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
Canelo Love Game
Book Synopsis''A mouth-watering read, in more ways than one! I was thoroughly absorbed by Elle and Nicky''s story, as well as by Rae''s smart, sensitive writing. A novel to open, devour and enjoy!'' Laura Starkey, author of The Spare Room.Can a player on the court be a keeper at home?Elle''s love language is food. But finding the right kind of work in her industry is difficult. After multiple different stints and temporary work, she lands her dream role: a personal chef to huge tennis star, Nicky Salco. It''s just a bonus that he''s handsome and athleticbut totally off limits.The pressure is on, and not just in the kitchen. As Nicky trains for hours on the court for Wimbledon, Elle treads carefully around his brutally judgemental fiancée, while also trying to ignore her own boyfriend''s cheating habits.But the temperature rises when Nicky''s training leads him to get hungry late at night and Elle is
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Origin of Species
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.How fleeting are the wishes and efforts of man! how short his time! and consequently how poor will his products be, compared with those accumulated by nature during whole geological periods.'Still considered one of the most important and groundbreaking works of science ever written, Darwin's eminently readable exploration of the evolutionary process challenged most of the strong beliefs of the Western world. Forced to question the idea of the Creator, mid-nineteenth century readers were faced with Darwin's theories on the laws of natural selection and the randomness of evolution, causing massive controversy at the time. However, Darwin's theories remain instrumental in providing the backbone to modern biology today.
£9.49
New York Review Books Command Performance
Book SynopsisA thrilling, inventive, playful, and unorthodox detective and caper novel, the latest work by a French master.Fans of Jean-Patrick Manchette's deadpan irony will appreciate Command Performance, Echenoz's vibrant, playful homage to the hard-boiled genre, which plays like The Big Lebowski on the Seine. — Publishers Weekly Gerard Fulmard is a loser. A disgraced former flight attendant, he attempts the métier of private detective, with spectacularly disastrous results, then begins working for an obscure political groupuscule beset by an outsized share of infighting and backroom maneuvering. At first employed as an enforcer, Fulmard is then coopted by one of the party’s less savory factions, sinking in deeper and deeper until he finds himself the reluctant assassin of the party’s own leader—and that’s when things really start going downhill. Meanwhile, projectiles crash down from the sky, corpses turn up in perfect health, main characters suffer sudden death, and nothing is as it seems. In his latest outing, Jean Echenoz, one of France’s most respected contemporary writers, toys with the tropes of genre fiction and high literature, displaying the twists of plot and turns of phrase that have become his signature, and that have made him, in the words of The Washington Post, “the most distinctive voice of his generation and the master magician of the contemporary French novel.”
£14.39
St Martin's Press How to Help a Hungry Werewolf
Book SynopsisWhat We Do in the Shadows with the small town feels of Gilmore Girls in this swoon-worthy romance that will leave readers delightfully cozy and hungry for more.When Cassandra Camberwell returns to her hometown of Hollow Brook to clear out her lategrandmother's ramshackle old house, the last thing she expects is Seth Brubaker on her doorstep. Herformer best friend was responsible for the worst moment of her high school life, and she can'timagine he wants to do anything but torment her all over again.Until she unearths the real reason this annoyingly gorgeous beast of a man keeps hanging around: he'san actual werewolf, who's certain she's the witch that will ease his suffering. But Cassie just isn't sureif she can trust him again. So Seth offers a pact: he'll teach her all about her undiscovered magic, andshe will brew the potions he needs. No feelings, no funny business, just a witch and a werewolfstriking a deal.
£13.49
New Directions Publishing Corporation SelfPortraits
Book SynopsisBringing together novelist Osamu Dazai's best autobiographical shorts in a single, slim volume, Self-Portraits shows the legendary writer at his best—and his worstTrade Review"Dazai was an aristocratic tramp, a self-described delinquent, yet he wrote with the forbearance of a fasting scribe." -- Patti Smith"What I despise about Dazai is that he exposes precisely those things in myself that I most want to hide." -- Yukio Mishima
£11.39
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Vow of Revenge
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Saraband / Contraband How We Named the Stars
Book SynopsisHearing you say my name was a way of seeing myself as I had never seen myself you gave my name new meaning, new weight.'Nerdy and shy, scholarship student Daniel de La Luna arrives at college nervous to meet his golden-haired, athletic roommate, whose Facebook photos depict a boy just like those who made Daniel's school years hell.Sam Morris is not what he had imagined, though. As the two settle into college life they drink tequila under the stars, go on long runs through snow-covered hills,explore freshmannightlife, and inch closer until they find themselves in love.But their blissful first year is over all too soon. Daniel's summer in his ancestral homeland of México becomes a rollercoaster of revelations, before his life is brutally upended by the unimaginable.How We Named the Starsis atale oflove, heartache and learning to honour the dead.Daniel and Sam will leave you forever changed.
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers The Blood Promise
Book Synopsis''Page-turning and chilling'' The Sun''The story was full of twists and was intense and immersive. A fantastic start to an intriguing new series' Angela MarsonsA deadly giftImogen Clark wakes up on her 16th birthday to find her parents dead at the breakfast table, along with a message from their killer.A twist of fateDetectives Jazzy Solanki and Annie McQueen join the investigation, but the more they discover, the more Jazzy suspects that the killing is a twisted message for her. Jazzy shares the same birthday as Imogen, and believes that this is more than a coincidence.A race to catch a killerWhen Jazzy discovers the connection between the killer and the stalker who has been following her for years, she is forced to confront the dark past she was desperate to keep hidden. She must stop at nothing to solve the case, before she becomes the next victimDon''t miss the first book in the Solanki and McQueen Crime Series, perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride, Val McDermid and Marion Todd.''Da
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Clique
Book Synopsis''The Split meets Apple Tree Yard. Sharp, clever and wildly addictive the ultimate summer page-turner' Sunday Times bestseller B P WalterThe best kind of up-all-night page-turner stylish, feisty, thrilling you'll want to be on the Inside track' Amy McCullochThere's only one way to join their society. If someone leaves, or diesHigh-flying lawyer Sara O'Neil had it all; the career, the money, the prestige.And then she jumped to her death.Cassandra Harlow never expected to see her friend fall from their office rooftop. Someone knows what really happened. But the only people who might know the truth are a secret women-only society, Inside, whose promise is to fast-track your career.But if Sara was part of it and they helped facilitate her rise to the top, could they also be the reason she came crashing down to earth?''Prepare to gasp out loud! Fast-paced and tense. You won't be able to stop reading' Lauren North, author of My Word Against His''A blistering pace and a dark world full of in
£9.49
Peninsula Press Ltd Mother Naked
Book SynopsisThe City of Durham, 1434. Out of a storm, an aging minstrel arrives at the cathedral to entertain the city''s most powerful men. Mother Naked is his name, and the story he''s come to tell is the Legend of the Fell Wraith: the gruesome ''walking ghost'' some say slaughtered the nearby village of Segerston forty years earlier. But is this monster only a myth, born from the dim minds of toiling peasants? Or does the Wraith - and the murders - have roots in real events suffered by those fated to a lifetime of labour? As Mother Naked weaves the strands of the mystery - of class, religion, art and ale - the chilling truth might be closer to his privileged audience than they could ever imagine. Taking its inspiration from a single payment entered into Durham''s Cathedral rolls, ''Modyr Nakett'' was the lowest-paid performer in over 200 years of records. Set against the traumatic shadow of the Black Death and the Peasant''s Revolt, Mother Naked speaks back from the margins, in a fury of imagin
£10.44
Kodansha America, Inc Sketchy 4
Book SynopsisAs her thirties slip by, Ako feels like she''s falling behind. But a group of skateboarding girls will bring a newfound passion into her life in this reflective, relatable josei manga from the creator of Is Kichijoji the Only Place to Live?WALL RIDERAs Ako and Shiho learn more about the world of skateboarding, they also get to know Momo, a talented skater who has the potential to be a world champion. But Momo''s path to success is blocked by the lack of a skatepark in her area: she can only practice on her neighborhood streets--as long as her parents don''t find out about it...
£12.59
Coffee House Press Lesser Ruins
Book SynopsisFrom the author of Reinhardt''s Garden and Saint Sebastian''s Abyss comes a breathless new novel of delirious obsession. Bereft after the death of his ailing wife, a retired professor has resumed his life''s work—a book that will stand as a towering cathedral to Michel de Montaigne, reframing the inventor of the essay for the modern age. The challenge is the litany of intrusions that bar his way—from memories of his past to the nattering of smartphones to his son''s relentless desire to make an electronic dance album.As he sifts through the contents of his desk, his thoughts pulsing and receding in a haze of caffeine, ghosts and grievances spill out across the page. From the community college where he toiled in vain to an artists'' colony in the Berkshires, from the endless pleasures of coffee to the finer points of Holocaust art, the professor''s memories churn with sculptors, poets, painters, and inventors, all obsessed with es
£999.99
Vintage Publishing For Whom the Bell Tolls
Book SynopsisHemingway''s great novel of the Spanish Civil WarHigh in the pine forests of the Spanish Sierra, a guerrilla band prepares to blow up a vital bridge. Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer, has been sent to handle the dynamiting. There, in the mountains, he finds the dangers and the intense comradeship of war. And there he discovers Maria, a young woman who has escaped from Franco''s rebels...''One of the greatest novels which our troubled age will produce'' Observer**One of the BBC''s 100 Novels That Shaped Our World**This series of war novels from Vintage Classics presents eight powerful stories about the horror and waste of war - each a passionate plea to prevent its repetition.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers You Belong with Me
Book SynopsisShe found The One. But when everyone wants him, can she keep him?When there's a ring on her doorbell, there's only one person Edie Thompson wants it to be. The person who's still in her heart. The person who just might be The One.She and Elliot Owen called it quits once before but aren't they too good together not to try? And here he is offering her everything she dreamed of.But dating Elliot, an actor, is anything but plain sailing. Being an ocean apart and followed by the press is one thing, but when Edie's friends and Elliot's family are drawn in, things get messy. Then her boss hires a friendly face in the form of Declan Dunne, who's there for her when times are tough, and Edie starts to wonder are she and Elliot a fairytale come true or a cautionary fable about getting what you wish for?''14/10 on the QWJ scale (queasy with jealousy scale)! I WISH I''d written it. I loved this book so much'' MARIAN KEYES''I am absolutely feral for Mhairi McFarlane. Smart, sensitive, extremely
£8.54
Headline Publishing Group Revenge of the Stormbringer
Book SynopsisSister Fidelma returns in REVENGE OF THE STORMBRINGER, the thirty-fourth Celtic mystery by Peter Tremayne, acclaimed author of DEATH OF A HERETIC, THE HOUSE OF DEATH, and THE SHAPESHIFTER''S LAIR. If you love Ellis Peters, you''ll be gripped by REVENGE OF THE STORMBRINGER and the Sister Fidelma series.Summer, AD 672. Princess Gelgéis has arrived in Cashel with her personal bodyguard, a troop of female warriors called the Daughters of the Storm. When one of them is found slain next to the sleeping chamber of the newly married king and queen and, a short time later, the stewardess of the royal house is poisoned, questions are raised as to everyone''s safety . . .Fidelma and Eadulf must first explain the ''locked room'' mystery of how the attack took place in King Colgu''s specially built secure apartment. Then they must interrogate the growing list of suspects - even Enda, the commander of the household guard, who had formed a romantic attachment to the murdered
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Strange Sally Diamond
Book Synopsis**Selected for BBC 2 Between the Covers 2023****WINNER Crime Novel of the Year, Irish Book Awards 2023****SHORTLISTED for The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award****SHORTLISTED for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2024**Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died.Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she cannot remember. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends and big decisions, and learning that people don''t always mean what they say.But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world? And why does her neighbour seem to be obsessed with her? Sally''s trust issues are about to be severely challenged . . .*****''In Sally Diamond, Nugent has given us an astounding creation with a singular voice . . . an absorbing, twisty, compulsive psychological thriller with surprising humour and pathos'' Sunday Independent''Strikingly well-observed and consistently surprising'' The Times''Incredible'' Sara Cox''Strange indeed . . . and smart, too! Shocking, disturbing and utterly original, Strange Sally Diamond will grip you from first page to last'' Paula Hawkins''Irresistibly compelling, this dark story is shocking yet endearing. A brilliant read that will suck you in'' Crime Monthly''Liz Nugent has outdone herself. Twisted and twisty, dark and gripping, no one is going to forget Sally Diamond in a hurry!'' Graham Norton''It creeped me out (in a good way) . . . Terrific'' Ian Rankin''Dark, compelling and deeply moving'' Ruth Ware''So, so good! Sally gets under your skin and worms her way into your heart. I didn''t want it to end'' Jane Fallon''I''m lost in admiration for Liz and her writing . . . vivid, pacy, taut but so very moving'' Marian Keyes''Jaw-droppingly clever . . . One of the best books I''ve read in a long, long time. I can''t stop thinking about it'' Lucy Foley''An outstanding achievement which transforms the dark psychological thriller map with both bravura and delicacy. One for the ages'' Maxim Jakubowski
£9.49
Vintage Publishing Wild Houses
Book SynopsisColin Barrett grew up in County Mayo, Ireland. His stories have been published in the Stinging Fly, Granta, Harper's and the New Yorker. His first book, the short story collection Young Skins, won the Guardian First Book Award, the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. His second collection, Homesickness, made the New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year and was a Book of the Year in Oprah Daily and the Irish Times.Trade ReviewSublime… Wild Houses is a thrillingly moreish novel with some of the sharpest dialogue I’ve read in any recent debut and characters who held me captive until the very last page * Sunday Times *A delicate and beautiful book about the lives of lonely people... Page after faultless page, Wild Houses is a sheer joy to read... Colin Barrett's the real deal, but then we knew that already * Irish Times *So consistently witty and inventive that one struggles to think of recent novels that could stand up to comparison * Guardian, *Book of the Day* *With a thrillerish intensity… Barrett expertly handles the combination of narrative-driving dialogue, exhilarating action scenes and quieter moments designed to build tension… I was unable to put Wild Houses down * Times Literary Supplement *After years of short stories, Barrett’s transition to the longer span of the novel is confidently done. Descriptive set pieces are linked and expanded, yet every paragraph is created with care * Financial Times *Barrett’s superb debut novel deepens the world of his two short-story collections… The novel has the tension of a gritty noir thriller and the comic menace of a Pinter play * New Statesman *Barrett can sustain a narrative across a novel without sacrificing the panache and precision that has made him one of the most stylish fiction writers at work today. His prose is a delight from the first page * i *Wild Houses realises life in full and without pity... A palpable sense of human eccentricity, and endurance, is always there, just beneath the surface * Daily Telegraph *Until now, Colin Barrett has made his name as an artist of the short story… Wild Houses is a delight, with a wider space for his talent to spread and for his acutely observed characters to linger * Spectator *This strange and beautiful novel brings to life an entire world. Wild Houses is a book not just to read but to live inside -- Sally Rooney, author of Normal PeopleSharp and affecting, expansive and playful, Barrett has written a gorgeous novel filled with gorgeous sentences. A dream to read, and no doubt destined to be one of the novels of the year -- Michael Magee, author of Close to HomeColin Barrett quietly, insistently, writes so deeply into his characters you could reach out and touch them. Wild Houses is a gift of true storytelling and Barrett’s talent burns up the page -- Anne Enright, author of The Wren, The WrenVivid, controlled, very funny, and very moving - Barrett has the kind of pure writing chops that are vanishingly rare -- Kevin Barry, author of Night Boat to TangierFunny, engrossing, and told with masterful technique * Daily Mail *Wild Houses is a wonder of a novel - crackling with tension and gifted with fine, strong language. Colin Barrett is a superb storyteller, and this is a tale for the ages -- Jon McGregor, author of Reservoir 13
£15.29
HarperCollins Publishers Tracy Flick Cant Win
Book SynopsisSoon to be a major filmTracy Flick, star of Election and one of the most memorable characters of our time, returns in this dark and insightful comedy about midlife.Ambitious and hardworking Tracy Flick feels underappreciated and stuck. Her job as a high school assistant principal isn't the political career she dreamed of as an over-achieving teen, so when the longtime principal abruptly announces his retirement, offering a rare chance of promotion, Tracy is filled with zeal at the prospect of success.But nothing ever comes easily to Tracy Flick, no matter how diligent or qualified she happens to be. As she takes her shot at the top job, her male colleagues' determination to honour Vito Falcone, a star quarterback of dubious character, triggers troubling memories of her high school experience, and storm clouds brewing in her present her goals, career and relationships send Tracy spiralling.One of the great writers that we have today. I love this book' Harlan CobenEngrossing and mordanTrade Review‘Engrossing and mordantly funny’ People ‘Told with Perrotta’s piercing wit, wisdom, and exquisite insight into human folly, Tracy’s second act delivers acerbic insight about frustrated ambition’ Esquire ‘One of the great writers that we have today. I love this book’ Harlan Coben ‘This is the rare sequel that lives up to the original’ Publishers Weekly ‘Brilliant, biting satire’ Associated Press ‘Humorous yet humane . . . prescient, darkly comical’San Francisco Chronicle ‘Short chapters from many perspectives keep readers alternately laughing and gasping’ Los Angeles Times ‘Perrotta’s great gift is that he lets his love for his characters, flaws and all, shine through. . . . I was rooting hard for Tracy Flick to, finally, win’ Seattle Times
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co The Hypocrite
Book SynopsisWhat happens when we stop idolising the generations above us? Stop idolising our own parents?What happens when we become frightened of the generations below us? Frightened of our own children?The Aeolian islands, 2010. Sophia, on the cusp of adulthood, spends a long hot summer with her father in Sicily. There she falls in love for the first time. There she works as her father''s amanuensis, typing the novel he dictates, a story about sex and gender divides. There, their relationship fractures.London, Summer 2020. Sophia''s father, a 61-year-old novelist who does not feel himself to be a bad or outdated person sits in a large theatre, surrounded by strangers, watching his daughter''s first play. A play that takes that Sicilian holiday is its subject. A play that will force him to watch his purported crimes play out in front of him.
£17.09
HarperCollins Publishers Gold Rush
Book SynopsisAddictive writing wrapped up in a compelling page turner that makes you deeply think and feel' YOMI ADEGOKE''An incisive new voice in fiction'' COCO MELLORSWe give celebrities a power they don't deserve. Power they haven't earned. What happens when they exploit it?Imagine you've just spent the night with the most famous man on the planet. Except you don't quite remember it. That is what happens to Rose, a twenty-something woman who seemingly has everything going for her.Working for one of the most powerful news outlets in the country, Rose spends her days doing PR for glossy magazines. There are tedious spreadsheets, fashion divas, and many A-list parties. It's at one of those parties where she meets Milo Jax, the world-famous, globally adored, British pop sensation. An unlikely flirtation turns into an even more unlikely evening and then Rose wakes up, unable to piece it all together. What happens next changes everything.Gold Rush is a story about consent, celebrity culture, and tryin
£15.29
HarperCollins Publishers The Dubrovnik Book Club
Book Synopsis''The perfect summer escape, I adored it!' USA Today bestselling author Faith HoganIn a tiny bookshop in Dubrovnik's historic Old Town, a book club beginsNewly arrived on the sun-drenched shores of Croatia, Claire Thomson's life is about to change forever when she starts working at a local bookshop. With her cousin Vedran, employee Luna and Karmela, a professor, they form an unlikely book club.But when their first book club pick an engrossing cosy crime inspires them to embark upon an investigation that is close to the group's heart, they quickly learn the value of keeping their new-found friends close as lives and stories begin to entwineReaders can't get enough of The Dubrovnik Book Club:''Eva Glyn's writing gets better and better. I love this book.' USA Today bestseller Angela Petch ?????''Another beautiful book from Eva Glyn I absolutely loved it.' Kitty Wilson ?????''A warm, page-turning delight, full of believable and relateable characters who I didn''t want to leave.' Alexand
£9.49
Ultimo Press This Devastating Fever
Book SynopsisSometimes you need to go deep into the past, to make sense of the present. Alice had not expected to spend the first twenty years of the twenty-first century writing about Leonard Woolf. When she stood on Morell Bridge watching fireworks explode from the rooftops of Melbourne at the start of a new millennium, she had only two thoughts. One was: the fireworks are better in Sydney. The other was: was the world’s technology about to crash down around her? The world’s technology did not crash. But there were worse disasters to come: Environmental collapse. The return of fascism. Wars. A sexual reckoning. A plague. Uncertain of what to do she picks up an unfinished project and finds herself trapped with the ghosts of writers past. What began as a novel about a member of the Bloomsbury set, colonial administrator, publisher and husband of one the most famous English writers of the twentieth century becomes something else altogether. Complex, heartfelt, darkly funny and deeply moving, this is Sophie Cunningham’s most important book to date – a dazzlingly original novel about what it’s like to live through a time that feels like the end of days, and how we can find comfort and answers in the past. Trade Review‘This Devastating Fever is remarkable: a thrillingly original, deeply emotional exploration of the complex echoes of history set in the shadow of the looming catastrophe of the future. Sinuous, strange, utterly compelling, it is like no other book you’ll read this year.’ -- James Bradley, author of Ghost Species and The Resurrectionist‘Brilliant and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It draws on archived letters and diary entries and the edges of what is real and what is imagined are delightfully blurred. It’s sharply layered, clever and darkly, dryly hilarious.’ -- Eliza Henry-Jones, author of Salt and Skin and In the Quiet‘A book of big ideas that reads as a page turner. I was thrilled to keep returning to the page.’ -- Kate Mildenhall, author of Skylarking and The Mother Fault‘This Devastating Fever contains the joy and pain and terror of caring deeply for another living thing: whether a loved one whose mind is failing, or cicadas destined to be incinerated in the Black Summer fires. It is also about the need to read carefully, write carefully, and think carefully – about the past and how we respond to it, and about what we owe the dead, the living, and the future.’ * The Conversation *‘This Devastating Fever feels a bit like a blast from the past and in the best way possible.’ * The Urban List *‘I can honestly say this isn’t like any book I have ever read before, yet couldn’t put down.’ * RUSSH *‘This Devastating Fever is an extraordinary achievement.’ * Kill Your Darlings *
£8.54
Thomas Nelson Publishers Fragile Designs
Book SynopsisThere’s only one thing more dangerous than family secrets.Since her police-officer husband Eric’s mysterious murder, Carly Harris has been struggling to support herself and their infant son. Her career as an antique dealer isn’t sustainable, nor is her dream of becoming a novelist. So when her grandmother proposes she and her two sisters restore the family’s large Beaufort home and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast, she immediately gets to work clearing out the house. In the process, she uncovers a family secret that Eric kept hidden. And an heirloom that the wrong person wouldn’t hesitate to kill for.Homicide detective Lucas Bennett isn’t his neighbor’s biggest fan, not since she broke his brother’s heart years ago. But when Carly turns to Lucas for help, believing she’s found a lost Fabergé egg that would be worth millions and that could put her family’s lives in danger, he can’t
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co The Daughters of Madurai
Book Synopsis''Oh my goodness. If I could give this book 6 stars out of 5 I would'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''One of those books that will stay with me for years and decades to come...'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''Grabbed my heart and wouldn''t let go!'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''A joy to read'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐_____________________________________________________________A temple city in lush southern India, Madurai is bustling with pilgrims and steeped in history and tradition. Yet not all traditions should be upheld...1992. As a low-caste cleaner for a wealthy family, Janani''s duty has always been quiet obedience. Even at home, her mother-in-law''s word is law. Janani has never dared to dream of a different life. But now, she has something she''ll do anything to protect... even if it means losing everything she''s ever known.Trade ReviewExquisitely drawn, this book will pull you in from the first page. Nila and Janani's stories are delicately woven together and the sights, sounds and smells of India are so vivid. Heartrending but ultimately hopeful, this is a richly evocative and spellbinding book which will touch your soul. I raced through it as I was desperate to know what happens, but now I will return to read it more slowly and savour every word. * Veronica Henry *A haunting, powerful novel. * Thrity Umrigar *An absolutely beautiful debut about motherhood, family, friendship, and love. It tackles immensely difficult themes with such grace and tenderness. I can't wait to read more from Rajasree. * Jyoti Patel *A truly powerful story that remains with you long after the final word has been read. * GLAMOUR *Utterly devastating and quietly hopeful. * WOMAN'S OWN *This raw and moving debut packs a punch. * PLATINUM *Heart-breaking, emotional and thought-provoking... this book will stay with me for a long time. * Aliya Ali-Afzal, author of Would I Lie to You? *A captivating and riveting debut from an unforgettable new voice. * Louise O'Neill *Once read it is not easily forgotten. -- Fanny Blake * DAILY MAIL *Madurai is brought to life in vivid descriptions of ornate, colourful temples, hectic streets and delicious meals... You won't be able to put down this compelling novel. -- Elizabeth Archer * SUNDAY EXPRESS S MAGAZINE *THE DAUGHTERS OF MADURAI is an assured and accomplished debut about the courage of women. I cared deeply about the brave and loving Janani, fighting against misogyny and tradition to save her unborn child in India; I identified strongly with Australian Nila, raised in the diaspora, who is torn between culture and identity. It's a beautiful story, hauntingly written, and I look forward to more from Rajasree Variyar. * Julie Cohen *Powerful and important. * Karen Angelico *
£9.49
Faber & Faber Weirdo
Book SynopsisTHE DEBUT NOVEL FROM THE BESTSELLING AND AWARD-WINNING COMEDIAN, WRITER AND ACTOR SARA PASCOE''Moving and bittersweet and clever . . . I love it.'' EMMA JANE UNSWORTH''Hilarious and heartbreaking at every sentence.'' CARIAD LLOYD''Quietly profound and laughing-in-public funny.'' CAITLIN MORAN''A tragicomic masterpiece.'' DAISY BUCHANAN''A deep meditation on how it feels to be lost - in your relationship, your family, your job and even your own mind.'' ELIZABETH DAY''Funny and deeply relatable.'' GUARDIAN''A tremendously exciting voice.'' THE TIMES''An incredible read.'' AISLING BEA''I loved every page.'' NATHAN FILERI USED TO THINK MY MUM COULD SEE ME THROUGH THE CATDeep in Essex and her own thoughts, Sophie had a feeling something was going to happen and then it did. Chris has entered the pub and re-entered her life after Sophie had finally stopped thinking about him and regretting what she'd done.<
£14.24
Penguin Books Ltd The Half Moon
Book SynopsisThe story about a marriage in crisis that you will not be able to put down from the New York Times bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes A fearless writer'Lisa TaddeoCompelling, touching, exquisitely crafted . . . I adored this story'Liane Moriarty''Keane writes to the heart of the human heart. I could not put this book down''Miranda Cowley-Heller, author of The Paper PalaceA writer of extraordinary depth, feeling and wit'Meg Wolitzer, author of The Female PersuasionLuminous . . . She manages to find the extraordinary grace in our achingly ordinary world''New York Times''I fell in love with The Half Moon from the first page, and barely looked up until I''d finished.''Sara CollinsSuch a delicate story about the real heartbreaks of life'Claire Daverley, author of Talking at NightOne of our
£9.49
Bitter Lemon Press The Lover of No Fixed Abode
Book SynopsisThe month, November. Glittering worldliness and dubious shabbiness overlap, passion and suspicion intertwine in a three-day Venetian adventure, bookended by the arrival of a plane and the departure of a ship.It begins with a troubling encounter on a flight to Venice. She is an elegant Roman signora on the search for undervalued paintings and he a mysterious tour guide. She is invited to cosmopolitan parties by Venetian social and art glitterati. Mr. Silvera, a guide whose erudition and distinction are in sharp contrast with his beat-up suitcase and stain-spotted raincoat, drags his shabby tourists from monument to monument.Their passion will last three days, long enough to be exposed to unscrupulous art dealers and other scammers, passing off worthless paintings as part of a famous collection. Silvera seems to know every language and all secrets. But who is he really? Around them, the canals and lagoons of Venice, a city which becomes a character in the novel in its own right.'Doyens of the Italian detective story, Fruttero and Lucentini, offer a perfect blend of the comedy of manners and the macabre…' — Tim Parks, author of Hotel Milano'A labyrinth full of shapeshifting and ambiguity, sometimes sinister, often hilarious, for which Venice offers the perfect setting.' — Jonathan Keates, author of La Serenissima: The Story of Venice'An undiscovered gem, finally available in English...witty, moving and enthrallingly atmospheric.' — Philip Gwynne Jones, author of The Venetian Legacy
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Boy with the Star Tattoo
Book SynopsisFrom acclaimed author of The Third Daughter comes an epic historical novel of ingenuity and courage, of love and loss, spanning postwar France when Israeli agents roamed the countryside to rescue hidden Jewish orphans?to the 1969 daring escape of the Israeli boats of Cherbourg.1942: As the Vichy government hunts for Jews across France, Claudette Pelletier, a young and talented seamstress and lover of romance novels, falls in love with a Jewish man who seeks shelter at the château where she works. Their whirlwind and desperate romance before he must flee leaves her pregnant and terrified.When the Nazis invade the Free Zone shortly after the birth of her child, the disabled Claudette is forced to make a heartbreaking choice and escapes to Spain, leaving her baby in the care of his nursemaid. By the time Claudette is able to return years later, her son has disappeared. Unbeknown to his anguished mother, the boy has been rescued by a Youth Aliyah agent searching for Jewish orphans.1968: When Israeli naval officer Daniel Yarden recruits Sharon Bloomenthal for a secret naval operation in Cherbourg, France, he can?t imagine that he is the target of the agenda of the twenty-year-old grieving the recent loss of her fiancé in a drowned submarine. Sharon suspects that Danny''s past in Youth Aliyah may reflect that of her mysterious late mother and she sets out to track her boss?s extraordinary journey as an orphan in a quaint French village all the way to Israel.As Danny focuses on the future of his people and on executing a daring, crucial operation under France?s radar, he is unaware that the obsessed Sharon follows the breadcrumbs of clues across the country to find her answers. But she is wholly unprepared for the dilemma she must face upon solving the puzzle.
£10.44
Little, Brown & Company Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian,
Book SynopsisSummer vacation has arrived, so Masachika and Alya have some time to get closer and now she calls him by his first name! Plus, the student council goes on a trip: a private beach and summer festival fireworks set the mood. Swimsuits baring skin, dips in the hot spring, and a game of King really heat things up! What's going to happen in this place where all sorts of romantic situations are possible!?
£12.34
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Lost Book of Bonn
Book SynopsisUSA Today Bestseller For fans of The Rose Code and The Librarian Spy comes another literary themed historical novel from the author of The Librarian of Burned Books.Germany, 1946: Emmy Clarke is a librarian not a soldier. But that doesn?t stop the Library of Congress from sending her overseas to Germany to help the Monuments Men retrieve and catalog precious literature that was plundered by the Nazis. The Offenbach Archival Depot and its work may get less attention than returning art to its rightful owners, but for Emmy, who sees the personalized messages on the inside of the books and the notes in margins of pages, it feels just as important.On Emmy?s first day at work, she finds a poetry collection by Rainer Maria Rilke, and on the title page is a handwritten dedication: ?To Annelise, my brave Edelweiss Pirate.? Emmy is instantly intrigued by the story behind the dedication and becomes determined to figure out what happened.The hunt for the rightful owner of the book leads Emmy to two sisters, a horrific betrayal, and an extraordinary protest against the Nazis that was held in Berlin at the height of the war. Nearly a decade earlier, hundreds of brave women gathered in the streets after their Jewish husbands were detained by the Gestapo. Through freezing rain and RAF bombings, the women faced down certain death and did what so few others dared to do under the Third Reich. They said no.Emmy grapples with her own ghosts as she begins to wonder if she?s just chasing two more. What she finds instead is a powerful story of love, forgiveness, and courage that brings light to even the darkest of postwar days.
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Say Youll Be My Jaan
Book Synopsis''A warm, smart, sexy, and absolutely charming debut'' COLLEEN HOOVER, It Ends With Us-----Think of it like Tinder. Except your parents are the algorithmMeghna has tried everything to find her jaan: blind dates, the dreaded apps, even attempting conversations with strangers. Everything except arranged marriage.Then Seth, her best friend and the-one-who-got-away, asks her to be his best man and suddenly her parent''s taste doesn''t seem so bad. Which is how she meets the cranky but handsome Karthik, who knows marriage is not for him.They're the perfect match if not the one their parents think they are making and a deal is struck. They'll announce their engagement: Karthik will be excused from his mother's set-ups and Meghna will have a date for the wedding from her nightmares.But how can you fake it and get away with it, when you're not faking it at all?For fans of WEDDING SEASON, SAY YOU''LL BE MY JAAN is brimming with characters you can''t help but fall for, off-the-charts chemistry and all the joy of a 90s romcom as it takes a fresh look on that age old search for your other half.-----Everyone's falling hard for Say You'll Be My Jaan''The type of South Asian diaspora romance I've always wished for. Naina Kumar's debut is spectacular'' Nisha Sharma, Dating Dr. Dil''A fresh and charming story about finding love without losing yourself'' Linda Holmes, Evvie Drake Starts Over''This debut about love, culture, family, and friendship is absolutely irresistible?I didn't want to put it down'' Sarah Adler, Mrs. Nash's Ashes''An instant romance classic!'' Farah Heron, Accidentally Engaged''Stuffed to the brim with emotion, chemistry, and all the best microtropes'' Ava Wilder, Will They or Won't TheyTrade ReviewI couldn't put down this page-turner. A warm, smart, sexy, and absolutely charming debut with the most important lesson at its center: real love is built on courage. Meghna and Karthik happily ever after is the new When Harry met Sally. Naina Kumar's Just Pretend You will be my Jaan has it all -- Colleen Hoover, #1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us
£8.54
Amazon Publishing A Different Kind of Gone: A Novel
Book SynopsisThe truth behind a teenage girl’s disappearance becomes something to conceal in a gripping novel about justice, lies, and impossible choices by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde. When nineteen-year-old Jill Moss goes missing near the Utah-Arizona border, everyone has an opinion. Only Norma Gallagher, a search and rescue volunteer, knows the real story. Norma’s already found Jill, huddled in a cave and terrified that her abusive boyfriend, Jake, will kill her. If he ever sees her again. To protect Jill from a dangerous man, Norma quietly delivers the girl to her grateful parents in California, even though she’s conflicted. Keeping Jill safe and hidden from Jake, the press, and the public will be their secret. But secrets can’t last forever. Five years later, the disappearance stirs a new media frenzy when Jake is arrested for the murder of Jill Moss—and Norma knows he didn’t kill her. As Jake is about to stand trial, lust for retribution inflames public opinion and Jill’s family refuses to come forward, forcing Norma to make a life-changing decision. What are the consequences if she stays silent? And what are the risks if she dares to finally tell the truth?Trade Review“Prolific author Hyde raises thorny issues around domestic violence, examines the power of misplaced guilt, and illustrates the bonds of shared experience in her take on a ripped-from-the-headlines story. Her characteristic empathy is on full display…” —Booklist “In Catherine Ryan Hyde’s gripping novels, ordinary people become extraordinary because of their determination to do the right thing…No matter which Hyde book you read, life after that reading seems just a bit different, a bit more satisfying and a bit more hopeful.” —Bookreporter
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers Sweet Little Lies
Book SynopsisI was gripped' Louise Jensen, author of The FallTeenage girls can do some pretty awful thingsLexie and Amber used to share everything, especially their dream of getting out of their small-town home. Born only ten months apart, they once thought they couldn't be closer.THEY WERE WRONG.Fifteen years ago, Amber was brutally murdered in the woods, and Lexie's high-school boyfriend was sentenced to death for her killing. Lexie is still stuck in the town she dreamed she'd leave, and everyone thinks she knew more about the night of the killing than she told.PROBLEM IS, THEY'RE RIGHT.Now the execution is just days away, and the town has breathed a sigh of relief. But old secrets are finally being uncovered, and it's clear not everyone wants the truth to be told.AND TIME IS RUNNING OUTReaders are LOVING Sweet Little LiesGripped me from page one'Kept me on the edge of my seat'I would recommend to anyone'A must read'Keeps up the suspense right up until the very end'Trade Review Praise for Karin Nordin ‘A taut mystery: I was gripped’Louise Jensen, author of The Fall ‘Brooding and atmospheric – full of mystery and twists where nothing is quite as it seems’Catherine Cooper, author of The Chalet ‘A dark, atmospheric and compelling story!’Jackie Kabler, author of The Perfect Couple ‘Kept me gripped throughout and guessing right up to the end. A cracking thriller!’ Philippa East, author of Little White Lies ‘A gripping, race-against-the clock thriller that ratchets up the tension and keeps up the suspense right up until the very end.’ Diane Jeffrey, author of The Guilty Mother ‘Such a great thriller with superb characterization to boot’Khurrum Rahman, author of Homegrown Hero ‘Absolutely loved it!’Laure Van Rensburg, author of The Downfall ‘Dripping with atmosphere, this is a compelling, twisty story with a real heart of darkness. Nordin is back and better than ever!’Louise Mumford, author of The Hotel ‘Incredibly vivid… twists and turns around every corner’Steve Frech, author of Dark Hollows ‘Had me glued to my Kindle for most of the day’Jenny O’Brien, author of Silent Cry
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group This Strange Eventful History
Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024''[A] wise and insightful novel about identity and family'' The Times, Book of the Day''An epic family odyssey... Ambitious and compelling'' Guardian, Book of the Day''A rich, sprawling saga... This Strange Eventful History may be Messud''s finest book'' Sunday TelegraphJune 1940. As Paris falls to the Germans, Gaston Cassar - honorable servant of France, devoted husband and father, currently posted as naval attache in Salonica - bids farewell to his beloved wife, aunt and children, placing his faith in God that they will be reunited after the war. But escaping the violence of that cataclysm is not the same as emerging unscathed. The family will never again be whole.A work of breathtaking historical sweep and vivid psychological intimacy, This Strange Eventful History charts the Cassars'' unfolding story as its members move between Salon
£17.00
Random House Old Babes in the Wood
Book SynopsisMargaret Atwood is the author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry and critical essays. Her novels include Cat's Eye, The Robber Bride, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin and the MaddAddam trilogy. Her 1985 classic, The Handmaid's Tale, was followed in 2019 by a sequel, The Testaments, which was a global number one bestseller and shared the Booker Prize. Her most recent publications are the poetry collections Dearly and Paper Boat; Burning Questions, a selection of essays; and Old Babes in the Wood, a volume of short stories. Atwood is a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour, and has won numerous awards including the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Imagination in Service to Society, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. She has also worked as a cartoonist, illustrator, librettist, p
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Bad Apple
Book Synopsis''Bad Apple is a must-read for lovers of thrillers!' Reader Review, ?????''I tore through this edge-of-your-seat, up-all-night thrillerTimely and gripping, don''t miss this one.'' bestselling author Katy BrentTrusted officer. Family man. Monster?Becky Lawson's life has been shattered.When she discovered her husband, John a trusted policeman was a monster, she reported him. But her faith in the system was crushed when it didn''t lead to any charges or consequences.Now, John lives freely with a new girlfriend and her young daughter, while Becky battles guilt over missing the obvious signs.Determined for justice, Becky hunts him down. But John wants her silenced at any cost. Becky knows only one of them can survive, and she'll do anything to make sure it's her.Becky must tread carefully though, because John isn't the only bad apple lurking in the shadowsA gripping heart-in-mouth psychological thriller that asks: What would you do if you found out the man you loved was rotten to the co
£8.54
Atlantic Books My Nemesis
Book SynopsisTessa is a successful writer who develops a friendship, first by correspondence and then in person, with Charlie, a ruggedly handsome philosopher and scholar. Sparks fly as they exchange ideas about Camus and masculine desire, and their intellectual connection promises more - but there are obstacles to this burgeoning relationship.While Tessa's husband Milton enjoys Charlie's company, Charlie's wife Wah is a different case, and she proves to be both adversary and conundrum to Tessa. Wah's traditional femininity and subservience to her husband strike Tessa as weaknesses, and she scoffs at the sacrifices Wah makes as adoptive mother to a Burmese girl, Htet. But Wah has a kind of power too, especially over Charlie, and the conflict between the two women leads to Tessa's martini-fueled declaration that Wah is 'an insult to womankind.' As Tessa is forced to deal with the consequences of her outburst, she wonders if Wah is really as weak as she has seemed, or if she might have a different kind of strength altogether.An exercise in empathy, an exploration of betrayal and a charged story of the thrill of a shared connection - and the perils of feminine rivalry - My Nemesis is a brilliantly dramatic and captivating story from a hugely talented writer.Trade ReviewTaut, bristling and psychologically profound...Slimmer, punchier and more tightly wound [than her previous work], My Nemesis highlights her talent for capturing the minutiae of interpersonal drama. * The Economist *A compelling discourse around race, motherhood and marriage * Observer *Much of the power of this excitingly barbed book is Craig's complex portrait of a woman for whom rage is the default. A gin-drenched Valkyrie, Tessa weaponises her feminism with cruel aggression. She joins a line-up of fascinating female characters, each as unforgiving as they are unforgivable. * Financial Times *A blisteringly smart novel about feminism, identity and desire that refuses easy answers and will linger for a long time in my mind. -- Monica AliThe writing is biting and propulsive...This confident work is sure to spark conversations. * Publishers Weekly *A simple plot summary cannot capture the depth of Craig's treatment of such big themes as femininity and masculinity, motherhood and fatherhood, friendship and love...Craig offers an effective inquiry into the elusive nature of intimate relationships, whether they stem from love or hate. * Booklist *Charmaine Craig's brilliant anatomization of mid-life art, identity and infidelity shares in the intellectual grace and precision of its characters' philosophical pursuits, yet beneath the ruminative surface this book churns with desire and remorse. -- Jonathan Lethem, author of THE ARRESTI was bowled over by this brilliant narrative of desire, complicity and the limits of empathy. My Nemesis is a compact masterpiece in the confessional mode, one that reverberates long after the last page is turned. Bravo! -- Antoine Wilson, author of MOUTH TO MOUTHI devoured this sly, seething novel. So marvelously perceptive, so effortlessly elegant, it lays bare the horror of what husbands and wives expect of each other. My Nemesis is a pearl cultivated in justified rage. I loved it. -- Sarah Manguso, author of VERY COLD PEOPLEAs deeply empathic as it is thrillingly addictive, My Nemesis is a stunning and brave literary feat. Charmaine Craig's searing prose and complex vision challenges us to abandon the safety and certainty of our own perspectives. What begins as a novel of female rivalry quickly transforms into a profound spiritual meditation on the danger of our inability - or unwillingness - to imagine and dignify the inner life of the other. With luminous grace, Craig's writing is a testament to the transcendent power and peace possible when we dare to try. -- Fatima Farheen Mirza, author of A PLACE FOR USMy Nemesis is an exhilarating act of defiance, a novel that lights a match and sends the whole question of female characters' likability up in flames. Charmaine Craig is a writer unafraid of contradictions - at once elegant and unruly, cool yet searing - and here she's given us a fiercely philosophical novel that is also irresistibly, addictively readable. -- Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, author of LIKESA timely exposition of trust after trauma . . . In reimagining the extraordinary lives of her mother and grandparents, Craig produces some passages of exquisitely precise description * New York Times Book Review on MISS BURMA *Like many of the best books, Miss Burma feels rooted in its time and place, while also laying bare timeless questions of loyalty, infidelity, patriotism and identity - not to mention the globally perpetuated unfair treatment of women * Elle on MISS BURMA *[A] riveting account of the treacheries, fractures and courageous acts of wartime * BBC (10 Books to Read in May) on MISS BURMA *Charmaine Craig wields powerful and vivid prose to illuminate a country and a family trapped not only by war and revolution, but also by desire and loss. Both epic and intimate, Miss Burma is a compelling and disturbing trip through Burmese history and politics. -- Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of THE SYMPATHIZER on MISS BURMA
£8.54
Quercus Publishing A Fistful of Moonlight: New Fiction from Assam
Book Synopsis"Tender, terrifying, and heart-rending . . . A must read" GEETANJALI SHREE, author of International Booker Prize-winning Tomb of SandA Fistful of Moonlight is a collection of fourteen stories that explore love, identity, politics, fantasy and a fresh take on an age-old fairy tale, transporting readers into the heart of contemporary writing from Assam.A man is so fascinated by shoes that he sees the world through the lens of footwear. A daughter's forced death sparks generations of trauma until the family confront their curse. A young girl is liberated when she chops away her long tresses and along with them the pain of several identities. The oilfield disaster at Baghjan claims a life and a community struggles to make sense of their loss. Social taboos prevent a love match leaving emotional wounds that will last forever. A family's future is at risk when they are forced to leave their home yet again.UNTOLD is a writer development programme for marginalised writers in areas of conflict and post-conflict. These stories are the culmination of a literary project led by Untold and BEE Books in Kolkata, and include four stories by more established Assamese writers. A companion volume to My Pen is the Wing of a Bird: New Fiction by Afghan Women, it introduces new and diverse voices to audiences worldwide.Trade ReviewTender, terrifying, and heart-rending, these are soulful tales of loss and suffering. Of women and men overwhelmed by societal and State tyranny and the relentless fury of Nature and the Corporates. Shot through with an ominous gloom, occasionally heightened by black humour, the tales permit no looking away from the urgency of the situation. The English translation carries well the flavour and spirit of the Assamese original. A must read. -- Geetanjali Shree * author of International Booker Prize-winning TOMB OF SAND *
£10.80
Cornerstone The Twelve TopsyTurvy Very Messy Days of
Book SynopsisJAMES PATTERSON is one of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time. Among his creations are some of the world's most popular series including Alex Cross, the Women's Murder Club, Michael Bennett and the Private novels. He has written many other number one bestsellers including collaborations with President Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, stand-alone thrillers and non-fiction. James has donated millions in grants to independent bookshops and has been the most borrowed adult author in UK libraries for the past fourteen years in a row. He lives in Florida with his family.
£9.49
Faber & Faber Penance
Book SynopsisAn unmissable banger that you need to preorder immediately.' ALICE SLATERYou've never read anything like this.' JULIA ARMFIELDA meta-meditation on the mysteries, malice, and minutiae of adolescence.' TOM BENN''One of the summer's most talked-about books.'' SUNDAY TIMESDo you know what happened already? Did you know her? Did you see it on the internet? Did you listen to a podcast? Did the hosts make jokes?Did you see the pictures of the body? Did you look for them?It's been nearly a decade since the horrifying murder of sixteen-year-old Joan Wilson rocked Crow-on-Sea, and the events of that terrible night are now being published for the first time.That story is Penance, a dizzying feat of masterful storytelling, where Eliza Clark manoeuvres us through accounts from the inhabitants of this small seaside town. Placing us in the capable hands of journalist Alec Z. Carelli, Clark allows him to construct what he claims is the definitive account' of the murder and what led up to it. Built on hours of interviews with witnesses and family members, painstaking historical research, and most notably, correspondence with the killers themselves, the result is a riveting snapshot of lives rocked by tragedy, and a town left in turmoil.The only question is: how much of it is true?Deeply disturbing and hilarious.' IMOGEN CRIMP Insanely propulsive . . . She's a master of structure that Clark.' JENNY MUSTARDA GRANTA BEST OF YOUNG BRITISH NOVELIST 2023WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:This will no doubt be THE book of the summer. You need to pre-order this NOW.' @books.with.hanOnce again, Eliza Clark conjures her dark magic to pen something disturbing and addictive.' @mostardentlyaliceEliza's writing is pure brilliance and she captivates you with every page.' @zoreadsbooksTaking aim at our relationship with true crime, the brutality of teenage girls and classicism, it was easily my favourite read of 2023 so far.' @charlotte__reads_So cleverly written I am mind blown.' @jordslibraryEliza Clark is a genius.' @mydarkgrace**Eliza Clark''s incendiary debut, Boy Parts, is available now**
£13.49
Fingerprint! Publishing Les Misérables
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£35.16
Little, Brown Book Group The Friend
Book SynopsisA moving story of love, friendship, grief, healing, and the magical bond between a woman and her dog - now in a stunning new edition as part of Virago''s 50th anniversary Five Gold Reads seriesWINNER OF THE 2018 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD * A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD''A true delight: I genuinely fear I won''t read a better novel this year'' FINANCIAL TIMES''Loved this. A funny, moving examination of love, grief, and the uniqueness of dogs'' GRAHAM NORTON''Delicious'' SUNDAY TIMES 100 BEST SUMMER READSWhen a woman unexpectedly loses her lifelong best friend and mentor, she finds herself burdened with the unwanted dog he has left behind. Her own battle against grief is intensified by the mute suffering of the dog, a huge Great Dane, and by the threat of eviction: dogs are prohibited in her apartment building.Isolated from the rest of the woTrade ReviewA true delight: I genuinely fear I won't read a better novel this year * Financial Times *A beautiful book . . . crammed with a world of insight into death, grief, art, and love * Wall Street Journal *Very very clever. Mature. Entertaining. Eminently readable and re-readable. In short, absolutely delightful. * Irish Times *Delicious ... An intensely pleasurable read because it is so accessible, capacious and clever * Sunday Times *A pitch-perfect novel ... Wry and moving, The Friend is a love story, a mania story and a recovery story * Vanity Fair *Loved this. A funny, moving examination of love, grief, and the uniqueness of dogs * Graham Norton *A sneaky gut punch of a novel . . . a consummate example of the human-animal tale * Harper's Magazine *The book is an intimate, beautiful thing, deceptively slight at around 200 pages, but humming with insight . . . [an] artfully discursive meditation on friendship, love, death, solitude, canine companionship and the life of an aging writer in New York .. peppered with wry observations * The Economist *I loved it . . . It's one of my favourite books and it moved me * Whoopi Goldberg, The View *A poignant reflection on loss and companionship * Marie Claire *Often as funny as it is thoughtful, The Friend is an elegant meditation on grief, friendship, healing, and the bonds between humans and dogs * Buzzfeed *An elegant and darkly humorous meditation on grief and companionship, it's a great read - whether or not you're obsessed with canines * Shondaland.com *Charming ... the comedy here writes itself... The snap of her sentences sometimes puts me in mind of Rachel Cusk * New York Times *The contemplation of writing and the loss of integrity in our literary life form the heart of the novel . . . Nunez's prose itself comforts us. Her confident and direct style uplifts - the music in her sentences, her deep and varied intelligence. She addresses important ideas unpretentiously and offers wisdom for any aspiring writer who, as the narrator fears, may never know this dear, intelligent friend - or this world that is dying. But is it dying? Perhaps. But with The Friend, Nunez provides evidence that, for now, it survives * New York Times Book Review *In crystalline prose, Nunez creates an impressively controlled portrait of the 'exhaustion of mourning' * New Yorker *Astonishingly fresh and tinged with sadness . . . a highly entertaining, uplifting book exploring the magical bond between humans and canines. A must-read for dog-lovers. * The Lady *She has a wry compassion, and an eye for the kind of detail only grown-ups can catch. The books feel lived-in rather than hard-earned, the voice is smart and kind -- Anne Enright * The Times *
£9.99
Imperial War Museum Paid to Be Safe: IWM Wartime Classic
Book SynopsisWhen Singapore falls to Japan's Imperial army in early 1942, the life that Susan Sandyman has lovingly created abroad is shattered. Forced to flee home to the hamlets of southern England, she can either succumb to grief or find solace in war work. When a chance encounter with the elusive Air Transport Auxiliary pilots stirs a spark of excitement, Susan's decision is made. Based on the authors' own experiences with the ATA, Paid To Be Safe vividly captures the gruelling training and day-to-day life of female ferry pilots. To these women, the allure of the Spitfire is more than just the freedom to fly, but an invitation to start anew. Detailing their camaraderie, bravery and romantic encounters, this classic novel explores the depths of personal loss during conflict and the healing powers of love, family and friendship.
£8.54
Pan Macmillan Wife
Book Synopsis'Mendelson is a master of the literary monster' – The Sunday TimesWhen Zoe moves in with Penny, their relationship looks perfect; after all, everyone wants a wife. But this is the story of how love can become a disaster . . .Zoe Stamper, junior researcher in Ancient Greek Tragedy, meets fellow academic Dr Penny Cartwright at a faculty flute recital. Dr Cartwright seems impossibly glamorous to Zoe, who is, after all, several rungs down the academic pecking order - and a nervous ingénue as far as Penny’s sophisticated circle is concerned. But Penny leaves Zoe a cryptic note, and a passionate affair ensues.Once Penny confesses all to her live-in lover, Justine, their happiness seems assured. But there is something else Penny needs as badly in her life as Zoe’s adoration, and thus the beginning of their affair might also have signalled its end . . .Wife by Charlotte Mendelson is a beautifully observed
£17.09
HarperCollins Publishers Anna O
Book Synopsis*ANNA O THE WORLD WILL KNOW HER NAME*_______________________________________________**SELECTED AS THE TIMES THRILLER OF THE MONTH****AN OBSERVER THRILLER OF THE MONTH**''Reads like a dream but unsettles like a nightmare'' A J FINNA propulsive and inventive read' GUARDIAN''Superb . . . an ingenious whodunnit'' THE TIMES''Compelling and brilliantly crafted'' SUN''Utterly addictive'' LUCY CLARKECertain to be one of the year''s best thrillers' LEE CHILD''Will keep you turning pages well past your bedtime'' NITA PROSE''Remarkable . . . it deserves to be a breakout bestseller' DAILY MAIL''The twist is one of the best I've read'' DAVID BALDACCI ________________________________________________ANNA O HASN'T OPENED HER EYES FOR FOUR YEARSNot since the night she was found in a deep sleep by the bodies of her best friends, suspected of a chilling double murder.For Doctor Benedict Prince, a forensic psychologist on London's Harley Street, waking Anna O could be career-defining. As an expert in sleTrade Review‘This extraordinary story is perfect for fans of The Silent Patient’ CANDIS ‘An irresistible concept beautifully executed’ LEE CHILD ‘The twist is one of the best I’ve read’ DAVID BALDACCI ‘This extraordinary story is perfect for fans of The Silent Patient’ CANDIS ‘Will keep you turning pages well past your bedtime’ NITA PROSE ‘The premise is original, the writing stylish, and the payoff unforgettable’ A J FINN ‘Extremely entertaining and terribly twisty’ CECELIA AHERN ‘A natural-born storyteller’ JEFFERY DEAVER ‘Utterly addictive, fiendishly clever’ LUCY CLARKE ‘Incredibly atmospheric’ RAGNAR JONASSON ‘As unsettling as a waking dream’ STIG ABELL ‘WHAT a ride. Everyone needs to read this book’ CRESSIDA MCLAUGHLIN ‘The smartest thriller I’ve read in years’ EMILIA HART ‘A plot that keeps you guessing’ STEPHANIE WROBEL ‘Will compel you to read it in one white-knuckled gulp’ C J COOKE ‘Ingeniously plotted and impossible to put down’ SARAH J HARRIS 'An intricate psychological thriller' THE BOOKSELLER 'One game-changing twist after another' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 'Once you pick it up, there's no putting it down' KIRKUS 'The most talked about thriller of 2024' NBC's TODAY SHOW 'Brilliantly executed, packed with insight' DAILY MAIL 'A high-concept thriller' THE GLOSS 'Intriguing…A fascinating novel' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'A pacy thriller destined for the big screen' WOMAN & HOME 'One of the breakout hits of the year' BUSINESS POST 'So stylishly told' MEATH CHRONICLE 'Fresh and compelling…set to be a hit' ADELE PARKS FOR PLATINUM
£15.29
Cornerstone In Universes
Book Synopsis''An explosion of creative beauty and heart'' NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH, author of CHAIN-GANG ALL-STARS''Dazzling and inventive'' DANIELLE EVANS, author of THE OFFICE OF HISTORICAL CORRECTIONS''North''s ability to capture the essence of queer experiences with authenticity and empathy sets this work apart . . . tender and insightful'' GLAMOUR***Raffi is a physicist who spends their days removing stars from pictures of the night sky, dreaming about parallel universes. In this one, they're falling for a queer sculptor named Britt who they almost met when they were kids if only they'd had the courage to say hello.What if Raffi had said hello? The question catapults Raffi across alternate universes, each an answer to the question of what their life might be like if things had happened just a little differently.Each universe is beautiful and dangerous for Raffi. Where apocalyptic landscapes te
£15.29
Cornerstone On Green Dolphin Street
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Compelling . . . Faulks has become an international sensation' GUARDIAN'Performs like an elegant melody' OBSERVER'Tense and affecting . . . A modern epic' SPECTATORLife at the British Embassy in Washington in 1959 is awash with parties, martinis, jazz, and for Mary van der Linden, the kind of happiness she has always dreamt of. With her diplomat husband Charlie busy and the children off at boarding school, she feels listless until news reporter Frank Renzo enters their lives. And when Frank and Mary begin a torrid affair, their passion will force an impossible decision.Set between Washington, New York and Moscow, On Green Dolphin Street, is a masterful exploration of Cold War chaos, and devastating love.
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton Same Time Next Summer
Book Synopsis ''Pure summer sunshine'' BETH O''LEARY ''Everything I want in a summer romance'' CARLEY FORTUNE ''A delicious escape'' CLARE POOLEYOn paper, Sam''s life is on track. She has the perfect fiancé, a stable job, and has returned home to pick out a wedding venue near her family''s Long Island beach house. The last person she expects to see is Wyatt: her first love, and the man who broke her heart. As their irresistible spark comes rushing back, so do the memories of long nights spent in the treehouse - and of the summer that changed everything.As Sam starts to remember the girl she used to be, she must decide: is the life she''s created the one she wants? ***Readers love SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER . . .''The best kind of beach read'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review''Addictive'' ⭐⭐⭐Trade ReviewPure summer sunshine, perfectly capturing the bittersweetness of first love. I could hear the waves and feel the summer breeze as I read. Annabel Monaghan is such a beautiful writer, and this story just swept me away. * Beth O'Leary *An unforgettable love story. Packed with longing and bursting with the magic of first love, it's everything I want in a summer romance. I devoured it! * Carley Fortune *A delicious escape of a novel that makes you feel the sand between your toes, the salty breeze on your skin and the unforgettable ache of first love in your heart. I adored it * Clare Pooley *It's rare to find such a genuinely escapist, assured romantic comedy. Sam and Wyatt kept drawing me back every time I put the book down, and I'm sure they'll make perfect poolside companions for lots of readers this summer * Niamh Hargan *Monaghan once again seduces us with a heart-thumping love story, authentic characters, and vivid descriptions that leave you with an ache in your chest and sand between your toes. By now, we will read anything Monaghan writes * Heat *Is there anything better than an oceanfront novel about the enduring power of summer love? . . . Same Time Next Summer has it all: beachfront parties, complex characters, and hearts that won't be silenced. I loved this fun, heartfelt book * Amanda Eyre Ward *Gorgeous . . . the definition of a perfect beach read * Falon Ballard *My favourite book of the summer . . . beautifully written, full of delightful characters, and kept me feeling nostalgic for that fizzy, all-consuming intensity of first love. I absolutely adored it * Lacie Waldon *A gorgeously rendered tale of love, self-discovery, and the experiences - and people - that define our lives . . . wrapped me in a nostalgic blanket of heart-melting romance warmer than a beach-side vacation. This is second chance romance at its absolute finest * Angie Hockman *This effervescent novel is perfect for anyone who's ever wished they could bottle up the magic of their first summer romance * Christina Clancy *Annabel Monaghan has worked her alchemy again: with heart, humour, and the trademark wit that gives her writing a sophisticated zing, she's spun an irresistibly evocative tale * Karen Dukess *Every word of Same Time Next Summer draws you in, affecting on a deep, emotional level. Prepare for a journey through unforgettable first love, its marriage to music, and the wit and charm that make Monaghan's books fresh and original . . . a tale rich and heartfelt * Rochelle Weinstein *Captured my heart * Country Living *The ultimate beach read, this heartfelt and romantic story will transport you to a place filled with ocean breezes and the crash of waves * Reader’s Digest *A masterful romance . . . Monaghan nails the second-chance romance trope, allowing the love between her leads to rekindle slowly as they forge a satisfying path to forgiveness. This is a knockout * Publishers Weekly *Such a beautiful and evocative beachside romance - a perfect summer read! * MyWeekly *Effortlessly witty and charming . . . captures the nostalgic headiness of first love, and poses the question: what if the life you think you want - even the person you think you are - is in fact entirely wrong for you? . . . a slice of sophisticated, sun-soaked, engaging escapism * Book(ish) *This cute summer read will whisk you away * Sun on Sunday’s Fabulous Magazine *A fan of Beth O'Leary? We're sure you'll be a fan of Annabel's novel too * Belfast Telegraph *Such a beautiful and evocative beachside romance - a perfect summer read! * MyWeekly *Nostalgic * Press Association *It's rare to find a romantic comedy so genuinely escapist and assured as this one. Sam and Wyatt drew me back every time I put the book down, and I'm sure they'll make perfect poolside companions for tons of readers this summer * Niamh Hargan *
£9.99
