andrew Scheps. From David Gedge s school days through to concerts in 2016, the book is packed with full colour images, including many from David s personal archive. It contains stories from a host of celebrity fans, including Gaz Coombes (Supergrass), Mark Burgess (The Chameleons), Martin Noble (British Sea Power), Emma Pollock (The Delgados), John Robb (The Membranes), William Potter (CUD), Rolo McGinty (The Woodentops), Ben Lambert (Carter USM), and bands who have performed at David s annual At The Edge Of The Sea festival.

In this fascinating work, Louise Purbrick offers an alternative analysis of contemporary domestic consumption. She investigates the ritualized presentation of objects upon marriage, and their subsequent cycles of exchange within the domestic sphere. Focusing on gift-giving in Britain from 1945 to the present, comparative context is provided by material from North America and Europe. Presenting new material on the enactment of exchange relationships within everyday domesticity, the book makes significant historical, theoretical and methodological contributions to the analysis of contemporary consumption. It also re-evaluates consumption theory as well as examining the methodology of recent studies in consumption and domesticity, pressing for a more rigorous approach to the use of case studies. By considering how the specific contexts in which consumption occurs, such as married domesticity, can limit possible versions of selfhood, The Wedding Present tests the assumption that consuming creates individual identities. Thus, the book argues, consumption cannot be isolated as an explanation of individual or social formation.

Everyone dreams of the perfect wedding… And for nearly seven decades, Bride’s magazine has been the leading authority on the subject, with advice that is both practical and sympathetic to the needs of the bride, the groom, their families and friends. Now in a completely revised edition, Bride’s Book of Etiquette offers the most up-to-date information on engagement and wedding planning, and realistic solutions for any problem that couples may encounter. In this trusted classic, you’ll find out: How to draw up—and pare down—the guest list How to word invitations for every circumstance How to get his family to share wedding expenses, and who pays for what Where to seat divorced parents, and how to make sure they’ll get along How to dress the bride, groom, mothers, and bridal party at every hour for every type of wedding Contemporary ideas for a long-weekend wedding, a destination wedding and more How to handle last-minute glitches, include children in a second wedding, and answer the tough question: “Am I invited to the wedding?” Registering on the Internet, the dos and don’ts Updated etiquette for a second wedding The new honeymoon rules—romantic trips in today’s world

'You will love this book.' - RICHARD OSMAN Shortlisted for the Penderyn Music Book Prize A Rough Trade Book of the Year A Resident Book of the Year A Monorail Book of the Year A Virgin Radio Book of the Year In 1986, the NME released a cassette that would shape music for years to come. A collection of twenty-two independently signed guitar-based bands, C86 was the sound and ethos that defined a generation. It was also arguably the point at which 'indie' was born. But what happened next to all those musical dreamers? Some of the bands, like Primal Scream, went on to achieve global stardom; others, such as Half Man Half Biscuit and The Wedding Present, cultivated lifelong fanbases that still sustain their careers today. Then there were the rest - the ones who endured general indifference from the record-buying public and ultimately returned to civvy street. Now, thirty-five years on, journalist Nige Tassell tracks down the class of C86, unearthing members of all twenty-two bands and sharing the stories, both tragic and uplifting, of these long-lost musicians. Told with warmth, compassion and humour, this is a very human account of ambition, hope, varying degrees of talent and what happens after you give up on music - or, more accurately, after music gives up on you. It's a world populated by bike-shop owners, dance-music producers, record-store proprietors, ornithologists, driving instructors, solicitors, caricaturists and possibly even an Olympic sailor. And let's not forget the musician-turned-actor gainfully employed as Jeremy Irons' body double... More than simply the tale of the tape, Whatever Happened to the C86 Kids? is an exploration of C86's wide-reaching and often surprising legacy.

Compiles career biographies of over 1,200 artists and rock music reviews written by fans covering every phase of rock from R & B through punk and rap.