Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisRead the next book in the heart-warming WW2 historical romance saga series, The Steel GirlsIn their darkest days, they'll find the courage to carry onSummer 1940The war is raging on but the Steel Girls are fighting their own battles closer to home. After patching things up with Archie, Patty is miffed when he appears to have forgotten all about her 18th birthday.New girl Hattie has a lot to deal with as she trades the counter at Woolworths for the Vickers factory floor. But is she keeping a secret and are things tougher at home than she's been letting on?Meanwhile, Nancy is besides herself when she receives word that Bert is missing in action and is struggling to keep it together.As the Steel Girls come together to be there in Nancy's hour of need, will life ever be the same again?Trade Review Praise for The Steel Girls: ‘A riveting saga about love, courage and, above all, female friendship’ Best ‘A lovely read’ Bella ’The perfect book to snuggle up with this autumn’ That’s Life ‘Hardship, courage and hope on the Home Front’ Kate Thompson, bestselling author of Secrets of the Lavender Girls ‘A heart-warming story perfect for saga lovers’ Nancy Revell, bestselling author of The Shipyard Girls on the Home Front ‘A great read’ Yorkshire Post ’A heart-warming tale of the brave women who stepped up to become the backbone of Sheffield’s steel industry during the Second World War’ Yours

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Book SynopsisThe truth is waiting to be told ''Stunning'' SANTA MONTEFIORE''Spine-tinglingly good'' AMANDA GEARD''Incredible'' LORNA COOK***Cornwall, 1934.Violet Ellis is living in the shadows of her father's ruined reputation. So, when wealthy widower James Atherton offers her employment, she immediately begins the treacherous journey to his home on the remote Cornish island of Aoife's Bay despite the bone-chilling allegations surrounding his late wife Elizabeth's death.In James's company, Violet begins to feel the love that has been missing all her life. But when anonymous letters start to plague the bay's residents, threatening to expose what really happened to Elizabeth, Violet feels the hostility towards her grow. She has an unsettling sense of being watched in her new home, and as the mysteries of the island draw her in, she starts to fear she might never find a way out Sweeping across London, Oxford and the wilds of the West Country, this novel is perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore, Louise Douglas and Lucinda Riley.***READERS ARE SPELLBOUND BY SECRETS OF THE WATCH HOUSE:''You''ll be obsessed by the mystery, haunted by the shadows and beguiled by the love. Just brilliant!'' NATASHA LESTER''Amazingly addictive'' ?????''An absolute page-turner gorgeously atmospheric'' TRACY REES''Brilliant storytelling, atmospheric setting, intriguing plot, together with mystery and romance all of which kept me hooked'' ?????''A glorious, and sometimes creepy, read'' RACHEL BURTON''A spell-binding story with so much heartache and mystery'' ?????

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Book SynopsisThree estranged sisters reconnect in their Louisiana hometown to face an unresolved past in a heartfelt novel about family, grief, secrets, and forgiveness. Savannah was four years old when her twin sister, Georgia, went missing from their small Louisiana town, fracturing their family. Twenty-eight years later, Savannah convinces her estranged older sisters, Rayanne and Sue Ellen, to honor the pact they made as children and retrieve the time capsule they buried in their old backyard. But coming home means confronting old ghosts…and their stubborn grandmother, Meemaw. Sifting through the artifacts, they come across a photograph taken on the day Georgia disappeared and spot a familiar woman lingering in the background. While Sue Ellen and Rayanne want to move on with their lives, Savannah is determined to find the woman—and perhaps a clue to the past. When old tensions, rivalries, and memories resurface, the sisters must reconsider what they thought they knew about that fateful day, about each other, and about themselves. On their search to uncover what happened to Georgia, each of them will discover what Meemaw has known all along: family is everything.Trade Review“The concept of home, shaky at the beginning, is made whole again…A good addition to women’s fiction collections.” —Booklist “With lush prose and vivid description, Laura Barrow paints a picture of three sisters and their grandmother searching to uncover a secret from the past—and heal the wounds that have, in many ways, shaped their lives. Lyrical and lovely, Call the Canaries Home is a stunning debut from a standout new voice in women’s fiction. And Laura Barrow is officially on my list of must-read authors!” —Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Songbirds “For fans of small-town fiction and bighearted family comes a moving tale of forgiveness, loss, and secrets told through a cast of memorable characters. As three sisters move closer toward the truth behind their sibling’s disappearance, they discover deeper truths about themselves. Barrow crafts an impressive debut, culminating in a bittersweet yet satisfying conclusion. A touching, heartfelt read proving that family truly is everything.” —Rochelle B. Weinstein, bestselling author of When We Let Go

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Book SynopsisTHERE''S A NEW SPY IN THE KITCHEN - AND IT TURNS OUT TO BE THE COOK . . .House witch Finlay Ashowan must contend with matters of the heart, hearth, and kingdom in the second book in this whimsical, romantic fantasy series.-Between his work for the King and Queen of Daxaria and a new (secret) relationship with Lady Annika Jenoure, Fin the cook''s life is anything but tidy.Annika is being forced from the castle after there are threats to her safety. All the while tension is brewing with the kingdom of Troivack and war seems to draw ever closer.As if he doesn''t have enough on his plate, Fin is soon promoted from cook to spy and sent into the city of Austice where he must sleuth out the plans of the Troivackian troops allegedly hidden there.However, an unwelcome visitor is about to knock on his door, and Fin's world starts to unravel even more . . .- As Fin forges new friendships and alliances he mu

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Book SynopsisAll the trappings of a feel-good read second chances and winter-tinged rendezvous' My WeeklyJulie Shackman knows how to bring the feel-good factor' Woman's Weekly?????''If you're looking for the ultimate Christmas feel-good book, this has got to be up there' NetGalley ReviewerFall in love with the Christmas romance of the year, full of love and second chances!Lottie Grant loves the festive season so much that she works at the incredibly successful Christmas shop, Christmas Crackers, in her pretty Scottish home town of Craig Brae. But when the shop is sold, her world is turned upside down, leaving her wondering what she will do next.Just as she's about to give up hope on finding a new dream job, an offer comes that she can't refuse, managing a set of luxury wooden cabins and opening just in time for Christmas!As she gets to work decorating the cabins, and hanging lights on the fir trees, Lottie can't believe her luck. That is until the arrival of Blake Dempster, a moody but handsome hik

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Book Synopsis‘Controlled and fearless perfection’ - The Washington PostJamaica Kincaid’s brother Devon died of Aids on 19 January 1996 at the age of 33. This poetic and shockingly candid recounting of her brother’s life and death is also the story of her family in Antigua - centred round her destructive mother - and a portrait of an illness misunderstood.From one of today’s most iconic writers, My Brother is a remarkable record of a life that ended too early. It speaks to the difficult truths at the heart of all families.Now in the Picador Collection.

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Book Synopsis'Affecting and engaging' COLM TÓIBÍN'A wistful, witty meditation on a gay man's twilight years and the twilight of America' GuardianOut in the drought-struck backwaters of rural Florida, The Kingdom of Sand's nameless narrator lives a life of semi-solitude, enjoying the odd, fleeting sexual encounter and the friendship of a few.His world is ageing, and the memories of another time flash, then fade - visions of parties filled with handsome young men, the parents whom he chose to spend his life besides, the generation he once knew, struck down by AIDS. But, when forced to watch the slow demise of a close neighbour, he is drawn back to the here and now, and his own borrowed time in this kingdom of sand.'Bracingly honest and wise' The Times, Books of the Year'Both melancholy and hilarious' New York TimesTrade Review[Holleran's] new novel is all the more affecting and engaging because the images of isolation and old age here are haunted . . . in 1978 Holleran wrote the quintessential novel about gay abandon, the sheer, careless pleasure of it: Dancer From the Dance. Now, at almost 80 years of age, he has produced a novel remarkable for its integrity, for its readiness to embrace difficult truths and for its complex way of paying homage to the passing of time -- Colm Tóibín * New York Times *Bracingly honest and wise... A beautiful way to describe how we fade away. * The Times, *Books of the Year* *Holleran's fifth novel - both melancholy and hilarious - finds the protagonist living out his days in his late mother's Florida home, navigating loneliness, a changing world and a life post-cruising. The book's image of isolation and old age is all the more haunting because in 1978 Holleran wrote the quintessential novel about the sheer, careless pleasure of gay abandon, Dancer From the Dance. * New York Times *[With] grim wit and flashes of sanctity from above... Holleran's writing is as calmly compelling as the repetitive tasks that occupy a monastic day. * Observer *Holleran renders an elegiac and very funny contemplation of not just ageing but an age... A wistful, witty meditation on a gay man's twilight years and the twilight of America. -- Jeremy Atherton Lin * Guardian *[Holleran's] new novel is all the more affecting and engaging because the images of isolation and old age here are haunted . . . in 1978 Holleran wrote the quintessential novel about gay abandon, the sheer, careless pleasure of it: Dancer From the Dance. Now, at almost 80 years of age, he has produced a novel remarkable for its integrity, for its readiness to embrace difficult truths and for its complex way of paying homage to the passing of time -- Colm Tóibín * New York Times *Bracingly honest and wise... A beautiful way to describe how we fade away. * The Times, *Books of the Year* *Holleran's fifth novel - both melancholy and hilarious - finds the protagonist living out his days in his late mother's Florida home, navigating loneliness, a changing world and a life post-cruising. The book's image of isolation and old age is all the more haunting because in 1978 Holleran wrote the quintessential novel about the sheer, careless pleasure of gay abandon, Dancer From the Dance. * New York Times *[With] grim wit and flashes of sanctity from above... Holleran's writing is as calmly compelling as the repetitive tasks that occupy a monastic day. * Observer *Holleran renders an elegiac and very funny contemplation of not just ageing but an age... A wistful, witty meditation on a gay man's twilight years and the twilight of America. -- Jeremy Atherton Lin * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisIt's a week before Christmas when Hettie and Tilly set out on a dangerous case for The No. 2 Feline Detective Agency. Lady Eloise Crabstock-Singe has summoned them to Crabstock Manor on the Cornish Coast, convinced a servant cat haunts the Manor intent on killing off all the Crabstocks.

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Book SynopsisPerfect holiday reading from Domenica de Rosa, author of the bestselling Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries under the pen name Elly Griffiths. A group of would-be authors retreats to Tuscany where they learn more than how to write better. Patricia O''Hara''s carefully composed ads for the writers'' retreat she runs promise so much. The splendour of the thirteenth century Italian castle and chef Aldo''s melanzane never fail to wow the guests, but huge maintenance bills and bad news from the bank mean it''s make or break time for the Castello.Each of her seven aspiring authors arrives with the inevitable baggage alongside their unpublished manuscripts. But this August something is different, and soon lifelong spinster Mary is riding on the back of Aldo''s vespa, and smouldering odd-job man Fabio has set more than one heart racing.As temperatures rise, the writers gossip, flirt and gently polish their prose by the pool. But with ghosts, scorpions, and

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Book SynopsisThe gripping new gangland thriller from the Sunday Times bestseller and Queen of the Underworld, Jessie Keane. ''Perfect for fans of Martina Cole'' My WeeklyOnce, he loved her.Now he''s going to put her away for murder.Christie Doyle is living the dream: she has a beautiful mansion on the South Downs with an infinity pool and stables, and her husband, Kenny, spoils her rotten. It''s her birthday and she is the centre of the most amazing party.And then the bombshell drops. Kenny confesses to an affair and asks for a divorce. Worse is to come when the ''other woman''- Lara, nineteen years old and pregnant with Kenny''s child - is found dead.Suspicion falls on Christie and the Doyles'' life is ripped apart as the police hunt for evidence: lead investigator DCI Dexter Cooper is a face from Christie''s own troubled past and he knows better than anyone what she is capable of.The race to unmask a killer is on...**

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Book Synopsis''I loved this!... Fell in love with the characters and loved the camaraderie between the Vintage Dress Shop staff... A lovely, summery read... Highly recommend!'' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Cressida Collins is the queen of makeovers. With a well-placed stitch, button or seam, she can transform any frock in The Vintage Dress Shop and give customers their Cinderella moment.Like her beautifully organised workroom under the eaves, Cress''s life away from the shop is just as orderly and mapped out. But when her boyfriend of fifteen years drops a bombshell, it explodes all the carefully laid plans Cress had for her future.It''s going to take more than needle and thread to put Cress''s own life back together. Will she ever be brave enough to say goodbye to her old dreams and start over?But after designing a dress for a customer and transforming her into the woman she always wanted to be, Cress realises tha

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Book SynopsisOne of the most acute and lasting writers of her generation.' New York Times''A triumph of tone and, ultimately, of the imagination.'' Guardian''Unmissable.'' Marie ClaireFrom one of the most celebrated imaginations in American literature, Lorrie Moore's new novel is a magic box of longing and surprise.High up in a New York City hospice, Finn sits with his beloved brother Max, who is slipping from one world into the next. But when a phone call summons Finn back to a troubled old flame, a strange journey begins, opening a trapdoor in reality. It will prompt a questioning of life and death, grief and the past, comedy and tragedy, and the diaphanous separations that lie between them all.''Moore writes with such panache, such extraordinary perception and wit, that not a single sentence is wasted.'' Elizabeth DayThat Moore publishes so rarely is a gift in itself, because it compels you to read

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Book SynopsisMonks devious and devout – and an age-defying royal pair – chronicle the history of their fictional island in this witty critique of Western civilization and history itself.Eugene Vodolazkin, internationally acclaimed novelist and scholar of medieval literature, returns with a satirical parable about European and Russian history, the myth of progress, and the futility of war.This ingenious novel, described by critics as a coda to his bestselling Laurus, is presented as a chronicle of an island from medieval to modern times. The island is not on the map, but it is real beyond doubt. It cannot be found in history books, yet the events are painfully recognizable. The monastic chroniclers dutifully narrate events they witness: quests for power, betrayals, civil wars, pandemics, droughts, invasions, innovations, and revolutions. The entries mostly seem objective, but at least one monk simultaneously drafts and hides a “true” history, to be discovered centuries later. And why has someone snipped out a key prophesy about the island’s fate?These chronicles receive commentary today from an elderly couple who are the island’s former rulers. Prince Parfeny and Princess Ksenia are truly extraordinary: they are now 347 years old. Eyewitnesses to much of their island’s turbulent history, they offer sharp-eyed observations on the changing flow of time and their people’s persistent delusions. Why is the royal couple still alive? Is there a chance that an old prophecy comes to pass and two righteous persons save the island from catastrophe?In the tradition of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, Julian Barnes’s A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters, and Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Buried Giant, Vodolazkin is at his best recasting history, in all its hubris and horror, by finding the humor in its absurdity. For readers with an appetite for more than a dry, rational, scientific view of what motivates, divides, and unites people, A History of the Island conjures a world still suffused with mystical powers.Trade ReviewAcclaim for Vodolazkin’s previous title Laurus:“A quirky, ambitious book ... Eugene Vodolazkin succeeds gloriously.” —Janet Fitch, Los Angeles Review of Books“In Laurus, Vodolazkin aims directly at the heart of the Russian religious experience and perhaps even at that maddeningly elusive concept that is cherished to the point of cliché: the Russian soul.” —The New Yorker“Brilliant storytelling ... a uniquely lavish, multilayered work.” —Booklist“A timeless epic ... pointed, touching, and at times humorous, unpredictably straying from the path and leading readers along a wild chase through time, language, and medieval Europe.” —Asymptote Journal“An epic journey novel in all the best traditions. There are countless colorful characters, exciting twists of fate, and profound truths in the protagonist’s words and deeds.” — Russian Life Magazine“Love, faith, and a quest for atonement are the driving themes of an epic, prizewinning Russian novel that, while set in the medieval era, takes a contemporary look at the meaning of time.…This affecting, idiosyncratic novel ... is an impressive achievement.” —KirkusCompelling reading: brilliantly vivid and inventive, it combines magical-realist mischief with a compassionate, radically Christian perspective on the self-destroying idiocies of human history and political posturing. A masterpiece by one of Europe’s finest contemporary novelists. —Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury

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Book SynopsisTrade Review[I]t’s a delight to see [Dugan] shifting to adult rom-coms and writing the most hilarious disaster bisexuals you’ll ever meet. — Dahlia Adler, author and founder of LGBTQReads, Buzzfeed Books “[A] burgeoning romance between Lizzie and Cara brings together two women who each need a change—both romantically and professionally—from their initial early-adulthood choices…. This adult debut from YA novelist Dugan (Melt with You) has a strong mix of humor and emotional depth; book clubs will likely find a lot to discuss.” — Library Journal “The endearing dynamic between James, Cara, and Lizzie as they brave fear of intimacy in both friendship and love carries the story. There’s plenty to enjoy here.” — Publishers Weekly “Earnest, wistful, romantic, and real...captures butterflies-in-your-stomach, most-important-thing-ever first love and still finds room to explore the messiness of coming out and coming of age queer.” — Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author, on Some Girls Do “A treat of a book packed with scheming, queer romance, and amusement park food. This laugh-out-loud debut made me hungry and stole my heart.” — Rachel Lynn Solomon, New York Times bestselling author, on Hot Dog Girl “Come for the joy of seeing the beauty queen get the girl; stay for the compassionate exploration of queer visibility in all its complexity...[Some Girls Do] is beautiful, necessary, and completely irresistible.” — Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD The long-awaited, profoundly moving, and unforgettable new novel from PEN Award-winning Native American author Mona Susan Power, spanning three generations of Yanktonai Dakota women from the 19th century to the present day.From the mid-century metropolis of Chicago to the windswept ancestral lands of the Dakota people, to the bleak and brutal Indian boarding schools, A Council of Dolls is the story of three women, told in part through the stories of the dolls they carried….Sissy, born 1961: Sissy’s relationship with her beautiful and volatile mother is difficult, even dangerous, but her life is also filled with beautiful things, including a new Christmas present, a doll called Ethel. Ethel whispers advice and kindness in Sissy’s ear, and in one especially terrifying moment, maybe even saves Sissy’s life.Lillian, born 1925: Born in her ancestral lands in a time of terrible change, Lillian clings to her sister, Blanche, and her doll, Mae. When the sisters are forced to attend an “Indian school” far from their home, Blanche refuses to be cowed by the school’s abusive nuns. But when tragedy strikes the sisters, the doll Mae finds her way to defend the girls.  Cora, born 1888: Though she was born into the brutal legacy of the “Indian Wars,” Cora isn’t afraid of the white men who remove her to a school across the country to be “civilized.” When teachers burn her beloved buckskin and beaded doll Winona, Cora discovers that the spirit of Winona may not be entirely lost…A modern masterpiece, A Council of Dolls is gorgeous, quietly devastating, and ultimately hopeful, shining a light on the echoing damage wrought by Indian boarding schools, and the historical massacres of Indigenous people. With stunning prose, Mona Susan Power weaves a spell of love and healing that comes alive on the page.

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Book Synopsis**Finalist for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2022 **From the Costa Award winner, a highly inventive and and humane novel about our relationship with technology and our addiction to innovation.This is the tale of a new technology, an alternative history that unfolds over many decades. It is a fable told through a constantly shifting cast of characters, all drawn into the world of a machine that slowly alters every life it touches.But in this unending quest for progress, what will happen to the things that make us human: the memories, the fears, the love, the mortality? As we push towards a brave new world, what do we stand to lose?'Such a super novel' Wendy Erskine'A clever book...that will have you thinking about the machines in your own life' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewAppliance is a work of peculiar genius that gives the truth about modern technology. * The Times, *Sci-Fi Book of the Year* *A serious-minded examination of the instinctive human ambivalence towards innovation. * Financial Times, *Summer Reads of 2022* *Smart, subtle and blissfully jargon-free sci-fi stories from one of Britain's most acclaimed poets. * Daily Telegraph, *Summer Reads of 2022* *[With] poetic precision... Appliance most succeeds is in its little riot of the real in the face of digital abstraction. * Times Literary Supplement *A clever book, delivered confidently, that will have you thinking about the machines in your own life. * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisMore than 150 years later, we still do not know what prompted Captain Briggs, his wife and baby, and the crew of the Mary Celeste to abandon ship mid-ocean, and the speculation continues to this day. Delve into this mysterious case and shed light on possible solutions, credible hoaxes, and tales of other ghost ships.

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Book Synopsis'A masterpiece of the sacred and the profane... A literary triumph.' Jake Arnott, Guardian How do you build a nation? It takes statesmen and soldiers, farmers and factory workers, of course. But it also takes thieves, prostitutes and policemen. Nation-building demands sacrifice. And one man knows exactly where those bodies are buried: Cohen, a man who loves his country. A reasonable man for unreasonable times. A car bomb in the back streets of Tel Aviv. A diamond robbery in Haifa. Civil war in Lebanon. Rebel fighters in the Colombian jungle. A double murder in Los Angeles. How do they all connect? Only Cohen knows. Maror is the story of a war for a country's soul – a dazzling spread of narrative gunshots across four decades and three continents. It is a true story. All of these things happened. Praise for Maror: 'A bloody beast of a book.' Daily Mail 'This is crime writing in the tradition of Balzac and Dickens and a major achievement, full of sound, fury, drugs and blood... An earthquake of a book.' CrimeTime 'Some write in ink, others in song, Tidhar writes in fire... Maror is a kaleidoscopic masterpiece, immense in its sympathies, alarming in its irreverences and altogether exhilarating.' Junot Díaz 'One of the boldest, most visionary writers I've ever read creates both a vivid political exploration and a riveting crime epic. It's like the Jewish Godfather!' Silvia Moreno-Garcia 'Maror blends the page-turning wit of a hard-boiled detective noir with the stirring intrigue of a multi-national political epic. An ambitious achievement that weaves a tapestry of both story and statement.' Kevin Jared Hosein 'Radiant with [...] the richly nuanced complexity and style of Marlon James' A Brief History of Seven Killings ... Will catch your breath as it presents the history of Israel from unique points of view, with dazzling multi-generational scope.' LoveReadingTrade ReviewA sprawling epic set across four decades, and an audacious account of the underbelly of nation-building... Spectacular... Fascinating... Astonishing... Maror is a masterpiece of the sacred and the profane... Tidhar has achieved a literary triumph -- Jake Arnott, GuardianSome write in ink, others in song, Tidhar writes in fire... Maror is a kaleidoscopic masterpiece, immense in its sympathies, alarming in its irreverences and altogether exhilarating -- Junot DíazMaror blends the page-turning wit of a hard-boiled detective noir with the stirring intrigue of a multi-national political epic. An ambitious achievement that weaves a tapestry of both story and statement -- Kevin Jared HoseinRadiant with [...] the richly nuanced complexity and style of Marlon James' A Brief History of Seven Killings... Will catch your breath as it presents the history of Israel from unique points of view, with dazzling multi-generational scope * LoveReading *One of the boldest, most visionary writers I've ever read creates both a vivid political exploration and a riveting crime epic. It's like the Jewish Godfather! -- Silvia Moreno-GarciaStartlingly refreshing * Daily Mail *Crime writing in the tradition of Balzac and Dickens and a major achievement... An earthquake of a book * CrimeTime *Every few years an Israeli writer produces a blockbuster book, designed to grab readers by the ears and occasionally readjust what they know – or think they know – about the Jewish state... Magnificent * Jewish Chronicle *Tidhar draws on his own experience of growing up in Israel and on the nation's turbulent history to tell an authentic story about creating your own identity * Jewish News *

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Book SynopsisFall in love this Christmas with Sunday Times bestselling author Veronica Henry''s delightfully heartwarming festive read...''Utterly heartwarming'' JENNY COLGANIt''s going to take a Christmas miracle...Emilia promised her father that she would keep the doors of his beloved bookshop, Nightingale Books, open after he passed away - but she''s down to her last few pennies.It would break Emilia''s heart to shut up shop, especially when the villagers have become like family to her (and have more stories to tell than the books on the shelves!). Lady of the manor, Sarah, is definitely keeping a secret, single dad Jackson is always on the hunt for a new story for his son, and she''s sure that shy chef Thomasina has a crush on a man she met in the cookery section...Yet with only a few weeks until Christmas, Emilia knows that she has her work cut out if she''s to save her family legacy - will she find a way to

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Book SynopsisIT''S TIME FOR THE COOK TO PUT DOWN HIS FRYING PAN - AND LEAP INTO THE FIRE . . .House witch Finlay Ashowan is pulled out of the kitchenand into the fireas war, family, and love collide in the third book of this fantasy romance series.- Having somehow convinced Lady Annika Jenoure to marry him, all Finlay Ashowan wants to do is settle down, cook some good meals, and enjoy a quiet life in Daxaria.But fate has different plans . . .Fin's father, Aidan Helmer servant of King Matthias of Troivack has arrived in the kingdom with devastating news: Annika's brother Charles has been taken prisoner, and the only way his life will be spared is if she or Fin pleads his case.Now it's up to Fin, with the help of his wily kitten, Kraken, to attempt a daring mission of rescue and espionage.But he'll need to move quickly before his kingdom, and life, goes up in flames.- There will be twists and turns aplenty in the third instalment in the spellbinding House Witch series.WHOLESOME, HEARTHWARMING, HOMELY. THE HOUSE WITCH SERIES IS A CUP OF COCOA IN A BOOK AND WILL BE PERFECT FOR FANS OF LEGENDS AND LATTES AND TJ KLUNE

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Book Synopsis''Lauren delivers laughs, heart, and swoon all in one ridiculously fun story'' SARAH ADAMSJust a date . . . or a twist of fate? Science meets art in this delightfully swoony romance of fate and second chances by Lauren Kung Jessen. When it comes to love and art, Rooney Gao believes in signs. Most of all, she believes in the Chinese legend that everyone is tied to their one true love by the red string of fate. That belief has inspired her career and the large art installations she makes. That is until artist''s block strikes and Rooney begins to question everything. But then fate leads her to the perfect guy. . .Jack Liu is absurdly smart, successful, handsome, and after one enchanting New York night all signs point to destiny. Only Jack doesn''t believe in such a thing. And after their magical date, it looks like they might be lost to each other forever . . . until they''re given one more chance to reconnect. But can Rooney convince a reluctant

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Book SynopsisMeg is relaxing in the hammock, taste-testing Michael's latest batch of Arnold Palmers and watching the hummingbirds at their feeders when her hopes for a relaxing early summer morning are dashed.First her father recruits her to help him install a new batch of bees in the hive in her backyard. Then Mayor Shiffley recruits her to placate the NIMBYs (Not in my backyard), as she calls them a group of newcomers to Caerphilly who have built McMansions next door to working farms and then do their best to make life miserable for the farmers. And finally Meg's grandmother, shows up, trailed by a nosy reporter who is writing a feature on her for a genteel Southern ladies' magazine.Cordelia drafts Meg to accompany her and Deacon Washington of the New Life Baptist Church and the reporter, alas in their search for a long-lost African-American cemetery. Unfortunately what they discover is not an ancient cemetery but a fresh corpse. Can Meg protect her grandmother and Caerphil

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Book SynopsisA woman delves into a centuries-old murder to find the truth behind her self-destructive behavior in a powerful novel about love, loss, and healing by the bestselling author of An Unfinished Story and The Stars Don’t Lie.Unable to catch a break in life or love as she approaches thirty, Charli Thurman sees red lights at every crossroads. And given the Thurman family’s tumultuous history, she knows things will only get worse, unless she can break the cycle and figure out where—and when—it all went wrong.Charli is skeptical when her best friend introduces her to a “soul reader” who specializes in generational trauma. But during family constellation therapy with the guru, Charli experiences an inexplicable memory of terrible violence. Whatever happened in the past, it created an imbalance that’s still in the Thurman blood.When Charli’s research leads her to Winchester, England, she meets a charming

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Book SynopsisA GRANTA BEST OF YOUNG BRITISH NOVELIST 2023A NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEARLONGLISTED FOR THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZEI love this book.' BRANDON TAYLOR Extraordinary and original.' Sunday TimesBrilliant, funny, unsettling.' SALLY ROONEY Impressive.' Irish TimesA writer beyond compare.' ALI SMITHFierce and tender.' LUCY CALDWELLAstounding.' COLIN BARRETT Worthy of multiple readings.' JON McGREGORThe new collection from a literary star five achingly tender, innovative and dazzling stories of (dis)connection.From Wales to Croatia to the depths of the ocean, these five achingly tender stories of (dis)connection are bursting with emotional vulnerability. A child attends his first football match, buoyed by secret magic; a young seahorse grapples with grief and loss; a troubled young man gets his birthday teeth. Strikingly original and wi

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Book SynopsisGonzalo is a frustrated would-be poet in a city full of poets; poets lurk in every bookshop, prop up every bar, ready to debate the merits of Teillier and Millan (but never Neruda - beyond the pale). Then, nine years after their bewildering breakup, Gonzalo reunites with his teen sweetheart, Carla, who is now, to his surprise, the mother of a young son, Vicente. Soon they form a happy sort-of family - a stepfamily, though no such word exists in their language. In time, fate and ambition pull the lovers apart, but when it comes to love and poetry, what will be Gonzalo's legacy to his not-quite-stepson Vicente? Zambra chronicles with tenderness and insight the everyday moments - absurd, painful, sexy, sweet, profound - that constitute family life in this bold and brilliant new novel.Trade ReviewErotic and erudite, tender and wise, this novel tumbles through Chilean literary history via an intimate portrait of a young artist's yearnings; it will delight every lover and poet alike. -- Preti TanejaA very funny, warm and beautiful novel -- Sheila HetiHis clever irony, his lighthearted yet powerful prose, his gift for capturing this life that passes through and yet still escapes us - everything Zambra has already put into practice in his novellas and short stories explodes with vitality in Chilean Poet. Contemporary, ingenious, magnificent -- Samanta Schweblin, author of * Little Eyes *Every beat and pattern of being alive becomes revelatory and bright when narrated by Alejandro Zambra. He is a modern wonder -- Rivka Galchen, author of * Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch *Zambra writes with wit and warmth, and his characters are penned with compassion and humour... An uplifting and at times laugh-out-loud read -- Jo Lateu * New Internationalist *[Chilean Poet] treats the thorny topic of collective identity not as tragedy, but as a familial comedy. Its laughs are forged across languages * New York Times Book Review *A tender and funny story about love, family and the peculiar position of being a stepparent ... [Chilean Poet] broadens the author's scope and quite likely his international reputation * Los Angeles Times *Splendid . . . [it has] one of the best endings to a novel that I have read in years, a scene of beautiful emotional improvisation * Wall Street Journal *The thing that has always made Zambra's writing irresistible (to me, anyway) is his attention to the seemingly inconsequential matters that render our lives so flush with consequence... wonderfully original -- Il'ja Rákoš * The Millions *[Zambra is] an artist who does not simply notate the numbing details of daily life but spins the quotidian into art * Vulture *...cleareyed and tender * Kirkus Reviews *Excruciatingly funny... a highly entertaining, engaging and complex detailing of why words matter -- translated fiction round-up by Michael Cronin * The Irish Times *So convincing, so tenderly wrought, and so laugh-out-loud funny, that one begins to suspect Chilean Poet might be the best thing [Zambra has] ever written... it is, in short, a complete joy -- Jane Graham * Big Issue *A heartwarming comedy about parenthood and poetry... deft, poignant and emotionally acute -- Houman Barekat * FT *Superb... [Zambra is] one of the sharpest writers in Spanish today... Chilean Poet, happily, is accomplished at all it does -- Cal Revely-Calder * Sunday Telegraph *The pursuit of a poetic life becomes the vehicle for a wry and poignant story of masculine self-discovery ... A sharp-eyed, warm-hearted modern-family romance in the vein of a David Nicholls or Nick Hornby from the Southern Cone... [a] genial, shrewd and tender novel -- Boyd Tonkin * ArtsDesk *In this profound, at times absurd and often very funny investigation of family and failure, Zambra proves himself to be an important voice in contemporary Latin American literature * Monocle *

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Book SynopsisTequio in Mexico, auzolan in Basque Country, lumbung in Indonesia, ubuntu in South Africa, mutirao in Brazil - all terms used around the world to describe the concept of collective work. Bringing together 8 publishing houses and 7 writers, each writing in a different language, Lumbung Stories is a true product of communal action. From speculative essays and experimental texts to intimate stories that portray collective work as something every day and habitual, each writer presents their unique take on what a "lumbung story" is. These tales take us from olive groves in Andalusia to tiger-filled forests in Indonesia; from youths fumbling through adolescence together in the Basque country, to outsiders uniting through vibrant rituals in Sao Paulo, and from explorations of intergenerational and transhistorical struggle in South Africa, to an academic text from a society rebuilding in a post-Capitalist, post-climate-crisis future. Blurring the lines between realism and fiction, the past and the future, this unique and powerful collection brims with life and is a vital reminder of the ties that unite us all.Table of ContentsPrologue Super Salve by Azhari Aiyub (translated by Mikael Johani) In the Shadow of Icarus by Uxue Alberdi (translated by Jonathan Rackstraw) Expandable Memory by Cristina Judar (translated by Julia Sanches) Dry and Green by Nesrine Akram Khoury (translated by Jonathan Wright) The People of North Igra by Yasnaya Elana (translated by Joshua Rackstraw) Ukuza kukaNxele Or, Time Passes by Panashe Chigumadzi WTF Are Commons? by Mithu Sanyal (translated by Lucy Jones) Authors Translators Publishers

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Book SynopsisA long summer holiday on the beautiful island of Corfu is just what Izzy Jordan needs, but is she prepared for the romance and drama? New edition of one of Erica James'' very best.Torn between struggling to live up to the expectations of being a Modern Woman and ridding herself of the effect of a repressed upbringing, Izzy Jordan would be the first to admit that it''s time to take stock of her life. She''s thirty-one, with a teaching career on the skids - not surprising, really, given that she harbours a strong desire to lock her pupils in the art room cupboard and throw away the key. She also has a manipulative mother and an ex-boyfriend whose parting shot was to tell her she was boring in bed!So when she''s invited to spend the summer on Corfu and is offered the chance of a no-strings holiday romance with the irresistible Theo, what should she do? Go for it, or listen to the voice of Modern Woman and tell him to sling his hook? Just as she thinks she''s madeTrade ReviewA fast-paced, entertaining read * SHINE *

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Book SynopsisChiltern Publishing creates the most beautiful editions of the World?s finest literature. Your favorite classic titles in a way you have never seen them before; the tactile layers, fine details and beautiful colors of these remarkable covers make these titles feel extra special and will look striking on any shelf.The Prophet is a fable about the prophet Al Mustafa, who has lived in city of Orphalese for over 12 years and when finally leaving for his home country, people gather to bid him farewell, and ask for his guidance on important aspects of life.A worldwide bestseller since it''s original publication in 1923, the book is divided into chapters dealing with love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good andevil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.The Prophet has been translated into over 100 different languages, making it one of the most translated books in history, as well as one of the bestselling books of all time.

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Book SynopsisThe bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil mines the subtle horrors of 1950s America in a gripping novel about a woman under pressure—from the living and the dead.The first day of autumn brought the fever, and with the fever came the voices.Missouri, 1955. Loretta Davenport has led an isolated life as a young mother and a wife to Pete, an ambitious assistant professor at a Bible college. They’re the picture of domestic tranquility—until a local girl is murdered and Loretta begins receiving messages from beyond. Pete dismisses them as delusions of a fevered female imagination. Loretta knows they’re real—and frightening.Defying Pete’s demands, Loretta finds an encouraging supporter in parapsychologist Dr. Curtis Hansen. He sees a woman with a rare gift, more blessing than curse. With Dr. Hansen’s help, Loretta’s life opens up to an empowering new purpose. But

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Book SynopsisTONY PARSONS is a bestselling novelist and an award-winning journalist.His books have been published in over forty languages and his multimillion-selling novelMan and Boy won the Book of the Year prize in 2000.Most recently, he created the Max Wolfe crime series.The Murder Bag, the first Max Wolfe book, went to number one on the Sunday Times bestseller list and in 2023 was voted one of the100 best crimes books of all time by the readers of Dead Good Books.Tony lives in London with his family.

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Book SynopsisAfter several years of absence, a man reappears in the life of a woman and their young son. Intent on being a family again, he drives them to Les Roches, a dilapidated house in the mountains, where the man grew up with his own ruthless father. While the mother watches the passing days with apprehension, the son discovers the enchantment of nature, savage and bewitching. As the father's hold over them intensifies, the return to their previous life and home seems increasingly impossible. Haunted by his past and consumed with jealousy, the man slowly sinks into madness and his son has no choice but to challenge his father in an attempt to save something of their humanity. Written in flawless, cinematic prose and brilliantly translated by Frank Wynne, The Son of Man is an exceptional novel of nature and wildness that traces how violence is inherited from one generation to the next, and a blistering examination of how families fold together and break apart under duress.

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Book SynopsisInspired by a true story, two teens kidnapped by an African warlord find salvation through love in a powerful and healing historical novel from the #1 bestselling author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky and The Last Green Valley.Anthony Opoka and Florence Okori are coming of age in Uganda in the 1990s. Outstanding students, they believe in being good humans before they are kidnapped and forced into the fanatical Lord’s Resistance Army.In a legion of young recruits, no one gets closer than Anthony to powerful messianic warlord Joseph Kony and his darkest secrets. To stay sane as he spirals through chaos, Anthony clings to his childhood lessons about being a good human. Florence’s upbringing grounds her, too, helping her keep her dreams alive even as she’s pulled deeper into the insanity of Kony’s war.At the lowest points of their lives, certain they’ll never go home, Anthony and Florence meet by chance, fall in love, and

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Book SynopsisFor all her life, idealistic 20-year-old bookworm Magdalena Arber has been split down the middle: veering wildly between fidelity to indoctrinated Nazi beliefs, and her father''s humanist values. Then comes the summons - the Nazi War Labour Service is conscripting her into a teaching position in East Prussia. Magda is elated. It''s a release from the cosy cage of childhood, and a chance to form young minds. She enters a lush rural world of forests, lakes, and meadows where order prevails. Yet there are monstrous hands out to shape the whole continuum of earthly creatures. The Gestapo are a lurking darkness. There is bombing further East, and news of a moving Russian front. Will Alt Schonbek burn as well? Can Magda survive?

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Book Synopsis''Utterly thrilling and joyful. I couldn''t put it down!'' ANTON DU BEKE''Enthralling and captivating. Absolutely loved it!'' CAROL KIRKWOOD''A stunning debut, this is the perfect summer read'' SANTA MONTEFIOREIt''s never too late to follow your dreams...Twenty years ago, Abigail Patterson put her promising tennis career on hold to have her baby son, Robbie. But after a wild card entry to Wimbledon, she suddenly finds herself swept up in a world she thought she''d left behind - and against all odds, she''s winning!Yet as those long-buried dreams of lifting the sparkling silver trophy on centre court inch closer, Abi knows that it''s only a matter of time before the press start digging into her past and uncover the secret she''s kept hidden for so long.The stakes are raised, but this time nothing - and no one - is going to stand in her way. But could the greatest comeback of all time destroy everyth

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Book SynopsisLife under Brazil's brutal cordial racism comes painfully alive in this novel of fathers and sons. How do you become the protagonist of your own life? For Pedro, it means searching for himself in the objects his father left behind: the layers that make up his life, and that of his parents, and the circumstances, geographies, and wounds that shaped them all. It's an archaeology of affections, but also of life in southern Brazil, where being black on the streets of Porto Alegre manifests violences large and small. Where being a young woman, raised by a single mother, may find you seeking security in the untrustworthy arms of men.In Dark Side of Skin , Jeferson Tenório takes on fathers and sons, Shakespeare and Cervantes, and the inescapable bonds and burdens of family and history in one delicately rendered, painfully precise account of loved ones lost and found.

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Book SynopsisSaltburn meets Agatha Christie in the party of the summer.If you aren't reading B P Walter yet, now's the time' A. J. Finn''Accomplished, dark and stylish: I will read anything B P Walter writes' Gillian McAllister''Dark and devilishly clever! Characters that get under your skin and keep you racing through the story' L. C. North''The king of complex characters is back A compelling tale of money, power and revenge perfect for Saltburn aficionados' Lizzy Barber***The perfect family. The perfect celebration. The perfect day for revenge.The day of the garden party should've been a celebration of love for Raphael and his fiancée, as they toast their engagement with their families. But for someone, it's an opportunity to unveil the lies that have bound the family together over the years.With their nearest and dearest gathered at the family manor, as the first glass is raised, the secrets that bind them begin to crack. And what should have been the happiest day of their lives, might just end

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Book SynopsisNow months away from graduation, Nana and her friends prepare for entrance exams by heading out to the wilderness with hopes that the isolation will help them focus. Instead, they find themselves struggling with their feelings as they come to realize what little time they have together for major changes in their lives. Meanwhile, Kaoru is preparing for his next move. Will it involve Nana?

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Book SynopsisThe Concubine, Elechi Amadi's most celebrated work of fiction, paints a picture of pre-colonial life in rural Eastern Nigeria and explores the boundary between myth and reality.Ihuoma is a woman of great beauty and dignity, beloved in a village that remains untouched by colonialism. By all accounts, she should be happy and in love. Yet she faces misfortune after misfortune when a mysterious force makes any suitor that she falls in love with meet an inexplicable and unpleasant end...Brimming with lyrical prose, jealous gods, and masterful suspense, The Concubine is a tale about Igbo culture and beliefs. An unforgettable story full of beauty and tragedy.''One of the founding generation of African novelists.'' Guardian ''A soldier and poet, captive of conscience, human solidarity and justice.'' Wole Soyinka ''An outstanding work of pure fiction.'' Eldred Jones

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