Carmen Reis

When I was in my teens, I suffered from a lack of confidence and self-worth. Like many people, I believed my negative thoughts and feelings were simply who I was. They were coming from my mind. I felt them in my body. They must be real. And that’s exactly how most people live their lives: on autopilot, letting their thoughts and emotions run wild, then hanging on for dear life as they try to cope. Can you relate?

As one of the most celebrated musicians in the world, Alicia Keys has enraptured the globe with her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary vocal range, and soul-stirring piano compositions. Yet away from the spotlight, Alicia has grappled with private heartache - over the challenging and complex relationship with her father, the people-pleasing nature that characterized her early career, the loss of privacy surrounding her romantic relationships, and the oppressive expectations of female perfection.

With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson - the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent - brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience, and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't) to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries.