Contemporary fiction titles are those which focus on the present or near past. Stories rooted in the current cultural, social, and political landscape which feature characters we can all recognise.
Contemporary Fiction Books
Penguin Books Ltd The Best Way to Bury Your Husband
Book Synopsis''I loved loved loved this book!'' CHRISTINA RICCI Poignant and funny, dark and searing' ANDREA MARA''A darkly comedic story . . . I loved it'' JESSE SUTANTO ''Perfect for those who like feminism with their dead bodies'' JULIE COHEN''Tense, funny, moving and strangely cosy'' HOLLY BOURNE---Four new friends. Four dead bodies. One big problem . . .Sally never meant to cave her husband''s head in with a skillet. Or at least she didn''t until suddenly, she did.But Sally isn''t the only woman in town being pushed to breaking point. When coincidence brings four strangers together, a surprising solidarity is formed.So can they find the best way to bury their husbands - and get away with it?Darkly funny and with a big beating heart, The Best Way to Bury Your Husband is an irresistible page-turner about the power of female friendship.
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd Kallocain
Book SynopsisA pioneering work of dystopian fiction from one of Sweden''s most acclaimed writersWritten midway between Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four, as the terrible events of the Second World War were unfolding, Kallocain depicts a totalitarian ''World State'' which seeks to crush the individual entirely. In this desolate, paranoid landscape of ''police eyes'' and ''police ears'', the obedient citizen and middle-ranking scientist Leo Kall discovers a drug that will force anyone who takes it to tell the truth. But can private thought really be obliterated? Karin Boye''s chilling novel of creeping alienation shows the dangers of acquiescence and the power of resistance, no matter how futile.Translated with an introduction by David McDuffTrade ReviewThe woman who reimagined the dystopian novel -- Talya Zax * The New Yorker *
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd The God of Good Looks
Book SynopsisSometimes you need to clash to make an impact.Bianca Bridge is like an eyeshadow palette. She''s a vibrant kaleidoscope of big personality and even bigger dreams, with a tendency towards messiness and fallout. Case in point: ruining her career prospects and hopes of becoming a writer by having an affair with a married government minister.Fiercely confident and uncompromising, her tyrannical new boss Obadiah Cortland - makeup artist and legend in Trinidad''s beauty scene - is like a statement red lipstick. ''The God of Good Looks'' is a facade he has perfected over years of slipping through the island''s rigid class barriers, and he knows as well as Bianca that the tiniest smudge can ruin your image.When Bianca''s ex threatens both their futures, this clashing combination must find a way to work together to save everything they care about. But might they actually bring out the best in each other?Sparkling, big-hearted andTrade ReviewBianca Bridge is a heroine to root for ... A punchy romance with plenty to say about Caribbean class, poverty and sexism * Observer *A glittering will-they, won't-they Bridget Jones re-boot * Nikki May, author of Wahala *I loved it * India Knight, Sunday Times Style *A will-they-won't-they tension ensues as Mc Ivor uses the metaphor of make-up (there's an awful lot of it) to examine privilege, corruption and truth. It's wickedly funny ... Bianca is a hugely endearing heroine * Daily Mail *McIvor shines in this pitch-perfect narrative of power imbalances ... McIvor combines tight plotting and strong character development ... This makes for a winning story of comeuppance * Publishers Weekly *Likened to Bridget Jones.... It does have that same kind of wonderfully comic voice, as well as a protagonist to adore and root for * Anna Bonnet, Three Books to Read in June *After an affair with a married government official ruins her prospects of becoming a writer, Bianca takes a job with an infamous make-up artist in this warm, Trinidad-set novel * The i Paper, Best Books to Read in June *Mc Ivor uses Bianca's attempt to rebuild her life to examine issues surrounding the beauty industry and the poverty, violence and corruption blighting life in Trinidad . . . There's lots to enjoy, particularly a more authentic picture of Caribbean life than the postcard fantasy * The Times *Part feminist tract, part love letter to an island . . . A self-aware, modern, female-centered novel out of Trinidad which breaks new ground * Monique Roffey, author of Costa Book of the Year, The Mermaid of Black Conch *
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing
Book SynopsisGenerous-hearted and wickedly insightful, The Girls'' Guide to Hunting and Fishing is the New York Times bestselling novel by Melissa Bank and part of the Penguin Essentials, a series which spotlights the very best of our modern classics The Girls'' Guide to Hunting and Fishing maps the progress of Jane Rosenal as she sets out on a personal and spirited expedition through the perilous terrain of sex, love, relationships, and the treacherous waters of the workplace. Soon Jane is swept off her feet by an older man and into a Fitzgeraldesque whirl of cocktail parties, country houses, and rules that were made to be broken, but comes to realise that it''s a world where the stakes are much too high for comfort. With an unforgettable comic touch, Bank skilfully teases out universal issues, puts a clever new spin on the mating dance, and captures in perfect pitch what it''s like to come of age as a young woman.''This chronicle of a New Yorker'Trade ReviewBeautifully written and very funny. . . as with Salinger and Carver, there is crystalline simplicity to Bank's prose * Guardian *I read the first chapter and thought, 'Wait, I know this girl' . . . I realized she was my friend . . . she made me laugh, she made me weep, and when I closed the book at the end of the day, I knew I'd never forget her -- Ruth OzekiCharming and funny * New York Times *A smart, ruefully funny chronicle of a modern young woman's search for love . . . a model of well-crafted narrative building to a thoughtful, hopeful conclusion. Bank has created a delightful heroine who deserves her happy ending-even though any reader who has really been paying attention to the sharp, unsentimental details knows that all happy endings are provisional * Kirkus *One marvels at Bank's assured control of her material, her witty, distinctive voice and her ability to find comedy, pathos and drama in ordinary lives . . . phenomenally good * Publishers Weekly *This chronicle of a New Yorker's relationships has a wit and perceptiveness that singles it out from the crowd * Guardian *As hilarious as Girls' Guide is, there's a wise, serious core here * Wall Street Journal *A sexy, pour-your-heart-out, champagne tingle of a read-thoughtful, wise, and tell-all honest. Bank's is a voice that you'll remember * Cosmopolitan *Bank writes like John Cheever, but funnier * Los Angeles Times *
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd Glorious Exploits
Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2024WINNER OF THE BOLLINGER EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZE FOR COMIC FICTION 2024SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION 2024LONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS'' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2025A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIMEA BBC2 BETWEEN THE COVERS PICKPICKED AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN, THE INDEPENDENT, THE IRISH TIMES, THE FINANCIAL TIMES AND THE TLSOne of the most original and brilliant debuts in years' Irish TimesBold and totally unexpected ... I was hooked from the first page' Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie BainBrilliant ... Hilarious, moving, and profound' R. F. Kuang, author of Yellowface***Ancient Sicily. Enter GELON: visionary, dreamer, theatre lover. Enter LAMPO: feckless, jobless, in need of a distraction.Imprisoned in the quarries of Syracuse, thousands of defeated Athenians hang on by the thinnest of threads.They're fading in the baking heat, but not everything is lost: they can still recite lines from Greek tragedy when tempted by Lampo and Gelon with goatskins of wine and scraps of food.And so an idea is born. Because, after all, you can hate the invaders but still love their poetry.It's audacious. It might even be dangerous. But like all the best things in life love, friendship, art itself it will reveal the very worst, and the very best, of what humans are capable of.What could possibly go wrong?***Fierce, funny, fast-paced Brings the ancient world roaring to life' Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone TheatreLove, war, poetry, reckless ambition, terrible failure, and glorious triumph A delicious treat of a read. I loved it' Jon McGregor, author of Lean Fall StandSunday Times bestseller, August 2024Trade ReviewBold and totally unexpected, I loved this book. A brilliant novel about friendship, the healing power of art, and why we must fight for our dreams. I was hooked from the first page * Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain *In At Swims-Two-Birds, Flann O'Brien gave us cowboys riding through Dublin. Now, Ferdia Lennon gives us modern-day Dubliners living among the ancient Greeks. This is a very special, very clever, very entertaining novel * Roddy Doyle *As thrilling for me as the first time I picked up a Kevin Barry novel. Glorious Exploits is exuberant, funny, lyrical and profoundly moving. It is, quite simply, a rare beauty * Sarah Winman, author of Still Life *Glorious Exploits stinks of misery, despair, love, war, poetry, reckless ambition, terrible failure, and glorious triumph. It’s a novel thick with the stuff of the Classics, in other words. A delicious treat of a read. I loved it * Jon McGregor *With all the blunt humanity of Roddy Doyle, Glorious Exploits is a vividly conjured vision of the past. Madly ambitious, cathartic like all great tragedy, but shockingly funny too, Ferdia Lennon's outstandingly original début is just glorious * Emma Donoghue, author of Room *What a voice! What a story! A darkly funny double act from Lampo and Gelon, sandwiched in between the transformative experience of theatre and forgiving your enemies. I loved it from the first line * Claire Fuller *Sublime. Pitch-perfect dialogue, a fast-moving story that is both dark and lyrically beautiful, tragic and funny in equal measure. Glorious Exploits is an astonishingly original and gripping story of brotherhood, war and art. Ferdia Lennon is a fierce new talent * Rebecca Stott, author of In the Days of Rain *A glorious thunderbastard, with a unique, stark voice that is expertly drawn. It is cheeky, contemplative and sly with an outrageous sense of humour and a massive heart. Lennon beats you with a club then whispers you poetry. It is harsh and fun in a way that few other books are ... A book like this is long overdue and very welcome. Thank the Gods. * Rory Gleeson, author of Rockadoon Shore *Glorious Exploits is an agonising exploration of the cost of violence, for both its winners and losers. It is also a reminder of how dangerous and radical the making of art can be, as the attempt to stage Medea with prisoners-of-war in 412 BC comes to represent war's opposite. This perfect first novel is a tragicomic masterpiece. Ferdia Lennon has created a story worthy of the Athenians: mortal, maddening, heart-mending * Clare Pollard, author of Delphi *What a truly magnificent novel this is: in turns riotous, brutal and deeply affecting. I am in no doubt that Ferdia Lennon is the real deal. His captivating storytelling resonates with all the beauty of Euripides' plays. * Imogen Hermes Gowar, author of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock *Contemporary yet classical, vulnerable yet self-assured, a beautiful story about the very power of storytelling * Santanu Bhattacharya, author of One Small Voice *Funny, thoughtful, moving, brilliant * Nick Laird, Irish Sunday Independent *I loved this book. Fierce, funny, fast-paced. Glorious Exploits brings the ancient world roaring to life in a brilliantly non-stuffy way - as if the figures on a Greek vase turned round, offered you wine, and started chatting. Thoroughly enjoyable, occasionally brutal, and shot through with insight, pathos and hope. Reminiscent of Kevin Barry and George Saunders, but wholly original - an unforgettable debut * Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone Theatre *Lennon brings ancient Sicily to life with humor and pathos in his stunning debut . . . Lampo’s crackling modern vernacular adds just the right amount of levity . . . Lennon’s vital tale captivates * Publishers Weekly *Lennon’s distinctly modern voice adds levity and wit to this highly recommended narrative about the tragic aftermath of war and the tragic beauty of the human condition * Library Journal *Lennon evokes a time when it was common to relish and revere the art of Homer’s poetry and Euripides’ drama. Those with that appetite today are fortunate to have Madeline Miller, Emily Wilson, Pat Barker, and recently James Hynes’ Sparrow. And Lennon. An entertaining and impressive debut * Kirkus Starred Review *A truly original, blackly comic novel * Sunday Independent *A highly entertaining story from a brilliant new voice * The Gloss *Gorgeous * Guardian *At once charming and convincingly gritty. The logistics are riveting enough but Lennon takes them to a conclusion that will move you profoundly, in several directions all at once * Mail on Sunday *A blinder of a book, narrated by Lampo in a modern Irish vernacular with all the wit to match. In fewer than 300 pages it also manages to pack in a heap of ideas – about war and art, brotherhood and community, love and loss. A true gem * inews, The Best New Books to Read in January 2024 *'The debut novelist to watch ... Remarkable ... This debut is entertaining, vivid, original – and has a huge amount of fun turning the genre on its head ... The premise is irresistible ... Terrific ... A novel to be gulped down' * The i *This larky, spirited caper feels like a blast and a breeze ... A delight, both for the originality of its conception and its willingness to pursue such an eccentric idea to its logical conclusion’ * Sunday Times *Quirkily original ... A tragi-comedy, in homage to Euripides, it is simultaneously shocking, touching, and thought-provoking ... Recounted in a lively Irish brogue, Glorious Exploits has brio and brass neck * The Herald *Immensely likeable ... Raucously funny ... The writing is beautifully controlled * The Observer *Very funny ... Lennon is good on the art of direction. He is good, too, on historical contingency * Times Literary Supplement *Wonderfully odd, riotously funny ... This superb novel builds to a page-turning crescendo that evokes the great tragedy the men stage' * Booklist *Engrossing, surprising ... He writes with a wit and an enchantment that very seldom waver ... Expect to encounter a heartfelt, convincing, poetically rendered world [which Lennon has conjured from] the ocean of his own defiantly original sensibility * Literary Review *
£999.99
Penguin Random House Children's UK Nation
Book SynopsisWidely thought of as the best book Terry Pratchett ever wrote, this is a story of a Nation, a story of a friendship, a story of growing up and the truths we must learn. It is epic in every sense . . .Prepare for the world to be turned upside down . . .For Mau, halfway between boy and man, it happens when a great wave destroys his entire village. For Daphne, it's when the same wave crashes her ship into the island that was once Mau's home. Everything they once had is now so far away, lost to distance and time.But when Daphne stops trying to shoot Mau (she did apologise for it), and instead uses a salvaged invitation card to invite him to tea, they discover a new home can be theirs.And then people start arriving on the island some very good, some very bad. And it's soon clear that Daphne and Mau must fight for their Nation.Then a discovery is made that will change the entire world forever . . .Trade ReviewSurely in some corner of the multiverse, there is a civilization based on the thinking of Terry Pratchett. And what a civilized corner of the universe that must be. -- Frank Cottrell-Boyce
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd Zazie in the Metro
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£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Vilhelms Room
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£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd The Fall
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£9.99
Penguin Books Ltd The Imitation of the Rose Clarice Lispector
Book SynopsisLittle Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world''s greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-SmithThirteen short tales from one of the most blistering and innovative writers of the twentieth century.The small incidents of life become moments of inner revelation in the luminous writing of Clarice Lispector. A woman contemplating a vase of roses after a nervous breakdown; a tangled mother-daughter relationship; a man''s abandonment of a dog; an animal in a zoo: each one leads to mystery and self-discovery, delight and devastation.
£9.99
Penguin Books Ltd Corey Fah Does Social Mobility
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD 2024LONGLISTED FOR THE NOTA BENE PRIZE 2024The radical, joyful follow-up to the Goldsmiths Prize-winning Sterling Karat Gold.This is the story of Corey Fah, a writer on the cusp of a windfall, courtesy of the Social Evils prize committee, for whom the actual gong - and with it the prize money - remains tantalizingly out of reach.Neon beige, with UFO-like qualities, the elusive trophy leads Corey, with partner Drew and surprise eight-legged companion Bambi Pavok, on a spectacular detour through their childhood in the Forest - via an unlikely stint on reality TV. Navigating those twin horrors, through wormholes and time loops, Corey learns - the hard way - the difference between a prize and a gift.Both radiant and revolutionary, Isabel Waidner''s fiction gleefully takes a hammer to false binaries, boundaries and borders, turning walls into bridges and words into wings. Fierce, fluid andTrade Review[The] writer everyone is talking about . . . and deservedly so . . . Their explosive sensibility and style are as far removed from mediocre prose and middle-class manners as you can imagine -- Bernardine EvaristoBuckle up! Corey Fah Does Social Mobility is a head-spinning, mind-bending roller coaster of fun, horror, and subversion. I love it -- Kamila ShamsieThe fantastical and the familiar merge in this energetic inquiry into class politics and cultural capital . . . Since their debut novel, Gaudy Bauble, in 2017, Waidner's writing has been admired for its remarkable innovation, unflinching political vision, vivid language and, frankly, hilarious charm . . . It is tempting to predict that this book, which gives a whole new dimension to the idea of the zeitgeist . . . will see Waidner step on to the podium once more -- Lara Pawson * Guardian *With each book, they get better and better. Corey Fah Does Social Mobility is that rare thing: An authentically radical novel that is joyful and hilarious -- Merve EmreA radical, rebellious novel . . . [Waidner] brings a fresh lens to our troubled world . . . A biting, state of the nation work that raises the profile of civilisation's appointed underdogs and challenges the status quo of binary consciousness . . . bold, feisty work -- Em Strang * Observer *[It is] rare to find a novel with real stylistic and political ambition -- Zadie Smith * Guardian *[A] sprightly novel . . . [Waidner] mischievously challenges received notions of social mobility -- Ellen Peirson-Hagger * The New Statesman *Filled with wickedly sharp commentary and well-aimed digs at hypocrisy and injustice . . . Waidner's idiosyncratic prose [paints] terrifying, transcendent and topsy-turvy images . . . Corey Fah Does Social Mobility is, perhaps surprisingly, both sentimental and optimistic in its depiction of love (for ourselves and those around us) as a radical act -- Alice Wadsworth * The Times Literary Supplement *It's beginning to look like there's nothing the immensely talented Waidner can't do * Kirkus (starred review) *Waidner's original prose spins fantastical imagery with social commentary * Frieze *A dazzlingly original satirical novel about a writer on the edge of glory but struggling to get their hands on the prize * Harper's Bazaar *Waidner gifts us with another wild and radical tale * Hero 'Essential Reading' *A bitingly sharp social satire * Marie Claire *
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd As Young as This
Book Synopsis''This debut novel about womanhood and expectations will be one of the most exciting of the year'' INDEPENDENT, the best fiction books to read in 2024''A young woman''s life, told through the men she has dated. With glorious attention to detail and emotional fluency, Dunn charts the ways in which we are built and broken by love'' PANDORA SYKES***An irresistible and achingly relatable debut novel for anyone who has ever had to let go of what they thought their life would look like and open themselves up to the dizzying possibilities of chance.Elliot. Joe. Tommy. Nathanael. Wren. Oliver. Malik. Zach. Frank. Patrick. Noah. These are the men Margot has loved, liked, lusted over.Since she was seventeen, she's pictured them like stepping stones each one bringing her closer to finding someone to share her life with and, eventually, father the children she's always imagined in her future.From her first sexual encounter, t
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd As Young as This
Book SynopsisOne for Dolly Alderton fans' The TimesGirl meets boy. Girl meets another boy. And another boy. And another. But this is not their story, it's Margot's. ****Boyfriend. House. Marriage. Kids. This is how Margot pictured her life would play out. But seventeen years after her first kiss, she still keeps falling at the first hurdle.So she's about to take a different kind of leap. As Margot prepares to make the biggest decision of her life, she can't help looking back on the relationships that shaped her. From situationships that sizzled to others that fizzled, from youthful infatuations to grown-up dilemmas, to the one she thought might be her happily ever after. What would you do if the life you'd always imagined for yourself didn't materialize? Would you keep to the script, or would you write a new one?With glorious attention to detail and emotional fluency, Dunn charts the ways in which we are built and broken by love'' Pandora SykesAn achingly relatable novel about the dreams we have for our lives, and what happens when we open ourselves up to letting them go' Harper''s Bazaar
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Great Japanese Stories
Book SynopsisA captivating selection of short stories in the original Japanese alongside their English translationsThis new dual-language edition of ten stories selected from The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories celebrates some of the very best Japanese literature from the past hundred years. Each story appears in the original Japanese alongside an expert English translation, providing unique cultural insight and literary inspiration for language learners. Ranging from a witty send-up of modern social graces to a powerful evocation of the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, this remarkable collection includes works from beloved authors Abe Akira, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Betsuyaku Minoru, Hoshi Shin''ichi, Kawakami Mieko, Kono Taeko, Murakami Haruki, Oba Minako, Ota Yoko and Uchida Hyakken.
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Mrs Quinns Rise to Fame
Book SynopsisMrs Quinn is the unlikely star of Britain''s favourite baking show, but could her newfound stardom cause her biggest secret to unravel?''As delicious and comforting as a freshly baked sponge. A most, heartwarming story and delightful debut'' Ruth Jones, bestselling author of Love UntoldCalling all Great British Baking Show fans: this charming novel will fill the cake-shaped hole in your heart with the kind of feel-good suspense we love from the likes of Paul Hollywood' Good Housekeeping ----Jennifer Quinn has a secret. Her love of baking has just won her a spot as a contestant on a primetime TV show. It''s only the second time in fifty-nine years that she''s kept something from her beloved husband Bernard.She''s about to be whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras, timed challenges and celebrity judges. She could be in with a chance of being crowned the best baker in Britain.
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd Cotton Comes to Harlem
Book Synopsis''The new crime and espionage series from Penguin Classics makes for a mouth-watering prospect'' Daily TelegraphA con-man is swindling the poor folk of Harlem out of their life savings - and now all hell''s broken loose.The ''Reverend'' Deke O''Malley has just made $87,000 by duping his followers, only for white gunmen to hijack the rally and escape with the cash hidden inside a bale of cotton. Now ace detectives Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson must get the good people of Harlem their money back by any means necessary, in a raucous, breakneck adventure involving double-crosses, exotic dancers, a racist colonel and a whole pile of bodies...Trade ReviewThe greatest find in American crime fiction since Raymond Chandler. * Sunday Times *A bawdy, brazen rollercoaster of a novel . . . the wildest. * New York Times Book Review *Chester Himes is one of the towering figures of the black literary tradition. His command of nuances of character and dynamics of plot is preeminent among writers of crime fiction. He is a master craftsman. -- Henry Louis Gates, Jr.A fantasia with a hard brilliant core. * Evening Standard *A fine crime writer ... in a vein of sheer toughness very much his own. * The Times *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Things Dont Break On Their Own
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£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd Beautiful Days
Book SynopsisA BOOK OF THE YEAR choice in the New Yorker, Washington Post and Electric LitDeeply uncanny and hauntingly resonant strange stories about modern America, for fans of George Saunders, Mariana Enriquez and Shirley Jackson''One of 2024's superlative debuts - this writer's got talent to burn'' Washington Post''These stories will change you'' Jonathan Safran Foer A young family is trapped in a time loop in an idyllic holiday cabin. A middle-aged man becomes convinced that his disappointing son is an impostor. Two brothers take a midnight ride in a golf cart and run into trouble. The elderly tour guide at an alien contact site loses control of his guests. Meanwhile, all around them, America is dissolving, fragmenting, distorting beyond recognition. The antiheroes of Beautiful Days are chronic underachievers: men lost in their own lives and plagued by loneliness, self-doubt, suppressed rage. When the worst happens, they take to the road crossing the wilderness in stolen cars, riding trains to the end of the line, or cruising along ruined monorails as the skyline burns. Zach Williams'' stories are haunted by the ghosts of America its lost illusions, its dark aspirations, its boundless, disquieting potential. They leak through the fabric of reality and out into the void beyond. And they reach, ever-hopeful, toward a moment of connection that might pull a body back from the brink.
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd Famous Last Words
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£999.99
Penguin Books Ltd Quicksand
Book Synopsis''The overlooked American writer who blows apart modern thinking on race'' TelegraphBorn to a Danish mother and a West Indian father, Helga Crane has long had to fend for herself as a mixed-race woman in the Deep South of 1920's America. She moves to Harlem and then to Copenhagen in her search for a sense of belonging and acceptance, but wherever she goes, she cannot escape the perceptions and prejudices of others. One of the finest works of the Harlem Renaissance, Nella Larsen's semi-autobiographical first novel is a powerful portrayal of one woman's fractured inner life.
£7.59
Penguin Books Ltd Payment Deferred
Book SynopsisDiscover the new Penguin Crime and Espionage seriesThere is nothing more dangerous than a desperate manBank clerk William Marble is facing financial ruin - until a visit from a wealthy young relative, a bottle of Cyanide and a shovel offer him an unexpected solution. But there is no such thing as the perfect murder. Gradually Marble becomes poisoned by guilt and fear, and his entire family corrupted. Sooner or later his deed will catch up with him, as events spiral out of control in the most unpredictable of ways...Trade ReviewThe unsung godfather of English noir. -- Andrew TaylorCompelling. * Sunday Times *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Ways of Sunlight
Book Synopsis''A delightful book, a pleasure to read and reflect over afterwards ... for humour, sprightliness and downright exuberance at being alive'' Sunday Times''You could be lonely as hell in the city, then one day you look around you and you realise everybody else is lonely too''This irresistible, bittersweet collection of short stories from the supreme chronicler of West Indian lives in Britain brings together two worlds: Trinidad and London. Here is an illicit love affair on a plantation, gossip and rivalry between village washerwomen, a boy rebelling against his parents'' traditions. Here too is life after leaving for England: hustling for work, eking out money for the gas meter in winter, dancing in clubs, discovering romance in a night-time park, experiencing unexpected kindness, dreams and disenchantment.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Grow Where They Fall
Book Synopsis''Michael Donkor is a real talent'' SARAH WINMAN, author of Still Life''Hugely enjoyable and very moving, Donkor''s frank, clear-eyed and funny prose is so refreshing - an important voice in contemporary British fiction'' DIANA EVANS, author of Ordinary PeopleBright and precocious ten-year-old Kwame Akromah knows how to behave. He knows the importance of good manners, how to stay at the top of the class and out of the way when his mother and father are angry with each other. But when his charismatic cousin Yaw arrives from Ghana to live with the family while he looks for work, the rules Kwame has learned about the world can no longer guide him.Twenty years later, Kwame is a secondary-school teacher, popular with his students and depended on by his friends. His is a life spent elegantly weaving between the classroom, the labyrinth of Grindr politics and increasingly intermittent visits to his parents' home. Behind the confident façade, however, he is as driven by caution as he was as a boy.But when electrifying changemaker Marcus Felix is appointed as headteacher, Kwame must reckon with himself as he never has before. Can he face the ghosts of his childhood? How will he learn to move through the world without losing who he is? And where does existing stop and living begin?Grow Where They Fall is a beautifully written, spirited and deeply moving novel about a young man finding the courage to expand the limits of who he might become, from the acclaimed author of Hold.---''Brilliant ... Donkor shapes lives that are so rich in texture that you genuinely care about who they are and what they're going through'' JEFFREY BOAKYE''Radiant, deeply felt ... I loved every shining moment'' GUY GUNARATNE''A masterclass in immersive storytelling ... Donkor''s words make me proud to be a Black British man'' ASHLEY HICKSON-LOVENCE
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd Grow Where They Fall
Book Synopsis''An elegant coming-of-age tale about confronting the ghosts of our childhood, queer love and finding the courage to live a bigger and better life for ourselves'' The iBright and precocious ten-year-old Kwame Akromah knows how to behave. He knows the importance of good manners, how to stay at the top of the class and out of the way when his mother and father are angry with each other. But when his charismatic cousin Yaw arrives from Ghana to live with the family while he looks for work, the rules Kwame has learned about the world can no longer guide him.Twenty years later, Kwame is a secondary-school teacher, popular with his students and depended on by his friends. His is a life spent elegantly weaving between the classroom, the labyrinth of Grindr politics and increasingly intermittent visits to his parents' home. Behind the confident façade, however, he is as driven by caution as he was as a boy.But when electrifying changemaker Marcus
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Sleeping Dog
Book SynopsisDiscover the new Penguin Crime and Espionage seriesFor the unlikely crime-busting duo Leo and Serendipity, a missing dog is only the start of their troubles...Leo Bloodworth, ''the Bloodhound'', is a world-weary L.A. gumshoe with a reputation for finding anything - and a low tolerance of precocious teenagers. Serendipity Dahlquist is a precocious teenager. When the headstrong, roller-skating fourteen-year-old asks Bloodworth to help track down her lost dog Groucho, it leads this oddest of odd couples into the dark criminal underworld of the Mexican mafia, and into more trouble than they''d bargained for.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Actor
Book SynopsisTO ACHIEVE GREATNESS, HE MUST SACRIFICE EVERYTHING . . .Discover 2024''s most original new thriller, a story of glamour, secrets and obsession . . .''GRABS YOU FROM THE OPENING LINE AND WON'T LET YOU GO' ALEX MICHAELIDES, AUTHOR OF THE SILENT PATIENT ''MASTERFULLY PLOTTED'' ERIN KELLY''A FIRST-CLASS THRILLER'' DAILY MAIL''A BARNSTORMING PERFORMANCE'' THE TIMES*****At long last, Adam Sealey has an Oscar within reach. Working with his controversial former mentor, Jonathan, he''s given the performance of a lifetime, and he almost believes it might be worth the cost.Because Adam subscribes to the method. It''s the secret that the world''s greatest actors swear by - digging into their darkest, most personal traumas to bring a role to life. And Adam''s greatest trauma is worse than most. Losing his mother when he was just a boy. A forced choice betweenTrade ReviewBrilliantly evoked, totally compelling. A first-class thriller * Daily Mail *This compelling psychological thriller set in the acting world is both uncompromising and unsettling, with deeply layered characters and a narrative voice that grabs you from the opening line and won’t let you go. Fascinating. -- Alex MichaelidesA barnstorming performance * The Times *Twisty, compulsive fun * i *The Actor is both a compulsive thriller and a fascinating insight into the world of method acting. Chris MacDonald's writing captures it all, and beautifully: from the glamour of Hollywood to the grunge of 90s Camden. It's also very, very moving, packed with characters both lovable and entirely detestable. I adored it. -- Abigail DeanEgo and ambition, guilt and redemption collide in this masterfully plotted and beautifully written psychological thriller. I couldn’t tear my eyes from the page. -- Erin KellyA darkly dazzling and glamorously wicked thriller. Take a bow, Chris MacDonald. -- Chris WhitakerWhat an incredibly tense, immersive debut. I was completely absorbed by this window into the world of method acting and the dark, twisted consequences of such intense commitment. A bravura performance from MacDonald - I didn’t want it to end. -- Amy McCullochAn intense, absorbing read about the danger of sacrificing everything for your art, with echoes - in its fascinating depiction of the relationship between student and mentor - of The Secret History and Black Swan. -- Mark EdwardsBrilliantly twisting (and twisted) tale of method acting, madness and Hollywood glamour. I loved it. -- Mat OsmanIf you are interested in the world of acting, this is one for you. If you like to be kept at the edge of your seat, this one is for you. If you like classy, unique thrillers with richly-drawn characters at their heart, then, you've guessed it - this one is for you. I loved it! -- Emily Koch, bestselling author of If I Die Before I WakeA blistering story of obsession and where it can lead; a crackling whiplash of a book -- Lou MorganAn unsettling, all-encompassing read that explores obsession and ambition. So sharp, so visceral, I just couldn't look away. -- Jo JakemanI was obsessed. Laughing one moment, absolutely speechless the next, I was completely swept away in Adam’s story. This book lives up to expectations – and then exceeds them -- Sam HollandBrilliant, dark, immersive, and ultimately hugely satisfying -- Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious ThingsEnthralling and unsettling, The Actor will get you wondering how far one would go for recognition and acceptance -- Laure Van RensbergA masterful thriller that keeps you guessing until the final twist. Exploring a group of drama students in thrall to a toxic tutor and methodology, it has echoes of The Secret History. MacDonald skilfully treads the line between taut, suspenseful thriller and a layered exploration of method acting, with a very moving ending -- Alice McIlroy, author of The Glass Woman
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd Brat Farrar
Book SynopsisDiscover the new Penguin Crime and Espionage seriesAn impostor has a fortune to win - but he may be in danger of losing his life...Twenty-one-year-old Brat Farrar is an orphan, alone in the world without friends or family. So when he is offered the unexpected chance to impersonate Patrick Ashby, the long-lost heir to a vast fortune on a country estate, he agrees. Brat is the spitting image of Patrick, who disappeared years ago. At first it seems Brat can pull off this incredible deception, until he starts to realise that he is in far greater peril than he ever imagined.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Terminally Kill
Book SynopsisREAD THE BRILLIANTLY FUNNY, ONE-OF-A-KIND PAGE-TURNER FROM AUTHOR AND BELOVED TV PRESENTER, STEVE JONES ''Sensational. I loved it. An absolute thrill ride'' John Niven ''Spectacular. Terminally Kill reads like Richard Osman with more blood. A tale of morality, mortality and what happens when a life takes you beyond breaking point'' Tony Parsons ---- Ray might be about to die. But he's sure as hell not going quietly . . . Former policeman Ray Sugar' Leonard is no stranger to bad breaks. But even Walter White never had to open up and share his feelings with a bunch of misfits like Ray's chemotherapy group: a giant God-bothering Welsh bouncer, a sharp-suited wannabe Wolf of Wall Street, and a misanthropic, potty-mouthed little old lady. Compared to that lot, getting mugged on his way home from the clinic was almost a relief. But Ray is not your average victim. And when his trai
£17.09
Penguin Books Ltd One Woman Show
Book SynopsisMARIE CLAIRE BEST BOOKS OF 2023''Funny, clever and unexpectedly profound - I couldn''t put it down'' Helena Attlee''It is remarkable how much information she can convey about Kitty's life . . . solely using wall labels'' IndependentPrized, collected, critiqued. One Woman Show revolves around the life of Kitty Whitaker as she is defined by her potential for display and moved from collection to collection through multiple marriages. Christine Coulson, who has written hundreds of exhibition wall labels for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, precisely distils each stage of Kitty''s sprawling life into that distinct format, every brief snapshot in time a wry reflection on womanhood, ownership, value and power.Described with wit, poignancy and humour over the course of the twentieth century, Kitty emerges as an eccentric heroine who disrupts her privileged, porcelain life with both major force and minor transgressions. As human foibles propel each delicately crafted text, Coulson playfully asks: who really gets to tell our stories?''Heartbreaking and funny . . . truly masterful and patient and insane, in the best way'' Leanne Shapton''Wry, humorous, poignant'' SpectatorTrade ReviewFunny, clever and unexpectedly profound - I couldn't put it down -- Helena Attlee * author of The Land Where Lemons Grow *Arch and wholly original, this is a pocket rocket of a novel. The economy with which Coulson manages to capture a life with equal amounts of both vigour and heartbreak is a stunning achievement. An irrepressible and timeless reflection on art, self and female objectification. -- Wiz WhartonA wonderfully clever concept, and a book that lends itself to being read in a single sitting, during which you’ll feel the corners of your lips curl upwards again and again . . . Coulson’s wry, often humorous, occasionally poignant commentary are moments of transgression and longing that show there’s more to our neoclassical heroine than her fine finish -- Chloe Ashby * The Spectator *Brilliant. Christine Coulson's tragicomedy of manners is an immense delight. Condensed into its witty format is the story of a life, a life like some I have known and others about which I have read. Coulson captures her character's gentle decline with the precision of Edith Wharton and evokes the eras she traverses with such clarity, even wisdom, describing a woman's changing (or unchanging) role in the world with an acuity that left this reader astonished time and again. -- Andrew Solomon * author of Far From the Tree *Short, clever . . . it is remarkable how much information she can convey about Kitty’s life . . . solely using wall labels -- Ann Levin * Independent *Heartbreaking and funny . . . Coulson's language is perfection . . . I love the pages of voices, like voices in the galleries, and so many moments made me laugh. Truly masterful and patient and insane, in the best way -- Leanne Shapton * author of Swimming Studies *A delight! This novel's formal audacity is an impressive feat of imagination. One Woman Show is a moving story of privilege, womanhood, and the sweep of the twentieth century told through a single American life. I loved this book -- Rumaan Alam * author of Leave the World Behind *Wildly original…[A] tiny but powerful novel… It’s sometimes snarky, sometimes sad, with enough poignant moments to make me wish it could go on and on. … You can sit down and read it in less time than it takes to drive to the art museum, but you’ll be thinking about it for far longer. If you appreciate truly original structure and storytelling, put this modern masterwork on your reading list. * NPR *Strange, biting, tender, and heartbreaking in turns. AND all at once . . . I read it in one fell swoop. It is brilliant -- Maira Kalman * author of Women Holding Things *A funny and clever take on the interchangeability of women and works of arts as possessions -- Philip Hook * author of Breakfast at Sotheby's *Beautiful, beautiful book . . . the cover is absolutely gorgeous, it would make a delicious Christmas gift * Art Juice Podcast *Coulson tells us Kitty Whitaker’s story stylishly and succinctly through label-length entries * Harper's Bazaar *Compulsive and spry -- Hephzibah Anderson * the Observer *Coulson’s formally inventive, witty novel uses gallery captions to capture Kitty’s journey through the 20th century. At once terse and expansive, this is a literary experiment that intrigues -- Francesca Peacock * the Mail on Sunday *A highly original and imaginative work that captivates and intrigues . . . so brief that it can be read straight through in an hour, but that is not to say it is slight . . . Coulson’s unusual command of language rewards multiple readings * The Irish Times *the writing is clever, witty and deftly – and at times poignantly–executed, and that more than earns One Woman Show its coveted red dot (aka sales sticker) from us’ * Marie Claire Best Books of 2023 *Unconventional… non-narrative paragraphs somehow add up to create mounting tension, with wry social commentary, feminist barbs and psychological insight bursting through the lacquered surface * The Lady *
£17.00
Penguin Books Ltd The Spare Room The gripping and addictive
Book SynopsisTHE DELICIOUSLY TWISTY THRILLER FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REESE''S BOOK CLUB PICK WE WERE NEVER HERE''The best king of up-all-night page-turner'' LUCY FOLEY''A twisty and seductive thriller'' NITA PROSE''A compulsive, easy, fun summer read'' Daily Mail__________Kelly''s life has turned into a nightmare.Friendless, jobless and recently dumped by her fiancé, she has no one to confide in.Until she rekindles her relationship with childhood friend Sabrina - now a glamorous bestselling author with a handsome, high-powered husband. When the couple offer Kelly the spare room of their remote Virginia mansion, she jumps at the chance.There, she finds the friendship she needs - until one night, an unexpected conversation leads the couple to open their marriage for her.At first, Kelly loves being part of this risqué new world. But when she discovers tTrade ReviewA compulsive, easy, fun summer read * Daily Mail *A story that is equal parts steamy and thrilling, it will leave you guessing about what the couple's motives really are * Glamour US *The novel is delightfully salacious and rampant with suspense and sex, and there's a reason why Bartz is known as a hitmaker in the field * SHONDALAND *Andrea Bartz has returned to deliver. This suspense story set in a Virginia mansion features some eyebrow-raising twists, especially when protagonist Kelly finds herself charmed by her hosts-and welcomed into their bed * ELLE *A fresh and sexy ride, perfect for reading poolside * PEOPLE *Bartz always brings a healthy portion of social satire and incisive observation to her thrillers * CRIMEREADS *An enticing, twisty, and seductive thriller about obsession, desire, and revenge * NITA PROSE, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of THE MAID *Bartz's latest showstopper kept me up all night turning pages. Propulsive and sexy, The Spare Room left me gasping for air as I followed its main character into the fiery heart of a dark, complicated romance. Kelly Doyle must contend not only with two new lovers, but her own expectations surrounding relationships and sexuality. This is one visit you won't want to end * ANA REYES, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of THE HOUSE IN THE PINES *I love a story where a woman throws convention to the wind and has to deal with messy consequences, and The Spare Room does it brilliantly. I never knew what would happen next! This book offers a delicious mix of romance and mystery that I couldn't get enough of * MARIE RUTKOSKI, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of REAL EASY *With its dazzling prose, fascinating dynamics between characters, and dark, twisty plot, The Spare Room has all the trademarks of an Andrea Bartz novel - while being her sexiest and most exciting book yet. I couldn't stop turning the pages. Some of these scenes will be seared into my brain forever * MEGAN COLLINS, author of THE FAMILY PLOT, BEHIND THE RED DOOR and THE WINTER SISTER *Rife with tension, taut desire, and jaw-dropping twists, The Spare Room lures us into a moneyed world as gothic as it is glamorous, where the difference between romantic dreams - and murderous nightmares - quickly becomes impossible to decipher. . . . A sensuous, spine-tingling thriller that's impossible to put down! * LEAH KONEN, author of THE PERFECT ESCAPE, YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME and ALL THE BROKEN PEOPLE *A compulsive, easy, fun summer read * Daily Mail *
£17.09
Penguin Books Ltd The Modern Fairies
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE TADEUSZ BRADECKI PRIZE''Elegant and decadent, vulgar and clever, enchanting and dark. The love child of Angela Carter and Anaïs Nin - the book I really really needed'' SARAH PERRY, author of The Essex Serpent''The sentences sing on the page with wit and intelligence ... This memorable novel reminds the reader of the enduring power of storytelling to transform and even save lives, then and now'' THE NEW YORK TIMESWhy don''t they tell you it is the beautiful princess who becomes the evil queen; that they are just the same person at different points in their story?Versailles, 1682: a city of the rich, a living fairy-tale, Louis XIV''s fever dream. It''s a place of opulence, beauty, and power. But strip back the lavish exterior of polite society, and you''ll find a dark undercurrent of sexual intrigue and vicious gossip. Nobody is safe here - no matter how highly born they are.No one knows this better than Madame Marie d''Aulnoy. Each week, a rogue group of intellectuals gather at her Parisian home to debate, flirt and perform Contes de Fées - fairy tales - that challenge the status quo, at a salon that will change the course of literature forever. But while they weave tales of glass slippers, enchanted beasts and long-haired princesses, a wolf is lurking, who threatens to destroy the members of the salon one by one.Brilliant and bawdy, romantic and provocative, The Modern Fairies is a dazzling novel inspired by real events, about the delights and dangers of storytelling in dark times.''Funny, filthy, dancingly clever: a delectable confection of many-layered pleasures. A story of stories, storytellers, and the lurking dangers of fairytales. It reminded me of Jeanette Winterson''s The Passion, and I gobbled it all up'' JOANNA QUINN, author of The Whalebone Theatre''Original, fantastical, historical, and unputdownable'' KAREN JOY FOWLER, Booker Prize-shortlisted author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves''Pollard''s future, as a novelist, is very bright indeed'' THE I, praise for Delphi
£17.09
Penguin Books Ltd The Modern Fairies
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE TADEUSZ BRADECKI PRIZEA novel with oodles of charm' The TimesElegant, decadent, vulgar, clever, enchanting and dark' Sarah Perry, author of EnlightenmentVersailles, 1682: a city of the rich, a living fairy-tale, Louis XIV''s fever dream. It''s a place of opulence, beauty, and power. But strip back the lavish exterior of polite society, and you''ll find a dark undercurrent of sexual intrigue and vicious gossip. Nobody is safe here - no matter how highly born they are.No one knows this better than Madame Marie d''Aulnoy. Each week, a rogue group of intellectuals gather at her Parisian home to debate, flirt and perform Contes de Fées - fairy tales - that challenge the status quo, at a salon that will change the course of literature forever. But while they weave tales of glass slippers, enchanted beasts and long-haired princesses, a wolf is lurking, who threatens to destroy the members of the salon one by one.Brilliant and bawdy, romantic and provocative, The Modern Fairies is a dazzling novel inspired by real events, about the delights and dangers of storytelling in dark times.Funny, filthy, dancingly clever ... A delectable confection of many-layered pleasures I gobbled it all up, Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone TheatreThe sentences sing on the page with wit and intelligence ... Reminds the reader of the enduring power of storytelling to transform and even save lives, then and now' The New York Times
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Child of Fortune
Book SynopsisKoko won''t do what is expected of her. Defying her family''s wishes, she has brought up her eleven-year-old daughter alone in her apartment. And now, after a casual affair, she is unexpectedly pregnant again. What will this mean for her already troubled relationship with her daughter? As she faces the future, memories of her own childhood loss flood into her consciousness, threatening to overwhelm her.''A terrific novel'' Angela CarterTranslated by Geraldine HarcourtTrade ReviewA classic novel as relevant today as when it was published nearly 40 years ago . . . at once powerfully uplifting and achingly sad, Geraldine Harcourt's elegant translation captures Tsushima's poignant wisdom on the female struggle with societal expectations. * Japan Times *depicts the multiple layers of a woman's consciousness, her fears and longings, her willingness to endure suffering yet resistance to pressures to conform. * The Mountain is Moving *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Frolic of the Beasts
Book SynopsisThe gripping story of an affair gone horribly wrong, from one of Japan''s greatest twentieth-century writersKoji, a young student, has fallen hopelessly in love with the beautiful, enigmatic Yuko. But she is married to the literary critic and serial philanderer Ippei. Tormented by desire and anger, Koji is driven to an act of violence that will bind this strange, terrible love triangle together for the rest of their lives. A starkly compelling story of lust, guilt and punishment, The Frolic of the Beasts explores the masks we wear in life, and what happens when they slip.''One of the greatest avant-garde Japanese writers of the twentieth century'' New YorkerTrade ReviewThis morose little gem boasts its share of sensuous depravity * Wall Street Journal *Mishima was one of literature's great romantics, a tragedian with a heroic sensibility, an intellectual, an esthete, a man steeped in Western letters who toward the end of his life became a militant Japanese nationalist * New York Times *Mishima is the Japanese Hemingway * Life Magazine *A writer of immense energy and ability * Time Out *A sexually and psychologically complex novel... in a honed translation by Andrew Clare * TLS *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Scripted
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Penguin Random House Children's UK Danny the Champion of the World
Book SynopsisMy father, without the slightest doubt, was the most marvellous and exciting father any boy ever had.This beautiful edition of Danny the Champion of the World, part of The Roald Dahl Classic Collection, features official archive material from the Roald Dahl Museum and is perfect for Dahl fans old and new.So, enter a world where invention and mischief can be found on every page and where magic might be at the very tips of your fingers . . .The Roald Dahl Classic Collection reinstates the versions of Dahl's books that were published before the 2022 Puffin editions, aimed at newly independent young readers.
£7.99
Penguin Random House Children's UK Georges Marvellous Medicine
Book SynopsisWhat should it be, this whopping terrific exploding shocker for Grandma?This beautiful edition of George''s Marvellous Medicine, part of The Roald Dahl Classic Collection, features official archive material from the Roald Dahl Museum and is perfect for Dahl fans old and new.So, enter a world where invention and mischief can be found on every page and where magic might be at the very tips of your fingers . . .The Roald Dahl Classic Collection reinstates the versions of Dahl's books that were published before the 2022 Puffin editions, aimed at newly independent young readers.
£7.99
Penguin Random House Children's UK Matilda
Book Synopsis
£7.99
Penguin Random House Children's UK The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
Book SynopsisNo book ever ends when it's full of your friends.'This beautiful edition of The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, part of The Roald Dahl Classic Collection, features official archive material from the Roald Dahl Museum and is perfect for Dahl fans old and new.So, enter a world where invention and mischief can be found on every page and where magic might be at the very tips of your fingers . . .The Roald Dahl Classic Collection reinstates the versions of Dahl's books that were published before the 2022 Puffin editions, aimed at newly independent young readers.
£7.99
Penguin Random House Children's UK The Twits
Book SynopsisMr Twit was a twit. He was born a twit. And, now at the age of sixty, he was a bigger twit than ever.This beautiful edition of The Twits, part of The Roald Dahl Classic Collection, features official archive material from the Roald Dahl Museum and is perfect for Dahl fans old and new.So, enter a world where invention and mischief can be found on every page and where magic might be at the very tips of your fingers . . .The Roald Dahl Classic Collection reinstates the versions of Dahl's books that were published before the 2022 Puffin editions, aimed at newly independent young readers.
£7.99
Penguin Books Ltd Badenheim 1939
Book Synopsis''A masterpiece ... the greatest novel of the Holocaust'' The Guardian A haunting, dreamlike portrayal of the encroaching horror of the Holocaust onto a genteel MittelEuropean resort town Badenheim, a resort town near the forests of Vienna, is preparing for the arts festival of the summer season. The hotel workers and local tradespeople rush to prepare the small town for the influx of vacationers. But just as the season is getting into full swing, a small note appears on a municipal notice board: the Sanitation Department is announcing an increase in its jurisdiction. No one knows what the Sanitation Department is, but no matter the festival carries on.Soon inspectors are spread all over town, bringing estrangement, suspicion and mistrust wherever they go. Meanwhile, the guests carry on pursuing their pleasures and the townspeople attend to their troubles. Then another announcement appears: all Jews must register with the Sanitation Department.An allegory, satire and fable all in one, Badenheim 1939 is a story of denial and normalisation, masterfully creating an atmosphere of impending dread and horror. Gripping and unforgettable, this is one of most intriguing and eerie books ever written about the Holocaust.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Into a Star
Book Synopsis
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd The World After Alice
Book SynopsisRead the gorgeous and poignant debut novel from Lauren Aliza Green, for fans of Anne Tyler and Claire Lombardo. A ''sizzling summer read'' GraziaA ''Literary Summer Romance'' Pick by Vogue''Deeply moving'' Heat''This dramatic tragi-comedy takes us right into the head of each character'' Daily Mail''Poignant and thought-provoking'' Culturefly''Will make you laugh and moments later choke you up . . . impressively executed'' Glamour ''Glimmers with fine writing and notes of human insight. There''s a quiet beauty to Lauren Aliza Green''s work, and I am now a fan'' Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of Hello Beautiful''Such a fascinating portrayal of secrets, deceit, the complicated nature of family relationships and societal expectations. I will be recommending this book to everybody I know!'' Reader Review *****----When Morgan
£17.09
Penguin Books Ltd The Underground Man
Book SynopsisPrivate Detective Lew Archer doesn't believe in coincidencesA forest fire has mysteriously broken out in the hills above southern California. Meanwhile, Lew Archer has been asked by a desperate mother to find her six-year-old son. Instead, he discovers the boy's wealthy father, murdered, and buried in a hole in the ground. The mystery will lead Archer to unearth a tragic, years-old history of abandonment, obsession and illusion, where the past won't let go of the present and everything is connected.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Engagement
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Penguin Books Ltd Slow Dance
Book SynopsisA REESE''S BOOK CLUB PICKDiscover the big, beaming power ballad of a novel about a love so true it refuses to be forgotten . . .''Sexy, sweet, wise and nostalgic Jane Austen's Persuasion for our times' Gabrielle ZevinA gorgeous book . . . a beautiful, believable love story between two slightly broken people. So sweet, but never sentimental. I yearned for them to be happy and I miss it now it''s over' Marian Keyes----Back in high school, everybody thought Shiloh and Cary would end up together . . . everybody but Shiloh and Cary.They were just friends. Best friends. They spent entire summers sitting on Shiloh's porch steps, dreaming about the future. Shiloh was going to become an actress, and Cary was going to join the Navy. And nothing was ever going to change between them Shiloh made him promise.Well, Shiloh did go to college, and Cary did join the Navy. But, somehow, everything changed.Now it's been fourteen years since Shiloh last spoke to Cary. She's been married and divorced. She has two kids. And she's back in north Omaha living in the same house she grew up in. Her life is nothing like she planned.When Shiloh gets invited to an old friend's wedding, all she can think about is whether Cary will be there and whether she hopes he will be.Slow Dance is the story of two kids who fell in love before they knew enough about love to recognize it. And what will happen when they try to make their way back to each other.----''Deeply human, profoundly romantic. Rowell will break your heart and you'll thank her for it'' Leigh BardugoWho can deny the absolute, dizzy pleasure of loving a novel so much . . . I loved every page of Slow Dance, a book that is romantic to its core, and as funny and smart as its wonderful characters'' Emma Straub''If you adored One Day, make this your next read'' Fabulous Magazine (The Sun)''Rainbow Rowell returns with a gorgeous, slow-burn second-chance love story . . . Raw, real and romantic, this got me right in the feels'' Red ''A beautiful ''will they, won''t they'' love story . . . I loved these characters and the realness of their story'' Prima''I couldn''t be more excited to dive in . . . Rainbow Rowell has an incredible ability to hide an emotional wallop in the middle of a light and romantic story '' Cosmopolitan''Rowell''s signature warmth and authenticity shine through, with its heartfelt narrative and relatable characters . . . brimming with hope'' Glamour, Best New Books August''I loved this for its realism and flawed complicated characters'' Good HousekeepingReeses'' Book Club Pick, August 2024
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd 2054
Book SynopsisA pacy, gripping page-turner of a thriller . . . Don't venture into the future without having read this book' Andrew RobertsFrom the acclaimed authors of the runaway New York Times bestseller 2034 comes an explosive work of speculative fiction about a radical leap forward in artificial intelligence that combines with America's violent partisan divide to create an existential threat to the country and the world.The year is 2054. It is twenty years after the nuclear war between the United States and China that brought down the old American political order. The new American Dream Party has emerged in the US and held power for over a decade. Many fear the president will stop at nothing to remain in the White House. Suddenly, he collapses in the middle of an address to the nation. After a flurry of misinformation, the administration reluctantly announces his death. A cover-up ensues, conspiracy theories spread like wildfir
£999.99
Penguin Books Ltd The Napoleon of Notting Hill
Book SynopsisLondon, 1984. England has given up on democracy and selects its rulers by lottery. This time it is the turn of clerk Auberon Quin, a prankster who decrees that each borough of London become an independent mediaeval state, complete with costumes and coats of arms. The citizens bear his joke with varying levels of patience until Adam Wayne, the intractable Provost of Notting Hill, sword in hand, takes the game far too seriously.First published in 1904, G. K. Chesterton''s deliriously eccentric debut novel is a wild, topsy-turvy satire on a land ruled by fools.
£9.99
