Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe comes a #1 Sunday Times bestselling grumpy x sunshine Christmas romcom! ??A charming break from reality' Publishers Weekly????????Every book in the Dream Harbor series can be read as a standalone.Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that's too cute for its own good.Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor trying to take a break from both his life and his constant desire to fix things.But somehow fate finds Ben trapped by a blanket of snow at Kira's farm, and, despite her Grinchiest first impressions, with the glow of the fairy lights twinkling in the trees, and the promise of a warming hot chocolate, maybe, just maybe, these two lost souls will have a Christmas they'll remember foreverThe Christmas Tree Farm is a spicy romantic mystery with a HEA guaranteed, perfect to curl up with this winter! Tropes:Grumpy x SunshineSmall TownForced ProximityOne BedReaders have fallen for Laurie Gilmore:Wonderful story with tears, laughter, mysteries, uncertainty and happiness' ?????Compelling, cozy and delightful narrative' ?????A charming small town romance with sizzling chemistry and plenty of spice' ?????I LOVED THIS SO BAD. The vibes of the small town were immaculate' ?????''This book makes my heart happy!' ?????The perfect kind of romance for me' ?????

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Book Synopsis'This is everything I love! Cozy small town romance, fall vibes, coffee house vibes, and grumpy x sunshine trope that was done perfectly!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ NetGalley ReviewerTrade Review‘Witty and fun… set in a small town an entertaining enemies-to-lovers read that gives all the feels’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I truly adored the setting, this adorable little town where I'd move in a heartbeat, and Jeanie and Logan were absolutely fantastic’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fall is my favorite season and this book totally captured that perfectly’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Book SynopsisSunrise on the Reaping, the fifth book in the series, willrevisit the world of Panem twenty-four years before the eventsof The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of theFiftieth Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.

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Book SynopsisThe Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up. Now a major motion picture starring Emma Watson and Logan Lerman. Stephen Chbosky's new film Wonder, starring Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts is out now. Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix-tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.'A coming of age tale in the tradition of The Catcher in the Rye and A Separate Peace... often inspirational and always beautifully written' USA Today

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Book Synopsis‘This is a beautiful story 🥰 Such a poignant portrayal of love, loss and finding oneself’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Ashley Poston writes really beautiful love stories with just a sprinkling of magic. This story was sweet, funny, sad, charming, and lovely all in equal measure’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Trade Review Praise for The Dead Romantics: ‘We could all use a good summer ghost story, and you can't get much better than Ashley Poston's adult fiction debut.’Entertainment Weekly ‘This is a book to make you laugh and cry.’ New York Times ‘A tender, nuanced love story that fans of Emily Henry will adore’ Red ‘I LOVED this book. A beautiful, poignant story, full of beautiful, poignant characters… at the end all the pieces fall perfectly into place, and the picture that they form is at once touching, funny, breathtaking, hopeful, and dreamy.’Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis ‘Smart, quirky and funny. I loved this one.’Sarah Morgan, The Sunday Times bestselling author of Beach House Summer ‘What fun – the Emily Henry/Casey McQuiston reader (aka me) is going to gobble this book up. Smart, quick, delicious.’Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow ‘An absolute and unexpected delight. Voicy and quirky and fun; the pages will probably sparkle (but with black glitter).’Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners ‘The Dead Romantics takes so many things I love—quirky heroines, found families, cozy small towns, fanfics, GHOSTS (!!!)—and gives them all a fresh, fun, thoroughly modern spin. This is truly a RomCom to die for!’Rachel Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author of Reckless ‘This book made me fall in love, broke my heart then reassembled it at least twice, and left me swooning. A hauntingly romantic, hilariously heartwarming story. Ashley Poston is the real deal.’Gwenda Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Not Your Average Hot Guy

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Book SynopsisThe perfect edition for any Orwell enthusiasts' collection, discover Orwell's classic dystopian masterpiece beautifully reimagined by renowned street artist Shepard Fairey 'All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others.' Mr Jones of Manor Farm is so lazy and drunken that one day he forgets to feed his livestock. The ensuing rebellion under the leadership of the pigs Napoleon and Snowball leads to the animals taking over the farm. Vowing to eliminate the terrible inequities of the farmyard, the renamed Animal Farm is organised to benefit all who walk on four legs. But as time passes, the ideals of the rebellion are corrupted, then forgotten. And something new and unexpected emerges. . . First published in 1945, Animal Farm - the history of a revolution that went wrong - is George Orwell's brilliant satire on the corrupting influence of power.'Remains our great satire of the darker face of modern history' MalcoTrade Review'Animal Farm is a timeless satire on the central tragi-comedy of all politics—that is, the tragi-comedy of corruption by power' Timothy Garton AshIt is the book for everyone and Everyman, its brightness undimmed after fifty years * Ruth Rendell *Remains our great satire of the darker face of modern history * Malcolm Bradbury *Animal Farm has seen off all the opposition. It's as valid today as it was fifty years ago * Ralph Steadman *

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Book SynopsisFall in love with Laurie Gilmore''s #1 New York Times bestselling romance set in Dream Harbor, perfect for summer! ??''Never want this series to end!'' ?????????????Every book in the Dream Harbor series can be read as a standalone.As a world-renowned chef, single dad Archer never planned on moving to a small town, let alone running a pancake restaurant. But Dream Harbor needs a new chef, and Archer needs a community to help raise his daughter, Olive.Iris has never managed to hold down a job for more than a few months. So when it's suggested that Archer is looking for a live-in nanny, she almost runs in the opposite direction.Now, Iris finds herself in a whole new world. One where her gorgeous new boss lives right across the hall and likes to cook topless Keeping everything strictly professional should be easy, right?The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is a cozy romantic mystery with a single dad and found family dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed! TropesSingle DadForced ProximitySlow BurnFound FamilyReaders LOVE Laurie GilmoreGives off the same level of endorphins as taking a sip of an actual pumpkin spice latte all the makings of a top tier Hallmark movie that happens to include a nice dash of spice' PeopleWith a name this cute and a cover this autumnal, how could I not cozy up with my blanket and relax with this adoring book?' New York Post''Laurie Gilmore has done it again; another solid 5 star read!' ?????''As a devoted lover of the single dad trope, I hereby crown Laurie Gilmore as the undisputed queen!' ?????Wonderful story with tears, laughter, mysteries, uncertainty and happiness' ?????Compelling, cozy and delightful narrative' ?????A charming small town romance with sizzling chemistry and plenty of spice' ?????I LOVED THIS SO BAD. The vibes of the small town were immaculate' ?????''Literally amazing. I can't say enough good things about Laurie Gilmore. I've fallen in love with every single one of her books' ?????Laurie Gilmore''s book ''The Strawberry Patch Pancake House'' was a No.1 New York Times bestseller w/c 2025-03-24.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERWelcome to the family, Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I''ll soon learn that the Winchesters'' secrets are far more dangerous than my own . . .Every day I clean the Winchesters'' beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew''s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it''s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina''s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.I only try on one of Nina''s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it''s like. But she soon finds out... and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it''s far too late.But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don''t know who I really am.They don''t know what I''m capable of . . .An unbelievably twisty read that will have you glued to the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train won''t be able to put this down!Read what everyone''s saying about The Housemaid:I got severe whiplash from the twistiest turns... Every time I thought I had it figured out... WRONG!!!... I am still reeling... outstanding... If you love a top notch psychological thriller that will have you questioning your own sanity, then this 5-star read is for you NetGalley reviewer, FIVE STARSWhat a wild ride!!! Freida definitely delivered the best twisty ending... Gripping from start to finish... honestly, I just could not put it down... An absolutely mind-blowing shocker that kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat literally until the very end Goodreads reviewer, FIVE STARSSo many twists and turns... I was hooked right away - I even read my Kindle while waiting in my kid''s school pick-up line so I wouldn''t have to put this book down!... addictive... pure perfection! Goodreads reviewer, FIVE STARS

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Book Synopsis**NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING BLAKE LIVELY AND JUSTIN BALDONI** THE RUNAWAY GLOBAL MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLING NOVEL BY COLLEEN HOOVER.  ‘The reigning queen of BookTok’ GUARDIAN ‘One of the most influential voices of the last decade’ ELLE ‘One of the world's most successful writers’ DAILY MAIL  ‘In the future . . . if by some miracle you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again . . . fall in love with me.’ Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. And when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life

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Book SynopsisThis stunning paperback box set includes all three books in Suzanne Collins's internationally bestselling Hunger Games trilogy together with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. You can step into the world of Panem and continue all the way to the electrifying conclusion.

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Book SynopsisBefore It Ends with Us, it started with Atlas. Colleen Hoover tells fan favorite Atlas’s side of the story and shares what comes next in this long-anticipated sequel to the #1 Sunday Times bestseller It Ends with Us Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil co-parenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date. But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life. Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts with Us picks up right where the epilogue for the bestselling phenomenon 

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Book Synopsis**Evie Woods'' stunning new novel The Story Collector is available now**The Echo of Old Books meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.The thing about books,' she said is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.'On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be foundFor too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder where nothing is as it seems.Readers have fallen in love with The Lost Bookshop:Beautifully written and captures the wonder and awe that a story can bring to its readera delightful story for any book loveran ode to storytelling and the connections that books can make!' ?????Wowwww!! It's been awhile since I read something so fascinating, captivating and special all in oneIt takes you on a journey like most books do, but this one, I just want to inscribe on my back and hope that it becomes a part of me so that I can carry it with me always' ?????A must read for readers that love books' ?????A beautiful story that begs to be read in one sittinga magical story filled with beautiful prose and many surprises that readers will not soon forget' ?????This spellbinding book hooked me from the very beginning and I couldn''t put it down til the end' ?????A love story, one with books and booklovers at its heart. A warm, wonderful novel that sweeps up the reader into an absorbing, magical tale' ?????If you enjoy books by the Brontë sisters then I would fully recommend you read this book' ?????This novel has it all: wit, a dash of magic, and a large heart. A fantastic read'?????Trade Review‘The characters are so very well developed that it makes you feel that you are there with them sharing their stories too… kept me turning the pages’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A truly joyful, magical book…this story will capture your heart’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Couldn’t put it down!…a magical, enthralling read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘One book that I liked so much and would gladly pay more for… one of those books that you constantly ask yourself “how did the author come up with this great story?”’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Utterly magical and absorbing…the mysterious bookshop and the promise of finding a long lost manuscript haunts the pages’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An enchanting plot, fabulous characters, and some good historical fiction… I found myself imagining it as a Netflix series’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I absolutely adored this book! A touch of magic, a love of books, pure escapism, perfect!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of Daisy Jones & The Six in which a legendary film actress reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine. Trade ReviewPraise for Taylor Jenkins Reid ‘Spellbinding’ Emily Giffin ‘Full of raw human emotion’ Beth O’Leary ‘An entirely fresh and new perspective on what can happen after the "happily ever after”’ Jen Lancaster ‘The very best of Classic Hollywood intrigue, a delicious twist and incisive commentary on the wages of stardom’ Anne Helen Petersen ‘I can't remember the last time I read a book that was so fun’ Dolly Alderton ‘The characters were beautifully layered and complex... captured my heart’ Reese Witherspoon ‘Everyone should read this’ Claudia Winkleman ‘Dramatic, salacious and oh-so-romantic’ Woman & Home ‘Wildy addictive’ PopSugar ‘Glamour, ambition and shocking secrets’ People ‘Earth-shaking… you will flip for this epic love story’ Cosmopolitan ‘Heartwrenching’ Us Weekly ‘Reid masterfully grabs hold of the heartstrings and doesn't let go’ Publishers Weekly ‘No one does life and love better’ InStyle

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A boldly original piece of fiction, plumbing the depths of the human condition with plenty of humor along the way." — Entertainment Weekly "In her debut novel, film director and screenwriter Sohn Won-pyung (with the assistance of translator Sandy Joosun Lee) has created a tender exploration of adolescence — a universal experience complicated here by extraordinary circumstances. This is one of those books that deftly straddles the line between young adult and adult fiction; it has such a gentle heart that readers of all ages will recognize and sympathize with the characters' struggles and celebrate when they ultimately triumph." — Salon “Won-pyung Sohn understands that those who think, feel, and communicate differently aren't society's villains, they are its saviors. Her writing possesses seemingly unlimited empathy and tenderness.” — Madeleine Ryan, author of A Room Called Earth “In what might be the first novel to feature a protagonist with alexithymia—an inability to identify and express one’s feelings—Korean novelist Sohn’s affecting debut arrives stateside. Raised by his grandmother and mother who worked diligently to guide him through everyday social interactions, Yunjae at 15 is effectively orphaned…. As Yunjae risks communication and connection, the eponymous almond—the undeveloped amygdalae of his brain—takes seed, and gives Yunjae the courage to claim 'an entirely different story. New and unknown.' Winner of the prestigious Changbi Prize for Young Adult Fiction in Korea, Sohn presents a 15-year-old neurodiverse protagonist with much resonance.” — Booklist (starred review) “Almond is a tour de force -- deeply engaging, engrossing, and troubling -- a poignant allegory of the contemporary Korean condition that marks the debut of a new international talent." — Heinz Insu Fenkl, author of Memories of My Ghost Brother and translator of The Nine Cloud Dream by Kim Man-jung “Delicate and heartbreaking. Like peeling a fruit, Sohn bares human emotion and questions the human condition with a gentle hunger.” — -Jamie Marina Lau, author of Pink Mountain on Locust Island “In her debut novel, director and screenwriter Sohn makes the bold decision to choose an emotionally constricted first-person narrator, but the risk pays off. With the aid of a skillful translation…the novel will appeal fully to adults, but mature young readers who must cope in their everyday lives with the struggles of late adolescence will find themselves identifying with Yunjae and moved by his plight. A sensitive exploration of what it's like to live at life's emotional poles.” — Kirkus Reviews "The narration by a young protagonist with a disorder that affects his ability to identify and express feelings will rightly draw comparisons to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, but Sohn's insightful depiction of an outsider's perspective on society around him will also please fans of other narrators who sharply consider the world at a remove, such as in The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen. Readers will treasure the opportunity to see the world through Yunjae's eyes and watch him as he grows." — Shelf Awareness "Intense and moving...a phenomenal book that deserves a wide audience among readers." — Wall Street Journal

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Reddit Fantasy Award for Best Debut 2018The best fantasy debut of 2018' WIREDA brilliantly imaginative epic fantasy debut, inspired by the bloody history of China's twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic.When Rin aced the Keju the test to find the most talented students in the Empire it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn't believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin's guardians, who had hoped to get rich by marrying her off; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free from a life of servitude. That she got into Sinegard the most elite military school in Nikan was even more surprising.But surprises aren't always good.Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Fighting the prejudice of rival classmates, Rin discovers that she possesses a lethal, unearthly power an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of Trade Review‘An outstanding debut’DAILY MAIL ‘A book that will go down as one of the best grimdark/military fantasy debuts of all time’BOOKNEST ‘A masterpiece by grimdark’s newest and perhaps darkest daughter’FANTASY BOOK REVIEW ‘A wholly unique experience’THE WASHINGTON POST ‘This first book in The Poppy War trilogy won numerous debut awards when it was published in 2018, and upon reading it you quickly understand why’WOMAN & HOME ‘R.F. Kuang’s fresh approach to magic and hard-hitting story is a punch to the gut fantasy has needed for a long time. I can’t wait for THE DRAGON REPUBLIC’Peter V. Brett, bestselling author of The Demon Cycle ‘Enthralling from start to finish … I thought myself prepared. I was now. R.F. Kuang’s debut is a masterful must-read, and I’ve no doubt the best is yet to come’Nicholas Eames, author of KINGS OF THE WYLD ‘A blistering, powerful epic of war and revenge that will captivate you to the bitter end’Kameron Hurley, author of THE LIGHT BRIDAGE ‘Fresh, assured, character-driven fantasy that’s choc full of magic, war, and betrayal. I loved it from start to finish’Peter Newman, author of THE VAGRANT ‘A powerful, emotional journey, compellingly written’Adrian Tchaikovsky, award-winning author of THE CHILDREN OF TIME ‘An original and engrossing tale of the coming of age of a talented young soldier amid the horrors of invasion and genocide’Anna Stephens, author of GODBLIND ‘I so enjoyed The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang … It is all about survival, and how a person’s will and determination can change the course of their life. I loved the central character, felt her pain and her far-too-brief moments of joy, and just loved how Kuang breathes fresh life into the warrior training school … Highly recommended’John Gwynne, author of MALICE

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewBLACKWELL’S BOOK OF THE YEAR A WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR FINALIST DAILY MAIL BEST BOOK OF 2022 ‘Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history, but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial history and the Industrial Revolution, turns it over, and shakes it out’Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author of THE EMPIRE OF GOLD ‘A masterpiece that resonates with power and knowledge. BABEL is a stark picture of the cruelty of empire, a distillation of dark academia, and a riveting blend of fantasy and historical fiction – a monumental achievement’Samantha Shannon, bestselling author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE ‘A masterpiece. Through a meticulously researched and a wholly impressive deep dive into linguistics and the politics of language and translation, Kuang weaves a story that is part love-hate letter to academia, part scathing indictment of the colonial enterprise, and all fiery revolution’Rebecca Roanhorse, NYT bestselling author of BLACK SUN ‘Kuang has outdone herself. BABEL is brilliant, vicious, sensitive, epic, and intimate; it's both a love letter and a declaration of war. It's a perfect book’Alix E. Harrow, bestselling author of A THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY ‘A book that confirms Kuang as a major talent’SFX ‘Brainy, brilliant, and fuelled by righteous anger, Babel is a towering tour-de-force of fantasy’DAILY MAIL ‘BABEL has earned tremendous praise and deserves all of it. It’s Philip Pullman’s THE GOLDEN COMPASS by way of N.K. Jemisin’s THE FIFTH SEASON: inventive and engaging, passionate and precise’NEW YORK TIMES

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Book Synopsis????? The best romantic comedy I''ve read since The Hating Game'Naomi and Luca have been pen-pals since fifth-grade. Well, more like bitter rivals caught in an epic battle of insults and verbal joustingBut what starts as a hilarious chain of hate filled letters, slowly develops into a friendship spanning coasts and years. That is until one day, years later, when the letters suddenly stop.It's been two years since Naomi last heard from Luca. Two years since the letter that changed everything.But when a new envelope turns up out of the blue at her desk at the local news station, Naomi is determined not to let Luca have the final word.Readers can''t get enough of Naomi and Luca''s love story:????? I LOVED this one so muchI devoured this book in one sitting and I highly recommend for fans of Emily Henry, Hannah Grace and Lucy Score'????? Wow! I am blown away by this book!!'????? I literally devoured this book in a few hours, it was so good. If you like romantic comedies please pick up thi

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Book Synopsis'A contemporary masterpiece'GUARDIANCreepy and fascinating' STEPHEN KINGA psycho-geograpical tour de force'FINANCIAL TIMESTHE BASIS FOR A MAJOR MOTION PICTUREA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE NEBULA AWARD FOR BEST NOVELWith an introduction by Karen Joy FowlerIn Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer's now-classic Southern Reach series, Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades and nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilisation. Expedition after expedition into Area X has failed to uncover its mysteries and the true nature of its danger to the world.Now a twelfth expedition makes the attempt, a group of four women: an anthropologist, a surveyor, a psychologist and the narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one another, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X.A harrowing cosmic mystery at the vanguard of eco-fiction, Annihilation has only become more pertinent to our reality ten years after its first publication.''Powerful and echoing'' NEW STATESMAN''Genuinely potent and dream-haunting'' GUARDIANArresting, unsettling, and unforgettable'NEW YORKERTrade Review Praise for ANNIHILATION and the SOUTHERN REACH TRILOGY: ‘I’m loving the Southern Reach Trilogy … Creepy and fascinating’ Stephen King ‘Hauntingly weird and brilliantly new … These are contemporary masterpieces and career-defining novels’ Adam Robert, Books of the Year, Guardian ‘This trilogy is a modern mycological masterpiece … Remarkable … Tense, eerie and unsettling … VanderMeer writes much better prose than Poe ever did … This is genuinely potent and dream-haunting writing. VanderMeer has arrived’ Guardian ‘A teeming science fiction that draws on Conrad and Lovecraft alike … Annihilation shows signs of being the novel that will allow VanderMeer to break through to a new and larger audience’ Sunday Telegraph ‘A lasting monument to the uncanny … You find yourself afraid to turn the page’ Guardian ‘VanderMeer’s novel is a psycho-geographical tour de force, channelling Ballard and Lovecraft to instil the reader with a deep, delicious unease’ Financial Times ‘What a haunting book this is, lodging deep in the memory in similar fashion to otherworldly classics such as David Lindsay’s A Voyage To Arcturus … Annihilation is so disquietingly strange as to defy summarisation. Read it’ Daily Mail ‘Astonishing, frightening, spectacular … I hope the trilogy will come to be seen not only as the instant sci-fi classic it is, but also as Literature’ New Statesman ‘Immersive, insightful and often deeply bloody creepy, this is a startlingly good novel … A major work’ ***** SFX Magazine ‘A tense and chilling psychological thriller about an unravelling expedition and the strangeness within us. A little Kubrick, a lot of Lovecraft, the novel builds with an unbearable tension and claustrophobic dread that lingers long afterwards. I loved it’ Lauren Beukes ‘Original and beautiful, maddening and magnificent’ Warren Ellis

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Book SynopsisNow a major motion picture, starring Amandla Stenberg No. 1 New York Times bestseller Winner of the Waterstones Children''s Book Prize Goodreads Choice Awards Best of the Best National Book Award Longlist British Book Awards Children''s Book of the Year Teen Vogue Best YA Book of the YearSixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl''s struggle for justice.Want more of Garden Heights? Catch Maverick and Seven's story in Concrete Rose, AnTrade ReviewAngie Thomas has written a stunning, brilliant, gut-wrenching novel that will be remembered as a classic of our time. * John Green *“The Hate U Give says more about the contemporary black experience in America than any book I have read for years.” * Alex Wheatle, The Guardian *“[…] a powerful look at racism in 21st-century America.” * The Observer *It's hard to see how this won't be the young adult novel of the year, if not the decade. Angie Thomas, a former rapper and a debut novelist from Jackson, Mississippi, has written a startling, important book about what it is to be black in America that manages to speak to everyone. It is also a rollicking thriller and a deeply enjoyable read. No wonder it has been at the top of the New York Times's young adult bestseller list for weeks. [...] It's suitable for mature 14-year-olds and should fly on to curriculums everywhere, for Thomas has written a classic in the making that demands to be discussed. * The Times *“Topical, painful and important.” * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisThe Number One Global Sensation*Foyle's Fiction Book of the Year**Amazon Book of the Year**Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year**Fiction Book of the Year 2024 British Book Awards*Addictive' GraziaHugely entertaining' ObserverProvocative' Mail on SundayTHIS IS ONE HELL OF A STORY. IT'S JUST NOT HERS TO TELL.When failed writer June Hayward witnesses her rival Athena Liu die in a freak accident, she sees her opportunity and takes it.So what if it means stealing Athena's final manuscript?So what if it means borrowing' her identity?And so what if the first lie is only the beginningFinally, June has the fame she always deserved. But someone is about to expose her What happens next is entirely everyone else''s fault. The book that everyone is talking about' GlamourIngenious, astute, hugely entertaining' David NichollsBreathtakingly clever on jealousy, talent, success, and who gets to tell which story' Elizabeth DayHard to put down. Harder to forget' Stephen KingR.F. Kuang's book Yellowface was a #1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 04-06-23R.F. Kuang's book Yellowface was a #5 New York Times bestseller w/c 04-06-23

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Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR NETFLIX SERIESWINNER OF THE 2015 PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTIONNATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALISTNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR FICTIONA beautiful, stunningly ambitious novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War IIOpen your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.'For Marie-Laure, blind since the age of six, the world is full of mazes. The miniature of a Paris neighbourhood, made by her father to teach her the way home. The microscopic layers within the invaluable diamond that her father guards in the Museum of Natural History. The walled city by the sea, where father and daughter take refuge when the Nazis invade Paris. And a future which draws her ever closer to Werner, a German orphan, destined to labour in the mines until a broken radio fills his life with possibility and brings him to the notice of the Hitler Youth.In this magnificent, deeply moving novel, the stories ofMarie-Laure and Werner illuminate the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another.Trade Review'Far more than a conventional war story, It's a tightly focused epic … Doerr paints with a rich palette, using prose that resonates deeply and conveys the ephemera of daily existence along with high drama, sadness and hope … A bittersweet and moving novel that lingers in the mind' Daily Mail ‘An epic work about bravery and the power of attachment’ Rose Tremain, Observer, Books of the Year ‘An epic and a masterpiece’ Justin Cartwright, Observer ‘This novel will be a piece of luck for anyone with a long plane journey or beach holiday ahead. It is such a page-turner, entirely absorbing… magnificent’ Guardian ‘Doerr can bring a scene to life in a single paragraph … Delicate and moving … the novel takes hold and will not easily let go’ The Times ‘Boy meets girl in Anthony Doerr’s hauntingly beautiful new book, but the circumstances are as elegantly circuitous as they can be’ The New York Times ‘I’m not sure I will read a better novel this year … Enthrallingly told, beautifully written and so emotionally plangent that some passages bring tears’ Washington Post ‘This jewel of a story is put together like a vintage timepiece … Doerr’s writing and imagery are stunning. It’s been a while since a novel had me under its spell in this fashion.’ Abraham Verghese ‘A dazzling, epic work of fiction. Anthony Doerr writes beautifully about the mythic and the intimate, about snails on beaches and armies on the move, about fate and love and history and those breathless, unbearable moments when they all come crashing together.’ Jess Walter

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Book SynopsisThe Japanese bestseller: a tale of love, new beginnings, and the comfort that can be found between the pages of a good book.When twenty-five-year-old Takako's boyfriend reveals he's marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle Satoru's offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above his shop.Hidden in Jimbocho, Tokyo, the Morisaki Bookshop is a booklover's paradise. On a quiet corner in an old wooden building, the shop is filled with hundreds of second-hand books. It is Satoru's pride and joy, and he has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife left him five years earlier.Hoping to nurse her broken heart in peace, Takako is surprised to encounter new worlds within the stacks of books lining the shop.And as summer fades to autumn, Satoru and Takako discover they have more in common than they first thought. The Morisaki bookshop has something to teach them both about life, love, and the healing power of books.Quirky, beautifully written, and movingly profound, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop will appeal to readers of Before The Coffee Gets Cold, The Cat Who Saved Books, and anyone who has had to recover from a broken heart.Readers love the Morisaki Bookshop!'A perfect blanket to warm every book lover's heart''I love Japanese literature, and this is one of the best''A love letter to book lovers and readers everywhere'

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Book Synopsis'I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN' SHON FAYE 'A MASTERPIECE. THIS SEARING TALE OF LOVE, SEX AND CLASS WILL RESONATE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME' OWEN JONES 'I WAS DEEPLY MOVED BY ITS BEAUTY AND HUMANITY' COCO MELLORS

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Book SynopsisA global phenomenon, The Alchemist has been read and loved by over 62 million readers, topping bestseller lists in 74 countries worldwide. Now this magical fable is beautifully repackaged in an edition that lovers of Paulo Coelho will want to treasure forever.Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. This is such a book a beautiful parable about learning to listen to your heart, read the omens strewn along life's path and, above all, follow your dreams.Santiago, a young shepherd living in the hills of Andalucia, feels that there is more to life than his humble home and his flock. One day he finds the courage to follow his dreams into distant lands, each step galvanised by the knowledge that he is following the right path: his own. The people he meets along the way, the things he sees and the wisdom he learns are life-changing.With Paulo Coelho's visionary blend of spirituality, magical realism and folklore, The Alchemist is a story with the power to inspire nations and change people's lives.Trade Review‘His books have had a life-enhancing impact on millions of people.’ THE TIMES ‘One of the few to deserve the term Publishing Phenomenon.’ INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY ‘Coelho’s writing is beautifully poetic but his message is what counts… he gives me hope and puts a smile on my face.’ DAILY EXPRESS ‘I love The Alchemist.’ OPRAH WINFREY ‘The Alchemist is a beautiful book about magic, dreams and the treasures we seek elsewhere and then find on our doorstep.’ MADONNA "I feel like the luckiest man on the planet. It's a dream come true for me," to be able to direct and star and bring Coelho's book to the screen." LAURENCE FISHBURNE on the upcoming film adaptation of The Alchemist "One of my favourite books is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, and I just believe that…I can create whatever I want to create. If I can put my head on it right, study it, learn the patterns…I feel very strongly that we are who we choose to be." WILL SMITH "When I'm on the set with young actors and sometimes you meet people in life who you feel they are a little confused and they want to be re-centered, there are two books that I always recommend. One of them is Siddhartha, and the other is The Alchemist. RUSSELL CROWE

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Book SynopsisA tender, devastating and funny exploration of love and friendship and the yearning for self-evisceration. Coco Mellors is an elegant and exciting new voice' PANDORA SYKESFor readers of Modern Lovers and Conversations with Friends, an addictive, humorous, and poignant debut novel about the shock waves caused by one couple''s impulsive marriage.New York is slipping from Cleo's grasp. Sure, she's at a different party every other night, but she barely knows anyone. Her student visa is running out, and she doesn't even have money for cigarettes. But then she meets Frank. Twenty years older, Frank''s life is full of all the success and excess that Cleo''s lacks. He offers her the chance to be happy, the freedom to paint, and the opportunity to apply for a green card. She offers him a life imbued with beauty and artand, hopefully, a reason to cut back on his drinking. He is everything she needs right now.Cleo and Frank run head-first into a romance that neither of them can quite keep up with. It reshapes their lives and the lives of those around them, whether that's Cleo''s best friend struggling to embrace his gender identity in the wake of her marriage, or Frank''s financially dependent sister arranging sugar daddy dates after being cut off. Ultimately, this chance meeting between two strangers outside of a New Year's Eve party changes everything, for better or worse.Cleopatra and Frankenstein is an astounding and painfully relatable debut novel about the spontaneous decisions that shape our entire lives and those imperfect relationships born of unexpectedly perfect evenings.Trade Review‘Positively inhalable. I was intensely consumed by the world of Cleopatra and Frankenstein for a few happy days’ The Evening Standard ‘Friends who couldn’t get enough of Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends will fall head over heels for Coco Mellor’s debut novel’ ES Magazine ‘Cleopatra and Frankenstein, the luminous debut novel from Coco Mellors, is a book about many things: It's a great, swooning love story; a shattering depiction of how addiction and mental illness warp our lives; and a perceptive, witty portrait of globalized New York. But most of all, Mellors has written a devastatingly human book, at turns sharp and tender, that marks her as the rare writer whose sentences are as beautiful as they are wise. An unforgettable read’ Sam Lansky, author of The Gilded Razor and Broken People ‘A character driven epic thoroughly engrossing and entirely magnificent. It is thrilling to read a book that articles with nuance and compassion the way gender impacts every part of our lives. Sometimes you can just tell that a debut novel has been percolating and perfecting inside an author's mind until it is ready to leap into-and ultimately change-the world’ Adam Eli, author of The Queer Conscience “Mellors’ remarkably assured and sensitive debut … strongly evoke[s] Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life… At its core, it’s a novel about how love and lovers are easily misinterpreted and how romantic troubles affect friends and family. A canny and engrossing rewiring of the big-city romance.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review ‘Insistent, stylish and utterly captivating, the prose just sings.’ Heidi James, author of, The Sound Mirror

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Book SynopsisTrade Review‘We could all use a good summer ghost story, and you can't get much better than Ashley Poston's adult fiction debut.’Entertainment Weekly ‘This is a book to make you laugh and cry.’ New York Times ‘A tender, nuanced love story that fans of Emily Henry will adore’ Red ‘I LOVED this book. A beautiful, poignant story, full of beautiful, poignant characters… at the end all the pieces fall perfectly into place, and the picture that they form is at once touching, funny, breathtaking, hopeful, and dreamy.’Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis ‘Smart, quirky and funny. I loved this one.’Sarah Morgan, The Sunday Times bestselling author of Beach House Summer ‘What fun – the Emily Henry/Casey McQuiston reader (aka me) is going to gobble this book up. Smart, quick, delicious.’Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow ‘An absolute and unexpected delight. Voicy and quirky and fun; the pages will probably sparkle (but with black glitter).’Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners ‘The Dead Romantics takes so many things I love—quirky heroines, found families, cozy small towns, fanfics, GHOSTS (!!!)—and gives them all a fresh, fun, thoroughly modern spin. This is truly a RomCom to die for!’Rachel Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author of Reckless ‘This book made me fall in love, broke my heart then reassembled it at least twice, and left me swooning. A hauntingly romantic, hilariously heartwarming story. Ashley Poston is the real deal.’Gwenda Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Not Your Average Hot Guy ‘Poston[’s] sparkling dialogue makes the characters come alive – even the dead ones. Readers won’t be able to put this down.’Publishers Weekly, starred review

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Book SynopsisNow a major motion picture, starring Amandla StenbergNo. 1 New York Times bestsellerGoodreads Choice Awards Best of the Best National Book Award Longlist Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl''s struggle for justice.Want more of Garden Heights? Catch Maverick and Seven's story in Concrete Rose, Angie Thomas''s powerful prequel to The Hate U Give.PRAISE FOR THE HATE U GIVEStunning. John GreenA masterpiece. TheTrade ReviewAngie Thomas has written a stunning, brilliant, gut-wrenching novel that will be remembered as a classic of our time. * John Green *It's hard to see how this won't be the young adult novel of the year, if not the decade. Angie Thomas, a former rapper and a debut novelist from Jackson, Mississippi, has written a startling, important book about what it is to be black in America that manages to speak to everyone. It is also a rollicking thriller and a deeply enjoyable read. No wonder it has been at the top of the New York Times's young adult bestseller list for weeks. [...] It's suitable for mature 14-year-olds and should fly on to curriculums everywhere, for Thomas has written a classic in the making that demands to be discussed. * The Times *“[…] a powerful look at racism in 21st-century America.” * The Observer *Completely gripping, hugely affecting and beautifully written, THUG encompasses race, violence, family and growing up and will surely be remembered as a defining YA book of our time. A must-read. - Anna Pool * The Pool *The Hate U Give is going to be one of the most important books of 2017, no hyperbole, just facts. - Nikesh Shukla, writer and editor of The Good Immigrant -- Nikesh Shukla

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Book SynopsisGRIPPING AND POIGNANT'RUTH HOGAN, bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost ThingsCLEVER AND ENTERTAINING' GOOD HOUSEKEEPINGA THOUGHT-PROVOKING READ' PRIMAEight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.It seems like just another morning.Around the world, people wake up, check the news, open the front door.On every doorstep is a box. Inside that box is the exact number of years that person has left to live.Whether they open it or hide it under their bed, each person must learn to live in this new world: a couple who thought they didn't have to rush their life together, a doctor who cannot save himself from his own fate, best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everythingEnchanting and deeply uplifting, The Measure is a sweeping, ambitious and invigorating story about family, friendship, hope and destiny that encourages us to live life to the fullest.***EXAMINES THE BIG LIFE AND DEATH QUESTIONS IN A CLEVER AND, DARE WE SAY IT, ENTERTAINING WAY' WOMAN & HOMEINTRIGUING' WOMAN'S WEEKLYLIFE-AFFIRMING' CHRISTINA DALCHER, bestselling author of VoxDESPITE ITS CHILLING PREMISE, ERLICK'S NOVEL IS AN ESCAPE FROM RATHER THAN A WINDOW INTO OUR OWN TERRIFYING REALITY' NEW YORK TIMESCOMPELLING AND HEART-BREAKING' Bridget Collins, bestselling author of The Binding ''A SHARP LENS FOR REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS'' DAILY MAILA HEARTFELT PARABLE FOR OUR OWN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES' Laurie Frankel, bestselling author of One Two ThreeBEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED AND HUGELY IMAGINATIVE' Claire NorthBRILLIANT I COULDN'T STOP READING' Christina Sweeney-BairdHUGELY COMPELLING' Freya Sampson, author of The Last Chance LibraryTrade Review‘The Measure is a fantastic first outing for Nikki Erlick. […] It’s a timely, page-turning triumph and I can’t recommend it enough’ LoveReading ‘A sharp lens for real-world problems’ Daily Mail ‘Perfect for book clubs… equal parts charming and thought-provoking. It takes a philosophical question – what if everybody on earth knew exactly how long they had left to live? – and explores, with compassion and pragmatism, how the implications would trickle down into… modern life, from politics to intimacy’ Marie Claire ‘Utterly original and wonderfully mysterious. Through Erlick's deft prose and clever logic, I threw away all disbelief and fully plunged into the unsettling but life-affirming world she creates’ Jessica Anya Blau, author of Mary Jane ‘The Measure is exactly what our world needs right now’ Christina Dalcher, bestselling author of Vox ‘[a] hugely compelling story, which drew me in from the very first page with its beautiful writing. Weeks after reading it, I'm still thinking about this smart, uplifting novel and its wonderful characters’ Freya Sampson, author of The Last Chance Library ‘The Measure has a strong emotional heart with an array of characters exploring their frightening, but sometimes beautiful new worlds. Ultimately, [it] is about the power of human resilience’ Luke Allnutt, author of We Own the Sky ‘A brilliant concept cleverly executed. I couldn’t stop reading’ Christina Sweeney-Baird, author of The End of Men ‘What an incredible book! … beautifully executed’ Ruth Hogan, author of The Keeper of Lost Things ‘A compelling, heart-breaking story of life and love with a perfect, elegant premise’ Bridget Collins, bestselling author of The Binding

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Book SynopsisThe explosive sequel to the internationally bestselling thriller The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, The Housemaid's Secret is an unbelievably twisty read about the secrets kept at the dark heart of a family

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Book Synopsis'As heart-wrenching as it is achingly beautiful' Sadeqa Johnson, author of The House of Eve'Heartbreaking and life affirming' Adrienne Brodeur, author of Little Monsters'Courage, friendship, loyalty, hardship, love – this novel has everything' Mary Beth Keane, Ask Again, YesFrom the author of The Stationery Shop of Tehran, a heartfelt, epic new novel of friendship, betrayal and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran. In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances, Ellie dreams of a friend to alleviate her isolation. Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind, passionate girl with a brave and irrepressible

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Book SynopsisThe landmark text about the inner workings of the unconscious mind—from the symbolism that unlocks the meaning of our dreams to their effect on our waking lives and artistic impulses—featuring more than a hundred images that break down Carl Jung’s revolutionary ideas“What emerges with great clarity from the book is that Jung has done immense service both to psychology as a science and to our general understanding of man in society.”—The Guardian   “Our psyche is part of nature, and its enigma is limitless.” Since our inception, humanity has looked to dreams for guidance. But what are they? How can we understand them? And how can we use them to shape our lives? There is perhaps no one more equipped to answer these questions than the legendary psychologist Carl G. Jung. It is in his life’s work that the unconscious mind comes to be understood as an expansive, rich world just as vital and true a part of the mind as the conscious, and it is in our dreams—those personal, integral expressions of our deepest selves—that it communicates itself to us. A seminal text written explicitly for the general reader, Man and His Symbolsis a guide to understanding the symbols in our dreams and using that knowledge to build fuller, more receptive lives. Full of fascinating case studies and examples pulled from philosophy, history, myth, fairy tales, and more, this groundbreaking work—profusely illustrated with hundreds of visual examples—offers invaluable insight into the symbols we dream that demand understanding, why we seek meaning at all, and how these very symbols affect our lives. By illuminating the means to examine our prejudices, interpret psychological meanings, break free of our influences, and recenter our individuality, Man and His Symbols proves to be—decades after its conception—a revelatory, absorbing, and relevant experience.

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Book Synopsis**DREAM COUNT, the searing new bestselling novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, is out now!**WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD''A delicious, important novel'' THE TIMES''Alert, alive and gripping'' INDEPENDENTIfemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria. In America, Ifemelu suffers defeats and triumphs, finds and loses relationships, all the while feeling the weight of something she never thought of back home: race. Meanwhile, Obinze plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Fifteen years later, when they reunite in a newly democratic Nigeria, and reignite their passion for each other and for their homeland they face the hardest decision of their lives.Fearless, gripping, spanning three continents and numerous lives, the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning Americanah is a literary masterpiece, and one of the defining books of the decade.''A love story for our time'' VOGUEA brilliant novel: epic in scope, personal in resonance and with lots to say' OBSERVER''A tour de force. Hugely impressive'' MAIL ON SUNDAYTrade Review‘A brilliant novel: epic in scope, personal in resonance and with lots to say’ Elizabeth Day, Observer ‘A delicious, important novel from a writer with a great deal to say’ The Times ‘A brilliant exploration of being African in America … an urgent and important book, further evidence that its author is a real talent’ Sunday Telegraph ‘An extremely thoughtful, subtly provocative exploration of structural inequality, of different kinds of oppression, of gender roles, of the idea of home. Subtle, but not afraid to pull its punches’ Alex Clark, Guardian ‘A tour de force … The artistry with which Adichie keeps her story moving, while animating the complex anxieties in which the characters live and work, is hugely impressive’ Mail on Sunday ‘Adichie is terrific on human interactions … Adichie’s writing always has an elegant shimmer to it … Wise, entertaining and unendingly perceptive’ Independent on Sunday ‘Adichie paints on a grand canvas, boldly and confidently … This is a very funny, very warm and moving intergenerational epic that confirms Adiche’s virtuosity, boundless empathy and searing social acuity’ Dave Eggers ‘“An honest novel about race” … with guts and lustre … within the context of a well-crafted, compassionate, visceral and delicately funny tale of lasting high-school love and the sorrows and adventures of immigration’ Diana Evans, The Times ‘[A] long, satisfying novel of cross-continental relationships, exile and the pull of home … Adichie’s first novel for seven years and well worth the wait’ FT ‘Alert, alive and gripping’ Independent

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Book Synopsis''[A] sweet tale about the healing power of kindness'' Irish TimesIn a quiet village in Ireland, a mysterious local myth is about to change everythingOne hundred years ago, Anna, a young farm girl, volunteers to help an intriguing American visitor translate fairy stories from Irish to English. But all is not as it seems and Anna soon finds herself at the heart of a mystery that threatens her very way of life.In New York in the present day, Sarah Harper boards a plane bound for the West Coast of Ireland. But once there, she finds she has unearthed dark secrets secrets that tread the line between the everyday and the otherworldly, the seen and the unseen.With a taste for the magical in everyday life, Evie Woods''s latest novel is full of ordinary characters with extraordinary tales to tell.Praise for The Story Collector:''An engaging story about unsettled griefthe possibility that magic and the fairies are real is dangled tantalisingly before the reader, but not in a way that might make a sceptic roll their eyes'' Historical Novel Society''Woods weaves a great tale of past, present and that timeless other realm, making for a very satisfying read'' Sunday IndependentReaders have fallen in love with The Story Collector:I highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction and want to learn more about Ireland and its folklore history surrounding the faeries.' ?????Romantic and magical, an adventure to be enjoyed.' ?????Painted beautifully.' ?????''A bewitching story which I will treasure.' ?????A mystical treasure that echoes with the fairy world power of Ireland. A mesmerising tale told in two timelines where the past unfolds and ripples like a wave into the future.' ?????''This is the perfect book to read on a winter afternoon in front of the fire.' ?????''A delightful tale of love and loss and magical stories.' ?????Previously published as The Story Collector by Evie Gaughan.

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Book SynopsisIntroducing the Collins Modern Classics, a series featuring some of the most significant books of recent times, books that shed light on the human experience classics which will endure for generations to come.That girl didn't want to die. She just wanted out of that house. She wanted out of that decorating scheme.The five Lisbon sisters beautiful, eccentric and, now, gone had always been a point of obsession for the entire neighbourhood.Although the boys that once loved them from afar have grown up, they remain determined to understand a tragedy that has defied explanation. The question persists why did all five of the Lisbon girls take their own lives?This lyrical and timeless tale of sex and suicide that transforms and mythologizes suburban middle-American life announced the arrival of one of the greatest American novelists of the last thirty years.A flare from my own secret world, all the inchoate longings and obsessions of being a teenager somehow rendered into book form' Emma Cline, author of The GirlsTrade Review'A Catcher in the Rye for our time' Observer 'Entire and unstoppable … a sparkling work' The Times 'Wonderfully original' Independent ‘Eugenides is blessed with the storyteller's most magical gift, the ability to transform the mundane into the extraordinary’ New York Times

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Book SynopsisChuck Palahniuk is the bestselling author of fifteen fictional works, including Fight Club, Invisible Monsters, Survivor, Choke, Lullaby, Diary, Haunted, Rant, Pygmy, Tell-All, Damned, Doomed, Beautiful You, and most recently Make Something Up. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.Trade ReviewHypnotic, pitiless and told brilliantly -- Bret Easton EllisAn outrageously suspenseful apocalyptic comedy of horrors...with acid clarity...Fight Club only achieves something only terrifying books do - it tells us: this is how we live now. Maybe our generation has finally found its Don DeLillo * Bret Easton Ellis *Like a noxious Doug Coupland, Palahiuk charts new-felt and totally contemporary categories of despair -- Ali Smith * Guardian *An immensely skillful writer * Daily Telegraph *Short, sharp and savage, this haunting and strikingly original American urban nightmare is the most impressive US fiction début I can remember in years * Glasgow Herald *

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Book SynopsisSome scars never heal . . . An addictive thriller from the author of the mega bestseller GONE GIRL.Trade ReviewTo say this is a terrific debut novel is really too mild ... [it is] a relentlessly creepy family saga. I found myself dreading the last thirty pages or so, but was helpless to stop turning them. Then, after the lights were out, the story just stayed there in my head, coiled and hissing, like a snake in a cave * Stephen King *This is a stylish thriller about housewives who don't recognise their own desperations, while the reader recognises with fascinated clarity the nastiness and vacuity of life in an updated Stepford * Literary Review *It is a stunningly accomplished evocation of the oppressiveness of small-town life and is just as assured in depicting the gradually revealed psychological disorder that links Camille to both the killer and victims * Sunday Times *Compulsively disturbing and ... exciting * Time Out *[A] striking first novel ... a relentlessly dark tale, with some very disturbing characters, Camille among then, and it makes a powerful impact * Sunday Telegraph *A stylish and compelling debut. A real winner * Harlan Coben *If you love Martha O'Connor look out for Gillian Flynn's debut, Sharp Objects ... a gothic fairytale-gone-bad * Company *The horror creeps up slowly, with Flynn misdirecting the reader until the shocking, dreadful and memorable double ending * Publisher's Weekly *Six years before she became famous for Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn's first book wowed the critics.. it's a dark, unsettling read that fills you with doubt and keeps you second-guessing the whole way through" * ESSENTIALS *

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Book SynopsisDeciding to go vegetarian in the wake of violent thoughts, Yeong-hye, a woman from an Asian culture of strict societal mores, is denounced as a subversive as she spirals into extreme rebelliousness that causes her to splinter from her true nature and risk her life.

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Book SynopsisMEET BOOKTOK''S LATEST OBSESSION . . . DARK, FUNNY AND SUPER SPICY, CAN YOU HANDLE THE RIDE?I want someone with a soul as black as night. Someone who would burn the world down for me and not lose a single minute of sleep over it.Trauma nurse Aly escapes her hard-working days by thirsting after masked men online. To her, nothing could top the fantasy of her favorite tattooed and masked man hunting her down. But she never could have guessed that one drunken text would turn those dreams into reality . . .I want things most people don''t, craving darkness and depravity instead of light and love.Josh has spent his life avoiding the limelight, but his online persona is another story. At night, he posts masked thirst traps for his millions of fans, until one follower catches his eye: Aly.Together, Aly and Josh live out their darkest fantasies, unaware that Aly has captured the attention of someone with far mo

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Book SynopsisAll books, no matter their binding, will fall to dust. The stories they carry may last longer. They might outlive the paper, the library, even the language in which they were first written.The greatest story can reach the stars . . .This is the start of an incredible new journey from the internationally bestselling author of Prince of Thorns, in which, though the pen may be mightier than the sword, blood will be spilled and cities burnedEvar has lived his whole life trapped within a vast library, older than empires and larger than cities.Livira has spent hers in a tiny settlement out on the Dust where nightmares stalk and no one goes.The world has never noticed them.That's about to change.As their stories spiral around each other, across worlds and time, each will unlock vast secrets about the world and themselves. This is a tale of truth and lies and hearts, and the blurring of one into another.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey delivers a sexy, hilarious standalone holiday rom-com about the adult children of two former rock stars who team up to convince their estranged mothers to play a Christmas Eve concert…Melody Gallard may be the daughter of music royalty, but her world is far from glamorous. She spends her days restoring old books and avoiding the limelight (one awkward tabloid photo was enough, thanks). But when a producer offers her a lot of money to reunite her mother’s band on live tv, Mel begins to wonder if it’s time to rattle the cage, shake up her quiet life… and see him again. The only other person who could wrangle the rock and roll divas.Beat Dawkins, the lead singer’s son, is Melody’s opposite—the camera loves him, he could charm the pants off anyone, and his mom is not a potential cult leader. Still, they might have been best friends if not for the legendary feud that broke up the band. When they met as teenagers, Mel felt an instant spark, but it’s nothing compared to the wild, intense attraction that builds as they embark on a madcap mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show. While dealing with rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and mobs of adoring fans, Mel starts to step out of her comfort zone. With Beat by her side, cheering her on, she’s never felt so understood. But Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and a decades-old scandal is poised to wreck everything—the Steel Birds reunion, their relationships with their mothers, and their newfound love.  Trade Review“The tenderness, vulnerability and heat I am always guaranteed with a Tessa Bailey book are the reasons she is one of my all-time favorite authors.” — Sally Thorne “Tessa Bailey writes pure magic.” — Alexis Daria “One of the genre’s very best.” — Kate Clayborn “Tessa Bailey’s writing stands out in all the right sexy ways.” — Buzzfeed “Bailey writes banter and rom-com scenarios with aplomb, but for those who like their romance on the spicier side, she’s also the Michelangelo of dirty talk. She wields filth like Da Vinci does a paintbrush, and there’s a lot to be said for an author who can fill such exchanges with all the requisite heat, enthusiastic consent, and yes, even humor, of such a scenario without veering into corny territory.” — Entertainment Weekly “Tessa Bailey is the queen of rom-coms. Long may she reign!" — Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Merry Little Meet Cute “Nothing makes my heart catch fire like a Tessa Bailey book. She is all things magic and dirty talk.” — Elena Armas, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Spanish Love Deception

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Book SynopsisThe extraordinary, prescient NEW YORK TIMES-bestselling novel.''If there is one thing scarier than a dystopian novel about the future, it''s one written in the past that has already begun to come true. This is what makes Parable of the Sower even more impressive than it was when first published'' GLORIA STEINEM''Unnervingly prescient and wise'' YAA GYASI--We are coming apart. We''re a rope, breaking, a single strand at a time.America is a place of chaos, where violence rules and only the rich and powerful are safe. Lauren Olamina, a young woman with the extraordinary power to feel the pain of others as her own, records everything she sees of this broken world in her journal.Then, one terrible night, everything alters beyond recognition, and Lauren must make her voice heard for the sake of those she loves. Soon, her vision becomes reality and her dreams of a better way to live gaiTrade ReviewOne of the most significant literary artists of the twentieth century. One cannot exaggerate the impact she has had -- Junot DiazButler's prose, always pared back to the bone, delineates the painful paradoxes of metamorphosis with compelling precision * Guardian *A dark, compelling and still horribly resonant time travel story * Independent *[Her] evocative, often troubling, novels explore far-reaching issues of race, sex, power and, ultimately, what it means to be human * New York Times *No novel I've read this year has felt as relevant, as gut-wrenching or as essential... If you've ever tweeted "All Lives Matter", someone needs to shove Kindred into your hand, and quickly * The Pool *Kindred is that rare magical artifact . . . the novel one returns to, again and again * Harlan Ellison *One cannot finish Kindred without feeling changed. It is a shattering work of art * Los Angeles Herald-Examiner *[A] must-read novel * BBC *Everyone should read at least one novel by the grand dame of science fiction, and Kindred is a perfect (and harrowing and disturbing and brilliant) place to start * Refinery 29 *The immediate effect of reading Octavia Butler's Kindred is to make every other time travel book in the world look as if it's wimping out... This is a brilliant book, utterly absorbing, very well written, and deeply distressing. It's very hard to read, not because it's not good but because it's so good * Tor *A searing, caustic examination of bizarre and alien practices on the third planet from the sun * Kirkus *One of the most original, thought-provoking works examining race and identity * Los Angeles Times *Impossible to turn away from once you've devoured the first few pages * Starburst *If you haven't read Butler, you don't yet understand how rich the possibilities of science fiction can be * Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction *Butler's books are exceptional * Village Voice *Few writers in our field are so good at blending page-turners with philosophical questions so seamlessly -- Cory Doctorow

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Book SynopsisThe beautiful novel of female friendship and family secrets on a small Korean island, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane   Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls living on the Korean island of Jeju, are best friends that come from very different backgrounds. When they are old enough, they begin working in the sea with their village’s all-female diving collective, led by Young-sook’s mother. As the girls take up their positions as baby divers, they know they are beginning a life of excitement and responsibility but also danger. Despite their love for each other, Mi-ja and Young-sook’s differences are impossible to ignore. The Island of Sea Women is an epic set over many decades, beginning during a period of Japanese colonialism in the 1930s and 1940s, followed by World War II, the Korean War and its aftermath, through the era of cell phones and wetsuits for the women divers. Throughout this time, the residents of Jeju find themselves caught between warring empires. Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, and she will forever be marked by this association. Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will inherit her mother’s position leading the divers in their village. Little do the two friends know that after surviving hundreds of dives and developing the closest of bonds, forces outside their control will push their friendship to the breaking point.This beautiful, thoughtful novel illuminates a world turned upside down, one where the women are in charge, engaging in dangerous physical work, and the men take care of the children. A classic Lisa See story—one of women’s friendships and the larger forces that shape them—The Island of Sea Women introduces readers to the fierce and unforgettable female divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives. ‘For centuries, women on Korea’s Jeju island have been free-diving into the sea, a practice explored through this fictionalized story of two friends who struggle to stay close amid war, family rivalries, and a shifting cultural landscape. It’s riveting, historical, and heartbreaking all at once’ Marie Claire ‘Lisa See excels at mining the intersection of family, friendship and history... This novel spans wars and generations, but at its heart is a beautifully rendered story of two women whose individual choices become inextricably tangled’ Jodi Picoult, author of A Spark of Light ‘I was spellbound the moment I entered the vivid and little-known world of the diving women of Jeju… No one writes about female friendship… with more insight and depth than Lisa See’ Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees Trade Review‘Lisa See excels at mining the intersection of family, friendship and history . . . This novel spans wars and generations, but at its heart is a beautifully rendered story of two women whose individual choices become inextricably tangled’ -- Jodi Picoult, author of A Spark of Light‘I was spellbound the moment I entered the vivid and little-known world of the diving women of Jeju . . . No one writes about female friendship, the dark and the light of it, with more insight and depth than Lisa See’ -- Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees'See is most deft when she plays with this line — of betrayal and the impossibility of forgiveness — which she does on a national level as well as a deeply personal one . . . a powerful and essential story of humanity' * Los Angeles Review of Books *'See’s vivid prose and thorough research together bring to life the seafaring existence of these women . . . See’s thoughtful and empathetic book sheds necessary attention on this largely ignored event' * New York Times *‘For centuries, women on Korea’s Jeju island have been free-diving into the sea, a practice explored through this fictionalized story of two friends who struggle to stay close amid war, family rivalries, and a shifting cultural landscape. It’s riveting, historical, and heartbreaking all at once’ * Marie Claire *‘Jumping between the WWII era and 2008, See perceptively depicts challenges faced by Koreans over the course of the 20th century, particularly homing in on the ways the haenyeo have struggled to maintain their way of life. Exposing the depths of human cruelty and resilience, See’s lush tale is a wonderful ode to a truly singular group of women’ * Publishers Weekly *'Two women and their friendship are at the heart of a tale in which war and disruption, including American occupation, destroy some lives and alter others . . . a beautifully written, sublime piece of fiction’ * The Christian Science Monitor *

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