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
Penguin Putnam Inc The First Ladies
Book Synopsis
£13.49
Whitefox Publishing Ltd Naked In Mayfair
Book SynopsisOnce upon a time, there was a lonely woman who was beautiful on the outside but sad on the inside… Meet Ava, a blonde bombshell and newly divorced banker who leads a glamorous life in Mayfair and is looking for love again. She is passionate and strong, a woman who has it all and wants more, but her professional success and fearlessness are a foil to her vulnerability and inner demons. Outwardly Ava is confident and successful, yet she feels alone in the world. Naked in Mayfair follows Ava’s uninhibited sexual odyssey as she is courted by many fascinating men. She loves sex, and her intense sexuality is her expression of a desire to find true love and connection. But whilst Ava has an amusing and pleasurable life, she is damaged inside, and the deep love she yearns for eludes her until finally, she finds purpose and peace in the most unexpected way. Sometimes shocking, often hilarious, always thought-provoking, Naked in Mayfair gives us an illuminating glimpse behind closed doors, in the back of a Bentley and at 30,000 feet. This is a glittering world of privilege and wealth, with extravagant holidays, fine dining and mega yachts. It gives us a unique insight into the secret life of a 21st-century woman’s unwavering search for love, meaning, inner peace – and ultimately, self-acceptance.Trade Review'This addictive book gives a fascinating insight into Ava’s glamorous and troubled life.' -- Woman's Own'THE perfect beach read. It’s sassy, sexy and steamy.' -- Natasha Harding, literary editor, The Sun'Newly divorced banker Ava leads a glamorous life in Mayfair and her intense sexuality is her expression of a desire to find true love and connection. But while Ava has an amusing and pleasurable life, the deep love she yearns for eludes her until, finally, she finds purpose and peace in the most unexpected way…' -- Bella Magazine'Summer's spiciest read' -- Venus Libido, @venuslibido'A raunchy read to take on holiday with you' -- Katerina Robinson, Digital Creator, @misskaterinar'One of the steamiest books I've read' -- Kayleigh, @bookwormescapes'I definitely had a YES girl moment' -- Joleigh, @berry_bookshelf'Intricately weaves together themes of desire, power, and deception.' -- Paperback Mo, @paperbackmo‘A gloriously naughty read about the lives and loves of the rich and beautiful.’ -- The Sun'Who IS the blonde 40-something banker with a £70,000 Hermes bag who's turned her post-divorce sexual adventures into a novel that makes Fifty Shades seem prudish?' -- Christa D'Souza, Daily Mail'Intricately weaves together themes of desire, power, and deception.' -- Paperback Mo, @paperbackmo'I definitely had a YES girl moment' -- Joleigh, @berry_bookshelf'One of the steamiest books I've read' -- Kayleigh, @bookwormescapes'A raunchy read to take on holiday with you' -- Katerina Robinson, Digital Creator, @misskaterinar'Summer's spiciest read' -- Venus Libido, @venuslibido
£12.34
Headline Publishing Group The Girls Left Behind
Book SynopsisThe gripping new novel from the global bestselling author of The Girl in the Letter Emily Gunnis is a heartwrenching story of a girl disappeared, a terrible wrong and powerful people with something to hide... NO ONE BELIEVED THE GIRLS. BUT BONES DON'T LIE... The clock is ticking for Superintendent Jo Hamilton, who is just days from retirement from Sussex Police when the discovery of the bones of a young woman takes her back to a tragic unsolved case she worked on as WPC in the 1970s: the disappearance of a teenage girl from a notorious local children's home, not long after another young resident died in suspicious circumstances. Jo is determined track down the victim's sister, convinced that re-opening the hushed-up wrongs of the past will uncover the truth of the girls' deaths. But will the trail lead her disturbingly close to home?
£8.99
New Island Books Mise, Pingin agus Bruno
Insíonn Susan óg an scéal fíorspéisiúil tochtmhar seo faoin samhradh nuair a bhí sí ocht mbliana d’aois, agus nuair ba bheag nár bádh a deartháir Bruno san fharraige. D’éirigh léi snámh ar ais chuig an trá leis, áit ar éirigh sé an-tinn. Agus é san ospidéal, is minic a bhíonn Susan agus a deirfiúr leo féin. Seo scéal faoi athrú, fás agus dóchas atá á insint ag cailín óg nach dtuigeann cad atá ag tarlú. Tá téamaí éagsúla sa scéal; an gaol atá ag forbairt idir an triúr páistí, cineáltas strainséirí, an tacaíocht agus an grá i dteaghlach atá cabhair uathu agus atá ádhúil le teacht air. Young Susan tells this gripping and moving tale about the summer when she was eight years old, and her brother Bruno nearly drowns in the sea. She gets him back to shore where he becomes seriously ill. While he is in hospital, Susan and sister Peanut are often left alone. This is a story about change, growth and hope told through the eyes of a child who does not understand what is happening. It covers the developing relationship of the three children, the kindness of strangers, the support and love in a family that needs assistance, and is fortunate enough to find it.
£8.59
HarperCollins Focus The Magic All Around
Book SynopsisIn this latest enchanting novel from bestselling magical realism author Jennifer Moorman, a treasure hunt through the past reveals one woman’s extraordinary gift for arranging the future.The Russell women have always lived in a house that is as special as they are—a century-old Victorian with a radio that tunes itself to the listener’s mood and a pantry that rearranges to provide just the right ingredients for any baking need. Lilith Russell was the exception. She left the family home in Ivy Ridge, Georgia, and has been flitting like a hummingbird from place to place with her daughter, Mattie, in the decades since, only returning each summer to drop Mattie off with Lilith’s sister, Penelope.When Lilith dies suddenly, Mattie is left without her sole companion and the captain who steered her ship. That is, until she visits Ivy Ridge and learns Lilith charted one last course for Mattie: a series of tasks that she must complete to e
£10.44
Orenda Books The Opposite of Lonely
Book SynopsisA body lost at sea, arson, murder, astronauts, wind phones, communal funerals, stalking and conspiracy theories … This can ONLY mean one thing! The Skelfs are back, and things are as tense, unnerving and warmly funny as ever! ‘A terrific read with all of Johnston’s trademark warmth and wicked wit in the latest gripping outing for this beguiling family’ A K Turner ‘Some of the best female characters in crime fiction. Pitch-perfect balance of dark and light … disturbing, compassionate and brilliantly funny’ Sarah Hilary 'The Skelfs series just gets better and better! Outstanding characters and a gripping plot … Doug Johnstone is one of the greats of Scottish crime fiction' Luca Veste ____________ Even death needs company… The Skelf women are recovering from the cataclysmic events that nearly claimed their lives. Their funeral-director and private-investigation businesses are back on track, and their cases are as perplexing as ever. Matriarch Dorothy looks into a suspicious fire at an illegal campsite and takes a grieving, homeless man under her wing. Daughter Jenny is searching for her missing sister-in-law, who disappeared in tragic circumstances, while grand-daughter Hannah is asked to investigate increasingly dangerous conspiracy theorists, who are targeting a retired female astronaut … putting her own life at risk. With a body lost at sea, funerals for those with no one to mourn them, reports of strange happenings in outer space, a funeral crasher with a painful secret, and a violent attack on one of the family, The Skelfs face their most personal – and perilous – cases yet. Doing things their way may cost them everything… Tense, unnerving and warmly funny, The Opposite of Lonely is the hugely anticipated fifth instalment in the unforgettable Skelfs series, and this time, danger comes from everywhere… _________________________ ‘If you loved Iain Banks, you’ll devour the Skelfs series’ Erin Kelly ‘Authentic female characters … Short, punchy chapters mean that the pace is brisk, and Johnstone’s deft way of portraying old and new characters means that even novice readers of the series won’t be left behind’ Scotsman 'An absolute joy to read … full of such wonderful characters, brilliantly realised, with more peril and intrigue. Certainly the best one yet' James Oswald ‘Wonderful characters: flawed, funny and brave’ Sunday Times Johnstone never fails to entertain whilst packing a serious emotional punch’ Gytha Lodge ‘A unique brand of crime fiction boasting rare heart and depth’ Ambrose Parry ‘Some of the most unique characters in crime fiction’ Daily Express ‘Gritty, atmospheric and, above all, profoundly moving. An emotional education in the most unexpected of ways … I loved it’ Sarah Sultoon ‘A must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonists’ Publishers Weekly ‘The Skelfs books are brilliant’ Miranda Dickinson ***SHORTLISTED FOR THEAKSTON’S OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR***
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Becky
Book SynopsisSpiky, clever, funny' Emma StonexA true page-turner' The IndependentFabulous' Daily MailIt's peak 90s London. Scandal dominates the headlines, men dominate the board rooms and Becky Sharp will stop at nothing to reach the top at the Mercury newspaper.Mingling with tabloid millionaires and trading favours with royalty, Becky lands scoop after scoop, ruthlessly carving a place for herself in a world determined to ignore her. These are the biggest stories of the decade, and Becky has something to do with every one of them.But Becky may have more in common with the people she writes about than she thinks what takes a lifetime to build takes only a moment to destroy . . .A darkly entertaining and delicious read, Sarah May's Becky charts the rise and fall of an unforgettable heroine.A Vanity Fair for the mass-media age' - The Guardian
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Hagstone
Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT TOP 5 IRISH BESTSELLERWild, singulargripped me from the start' DOUGLAS STUART''Passionate, wild, hugely atmospheric'' DAVID NICHOLLSIntelligent, probing' MAGGIE O''FARRELLA gorgeous, mysterious read' AISLING BEAI adored it' LOUISE KENNEDY*A most anticipated 2024 debut in BBC, Daily Mail, Stylist, New Statesman, Sunday Independent, Irish Times and Irish Examiner*The haunting debut novel from acclaimed, Irish no. 1 bestselling author, Sinéad Gleeson.The sea is steady for now. The land readies itself. What can be done with the woman on the cliff?On a wild and rugged island cut off and isolated to some, artist Nell feels the island is her home. It is the source of inspiration for her art, rooted in landscape, folklore and the feminine. The mysterious Inions, a commune of women who have travelled there from all over the world, consider it a place of refuge and safety, of solace in nature.All the islanders live alongside the strange murmurings that seem to emanate from within the
£16.14
Orion Publishing Co The Vintage Shop
Book Synopsis''Absorbing, thoughtful and moving... a wonderfully engaging feelgood read that you''ll want to come back to again and again'' MIKE GAYLE''Libby Page is a literary burst of sunshine . . . Utterly delightful'' VERONICA HENRY''An absolute must-read'' WOMAN''S WEEKLY_____________________________________________________________One dress. Three women. A lifetime of secrets.Among the cobbled streets of Frome in Somerset, Lou is about to start something new. After losing her mother, she knows it''s time to take a chance and open her own vintage clothes shop.In upstate New York, Donna receives some news about her family which throws everything she thought she knew into question. The only clue she has to unlock her past is a picture of a yellow dress.Maggy is in her seventies, newly divorced and all alone in an empty house. Visiting the little vintage shop in FromeTrade ReviewA literary burst of sunshine . . . Utterly delightful * VERONICA HENRY *I simply adored this gloriously uplifting story about friendship and fashion * KATE EBERLEN *Absorbing, thoughtful and moving, The Vintage Shop of Second Chances is a wonderfully engaging, feelgood read that you'll want to come back to again and again * MIKE GAYLE *
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers The Garden of Memories
Book SynopsisPeople are like flowers. If you give them the right environment in which to grow, they bloom.''Charming'' Katie Fforde, Number 1 Sunday Times BestsellerWith nothing but time on her hands, retired nurse Rose Lanyon finds herself drawn to the garden that had once been her husband's pride and joy.It may have started as a means of honouring her husband's memory, but her little Cornish garden soon becomes so much more a place where the lost and lonely can find solace, the forgotten can be remembered, and second chances take bloom. Because, as long as new life is growing, there will always be hope and new memories to makeA stunning book, full of insight and warmth. I loved it' Celia Anderson, bestselling author of 59 Memory LaneEveryone is loving The Garden of Memories:A beautifully crafted novel that will stay with youdeserves ten massive gold stars, highly recommended. Very highly' Anita Waller?????''A beautiful story about new beginnings, the warmth of friendship, the healing and energis
£9.49
British Library Publishing Stories For Winter
Book SynopsisStories for Winter is a collection of short stories that take their inspiration from this cold, snowy season, whether it's winter holidays, weather-related predicaments or seasonal celebrations.
£9.49
Quercus Publishing They Were Found Wanting
Book SynopsisPerfect late night reading JAN MORRISBanffy is a born storyteller PATRICK LEIGH FERMORTotally absorbing MARTHA KEARNEYSo evocative SIMON JENKINSThe second volume of Miklos Banffy''s panoramic trilogy of the dying years of the Habsburg empire. The tale of two Transylvanian cousins, their loves, their ambitions and their fortunes continues in They Were Found Wanting. Balint Abady is forced to part from the beautiful and unhappily married Adrienne Uzdy. Laszlo Gyeroffy is rapidly heading for self-destruction through drink and his own fecklessness. The politicians, quarrelling among themselves and stubbornly ignoring their countrymen''s real needs, are still pursuing their vendetta with the Habsburg rule from Vienna. Meanwhile they fail to notice how the Great Powers - through such events as Austria''s annexation of Bosnia-Herzagovina in 1908 - are moving ever closer to the conflagration of 1914-1918 that will destroy
£12.34
Quercus Publishing They Were Divided
Book SynopsisPerfect late night reading JAN MORRISBanffy is a born storyteller PATRICK LEIGH FERMORTotally absorbing MARTHA KEARNEYSo evocative SIMON JENKINSThe final volume of Miklos Bánffy''s panoramic trilogy of the dying years of the Habsburg empire.They Were Divided reflects the rapidly disintegrating course of events in Central Europe. In the foreground once again the lives of Balint, with his ultimately unhappy love for Adrienne, and his fatally flawed cousin, Laszlo Gyeroffy, who dies in poverty and neglect, are told with humour and a bitter-sweet nostalgia for a paradise lost through folly. The sinister and fast moving events in Montenegro, the Balkan wars, the apparent encirclement of Germany and Austria-Hungary by Britain, France and Russia, and finally the assassination of Franz Ferdinand all lead inexorably to the youth of Hungary marching off to their death and the dismemberment of their
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Harry Potter Owl Post Box Set Childrens Hardback
Book SynopsisA stunning wizarding package for readers to enjoy the complete collection of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter adventures presented in hardback, with fun character stickers!This starry book trunk, decorated with magical owls and postmarks, is the ultimate way to escape to Hogwarts! Seven beautiful hardbacks are collected inside, featuring spectacular cover illustrations by Jonny Duddle, as well as quizzes, listicles and fun facts at the back of each story. This special delivery arrives in a protective cardboard sleeve and also includes a sheet of colourful stickers. There's even a special name label for readers to personalise their own Harry Potter set.J.K. Rowling's unmissable series has sparked a lifelong reading journey for children and families all over the world Harry's adventures alongside his friends Ron and Hermione are filled with wonder, spells and surprises. This Owl Post box set is a little flash of magic in book form; a collection to grow up with, rea
£105.00
Random House Money
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Quercus Publishing They Were Counted
Book Synopsis Perfect late night reading JAN MORRIS Bánffy is a born storyteller PATRICK LEIGH FERMOR Totally absorbing MARTHA KEARNEY So evocative SIMON JENKINSAn extraordinary portrait of the vanished world of pre-1914 Hungary, They Were Counted is an epic story told through the eyes of two cousins, Count Balint Abady and Count Laszlo Gyeroffy. Shooting parties in great country houses, turbulent scenes in parliament and the luxury life in Budapest provide the backdrop for this gripping, prescient novel, forming a chilling indictment of upper-class frivolity and political folly in which good manners cloak indifference and brutality. Abady becomes aware of the plight of a group of Romanian mountain peasants and champions their cause, while Gyeroffy dissipates his resources at the gaming tables, mirroring the decline of the Austro-Hungaria
£11.69
Pushkin Press Letters from a Seducer
Book SynopsisA grand, perturbing erotic novel in which the wealthy, amoral Karl records his sexual life and search for meaning in letters with a surprising legacy?Maybe all women wonder what men would be like without their posturing, but it seems to me Hilst had more than an inkling...? ? Dodie BellamyThis epistolary novel tells the story of Karl, a wealthy, amoral and erudite man who records his daily life in a series of 20 letters to his sister Cordelia. She is cloistered and chaste, but the letters are wildly promiscuous ? not just in their explicit sexual content, which have earned the novel the epithet ?pornographic?, but in their form. Ranging in style and register from modernist fragments worthy of James Joyce and Samuel Beckett, to letters that could have been penned by Enlightenment libertines like Choderlos de Laclos and the Marquis de Sade, the letters make up a polyphonic text that pushes the boundaries both of fiction and of decency.The novel ? a standalone masterpiece which originally appeared as part of a Brazilian tetralogy ? changes form again partway through, when the indigent poet Stamatius finds Karl?s record of his erotic adventures in a trash can, and begins to write stories based on what he reads, and then to break down those stories into even briefer fragments. Karl?s letters inspire Stamatius? writing, and their narratives and identities become ever more fragmented, until we begin to doubt whether they are truly separate people. What unites them is an abundantly lewd imagination and a fantastically creative relationship to the greatest seducer of all: language.
£9.49
Lolli Editions My Work
Book SynopsisAfter giving birth, Anna is utterly lost. She and her family move to the unfamiliar, snowy city of Stockholm. Anxiety threatens to completely engulf the new mother, who obsessively devours online news and compulsively buys clothes she can't afford. To avoid sinking deeper into her depression, Anna forces herself to read and write. My Work is a novel about the unique and fundamental experience of giving birth, mixing different literary forms - fiction, essay, poetry, memoir, and letters - to explore the relationship between motherhood, work, individuality, and literature.Trade Review'This novel from Olga Ravn, this new golden notebook, needs to be read by absolutely anyone who has known the quiet madness and claustrophobic happiness of the interior, especially mothers who also long for a life of literature. But this novel absolutely needs to be read by everyone else as well. Oh Olga Ravn, always inventing new forms, you are a genius, how do you do it?' – Kate Zambreno; 'My Work is ferocious, horrific, elegant, insightful, irreverent, and funny. Can a woman still be a person after motherhood? Of course not, Ravn argues, or rather, admits. And in prose, poems, and journal entries, she documents all the absurdity and repulsiveness of growing a creature in your body and then raising it. It is a magnificent and satisfying meditation. One of the most honest and revelatory works of fiction about motherhood I have ever read. Ravn’s writing is ecstatic, philosophical, and addictive.' – Heather O’Neill
£15.29
Little, Brown Book Group Whips
Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES POLITICS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023A TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023''It''s so believable... This is the perfect summer book'' Lorraine Kelly, on ITV''50 Shades of Grey meets Prime Minister''s Questions'' Anita Rani on Woman''s Hour, Radio 4''Irresistible'' Mail on SundayWestminster in the 2020s. In the SW1 bubble, politics moves fast, schemes are hatched and foiled - through both accident and conspiracy - within hours, and sex and power preside.When Bobby Cliveden decides to campaign against the closure of her local mental health unit, she scarcely thought it would take her straight to the heart of the UK''s bustling political centre. She heads to London to work for her local MP, the ambitious Simon Daly, and moves in with her two old university friends, Jess, a new lobby journalist, and Eva, a junior Downing Street adviser. The three of them quickly become wra
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Attrib.
Book SynopsisA GRANTA BEST YOUNG BRITISH NOVELIST 2023WINNER OF THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE 2018The real inexplicable gorgeous brilliant thing' MAX PORTER''She has arrived in a class of her own'' SARAH PERRY''Funny, playful and utterly bravura'' MELISSA HARRISONThe thrillingly original, word-of mouth hit short story collection that launched the career of one of our most acclaimed writers, Eley Williams.Attrib. and Other Stories celebrates the tricksiness of language just as it confronts its limits. The stories are littered with the physical ephemera of language: dictionaries, dog-eared pages, bookmarks and old coffee stains on older books. They celebrate the weird, tender intricacies of the everyday where characters vie to own ' their words, tell tall tales and define their worlds, all while struggling against our innate inability to communicate exactly what we mean.With affectionate, irreverent and playful prose and a unique combination of intimate storytelling and dizzying formal daring it's no w
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co Beyond the Burn Line
Book SynopsisWHAT WILL BECOME OF US?In the deep future beyond the burn line of the Anthropocene and the extinction of humanity, the city states of an intelligent species of bear have fallen to a mind-wrecking plague. The bears'' former slaves, a peaceable, industrious and endlessly curious people, believe that they have inherited the bounty and beauty of their beloved Mother Earth. But are they alone?After the death of his master, a famous scholar, Pilgrim Saltmire vows to complete their research into sightings of so-called visitors and their sky craft. To discover if they are a mass delusion created by the stresses of an industrial revolution, or if they are real - a remnant population of bears which survived the plague, or another, unknown intelligent species.Risking his reputation and his life, Pilgrim''s search for the truth takes him from his comfortable home in the shadow of a great library to his tribe''s former home on the chilly coast of the far south, and the ga
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Once Upon An Algorithm
Book SynopsisA brand new spicy STEM romance for fans of Ali Hazelwood and Sally Thorne!What do you do when your mortifying Friday night blind date is sitting opposite you at your desk on Monday morning?A hot blind date in Paris with no strings? Practical Leonie would never do such a thing! But when a new dating app that uses science and logic leads her to gorgeous, so-not-her-type Jack the chemistry is off the charts.Only, when the morning after proves that opposites definitely don't attract, Leonie is relieved they never need to see each other again.Until she starts her new job and there he is, sitting in the boss's office, the man behind the best and worst night of her life.Readers are obsessed with Once Upon An AlgorithmA delightful and engaging romantic novel that adds a fresh and modern twist to the world of love and algorithms.' ?????''Freaking PERFECTION. 10/10. This was just so so good. I couldn't get enough of it and wanted a thousand more pages of this.' ?????Trust me when I say you won''
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group The Temporary Roomie
Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Practice Makes Perfect comes an expanded edition of The Temporary Roomie - a witty and relatable romantic comedy about finding joy in the unexpected, with a never-before-seen chapter.No one said fair trade needed to be ''fair.''As the owner of Honeysuckle Salon, Jessie Barnes usually has everything managed and on track, but now in her third trimester of an unexpected pregnancy, she feels a bit lost and increasingly desperate after faulty plumbing floods her apartment. Unfortunately, her knight in shining armour is actually Dr. Drew Marshall, her best friend''s brother, and also the man she chewed out not too long ago for being a chauvinistic dirtbag.Every moment Drew''s had to prove her wrong since then has failed, so Jessie''s opinion of him hasn''t improved. That remains the case when he agrees to let her stay with him during renovations, under one condition: she pretends to be his girlfriend for upcoming work festivities. For the sake of her brother, Jessie is willing to make the tough situation work, and giving Drew a taste of his own medicine sounds . . . intriguing.But when their rivalry sparks a deeper connection, Jessie''s future gets even more unclear - and with a baby on the way, she''ll have to make a decision soon.
£9.49
Union Square & Co. The Leap Year Gene of Kit McKinley
Book SynopsisAn inspired, sweeping, historical epic tracing the remarkable life story of a baby girl born on leap year day who grows one year older every four years. The Leap Year Gene imagines the fascinating life of Kit McKinley from WWI up to the present day, told through the voices of Kit and her family members, whose lives are forever altered by her secret. A capriciously imagined historical epic that captures the essence of a century through the remarkable life of Kit McKinley. . . . Wood deftly weaves genetic discovery and society's fascination with eugenics into a highly unique, engrossing tale of love and family. Cathy Marie Buchanan, New York Times bestselling author of The Painted Girls February 29, 1916: After an unusually long pregnancy, Lillian McKinley, whose husband has been killed in the war, gives birth to a baby girl on Leap Year Day. Kit proves to be a happy and intelligent child, but unnaturally slow to age. For decades, she and her family must keep on the move to protect he
£12.34
Pan Macmillan The Roughest Draft
Book SynopsisAuthors of The Roughest Draft, Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka met in high school and fell in love over a shared passion for Shakespeare. Austin went on to study English at Harvard so he could continue to impress Emily with his literary analysis, while Emily studied adolescent psychology at Princeton. They live in Los Angeles, where they've combined their interests and decided to write stories of high school, literature, and first love.Trade ReviewThis novel is that rare piece of writing that needs no editing, haunts your sleep, and leaves you wishing it was longer when you turn the last page. -- Jodi Picoult, author of Wish You Were HereReading Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka’s prose is like sliding into the crisp sheets of a luxury hotel bed. -- Alicia Thompson, bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial KillersAchingly romantic. * Entertainment Weekly *The Roughest Draft has it all: romance, rumor and intrigue, and you won’t want to put it down. * Shondaland *Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka deliver on what they’ve always done best: imperfect characters who you want to follow all the way to the end. * BuzzFeed *Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka are the dream team from heaven . . . The Roughest Draft absolutely gives me The Hating Game vibes for a new generation, but sweeter. And maybe steamier? * Oprah Daily *Searingly insightful and achingly romantic . . . sure to delight and fascinate. -- Sarah Grunder Ruiz, author of Love, Lists, and Fancy ShipsThe most tantalizing romantic tension with a giant helping of swoon. -- Trish Doller, author of Float PlanSmart, tender, and deeply romantic, this book is an unforgettable, page-turning knockout. -- Bridget Morrissey, author of Love ScenesUtterly engrossing and beautifully wrought . . . An exquisite love story that will leave you spellbound and longing for more. -- Libby Hubscher, author of Meet Me in ParadiseComplex and compelling, The Roughest Draft is a love letter to the creative process and how it inflects our lives and, most especially, our relationships. -- Kate Clayborn, author of Love at First
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers Three Card Murder
Book SynopsisThe first in a gripping new mystery series introducing Detective Tess Fox and her con-artist sister Sarah Jacobs'A tasty whodunnit' The Sun'Three deviously clever impossible crimes' Gigi Pandian, Edgar-award winning author'A real puzzle box of a story' J.M. Hall, author of a A Spoonful of Murder'An ending I never saw coming' Faith Martin, multi-million-copy selling authorDI Tess Fox's first murder scene has two big problems. One, the victim was thrown from the balcony of a flat locked from the inside. Two, Tess knows him.But the biggest problem of all is Tess's half-sister, Sarah. She has links to the deceased and has the skills and criminal background to mastermind a locked-room murder. But she's a con-artist, not a killer.When two more bodies turn up, Tess now has three locked room mysteries to solve and even more reason to be suspicious of Sarah. Can she trust someone who breaks the law for a living, even if she is family?Tropes???? Locked room?? Impossible crime?????? Multiple murdTrade Review’I was gripped’ Louise Jensen ‘Ingenious, fun and very different from so many of the crime books out there today’ Ajay Chowdhury 'J L Blackhurst… must have a degree in Fun Engineering… this book's got it all' the Morning Star ’Twisty, tricksy and whip-smart … crackles with tension and humour’ Marion Todd ’So original, so fresh and very funny’ T. Orr Munro ‘I loved this book! It’s deliciously complex – a mystery that really makes you think, with characters that refuse to be pigeonholed. I turned the last page and wanted more’ Imogen Clark ‘The perfect Summer Holiday Read. Filled with murders, twists, feuding sisters and a real heart’ Derek Farrell ‘Wowzers. It’s a brain-teasing, page turning, triple locked room puzzle of a read! Loved the fresh and unique detective and amateur sleuth duo. A total must-read!’ Steph Broadribb
£8.54
Simon & Schuster Properties of Thirst
Book SynopsisA National Bestseller A New Yorker Best Book of 2022 Fifteen years after the publication of Evidence of Things Unseen, National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize finalist Marianne Wiggins returns with a “big, bold book” (USA TODAY) destined to be an American classic: a sweeping masterwork set during World War II about the meaning of family and the limitations of the American Dream.Rockwell “Rocky” Rhodes has spent years fiercely protecting his California ranch from the LA Water Corporation. It is here where he and his beloved wife Lou raised their twins, Sunny and Stryker, and it is here where Rocky has mourned Lou in the years since her death. As Sunny and Stryker reach the cusp of adulthood, the country teeters on the brink of war. Stryker decides to join the fight, deploying to Pearl Harbor not long before the bombs strike. Soon, Rocky and his family find themselves facing yet another incomprehTrade Review*Listed as one of The New Yorker's Best Books of 2022* “Written in such marvelous prose. This sprawling masterpiece is filled with multigenerational coming-of-age stories and dives into the California water wars, as well as the birth (and shameful disgrace) of the Japanese internment camp at Manzanar.”—New York Times “Legitimately great…. This is a big, bold book, generous of spirit and packed with prose that gleefully breaks the rules…. It speaks to the heart as well as the head, and conjures characters to whom you won’t want to say goodbye.”—USA Today “This is a love story. Or rather, several love stories…. ‘You can’t save what you don’t love,’ reads the declarative sentence that opens the novel. It becomes the theme that ties together the disparate characters as they attempt to save the water, save the land, save their families and ultimately save themselves. And it describes the novel that mother and daughter have saved together.”—Los Angeles Times “Wiggins’s wordplay is stellar… the dialogue is full of grit, and Wiggins manages to capture a big swath of mid-century America by placing a blue-blooded family into a desert inland complete with adobe haciendas, desert blooms, and Hollywood movie sets…Wiggins’s masterpiece is one for the ages.”—The Millions “A sweeping, cinematic story of love and family set against the dramatic backdrop of World War II and the American West…. What makes the novel soar is the way Wiggins can evoke landscapes both interior and exterior, especially the expansive valley that has come to exemplify America’s best qualities—and its worst. This majestic novel will satisfy those thirsting for an epic saga of love, family, and the complexities of the American way.”—Kirkus *Starred Review* "Wiggins manages to capture a big swath of mid-century America by placing a blue-blooded family into a desert inland complete with adobe haciendas, desert blooms, and Hollywood movie sets, while throughout, the Rhodes hold out hope for Stryker’s survival. Wiggins’s masterpiece is one for the ages."–Publishers Weekly, *Starred Review* “[a] grand novel of principled and creative individuals caught in the vise of history… Loss, desire, moral dilemmas, reflection, and zesty dialogue with the do-good energy of Frank Capra films generate a WWII home front tale of profound and far-ranging inquiry and imagination, scintillating humor, intrepid romance, and conscience.”—Booklist *Starred Review* “Masterful…. Readers won’t be able to look away. Wiggins’ characters are raw and honest… [her] writing, which can be fragmented or polished depending on the page, opens up microscopic universes and sprawling landscapes alike. It’s a joy to read.”—Bookpage *Starred Review* “A sweeping, affecting story about family, property, and the soul of America might sound ambitious, but it's carried off with seeming ease by Marianne Wiggins, the award-winning author of Evidence of Things Unseen. This new novel follows a 1940s California family whose closely guarded land gets an unexpected neighbor when an internment camp is set to be built nearby, and examines love, loss, and what it truly means to be at home.”—Town & Country "A rich historical fiction centered on a Southern California ranch family circa WWII and shot through with shades of Chinatown." –Entertainment Weekly "This magnificent novel opens every little nerve of language and sends jolts of electricity along the spine. It's a love story, and a family tale, and a song of history. It's about shame and loss and recovery and beauty. It's a novel to cherish, composed with great humanity and humour."–Colum McCann “A changing American landscape is beautifully portrayed in PROPERTIES OF THIRST, a moving and gripping new novel by Marianne Wiggins. At the start of World War II, while Japanese families are relocated to Manzanar, the Rhodes family, who live on a ranch near the camp are equally uprooted by memories and circumstances. What follows is a rich and powerful portrayal of love, loss, and the enduring strength of family. A novel to be read and savored.”—Gail Tsukiyama, bestselling author of Women of the Silk and The Samurai’s Garden "This is a novel I wish I could have written. Keen, unsparing, and compassionate, Properties of Thirst reveals a world and a history I thought I knew, in language so beautiful, it took my breath away. Vividly alive, these characters mirror our present moment, our complex ties to this land and to each other, our most profound alienations and our fiercest loves."–Ruth Ozeki, author of A Tale for the Time Being "'Properties of Thirst' is a graceful and arresting meditation on the dark nature of greed and desire in the face of dwindling natural resources and pernicious xenophobia. It is impossible to read this novel and ignore the fact that the unscrupulous choices we've made in the past are the ones we're still making, ones that, if we're not able to look at ourselves with the moral clarity Wiggins brings to her fiction, we will continue to make."–Marisa Silver, author of The Mysteries, and Mary Coin
£11.69
Biblioasis Captain Dalgety Returns
Book SynopsisWorld-renowned cartoonist Seth returns with three new ghost stories for 2024.After the death of his wife in childbirth, Captain Dalgety has grown distant from his estate and young daughter. But during his walk home one afternoon, a sudden thunderstorm causes a series of revelations, and the captain’s life takes an unexpected turn.
£7.49
Turner Publishing Company You Me and Ulysses S. Grant
Book SynopsisA farcical biography of Ulysses S. Grant, You, Me, and Ulysses S. Grant is a history lesson disguised as an uproarious novel. Spanning from Grant’s birth until his victory over the Confederacy, You, Me, and Ulysses S. Grant gives us an honest—warts and all—portrait of a relatable American hero who wrestled with the same domestic divisions that we’re dealing with today. But what makes this book truly special is in its playful, disruptive postmodernism and the characteristically Brad Neely, campy voice of its narrator. The book examines the validity of biography by hilariously breaking all the form''s rules. Through his humor, Neely brings Ulysses S. Grant to life. And in bringing Grant to life, Brad Neely has created his greatest cult classic yet.Taking the accessible, pop history of Coe’s You Never Forget Your First and adding more of the nerdy, punk humor of Rainn Wilson or Judd Apatow, You
£12.34
Faber & Faber Tremor
Book SynopsisLife is hopeless but it is not serious. We have to have danced while we could and, later, to have danced again in the telling.Tunde, the man at the centre of this novel, reflects on the places and times of his life, from his West African upbringing to his current work as a teacher of photography on a renowned New England campus. He is a reader, a listener, and a traveller drawn to many different kinds of stories: from history and the epic; of friends, family, and strangers; those found in books and films. One man's personal lens refracts entire worlds, and back again.A weekend spent shopping for antiques is shadowed by the colonial atrocities that occurred on that land. A walk at dusk is interrupted by casual racism. A loving marriage is riven by mysterious tensions. And a remarkable cascade of voices speak out from a pulsing metropolis.Tremor is a startling work of realism and invention that examines the passage of time and how we mark it. It i
£9.49
Oneworld Publications The Volcano Daughters
Book SynopsisSet in 20th-century El Salvador, The Volcano Daughters is a powerful novel about sisterhood, art, and a community of women who refuse to be silenced.
£15.29
Penguin Random House Group Spatriati
Book Synopsis
£15.29
HarperCollins Publishers Why Mummy Drinks on Holiday
Book SynopsisNo.1 bestselling author Gill Sims is back with her eagerly awaited sixthWhy Mummynovel.When family life gives you lemons, trade them for grapes!Mummy Ellen is on a well-earned sabbatical from work, and she has A Vision. She is going to cherish *every* moment this holiday with her Precious Moppets Peter and Jane, alongside her ride-or-die best friend, Hannah. There will be wicker baskets! Vintage bicycles! Pink sunshine wine! And not an electronic babysitter in sight.But as she strives for her picture-perfect Ultimate Family Summer in the sun-kissed bliss of her almost-chateau, reality crashes the party. With small feral hell-beasts to keep alive on the daily, and Hannah suddenly and mysteriously MIA, wine o'clock gets earlier and earlier as each day crawls by.Can she keep The Vision alive without resorting to nightly beige freezer tapas' (aka guilt-flavoured chicken nuggets)? Or will she reach the end of her Gentle Parenting book and her tether as her dream holiday descends into a nigh
£15.29
Bonnier Books Ltd The Day Tripper
Book SynopsisAN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH PICK FOR LITERATURE AND FICTION 'The Day Tripper is absolutely astonishing, from first page to last. Warm, clever, hopeful, and superbly written. James Goodhand is a brilliant storyteller at the top of his game. I adored it.' - Stuart Turton, bestselling author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn HardcastleIt's 1995, and Alex Dean has it all: a place at Cambridge University next year, the love of an amazing woman named Holly and all the time in the world ahead of him. That is until a brutal encounter with a ghost from his past sees him beaten, battered and almost drowning in the Thames.He wakes the next day to find he's in a messy, derelict room he's never seen before, in grimy clothes he doesn't recognise. A glimpse in the mirror tells him he's older-much older-his features ravaged by time and poor decisions. It's 2010-fifteen years since the fight.After fin
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Aurora
Book SynopsisSoon to be a film from Netflix and Oscar-winning director of The Hurt Locker Kathryn Bigelow.Fantastic story, a real page-turner. Impossible to put down' Stephen KingForget a good night's sleep. Aurora is epic' Linwood BarclayWhen the lights go out no one is safeWhen a solar storm hits the earth, electrical power is knocked out across the planet, and the blackout could last for years. Soon food becomes scarce, and the rule of law begins to collapse. In their small community, Aubrey and her teenage stepson now face the biggest challenge of their lives.Across the country, Aubrey's estranged brother Thom, a self-made billionaire, retreats to a desert bunker where he can ride out the crisis in perfect luxury. But the complicated history between the siblings is far from over.As Aubrey struggles to live, what feels like the end of the world is just the beginning of a long-overdue reckoning , and not everyone can surviveTrade Review‘Fantastic story, a real page-turner. Impossible to put down’ Stephen King 'Forget a good night’s sleep. Aurora is epic, but personal and poignant, horrifying and darkly funny, and flat-out suspenseful’ Linwood Barclay ‘With Aurora, David Koepp has firmly staked his ground as one of the best thriller writers working today’ Blake Crouch ‘Aurora contains two great narratives on a collision course. When, where and how they collide will you keep you turning pages right up to The End’ Brian De Palma ‘David Koepp does it again! Mixing humour, terror, and an all-too-believable doomsday scenario, Aurora is at the top of my list this year’ Christina Dalcher ‘There’s a reason David Koepp is the most successful screenwriter of all time. It’s because he’s one of the greatest storytellers of all time. Aurora is up there with his best: scary, funny, and thought provoking. Buy it immediately’ Scott Frank, writer and director of The Queen’s Gambit ‘Everything a great novel, and great thriller, should be . . . Frightening, surprising, wildly entertaining, but also full of heart’ Mike Lupica, co-author of The Horsewoman with James Patterson, and Robert B. Parker’s Revenge Tour ‘Terrifyingly plausible, this apocalyptic tale focusses on one family and their trials and triumphs in the face of horrifying odds. Moving, thrilling, and thoughtful, it's a high-velocity thriller with heart and soul.’ Tim Lebbon, author of The Last Storm ‘This techno-thriller is a real page-turner: diving into the devastating consequences of an all-too-plausible “end of life as we know it” event… Koepp keeps the reader in constant suspense while making the fall-out of these epic events both relatable and poignant… you won't be able to put it down!’ Ally Wilkes, author of All the White Spaces
£8.54
Pan Macmillan Open Throat
Book SynopsisHenry Hoke is the author of the memoir Sticker, The Book of Endless Sleepovers, the story collection Genevieves, and the novel The Groundhog Forever. His work has appeared in Electric Literature, Triangle House, The Offing, and the Catapult anthology Tiny Crimes. He holds an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts, where he taught for five years, and presently teaches at the University of Virginia Young Writers Workshop.Trade ReviewOpen Throat is a blinding spotlight beam of a book that I was completely unable and unwilling to put down. I am not convinced Henry Hoke isn’t a mountain lion. -- Catherine Lacey, author of PewAn instant classic . . . The writing is so sinuous, so wry and muscular, yet with a padding, pawing playfulness, that you’re ready to go anywhere Hoke wants to take you . . . It’s funny, it’s heartbreaking and nail-bitingly propulsive, with an exquisite Hitchcockian climax. -- Rahul Raina * The Guardian *The lion king of Los Angeles . . . Hoke’s choice of narrator results in some fang-sharp incisiveness andflashes of brilliant humour * The Observer *A beguiling and memorable work * The Irish Times *Witty, emotional and gripping, Open Throat is a short but savage thrill ride * The Independent *[A] slim jewel of a novel . . . Though many readers will label Open Throat unconventional, this act of ravishing and outlandish imagination should be the norm, not the exception. At its best, fiction can make the familiar strange in order to bring readers and our world into scintillating focus. Open Throat is what fiction should be. * The New York Times Book Review *A propulsive, one-sitting read, if also a somber one . . . Without spoiling the story, it’s perhaps enough to say that the climax of Open Throat is a very L.A. one, with spotlights and drama. But it’s also a universal one. * Los Angeles Times *My definition of an unputdownable book is one that is funny, full of longing, and a bit fantastical. If a novel is all three, I'm sold. Open Throat by Henry Hoke is, for me, a Rosetta Stone of unputdownability: an allegorical tale of a queer mountain lion fighting for survival (and love) in the hills of Los Angeles. -- Melissa Broder * The Guardian *Your off-beat beach read? Open Throat is Bret Easton Ellis meets mountain lion in the Hollywood Hills . . . it already has people talking * The Sunday Times Style *I defy you to hear the premise of this sophomore novel from the always-interesting Henry Hoke and not immediately smash that preorder button . . . a playful, poignant, tragicomic delight * Lit Hub *A mountain cougar’s glimpses of LA (‘ellay’). Loved this tale of loneliness, longing and gore in the Hills. -- James Cahill, author of Tiepolo BlueI didn't know I would feel such attachment to a mountain lion when I started reading, but in Henry Hoke's talented hands, they become an instantly memorable and endearing protagonist. * Buzzfeed *This is one of the most unique books of the summer . . . a miniature masterpiece * iNews *Open Throat is a strange and beguiling prose/poem/novella about a curious, queer and raveous mountain lion stalking the Hollywood hills . . . Uniquely and bizarrely seductive * Attitude *This lyrical story of loneliness and kinship in Los Angeles is, by turns, delightful and melancholy—and inventive throughout. * Vanity Fair *Henry Hoke’s narrator is the most credible animal witness to human behavior since Robert Bresson’s Balthazar. Original, fun and completely awakening, Open Throat is a devastating portrait of LA today. -- Chris Kraus, author of I Love DickIt's not often you come across a book with such an incredibly unique premise that you can't help but read it, if only for pure curiosity. And it's even less common for these books to be wholly and entirely gratifying, entertaining, and enjoyable beyond expectation. Reader, Open Throat by Henry Hoke is all of these things. * NB Magazine *Open Throat strikes the perfect balance of humor and trauma, creating an encapsulating read that interrogates the complexities of gender identity and a world marked by climate change. -- Michael Welch, Chicago Review of BooksOpen Throat feels like a comic book and a really good one; it feels the inside of animals, specifically one animal, a mountain lion, and with them we desire blood and I can’t tell you how it ends but I love knowing a mountain lion so much. The beauty and tragedy of all of nature is in this character. Open Throat is a fierce writing act. Henry Hoke makes it true. -- Eileen Myles, author of For NowDaring and moving . . . Give this sinewy prose poem a chance and you'll fall under the spell of a forlorn voice trapped in the hellscape of modern America -- Ron Charles * The Washington Post *Strange, unique, and mesmerizing. -- Gabino Iglesias, Boston GlobeIn this fantastical, deeply moving, and original adventure--also an unforgettable reckoning with contemporary Los Angeles--Henry Hoke introduces an animal whose life is more than just survival: they are full of longing, regret, memory, sadness, and astute observation. -- Brontez Purnell, author of 100 BoyfriendsOpen Throat is an instant cult classic and a bloody masterpiece. Rhythmically brilliant, heart-wounding, and scathingly funny, I’m in love with a mountain lion and in awe of this book. -- Melissa Broder, author of The PiscesThe premise alone makes Henry Hoke's startling achievement worth the purchase . . . Philosophical and heartfelt, Open Throat is the ultimate immersion into the mind of an unlikely protagonist. -- Lauren Puckett-Pope * ELLE *If like many people you are sick of human protagonists that are often nihilistic, self-destructive, fundamentally lonely people, then perhaps you would prefer Open Throat, which is narrated by a similarly lonely mountain lion who lives in the Hollywood Hills. -- i-D, 'fiction to be excited for in 2023' My favorite book of this century so far! I keep putting off writing this blurb because every time I pick up Open Throat I re-read it and fall back in love with this gay-ass big cat and then I have to spend the whole rest of the day thinking about mountain lions and humans and sex and bodies and death and climate change and bad dads and NY v LA and what is even possible in this world. Henry Hoke is a magician. -- Andrea Lawlor, author of Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal GirlWholly original, inventive, and surprising on every level. It affirms the capaciousness of the novel as a form. I wish more books took the kinds of chances Open Throat does. -- Diane Cook, author of the Booker Prize finalist novel The New WildernessBrave; moving; excitingly bold. -- Charlotte Mendelson, author of The ExhibitionistOpen Throat is a fable for our times that cements Henry Hoke as an essential voice in experimental and deliciously queer fiction. * Electric Literature *A tight, funny book with an alarmingly unique tone * The Brooklyn Rail *Distinctive. Endearing. Poetic. Funny. In Open Throat, Henry Hoke has given voice to something both familiar and strange, that speaks to the conscious and unconscious mind at the same time, deftly revealing the world. -- Octavia Bright, author of This Ragged GraceCompulsively readable -- Megan Milks, 4ColumnsRead something crazy this summer. * The Philadelphia Inquirer *I defy you to hear the premise of this sophomore novel from the always-interesting Henry Hoke and not immediately smash that preorder button . . . a playful, poignant, tragicomic delight. * Lit Hub *Inspired by a real lion who famously lived in Hollywood, this hilarious and touching tale is blazingly original and really rather brilliant. * The Bookseller, Editor's Choice *Unique and bizarrely seductive * Attitude *. . . replete with wisdom and an unnervingly astute understanding * NB *Playful [and] provocative . . . By turns funny and melancholy, this is a thrilling portrait of alienation. * Publisher's Weekly *Compassionate, fierce, and bittersweet, this is an unforgettable love letter to the wild. * Kirkus *Highly imaginative . . . a fascinating take on the human world and his place in it. Open Throat is a treat for both animal lovers and anyone who appreciates innovative fiction. * Booklist *
£13.49
HarperCollins Publishers Inc How to Train Your Human
Book Synopsis
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind
Book SynopsisTrippy, incisive, riotously funny' ALEXANDRA KLEEMAN [An] insightfully nightmarish parable ' HALLE BUTLER 'A stunner' NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH Luminous as if George Saunders infiltrated the Severance writers' room' WASHINGTON POST
£9.49
Bedford Square Publishers The Ancients
Book SynopsisA richly imagined, sweeping novel set in the climate-changed world of our own descendants, by the acclaimed author of WHISKEY WHEN WE'RE DRY
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers The Christmas Wish
Book SynopsisHow do you fall in love with someone who can't remember you from one day until the next?Absolutely hilarious, engaging and fun' ????? Reader reviewNewly single lawyer Gwen Baker needs a family Christmas to bury her woes, with festive films, country walks and a mountain of chocolate.Her teenage crush Dev is back in their small village as well and it turns out he's just as kind, funny and good-looking as she remembers.But then Gwen wakes up to discover it's Christmas all over again. She's trapped in a snowy Groundhog Day. But would repeat meet-cutes with Dev really be so bad for a heart that needs mending?READERS LOVE LINDSEY KELK:A festive romance with a twist . . . with plenty of funny moments and a whole load of emotion' ?????The perfect antidote to these dark evenings, full of warmth, humour, deep insights and feel-good prose' ?????If you read one Christmas book this year . . . let it be this one!' ?????Everything you want for a Christmas read' ?????Warm-hearted, funny and so enjoyaTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR THE CHRISTMAS WISH: ’Sparkles with wit and warmth . . . I’ll read anything Lindsey writes, but this one might just be my new favourite of her novels’ BETH O’LEARY ‘Brimming with wit, humour and festive sparkle’ SARAH MORGAN ’The Christmas Wish is Lindsey Kelk’s best yet. I couldn’t have loved this romantic, festive, brilliantly funny novel more’ ROSIE WALSH ‘Absolutely screamingly hilarious, full of Christmas-y sparkle and a lovely boy-next-door romance, but with some serious depth to bring you all the feels’ LIZZY DENT ‘Reading this book felt like opening a box of Quality Streets, getting out the Christmas edition of the Radio Times, then popping on a Santa Hat’ SOPHIE COUSENS PRAISE FOR LINDSEY KELK’S ROMCOMS: ‘So uplifting and wildly romantic’ MARIAN KEYES ‘Funny, engaging and sparkly’ JANE FALLON ‘The literary equivalent of opening a glass of wine with your best friend’ MHAIRI MCFARLANE ‘The kind of book you can’t put down, but also want to last forever’ EMILY HENRY ‘Swoops you up and fills your heart with such joy’ GIOVANNA FLETCHER ‘Sparkling and gorgeously romantic’ SARAH MORGAN ‘Touching, hugely romantic and properly laugh-out-loud funny’ SOPHIA MONEY-COUTTS ‘I laughed and cried with every chapter, I never wanted it to end’ LUCY VINE ‘Utterly brilliant: super smart, achingly funny and just impossible to put down’ ROSIE WALSH ‘The perfect balance between sparkly escapism and big-hearted realness’ SOPHIE RANALD ‘As warm as a hug but as funny as a night out with the girls’ LAURA JANE WILLIAMS ‘Perfect, escapist fiction’ LIA LOUIS ‘You will not want to miss your invite to this ball’ CRESSIDA MCLAUGHLIN ‘Full of Lindsey’s trademark warmth and wit’ ALEX BROWN ‘Everything a perfect and iconic romcom should be’ CARMEL HARRINGTON ‘You cannot spell romcom without Lindsey Kelk’ LAUREN HO
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers Untitled Book 4
Book SynopsisEscape into the world of Dilly Court this spring, and discover characters old and new, with the latest compelling historical drama from the nation's favourite.
£17.00
Penguin Books Ltd Girl 1983
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Bonnier Books Ltd The Group
Book SynopsisA SEARING HOT SUMMER READ FOR FANS OF SALTBURN AND THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY.'A stunningly written ( and translated) story about greed, fraud, hedonism and identity. The story hooks you in with its languid prose . . . Compelling.' Reader, Netgalley'Feels a lot like Donna Tart . . . a page turner and captivating from the start' - Reader, Goodreads'A combination of craftsmanship and artistic ambition ... bingeable' ExpressenHOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO BECOME ONE OF THEM?When Hanna moves to Spain for an internship at the prestigious Prado gallery, she finds herself spending her days buried in the museum's stifling archives, and her nights alone in a tiny rented flat.Then one day she sees them; Tom, Samuel, and Leah. Glamorous and elegant, they are also foreigners in the city. But unlike her they are fabulously wealthy, their lives an endless whirl of creativity a
£15.29
Amazon Publishing The Trade Off
Book SynopsisA brilliant and ambitious young woman strives to find her place amid the promise and tumult of 1920s Wall Street in a captivating historical novel by the author of The Lobotomist’s Wife.Bea Abramovitz has a gift for math and numbers. With her father, she studies the burgeoning Wall Street market’s stocks and patterns in the financial pages. After college she’s determined to parlay her talent for the prediction game into personal and professional success. But in the 1920s, in a Lower East Side tenement, opportunities for women don’t just come knocking. Bea will have to create them.It’s easier for her golden-boy twin brother, Jake, who longs to reclaim all their parents lost after fleeing the pogroms in Russia to come to America. Well intentioned but undisciplined, Jake has a charm that can carry him only so far on Wall Street. So Bea devises a plan. They’ll be a secret team, and she’ll be the brains behind the brok
£8.54
John Murray Press Sunbirds
Book Synopsis''Seductive'' Daily Mail''Vivid and packed with emotion, this assured debut about a mother searching for her son will take you on a journey to the ragged landscape of the Himalayas'' Woman and Home''A thought-provoking ode to motherhood'' Scots MagazineIn 1997 Anne''s eighteen-year-old son Torran walked out of his hotel in the notorious Himalayan town of Manali - and disappeared. Seven years later Anne is still searching, haunted by the idea that someone must know something, following every tenuous lead, obsessed with potential sightings. She''s ridden with guilt at the way she failed Torran as a mother. Though, unlike her husband, she''s never stopped believing her son is alive. When her estranged niece Esther arrives with new information, Anne is convinced that her tenacity will finally be rewarded. Forging an uneasy truce, they venture deep into the lush but unpredictable Himalayas, hunting
£17.09
Nordisk Books Nothing to be Rescued
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£10.79
Parthian Books Ironopolis
Book SynopsisNew edition of one of Parthian’s most acclaimed recent titles, complete with a stunning redesigned jacket. Ironopolis is a warren of streets, memories and people with secrets... Glen James Brown orchestrates a remarkable novel across these streets as Ironopolis tells its own story across three generations. Jean unveils a secret on her deathbed... Alan unravels the truth of his father, a man who has haunted the Burn Council Estate for a lifetime... Corina is just trying to get through one last day at the hairdressers before she closes it for good. And then there is the ageless Peg Powler, myth and reality, stalking them all...Trade Review‘An edgy and arresting debut novel.’ – The Bookseller; ‘...an unflinching tale about narratives at the heart of working class communities and the struggle to keep them alive.’ – Northern Soul; ‘Bold, polyphonic, daringly structured... Ironopolis is an ambitious and exciting achievement...’ – Sam Byers, author of Idiopathy and Perfidious Albion; ‘This is a true novel of the people... a tapestry of working-class life in all its glory and pain.’ – Anthony Cartwright, author of Heartland; ‘The most accomplished working-class novel of the last few years.’ – The Morning Star
£10.44
Fitzcarraldo Editions The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers’ Guild
Book SynopsisTo research his thesis on contemporary agrarian life, anthropology student David Mazon moves from Paris to La Pierre-Saint-Christophe, a village in the marshlands of western France. Determined to capture the essence of rurality, the intrepid scholar shuttles around on his moped to interview local residents. Unbeknownst to David, in these nondescript lands, once theatres of wars and revolutions, Death leads the dance. When an existence ends, the Wheel of Life recycles its soul and hurls it back into the world as microbe, human or wild animal, sometimes in the past, sometimes in the future. Only once a year do Death and the living observe a temporary truce, during a gargantuan three-day feast where gravediggers gorge themselves on food, libations and language. Brimming with Mathias Enard’s characteristic wit and encyclopaedic brilliance, The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers’ Guild is a riotous novel where the edges between past and present are constantly dissolving against a Rabelaisian backdrop of excess – and a paradoxically macabre paean to life’s richness.Trade Review‘Enard is a writer of singular talent…. Just buy it and open up the field diary of a pretentious young man in the arse-end of nowhere in France, and see what a really great writer can do with almost anything.’ — John Phipps, The Times‘Énard is wickedly, brilliantly, subversive of sanctity….Despite its macabre title and subject matter, this novel is a capacious celebration of life, love and language.’ — Ruth Scurr, Guardian‘The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers’ Guild is an earthy, Rabelaisian riot of a novel, dripping with slime, bugs, gluttony, death and bawdy decay….It is a dizzying concoction, which almost topples under its own inventive weight. In the end, though, it is held together by David’s own story which, like Maître Susane’s, carries a surprising tenderness.’ — Sophie Pedder, Economist ‘[T]he real story becomes history, the fluidity of time, the democratizing powers of death, and — through a stew of Buddhist, Christian and Islamic philosophies — the cyclical jumble of life. This is Énard at his best, calling to mind the erudite historical sweep of his 2008 debut, Zone.’ — Martin Riker, New York Times ‘When French gravediggers gather for their annual banquet in Mathias Enard’s magnificent new novel, they banish the ghosts by feasting on a grand, Rabelaisian scale[...]In The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers’ Guild the focus shifts from the macroscopic to the microscopic, opening up La Pierre-Saint-Christophe to the relentless fractal curiosity of a writer fascinated by the depths of the infinitely small. The epic nosh-up, hosted by the local undertaker Martial Pouvreau, allows Enard to engage in an alternative history of France, looking to the inexhaustible resources of the provinces rather than to the gilded stories of the metropolis. The challenges for the translator of Enard’s remarkable novel are endless from the rendering of punning proper names to the encyclopedic survey of French gastronomy and the capture of French dialect speech. Frank Wynne, the prize-winning Irish translator, proves himself more than equal to the task and ensures that, for English-readers, the invitation to the banquet leaves us hungry for more.’ — Michael Cronin, Irish Times‘Recklessly, omnisciently, dazzlingly, Mathias Enard over the last twenty years has been inventing one of the most visionary oeuvres in French literature. In this book, by excavating a remote rural corner and inhabiting in turn every living thing there, man, woman and beast, he gives us the gift of deep verticality, where a sentence spools into other sentences, other stories, other epochs, and resolves into a history of Europe.’ — Jeet Thayil, author of Names of the Women‘Mathias Enard is one of the best contemporary French writers, and his works – ambitious, erudite, multifaceted, surprising and unconventional – are always worth reading, because they always strike a perfect balance between the best that literature can offer: pleasure and knowledge.’ — Javier Cercas, author of The Impostor‘Every novel by Mathias Enard reminds me of the reasons why I read fiction. He is ambitious, erudite, full of life, and a wonderful stylist to boot. He is one of the great novelists of our time.’ — Juan Gabriel Vásquez, author of The Shape of the Ruins‘Mathias Enard is an immensely ambitious writer.... Fortunately, his ambition is matched by an equally extraordinary talent. His elegant prose ... is admirably precise and intellectually limpid – he makes no concessions.’ — Alberto Manguel, El País‘All of Enard’s books share the hope of transposing prose into the empyrean of pure sound, where words can never correspond to stable meanings. He’s the composer of a discomposing age.’ — Joshua Cohen, New York Times ‘A novelist like Enard feels particularly necessary right now, though to say this may actually be to undersell his work. He is not a polemicist but an artist, one whose novels will always have something to say to us.’ — Christopher Beha, Harper’s‘The most brazenly lapel-grabbing French writer since Michel Houellebecq.’ — Leo Robson, New Statesman ‘Rarely has a book about death been so joyful.... With The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers’ Guild, Mathias Enard offers up both the most excessive and the most consolatory novel written in a long time.’ — Florence Buchy, Le Monde‘Although his focus here is on the Poitevin marshes, Mathias Enard remains above all an explorer who is peerless in his ability to join together places, cultures and epochs, always returning to love, to death and to what they can generate together.’ — Baptiste Liger, Lire‘A baroque, Rabelaisian tale.... Mathias Enard’s pen and unbridled imagination lead the saraband, the bacchanalia, until we've had our fill.’ — Thierry Clermont, Le Figaro‘A wonderfully unclassifiable novel. Contemporary, historical, comical, truculent, poetic, with elements of the diary, the fable, the short story... The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers’ Guild is shot through with Mathias Enard’s deep love of literature.’ — Muriel Mingaud, Centre France‘This is a book that elicits a visceral response from the reader.’ — Josh Zajdman, Washington Post
£15.29
