…one of the best ways to get to know a country is to take yourself to the less touristy, less obvious destinations. And let’s face it: things don’t get much less touristy than Slough…As staff travel writer on “The Times” since 1997, Tom Chesshyre had visited over 80 countries on assignment, and wondered: what is left to be discovered? He realised that the answer might be very close to home. In a mad adventure that took him from Hull to Hell (actually a rather nice holiday location in the Isles of Scilly), Tom visited secret spots of Unsung Britain in search of the least likely holiday destinations.

He got to know the real Coronation Street in Salford, explored Blade Runner Britain in Port Talbot, discovered that everything’s quite green in Milton Keynes, met real-life superheroes and many a suspicious landlady, and watched a football match with celebrity chef Delia Smith in Norwich. With a light and edgy writing style Tom peels back the skin of the unfashionable underbelly of Britain, and embraces it all with the spirit of discovery.

“Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?” takes readers step-by-step through a process that was always tough, but is today especially challenging. Begin the search with a professional mindset – get organized, and set yourself up with business cards, a respectable e-mail address, and a working mobile phone. The importance of networking and the rule of three – try to make three e-mails or phone calls a day, but never more than that.

The ‘lift speech’ – hone your pitch to the length of an lift ride and be prepared to use it at the most unexpected times. The art of writing cringe-free cover letters and killer resumes – from timelines, hooks, and grammatical do’s and don’ts to why you should never use the phrase ‘References available upon request’, and never, ever make a typo. This title discusses about: how to dress for an interview, including why to put on your business clothes when interviewing at home, over the phone; things to be honest about – citizenship and past salary range; and, things not to say: ‘I want this job because I need health insurance’.

Then once you’re in, it tells how to negotiate salary, what to expect in a review, and basic first job common sense: take initiative, be humble and helpful, never use your boss as a confidant, and always say ‘I’ll find out’ instead of ‘I don’t know’. Now you’re on your way.

As everyone knows, there are three ways of doing things. The right way, the wrong way and the Top Gear way. Although, on reflection, that’s usually just the wrong way, but faster and with more shouting.

Anyway, the good news is that this third way of doing things can be applied to almost anything, and that includes motoring in general. All you need is the right guidance, which is where the brand new Top Gear Alternative Highway Code comes in. Top Gear’s Altnernative Highway Code will show you how to bring the ambitious but rubbish philosophies of the world’s most popular TV programme to your driving, containing advice on general motoring, as well as specific tips on how to deal with common eventualities like a rapidly sinking amphibious camper van, a caravan airship that’s just crashed into a small bush, or a stupid home-made limousine that’s snapped in half while transporting a top celebrity to an awards ceremony.

Road users should not leave home without it.

At the opening of the international bestseller “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”, Elizabeth Bennet is already a seasoned warrior-trained in the martial arts, skeptical of romance, and determined to wipe out the deadly dreadfuls. But how did Elizabeth get that way? And where did all of the zombies come from? Readers will witness the birth of a heroine in Dawn of the Dreadfuls – a thrilling prequel set three years before the horrific events of “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”. This comic-horror novel is an all-new work of fiction from acclaimed novelist, Steve Hockensmith.

As our story opens, the Bennet sisters are enjoying a peaceful life in the English countryside. They idle away the days reading, gardening, practicing instruments, and daydreaming about future husbands-until a funeral at the local parish goes strangely and horribly awry. Suddenly corpses are springing from the soft earth-and only one family can stop them.

As the bodies pile up, we watch Elizabeth Bennet evolve from a naive young teenager into a savage slayer of the undead. We laugh as she begins her first clumsy training with nunchucks and katana swords, and cry when her first blush with romance goes tragically awry. Through it all, of course, readers will be treated to scene after scene of absurd zombie carnage.

Complete with 15 dazzling illustrations, “Dawn of the Dreadfuls” invites readers to step back into Regency England-Land of the Undead.

A Review By Keith Smith

The sun-drenched village of Campodimele in the Aurunci Mountains has been called ‘the village of eternity’ by World Health Organisation scientists, after a study revealed the astonishing longevity of its inhabitants. The average life expectancy of Campodimelani men is 90, compared to the European average of 74, while women live to an average age of 86 compared to their European counterparts’ 80. Not only do the villagers live to an extraordinary age, they also enjoy healthy and active lives at an age when many people in the UK have succumbed to general infirmity or the three major plagues of Western life, cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

How do they do it? Tracey Lawson spent a year in the village to find out, and this book is the result. Rather than trying to give any answers, Tracey lets herself become a recognised and welcome part of the community and tells us how it is. How hard the villagers work, how the seasons affect them, what their work is like, and above all what they eat. For essentially this is a glorious recipe book full of dishes which we would love to eat if we could find the ingredients and if , having given as much importance to food as the villagers do, we had the time. None of us have, nor are likely to. So this is a book of dreams. Still, one can pick out some of the many practical recipes and prepare them without having the vegetables picked from the mountain orto behind the house or the wild boar just killed by the menfolk, or the wood-burning open fire, and dream that we too could live to be 100!