Contemporary Fiction

Every paper bracelet held a mother's heartbreaking secret... The top ten bestseller, inspired by heartrending true events in a home for unwed mothers, set in Ireland, Boston and London, this novel is perfect for readers of Kathryn Hughes, Emily Gunnis and Susan Lewis.'A true storyteller who keeps you turning the pages' CATHY KELLY, Sunday Times bestselling author'A beautifully written story, uncovering some untold truths ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐' Real reader 'An addictive read ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐' Real reader'It broke my heart. Rachael has managed to tell a truly heartbreaking story beautifully and with real grace and dignity ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐' Real reader_____For almost fifty years, Katie Carroll has kept a box tucked away inside her wardrobe. It dates from her time working as a nurse in a west of Ireland home for unwed mothers in the 1970s. The box contains a notebook holding the details of the babies and young women she met there. It also holds many of the babies' identity bracelets. Following the death of her husband, Katie makes a decision. The information she possesses could help reunite adopted people with their birth mothers, and she decides to post a message on an internet forum. Soon the replies are rolling in, and Katie finds herself returning many of the bracelets to their original owners. She encounters success and failure, heartbreak and joy. But is she prepared for old secrets to be uncovered in her own life?* THE LETTER HOME, THE NEW NOVEL FROM RACHAEL ENGLISH, IS OUT NOW *_____ Your favourite authors love the novels of Rachael English: 'Utterly moving and compelling. That first line...wow! I was hooked' Patricia Scanlan 'Fantastic storytelling looking back at Ireland's dark past' Liz Nugent 'A powerful, important, beautiful book' Sinéad Crowley 'A compelling read' Sheila O'Flanagan 'Outstanding. I was on the edge of my seat ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐' Real reader 'Beautifully written and enjoyable ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐' Real reader 'I loved this book. Despite the subject matter this book is very uplifting ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐' Real reader 'Could not put it down. Highly recommend ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐' Real reader

Read more less

By the author of The Handmaid's TaleNow a major NETFLIX seriesSometimes I whisper it over to myself: Murderess. Murderess. It rustles, like a taffeta skirt along the floor.' Grace Marks. Female fiend? Femme fatale? Or weak and unwilling victim? Around the true story of one of the most enigmatic and notorious women of the 1840s, Margaret Atwood has created an extraordinarily potent tale of sexuality, cruelty and mystery.'Brilliant... Atwood's prose is searching. So intimate it seems to be written on the skin' Hilary Mantel'The outstanding novelist of our age' Sunday Times'A sensuous, perplexing book, at once sinister and dignified, grubby and gorgeous, panoramic yet specific...I don't think I have ever been so thrilled' Julie Myerson, Independent on Sunday

Read more less

A handful of disparate lives converge at a remote seaside inn: a lovelorn professor, a renowned painter, an inscrutable seductress - and a beautiful young girl, fatally ill, brought to the sea by a desperate father's last hope. An intricate web of destinies and associations begins to reveal itself, but it is not until the arrival of a mysterious sailor called Adams that the truth in all its dreamlike beauty and cruelty becomes clear. Alternately playful and profoundly serious, Baricco's novel surges with the hypnotic power of the ocean sea.

Read more less

Set in 1950’s America at a time when people stopped looking west and started looking up: a breathtakingly beautiful debut novel of revolution, chance and the gambles we take with the human heart. Muriel, newly married and newly orphaned, works as a waitress in a San Diego diner. As she pours coffee and empties ashtrays, she eavesdrops on her customers, the ex-jockeys and trainers of the Del Mar racetrack. When she begins, secretly, to bet on the horses and, shockingly, to win, she feels strangely unready to share her good luck and its origins with her husband Lee. Instead it is Lee’s brother, Julius, a thief and Korean War veteran – and someone she has only met once – whom she longs to tell, and who has struck a spark of promise and possibility inside her quietly ordered life. Julius has found himself in Las Vegas, where his gift for gambling leads him to a job patrolling the boards above the casino tables, watching through the cigarette smoke for chancers and cheats. There he meets Henry, a blackjack artist and a man who shares Julius’s passions, and his secrets. As tourists gather on roof tops to watch atomic clouds bloom in the desert, Henry and Julius's love burns in the shadows – until one night Henry is forced to flee. Through the parks and plazas of Tijuana and the bars and beaches of San Diego, On Swift Horses mesmerisingly charts the journeys of Muriel and Julius on their separate quests for freedom, new horizons and love.

Read more less

A brilliant and thought-provoking novel about family, loyalty and betrayal Once I’d been Daddy’s favourite. Before something terrible happened. Violet Rue is the baby of the seven Kerrigan children and adores her big brothers. What’s more, she knows that a family protects its own. To go outside the family – to betray the family – is unforgiveable. So when she overhears a conversation not meant for her ears and discovers that her brothers have committed a heinous crime, she is torn between her loyalty to her family and her sense of justice. The decision she takes will change her life for ever. Exploring racism, misogyny, community, family, loyalty, sexuality and identity, this is a dark story with a tense and propulsive atmosphere – Joyce Carol Oates at her very best.

Read more less

The perfect summer read from the internationally bestselling author. If you loved The Lido, you won't want to miss The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle . . . 'Heart-warming' Hello 'Wonderfully atmospheric' Sunday Mirror 'A heart-warming tale' Woman & Home (Best Escapist Reads)'The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle will have you laughing and crying' YoursIn a seaside suburb on Australia's golden coast, four women head to the water to swim every day . . .Housewife Theresa wants to get fit; she also wants a few precious minutes to herself. So at sunrise each day she strikes out past the waves.From the same beach, the widowed Marie swims. With her husband gone, it is the one constant in her new life.Elaine takes to the sea having recently moved from England, while Leanne is twenty-five years old and only has herself to rely on.In the waters of Shelly Bay, these four women find each other. They will survive bluebottle stings and heartbreak, they will laugh so hard they swallow water, and they will plunge their tears into the ocean's salt.Most of all, they will cherish their newfound friendship, each and every day.Praise for Sophie Green, author of The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle:'Reading this book was like snuggling beneath a warm beach towel after a bracing dip in the ocean' Joanna Nell, author of The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village'Brimming with atmosphere and warmth, this gorgeous book completely carried me away. I absolutely loved it' Jenny Ashcroft

Read more less

There was no rising from the dead and there was no hand to calm the storms and there was no peace in no valley. In the hurricane-ravaged bottomlands of South Mississippi, where stores are closing and jobs are few, a fierce zealot has gained a foothold, capitalizing on the vulnerability of a dwindling population and a burning need for hope. As she preaches and promises salvation from the light of the pulpit, in the shadows she sows the seeds of violence. Elsewhere, Jessie and her toddler, Jace, are on the run across the Mississippi/Louisiana line, in a resentful return to her childhood home and her desolate father. Holt, Jace's father, is missing and hunted by a brutish crowd, and an old man witnesses the wrong thing in the depths of night. In only a matter of days, all of their lives will collide, and be altered, in the maelstrom of the changing world. At once elegiac and profound, Salvage This World journeys into the heart of a region growing darker and less forgiving, and asks how we keep going - what do we hold onto - in a land where God has fled.

Read more less

'Truly outstanding' Mail on Sunday'This is a time-spanning, genre-blurring work of storytelling magic . . . The only constants are the land and Mason's genius' Washington Post'Daniel Mason's latest novel is one of those rare books that truly deserves the description "spellbinding" ' Observer'A tapestry at once intimate and epic' TLS'Utterly beguiling' Scotsman'Extraordinary characters . . . a tour de force' Independent, Best Books for Autumn'Epic . . . weaves a Cloud Atlas-style narrative of humanity under pressure and nature under threat' Guardian, 2023's Biggest BooksFOUR CENTURIES. A SINGLE HOUSE DEEP IN THE WOODS OF NEW ENGLAND.A young Puritan couple on the run. An English soldier with a fantastic vision. Inseparable twin sisters. A lovelorn painter and a lusty beetle. A desperate mother and her haunted son. A ruthless con man and a stalking panther. Buried secrets. Madness, dreams and hope. All are connected. The dark, raucous, beautiful past is very much alive.Exhilarating, daring and playful, NORTH WOODS will change the way you see the world.'A monumental achievement . . . I loved it' Maggie O'Farrell'Ambitious, alive, and lush with generosity . . . an immersive sprint through time' Tess Gunty

Read more less

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Sexy, glorious, action-packed fun! Also Nick is hot, and cute and a serious book boyfriend material'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Highly recommend'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Hooked from beginning to end'He wants to take her out. She wants to take him down...Sydney's mission is simple: 1. Stop her little sister from marrying a notorious criminal 2. Seduce his bodyguard to gather intel for the FBI 3. Definitely do not fall in love...Agent Sydney Swift is going home for the holidays. She's just discovered that her younger sister, Calla, is engaged to Johnny Jones - the heir to the nation's most notorious crime dynasty - and she's determined to stop their perfect winter wedding at any cost.But gathering incriminating evidence on Johnny isn't as easy as she'd hoped, especially as her biggest obstacle is Nick, his infuriatingly handsome and charming bodyguard!As Sydney spends more time with Nick, lines begin to blur, and while seducing him to gather intel was bad enough, falling for him is even worse. Soon Sydney is faced with a difficult decision - one that certainly wasn't covered in her training . . .MISS CONGENIALITY meets Emily Henry with the spice of MR AND MRS SMITH in this fun, sexy and absolutely irresistible romcom. YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS LOVE THE TAKEDOWN!'Fun, flirty, and fabulous!' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS'A hilarious, smart and swoony joy of a romcom' CRESSIDA MCLAUGHLIN'A masterclass in how to create sizzling chemistry. Five stars!' LORRAINE BROWN

Read more less

WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE‘A passionate, scintillating, brilliant song of a book’GuardianSammy's had a bad week.Most of it's just a blank space in his mind, and the bits that he can remember, he'd rather not. His wallet's gone, along with his new shoes, he's been arrested then beaten up by the police and thrown out on the street - and he's just gone blind. He remembers a row with his girlfriend, but she seems to have disappeared; and he might have been trying to fix a bit of business up with an old mate, he's not too sure.Things aren't looking too good for Sammy and his problems have hardly begun.

Read more less

A year into her dream job at a cutthroat Silicon Valley startup, Cassie is trapped in a corporate nightmare. Between the long hours, toxic bosses and unethical projects, she struggles to reconcile the glittering promise of a city where obscene wealth lives alongside abject poverty. Ivy League grads complain about the snack selection from a conference room with a view of houseless people bathing in the bay. Startup burnouts leap into the paths of commuter trains and men literally set themselves on fire in the streets. Though isolated, Cassie is never alone. From her earliest memory, the black hole has been her constant companion. It feeds on her depression and anxiety, its size changing in relation to her distress. The black hole watches, but it also waits. Its relentless pull draws Cassie ever closer as the world around her unravels. When her CEO's demands cross an illegal line and her personal life spirals towards a bleak precipice, Cassie must decide whether the tempting fruits of Silicon Valley are worth the pain, or succumb to the black hole.

Read more less

He never meant to stay. He certainly never meant to fall in love… Summer Island off the coast of Norway was the place London chef Jack Greene should have been from. He’s an outsider in the community that should have been his family, and now he’s setting foot on the strange land he has inherited for the first time. Ninni Toft, his nearest neighbour, has come to the island to mend her broken heart. With her wild spirit and irrepressible enthusiasm, she shows city-boy Jack the simple pleasures of island life – and what it means to belong. To a place. To a people. To one person in particular… Home is where the heart is, but is Jack’s heart with the career he left behind in London, or on the wind-swept shores of Summer Island, with Ninni? Summer Island is just what you need right now! Don’t believe us? Look at what our readers think: ‘The perfect escape during this globally stressful time…delightful’ Sarah ‘Oh, how I would love to live on the Island…heartwarming, full of hope, love, friendship, fun and is everything that friends and family should be!’ Sarah Lizzie ‘This was such a good book! I couldn’t put this book down and it filled me with warmth!’ Sinead ‘This book was so good!’ Alicia ‘Absolutely loved this story…make sure you have some time to spare – you’ll not want to put it down till you’ve finished!’ Sara ‘The unique setting was really lovely and a breath of fresh air…also, love a dog in a story!’ Andi

Read more less

'Midway through my fortieth year, I reached a point where the balance of the past and all it contained seemed to outweigh the future, my mind so full of things said and not said, done and undone, I no longer understood how to move forward' May is at a crossroads. Although her career as a gardener for the university is flourishing, the rest of her life has narrowed to a parched routine. Her father is elderly, her brother estranged, and she keeps her neighbours at arm's length. The missing element, she realises, might be friendship. As May sets off on a journey to visit four neglected friends one-by-one, she holds herself (and them) to humorously high standards, while at home she begins to confront the pain of her past and imagine for herself a different kind of future. May's quest becomes an exploration of the power, and perhaps limits, of modern friendship.

Read more less

'A wise and witty drama of small-town life . . . delivering the generous humour, keen ear for dialogue, and deep appreciation for humanity's foibles that have endeared the author to his readers for decades' Publishers WeeklyTen years after the death of the magnetic Donald 'Sully' Sullivan, the town of North Bath is going through a major transition as it is taken over by its much wealthier neighbour, Schuyler Springs. Peter, Sully's son, is still grappling with his father's tremendous legacy as well as his relationship to his own son, Thomas, wondering if he has been all that different a father than Sully was to him.Meanwhile, the towns' newly consolidated police department falls into the hands of Charice Bond following the resignation of Doug Raymer, the former North Bath police chief and Charice's ex-boyfriend. When a decomposing body turns up in the abandoned hotel situated between the two towns, Charice and Raymer are drawn together again and forced to address their complicated attraction to one another. Across town, Ruth, Sully's married ex-lover, struggles to understand her granddaughter, Tina, and her growing obsession with Peter's other son, Will. Amidst the turmoil, the town's residents speculate on the identity of the unidentified body and wonder who among their number could have disappeared unnoticed. Brimming with warmth, wisdom and Russo's signature wry humour, Somebody's Fool is another classic from a modern master of storytelling.

Read more less

'Provocative and compelling, it is a spectacular debut' - Daily MailMichael lost his wife in a terrorist attack on a London train. Since then, he has been seeing a therapist to help him come to terms with his grief - and his anger. He can't get over the fact that the man he holds responsible has seemingly got away scot-free. He doesn't blame the bombers, who he considers only as the logical conclusion to a long chain of events. No, to Michael's mind, the ultimate cause is the politician whose cynical policies have had such deadly impact abroad. His therapist suggests that he write his feelings down to help him forgive and move on, but as a retired headteacher, Michael believes that for every crime there should be a fitting punishment - and so in the pages of his diary he begins to set out the case for, and set about committing, murder. Waltzing through the darkling journal of a brilliant mind put to serious misuse, Kill [redacted] is a powerful and provocative exploration of the contours of grief and the limits of moral justice, and a blazing condemnation of all those who hold, and abuse, power.ONE OF THE BEST DEBUT NOVELS of 2019 (the i )

Read more less

'The sharpest and funniest novel I read this year' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday A hilarious, intelligent cult classic, from one of the most celebrated contemporary novelists. Adam Gordon is a brilliant, if highly unreliable, young American poet on a prestigious fellowship in Madrid. Fuelled by strong coffee and self-prescribed tranquillizers, every day is a fresh attempt to establish a sense of self and an attitude towards his art. Not helped by his imperfect grasp of Spanish, Adam struggles with the underlying suspicion that his relationships, his reactions, even his entire personality are just as fraudulent as his poetry. Yet while his self-obsession runs riot he is at risk of missing the bigger and more urgent things that threaten to change the world around him in sudden and dramatic ways. One of the funniest and best-loved debut novels of contemporary times, Leaving the Atocha Station is a profound exploration of the creative impulse. 'Packed full of gags... Intensely and unusually brilliant' Geoff Dyer, Observer

Read more less

AN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT NOVEL OF 2023WINNER OF THE 2021 #MERKY BOOKS NEW WRITERS' PRIZENik has lots of questions about his late father but knows better than to ask his mother, Avani. It's their unspoken rule.But when his grandfather dies, Nik has the opportunity to learn about the man he never met. Armed with a key and new knowledge about his parents' past, Nik sets out to unlock the secrets that his mother has been holding onto his whole life.The Things That We Lost is a beautifully tender exploration of family, loss and how far we will go to protect the ones we love.

Read more less

In the sixteenth century, on the island of Hven, the pioneering Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahe, is undertaking an elaborate study of the night skyA great mind and a formidable personality, Brahe is also the world’s most illustrious noseless man of his time. Told by Brahe and his assistants—a filthy cast of characters—Sublunar is both novel and almanac. Alongside sexual deviancy, spankings, ruminations on a new nose—flesh, wood, or gold?—Brahe (a choleric and capricious character) and his peculiar helpers (“I would rather watch her globes tonight than icy stars”) take painstaking measurements that will revolutionize astronomy, long before the invention of the telescope. Meanwhile the plague rages in Europe…The second in Voetmann’s triptych of historical novels, Sublunar is as visceral, absurd, and tragic as its predecessor, Awake, but with a special nocturnal glow and a lunatic-edged gaze trained on the moon and the stars.

Read more less

A surprising and exciting new collection of speculative and experimental stories that explore animal intelligences, gender, and the nature of stories. The Privilege of the Happy Ending collects award-winning writer Kij Johnson’s speculative fiction from the last decade. The stories explore gender, animals, and the nature of stories, and range in form from classically told tales to deeply experimental works. The collection includes the World Fantasy Award-winning “The Privilege of the Happy Ending” and “The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe,” as well as two never-before published works.

Read more less

Mark Helprin, the #1 New York Times, best-selling author of Winter’s Tale and A Soldier ofthe Great War, has returned with a fast-paced, beautifully written novel about the majesty of the sea; a life dedicated to duty, honor, and country; and the gift of falling in loveWhen Stephen Rensselaer, a Navy captain near the end of his career, is called upon to defend the politically doomed development of a variant of the Navy’s smallest ship, he does so without hesitation, thereby alienating the President of the United States. The program is cancelled after its first prototype, Athena, Patrol Coastal 15, and Rensselaer—his place on the promotion list for admiral all but forgotten—is given command, an intended humiliation for someone of his rank. Rather than resign, he carries on, and while supervising Athena’s fitting out in New Orleans, encounters a brilliant lawyer, Katy Farrar, with whom he falls in love. After failed marriages for both, this is a completely unexpected and exhilarating last chance. Soon thereafter, he is deployed to the Persian Gulf. However, while refueling and taking on provisions in Israel, he discovers that his mission has been changed, which subjects his integrity, morality, and skill to the ultimate test, and ensures that Athena will live forever in the annals of the Navy. As in the Odyssey, Katy is the force that keeps Rensselaer alive and the beacon that lights the way home through seven battles, mutiny, and court martial. In classic literary form, an enthralling new novel that extolls the virtues of living by the laws of conscience, decency, and sacrifice, The Oceans and the Stars is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Read more less

“Hilarious, refreshing, tightly plotted, and vividly written. An irresistible read.”—Jonas Jonasson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared“A seriously funny take on death and dying.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewAn ingeniously plotted dark comedy by Noa Yedlin, "a master at tone" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about aging and friendship following a tight-knit circle of seniors as they attempt to hide the death of one of their best friends so he can win the Nobel Prize for Economics.Avishay is up for the Nobel Prize for Economics. There’s just one problem—he’s dead. His four closest friends agree that the well-earned prize must stay within his grasp, and so conspire to conceal Avishay’s corpse until the committee’s announcement. The potential of a glorious legacy for their late friend – and by extension, for them all – is only a mere eight days away. What could go wrong?Each member of the quartet has their own motive for the scheme. Zohara, Avishay’s longtime secret lover, needs her widowhood acknowledged through an inheritance. Amos, a less successful academic than his late friend, is proving he can overcome his jealousy. Insecure magnate Yehuda needs the association to promote his own upcoming book. And Nili, a divorcee chafing against her grandmotherly expectations, thrills at the adventure.Their plan starts out simple: turn up the AC, take shifts watching the apartment, forge texts and emails on the deceased’s behalf. But as the days pass, they are confronted with surprise visitors, hidden motives, deep-seated resentments and the devices of nature herself. How far will this foursome go to help their friend die a winner?Packed into a drama-filled week, bristling with insight and dark humor, Stockholm offers a refreshingly honest consideration of the age when we begin to measure the sum of our lives.

Read more less

When irascible farmer Guy Beardon meets a very dirty death in his own farmyard, at first it seems like an accident - despite the fact that he was widely disliked. Only his daughter Lilah is prepared to defend his memory. And when, slowly, Lilah begins to suspect foul play, no one is eager to help her investigate. Suspicion becomes certainty when two more deaths occur - and both of them are unmistakably murder. The difficulty lies in discovering who, among Guy's many enemies, hated him enough to want him dead - and who went on killing to conceal the truth. There is certainly no shortage of suspects and it falls to local policeman Den Cooper to investigate the mysterious deaths .

Read more less

Fifty-five-year-old Jim Lapsford makes an unusually healthy-looking corpse. A life-long devotee of vitamin pills and herbal remedies, it seems almost ironic that he has succumbed to a heart attack. His GP is convinced that this is the case but trainee undertaker Drew Slocombe isn't so sure and he is convinced that there is enough conflicting medical evidence to merit a coroner's inquest at least. And then there's Jim's personal life: in addition to a long suffering wife, two sons and a grieving terrier, Jim appears to have left behind a series of scorned mistresses. It seems everyone else is happy enough to accept the doctor's verdict and Drew shouldn't really rock the boat, but can he really turn his back on murder? Jim Lapsford may already be dead but surely he deserves to have his killer caught? Even so, Drew may have plenty of suspects but he has no proof. And Jim's cremation is days away.

Read more less

LONGLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE BOLLINGER EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZE'A writer out to do whatever the hell he wants . . . a grisly, gross-out slice of medieval life and death, it's vigorously, writhingly itself, spilling out of any box you put it in' Observer'A dark and bloody tale, well leavened with bone-dry humour, and with a dramatic climax that has about it the flavour of a Jacobean tragedy' Guardian 'Set to become an Irish cult classic' Sunday Business Post'A tremendously engaging and fun read . . . a crazed, quixotic odyssey' Kevin BarryAn ambitious noble and his three serving men travel through the Irish countryside in the stifling summer of 1348, using the advantage of the plague which has collapsed society to buy up large swathes of property and land. They come upon Nobber, a tiny town, whose only living habitants seem to be an egotistical bureaucrat, his volatile wife, a naked blacksmith, and a beautiful Gaelic hostage. Meanwhile, a band of marauding Gaels are roaming around, using the confusion of the sickness to pillage and reclaim lands that once belonged to them. As these groups converge upon the town, the habitants, who up until this point have been under strict curfew, begin to stir from their dwellings, demanding answers from the intruders. A deadly stand-off emerges from which no one will escape unscathed.'Nobber is hallucinatory and sly, conjuring a densely strange and savagely captivating world. There are lots of novels, and there are lots of novels that are all much alike, but there is nothing like Nobber' Colin Barrett'A skilled storyteller with a rich command of language and rare comedic flair' Irish Times

Read more less

Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2020. Shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize 2021. Runner up for The Paul Torday Memorial Prize 2021.'VERY MOVING, A WARM AND COMPASSIONATE NOVEL' Diana Evans'TENDER, HEARTFELT AND HEART-BREAKING' Francis SpuffordOptioned for film by Monumental Pictures/Lionsgate.Maddy is sixteen. She has loyal friends, a mother with whom she's unusually close, a father she's never met, devoted grandparents, and a crush on a boy named Jack. Maddy is also dying.Told alternately by Maddy and her mother, Eve, All the Water in the World is a heart-breaking story of a family doing its best when faced with the worst, and a poignant testimony to the transformative power of love.'DEEPLY REWARDING AND WHOLLY UNFORGETTABLE' Bret Anthony Johnston'CAPTIVATING AND WARM AND REAL' Janet Ellis 'ASTONISHINGLY MOVING' Joanna Hershon'A TENDER BRUISE OF A NOVEL' Mary Paulson-Ellis

Read more less

A beautiful hardback edition of the hilarious, dark, ingenious novel that changed the face of British fiction.Choose us. Choose life. Choose mortgage payments; choose washing machines; choose cars; choose sitting oan a couch watching mind-numbing and spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fuckin junk food intae yir mooth. Choose rotting away, pishing and shiteing yersel in a home, a total fuckin embarrassment tae the selfish, fucked-up brats ye've produced.Choose life.'The best book ever written by man or woman... Deserves to sell more copies than the Bible' Rebel Inc'Welsh writes with a skill, wit and compassion that amounts to genius' Sunday TimesVINTAGE QUARTERBOUND CLASSICS: Bound to be beautiful

Read more less

SHORTLISTED FOR THE PORTICO PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDSLONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS’ CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARDWINNER OF CALIBRE AUDIO’S ‘HIDDEN GEM’ AWARD________ ‘Poignantly paints the extraordinary in ordinary lives’THE SUNDAY POST‘An engrossing and moving story’ CLARE CHAMBERS, author of Small Pleasures‘An evocative portrayal of love and family’ AYISHA MALIK'Invites you in, not as a stranger but as a family friend’ KATIE FFORDE‘A masterclass in representation and brilliant writing’ ZEBA TALKHANI, author of My Past is a Foreign Country______ Your roots can always lead you home… Amjad cradles his baby daughter in the middle of the night. He has no time to mourn his wife’s death. Saahil and Zahra, his two small children, are relying on him. Amjad vows to love and protect them always. Years later, Saahil and his best friend, Ehsan, have finished university and are celebrating with friends. But when the night turns dangerous, its devastating effects will ripple through the years to come. Zahra is now her father’s only source of comfort. Life has taken her small family in different directions – will they ever find their way back to each other? The Family Tree is the moving story of a British Muslim family full of love, laughter and resilience as well as all the faults, mistakes and stubborn loyalties which make us human. *** ‘A profound, beautifully observed portrait of a British-Muslim family rocked by tragedy. So endearing are the characters, I grieved as they grieved, cheered as they healed and clung to them for days after the final page’ Kia Abdullah ‘A multi-generational story crafted with warmth… An engaging debut’ Vaseem Khan ‘Both unflinching and full of hope; the writing is compassionate and true’ Stephanie Butland

Read more less

*Now a major Disney+ short film starring John Travolta*The chilling thriller from the international bestselling phenomenon.'A cunningle wrought tale' Financial Times'A stirring and beautiful story' The Times_____________Christmas Eve, 1957.For one Royal Air Force pilot, one last hurdle remains between himself and a cozy Christmas morning in England. A sixty-six-minute flight in his Vampire fighter plane from Germany to Lakenheath.A routine flight plan and a full tank of fuel. What could go wrong?But as the fog begins to close in, the compass goes haywire and the radio dies, leaving him in silence, lost and alone up in the inky black sky.All hope seems lost as he accepts his fate when, out of nowhere, a vintage fighter-bomber appears and is miraculously trying to make contact.For one lonely pilot this is a miracle, but really the mystery has just begun ..._____________With over 1,000 5* reviews . . .***** 'This was for me the best Christmas military short story'***** 'What a great story!! I just loved it.'***** 'A splendid story. Still have goosebumps after reading it.'***** 'I, too, read this every Christmas season - and think of it often throughout the year.'***** 'What a wonderful surprising ending, I didn't see that coming, very good story, I think imma remember it for a long time.'

Read more less

“For fans of Sex and the City and The Nanny Diaries comes this juicy story…that would make even the most meticulously Drybar-ed hair curl.”—Good HousekeepingAs seen in The Washington Post • Good Housekeeping • theSkimm • Good Morning America • ABC News • Book of the Month • Belletrist • OK! Magazine • Betches • Newsweek • Parade • New York Post Best Book of the WeekA dark, witty p

Read more less

What is French for falling in love? When Del leaves small town America to compete in a perfume competition in Paris, she thinks it is just the next step on her five-year-plan. It’s an exciting opportunity. What started out as just a dream for Del and her twin sister is nearly in her grasp. If she wins this competition, they are on their way to opening their very own perfume boutique! Arriving in Paris, watching the sun glinting off the Seine and wandering the Champs-Elysees, Del discovers the most perfect perfumery she’s ever seen. Yet, as the competition dawns Del realises that whilst she might have had the best nose in her small village, her competitors seem to know more than she could ever have dreamed. This competition isn’t going to be easy… Del has the romance of Paris to sweep her away from her worries, but as the competition heats up, so does her desire for that which she cannot have! If only the dashing owner Sébastien didn’t smell so seductive, look so handsome and make her heart flutter like it never has before. They say love smells as sweet as a red rose in bloom, but Del would tell anyone that true love can’t be bottled – it’s beautiful and unique to everyone…even herself. With everything on the line for her future, can Del really let a little attraction get in the way of securing her dreams? Praise for The Little Perfume Shop Off the Champs-Elysees: ‘I absolutely loved everything to do with this book’ Rachel Gilbey ‘Absolutely fantastic book, had me hooked from the first page. Full of anticipation, a real page turner. Loved it!’ Nerys Minney ‘In short, this is a fabulous book. In reading I was transported somewhere almost magical’ Sandra W ‘The Little Perfume Shop off the Champs-Elysees, was worth waiting for. It's got magic, sparkle, twinkling lights of Paris and above all, a copious amount of LOVE!’

Read more less

A masterpiece from one of the great contemporary American writers.'A wonderful novel, full of energy and art, at once funny and heartbreaking...terrific' WASHINGTON POSTAnniversary edition with a new afterword from the author.A worldwide bestseller since its publication, Irving's classic is filled with stories inside stories about the life and times of T. S. Garp, struggling writer and illegitimate son of Jenny Fields - an unlikely feminist heroine ahead of her time.Beautifully written, THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP is a powerfully compelling and compassionate coming-of-age novel that established John Irving as one of the most imaginative writers of his generation.'A diamond sleeping in the dark, chipped out at last for our enrichment and delight...As approachable as it is brilliant' COSMOPOLITAN

Read more less

Sometimes love is exactly like it is in the movies . . . With captivating views of the sparkling Cornish sea, the local picture house once thrived – and not only because it’s home to the best ice-cream shop for miles. But the cinema is long since past its heyday, and when former resident Gina returns and realises her fond memories are just that, she sets about restoring the picture house to its former glory. But as Gina reconnects with local renovator Ben, with whom she shares a past, old feelings begin to resurface. And when the pair learn the cinema’s future is under threat from a developer, they realise it’ll take more than a lick of paint to save The Picture House by the Sea. . . .The heart-warming and uplifting summer novel from the bestselling author of A Year at the Star and Sixpence. Perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley and Heidi Swain! PRAISE FOR HOLLY HEPBURN: 'Fabulously feel-good, funny and fresh, it will sweep you off your feet' ROWAN COLEMAN 'Deliciously romantic and sprinkled with the magic of the movies – it's the perfect treat!' MIRANDA DICKINSON 'Pure pleasure, a delight from opening credits to closing reel' JULIE COHEN ** Disclaimer: originally published in four parts as eBooks – Brief Encounter, Singing in the Rain, Dirty Dancing and Some Like it Hot **

Read more less

A humorous, big-hearted romp through the apocalypse, where even a cowardly crow can become a hero. Perfect for fans of Dawn of the Dead and Isaac Marion's Warm Bodies.'A thoroughly enjoyable account of the end of the world as we know it. The Secret Life of Pets meets The Walking Dead.' Karen Joy Fowler'It's transformative, poignant, and funny as hell. S.T. the irrepressible, cursing crow is my new favourite apocalyptic hero.' Helen Macdonald, New York Times bestselling author of H Is for HawkS.T. is a domesticated crow. He is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with his owner Big Jim, trading insults with Seattle's wild crows (those idiots) and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos.But when Big Jim's eyeball falls out of his head, S.T. starts to feel like something isn't right. His most tried-and-true remedies - from beak-delivered beer to the slobbering affection of the loyal, but dim-witted, dog Dennis - fail to cure his owner. S.T. is left with no choice but to venture out into a frightening new world, where he discovers that the neighbours are devouring each other, and the local wildlife is abuzz with rumours of dangerous new predators roaming Seattle... Humanity's extinction has arrived, and the only one determined to save it is a foul-mouthed crow. Readers love Hollow Kingdom...'Beguilingly different' Bookist (starred review)'...wildly original and inventive, funny and profane' Laurie Frankel, author of This is How It Always Is'I love this book so much! I wanted to set it on fire while hugging it.' Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Read more less

'Master of the jaw-dropping twist' S MAGAZINE'An edge-of-your-seat thriller that'll keep you guessing right until the end, get this to the top of your reading pile' HEATPlease take care of my baby. But don't try to find me. You'll put him in danger. x Profiler and therapist Kez Lanyon is shocked when she finds a baby on the backseat of her car, with an unsigned note asking her to take care of him. Kez has a pretty good idea who the mother is - Brandee, a popular social media star with a troubled background, who once lived in Kez's house. Brandee recently dropped out of the limelight and if the internet rumours are true, Kez knows Brandee's life is in danger. Kez is torn. Should she simply take care of the baby as she's been asked, or should she risk her whole family by using contacts from her previous job to save this young woman? Time is running out for Brandee. Can Kez find her before it's too late? This is the heart-stopping new novel from The Queen Of The Big Reveal.'A timely read that will have you on the edge of your seat' Fabulous

Read more less

_______________ 'In the vein of Agatha Christie herself. Startling' - Irish Times 'Magical in every way ... One of the best novels I’ve ever read’ - Fearne Cotton 'As much a coming-of-age tale as a murder mystery ... An impressive debut' - The Times _______________ AN OBSERVER, i AND NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR _______________ During the first year of university, a group of friends discover the cost of an extraordinary life in this captivating debut about obsession, rivalry and coming of age Jess Walker, middle child of a middle class family, has perfected the art of vanishing in plain sight. But when she arrives at a concrete university campus under flat, grey, East Anglian skies, her world flares with colour. Drawn into a tightly-knit group of rule breakers – led by their maverick teacher, Lorna Clay – Jess begins to experiment with a new version of herself. But the dynamic between the friends begins to darken as they share secrets, lovers and finally a tragedy. Soon Jess is thrown up against the question she fears most: what is the true cost of an extraordinary life? _______________ 'Hypnotic . . . An uncommonly clever whodunnit' New York Times Book Review 'Deftly plotted with vivid, compelling characters' Jojo Moyes 'One of the standout books of the summer' Stylist

Read more less

‘One of my all-time favourite novels’ WHOOPI GOLDBERG ‘Funny, charming and original’ FANNIE FLAGG, author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café How do you face the future when the past won’t let you go? Big Stone Gap is a sleepy village where kids get married and start families at eighteen, and stay for ever. So thirty-five-year old Ave Maria Mulligan is something of an oddity. A self-proclaimed spinster, as the local pharmacist she's been keeping the townsfolk's secrets for years. Now Ave Maria is about to discover a scandal in her own family's past that will blow the lid right off her quiet, uneventful life. Soon she's juggling two unexpected marriage proposals and conducting a no-holds-barred family feud. The thought of spending the rest of her life in Big Stone Gap is suddenly overwhelming . . .The ultimate Small Town American novel from the bestselling author of The Shoemaker's Wife, a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. Praise for the BIG STONE GAP series: 'Hilarious and romantic. I couldn’t put it down’ SARAH JESSICA PARKER 'One of my all-time favourite novels' WHOOPI GOLDBERG ‘If you love curling up with charming tales of small towns and quirky characters, switch off with this’ COSMOPOLITAN 'Delightfully quirky' PEOPLE 'As comforting as a mug of chamomile tea on a rainy Sunday' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW 'Utterly addictive' GLAMOUR 'As quirky and charming as her first novel. If you are not a fan already, you will be after this' COMPANY 'Honest, wholesome entertainment with a spicy Deep South kick' DAILY MAIL 'As warm and sweet as Southern Comfort' ELLE

Read more less

'Another fantastic addition to the Love Heart Lane series…It has drama and romance in spades!' Bella Osborne You won’t want to miss the next spellbinding chapter in the Love Heart Lane series – where friends are there for you no matter what. When Julia Coleman meets Flynn Carter again in the cosy village of Heartcross it can only mean trouble. Flynn might be rich, brooding and sexy, but Julia knows first-hand he’s ruthless and she plans to watch his every move. When Julia discovers Flynn’s plans for beautiful Starcross Manor her greatest fears come true. Because Flynn’s dreams of turning Starcross into a luxury hotel could ruin Julia’s dreams…and finish off the community of Heartcross for good. Flynn makes it clear he doesn’t want trouble, and he’s not the man Julia thinks he is. As he sets about convincing the community he’s changed, he hopes he can convince Julia to give him another chance too… Readers can’t get enough of the Loveheart Lane series: ‘Christie Barlow has fast become one of my favourite authors! Her books are a ray of sunshine when you read them, even if sad things happen’ Sinead ‘A lovely romantic story that will make you smile and god knows we need it’ Tara ‘I absolutely adored this book…gave a warm feeling as you read each page’ Suzanne ‘There's pretty much nothing I want more now than to escape to a small Scottish town and live in a cottage… sweet and cozy and a nice escape from the wild reality we are all currently living in’ Nicole ‘A cosy and heartwarming read, exactly what I needed now’ Anna Maria ‘Christie Barlow has rapidly become one of my favorite cozy romance writers’ Mackey ‘I loved Clover Cottage…This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites!’ Kristin

Read more less

HELLO FRIEND WE MISSED YOU is a deeply poignant and bleakly comic debut novel about loneliness, the 'violent revenge thriller' category on Netflix, solipsism, rural gentrification, Jack Black, and learning to exist in the least excruciating way possible. Its story of depression and death on the small Welsh island of Mon, of people armed with every social media completely failing to communicate, is far, far funnier than it has any right to be. It's also, ultimately, extremely moving. An incredible debut novel from a truly unique prose stylist.

Read more less

A breathtaking novel of grief, love, creativity and a young woman's queer and artistic awakening.In the days after her mother's death from breast cancer, Oksana, a young queer poet, decides to return her mother's ashes to their working-class hometown in Siberia. It is a journey home that will take her through the raw, almost dreamlike emotions of early grief through to an acceptance of the wound that death leaves behind.As she navigates the rituals of parting, Oksana feels her way through memory and heartache with a wry humour, reflecting on her complex relationship with her mother and on her own experiences of love, loss, sexuality and the search for home.Powerful, lyrical and precise, this extraordinary debut is a novel which blurs the line between reality and creation. Wound is both an exploration of grief and a journey towards love, happiness and creative fulfilment.Translated from the Russian by Elina Alter"This is not just an amazing novel, extremely frank, extremely accurate and extremely addictive, but, perhaps, a book about finding happiness" The Blueprint"Wound is a poet's novel . . . a primer on feminist thought for readers with Pushkin in their veins" European Review of Books

Read more less