1 . Many footballers struggle when they leave the beautiful game for retirement in their mid-thirties, with stories that are sad or even terrible. However, in his new book Kicking On! Tony Rickson reveals the footballers who have achieved success after retirement, whether it’s by setting up charities, helping others cope, creating multi-million-pound businesses or going into media, politics or back into the football world.

Tony Adams, a former footballer, set up a charitable foundation more than 20 years ago called Sporting Chance and said it’s one of his greatest achievements. He’s wrong. Despite all the cups he won while captaining Arsenal during a highly successful 22-year career at his only club, and all the times he played for England, it is his greatest achievement. Not just one of them.

As Adams admits in his memorable book, Addicted, he suffered from alcoholism and drug abuse while still a professional footballer. Setting up Sporting Chance was his response, and ever since it’s treated and supported sports professionals suffering from drink or drug problems. The charity’s offer is: “We understand that it takes courage to ask for help, either during or following a career in sport, so when you’re ready to reach out, we’re ready for you.”

Since retiring from playing in 2002, Adams, who has a statue in his honor outside the Arsenal ground, has managed and coached in several countries alongside his charity work. He told The Sun: “What happened in my life with alcohol makes me feel so sad but also grateful that I found a way out of it. I’ve had highs and lows, in and out of football, given up playing and gone into coaching and management. I’ve not had a drink through any of it. My self-esteem (自尊) has come back and I am all right.”

The self-assessment as “all right” also applied to his 2022 appearance in TV’s Strictly Come Dancing, when Adams showed an admirable ability to laugh at himself.

3 . After months of deliberation, we can finally reveal the shortlist for our beloved 100-word-story competition. Now it’s up to you to vote for your winners in the under-12 category.

“The Shelf” by Li v Packer, 11, London

I have sat on this dusty shelf for decades—33 years to be exact. Everyday, people enter the library, hoping to find a book to occupy themselves with. No one seems to want me though. Young children walk across the aisles ignoring me and running to their favorites. Considering I haven’t been touched for at least 20 years, I’m shocked that I haven’t been moved to the back yet. That’s where the forgotten books go. Oh! I spoke too soon!

“Moon Land” by Amelia Jacobs-Moronta, 6, Kent

I wanted to get to the moon so I decided to jump, but that didn’t work so I used the tallest ladder but it reached even higher so I slid down the ladder and jumped onto the moon. The moon was bumpy and hard. I did space cartwheels and jumped around. The moon was made of every single food you can imagine so I ate a bit but I can’t eat too much because if I eat too much the moon will disappear.

“The Mysterious Duck with A Moustache” by Jana Ramsey, 9, Angus

There once was a duck who had a moustache. He had a secret that he was lonely. Days went by, the duck decided to explore. He went from California to Egypt to Columbia and Scotland. The duck made many friends. He was happy and that’s all that matters.

Voting will close on April 29 and the winning entries will be published in our May 2024 print issue. Good luck to all of our shortlisters, and thank you for your entries and votes!

4 . Besides getting out into nature yourself, the next best thing is to take it all in through the pages of a book. But where to start? Check out our natural history book recommendations.

Have you ever wanted to get down to the level of plants and see the world through their “eyes”? Living as a Naturalist invites you into this world. This book makes natural history accessible and attractive. It interprets ancient Chinese educational and philosophical ideas of knowing about nature from a natural history perspective. It also introduces key figures in the West’s approach to the subject. This is all done with a humorous and engaging writing style while featuring beautiful images of plants and animals.

In the summer of 1869, John Muir, a 31-year-old Scottish immigrant, joined a group of shepherds in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range for an adventure that proved life-changing for him. During those four months, he kept a diary while following a flock of sheep, painting a glorious picture of idyllic forests and majestic mountain peaks. This diary was titled My First Summer in the Sierra, which inspired thousands of Americans to visit the area. It later became the well-known Yosemite National Park.

In 1965, John A.Baker gave up his work and lived on his earnings, devoting all his time to observing the peregrine falcon(游隼). From autumn to spring, Baker tracked the comings and goings of a pair of peregrine falcons in eastern England by bicycle and on foot, documenting their lives and the environment they live in. Like the bird itself, Baker has a keen eye for detail. The bird’s most exciting moments, like fast flying and hunting prey, are brought to life by Baker. In his eyes, the most important aspects of natural history and its documentation are patience, passion and observation.

8 . These new releases sit at the top of “want-to-read” shelves. While not all of these books are available right now, most are available for pre-order until their expected release date, so you can have your monthly read planned ahead of time.

Small World

By Jonathan Evison

$28.00

This book won’t be released until January 11, but you can pre-order it now. It records 170 years of American nation-building and asks whether the United States has fulfilled its promises by highlighting big and small injustices,

All That She Carried

By Tiya Miles

$30.00

In the book, historian Tiya Miles uncovers the stories of an enslaved black woman, Rose, her daughter, Ashley，who was separated from her and sold at nine years old, and her granddaughter, Ruth. By unearthing (挖掘) their stories, Tiya Miles tries to write a singular and revelatory history of the experience of slavery and the uncertain freedom afterward in the United States.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

By Malinda Lo

$18.99

This novel won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2021. It centers around 17-year-old Lily Hu, who can’t quite remember when a certain feeling appeared inside of her, but she knows it only keeps growing.

Meditations: The Annotated Edition

By Marcus Aurelius $28.00

Meditations is a series of personal writings from the former Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. These writings, which consist of private notes to himself and his ideas on Stoicism, acted as a means for his self-improvement.

10 . With technology increasingly advancing, nowadays, it seems that people are not talking about hi-tech without mentioning ChatGPT, which hits the world with quite a different level from what it was last week or even just yesterday. The following are several books in regard to it for you to have a dip into this field.

1. The ChatGPT Millionaire: Making Money Online has never been this EASY

Paperback—January 19,2023 by Neil Dagger, 93 pages

★★★★ ☆ 466 ratings

Prices: Kindle $0.00; Audiobook $0.00; Hardcover $22.24; Paperback $12.99

Enjoy a great reading experience when you borrow the Kindle edition of this book with your Kindle unlimited membership. This is the definitive guide on how to make money quickly and easily with ChatGPT(Updated for GPT-4). By following step-by-step guide, you will be able to create passive income sources that keep on giving-in minutes.

2. 80 Ways to Use ChatGPT in the Classroom: Using AI to Enhance Teaching and Learning

Paperback—February 10, 2023 by Stan Skrabut, 135 pages

★★★★★ 3 ratings

Prices: Kindle $4.99; Paperback $10.50

In the book, the author presents different ways to incorporate ChatGPT into the classroom, including preparation for classes, providing instructional assistance, creating assessments, developing study aids, and using ChatGPT for computer programming. It also covers how students can use ChatGPT for writing assistance and so on.

3. The Art of Asking ChatGPT for High-Quality Answers: A Complete Guide to Prompt Engineering Techniques

Paperback—January 25,2023 by Ibrahim John,71 pages

★★★☆☆ 23 ratings

Prices: Kindle $0.00; Hardcover $28.99; Paperback $14.87

This book is GPT-4 updated. A comprehensive guide to understanding and utilizing various prompt(提词) techniques to generate high-quality answers from ChatGPT. It is on point, using simple language with plain explanations, together with examples and prompt formulas on every prompt technique.

4. ChatGPT Secret Prompts Strategy: ChatGPT Can Do Anything Now!

Paperback—February 8, 2023 by A. A. KABIR,37 pages

★★★★☆ 55 ratings

Prices: Kindle $0.00; Paperback $8.22

Discover the secret to unlocking the full potential of ChatGPT! Learn the art of crafting powerful prompts that drive precise and effective responses. With real-world examples and actionable tips, this book will change the way you approach AI language models. A. A. KABIR can help you get the most out of your conversations with ChatGPT.

Interested? Click here for more information.