Title: Full Dark, No Stars
Author: Stephen King
Stephen King is the highly acclaimed author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. Among his most recent are: Under the Dome, Just After Sunset, Cell, and Lisey’s Story. His acclaimed non-fiction book, On Writing, is also a bestseller. He was the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Maine with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.
Tite Port Mortuary (Kay Scarpetta Mysteries)
Author: Patricia Cornwell
Title: The Art of Hammer: Posters from the Archive of Hammer Films
Author: Marcus Hearn
Title: Naive Bride, Defiant Wife (Mills & Boon Modern ) (Modern Romance)
Author: Lynne Graham
Edie Burchill and her mother have never been close, but when a long lost letter arrives with the return address of Milderhurst Castle, Kent, printed on its envelope, Edie begins to suspect that her mother’s emotional distance masks an old secret.Evacuated from London as a thirteen year old girl, Edie’s mother is chosen by the mysterious Juniper Blythe, and taken to live at Millderhurst Castle with the Blythe family.Fifty years later, Edie too is drawn to Milderhurst and the eccentric Sisters Blythe. Old ladies now, the three still live together, the twins nursing Juniper, whose abandonment by her fiancé in 1941 plunged her into madness.Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst Castle, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in the distant hours has been waiting a long time for someone to find it . . .
Kate Morton grew up in the mountains of southeast Queensland, Australia. She has degrees in Dramatic Art and English Literature and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Queensland. Kate lives with her husband and two young sons in Brisbane.
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Title: Beautiful Darkness (Beautiful Creatures)
Author: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Title: Misguided Angel: A Blue Bloods Novel
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
In Parky’s People, Parkinson sets down on record the highlights of his interviews which provide an intimate insight into the private lives and personal characters of great celebrities from around the world, from Tony Blair and Henry Kissinger, John Betjeman and WH Auden, to Ken Dodd and Elton John. Now an international celebrity himself, the man from a humble but colourful Yorkshire mining family has teased the secerets out of even the most reticent star guests, such as Fred Astaire and Ingrid Bergman, and he has drawn fascinating new information and insights from even the most frequently interviewed subjects like Peter Ustinov, David Niven and Stephen Fry.
Remarkable interviews with Edith Evans and Ben Travers demonstrate that Parkinson’s empathy with the old is as evident as his easy familiarity with sportsmen like George Best, Muhammad Ali and David Beckham. Great comics such as Billy Connolly, Bob Hope, and Morecambe and Wise prove as funny on the page as on screen and it seems that the star of every Hollywood legend shines brightly under Parkinson’s subtle questioning.
With a little help from his friends, Parky’s People is witty, always perceptive, often wise, and never less than compulsive reading.
Title: Zero Hour (Nick Stone 13)
Author: Andy McNab
Andy McNab joined the infantry as a boy soldier. In 1984 he was ‘badged’ as a member of 22 SAS Regiment and was involved in both covert and overt special operations worldwide. During the Gulf War he commanded Bravo Two Zero, a patrol that, in the words of his commanding officer, ‘will remain in regimental history for ever’. Awarded both the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) and Military Medal (MM) during his military career, McNab was the British Army’s most highly decorated serving soldier when he finally left the SAS in February 1993. He wrote about his experiences in three books: the phenomenal bestseller Bravo Two Zero, Immediate Action and Seven Troop.He is the author of the bestselling Nick Stone thrillers. Besides his writing work, he lectures to security and intelligence agencies in both the USA and UK. He is a patron of the Help for Heroes campaign.
Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) thought motherhood would be a breeze and that having a daughter was a dream come true – a shopping friend for life! But it’s trickier than she thought – two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping.She can create havoc everywhere from Harrods to Harvey Nicks to her own christening. She hires taxis at random, her favourite word is ‘Mine‘, and she’s even started bidding for designer bags on ebay.On top of everything else, there’s a big financial crisis. People are having to Cut Back – including all of Becky’s personal shopping clients – and she and Luke are still living with Becky’s Mum and Dad. To cheer everyone up, Becky decides to throw a surprise birthday party – on a budget – but then things become really complicated.Who will end up on the naughty step, who will get a gold star and will Becky’s secret wishes come true?
Sophie Kinsella is an international bestselling writer and former financial journalist. She is the author of the number one bestsellers Can You Keep a Secret?, The Undomestic Goddess, Remember Me? and Twenties Girl as well as the hugely popular Shopaholic series, the first of which is now the hit Hollywood movie Confessions of a Shopaholic. She lives in London with her husband and family.
Visit her website at http://www.sophiekinsella.co.uk
Title: All I Want for Christmas
Author: Amy Silver
Twelve days and counting…
It’s Bea’s first Christmas with her baby son, and this year she’s determined to do everything right. But there is still so much to do: the Christmas menu needs refining; her café, The Honey Pot, needs decorating; and she’s invited the whole neighbourhood to a party on Christmas Day. She really doesn’t have time to get involved in two new people’s lives, let alone fall in love…When Olivia gets knocked over in the street, however, Bea can’t help bringing her into The Honey Pot and getting to know her. Olivia’s life is even more hectic than her own, and with her fiancé’s entire family over from Ireland for Christmas, she shouldn’t be lingering in the cosy warmth of Bea’s café. Chloe, on the other hand, has nowhere else to go. Her affair with a married man has alienated her friends, and left her lonelier than ever.But Christmas is a magical time, and in the fragrant atmosphere of The Honey Pot, anything can happen: new friends can be made, hearts can heal, and romance can finally blossom…
See Also
Twelve Days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley 5.0 out of 5 stars (13)
The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman 3.3 out of 5 stars (9)
Falling for Christmas (MIRA) by Debbie Macomber 4.5 out of 5 stars (2)
EU/IMF Bailout for Ireland Bailout: Curse or Cure? by Annette J Dunlea
The world is watching Ireland and her attempts to address her debt crisis. Ireland’s government is finalising the final details of an emergency financial programme to stabilise her economy and to save the euro.Ireland’s bailout is the eurozone’s second emergency rescue this year to save the Euro.We have a profound credit crisis which is the result of overdevelopment, skyrocketing public debt, and a total collapse of the housing market. We have turned into the most indebted nation on earth.As the economy has slowed our unemployment has risen and there are fears that the country is about to experience a double-dip recession.With unemployment at 13 per cent and an EU-led bailout of the banks was a foregone conclusion, to the world but not to the Irish.
The Irish bailout follows two years of budget cuts that failed to restore market confidence as the cost of shoring up the financial industry soared. The country’s government has tried to draw a distinguish between problems with its banking system and its economic deficit.The over – dramatisation of the situation in Ireland in the foreign media did us no favours.This is because we as a small country are greatly reliant upon this overseas investment and to default on their overseas loans would make it very difficult and too expensive for Irish banks to borrow from their foreign counterparts in the future.Failure to pay would have a knock-on impact on the Republic’s overall credit rating. Analysts forecasted it was only a matter of time before the Irish government were bailed out by the IMF and the EU and they were right. The government denied they had sought a bailout even when the IMF had come to town.
Up to 18 November, Fianna Fail was saying it was fully funded until at least the middle of next year, meaning it could cover its outgoings without going to the markets to borrow more money.Fianna Fail, in a year of election, were unwilling to hand over its economic decision making to Brussels.The high cost of borrowing for Ireland 9% is causing hardship.The markets’ imperious stances are making this ridiculous bail-out a necessity. The EU bail-out could put pressure on it to raise its very low corporation tax rate. This currently stands at 12.5%, and has enabled the country to be very successful in attracting foreign firms.As several of the banks are state funded most of their massive debt is now actually government debt. The tone from Dublin quickly softened and Brian Lenihan said that he saw sovereignty in a European context, given Ireland’s membership of the euro. Austrian and German politicians have been pushing for Ireland to increase its corporate tax rate, but Irish ministers insist that the corporate tax rate will not be changed and that Ireland was promised this as part of the deal that let Irish voters accept the Lisbon Treaty.On Thursday, the Irish central bank governor said that a fund of tens of billions for the banks was needed and the finance minister agreed this was likely. Bank deposits are dwindling and Irish banks now account for a quarter of all lending at the ECB refinancing operations. They have also received €20 billion funding from the Irish central bank.Portugal is now also attracting some attention.
On Sunday Taoiseach Brian Cowen says Ireland has formally made a request for financial assistance from the EU and International Monetary Fund.Mr.Cowen the terms of the funding being sought would be the subject of negotiations. The funds would be used to put the Irish banking system back on its own two feet, and to address the budget deficit. Finance Minister Mr.Brian Lenihan said that the figure involved in the deal would not reach €100 billion, and that not all of the money on offer would be drawn down. He also said the loan period was not finalised, although normal programmes applied over three years.Minister Lenihan said he expected that any package would include a regular set of reviews to ensure that Ireland was complying with targets agreed under any plan. They are looking at what bank assets could be sold off.The Central Bank Governor Patrick Honohan said tonight’s announcements allowed the course of economic and financial policy to be set on a more secure path, which can only be a positive thing.
A Government statement issued after a Cabinet meeting said the funds would come from the European financial stabilisation mechanism (EFSM) and the European financial stability facility (EFSF), and could also include bilateral loans to be negotiated by EU member states.The Government said the support would be provided under a strong policy programme which will be negotiated with the Irish authorities by the Commission and the IMF, in liaison with the ECB. A central element of this would be to support further deep restructuring and the restoration of the long-term viability and financial health of the Irish banking system. The programme will address the potential future capital needs of the banking sector. To be successful, a bail-out would have to be sufficiently large to end all uncertainty about whether future losses at Irish banks could destabilise the eurozone.Estimates suggest that it may need to borrow up to €120 billion.n reality it came to €85 million.
Ireland is discussing a package that will likely involve three main components: further Irish fiscal cuts and more taxes,large budgetary loans to Dublin from Brussels and Washington (the IMF); and liquidity and capital support for Irish banks from almost everyone, including the ECB in Frankfurt.First, Ireland must quickly find a more decisive way to restructure its banks.Secondly, she must move more forcefully to overcome a debt overhang that discourages new investments and erodes the future productivity of the economy. In the process she must strive towards a better balance in sharing the burden among taxpayers and creditors.Third, the EU must provide more concessional and longer-term funding to Ireland. There needs to be in The EU a open debate on how Ireland and Greece can be assisted in restoring their competitiveness. France and Germany argue that Dublin cannot be allowed to rely solely on a bail-out, and that it should also be forced to raise taxes – and corporation tax, to boost its public finances. By 2014 Ireland’s budget deficit will be down to about 3%.
Next week it is expected to publish a four-year budget plan which will be packed with specific details about were the €15 billion will come from Mr.Cowen has said he does not expect the cuts in the Government’s four-year economic plan to be more severe as a result of ongoing talks with the IMF, ECB and European Commission. The Irish government has made mistakes with the tax building breaks, excessive granting of planning permission and the blanket bank guarantee.Ireland started getting to grips with its budgetary crisis early, implementing two emergency budgets in October 2008 and April 2009, followed by a budget last December in which public pay was cut. By a magnitude of 5% of GDP, Ireland has achieved more correction in its budget, in relative terms, than most of the EU countries.Rumours that Ireland’s bank bail-out costs would escalate beyond the state’s ability to meet them has knocked us off balance. Badly affected by a property bubble that burst, the estimated cost has been regarded by bond markets as a sign of the state of our economy and a burden that the government cannot bear.
The bailout follows two years of budget cuts that failed to restore market confidence as the cost of shoring up the financial industry climbed. After Irish bond yields soared in the past month, European authorities pushed Ireland to seek aid to prevent the crisis that began in Greece this year from spreading to other euro-area countries such as Portugal. Lenihan said Ireland’s banks need a “contingent capital” fund and he indicated that the state will not be able to borrow in bond markets next year at current interest rates. While the banks have been directed by the country’s financial regulator to have core Tier 1 capital ratios of at least 8 percent, Cowen said that “clearly, the markets are looking for perhaps a higher capital ratio.” Unlike Greece, Portugal and Spain, Ireland is heading for healthy balance of payments surpluses in coming years. Unfortunately the Irish government has misunderestimated the early extent of bank losses, allowing doubt to emerge about its full extent. Ireland is the world’s 5th most desirable place to live. While government and media have played a role, Ireland’s current crisis is fundamentally made up of two interacting components: a fiscal crisis and a banking crisis. But the damage to Ireland’s reputation and the euro is humbling. Ireland will never leave the euro.
To estimate the cost of the Irish bank bail-out at €35 billion is to grossly underestimate the problem. If it were a corporation and if that corporation wasn’t Irish, they’d be in jail. Not a single Irish banker has yet been prosecuted. The Irish debt is €100,000 millions and rising. Irish officials in Brussels are reportedly calling it the “Oliver Cromwell Package“.Having obtained our political independence from Britain to be the masters of our own affairs, we have now surrendered our sovereignty to the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.The rescue package won’t tackle the underlying problem, namely that EU monetary policy will almost always be wrong for Ireland. At best, the bail-out will allow Ireland to limp along until the next time its cycle diverges from the Continent; at worst, it will worsen the Republic’s situation by removing one of the few advantages it still enjoys: competitive tax rates. Eurocrats have always resented what they call Ireland’s harmful tax competition.
Critics say that the bailout will represent a loss of autonomy with far reaching implications well beyond the current crisis. Brian Cowen said the IMF fund is to provide support for the country to improve the situation and provide certainty.Brian Lenihan said the first step will be to stress test the banks to ensure they have enough capital.In relation to the state, I’ve pointed out there’s an annual gap of 19 billion euros he said, referring to the gap between government spending and income.Julian Callow, economist, said that there had been growing concerns about systemic risks from the Irish financial sector and that was linked with the contagion fears that have been welling up.”The aid is seen as necessary to prevent Ireland’s financial black hole bringing down other weak euro economies such as Portugal and Spain, and infecting the wider international financial system. An Irish government statement pointed to “guarantees, recapitalisation and asset segregation.” The country is numbed and shocked by what has happened.
Eamon Gilmore and Sinn Féin’s Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, called on Mr Cowen to resign and call a general election. We should have a new government in place before Christmas that is able to negotiate with authority and with confidence with the IMF, the EU and the European Central Bank, they said. Enda Kenny leader of Fine Gael, also asked for Brian Cowen’s resignation. It is reported that the Government’s four-year deficit-reduction plan will be published early next week.The Government has kept Ireland’s low corporation tax rate for now, but the fate of the banks is on the line as talks intensify with the EU-IMF team. But the banks will face major changes with nothing ruled out. The team of more than 20 experts are dividing them into those that can be viable, those that are viable but under certain conditions, and those that are not viable and should be shut. ECB has lent €130 billion to the banks, a quarter of its book, while AIB admitted it lost €13 billion in deposits this year and Bank of Ireland €10 billion.
Government closed ranks yesterday, with Taoiseach Brian Cowen firmly rejecting calls to resign, Health Minister Mary Harney saying Finance Minister Brian Lenihan had done “an awesome” job over the past two years, and the banks were too big a problem for the country. The key issue all the time for the government is to ensure that we do not have a collapse of the banking sector. Green Party leader John Gormley saying the IMF’s arrival could be positive for Ireland.Taoiseach Brian Cowen has dismissed calls for his resignation as his Government is needed to finalise his four year budget plan. It is to cut €15 billion government spending over 4 years.The financial plan is written up in a 150-page document which is being scrunitised by the IMF and EU experts. Mr.Cowen says he cannot resign as he has a job to do: to pass the Budget into law and his four-year economic plan for the future of Ireland and the Euro is at stake.Mary Harney has said blame for the country’s financial state lies with bank regulators, not with the Government.
Wolfgang Schaeuble, the German finance minister, said that the deal was necessary to preserve the euro’s future. He added that in the next few days strict conditions, and these will be negotiated for Ireland, so that it is not just providing financing but about ensuring that the problems are solved.The Irish bailout’s concrete numbers and conditions for repayment and broader economic reform will be thrashed out over coming days.Mr Devine, of NCB, said that calling in the fund would mean our State borrowing would be guaranteed by Europe for three years and that the mechanism and the spirit of the fund is not to punish a country in trouble but instead to get it back on its own two feet as soon as possible. The bailout removes any doubt about uncertainty surrounding the fiscal situation and the Irish economy in general.Crucially it would enable the country to focus on correcting the deficit, regaining competitiveness and promoting its virtues. At the end of the three year period we believe that Ireland would be in a position to re enter the funding markets as it would have demonstrated that it was able to enact the required fiscal measures and leave the economy with a decent primary surplus at the end of the process.Ben May, senior European economist at Capital Economics,said bond markets would respond positively if after an early election a new government stayed in power over the next four years.
The End
