Contemporary fiction titles are those which focus on the present or near past. Stories rooted in the current cultural, social, and political landscape which feature characters we can all recognise.
Contemporary Fiction Books
Everyman Nineteen Eighty-Four
Book SynopsisIn "Nineteen eighty-four", one of the 20th century's great myth-makers takes a cold look at the future. Orwell's study of individual struggling - or not struggling - against totalitarianism remains a salutary lesson in any society.
£14.24
Everyman Our Mutual Friend
Book SynopsisIn his last completed novel, published in 1864-5, Dicens confirmed his reputation as a story-teller of genius while extending the sphere of his imagination to new worlds. Like all Dickens' novels, OUR MUTUAL FRIEND weaves together many stories, uniting them in the bizarre symbolism of the wealth which derives from a rubbish tip. With all the energy of his earlier novels, this one has an extra resonance and depth of shade.
£14.24
Everyman Villette
Book SynopsisThe narrator, the autobiographical Lucy Snowe, flees England and a tragic past to become an instructor in a French boarding school in the town of Villette. There she unexpectedly confronts her feelings of love and longing as she witnesses the fitful romance between Dr. John, a handsome young Englishman, and Ginerva Fanshawe, a beautiful coquette
£14.39
Canongate Books The Changeling
Book SynopsisThirteen-year-old Tom Curdie, the product of a Glasgow slum, is on probation for theft. His teachers admit that he is clever, but only one, Charlie Forbes, sees something in Tom and his seemingly insolent smile. So, Forbes decides to take Tom on holiday with his own family, with tragic consequences.From one of Scotland's greatest writers, The Changeling explores how goodness and innocence is compromised when faced with the pressures of growing up and becoming part of society.Trade ReviewIf you are interested in books that are human and wise, then treat yourself this year to some Robin Jenkins -- ANDREW MARRA remarkable writer * * The Times * *A delight to read * * Times Literary Supplement * *If you have not read Jenkins, this witty, affecting novel, which wears its political convictions lightly, is a wonderful place to start * * Financial Times * *A poignant study of deprivation and alienation * * Times Educational Supplement * *The Changeling is one of the best, most completely realised of Jenkins' novels . . . the novel's real strength lies in the way its naturalistic surface is shot through with those moments of vision, dream, and ultimately nightmare . . . its reissue is long overdue -- ALAN SPENCEJenkins is quite simply a major contemporary writer * * Herald * *Robin Jenkins is the most outstanding novelist that Scotland has produced since the war -- COMPTON MACKENZIE
£9.49
Prototype Publishing Ltd. Fatherhood
Book SynopsisFatherhood is the debut novel from award-winning poet Caleb Klaces, combining prose and poetry in an experimental work of verse fiction. Following the birth of their first child, a couple move out of the capital to the northern countryside, where they believe the narrator’s great-grandfather, a Russian emigrant, was laid to rest. The father dedicates himself to parenting, writing and conversation with his dead ancestor, newly conscious of the ties that bind the present to the past. It is a time of startling intimacies, baby-group small talk, unexpected relationships and tender rhythms, when every clock seems to tell a different time, and the solidity of language is broken. As his daughter begins to speak, the father’s gentleness turns to unexplainable rage. He begins to question who he must protect his child from – the outside world or himself. Their new house, the family discover, is built on a floodplain.Moving between history, memory and autobiography, its shifting form captures a life and language split open by fatherhood. An experiment in rewriting masculinity, it asks how bodies can share both a house and a planet.
£10.80
Orenda Books Little Siberia
Book SynopsisThe arrival of a meteorite in a small Finnish town causes chaos and crime in this poignant, chilling and hilarious new thriller from the King of Helsinki Noir ***The Times BOOK OF THE YEAR*** ***Shortlisted for the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award*** ***Shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger*** ‘With moral dilemmas, plenty of action, and the author’s trademark mixture of humour and melancholy, this is Tuomainen’s best yet’ Guardian ‘Scandinavia’s answer to Carl Hiaasen delivers another hectically silly crime caper involving a military chaplain, a suicidal rally driver and a very expensive meteorite’ The Times ‘Finnish criminal chucklemeister Tuomainen is channelling Carl Hiaasen in this hilarious novel’ Sunday Times _________________ A man with dark thoughts on his mind is racing along the remote snowy roads of Hurmevaara in Finland, when there is flash in the sky and something crashes into the car. That something turns about to be a highly valuable meteorite. With euro signs lighting up the eyes of the locals, the unexpected treasure is temporarily placed in a neighbourhood museum, under the watchful eye of a priest named Joel. But Joel has a lot more on his mind than simply protecting the riches that have apparently rained down from heaven. His wife has just revealed that she is pregnant. Unfortunately Joel has strong reason to think the baby isn’t his. As Joel tries to fend off repeated and bungled attempts to steal the meteorite, he must also come to terms with his own situation, and discover who the father of the baby really is. Transporting the reader to the culture, landscape and mores of northern Finland Little Siberia is both a crime novel and a hilarious, blacker-than-black comedy about faith and disbelief, love and death, and what to do when bolts from the blue – both literal and figurative – turn your life upside down. _________________ ‘Tuomainen is the funniest writer in Europe’ The Times ‘By no means Nordic noir of the familiar variety, this is eccentric, humorous fare, reminiscent of nothing so much as a Coen Brothers movie’ Financial Times ‘Tuomainen continues to carve out his own niche in the chilly tundras of northern Finland in this poignant, gripping and hilarious tale’ Daily Express ‘While the plots of many Nordic noir writers are turning ever more grim, Finland’s Antti Tuomainen opts these days for a wittier, lighter touch … quite the ride’ Observer ‘The biting cold of Northern Finland is only matched by the cutting dark wit and compelling plot on this must-read crime novel’ Denzil Meyrick ‘A brilliantly inventive and gloriously funny novel from Finland's greatest export’ MJ Arlidge ‘Told in a darkly funny, deadpan style … The result is a rollercoaster read’ Guardian ‘Right up there with the best’ The TLS ‘Through it all, Tuomainen maintains his singular tone, which mixes black humour with genuine, sometimes biting, sympathy for desperate people, provided that none take their needfulness too far … Little Siberia is a gripping thriller whose complications pile to precarious, intoxicating heights’ Foreword Reviews ‘Tuomainen also persuades readers how hard life makes it to do the right thing in a universe that too often feels like a profound personal insult. Fans of Scandinavian noir will relish this one’ Publishers Weekly 'You don’t expect to laugh when you’re reading about terrible crimes, but that’s what you’ll do when you pick up one of Tuomainen’s decidedly quirky thrillers' New York TimesTrade Review"As the standout scene in which Joel manipulates a corpse with the aid of a scarf while hiding in the back seat of an SUV suggests, none of this is meant to be taken too seriously; Antti Tuomainen is, after all, Scandinavia's answer to Carl Hiaasen. Nevertheless, Joel, suffering a crisis of faith, succeeds in facing this hilarious "series of unfathomable events" with admirable stoicism. "What should I think of this man? In the space of one night he has both saved my life and tried to kill me. Twice." Highly recommended." --Times Book of the Month "a gripping thriller whose complications pile to precarious, intoxicating heights."-- Foreword Reviews "[A] stunning comic noir...Fans of Scandinavian noir will relish this one."-- Publishers Weekly "With moral dilemmas, plenty of action, and the author's trademark mixture of humour and melancholy, this is Tuomainen's best yet." --Guardian "This enjoyable mystery explores how a bolt from above can, literally, turn your life upside down with both comedic and tragic consequences. Tuomainen continues to carve out his own niche in the chilly tundras of northern Finland in this poignant, gripping and hilarious tale." --Observer "While the plots of many Nordic noir writers are turning ever more grim, Finland's Antti Tuomainen opts these days for a wittier, lighter tough. So it is with Little Siberia, the tale of a meteorite that comes crashing into eastern Finland and eventually into the guardianship of local priest Joel. The rock is valuable and Joel is soon fending off the attempts of bungling criminals to steal it. Add Russians, a worrying pregnancy, a down-on-his luck rally driver and a neat subtext about faith, and Little Siberia (adroitly translated by David Hackston) is quite the ride." --Observer "Known as the king of Helsinki noir, Antti Tuomainen is among Finland's most acclaimed crime fiction writers. This forthcoming blacker-than-black comedy deals with the ramifications of a meteorite arriving in a small Finnish town." --Bookseller "Relentlessly funny. . . . Full of black ironies, this welter of suspicions, revenge, and hilarious physical and verbal combat makes some pungent reflections on life and death. Tuomainen probes the chilliest depths of noir comedy." --Publishers Weekly starred review of The Man Who Died "This one is a winner right from the first sentence. . . . An offbeat jewel." --Booklist starred review of The Man Who Died "U.S. audiences should prepare to be every bit as enthralled as the Finns. . . . Readers attracted either to dystopian fiction or to Scandinavian crime will find gold here." --Booklist starred review on The Healer "While Finland generally tends toward a reputation for the dour, Antti Tuomainen is bucking the trend with his hilariously dark crime comedies." --CrimeReads
£8.54
Vintage Publishing Star of the Sea: THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLER
Book Synopsis* Over a million copies sold *Rediscover Joseph O'Connor's monumental #1 international bestseller. In the bitter winter of 1847, from an Ireland torn by injustice and natural disaster, the Star of the Sea sets sail for New York. On board are hundreds of fleeing refugees. Among them are a maidservant with a devastating secret, bankrupt Lord Merridith and his family, an aspiring novelist and a maker of revolutionary ballads, all braving the Atlantic in search of a new home. Each is connected more deeply than they can possibly know. But a camouflaged killer is stalking the decks, hungry for the vengeance that will bring absolution. 'A triumph...A spectacular breakthrough' Sunday Times 'Ireland's most brilliant storyteller' Independent on SundayJOSEPH O'CONNOR'S STUNNING NEW NOVEL, MY FATHER'S HOUSE, IS AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOWTrade ReviewA page-turner of a masterpiece. Don't miss it * Daily Mail *Stunningly accomplished * Guardian *A triumph...A spectacular breakthrough...it raises the bar for contemporary Irish fiction * Sunday Times *A terrific story... A stealthily gripping narrative * Daily Telegraph *This is Joseph O'Connor's best book. It is shocking, hilarious, beautifully written, and very, very clever -- Roddy DoyleHis most substantial and impressive novel to date. Sad and funny, Star of the Sea tacks and veers in surprising directions, but follows a subtly plotted course to its final satisfying landfall * Irish Times *A masterful storyteller... A thrilling tale...O'Connor writes with nothing less than incandescent passion... Unfailingly gripping * The Times *A modern masterpiece... The language is absolutely gorgeous -- Bob GeldofThere is so much that is memorable in the Star of the Sea... Grounded upon well researched, vivid, unprejudiced empathy * Sunday Telegraph *Sensitive, thoughtful and rich with the spoils of its author's plunder of the past * Irish Independent *This is a tremendous book: affecting, intelligent, ironic, humane and utterly convincing. It is also extremely funny * Spectator *A brilliant read -- Dermot O'Leary * Waitrose Weekend *
£9.49
Quercus Publishing Lord of All the Dead
Book SynopsisLord of All the Dead is a courageous journey into Javier Cercas'' family history and that of a country collapsing from a fratricidal war. The author revisits Ibahernando, his parents'' village in southern Spain, to research the life of Manuel Mena. This ancestor, dearly loved by Cercas'' mother, died in combat at the age of nineteen during the battle of the Ebro, the bloodiest episode in Spain''s history. Who was Manuel Mena? A fascist hero whose memory is an embarrassment to the author, or a young idealist who happened to fight on the wrong side? And how should we judge him, as grandchildren and great-grandchildren of that generation, interpreting history from our supposed omniscience and the misleadingperspective of a present full of automatic answers, that fails to consider the particularities of each personal and family drama?Wartime epics, heroism and death are some of the underlying themes of this unclassifiable novel that combines road trips, personTrade ReviewThere is no-one writing in English like this: engaged humanity achieving a hard-won wisdom -- David Mills * The Times *A remarkable act of personal history: brave, revelatory and unflinchingly honest -- William BoydCercas' candid wranglings with how to tell this tale, his own deep discomfort and the grave maturity with which he acknowledges he can't feel morally superior to Mena make him a wonderfully warm and wise guide through this sad, small chapter of the Spanish Civil War. -- Siobhan Murphy * The Times *One of the strengths of Lord of All the Dead is the breadth of its subject matter. . . In this elegant and penetrating narrative Cercas shows us how important it is that Mena's life is not forgotten -- Nick Major * Glasgow Herald *It's a subversive and disenchanted view of war in general and the Spanish conflict in particular, in a fine translation by Anne McLean . . . It can be moving, unexpectedly funny,racy, demotic or deadpan. -- Lee Langley * Spectator *An excellent novel . . . fascinating both in its exploration of the past and in the playful creativity of its own narrative. -- Ángel Basanta * El Cultural *An admirable novel, truly unique -- Alberto Moreiras * La marea *Only Cercas could have written a novel like this, at the peak of his maturity as a writer; he is one of the best we have -- José María Pozuelo Yvancos * ABC *A brave, persuasive novel -- José-Carlos Mainer * El País *A powerful work of D.I.Y. history . . . It may help Spaniards, and people further afield, to better understand the lure of Fascism, a pressing task in today's world" * New Yorker *
£14.70
Granta Books Absurdistan
Book SynopsisMeet Misha Vainberg, aka Snack Daddy, a 325-pound disaster of a human being, son of the 1,238th-richest man in Russia and proud holder of a degree in multicultural studies from Accidental College, USA. Misha is an American impounded in a Russian's body and the only place he feels at home is New York; he just wants to live in the South Bronx with his Latina girlfriend, but after his gangster father murders an Oklahoma businessman in Russia, all hopes of a US visa are lost. Salvation lies in the tiny oil-rich nation of Absurdistan (a fictional former Soviet republic), where a crooked consular officer will sell Misha a Belgian passport. But after a civil war breaks out between two competing ethnic groups and a local warlord installs hapless Misha as minister of multicultural affairs, our hero soon finds himself covered in oil, fighting for his life, falling in love, and trying to figure out if a normal life is still possible in the twenty-first century.Trade Review'A satire that strikes out in all directions... astonishingly funny and exquisitelywritten' Tibor Fischer, Sunday Telegraph
£10.16
Granta Books Where The God Of Love Hangs Out
Book SynopsisA young woman struggles to come to terms with her friend's murder; a man and his daughter-in-law confess their sins in the most unlikely of places; a daughter returns to her hated father's house to care for him in his final days and discovers an unexpected bond; and, in a set of interlocking stories, two middle-aged friends, married to others, find themselves irresistibly sexually drawn to one another. In this sensuous, funny and heartbreaking new book, Amy Bloom explores the unexpected patterns that love, and its absence, weave into our lives. With her generous and clear-eyed understanding of human complexity and contrariness, the award-winning author introduces us to some of her most unforgettable characters yet.
£7.59
Granta Books Super Sad True Love Story
Book SynopsisIn a very near future, a functionally illiterate America is about to collapse. But don't tell that to poor Lenny Abramov, proud author of what may well be the world's last diary. Despite his job at an outfit called 'Post-Human Services', which attempts to provide immortality for its super-rich clientele, death is clearly stalking this cholesterol-rich morsel of a man. And why shouldn't it? Lenny's from a different century. He TOTALLY loves books (or 'printed, bound media artifacts' as they're now known), even though most of his peers find them smelly and annoying. But even more than books, Lenny loves Eunice Park, an impossibly cute and impossibly cruel twenty-four-year-old Korean-American woman who just graduated from Elderbird College with a major in 'Images' and a minor in 'Assertiveness'. When riots break out in New York's Central Park, the city's streets are lined with National Guard tanks and patient Chinese creditors look ready to foreclose on the whole mess, Lenny vows to convince his fickle new love that in a time without standards or stability, there is still value in being a real human being.
£999.99
Granta Books Ways of Going Home
Book SynopsisA young boy plays hide and seek in the suburbs of Santiago, unaware that his neighbours are becoming entangled in the brutality of Pinochet's regime. Then one night a mysterious girl appears in his neighbourhood and makes a life-changing request.Trade ReviewZambra is one of the writers of my generation that I most admire. Never a wasted word. Never a false note. His is an utterly unique voice, one I go back to again and again -- Daniel Alarcón, author * Lost City Radio *I've found myself rereading, trying to work out this short novel's intricate structure of gaps and holes -- Adam Thirlwell, Books of the Year * New Statesman *Complex yet sophisticated, the novel places Zambra at the spearhead of a new Chilean fiction. [He] weaves some of the continent's most difficult historical themes into an exciting modern art form -- Mina Holland * Observer *A brief, elegant novel of life and writing after Pinochet... Zambra cannot simply be pigeonholed as a "Spanish-Language" writer. His concerns and influences are broader, and [his writing] has a meditative, discursive timbre... Notable -- Adam O’Riordan * Sunday Telegraph *An achievement in pace, rhythm, and poetic restraint... With quietly disarming prose, Zambra captures the spirit of a people struggling inside themselves to tell - and, most of all, live - a better story -- Juan Vidal, 2013’s Best Translated Novels * NPR *Brilliant -- Adam Thirlwell, Books of the Year * TLS *Deceptively slight and finely wrought: both a wistful look at Chile's recent political history and a metafictional reflection on the nature of writing... Zambra is one of Chile's finest writers -- Matt Lewis * Times Literary Supplement *Manages, in its sparse, moving, constantly smoking cool-eyed Chilean way, to add up to a stark and timely study of fiction, truth, memory, secrets, sex, Pinochet and death... Wonderful -- Stuart Hammond * Dazed & Confused *A fascinating reflection on historical complicity, translated with restrained elegance by Megan McDowell -- David Evans * Financial Times *A thrilling novel from one of Chile's outstanding young writers... Zambra's tightly crafted work explores the themes of childhood, disappointment, and the impossibility of ever returning home -- Angel Gurria-Quintana * Financial Times *A work which is filled with the heartfelt vulnerability of testimony. I loved it and I read it with the great joy of anticipation that one has reading a writer one hopes to read more and more of in the future -- Edwidge DanticatThought-provoking and inspiring... a captivating book -- Abi Jackson * Manchester Evening News *Zambra belongs to that rare species of writers that bring language back to life. The strength of this novel, its potency, is in the way it unfolds language in order to place its readers at that almost ungraspable intersection between individual and collective history -- Valeria LuiselliZambra mixes fiction with reality... a brief but brilliant coming of age novel -- Thomas Quinn * Big Issue *Thought-provoking and inspiring, the book also echoes some of the author's own nostalgia of growing up during that turbulent time... Captivating * Yorkshire Post *Zambra at his best offers an intimate recognition of his central characters, and he can evoke a setting succinctly -- Richard Gwyn * Independent *Brilliant * Colourlines *
£9.49
Granta Books Gut Symmetries
Book SynopsisTravelling across the Atlantic on board the QE2, Alice - a bright, young physicist - meets Jove, short for Giovanni, one of the world's most respected experts on time travel and a confirmed lothario. By the time the pair land in New York, Alice has become Jove's mistress, an affair of the heart which is only complicated further when Alice meets Jove's, wife, Stella; a tempestuous beauty born with a diamond at the base of her spine. As this love triangle turns into a menage-a-trois, Alice, Stella and Jove struggle against the currents immersing them, while their romance pulls into its wake the stories of other generations, philosophies, quantum physics and time travel. A celebration of the human heart in all its frailty, confusion and excess, Gut Symmetries is a lyrical evocation of parallel lives, loves and universes, from one of Britain's best loved authors.
£8.54
Granta Books Under the Udala Trees
Book Synopsis'Mesmerizing storytelling... Under the Udala Trees is breathtaking, rich with history and heart' Tayari Jones One day in 1968, at the height of the Biafran civil war, Ijeoma's father is killed and her world is transformed forever. Separated from her grief-stricken mother, she meets another young lost girl, Amina, and the two become inseparable. Theirs is a relationship that will shake the foundations of Ijeoma's faith, test her resolve and flood her heart. From Ijeoma's childhood in war-torn Biafra and through the perils and pleasures of her blossoming sexuality, Okparanta takes us on a journey through thwarted hopes and wrong turns and into the everyday joys and sorrows of marriage and motherhood. A triumphant love story, Under the Udala Tree is work of extraordinary beauty that will enrich your heart. 'Under the Udala Trees [recalls] the work of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in its powerful interweaving of the personal and the political... the dizzying scope of her storytelling keeps you gripped' Financial TimesTrade ReviewUnder the Udala Trees [recalls] the work of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in its powerful interweaving of the personal and the political. Okparanta's simple, direct prose is interspersed with... allegory and folklore and... the dizzying scope of her storytelling keeps you gripped -- Lucy Popescu * Financial Times *A brave novel seeking to challenge prejudice... Okparanta describes with clarity and seeming simplicity states that are not simple at all -- Aida Edemariam * Guardian *A harrowing coming-of-age tale that, with elegant prose, captures the conflict of the time while illustrating how it resounds today. Okparanta shines a light on the plight of the gay community in Nigeria, where its condemnation is tragically not consigned to the history books -- Antonia Charlesworth * Big Issue in the North *A culture of sexual and gender oppression is vividly examined by the Nigerian author who has won the O. Henry Prize and Lambda Award for her short stories. [It] offers a memorable, evocative account of a woman's fight to assert her identity in a country that scorns her -- Sarah Gilmartin * Irish Times *[A] remarkable and exquisite first novel about wars - both external and internal - endurance, survival, and love. A coming of age story that demands not just to be not just read, but felt, [it] wraps us in the spell of an exceptionally talented writer and storyteller -- Edwidge Danticat, author * Claire of the Sea Light and many others *Boldly unadorned and utterly heartbreaking - Okparanta dares to tell a story that the world desperately needs to hear. Almost fable-like in its simplicity... Raw, emotionally intelligent and unflinchingly honest... a triumph -- Taiye Selasi, author * Ghana Must Go *Under the Udala Trees is an evocative, fiercely told story about a woman's life, about family and love, and about becoming who you are meant to be. Okparanta is an incendiary, essential voice -- Justin Torres, author * We the Animals *Okparanta has firmly placed her name amongst the ranks of some of our most talented and unflinching writers... A stunning book. Unforgettable -- Maaza Mengiste, author * Beneath the Lion's Gaze *A searing, yet delicately nuanced, story of an age of innocence first shattered by the vulgarity of war and its aftermath, and then by forbidden desire and religious intolerance. Under the Udala Trees is narrated in lyrical and lucid prose, in a wise and compassionate voice. It bowled me over -- Zakes Mda, author * The Heart of Redness *Under the Udala Trees has all the ingredients of a great novel: set against the backdrop of war, it tells a story of loss, forbidden love, and one woman's fight against tradition on her journey to becoming who she really is. An African bildungsroman, its direct and folkloric prose captures the spirit and mood of its time and place. This is a brave and timely achievement -- Helon Habila, author * Measuring Time *Okparanta is major new voice not only because of her mesmerizing storytelling, but for her bravery and originality. She is a truth teller and soothsayer... Under the Udala Trees is breathtaking, rich with history and heart -- Tayari Jones, author * Silver Sparrow and others *Okparanta tells a unique and devastatingly hopeful story about the paradox of love: Even in the midst of war, and in a world dominated by violence and prejudice, still, love transcends -- Mia Couto, author * Sleepwalking Land and others *Under the Udala Trees is my favorite debut novel of the year - gorgeous, moving, and entirely hopeful. I wept through the final pages of this beautifully written, extremely necessary book -- Jami Attenberg, author * Saint Mazie, The Middlesteins, and others *A beautiful and tender coming of age story that opens during the Biafran Civil War and sees our heroine through first love, marriage and motherhood as she struggles with the demands of love and faith * Most Exciting Books of February, Stylist *[Okparanta's] pared-back, plain prose [is] an effective counterpoint to the drama and horror of war -- Lesley McDowell * Sunday Herald *The characters and the plot are utterly convincing... Okparanta's language choices are also impressive, moving between poetic and prosaic, depending on the requirements of the story... It's almost impossible to believe that Under the Udala Trees is a debut novel. It's beautifully crafted, gripping and heart-breaking with moments of brightness piercing the dark, hostile environment of Christian, patriarchal, heterosexual Nigeria. I'll be astonished if this doesn't make the shortlist of every prize it's eligible for. Chinelo Okparanta is a major new voice in fiction' -- Naomi Frisby * the Writes of Women *Powerful from page one... Okparanta's writing is perfectly paced and a delicate balance between the poetic and the blunt and sparse. Ijeoma is an exceptional character -- Beth Townsend * Plastic Rosaries *A beautifully written book with some big themes... Yet it manages to have a unique perspective on [them]... This has high hopes for the Baileys Prize... Very smart, but [it] never loses that emotional core -- Anna James * A Case For Books *[This] debut novel eloquently advocates resisting the narratives handed down by previous generations, and the unadorned eroticism of Ijeoma's relationships with other women is a rebuke to the doctrine that condemns them as an "abomination". Okparanta takes comfort in the capacity for people to change, but her postscript is poignant: in 2014, Nigeria criminalised the very relationships she portrays -- Lettie Kennedy * Observer *[The] use of traditional story structure is interwoven with the simple Biblical language... Okparanta's writing is beautiful and moving * Laura Tisdall blog *
£8.54
Little, Brown Book Group Hidden Riches
Book SynopsisCreative and spontaneous, antiques dealer Dora Conroy has an infectious enthusiasm for life. She also has an eye for quality, and her gorgeous shop in Philadelphia is overflowing with fascinating finds. But when - on impulse - she buys a few curiosities at auction, she gets a lot more than she bargained for. Because Dora doesn''t realise she has brought home a priceless cache of treasure: a collection that one ruthless criminal is determined to make his own - whatever the cost . . .Caught up in a deadly chase, Dora turns in desperation to her new neighbour, ex-cop Jed Skimmerhorn. Jed, struggling with a personal tragedy, has no wish to jump back into the line of fire. But there is something irresistible about Dora . . . As Jed and Dora fight their growing attraction, they must work out what they value the most, before it''s too late.
£9.49
Profile Books Ltd Black Bazaar
Book SynopsisFinalist for the Man Booker International Prize 2015 Buttologist is down on his uppers. His girlfriend, Original Colour, has cleared out of their Paris studio and run off to the Congo with a vertically challenged drummer known as The Mongrel. She's taken their daughter with her. Meanwhile, a racist neighbour spies on him something wicked, accusing him of 'digging a hole in the Dole'. And his drinking buddies at Jips, the Afro-Cuban bar in Les Halles, pour scorn on Black Bazaar, the journal he keeps to log his sorrows. There are days when only the Arab in the corner shop has a kind word; while at night his dreams are stalked by the cannibal pygmies of Gabon. Then again, Buttologist wears no ordinary uppers. He has style, bags of it (suitcases of crocodile and anaconda Westons, to be precise). He's a dandy from the Bacongo district of Brazzaville - AKA a sapeur or member of the Society of Ambience-makers and People of Elegance. But is flaunting sartorial chic against tough times enough for Buttologist to cut it in the City of Light?Trade ReviewAfrica's Samuel Beckett ... Mabanckou's freewheeling prose marries classical French elegance with Paris slang and a Congolese beat * Economist *Hugely entertaining ... Mabanckou creates a vivid picture of this expat community and their at times love-hate relationship with the colonial mother country and the fraught contemporary politics of West Africa ... an enjoyable and insightful read from one of France's outstanding writers * Morning Star *A dazzling cultural catalogue * Guardian *Energetic, terrifically powerful writing -- Harriett GilbertCaptures the particular flavour of modern Paris * Financial Times *Features an array of unforgettable characters ... Mabanckou writes with real joie de vivre and paints a vivid, poignant portrait of the black immigrant community in Paris * Independent *
£9.49
Granta Books Lucky Us
Book SynopsisWhen Eva's mother abandons her on Iris's front porch, the girls don't seem to have much in common - except, they soon discover, a father. Thrown together with no mothers to care for them and a father who could not be considered a parent, Iris and Eva become one another's family. Iris wants to be a movie star; Eva is her sidekick. Together, they journey across 1940s America from scandal in Hollywood to the jazz clubs and golden mansions of Long Island, stumbling, cheating and loving their way through a landscape of war, betrayals and big dreams.
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers Nobody’s Girl
Book SynopsisAbandoned and alone, you'll do anything to survive… A gritty saga from the bestselling author Kitty Neale. Abandoned on the cold stone steps of an orphanage, only a few hours old and clutching the object which was to give her name, Pearl Button had a hard start to life. Now 16 years old, she's finally managed to escape the cruel confines of the orphanage, and enter the real world. Finding work at a nearby café, Pearl is thrilled to start earning her own money, even if she must contend with sharp-tongued Dolly Dolby. But soon she becomes tangled up in the murky South London underworld in which Dolly's son – the cruel but handsome Kevin – operates. By chance, she sees something she shouldn't, something dangerous, and her life is thrown into jeopardy. Can gentle giant Derek Lewis protect vulnerable Pearl from Kevin – and her own heart? Meanwhile, a local boy is snatched, terrifying this close-knit community, and at the orphanage where Pearl lived out her wretched childhood, the past is coming back to haunt its owner – and the secret she has promised to guard for so many years…Trade ReviewPraise for NOBODY'S GIRL: ‘This pageturner is a gritty tale of survival.’ Tesco magazine. 'Heartbreakingly poignant and joltingly realistic. From the first page the characters and their lives drew me in. It combines wonderfully accurate historical detail with true gritty realism in a book that fans of misery lit won't want to miss.' Annie Groves, author of SOME SUNNY DAY. Praise for Kitty Neale: "A gritty tale" BELLA "Neale makes Cookson's earthiest stories look a little tame." PETERBOROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers Creature Comforts
Book SynopsisFrom the No.1 bestselling author of The Christmas Invitation This will be the summer to remember… Izzy has broken off her engagement to her no-good fiancée Kieran and is seeking refuge in her childhood home – the sleepy village of Halfhidden. She soon realizes that life in the village is going to be anything but peaceful – for one thing she’s living with her eccentric aunt Debo who runs a rescue centre for her pack of dogs, and for another thing everyone seems to be hiding something. As Izzy endeavours to get to the bottom of the secrecy, she realizes that digging around in the past is standing in the way of her future happiness. So, when a handsome stranger comes to Halfhidden will she let love back into her life? This uplifting and feel-good romcom from the Sunday Times bestselling author is perfect for fans of Philippa Ashley’s A Perfect Cornish Summer and Cathy Bramley’s A Vintage Summer. “In Creature Comforts, you'll find intrigue, drama, romance and a huge dollop of humour… a perfect combination!” Curious Ginger Cat “Another fantastic Trisha Ashley book!” Reader review “This was a great book that transported me easily to one of the magnificent worlds that Ashley is so gifted at creating.” Lynn Marie Hulsman, author of Summer at Castle Stone “A delightful book… it has humour that makes you laugh out loud, mystery and adventure. Therefore the perfect book!” Reader review “A wonderful, warm, uplifting, fun, beautiful, romantic story. A gorgeous read.” KraftiReader “Reading one of [Trisha Ashley’s] books is like meeting up with friends you haven't seen in ages.” Reader review “So exceedingly well told that you are captivated as always and drawn in to each plot and sub story… Sparkling and amusing and to my mind, just perfect!” Bakes, Books and My BoysTrade Review‘One of the best writers around!’ Katie Fforde ‘Full of down-to-earth humour.’ Sophie Kinsella ‘A warm-hearted and comforting read. Trisha at her best’ Carole Matthews ‘A gripping read about second chances.’ My Weekly
£8.54
Canongate Books An Iliad: A Story of War
Book SynopsisAlessandro Baricco re-creates the siege of Troy through the voices of 21 Homeric characters. Sacrificing none of Homer's panoramic scope, Baricco forgoes Homer's detachment and admits us to realms of subjective experience his predecessor never explored. From the return of Chryseis to the burial of Hector, we see through human eyes and feel with human hearts the unforgettable events first recounted more than 3,000 years ago events arranged not by the whims of the gods in this instance but by the dictates of human nature.With Andromache, Patroclus, Priam, and the rest, we are privy to the ghastly confusion of battle, the clamour of the princely councils, the intimacies of the bedchamber until finally only a blind poet is left to recount secondhand the awful fall of Ilium.Imbuing the stuff of legend with a startlingly new relevancy and humanity, Baricco gives us The Iliad as we have never known it. His transformative achievement is certain to delight and fascinate all the readers of Homer's indispensable classic.Trade ReviewYou won't, and can't put it down * * Observer * *'A swift, stylish, summer-reading version of the great epic.' * * San Francisco Chronicle * *'A taut and mesmerizing tale.' * * Seattle Times * *'Baricco creates a persuasive atmosphere of character-driven impending doom . . . Both celebration and condemnation of war, this Iliad manages to speak to yet another generation that needs desperately to hear its message.' * * Kirkus Reviews * *
£9.49
Quercus Publishing The Canary Girls: The Bomb Girls 2
Book SynopsisIn love and war, who can you trust? 1944, Hampshire. Her face still bearing the scars from the explosion at the factory, Rita Brown is nonetheless back on her feet. She's caught the eye of local wide boy Blackie Bristow, who's sweeping her around the country in a life of shady glamour. But there's a war on, and life is not all fun and games. Some of the local men are taking advantage of the topsy-turvy world to break more than just hearts, and standing up to them comes with its own costs. Rita keeps calm and carries on with a little help from her friends at the factory. But then she discovers someone there has been leaking secrets to the Germans. With D-Day on the horizon, Rita must work out who she can rely on - and fast.Trade ReviewA gripping story packed with darkness and light, love and friendship, greed and betrayal * Lancashire Evening Post *
£8.99
Headline Publishing Group The Murder Game
Book SynopsisEVERYONE IS INVITED. EVERYONE MUST PLAY THE GAME.*Pre-order Don''t Look Away the latest unmissable Stephanie King thriller now!*''When I say full of twists and turns I mean it. A compulsive powerful dark read'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW''My thriller of the year'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW''A total delight'' Daily Mail''Takes your breath away'' Sun''A brilliant read, full of suspense'' CloserA year ago today, we all gathered for Lucas''s wedding at his glorious Cornish home overlooking the sea.But no one was married that day.Now Lucas has invited us back to celebrate the anniversary. But the anniversary of what? The wedding that never happened, or the tragedy that occurred just hours before the ceremony was due to begin?He''s told us that tonigTrade ReviewAbbott is a gifted storyteller and this book is a total delight * Daily Mail *A twisty-turny plot that had my head reeling, and my mind full of intrigue. Superb plotting from the mistress of suspense. * Mel Sherratt, bestselling author of Hush Hush *A grand re-imagining of the best kind of crime caper, filled with underlying tensions, fancy rooms and a detective hungry for answers. * Magic Radio: April Book Club Pick *Fantastic and gripping - I loved the intriguing concept and the brilliantly atmospheric Cornish setting * Karen Hamilton, bestselling author of The Perfect Girlfriend *This gallops along at a cracking pace, and manages to keep the twists and surprises coming thick and fast. * Crime Monthly *A brilliant read, full of suspense * Closer *The Murder Game plunges you slap-bang in the middle of a very dangerous game, and Abbott adds to a list of tales to take your breath away * Sun *I was hooked from the first page, it was absolutely brilliant ... The twists came so quickly I almost got whiplash -- Jenny Blackhurst * The Foster Child *I loved it! It's a breathless tour de force that left me hungry for more. I loved the strong female characters, atmospheric Cornish setting and the truly surprising ending. Psychological crime writing at its very best. -- Kate Rhodes * Crossbones Yard *Really gripping and menacing - compulsive reading -- Harriet Tyce * Blood Orange *What a storyteller Rachel Abbott is... I was hooked from the start -- Cara Hunter * Close to Home *I raced through this compelling, twisty novel. Loved it -- Laura Marshall * Friend Request *Rachel Abbott is one of my favourite authors, and I'm reminded why every time I pick up one of her books... And So It Begins is an unnerving, twisting tale that you won't be able to put down -- Caroline Mitchell * Silent Victim *A truly compelling, twisty, enthralling and satisfying read... Absolutely AMAZING! -- Angela Marsons * Evil Games *With And So It Begins, Rachael Abbott has delivered another intricately plotted thriller that never falters on tension or pace ... the suspense doesn't let up until the very last page -- Michelle Davies * Gone Astray *The definition of addictive - Rachel Abbott's best book yet. Kept me up until the small hours - and you won't see the ending coming -- Phoebe Morgan * The Doll House *The case is complex, the courtroom drama intense and the shifting perspectives successfully undermine expectation in this novel of obsession, revenge and retribution * Woman & Home *There's a clever twist, which Abbott carefully unveils... it's easy to see why readers keep coming back for this author's thrills * Observer *A Must Read * S Magazine *The queen of psychological thrillers does not disappoint with this dark and tense tale * Fabulous *Abbott's first traditionally published novel is a powerhouse combinaiton of psycological thriller and intense courtroom drama - and the twists just don't stop coming. -- Lisa Howells * Heat *Abbott debuts in print with an explosive thriller. It's a minefield of surprises ... It twists and turns like a snake in an oil slick. * Peterborough Telegraph *And So It Begins is a dark, extremely readable, well-plotted psychological thriller culminating in a courtroom drama... It's obvious why Abbott has attracted her huge audience. * The Times *If you're a fan of Gone Girl and The Girl On The Train, Rachel Abbott's And So It Begins won't disappoint ... Abbott leaves you guessing until the final few pages. * Herald *It's easy to see from this gripping story's frequent twists and bluffs, in a narrative that's rooted in psychology, how word-of-mouth recommendation from one reader to another allowed Abbott to stand out in a crowded market. * Morning Star *
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers The Little Bookshop Of Promises
Book Synopsis Somewhere between a car accident and a divorce, Annie Applegate stopped believing in happy endings… …Now, she just wants to disappear. And the tiny town of Promise fits the bill. With its winding streets and melting-pot of residents, it’s the perfect place for Annie to hide away and open the bookshop she always dreamed of owning. Until her new-found peace and quiet is disturbed by Lucas, a widower who rivals Annie as the most cynical person in town. With his troubled past and precocious children, Lucas is the last person she should be getting involved with. But when he asks for her help, Annie comes to realise that, maybe, going it alone isn’t the solution after all… Readers LOVE The Little Bookshop of Promises: ‘An emotional, heartwarming and romantic story that will make you feel more optimistic about the world!’ ‘Love this book! Would recommend any of her books!’ ‘This book is the best I've read in a long, long time … I was hooked’
£11.07
Quercus Publishing The Archipelago of Another Life
Book SynopsisA Siberian Heart of Darkness Julian BarnesOn the far eastern borders of the Soviet Union, in the sunset of Stalin''s reign, soldiers are training for a war that could end all wars, for in the atomic age man has sown the seeds of his own destruction. Among them is Pavel Gartsev, a reservist. Orphaned, scarred by the last great war and unlucky in love, he is an instant victim for the apparatchiks and ambitious careerists who thrive within the Red Army''s ranks. Assigned to a search party composed of regulars and reservists, charged with the recapture of an escaped prisoner from a nearby gulag, Gartsev finds himself one of an unlikely quintet of cynics, sadists and heroes, embarked on a challenging manhunt through the Siberian taiga. But the fugitive, capable, cunning and evidently at home in the depths of these vast forests, proves no easy prey. As the pursuit goes on, and the pursuers are struck by a shattering discovery, Gartsev confrTrade ReviewMasterful . . . Makine has been justly compared with Tolstoy, but here I think the better reference is Joseph Conrad. -- James McNamara * Spectator. *Makine's customary clear-eyed vision and shimmering prose impart, yet again, the heavy knowledge that what is "essential" is experienced by few and obliterated by many. -- Kate Mcloughlin * Times Literary Supplement. *Pleasingly clever stuff . . . has an ambition of romantic grandeur that feels genuinely, soulfully Russian. -- David Mills * Sunday Times. *A powerful story of metaphysical adventure. -- Marianne Payot * L'Express *A thrilling manhunt through the taiga. -- Claire Devarieux * Libération *As good as Stendhal or Tolstoy . . . I would rather read him than anyone else now writing -- Allan Massie * Literary Review. *One of the significant novelists of our age. -- Stephanie Merritt * Observer. *Makine packs great steppes-full of history into compact, bejewelled boxes of prose. -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent. *Makine's wonderful economy of image and phrase convey far more than one could think possible about the Russian soul. -- Anthony Beevor * Daily Telegraph. *
£10.44
Canongate Books Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It
Book SynopsisNow adapted into major film, Certain Women, starring Kristen Stewart and Michelle WilliamsCaught between opposing forces - fidelity and desire, impulse and security, innocence and experience - these unforgettable characters have each reached a fork in the road. But what kind of fool only wants it one way?Funny, sly and sparkling with energy, Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It confirms Maile Meloy as an enthralling storyteller.Trade ReviewBrilliant. * * Helen Fielding * *Meloy's style is as fresh and brisk as an ocean breeze. * * Sunday Times * *Clever, calm, funny . . . absolutely compulsive. * * Daily Telegraph * *Meloy writes wonderfully well. * * Guardian * *A true and rare find. * * Richard Ford * *Moving, compassionate and amusing. * * Daily Mail * *She's such a talented and unpredictable writer that I'm officially joining her fan club. * * Guardian * *Meloy writes with both fearlessness and true compassion, two talents that are rarely combined. -- Ann Patchett on LIARS AND SAINTSMeloy writes elegantly and precisely, never wasting a word...a terrific read. -- Time Out on Meloy's HALF IN LOVEMeloy is able to give convincing voice to a huge range of characters...and she harnesses skilfully the power of the untold secrets that underlie the story. -- Guardian on Meloy's LIARS AND SAINTSWise, witty and beautifully written -- Helen Fielding on LIARS AND SAINTSThe opening story in this deft collection could be Annie Proulx, while the last recalls Tobias Wolff . . . Maile Meloy has a range and flexibility well beyond her years . . . There is an exactitude and simplicity to these assured and beautifully constructed stories, which are often told from the perspective of those who lack much authority over their lives. * * Observer * *One of the best of our contemporary short-story writers, Maile Meloy's star is rapidly rising - and this brilliant collection shows why. * * Sunday Business Post * *Meloy has such a sure handle in what to leave out. Her style is impressively unshowy: it's not even showily unshowy, not seeing the need to draw attention to its pared-down restraint. * * London Review of Books * *
£9.49
Quercus Publishing The Slaughtermans Daughter
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE WINGATE PRIZE 2021SUNDAY TIMES MUST READS PICKECONOMIST BEST BOOKS OF 2020 PICKKIRKUS REVIEWS 10 BOOKS TO LOOK FOR IN 2021 PICKBoundless imagination and a vibrant style . . . a heroine of unforgettable grit DAVID GROSSMANA story of great beauty and surprise GARY SHTEYNGARTThe townsfolk of Motal, an isolated, godforsaken town in the Pale of Settlement, are shocked when Fanny Keismann - devoted wife, mother of five, and celebrated cheese-maker - leaves her home at two hours past midnight and vanishes into the night.True, the husbands of Motal have been vanishing for years, but a wife and mother? Whoever heard of such a thing. What on earth possessed her?Could it have anything to do with Fanny''s missing brother-in-law, who left her sister almost a year ago and ran away to Minsk, abandoning their family to destitution and despair?Or cTrade ReviewWith boundless imagination and a vibrant style, Yaniv Iczkovits creates a colorful family drama that spins nineteenth century Russia out of control, and he delivers a heroine of unforgettable grit. Iczkovits wields his pen with wit and panache. A remarkable and evocative read -- David GrossmanA story of great beauty and surprise. A necessary antidote for our times -- Gary ShteyngartThe Slaughterman's Daughter is a miraculous patchwork-quilt of individual stories within stories told by different voices through which Fanny, the Belorussian Jewish slaughterman's daughter, cuts with her butcher's knife in search of justice. That quest for justice is the master story: a feminist picaresque set in a landscape of visionary and intimate historical and physical detail -- George SzirtesTotally compulsive reading -- Rosemary SullivanWith the sweeping grandeur of a Russian epic and the sly, sometimes bawdy humour of the Yiddish greats, The Slaughterman's Daughter is a magnificent triumph -- Bram Presser, author of The Book of Dirt"An extraordinarily vivid portrayal of life in the Pale of Settlement, an area of the pre-revolutionary Russian Empire where Jews were allowed, begrudgingly, to live" -- Antonia Senior * The Times *A narrative full of invention and surprises . . . Iczkovits mixes real history, fable and the products of his imagination into an intoxicating, thoroughly enjoyable brew -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times *Yaniv Iczkovits' brilliant, sweeping novel is set in czarist Russia during the late nineteenth century, but feels highly relevant and resonant today . . . filled with exquisitely drawn characters . . . bold and provocative -- Elaine Margolin * TLS *A born storyteller . . . Iczkovits is clearly a talent to watch and The Slaughterman's Daughter is the place to start -- David Herman * Jewish Chronicle *Echoes of Russian and Yiddish literature resound in this delightful picaresque, but you need not hear them to enjoy it . . . Technicolour characters, pathos and humour are all wonderfully captured in a nimble translation from the Hebrew * Economist (Books of the Year, 2020) *It's a genuine pleasure to see all of the different strands of the story come together in the final act. If the Coen brothers ever ventured beyond the United States for their films, they would find ample material in this novel . . . An ultimately hopeful search for small comforts and a modicum of justice in an absurd and immoral world -- New York Times * Shay K. Azoulay *Approaches history in a fabulist style reminiscent of Sholem Aleichem and his disciples . . . The folktale tradition evoked in the storytelling has an estimable history, but perhaps even more old-fashioned is this novel's length and leisurely tempo. Mr. Iczkovits slowly elaborates his scenes, indulging in every tangent and scrap of context, as though there weren't countless forms of instant entertainment vying for the reader's attention. I appreciated the pace . . . Today it would be a quick drive to Minsk; once upon a time the trip was the stuff of epics -- Sam Sacks * Wall Street Journal *Occasionally a book comes along so fresh, strange, and original that it seems peerless, utterly unprecedented. This is one of those books. Iczkovits is a superb talent, and this novel is a resounding success * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *What begins as a small family drama explodes in every possible direction in its virtuosity * Haaretz *An adventure story with few like it in modern Hebrew literature . . . a simply outstanding novel * Walla *A major novel that zigzags between characters and plots, between history and psychology, rooted in a brilliant narrative * Haaretz Gallery *We should keep an eye on Iczkovits. He is an amazing talent who will be talked about for a long time to come * Time Out, on ADAM AND SOPHIE *
£10.44
Headline Publishing Group Say No More The Sacramento Series Book 2
Book SynopsisIf they ever catch you, never tell. The gripping new thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Karen Rose.
£17.00
Everyman The Clicking Of Cuthbert
Book SynopsisWho but P.G. Wodehouse could have extraced high comedy from the most noble and ancient game of golf? And who else could have combined this comedy with a real appreciation of the game, drawn from personal experience? Wodehouse's brilliant but humane brand of humour is perfectly suited to these stories of love, rivalry, revenge and fulfilment on the links. While the oldest member sits inside the clubhouse quoting Marcus Aurelius on patience and wisdom, outside on the green the strongest human passions burn. All human life is here, from Sandy McHoots, the cocky professional, to shy Ramsden Waters, whose only consolation in life is golf. Even golf-haters will not be able to resist stories which perfectly combine physical farce and verbal wit with a gallery of unforgettable characters.
£11.40
Zaffre The Meadow Girls: A heartwarming World War I saga
Book SynopsisPreviously published as The Watercress GirlsA warm-hearted and nostalgic family saga from the bestselling author of THE WINTER BABY and THE NURSEMAID'S SECRET. Suffolk, 1914Twelve-year-old Mattie and her little sister Evie lead an idyllic life in the countryside, exploring the meadows and picking watercress in the streams. But little do they know that this perfect childhood won't last. With the onset of World War I, the country is thrown into turmoil . . . As the years pass, the girls go on to live very different lives. Mattie travels to Canada and America, whilst Evie remains in England. More than fifty years later, through marriages, deaths, births, war, heartbreak and distance, will these sisters finally be reunited to have their time in the meadows again? 'This charming, drama-filled novel certainly packs in all the warmth, wisdom and heartfelt emotions that were the trademarks of Sheila's writing.' My Weekly'This gently uplifting story is a saga to savour . . . this charming, drama-filled novel certainly packs in all the warmth, wisdom and heartfelt emotions that were the trademarks of her writing . . . a delicious and wonderfully poignant read for long summer evenings.' Lancashire Evening Post- - - Praise for Sheila Newberry:'So gloriously nostalgic . . . a perfect example of her talent.' Maureen Lee, bestselling author of The Seven Streets of Liverpool'Like having dinner with your mother in her warm and cosy kitchen.' Diane Allen, bestselling author of For the Sake of Her FamilyTrade ReviewThe Meadow Girls is a beautiful, thoughtful tale exploring life's unexpected twists and turns, and the sacrifices, separations, loves and friendships that we encounter along the way. Full of rich period detail and nostalgia, and written with Newberry's natural empathy and insight into what it meant to live through times of upheaval and war, this gently uplifting story is a saga to savour....this charming, drama-filled novel certainly packs in all the warmth, wisdom and heartfelt emotions that were the trademarks of her writing....Newberry's enchanting and heartwarming story is a delicious and wonderfully poignant read for long summer evenings. * Lancashire Evening Post *This charming, drama-filled novel certainly packs in all the warmth, wisdom and heartfelt emotions that were the trademarks of Sheila's writing. * My Weekly *
£7.59
Everyman Troubles: The Siege of Krishnapur
Book SynopsisInspired by the Indian Mutiny of 1857, The Siege of Krishnapur is set in the fictional town of that name where a British garrison withstands a four-month siege by mutineers. Eventually rescued after undergoing terrible privations, the leading characters all find their ideals tested and their smug assumptions of military and moral superiority severely shaken.In Troubles Major Brendan Archer travels to Ireland in the aftermath of World War I in order to meet his fiancée Angela in a remote seaside hotel owned by her father. Angela dies unexpectedly, but Archer remains in Kilnalough, captivated by the Majestic and its inhabitants, and seemingly unaware of the approaching political storm as Ireland dissolves into revolt and civil war.Both novels combine high comedy with vivid realism and reveal Farrell as 'one of the finest post-colonial novelists' - John Sutherland.Trade ReviewFor a novel to be witty is one thing, to tell a good story is another, to be serious is yet another, but to be all three is surely enough to make it a masterpiece * New Statesman *
£12.34
Everyman Dog Stories
Book SynopsisThe unforgettable canines gathered here include Kipling's heroically faithful 'Garm', Bret Harte's irrepressible scoundrel of a 'yaller dog' and the aggressively affectionate three-legged pit bull who lives in a block of flats for dogs in Jonathan Lethem's 'Ava's Apartment'. Here are stories which touchingly illuminate the dog's role in the emotional lives of humans, such as Tobias Wolff's 'Her Dog', where a widower shares his grief for his wife with her grieving pet. Here, too, are humorous glimpses of the canine point of view, from O. Henry's tale of a dissatisfied lapdog's escape to P. G. Wodehouse's cheerfully naïve watchdog who simply wants everybody to get along. These writers and others - Ray Bradbury, JamesThurber and Penelope Lively among them - offer imaginative, lyrical and empathetic portraits of man and woman's most devoted companion
£12.34
Canongate Books Madame
Book SynopsisMadame tells the story of a self-absorbed Polish teenager as he pursues intellectual maturity, and the woman of his dreams, his French teacher 'Madame', in the communist-dominated Warsaw of the early 1970s.Libera paces his exuberant young hero's fulminations, fantasies and discoveries beautifully, building a remarkably subtle characterisation of a free mind in a repressive culture. This is one of those rare novels which reminds us why we love books. A consummate literary entertainment.Trade ReviewEssentially a vision of a life-changing teenage crush, Libera's debut novel . . . captures the frustrations of grasping for anything of the world from behind the Iron Curtain and of battling or passion of any kind. * * The Scotsman * *Madame is skilfully written and the subtle backdrop of communism is interesting and convincing. * * The List * *This is an old story made fresh with an excellent evocation of a spirit-crushing school system - a microcosm of communist rule under which the layers of life are corrupted by concessions, compromises and deceptions. * * The Times * *
£11.69
Little, Brown Book Group The Great Fire
Book SynopsisThe Great Fire is Shirley Hazzard's first novel since The Transit of Venus, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1981. The conflagration of her title is the Second World War. In war-torn Asia and stricken Europe, men and women, still young but veterans of harsh experience, must reinvent their lives and expectations, and learn, from their past, to dream again. Some will fulfill their destinies, others will falter. At the centre of the story, a brave and brilliant soldier finds that survival and worldly achievement are not enough. His counterpart, a young girl living in Occupied Japan and tending her dying brother, falls in love, and in the process discovers herself.In the looming shadow of world enmities resumed, and of Asia's coming centrality in world affairs, a man and a woman seek to recover self-reliance, balance, and tenderness, struggling to reclaim their humanity.Trade ReviewShirley Hazzard. For me, the greatest living writer on goodness and love . . . THE GREAT FIRE so overwhelmed me that I came close to being unable to read the last three pages. If the last sentence doesn't make you gasp and weep, you are not fully conscious . . . Shirley Hazzard, the quiet, playful, lovestruck artist of love, goodness and death in the 20th century. ' Bryan Appleyard * 'I wish there were a set of words like 'brilliant’ *and 'dazzling * that we saved for only the rarest occasions, so that when I tell you THE GREAT FIRE is brilliant and dazzling you would know it is the absolute truth. This is a book that is worth a twenty-year wait.’ *Ann Patchett, author of BEL CANTO * 'Shirley Hazzard has written an hypnotic novel that unfolds like a dream: Japan, Southeast Asia, the end of one war and the beginning of another, the colonial order gone, and at the center of it all, a love story.’ *Joan Didion * 'Shirley Hazzard is, purely and simply, one of the greatest writers working in English today. Which makes me more than grateful to have this long-hoped for new novel.’ *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Professor's House
Book SynopsisINTRODUCED BY A.S. BYATT'She is undoubtedly one of the greatest American writers' OBSERVER 'A triumph' HERMIONE LEE 'Willa Cather makes a world which is burningly alive, sometimes lovely, often tragic' HELEN DUMORE On the eve of his move to a new, more desirable residence, Professor Godfrey St Peter finds himself in the shabby study of his former home. Surrounded by the comforting, familiar sights of his past, he surveys his life and the people he has loved: his wife Lillian, his daughters and above all, Tom Outland, his most outstanding student and once, his son-in-law to be. Enigmatic and courageous - and a tragic victim of the Great War - Tom has remained a source of inspiration to the professor. But he has also left behind him a troubling legacy which has brought betrayal and fracture to the women he loves most . . .Trade ReviewWilla Cather makes a world which is burningly alive, sometimes lovely, often tragic -- Helen DunmoreShe is undoubtedly one of the greatest American writers * Observer *A triumph -- Hermione LeeThe book holds in majestic and mournful equipoise both the nobility of the civilizing instinct and the certainty of its frustration -- Donald Lyons * The Criterion *
£9.49
The New York Review of Books, Inc On the Marble Cliffs
Book Synopsis
£12.59
Little, Brown Book Group Palladian
Book SynopsisAn amusing, wry homage to Jane Eyre by one of the best novelists of the twentieth century.
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Woman Upstairs
Book SynopsisNora Eldridge has always been a good girl: a good daughter, colleague, friend, employee. She teaches at an elementary school where the children and the parents adore her; but her real passion is her art, which she makes alone, unseen. One day Reza Shahid appears in her classroom: eight years old, a perfect, beautiful boy. Reza's father has a fellowship at Harvard and his mother is a glamorous and successful installation artist. Nora is admitted into their charmed circle, and everything is transformed. Or so she believes. Liberation from her old life is not quite what it seems, and she is about to suffer a betrayal more monstrous than anything she could have imagined.Trade ReviewMessud is a breathtaking writer ... a beautiful - and beautifully sustained - howl of fresh, fierce, furious rage. * Independent on Sunday *Comedy, pathos, sadness: nothing seems beyond her. Her new book has all this-and more. The Woman Upstairs is not a pretty read, but that is precisely what makes it so hard to put down. * The Economist *Messud's prose is a delight ... addictive, memorable, intense -- Lionel Shriver * Financial Times *This is a faultless, suspenseful novel * Mail on Sunday *An unnerving portrait of obsession that makes you nervous about your mousiest of neighbours -- Lionel Shriver * New Statesman *
£9.49
Parthian Books Ash on a Young Man's Sleeve
Book SynopsisWidely acclaimed for its warm humour, lyricism and honesty, as well as its accurate evocation of the 30s, this has become a classic. In this autobiographical novel, Abse interweaves public and private themes, setting the fortunes of a Jewish family in Wales against the troubled backcloth of the times.Trade Review'Mr Abse writes beautifully and tenderly of the things he has seen and felt.' The Times.
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Postmistress of Paris
Book SynopsisTrade Review"An evocative love story layered with heroism and intrigue — the film ‘Casablanca’ if Rick had an artsy bent … powerful.” — San Francisco Chronicle "A sweeping tale of perseverance and courage set against the backdrop of Nazi-era Europe, The Postmistress of Paris is the very best kind of historical fiction: a complex and intriguing story that both highlights a little-known moment in the past and resonates powerfully in the present, reminding us that bigotry can only be vanquished when people are willing to take a stand.” — Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train "I loved The Postmistress of Paris, a novel of so many layers - a suspense story, a love story, and a story about the purpose of art. Meg Waite Clayton is a brilliant and deft writer, and I rooted for her strong, witty and brave heroine on her pulse-pounding mission to save Jewish painters, intellectuals, and a motherless child from Vichy France." — Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author of Eternal "Widely esteemed for her previous World War II novels, Meg Waite Clayton triumphantly returns with The Postmistress of Paris, a story of one woman’s heroic quest to help the forgotten in Occupied France. Clayton’s immaculately researched and beautifully written tale of passage and courage and heart is her best work yet." — Pam Jenoff, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Woman With The Blue Star “The work of an unsung heroine rises from the pages of The Postmistress of Paris. Meg Waite Clayton draws a vivid contrast between the beauty of art and the brutality of war, the power of humanity and the human cost of cruelty, greed, and prejudice. With a heart-stopping flight across war-torn Europe, this is a story readers of historical fiction and strong female characters will devour.” — Lisa Wingate, # 1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Before We Were Yours “Clayton expertly renders the story of a courageous American woman’s role in the French Resistance during WWII. . . . Clayton’s lyrical, thought-provoking prose breathes life into her characters. This sterling portrait of a complex woman stands head and shoulders above most contemporary WWII fiction.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “This gripping historical love story from Clayton brings readers into the courageous lives of those struggling just to stay alive and those risking everything to help.” — Booklist "Fans of Kate Quinn and Kristin Hannah will want to dive right into The Postmistress of Paris." — BookPage “A true gem . . . and a testament to the power of good.” — Portia Kapraun, Library Journal (starred review)
£14.10
Granta Books The Old Child And The Book Of Words
Book SynopsisA child is found standing on the street with an empty bucket in her hand and no memory of her name, her family or her past. Elsewhere, a girl grows up surrounded by familiar faces - a wet nurse, a piano teacher, a gardener, a best friend and a distant mother - but soon finds them slipping mysteriously from her life. In the company of these girls, we are compelled to tread the uncertain and spiky terrain of memory, where words are dropped like clues to reveal what has been hidden, forgotten or erased.Trade ReviewA haunting, offbeat novella of real profundity -- Lionel Shriver, author of WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVINWith the detached spare prose and mysterious internal logic of a fairy tale, the writing has a dark, transformative power - it gets into the blood stream and refuses to leave. Beguiling and original * The Times *Intense and beautifully written * Time Out *Erpenbeck excels as miniaturist, examining the psychology of her blank-eyed outsider with language as sharp as a scalpel * Guardian *The kind of stories that enter the imagination by stealth ... Like dysfunctional fairy tales, these beautifully written stories explore the shifting sands of memory and identity * Belfast Telegraph *Don't try to learn too much about the origins of these two spare and spooky novellas before you submit to their uncanny mood ... What lies beyond ambiguity, in Susan Bernofsky's pin-sharp translations, is Erpenbeck's power to grip, chill - and haunt -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *These two novellas showcase Erpenbeck's disconcerting material and her pared-down style ... The subtle interplay of childish interpretation and adult euphemism, gradually unravelling its grim meaning is thoroughly chilling -- James Urquhart * Financial Times *
£999.99
Penguin Putnam Inc Addicted to You
Book Synopsis
£13.59
Peepal Tree Press Ltd Water with Berries
Book SynopsisTeeton lives multiple lives in England. One is with a bohemian group of artist exiles, like his friend Derek the actor who has sunk to playing a corpse on state, and his rival Roger Capildeo, a Naipaulian figure who denies the point of any kind of political involvement. There is also Teeton's curiously intimate relationship with his English landlady, who he calls the Dowager. Finally, as a secret revolutionary from the Caribbean island of San Cristobal, Teeton is enmeshed in conspiracy. Thus far, Teeton has kept each aspect of his life separate from one another, but when he actively plans to return home and joins an incipient revolt, his once separate worlds begin to fuse together with disastrous results. This novel is a powerful study of the impossibility of disentangling British and Caribbean lives, the unacknowledged power of history, the nature of misogyny, and the conflict between the calls of art and revolution. In a narrative that is both deeply political and poetic, Water with Berries shows why George Lamming has been recognised as one of Caribbean writing's most original figures.
£20.54
Vintage Publishing Whisky Galore
Book SynopsisIt's 1943 and the war has brought rationing to the Hebridean islands of Great and Little Todday. When food is in short supply, it is bad enough, but when the whisky runs out, it looks like the end of the world.Morale is at rock bottom. George Campbell needs a wee dram to give him the courage to stand up to his mother and marry Catriona. The priest, the doctor and, of course, the landlord at the inn are all having a very thin time of it. There's no conversation, no jolity, no fun - until a shipwreck off the coast brings a piece of extraordinary good fortune...Trade ReviewCharming tale. * TheInquirer.net *
£9.49
Quercus Publishing Echoes from Afar
Book SynopsisA powerful story of love and loss from the beloved internationally bestselling author, Tamara McKinley, who also writes as Sunday Times bestseller Ellie Dean. For fans of Lesley Pearse and Susan Lewis.So this is Paris, she thought in awe. Spread out before her beneath a clear blue sky, it was like a precious gift after the smog and filth of London. No wonder it was called the city of love . . .After a spiteful rumour ruins her career in London, Annabelle Blake must travel to Paris to start afresh. There she makes the acquaintance of Etienne and Henri - one a poet, the other a painter - both charming, talented and handsome. They spend their days flirting and drinking with the city's artistes and Bohemians, and soon Annabelle too is swept up in the exotic and exhilarating world of 1930s Paris. But as ever more young people are drawn to the fight against Fascism in Spain, Annabelle must wake from the dream and confront the reality of war. A lifetime later, gifted artist Eugenie Ashton falls in love with Paris the moment she sets foot outside the Gare de Lyon. Like her mother Annabelle before her, the artistic delights of the city are a bright new world to her: but Eugenie will soon find that in its shadows are hidden the secrets of her family's past.Discover Tamara McKinley's other timeless bestsellers Ocean Child and Matilda's Last Waltz. Trade ReviewAn elegant affair from the get-go that is in part a love letter to Paris. McKinley voices her cast effectively, and the positioning of a romantic and spiritual diorama to a backdrop of a fraught Europe in political upheaval is palpable * Irish Sunday Independent *An entertaining tale of love and loss * France Magazine *Dark secrets from the past lie dormant beneath the bright lights of Paris in an enthralling cross-generational story from popular author Tamara McKinley. A warm and welcoming read * Lancashire Evening Post *
£9.49
Amazon Publishing Picking up the Pieces
Book SynopsisIn this heart-warming story from million copy bestselling author Amanda Prowse, Nora has given up on finding happiness. But has it been waiting for her all along? As Nora and her British Army officer husband, Gordy, pack up yet another home and leave the sun of Cyprus for the drizzle of England, she can’t shake a feeling of regret—at her failure to follow her own dreams, but also, if she’s honest, at having ended up an officer’s wife at all, drifting through a life of temporary homes and temporary relationships. Since losing her parents at a young age, Nora’s life has been lacking an anchor: someone or something to make her feel secure. Her marriage has been her only permanent relationship, and just as even that appears to be fizzling out, a tragedy forces Nora into the role of legal guardian to her seven-year-old nephew, Ted. Faced suddenly with a responsibility she never dreamed of, how can Nora possibly offer the boy the kind of unconditional love he deserves, when she’s never experienced it for herself? But as she navigates the precarious and unfamiliar world of parenthood, Nora begins to see herself through Ted’s eyes, as someone worthy of love and even joy. When she’s welcomed into the previously intimidating huddle of mums at the school gate, she has to wonder: is it too late to smash down the other barriers she’s built—and to have a second chance at a happy marriage with Gordy?
£8.54
Faber & Faber The Street Sweeper
Book SynopsisOn the crowded streets of New York City there are even more stories than there are people passing each other every day... only some of these stories survive to become history. Lamont Williams, recently released from prison and working as a hospital janitor, strikes up an unlikely friendship with a patient, an elderly Jewish Holocaust survivor who starts to tell him of his extraordinary past. Meanwhile Adam Zignelik, the son of a prominent Jewish civil rights lawyer, is facing a personal crisis: almost 40-years-old, his long-term relationship is faltering and his academic career has stalled. It''s only when one of his late father''s closest friends, the civil rights activist William McCray, suggests a promising research topic that the possibility of some kind of redemption arises.Dealing with memory, racism and the human capacity for guilt, resilience, heroism, and unexpected kindness, The Street Sweeper spans over fifty years, and ranges from New Yo
£11.69
Salt Publishing The Good Son
Book SynopsisWinner of The Polari First Book Prize 2016Finalist for The People’s Book Prize 2016Shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award 2016Chosen for City Reads 2016Shortlisted for the Guardian Not the Booker prizeELLE Best Books of 2015The Reading Agency: Books of 2015Mickey Donnelly is smart, which isn’t a good thing in his part of town. Despite having a dog called Killer and being in love with the girl next door, everyone calls him ‘gay’. It doesn’t help that his best friend is his little sister, Wee Maggie, and that everyone knows he loves his Ma more than anything in the world. He doesn’t think much of his older brother Paddy and really doesn’t like his Da. He dreams of going to America, taking Wee Maggie and Ma with him, to get them away from Belfast and Da. Mickey realises it’s all down to him. He has to protect Ma from herself. And sometimes, you have to be a bad boy to be a good son.Trade ReviewA highly commendable debut, convincing in its realism -- Lesley McDowell * The Independent *Mickey is the funniest, most endearing human being for whom we feel huge compassion as he faces each adversity. This novel envelops the reader with its humanity and its down-to-earth humour leaves you laughing. * BookTrust *It’s about a boy called Mickey who lives in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. It’s set in the summer holidays in between him leaving primary school and him starting secondary school. He’s wise beyond his years. He doesn’t fit in at all in this brutal society. He likes acting and dancing and he’s creative. You will completely fall in love with Mickey. -- Anna James * We Love This Book *It’s easy to have on the commute. The Good Son is about a 10-year-old boy called Mickey and it’s set during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. I can’t overstate how much I fell for Mickey as a voice, he’s one of the most engaging, captivating voices that I’ve read in a novel this year. So it’s set in the period between primary school and secondary school, so it’s during his summer holidays, and Mickey is this clever, compassionate, smart boy who likes dancing, whose best friend is his little sister, which means he doesn’t really fit in very well in quite a brutal, violent society that he lives in ... His voice is so warm and the book is so funny, quite dark humour. You will completely fall in love with this voice. -- Anna James * David Prever at Drivetime, BBC Radio Oxford *The Good Son is bursting with action, love, loss, betrayal and so much more – it is the sort of book you pick up and hours later emerge from, wondering where the time went. Like a fine point of light, the desire to be loved and accepted drives The Good Son toward an ending that leaves the reader satisfied, if somewhat unsettled. * Culture Northern Ireland *Paul McVeigh has written a terrific book that uses Northern Ireland's troubles to give the story tension and backbone. It is honest, raw, emotional and hilarious. He has filled the novel with great characters ranging from relatively good to relatively evil and his use of Mickey as the lynchpin is a triumph. It is impossible not to love this kid and how he thinks about and copes with his struggles. To repeat myself, the book crackles with comedy and drama, excellent dialogue and a conclusion that, as the blurb rightly says, underlines the notion – sometimes you have to be a bad boy to be a good son. -- Joe Cushnan * Dropped the Moon Blog *His depiction of the time and place – collecting for the black babies, roller discos up the Falls – and the peculiarities of NI vernacular – gazing at girls’ diddies, hoping for a lumber – is transportingly vivid. The effect is often very funny and then touching; the injustice of a line spent half in fear, the pleasure of a life lived half in laughter. -- Jane Graham * The Big Issue *The Good Son delivers a real sense of a damaged child within a broken family constrained by his society, while also presenting a refreshing portrait of the troubles through the eyes of one of the most beguiling and endearing narrators I have encountered in a long time. McVeigh and The Good Son are destined for prizes. -- Phil Clement * Structo Magazine *The summer holidays are a time of dread for Mickey Donnelly. Secondary education is looming, but the prohibitive cost of the grammar school uniform has deprived him of his best chance to escape from Belfast’s turbulent Ardoyne neighbourhood. This isn’t the only cloud hanging over the delightful narrator of Paul McVeigh’s debut novel, however: The Good Son’s early-80s backdrop is one of poverty, paranoia and violence, both sectarian and domestic, a terrifying world for a boy whose best friend is his little sister and whose favourite film is The Wizard of Oz. -- Victoria Segal * The Guardian *McVeigh’s debut novel The Good Son (Salt publishing, April 2015) is a triumph of vivid recall, a wrenching-off of the protective scabs that I, and many like me, have allowed to grow over the wounds of an upbringing in the sectarian streets of Northern Ireland during the Troubles. With a good dose of survivor guilt, and a shame-faced glance in the direction of IS and Boko Haram, we mutter to ourselves, “It wasn’t really that bad.” The Good Son is a swift and savage reminder that for so many of my countrymen and women, it really was that bad and there is little need for exaggeration. -- Orla McAllinden * Writing.ie *Books of the Month: The Good Son is a truly affecting and absorbing novel. It not only explores the personal journey Mickey goes on during the summer months before he starts secondary school but it also offers a eye opening social commentary on the Troubles. It is quite horrific to see how apathetic and numb Mickey and his community have become to the house raids, bombs and murders they witness on a frequent basis, especially now that we have garnered some distance from this tense period in Northern Irish history. Although only his debut novel, The Good Son perfectly illustrates what a masterful storyteller Paul McVeigh is and I personally can’t wait to see what he does next. -- Kellie Chambers * Ulster Tatler *Considering the strong emotional attachment that McVeigh forces us to feel towards his hero, it would be tempting to allow him a fairy tale ending similar to the films and TV shows he obsesses over. However the story to the very end remains true to the complex characters and messy realities of Mickey's life, and while some small happiness seems to prevail he is no less conflicted than he was in the beginning. While there are a few reasons for celebration Mickey doesn't escape the story unscathed, and his youthful innocence is replaced by a sad and adult realisation that “no miracles are coming out of the sky.” The story of a young boy and his family's negotiation of the Troubles would be a satisfying enough experience for a reader, yet McVeigh successfully manages to carry this already weighted subject further. The Good Son goes beyond surface politics and stereotypes of Northern Ireland, and is instead an impressive and insightful novel about the inextricable nature of guilt and innocence. -- Joanne O’Sullivan * The Incubator *With this first novel, McVeigh has set himself a high standard. Despite its horrors, The Good Son has a warm heart, and had this reader hoping against hope that somehow Mickey will survive and will carry his integrity and love through his teenage years and into adulthood. -- Clariss Burden * The Tablet *Mickey Donnelly’s voice still rings loud and shrill in my ears, weeks after reading The Good Son. His painful negotiation of the physical and psychic battlefields of late childhood and 1980s Belfast; his whip-crack analyses of the vagaries and vicissitudes of the explosive adult world; his disappointments and heartbreaks and adventures, form a vibrant yet strangely gentle chorus in my memory. It’s one of those books that’s written in such an accomplished and natural way that it seems not like a book at all, but a perfect, fully-formed rendering of reality through another’s eyes. It’s a triumph of storytelling, an absolute gem. -- Donal RyanThe book is a fantastic and moving journey into the mind of a young boy who knows he is different and is trying to make sense of himself and the difficult world around him. Through Mickey’s first person narration, we gain a vivid insight into the atmosphere of the Troubles and their impact on everyday family and community life. -- Matt Beavers, Literature Programme Manager * British Council Literature Blog *
£8.54
Dialogue This Love
Book Synopsis
£9.49
