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 Dreams of Bethany Mellmoth
Book SynopsisA philandering art dealer tries to give up casual love affairs - seeking only passionate kisses as a substitute. A man recounts his personal history through the things he has stolen from others throughout his life. A couple chart the journey of their five year relationship backwards, from awkward reunion to lovelorn first encounter. And, at the heart of the book, a 24-year old young woman, Bethany Mellmoth, embarks on a year-long journey of wishful and tentative self-discovery.The Dreams of Bethany Mellmoth depicts the random encounters that bring the past bubbling to the surface; the impulsive decisions that irrevocably shape a life; and the endless hesitations and loss-of-nerve that wickedly complicate it. These funny, surprising and moving stories are a resounding confirmation of Boyd''s powers as one of our most original and compelling storytellers.Trade ReviewBoyd shows why he's so often compared to Graham Greene.... brilliant and bewitching collection of stories * Financial Times *Like stealing badges, like shucking oysters, once you have one of these stories you can't stop. Lights out was after midnight * Times *Clever and, yes, cinematic * Observer *The stories, as is often the case with Boyd, are packed with characters whose lives are upended by random upheavals * Sunday Times *Unfailingly amusing and clever * Guardian *In a 2008 essay, Boyd explained that writing short stories gives him a welcome chance "to change habits, to experiment, to take risks, to try out different voices". And in the best stories here, it's a chance he takes full advantage of, serving up an impressive variety of settings and protagonists * Daily Telegraph *Highly entertaining * Mail on Sunday *Boyd is dependably a master of what's most true: an always elegant realist whose characters will get under your skin * GQ *No one charts the highs and lows of the human condition like Boyd * Red *A riveting short story collection from one of the best * Woman & Home *Varied, entertaining * Daily Mail *Spiky, sparking and simply brilliant * Sunday Mirror *Enjoyably spot-on * Sunday Times *What Boyd does so mesmerisingly...is make the insignificant utterly significant...you are confronted by the full force of Boyd's undeniable talent for storytelling, as he inventively plays with time and form, and infuses his prose with themes of lust, love and emotional incompetence * Stylist *William Boyd is arguably one of Britain's finest living writers...compelling and highly entertaining * Sunday Express *He is a skilled and humorous storyteller, and his pleasure in exploring life's uncertainties is apparent * i *Boyd delights in themes of deceit and getting one over on the competition...such finely-honed prose * Evening Standard *Quite brilliant. There has been no decline in the wit, the style, the precise observation * The Tablet *These stories, by one of Britain's most compelling authors about how the post is inescapable - from random encounters to impulsive acts - is funny and surprising * Elle *Boyd has always been eloquent, his narratives memorably stylish * Literary Review *Smart, funny and compelling * The Times Books of the Year *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Cleaner of Chartres
Book SynopsisA beautiful, beguiling novel from the bestselling author of The Librarian and Grandmothers''A lovely book . . . wise at heart and filled with colourful characters'' Joanne Harris, author of ChocolatA compelling story of darkness and light, of traumatic loss and second chances, The Cleaner of Chartres tells of the mysterious and elusive Agnes Morel whose little acts of kindness around a rural French cathedral touch the lives of others with consequences both good and ill. But when her tragic past is exposed, Agnes must face up to the truth of her origins. ''Salley Vickers sees with a clear eye and writes with a light hand and she knows how the world works. She''s a presence worth cherishing'' Philip Pullman''A rich weave of loss and redemption . . . magic and mystery'' Observer, Book of the Year Trade ReviewSalley Vickers sees with a clear eye and writes with a light hand and she knows how the world works. She's a presence worth cherishing * Philip Pullman *Beautifully and brilliantly controlled. A triumph * John Julius Norwich on Miss Garnet's Angel *Reveals itself as a surprising exploration of the mysteries of imagination and faith -- Joanna Trollope * Book of the Year, Daily Telegraph on Miss Garnet's Angel *Subtle and utterly joyous...a contemporary moral and psychological drama every bit as absorbing as Miss Garnet's Angel * Sunday Times *The Cleaner of Chartres is a return to form * Sunday Express *The Cleaner of Chartres touches lightly on the seedy side of human nature * Observer *A magical and at times sinister story about love, loss, secrets and forgiveness...with Chocolat-type charm * Scotland on Sunday *If you're looking for a book to take you by surprise, Salley Vickers' latest is the perfect choice * Psychologies *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Our Secrets and Lies
Book Synopsis''Both heart-breaking and heart-warming ... a joy to read'' Woman''s Way From the Richard and Judy Book Club author and Number One Bestseller!Lucy Murphy has a single goal in life - to give her children a brilliant future.An unplanned pregnancy forced Lucy to abandon her own dreams, so she is determined that her twin daughter and son will seize every opportunity. When they get a chance to move to a prestigious school, all Lucy sees is the fulfilment of her every wish for them.Loving them as fiercely as she does, Lucy is blind to the risks of taking two seventeen-year-olds away from everything familiar and dropping them into an alien world. Even when warning signs are flashing, she cannot see the dangers of pushing her vision on her children - especially her sensitive daughter - until it''s almost too late.For her family to survive, Lucy has to face up to some surprising and difficult truths - and figure out how to find herself again.''Moriarty [tackles] uncomfortable and painful subjects, weaving them into compelling thought-provoking stories ... heartfelt and deeply moving'' Irish Independent __________Praise for Sinéad Moriarty''s novels''A fascinating exploration of difficult subjects ... Moriarty writes with compelling authority'' Irish Times''There is warmth and heart aplenty in this delicately told story'' Daily Mail''OMG! I''m an emotional wreck after reading this novel, probably not helped by the fact that I pulled an all-nighter to finish it ... I just could not put it down'' Eileen Dunne, RTÉ''Heartfelt and deeply moving ... I couldn''t put it down.'' Susan Lewis''We ate this fabulous story up - 4 stars'' Heat magazine''Beautifully written and sensitive'' Woman''s Way ''Intriguing and thought provoking ... a great read.'' Katie Fforde''Gripping and thought-provoking - I was desperate to discover how it would pan out!'' Paige ToonTrade ReviewHeartfelt and deeply moving but also so gripping it is almost impossible to put down * Irish Independent *A first class novel which I couldn't put down. It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. The difficult subjects of the novel are dealt with in a sensitive way and the book was a joy to read * Woman's Way *
£14.70
Penguin Books Ltd Seven Letters
Book Synopsis''It''s GREAT! Thought-provoking, gripping and moving'' Marian Keyes''It will crawl under your skin, refusing to let go. A heart-breaking read'' Sunday Independent___________Sarah loves being a mother - it defines her.Every year she writes a birthday letter of love to her adored daughter, Izzy, now seven. And after she falls pregnant, she promises Izzy that the arrival of a baby brother will make their family complete. So when she collapses a few months later, the safe happy life Izzy knows is shattered.With Sarah''s future, and the future of her pregnancy, in their hands, her husband and sister disagree fiercely about her treatment. The once close family starts to fall apart.The clock is ticking, and the doctors need a decision. Can those who love Sarah get beyond the fog of grief and anger to figure out what''s for the best? Can they ever forgive each other for the decisions they make? Will Izzy lose everything she knows and loves?___________''Compelling, deeply moving and heartbreaking ... a must-read'' Woman''s Way ''Might be her finest novel yet'' Irish Examiner ''What a devastating, gorgeous read'' Emily Hourican''I need a therapy session after reading Seven Letters - I''m an emotional wreck!'' Margaret Madden, Bleach House LibraryTrade ReviewIt's great! Thought-provoking, gripping and moving -- Marian KeyesWhat a devastating, gorgeous read -- Emily HouricanI need a therapy session after reading Seven Letters - I'm an emotional wreck! -- Margaret Madden * Bleach House Library *A must read for all and bravo to Sinéad for this beautiful, thoughtful read * Woman's Way *[Handles] her material with the greatest sensitivity and thought ... might be her finest novel yet * Irish Examiner *
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd Are You Experienced William Sutcliffe Penguin
Book SynopsisThe gap year classic, available as a Penguin Essential for the first time in the year of its 20th anniversary. A devastatingly funny satire on the whole idea of student travel,and particularly the India back-pack trail. Dave travels to India with Liz because he thinks he might be able to get her into bed. Liz travels to India with Dave because she wants a companion for her voyage of spiritual discovery. She loves it. He dreams of frosty mornings, pints of lager and restaurants where vegetable curry is only a side-dish . . .Trade ReviewNobody is spared from [Sutcliffe's] acid pen and the result is a riotously funny trip across the sub-continent * The Sunday Times *Extremely and incisively funny * New Statesman *Very, very funny * The Times *
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Book SynopsisThe Reluctant Fundamentalist is Mohsin Hamid''s thrillingly provocative international bestseller, available as a Penguin Essential for the first time. Shortlisted for the Man Booker prize in 2007Now a major film directed by Mira Nair and starring Kate Hudson and Kiefer Sutherland''Excuse me, sir, but may I be of assistance? Ah, I see I have alarmed you. Do not be frightened by my beard. I am a lover of America . . . ''So speaks the mysterious stranger at a Lahore cafe as dusk settles. Invited to join him for tea, you learn his name and what led this speaker of immaculate English to seek you out. For he is more worldy than you might expect; better travelled and better educated. He knows the West better than you do. And as he tells you his story, of how he embraced the Western dream -- and a Western woman -- and how both betrayed him, so the night darkens. Then the true reason for your meeting becomes abundantly clear . . .Challenging, mysterious and thrillingly tense, Mohsin Hamid''s masterly The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a vital read teeming with questions and ideas about some of the most pressing issues of today''s globalised, fractured world.''Masterful . . . A multi-layered and thoroughly gripping book, which works as a poignant love story, a powerful dissection of how US imperialist machinations have turned so many people against the world''s superpower - and as a thriller that subtly ratchets up the nerve-jangling tension towards an explosive ending'' Metro''Beautifully written . . . more exciting than any thriller I''ve read for a long time'' Philip Pullman''A brilliant book'' Kiran Desai''Admirably spare and amazingly exciting'' Rachel Cooke, New StatesmanMohsin Hamid is the author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Moth Smoke and How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. His fiction has been translated into over 30 languages, received numerous awards, and been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. He has contributed essays and short stories to publications such as the Guardian, The New York Times, Financial Times, Granta, and Paris Review. Born and mostly raised in Lahore, he spent part of his childhood in California, studied at Princeton University and Harvard Law School, and has since lived between Lahore, London, and New York.Trade ReviewGripping... remains taut until the final pages...an elegant and sharp indictment of the clouds of suspicion that now shroud our world * Observer *A quietly told, cleverly constructed fable of infatuation and disenchantment with America, set on the treacherous faultlines of current east/west relations, and finely tuned to the ironies of mutual - but especially American - prejudice and misrepresentation...increasingly tense...genuinely provocative...intelligent, highly engaging * Guardian *Elegant, provocative . . . beautifully measured prose . . . a delicate meditation on the nature of perception and prejudice * Daily Mail *Masterful . . . A multi-layered and thoroughly gripping book, which works as a poignant love story, a powerful dissection of how US imperialist machinations have turned so many people against the world's superpower - and as a thriller that subtly ratchets up the nerve-jangling tension towards an explosive ending * Metro *The Reluctant Fundamentalist is an important book * Evening Standard *A fantastic piece of work, superbly considered and controlled, with a lovely stillness and wisdom at its heart * The Times *Beautifully written -- Philip PullmanA profoundly contemporary story about civil wars, unstable countries and refugees pouring to the cities of the West... beautifully written, with the ghost of Camus hovering at the edge of the frame * New Statesman *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd White Teeth
Book SynopsisOne of the most iconic fictional debuts of all time turns 25 this year!What's past is prologue'First published in the year 2000, Zadie Smith's White Teeth was one of the most celebrated novels of the new millennium. Adored by critics and readers alike, it remains a perennial bestseller, which still delights with the audacity of its scope and vision, its fresh-minted style, and the wit and warmth of its voice.Funny, generous and big-hearted, it deals among many other things with friendship, love, war, three cultures and three families over three generations, one brown mouse, and the tricky way the past has of coming back and biting you on the ankle.A life affirming, riotous must-read of a book, it won the Guardian First Book Award, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction and the Whitbread First Novel Award.Curl up with it, savour every sentence, then turn around and reread' The TimesThe outstanding debut of the new millennium' ObserveTrade ReviewFunny, clever ... and a rollicking good read * Independent *Do believe the hype, buy into it, curl up with it, savour every sentence, then turn around and re-read * The Times *An impressive début, not only for its vitality and verve, but mainly for the sheer audacity of its scope and vision ... an epic tale ... swooping, funny ... it has ambition, wit and is unafraid -- Meera Syal * Express *Announces the debut of a preternaturally gifted new writer ... street-smart and learned, sassy and philosophical all at the same time * The New York Times *Relentlessly funny ... idiosyncratic, and deeply felt * Guardian *An astonishingly assured début, funny and serious ... I was delighted -- Salman RushdieShe is . . . a George Eliot of multi-culturalism * Daily Telegraph *[Zadie Smith] is one of the prominent voices of her generation * Sunday Times *Britain's finest young author * The List *[Zadie Smith] packs more intelligence, humour and sheer energy into any given scene than anyone else of her generation * Sunday Telegraph *[White Teeth] established a model for how to make sense-and art-out of the complexity, diversity and pluck that have defined the beginning of this century * Time *Funny, clever ... and a rollicking good read * Independent *Do believe the hype, buy into it, curl up with it, savour every sentence, then turn around and re-read * The Times *An impressive début, not only for its vitality and verve, but mainly for the sheer audacity of its scope and vision ... an epic tale ... swooping, funny ... it has ambition, wit and is unafraid -- Meera Syal * Express *Announces the debut of a preternaturally gifted new writer ... street-smart and learned, sassy and philosophical all at the same time * The New York Times *An astonishingly assured début, funny and serious ... I was delighted -- Salman RushdieRelentlessly funny ... idiosyncratic, and deeply felt * Guardian *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Lewycka M Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
Book SynopsisA Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is bestselling author Marina Lewycka''s hilarious and award winning debut novel, now available as a Penguin Essential for the first time. ''Two years after my mother died, my father fell in love with a glamorous blonde Ukrainian divorcée. He was eighty-four and she was thirty-six. She exploded into our lives like a fluffy pink grenade, churning up the murky water, bringing to the surface a sludge of sloughed-off memories, giving the family ghosts a kick up the backside.'' Sisters Vera and Nadezhda must aside a lifetime of feuding to save their émigré engineer father from voluptuous gold-digger Valentina. With her proclivity for green satin underwear and boil-in-the-bag cuisine, she will stop at nothing in her pursuit of Western wealth.But the sisters'' campaign to oust Valentina unearths family secrets, uncovers fifty years of Europe''s darkest history and sends them back to roots they''d much rather forget . . .''It''s rare to find a first novel that gets so much right . . . Lewycka is a seriously talented comic writer'' Time Out''Hugely enjoyable . . . yields a golden harvest of family truths'' Daily Telegraph''Delightful, funny, touching'' SpectatorTrade ReviewIt's rare to find a first novel that gets so much right . . . Lewycka is a seriously talented comic writer * Time Out *More than just a jolly romp with political undertones is the way it captures the peculiar flavour of Eastern European immigrant life . . . a very rich mixture indeed, as well as very enjoyable reading * Daily Express *Funny, gritty, original ... one I adore * Independent *Remarkable, a lovely novel * Sunday Telegraph *An extraordinary read . . . nothing short of amazing. A rare treat, all too easy to gulp down in one greedy sitting * Spectator *Outstanding * Literary Review *Extremely funny * The Times *Intelligent, lively, well written and compassionate * Financial Times *Ploughs a rich comic furrow * Daily Telegraph *A clever, touching story * Economist *Mad and hilarious * Grazia *Hilarious * The Times *A delightful first novel . . . an understanding of history, a profundity, and yet a lightness of touch, that are a joy... funny and touching * The Daily Mail *Hugely enjoyable . . . yields a golden harvest of family truths * The Times *Memorably inventive, unexpectedly moving * Daily Telegraph *Wit, humour, sparkling dialogue, vivid characterization and generous spirit. Food for thought and a great read * Daily Mail *Enthralling * Sunday Times *Thought-provoking, uproariously funny, a comic feast. A riotous oil painting of senility, lust and greed * TLS *More than just a jolly romp with political undertones is the way it captures the peculiar flavour of Eastern European immigrant life . . . a very rich mixture indeed, as well as very enjoyable reading * The Times *A delightful first novel . . . an understanding of history, a profundity, and yet a lightness of touch, that are a joy . . . funny, touching and completely convincing * The Spectator *
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd The Dead Ex
Book Synopsis''Compulsive, edgy and fabulous twists!'' B A Paris''Few writers can match Jane Corry'' Cara HunterHE CHEATED. HE LIED . . . HE DIED.Vicki''s husband David once promised to love her in sickness and in health. But after a brutal attack left her suffering with epilepsy, he ran away with his mistress. So when Vicki gets a call one day to say that he''s missing, her first thought is ''good riddance''. But then the police find evidence suggesting that David is dead. And they think Vicki had something to do with it.What really happened on the night of David''s disappearance?And how can Vicki prove her innocence, when she''s not even sure of it herself? For anyone who loved The Couple Next Door, Lisa Jewell''s Then She Was Gone and Cara Hunter''s Close To Home, this book has everything you need for the perfect summer read - gripping twists and turns, brilliant Trade ReviewJane corry has done it again! The Dead Ex had me hooked until the very last page -- Kathryn CroftA fearsomely good thriller -- Nicci FrenchFew writers can match Jane Corry in her compelling portrayals of damaged women and their dangerous liaisons -- Cara Hunter, author of Close to HomeCompulsive, edgy and with some fabulous twists that I didn't see coming! -- B A Paris, author of 'Behind Closed Doors'Beautifully written...The Dead Ex totally hooked me -- Peter JamesThe Dead Ex is compelling, twisty and utterly gripping. I couldn't put it down -- Emma CurtisSuspense, thrills and intelligent storytelling. I highly recommend it! -- LJ RossA compelling and deftly plotted thriller, with echoes of Apple Tree Yard, The Dead Ex kept me guessing right until the (shocking) end -- Nuala EllwoodFans of psychological thrillers will be hooked after the first page * Closer *Psychological thriller writing at its very -- S D SykesA powerful and addictive read -- Kate FurnivallThis twisty tale of love and revenge is a compulsive read -- Kate HamerI loved The Dead Ex! Full of twists & turns that come together in the most unexpected fashion -- Louise Jensen, author of 'The Sister'Jane Corry takes you to places you'd never want to go and marshals her plot lines expertly - by the time I finished I had twisted blood -- T A CotterellJane Corry's writing grabs you at the first page and doesn't let go -- Sue FortinJane Corry explores the dark underbelly of the prison...an intricately plotted thriller with a surprising twist -- Sanjida KayJane Corry hooks us from page one -- Jane HollandJane Corry's experiences working with prisoners adds a unique authenticity to this twisty thriller -- Emily ElgarCompletely captivating storytelling, fascinating and compelling characters - I loved it -- Luana LewisA powerful psychological thriller...I was gripped from the first page till the last -- Sandra HowardA complex thriller with so many twists that you will be desperate to get to the end to find out the truth! A great summer read -- Katerina Diamond
£8.99
Penguin Books Ltd The Water Dancer
Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES #1 BESTSELLER OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICK''One of the best books I have ever read in my entire life. I haven''t felt this way since I first read Beloved . . .'' Oprah Winfrey Lose yourself in the stunning debut novel everyone is talking about - the unmissable historical story of injustice and redemption that resonates powerfully todayHiram Walker is a man with a secret, and a war to win. A war for the right to life, to family, to freedom.Born into bondage on a Virginia plantation, he is also born gifted with a mysterious power that he won''t discover until he is almost a man, when he risks everything for a chance to escape. One fateful decision will carry him away from his makeshift plantation family and into the heart of the underground war on slavery... ''A transcendent work from a crucial political and literary artist'' Diana Evans ''I''ve been wondering who might fill the intellectual void that plagued me after James Baldwin died. Clearly it is Ta-Nehisi Coates'' Toni MorrisonTrade ReviewAny writer tackling slavery needs to do something different with it, and The Water Dancer does just that. Coates' rhapsodic prose spins a soaring, scorching, supernatural tale of the imagination that sets this history alight and turns it into an original work of art. -- Bernardine EvaristoOne of the best books I have ever read in my entire life . . . I was enthralled, I was devastated. -- Oprah Winfreya remarkable story about inequality, slavery, memory, freedom and dignity. I found it important and universally relevant -- Elif Shafak * Guardian *a crowd-pleasing exercise in breakneck and often occult storytelling that tonally resembles the work of Stephen King as much as it does the work of Toni Morrison, Colson Whitehead and the touchstone African-American science-fiction writer Octavia Butler. * New York Times *a work of both staggering imagination and rich historical significance . . . timeless and instantly canon-worthy. * Rolling Stone *A tale of slavery and mysterious power in this debut novel from one of America's most exciting young writers. * The Times *An arresting story of fantastical power in the brutal world of human bondage . . . A transcendent, arresting work from a crucial political and literary artist -- Diana EvansEagerly anticipated . . . The Water Dancer merges historical and fantasy fiction in a slavery story that Oprah Winfrey says is one of the best books she has read in her life. * Observer *In prose that sings and imagination that soars, Coates further cements himself as one of this generation's most important writers, tackling one of America's oldest and darkest periods with grace and inventiveness. This is bold, dazzling, and not to be missed * Publisher's Weekly *Beautiful prose and wonderful characters . . . an important book written by one of the great thinkers of our times. It's a thriller, a historical how-to, a love story and a warning. I read it one long night and the next day pressed it into everyone's hands. Brilliant.This potent book about America's most disgraceful sin establishes [Ta-Nehisi Coates] as a first-rate novelist. * San Francisco Chronicle *Ta-Nehisi Coates has emerged as an important public intellectual and perhaps America's most incisive thinker about race. * New York Times *Slavery, forgetting and memory are at the heart of Coates's ambitious, compelling first novel... * TLS *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Stories
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMagnificent... Her famous seriousness pervades throughout... What's striking is the astonishing scope, potential and possibility Sontag saw in short fiction * Financial Times *We can't recommend this careful collection enough * Emerald Street *If you are a bibliophile, you need this beautiful hardback in your life... These superb stories show the sheer versatility of one of this century's most inquisitive minds * Book Riot *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd The Water Cure
Book SynopsisBRITISH VOGUE ''STAR OF THE FUTURE''INDEPENDENT BEST BOOKS OF THE DECADE''A gripping, sinister fable'' Margaret Atwood''An extraordinary debut - otherworldly, luminous, precise'' Guardian''Bold, inventive, haunting . . . With shades of Margaret Atwood and Eimear McBride, you''ll be bowled over by it'' StylistA hypnotic coming-of-age story for fans of The Power, The Vegetarian, I Who Have Never Known Men and The GirlsGrace, Lia and Sky live in an abandoned hotel, on a sun-bleached island, beside a poisoned sea. Their parents raised them there to keep them safe, to make them good. The world beyond the water is contaminated and men are the contamination. But one day three strangers wash ashore - men who stare at the sisters hungrily, helplessly. Men who bring trouble.*****''A feminist fable set by the sea, a female Lord of the Flies. It felt like a book I''d been waiting to read for a long time'' Emma Jane Unsworth''Visceral, hypnotic, with one of my favourite endings I''ve read in a long while'' The Pool''An unsettling dark fantasy... [It] lingers long after the final page'' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewCompulsive, eerily gorgeous, [it] will have you gripped until the end... A film adaptation feels inevitable... As far as debuts go, this is superb * Irish News *A feminist dystopian fairy tale, a sexual coming-of-age story and a survival-of-the-fittest tale. Evocative, suspenseful and bleak - in short, everything this age seems to be demanding * NPR *[An] eerie, uncanny literary debut... Beautifully written, pared down and hypnotic * Sunday Times Culture *Bewitching... [An] ambiguous utopia * Guardian *In raw, visceral prose, Mackintosh probes at ideas of the threat of male violence, the ways women are told to protect ourselves, love and sisterhood and survival. A hypnotic, stormy book, with one of my favourite endings I've read in a long while * The Pool *Stunning... A haunting story of abuse, death, and desire... Chilling and topical, a breathtaking debut * Dazed *Eerily beautiful, this strange, unsettling novel creeps up and grabs hold of you -- Paula Hawkins, author of 'The Girl on the Train'Darkly gratifying, dreamy, primal, and arresting [as] a fairy tale... The overgrown grounds, with their perimeter of rusty barbed wire and shark-infested waters, resemble Sleeping Beauty's castle * New Yorker *Searing, richly drawn, eerily compelling... As foreboding in what it holds back as in what it reveals * Stylist *Elemental... [A] utopia portrayed in spectral, organic prose... Mackintosh is a wonderful stylist; the full scope of her imagination, as well as the cohesion of her vision, is evident on every page... A seriously impressive feat * Irish Times *[A] wildly confident debut... Take the strange social ceremonies of The Lobster and the pheromone-rich claustrophobia of The Beguiled and you come close to the world Sophie Mackintosh conjures * AnOther Magazine *The Water Cure is eerily still and pure - with saline bite... Mackintosh asks if it is the traumas of our pasts that ultimately pose the greatest threat to our futures * New Statesman *Powerfully unsettling, immensely assured, calmly devastating. It conjures a world both alien and familiar, exploring the physical and psychological cruelties enacted on women, by men, in the name of their protection, and the noble and ignoble uses to which anger can be put in a perverse world. This is a gem of a novel, and I was bowled over by it -- Katherine Angel, author of 'Unmastered'Electric [and] beautifully strange... Her novel is an exercise in minimalism * Times Literary Supplement *A hypnotic read... This extraordinary debut is a feminist, quasi-dystopian read - great for fans of Hot Milk, The Girls and The Vegetarian * Elle *A work of cool, claustrophobic beauty. Sophie Mackintosh writes devastatingly well about the complexities that women face in loving men, and in loving each other -- Eli Goldstone, author of 'Strange Heart Beating'Uneasy, mythic, lawless... The atmospheric landscapes cloak trauma and violence in wisps of uncertainty, where bad feelings coalesce as both presciently felt and strangely unknowable * Frieze *Otherworldly, brutal and poetic: a feminist fable set by the sea, a utopia gone awry, a female Lord of the Flies. It transported me, savaged me, filled me with hope and fear. It felt like a book I'd been waiting to read for a long time -- Emma Jane Unsworth, author of 'Animals'[A] lyrical debut, original and very atmospheric * Good Housekeeping *Eerie, electric, beautiful. It rushes you through to the end on a tide of tension and closely held panic. I loved this book -- Daisy Johnson, author of 'Fen'Creepy and delightful, a portrayal of post-apocalyptic puberty, intermingling desire and despair. It has a pinch of Shirley Jackson, a dash of chlorine, and an essence all of its own -- Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of 'Harmless Like You'Powerful, mythic, seductively sinister... Her alternative world is as carefully imagined as one of Margaret Atwood's... [Sophie Mackintosh] is a writer to be reckoned with * Book Oxygen *Eerie and unsettling, the novel exerts a hypnotic grip as the tension builds * Daily Mail *A superb debut * i *The Water Cure deserves a Sofia Coppola-style big-screen treatment, although its cultish overtones and sinister denouement are as reminiscent of The Wicker Man as The Virgin Suicides * The Literary Review *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Grand Union
Book SynopsisA treasure trove of outstanding stories from ''the best writer of our generation'' (Gary Shteyngart) - the perfect gift for the Zadie Smith fan in your life''She''s already one of our best novelists and essayists, this reminds us that her short stories are right up there too'' Observer''Sexy and hilarious. There is no moment in Grand Union when we are not entertained, or doubt that we are in the company of one of our best contemporary writers'' Guardian''Brilliant. Another slam dunk. Street life, patois, music, food, clothes, hair: Smith has her finger on the pulse of life and the utter weirdness of whatever has just become normal. This is a book of and for the times, sobering in its clarity but bracingly witty and clever'' Evening Standard''Smith''s dialogue crackles with mordant wit. This dazzling collection of stories will leave you with plenty to think about'' IndependentInterleaving ten completely new and unpublished Trade ReviewShe's a genius . . . It's bliss -- Dolly AldertonSexy and hilarious . . . There is no moment in Grand Union when we are not entertained,or doubt that we are in the company of one of our best contemporary writers. * Guardian *Smart and bewitching, the modern world is refracted in ways that are both playful and rigorous, formally experimental and socially aware... Smith exercises her range without losing her wry, slightly cynical humour. Readers of all tastes will find something memorable in this collection * Publisher's Weekly *She's already one of our best novelists and essayists, this reminds us that her short stories are right up there too * Observer *Bewitching * Publisher's Weekly *The stories in Grand Union address both eternal existential queries and decidedly contemporary concerns. * FT *this is a book of and for the times, sobering in its clarity but bracingly witty and clever * Evening Standard *Smith's dialogue crackles with mordant wit . . . this dazzling collection of stories will leave you with plenty to think about. * Independent *Each story is a new surprise of literary genius that takes the reader on a short journey away from reality . . . A must-read for literary lovers everywhere * Vanity Fair *In these short stories she is miles and miles ahead, moving the finish line ever further as we are dazzled, knocked sideways by her craft . . . We see a master at work, exercising her vast talent with joy and vigour, reimagining old paradigms whilst maintaining the warmth and authenticity of her inimitable voice. For a writer who has seemingly done everything, it seems that Smith is just beginning * The Arts Desk *Grand Union seduces with language, acute observation, humour and the warmth of Smith's humanity. It's a startling, energising collection fom a writer unafraid to take risks * i *An exuberant volume that's bracing, thoughtful and frequently very funny * Mail on Sunday *Tremendous comic writing and snappy dialogue * Literary Review *Smith offers sharp social commentary in this wry collection of stories that takes on the complications of the modern world * Psychologies *Tackles subjects including cancel culture, desire and race with Smith's trademark insight and lightness of touch * Stylist *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Just Like You
Book Synopsis''A charming - and sharp - love story about what it means to fall for someone who is your polar opposite'' Sunday Telegraph_______________________________________________________Lucy married just the sort of man you might expect: a university graduate who runs his own business. Unfortunately he turned out to have serious dependency issues.Joseph is shaking off the memory of his last date, a girl who ticked all the right boxes and also drove him up the wall.On an average Saturday morning in a butcher''s shop in North London, Lucy and Joseph meet on opposite sides of the counter. She is a teacher and mother of two, with a past she is trying to forget; he is an aspiring DJ with a wide-open future that maybe needs to start becoming more focused. Lucy and Joseph are opposites in almost all ways. Can something life-changing grow from uncommon ground?Nick Hornby''s brilliantly observed, tender and brutally funny new novel gets to the heart of what it means to fall headlong in love with the best possible person - someone who may not be just like you at all.Sunday Times Bestseller March 2023 _____________________________________________''Truly funny . . . immensely readable, sharp-eyed and at times hilarious'' Guardian''Comedy for our times'' Sunday Times''Sparkles with tip-top dialogue and pin-sharp comic timing'' Daily MailTrade ReviewUnmistakably of-the-moment. Sharp, charming and upbeat * Mail on Sunday *Well-told, thoughtful, tender and occasionally devastatingly funny love story * Scotsman *A charming - and sharp - love story about what it means to fall for someone who is your polar opposite * Sunday Telegraph *Frequently funny, consistently engaging ... it has great warmth in its heart * Observer *Hornby's hilarious and heart-wrenching new novel explores what it means to be somebody's perfect match, and why this notion of perfect compatibility is an absolute disaster when it comes to love * Woman and Home, Best Books to Look Forward to this Summer *The capable crackle of his dialogue - honed by a string of successful screenwriting projects - propels the domestic drama forward at an easy pace, particularly effective in the voices of the children * Financial Times *The novel explores division and racism and has its share of sharp observations that help illuminate what it means to fall headlong in love with someone who is nothing like you at all * Independent *Nick Hornby writes so well about his characters . . . his most enjoyable book for some years * Sunday Express *Hornby has always been a first-rate storyteller and Just Like You - just perfectly put together - sparkles with tip-top dialogue and pin-sharp comic timing * Daily Mail *Truly funny . . . the novel gallops straight into something that is immensely readable, sharp-eyed and at times hilarious * Guardian *A brilliant read full of his trademark wit and ability to get to the heart of human nature * The Sun *Comedy for our times * Sunday Times *Excellent * Irish Times *Tender and timely * Good Housekeeping *Set in 2016 against the strident backdrop of the Brexit vote, Nick Hornby's warmhearted comedy chronicles the love story between a middle-aged white woman and a young black man, suggesting that difference needn't always be divisive: sometimes it can bring us together * Daily Mail *Hornby's prose is artful and effortless, his spiky wit as razored as a number-two cut * Independent *Hornby writes with a funny, fresh voice which skewers male and female foibles with hilarious accuracy * Guardian *A fine writer, swift and pointed, with a lighter, more mischievous heart than he lets on, and more sympathy for the devil than he admits to * New York Magazine *Dares to be witty, intelligent and emotionally generous at once * New York Times *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Beautiful Summer
Book Synopsis''An astonishing portrait of an innocent on the verge of discovering the cruelties of love... there are whispers here of the future work of Elena Ferrante'' Elizabeth Strout, from the introduction''Life was a perpetual holiday in those days...''It''s the height of summer in 1930s Italy and sixteen-year-old Ginia is desperate for adventure. So begins a fateful friendship with Amelia, a stylish and sophisticated artist''s model who envelops her in a dazzling new world of bohemian artists and intoxicating freedom. Under the spell of her new friends, Ginia soon falls in love with Guido, an enigmatic young painter. It''s the start of a desperate love affair, charged with false hope and overwhelming passion - destined to last no longer than the course of a summer.The Beautiful Summer is a gorgeous coming-of-age tale of lost innocence and first love, by one of Italy''s greatest writers.''Pavese, to me, is a constant source of inspiration'' Jhumpa Lahiri''One of the few essential novelists of the mid-twentieth century'' Susan Sontag''[Pavese writes books of] extraordinary depth where one never stops finding new levels, new meaning'' Italo Calvino''For my trip to Los Angeles, I''m packing The Beautiful Summer, a slender account of love in 1930s Italy'' Jessie Burton, bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The MuseTrade ReviewAn astonishing portrait of an innocent on the verge of discovering the cruelties of love... an inimitable read... there are whispers here of the future work of Elena Ferrante -- Elizabeth Strout, from the introductionOne of the few essential novelists of the mid-twentieth century -- Susan SontagThere is never any doubt of Pavese's talent * The Times *[Pavese writes books of] extraordinary depth where one never stops finding new levels, new meanings -- Italo CalvinoThere is something about [Pavese] that is insinuating, haunting and lyrically pervasive * New York Times Book Review *Cesare Pavese's cool, contemplative voice was the most important among postwar Italian writers -- W. S. DiPieroPavese, to me, is a constant source of inspiration -- Jhumpa LahiriFor my trip to Los Angeles, I'm packing Cesare Pavese's The Beautiful Summer, with an introduction by Elizabeth Strout, a slender account of love in 1930s Italy -- Jessie Burton, bestselling author of 'The Miniaturist' * Guardian Best Summer Books 2018 *Reminds one very much of the trajectory of the relationship between two young people at the heart of André Aciman's Call Me By Your Name * RTE Recommended Summer Reads *Penguin's re-release of Cesare Pavese's The Beautiful Summer (as choice a pick as its title implies) is simply gorgeous * Marie Claire - Best Books to Read This Summer *Pavese writes with a vivid quietude that is always engaging * Guardian *[A] remarkable author * Scotsman *We must be grateful to the Penguin European Writers series, a precious venture in these dark times -- John Banville
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Berta Isla
Book Synopsis''The most subtle and gifted writer in contemporary Spanish literature'' Boston Globe''No one else, anywhere, is writing quite like this'' Daily Telegraph A thrilling new literary offering from the acclaimed author of The Infatuations and A Heart So White''For a while, she wasn''t sure that her husband was her husband. Sometimes she thought he was, and sometimes not...''Berta Isla and Tomás Nevinson meet in Madrid. Young and in love, they quickly decide to spend their lives together - never suspecting that they will grow to be total strangers, both living under the shadow of disappearances. Tomás, half-Spanish and half-English, has an extraordinary gift for languages and accents. Leaving Berta to study at Oxford, he catches the interest of a certain government agency, and its mysterious agent, Bertram Tupra. Tomás is determined to evade the agent''s attentions but his fate is sealed by an escalating series of events that will affect the rest of his life - and that of his beloved Berta. Finishing his time at Oxford, he returns to Madrid to marry her, already knowing that the life they planned has been lost forever.Darkly gripping, Berta Isla examines a relationship condemned to secrecy and concealment, to pretence and conjecture, to resentment mingled with loyalty. With meticulous insight and understanding of the human soul, Marías examines the urge to change our destiny, and the hopeless exile we bring upon ourselves.Trade ReviewMarías weaves a thrilling and desolate meditation on the psychic costs of the deep state's dark arts. * 1843 Magazine *Magical...finest novel to date * Alex Clark *Compelling * Tatler *A twisty, thought-provoking tale that puts notions of truth and morality under pitiless scrutiny * The Guardian *elegant, discursive, persuasively vivid novel...powerful and indelible * The National *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Middle England
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE THE COSTA NOVEL AWARD 2019''The book everyone is talking about'' The Times ''A comedy for our times'' Guardian __________________ The country is changing and, up and down the land, cracks are appearing - within families and between generations. In the Midlands Benjamin Trotter is trying to help his aged father navigate a Britain that seems to have forgotten he exists, whilst in London his friend Doug doesn''t understand why his teenage daughter is eternally enraged. Meanwhile, newlyweds Sophie and Ian can find nothing to agree on except the fact that their marriage is on the rocks . . .A hilarious follow-up to The Rotters'' Club and Closed Circle, Jonathan Coe captures the state of our nation once again! __________________ ''Coe''s back with a bang. Middle England is the novel about Brexit we need'' Daily Telegraph ''A pertinent, entertaining study of a nation in crisis'' Financial Times, Books of the Year ''Very funny. Coe - a writer of uncommon decency - reminds us that the way out of this mess is through moderation, through compromise, through that age-old English ability to laugh at ourselves'' ObserverWritten with his signature wit, Jonathan Coe''s unmissable new novel, The Proof of My Innocence is available now!Trade ReviewBrilliantly funny . . . a compelling state of the nation novel, full of light and shade, which vividly charts modern Britain's tragicomic slide * Economist *Expansive and often very funny . . . Coe - a writer of uncommon decency - reminds us that the way out of this mess is through moderation, through compromise, through that age-old English ability to laugh at ourselves * Observer *A pertinent, entertaining study of a nation in crisis -- 'Books of the Year' * Financial Times *His affectionately witty attitude to our human foibles is always uplifting . . . Superb * The Times *In Middle England, Coe shows an understanding of this country that goes beyond what most cabinet ministers can muster . . . he subtly builds a picture that exposes the cracks in society . . . he is a master of satire but pokes fun subtly, without ever being cruel, biting or blatant . . . his light, funny writing makes you feel better * Evening Standard *Tackling his characters' opposing points of view, he draws a portrait of a recognisable Britain baffled by its loss of industry and jobs, and of everyday people shocked by a rise of acceptable racism and xenophobia. It's also very, very funny * Stylist *Millions of words have been and will be written on Brexit but few will get to the heart of why it is happening as incisively as Middle England -- John Boyne * Irish Times * This is a picture of England that comes from a place of compassion and understanding * inews *Coe is as funny and tender as ever, restoring some humanity to the tumultuous societal backdrop * Grazia *Middle England combines top-class soap opera storytelling with melancholy insight into what it means to be English * Metro *Middle England takes all that is memorable and moving about Coe's body of work and throws it at the present emergency -- Alex Clark * TLS *Sparkled with all the acuity of his best novels . . . Uproarious and always on-the-money -- Books of the Year * Evening Standard *Very funny . . . Exceptionally good . . . Delightful -- BBC Radio 4 * Saturday Review *Brilliant -- Nicola SturgeonMiddle England is a full-blooded state of the nation novel, and it brings us bang up-to-date * Sunday Times *Coe is an extraordinarily deft plotter . . . he tackles big ambitious themes, in this case the effect of politics on people's lives, and political opinions on personal relations * Mail on Sunday *The beauty of Jonathan Coe's new novel, Middle England, is the way it tracks the seemingly unconnected moments that brought Britain to its knees - and with devastating delicacy, too -- Eva Wiseman * Observer * The great chronicler of Englishness * Independent *A copper bottomed masterpiece -- Barney NorrisCoe's comic critique of a divided country dazzles . . . properly laugh-out-loud funny . . . it is also incisive and brilliant about our divided country and the deep chasms revealed by the vote to leave. Do not miss * The Bookseller *The first great Brexit novel -- Sathnam SangheraThis book is sublimely good. State of the (Brexit) nation novel to end them all, but also funny, tender, generous, so human and intelligent about age and love as well as politics -- India KnightJonathan Coe's Middle England is brilliantly insightful on the times we are living in -- Mishal Husain, Books of the Year * Big Issue *Let me add to the chorus of praise for Jonathan Coe's new book Middle England. Easily my favourite of his since What a Carve Up! Which did for Thatcherism what Middle England does for Brexit -- John CraceAn astute, enlightened and enlightening journey into the heart of our current national identity crisis. Both moving and funny. As we'd expect from Coe -- Ben EltonFrom post-industrial Birmingham to the London riots and the current political gridlock, it takes in family, literature and love in a comedy for our times * Guardian *Coe can make you smile, sigh, laugh; he has abundant sympathy for his characters * Scotsman *This book is sublimely good. State of the (Brexit) nation novel to end them all, but also funny, tender, generous, so human and intelligent about age and love as well as politics -- India Knight
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Brooklyn
Book SynopsisColm Toibin''s Brooklyn is a devastating story of love, loss and one woman''s terrible choice between duty and personal freedom. It is Ireland in the early 1950s and for Eilis Lacey, as for so many young Irish girls, opportunities are scarce. So when her sister arranges for her to emigrate to New York, Eilis knows she must go, leaving behind her family and her home for the first time.Arriving in a crowded lodging house in Brooklyn, Eilis can only be reminded of what she has sacrificed. She is far from home - and homesick. And just as she takes tentative steps towards friendship, and perhaps something more, Eilis receives news which sends her back to Ireland. There she will be confronted by a terrible dilemma - a devastating choice between duty and one great love.''With this elating and humane novel, Colm Tóibín has produced a masterwork'' Sunday Times ''The most compelling and moving portrait of a young woman I have read in a long time'' Zoë Heller Guardian, Books of the Year ''A work of such skill, understatement and sly jewelled merriment could haunt your life'' Ali Smith TLS, Books of the YearTrade ReviewWith this elating and humane novel, Colm Tóibín has produced a masterwork * Sunday Times *The most compelling and moving portrait of a young woman I have read in a long time -- Zoë Heller * Guardian, Books of the Year *A work of such skill, understatement and sly jewelled merriment could haunt your life -- Ali Smith * TLS, Books of the Year *Suffused with humane depth, funny, affecting, deftly plotted ... a novel of magnificent accomplishment -- Peter Kemp * Sunday Times, Novel of the Year *Brooklyn moved me more than any other book this year -- Nicholas Hytner * Observer, Books of the Year *A beautifully crafted work that transformed ordinary lives into something extraordinary * Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year *No book this year gave me greater pleasure -- Nell Freudenberger * Financial Times *Not a sentence or a thought out of place. It takes over as his finest ficiton to date * Irish Times *Remarkable freshness and immediacy ... with a lovely comedic lightness * Daily Mail *A lovely, thoughtful book ... alive with authentic detail, moved along by the ripples of affection and doubt that shape any life: a novel that offers the reader serious pleasure * Daily Telegraph *Tremendously moving and powerful * New Statesman *Full of sly fun, lovely comic observation and an almost tangible pleasure in storytelling * Observer *Refreshingly authentic . . . Eilis is so vivid it's difficult to believe she did not actually exist * Financial Times *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Villages John Updike Penguin Essentials 76
Book SynopsisOwen Mackenzie''s life story abounds with sin and seduction, domesticity and debauchery. His marriage to his college sweetheart is quickly followed by his first betrayal and he embarks upon a series of affairs. His pursuit of happiness, in a succession of small towns from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts, brings him to the edge of chaos, from which he is saved by a rescue that carries its own fatal price.Trade ReviewHats off to the man for negotiating with aplomb the highly compartmentalised facets of the male psyche, and the grey no-go-zones of conjugal life -- Douglas KennedyEnergetic, funny and perceptive * Esquire *
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd The Chrysalids
Book Synopsis''WATCH THOU FOR THE MUTANT!'' It is many years since God sent the Tribulation to punish the forebears for their sins, and in the rural settlement of Waknuk David Strorm''s father decries any and all blasphemies against nature. Little does he realise that David and his cousin Rosalind, have their own secret aberration which would label them as mutants. But as they grow older it becomes more difficult to conceal their differences from the village elders. Soon they face a choice: wait for eventual discovery, or flee to the terrifying and mutable Badlands. . .''An outstanding success'' New York Times Trade ReviewPerfect timing, astringent humour . . . One of the few authors whose compulsive readability is a compliment to the intelligence * Spectator *Remains fresh and disturbing in an entirely unexpected way * Guardian *
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd Age of Iron J.M. Coetzee Penguin Essentials 79
Book SynopsisNobel Laureate and two-time Booker prize-winning author of Disgrace, J. M. Coetzee tells the remarkable story of a nation gripped in brutal apartheid in Age of Iron. In Cape Town, South Africa, an elderly classics professor writes a letter to her distant daughter, recounting the strange and disturbing events of her dying days. She has been opposed to the lies and the brutality of apartheid all her life, but now she finds herself coming face to face with its true horrors: the hounding by the police of her servant''s son, the burning of a nearby black township, the murder by security forces of a teenage activist who seeks refuge in her house. Through it all, her only companion, the only person to whom she can confess her mounting anger and despair, is a homeless man who one day appears on her doorstep.In Age of Iron, J. M. Coetzee brings his searing insight and masterful control of language to bear on one of the darkest episodes of our times.Trade ReviewIt is, quite simply, a magnificent and unforgettable work * Daily Telegraph *A superbly realised novel whose truth cuts to the bone * The New York Times *A fierce pageant of modern South Africa ... A remarkable work by a brilliant writer * Wall Street Journal *Coetzee is one of the greatest writers of our time ... Age of Iron is taut, ironic, grieving and, finally, astonishing * Los Angeles Times *
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd The Last
Book Synopsis''We defy you to pick up The Last and put it back down'' Stylist ''Extraordinary'' Emily St John Mandel, Station ElevenTWENTY SURVIVORS. ONE HOTEL. ONE KILLER.------ The world as we know it has ended. You and nineteen other survivors hole up in an isolated Swiss hotel. You wait, you survive. Then you find the body. One of your number has blood on their hands. The race is on to find the killer. Before the killer finds you.... Finished Station Eleven and Contagion and looking for your next pulse-pounding, speculative read? Look no further than The Last. This Waterstones Thriller of the month will sweep you into a world of fascinating characters and compulsive mystery.------ ''One of those books you can''t stop reading, but don''t want to end'' TM Logan, The Holiday''Dark, compelling, original'' CJTrade ReviewThe Last is a brilliantly executed novel, and the questions Jameson poses-who will be with you at the end of the world, and what kind of person will you be?-are as haunting as the plot itself. This is a chilling and extraordinary book -- Emily St John Mandel, author of 'Station Eleven'Dark, original, compelling -- CJ Tudor, author of The Chalk ManIt is Jameson's portrayal both imaginative and plausible, of how her characters adapt to their new life that makes her novel such compulsive reading * Daily Telegraph *A clever, original, scarily plausible white-knuckle read -- Erin Kelly, bestselling author of 'He Said, She Said'A brilliantly imagined tale of suspicion, betrayal and survival in a world on the brink of extinction. One of those books that you can't stop reading - but don't want to end -- TM Logan, bestselling author of 'Lies'Stephen King meets Agatha Christie, in this fantastic and highly original novel that I'll be recommending to readers for a long time to come. I loved every second of it! This is *the* book of 2019 -- Luca Veste, author of 'The Bone Keeper'Chillingly nightmarish - a gripping read -- Sophia Tobin, author of 'The Silversmith's Wife'Gripping, and thoroughly and frighteningly believable. I could not put this book down -- Jennie Melamed, author of 'Gather the Daughters'Jameson does an excellent job of exploring what nuclear war would mean for us . . . exploring what it would mean to live in a place where consequences no longer existed. * Observer *We defy you to pick up The Last and put it back down * Stylist *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Pursuit of Love
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewUtter, utter bliss * Daily Mail *A dazzling comic delight * Fiona Wilson, The Times, Saturday Review *The story's genius lies in its wicked humour, which remains relentlessly uplifting even as the Blitz begin to smash all the hopes of that pre-war arcadia * Olivia Laing, The Guardian *Too spiky and intelligent, I think, to qualify as an altogether cosy read [...] beneath the brittle surface of Mitford's wit there is something infinitely more melancholy at work - something that is apt to snag you and pull you into its dark undertow when you are least expecting it * Zoë Heller, The Telegraph *Nancy Mitford taught the wonderful truth that laughter can see you through the darkest hours of your life * Daily Mail *The Millennial faint-hearted will be appalled by Mitford's depiction of class and gender. But Mitford's triumph is that, as the Radletts live and laugh and cry, we [cry] with them * Julie Parsons, The Irish Times *In her novels Nancy mastered her life, making everyone who was different or difficult into figures of mirth, moving only among the aristocracy, and infusing the world with a spirit of lazy, delightful romance * Natasha Walter, The Independent *Utter, utter bliss * Daily Mail *A dazzling comic delight. * Fiona Wilson, The Times, Saturday Review *
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd Libra
Book Synopsis''Think of two parallel lines. One is the life of Lee H. Oswald. One is the conspiracy to kill the President. What bridges the space between them? What makes a connection inevitable? There is a third line. It comes out of dreams, visions, intuitions, prayers, out of the deepest levels of the self.''A troubled adolescent endlessly riding New York''s subway cars, Lee Harvey Oswald enters adulthood believing himself to be an agent of history. This makes him fair game to a pair of discontented CIA operatives convinced that a failed attempt on the life of the US president will force the nation to tackle the threat of communism head on.Libra is a gripping, masterful blend of fact and fiction, laying bare the wounded American psyche and the dark events that still torment it.''An audacious blend of fiction and fact'' The Times Trade ReviewAn unparalleled trip into the heart of America * Observer *Wonderful * Guardian *Even with all the swirling contradictory data, this you feel is America, and the news starts here * Sunday Times *Monumental, DeLillo at his chilling best. Concentrates on the inner life of the people who shaped the Kennedy assassination. He constructs the very human faces behind a monstrous event, creating fiction which trespasses on reality * Time Out *An audacious blend of fiction and fact * The Times *
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd I Looked Away
Book SynopsisYou made a mistake . . .But they''re saying it''s murder.----------''Thrilling, emotional and pacy with a clever twist I didn''t expect'' Claire Douglas''Sensitive and thought-provoking'' Adele Parks''Fearsomely good'' Nicci FrenchEvery Monday, 49-year-old Ellie looks after her grandson Josh. She loves him more than anyone else in the world. The only thing that can mar her happiness is her husband''s affair. But he swears it''s over now, and Ellie has decided to be thankful for what she''s got.Then one day, while she''s looking after Josh, her husband gets a call from that woman. And just for a moment, Ellie takes her eyes off her grandson. What happens next will change her life forever.Because Ellie is hiding something from her past. And what looks like an accident could start to look like murder . . .From the Sunday Times bestselling author of My Husband''s Wife, Trade ReviewSensitive and thought-provoking -- Adele ParksBrilliantly plotted, deftly woven and heartbreakingly real -- Jane ShemiltA fearsomely good thriller -- Nicci FrenchBeautifully written...The Dead Ex totally hooked me -- Peter JamesCompulsive, edgy and with some fabulous twists that I didn't see coming! -- B A Paris
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd Braywatch
Book SynopsisSouth Dublin''s favourite son thought he could face any challenge - until he was asked to cross the bridge over the River Dargle.For Ross O''Carroll-Kelly - schools rugby hero, celebrated bon vivant and lover of beautiful women - life has suddenly become complicated. His father has been accused of rigging a General Election, his seventy-year-old mother is about to bring six surrogate babies into the world, and his daughter is being hailed as ''Ireland''s answer to Greta Thunberg'', telling everyone who cares to listen that the end of the world is nigh.As if that wasn''t bad enough, the Greatest Rugby Player Never to Play for Ireland has a nagging sense that he has to more to contribute to the beautiful game. Now he''s been offered a job coaching an underachieving school who''ve been waiting almost a century for their moment of glory. The challenge is to persuade a collection of jokers, chokers and forty-a-day smokers that they have what it takeTrade ReviewRoss is a national institution ... wicked humour and sharp observation * Irish Times *Riotously funny ... Surrender to laugh out loud humour yet again * Irish Examiner *One of the funniest writers in the land * Irish Independent *Extraordinarily accurate and outstandingly funny * Sunday Business Post *
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd Dear Edward
Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, SOON TO BE A MAJOR TV SERIES It''s not what you''ve lost . . . it''s what you''ve found.One summer morning, a flight takes off from New York to Los Angeles: there are 192 people aboard. When the plane suddenly crashes, twelve-year-old Edward Adler is the sole survivor.In the aftermath, Edward struggles to make sense of his grief, sudden fame and find his place in a world without his family. But then Edward and his neighbour Shay make a startling discovery; hidden in his uncle''s garage are letters from the relatives of other passengers - all addressed him.Following the passengers'' final hours and Edward''s unique coming-of-age, Dear Edward asks one of life''s most profound questions:What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live?---------------------------------''Ann Napolitano''s writing is astonishing. I''m in awe'' Marian Keyes''A very moving and emotional read'' Anne Tyler''Gripping and elegiac, this is a captivating novel about loss, love and growing up'' Rosamund Lupton''That rare book that breaks your heart and stitches it back together . . . Don''t miss this one'' Jodi PicoultTrade ReviewA powerful book about living a meaningful life during the most difficult of times * New York Times *Outstanding, beautifully written, a compulsive read -- John BoyneThat rare book that breaks your heart and stitches it back together . . . Don't miss this one -- Jodi PicoultA very moving and emotional read -- Anne TylerGripping... a captivating novel about loss, love and growing up -- Rosamund LuptonWonderful... a beautifully written coming-of-age story -- Nina StibbeDear Edward made me think, nod in recognition, care about its characters, and cry, and you can't ask more of a novel than that -- Emma DonoghueStunning, life-affirming * Vogue *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Two Lives of Lydia Bird
Book SynopsisWhat if you could live your great love story again?''Fans of P.S. I Love You will adore this new romantic novel from Josie Silver'' Cosmopolitan_______________Lydia and Freddie. Freddie and Lydia. They''ve been together for almost a decade, and are just about to get married. But then, on Lydia''s 27th birthday, Freddie dies in a tragic accident.Then something unbelievable happens. Lydia gets another chance at her old life with Freddie.But what if there''s someone in her new life who wants her to stay?A gorgeously romantic love story for fans of PS I Love You and Me Before You, this novel will make you laugh, cry and remind you of what a wonderful gift it is to love and to be loved.FROM THE AUTHOR OF ONE DAY IN DECEMBER''A beautiful, emotional gift'' Jodi Picoult''Gorgeous'' Marian Keyes''Butterfly-inducing, lauTrade ReviewFans of P.S. I Love You will adore this new romantic novel from Josie Silver * Cosmopolitan *I read THE TWO LIVES OF LYDIA BIRD in a single sitting - crying, laughing, and rooting for the heroine, who reminds us that the people we love - and the people we lose - change us, and that who we are at the beginning of our story is never who we are at the end of it. What a beautiful, emotional gift Josie Silver has given us -- Jodi Picoult, author of SMALL GREAT THINGSHeartbreakingly beautiful, butterfly-inducing and laugh out loud funny - you've never read a love triangle like this before! -- Paige Toon, author of FIVE YEARS FROM NOWOn the hunt for a romantic novel which will make you feel all the feels? This book by Josie Silver is definitely one for fans of a good old chick-lit (you can't go wrong) * Glamour, ‘Best Books of 2020’ *Original, emotional and utterly absorbing. I couldn't put it down -- Heidi Swain, author of THE CHRISTMAS WISHLISTThis beautiful book had me crying within the first few pages. From the first page, I knew that Lydia Bird was a character that would stay with me for a very long time -- Emma Cooper, author of THE FIRST TIME I SAW YOUJosie has done it again! This is heart-breaking, heart-warming, and heart-felt... it broke me to pieces and built me right back up again. Beautiful. Generous. Hopeful -- Laura Jane Williams, author of OUR STOPFunny and moving and marvellous. Read with a box of tissues and a box of chocolates -- Teresa Driscoll, author of I WILL MAKE YOU PAYA moving and thoroughly engaging tale of and love and loss ... Clear your weekend, switch off your phone and prepare to be entertained -- Mike Gayle, author of THE MAN I THINK I KNOWA brave and clever novel...funny, wise and profoundly comforting -- Keith Stuart, author of A BOY MADE OF BLOCKSHeartbreaking and hopeful - I loved Lydia Bird -- Sarah Morgan, author of A WEDDING IN DECEMBERMoving, heartfelt, achingly sad, yet hopeful and touching, this book will stay with me for a long time. Bravo to Josie -- Vanessa CarnevaleThe Two Lives of Lydia Bird excels as a portrait of grief and our rose-tinted view of the past . . . heavier and sadder than its predecessor, yet the ending is hopeful, lending a heartwarming touch to a bittersweet story that is very nearly excellent * Independent *
£8.99
Penguin Books Ltd Ruth Pen
Book SynopsisThe brilliant debut novel from Emilie Pine, author of the international bestseller Notes to SelfDublin, 7 October 2019One day, one city, two women: Ruth and Pen. Neither knows the other, but both are asking the same questions: how to be with others and how, when the world won''t make space for you, to be with yourself?Ruth''s marriage to Aidan is in crisis. Today she needs to make a choice - to stay or not to stay, to take the risk of reaching out, or to pull up the drawbridge. For teenage Pen, today is the day the words will flow, and she will speak her truth to Alice, to ask for what she so desperately wants.Deeply involving, poignant and radiantly intelligent, it is a portrait of the limits of grief and love, of how we navigate our inner and outer landscapes, and the tender courage demanded by the simple, daily quest of living.''Emilie Pine is one of the most important new voices in Irish Literature. Everything she writes is imbued with wisdom'' David Park''Emilie Pine''s debut novel is ambitious, poignant and playful, with a feminist nod to Joyce . . . it is as surprising and playful as it is ambitious and relevant'' Irish Independent''This is an exciting, warm and engaging debut that signals, one hopes, even greater things to come'' The Business PostWINNER OF THE KATE O''BRIEN AWARDTrade ReviewMesmerising . . . I became completely immersed in this emotional, intimate read * Good Housekeeping *[An] uplifting debut novel . . . joy is a vital ingredient in Ruth & Pen * The Observer *The debut novel from the author of the personal essay collection Notes to Self is a poignant, raw exploration of the courage needed to find your space in the world * i *Impressive . . . Pine explores with great acuity and tenderness the restorative, capacious nature of love. A wise and lovely book * Daily Mail *Pine makes her chapters playful, writing with a friendly curiousness that brings to mind Ali Smith . . . Pine's measured yet tender juxtaposition of the women's days doesn't draw overly neat parallels so much as prove that one needs the other - younger needs older, optimist needs pessimist, introvert needs extrovert. And our opposites might help us find clarity * i *[Ruth & Pen] finds heartbreaking beauty in our everyday lives . . . There is a real tenderness in the way in which Pine writes about the teenage girls in the novel * The Irish Times *Pine reinforces her reputation as one of the most empathetic writers in the country * The Irish Examiner *There's no doubting the novel's basic integrity; its warmth, its undogmatic interest in ordinary lives, and the impressive range of its imaginative sympathies -- Kevin Power * The Irish Times *Moving and raw . . . Pine's ability to enter the heads of two such different characters is a sure sign of literary promise * The Sunday Times (Ireland) *This book is an intimate portrait of love and grief, and the tender, fragile courage required just to live each day * Irish Country Magazine *A confident walk through the lives of others, two women seeking their place in the world and a peace in themselves * RTE Guide *
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Penguin Books Ltd The Parade a novel
Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of The Circle and The Monk of Mokha comes a taut, suspenseful story of two foreigners'' role in a nation''s fragile peace.''Tightly written, carefully designed to wrong-foot preconceptions, and astute . . . An intensely gripping story'' Evening StandardAn unnamed country is leaving the darkness of a decade at war, and to commemorate the armistice the government commissions a new road connecting two halves of the state.Two men, foreign contractors from the same company, are sent to finish the highway. While one is flighty and adventurous, wanting to experience the nightlife and people, the other wants only to do the work and go home. But both men must eventually face the absurdities of their positions, and the dire consequences of their presence.With echoes of J. M. Coetzee and Graham Greene, this timeless novel questions whether we can ever understand another nation''s war, and what role wTrade ReviewTightly written, carefully designed to wrong-foot preconceptions, and astute... An intensely gripping story * Evening Standard *Certainly his best book since What is the What, The Parade may well be the sound of a major writer finding his mature voice * Spectator *A parable of progress, as told by J.M. Coetzee to Philip K. Dick -- Richard FlanaganThe Parade is a heartbreaker and a mindbender. It is a novel of ideas that packs an emotional punch that left me reeling. With clear, unadorned prose, Eggers lays bare the costs of war, and of peace -- Tayari JonesA readable, atmospheric book * The Times *This is a tale for our time, an allegory about intervening in foreign lands without knowledge, and so a nightmare vision of our endless wars. -- Thomas E. RicksIn The Parade, the anxiety grows with every page and every mile to reach an ending that turns everything upside down and sends us into the heart of darkness. A minimalistic, merciless novel. A powerful allegory and a painfully concrete contemporary story-Eggers is a true virtuoso of that synthesis. -- Georgi GospodinovWide-ranging and thoughtful engagement with concepts of power and inequality and whether Western notions of what constitutes 'progress' are always right * Literary Review *It partakes of a complex of anxieties about America's role as an affluent superpower of dubious virtue * Financial Times *Egger's commitment to social and political issues continues * Mail on Sunday *
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Penguin Books Ltd Travellers Novelle
Book Synopsis''Once I started reading Travellers, I couldn''t stop. With power and control, it plunges the reader into a maze of lives that crisscross between Africa and Europe. Refugees and not only refugees hungering for the north, pushing their way through the barriers of waves, human failings and unrealistic dreams.The novel has all the weight of art with the sting of breaking news. I loved it. It is Habila at his best'' Leila AboulelaPoignant and beautifully sculpted, a novel about exile, identity and the many kinds of travellers moving through our modern world - from the Caine Prize-winning author of Oil on Water and Waiting for an AngelModern Europe is a melting pot of migrating souls: among them a Nigerian American couple on a prestigious arts fellowship, a transgender film student seeking the freedom of authenticity, a Libyan doctor who lost his wife and child in the waters of the Mediterranean, and a Somalian shopkeeper trying tTrade ReviewHelon Habila's fourth novel has it all - intelligence, tragedy, poetry, love, intimacy, compassion and a serious, soulful, arms-wide engagement with one of the most acute human concerns of our age: the refugee crisis... * The Guardian *A wonderful gem. . . Heartbreaking but equally life-affirming tales that beautifully connect and intertwine, leaving us longing for more -- Elif ShafakOnce I started reading Travellers, I couldn't stop. With power and control, it plunges the reader into a maze of lives that crisscross between Africa and Europe...The novel has all the weight of art with the sting of breaking news. It faces the urgent questions of our times and doesn't settle for easy answers...it is indeed Habila at his best. * Leila Aboulela *Urgent, deeply empathetic, and resisting easy answers, TRAVELERS follows the interconnected lives of African immigrants and refugees in Europe and examines the meanings of freedom, diaspora and home. Habila is a masterful storyteller, and this novel a riveting testament to the power of fiction.Describing worlds and convergences that are unforgettable, Helon Habila writes of individual lives - pulled apart by our wars, our failed states and our deepest fears - with insight and searing compassion * Madeleine Thien *At once intimate and expansive, Travellers captivated me from the very first pages * Aminatta Forna *a parable of our times and Habila tells it beautifully, shedding poignant light on the world of the dispossessed and the stateless. * Mail on Sunday *Adroitly teasing out the rich quiddity of his characters' diverse journeys, he instead makes the simple yet valuable point that refugees' lives are as irreducibly complex as anyone else's. * The Observer *A quietly haunting novel that captures the untethered, unreal nature of migrant and refugee existence. * Metro *Yarns of persecution, paranoia, even manslaughter, unspool across its patchwork pattern. Habila tells them with cunning, flair and a sleight-of-hand that lightens even the gloomiest scenes. * The Spectator *In an era of mass migration, Habila suggests, stories are a common ground, a means of making ourselves at home with our homelessness. * Literary Review *
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd If I Had Your Face
Book Synopsis''Gripping'' Curtis Sittenfeld * ''Electrifying'' Taylor Jenkins Reid * ''Remarkable'' Kevin Kwan * ''Stunning'' Sunday Times * ''Brilliant'' Pandora Sykes In South Korea, where impossible beauty standards and ruthless social hierarchies dictate your every move, four women are balancing on a razor''s edge:Kyuri, a beautiful ''room salon'' girl paid to entertain wealthy businessmen after hours.Miho, an artist whose life becomes enmeshed with the offspring of the super-wealthy elite.Ara, a hairstylist whose obsession with a K-pop star leads her to violent extremes.Wonna, their neighbour, pregnant with a child that she can''t afford.Set in the drinking dens and beauty salons of Seoul, If I Had Your Face is an electrifying debut novel about female strength, resilience and the solace that friendship can provide.''Cha''s writing always crackles . . . Touching, compelling and icily cool'' Observer''Fascinating, eye-opening, compelling - like the film Parasite, If I Had Your Face is also an exposé of the class system in South Korea'' Independent''Absolutely stunning. . . Assured, bold, and electrifying'' Taylor Jenkins Reid, Sunday Times bestselling author of DAISY JONES & THE SIX and MALIBU RISING''One of the buzziest debuts of the year, If I Had Your Face transports readers to glittering, futuristic Seoul... Essential reading'' Vogue''Culturally fascinating, emotionally layered, gripping and smart'' Curtis Sittenfeld, bestselling author of PREP and AMERICAN WIFE ''Glittering, engrossing'' Helen Oyeyemi, author of GINGERBREAD ''Remarkable, brilliantly crafted and devastatingly exquisite'' Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of CRAZY RICH ASIANS''I finished it in two sittings, have re-read it twice since and I''d still happily read it again - it''s a serious contender for one of my favourite books ever.'' RedLONGLISTED FOR THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2021Trade ReviewAbsolutely stunning . . . Assured, bold, and electrifying, If I Had Your Face marks the entrance of a bright new voice in fiction -- Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of DAISY JONES & THE SIXCulturally fascinating, emotionally layered, gripping and smart -- Curtis Sittenfeld, bestselling author of PREP and AMERICAN WIFEIf you loved Crazy Rich Asians or Daisy Jones And The Six then this is going to be right up your street * Grazia *Fascinating, eye-opening, compelling - like the film Parasite, If I Had Your Face is also an exposé of the class system in South Korea * Independent *I stayed up til 4am two nights in a row, absolutely riveted and astonished. Remarkable, brilliantly crafted and devastatingly exquisiteA brilliant debut * The High Low Podcast *Each voice in this quartet cuts through the pages so cleanly and clearly that the overall effect is one of dangerously glittering harmony. The tale told here is as engrossing as a war chant, or a mosaic formed with blades, every piece a memento sharpened on those unyielding barriers between us and our ideal lives. -- Helen Oyeyemi, award-winning author of GINGERBREADIf I Had Your Face is hilarious, cuttingly observant, feminist, and all-around delightful. It is hard to write a book about four protagonists and make you care for all of them-yet somehow Cha succeeds. -- Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, Costa-shortlisted author of 'Starling Days'One of the buzziest debuts of the year, If I Had Your Face transports readers to glittering, futuristic Seoul. Essential reading in what Jia Tolentino memorably called the age of Instagram face. * Vogue *Compelling, understated, casually brutal, and very cynical. I love it. -- Hanna Jameson, bestselling author of 'The Last'Troubling, kaleidoscopic, and hugely enjoyable -- Nell Zink, author of THE WALLCREEPER, NICOTINE and MISLAIDIt's difficult to believe this is Frances Cha's first novel-she's a masterful storyteller. I couldn't put IF I HAD YOUR FACE down; I was riveted by the stories of four young women navigating life in the extreme, competitive environment of modern Seoul. I loved reading about a world I knew nothing about, and from the first page, it was clear Cha was the best possible guide. I highly recommend this novel. -- Ann Napolitano, author of DEAR EDWARDWonderful... unsettling and deeply affecting - the writing is beautifully spare, and captures with such clarity what it means for these four young women to be taught to hope for everything and yet continuously to receive nothing -- Rosie Price, author of WHAT RED WASIf I Had Your Face is a vivid, eviscerating depiction of social realism in contemporary Seoul. Frances Cha renders gender and class struggles with forensic detail, in a luminous voice both knowledgeable and compelling. -- Sharlene Teo, author of 'Ponti'I love the way Frances Cha rotates between mindsets to look at how beauty and privilege influence the way women live, whilst maintaining a sly lightness -- Rebecca Watson, author of 'little scratch'Make way for Frances Cha, an entrancing new voice who guides us into the complexities and contradictions of modern-day Seoul... I devoured it in a single sitting, and so will you. -- Janice Lee, NYT Bestselling Author of THE PIANO TEACHERI loved this book. It offers a fascinating window on a place and culture I knew little about, and yet from the first page it was intensely relatable - I recognised these women like friends, colleagues or sisters. Invigorating in its honesty and near-filmic in its descriptive power, If I Had Your Face is brilliantly-drawn tableau of the universalities of womanhood, the pressures we grapple with, and the way female bonds can carry us through. -- Lauren Bravo, author of WHAT WOULD THE SPICE GIRLS DO?Cha's striking first novel follows four young women in Seoul, South Korea trapped in a sphere of impossible beauty standards * Oprah Magazine, Most Anticipated Books of 2020 *A story of four women in Seoul and the way that economic and social realities determine the paths available to them * The Millions, Most Anticipated *An intimate, panoramic debut... An enthralling read from the very first page. -- Ed Park, Author of PERSONAL DAYS and Hemingway Foundation / PEN Award FinalistA provoking, ultimately inspiring tale of women pushing back against oppressive customs both traditional and new . . . Frances Cha, like her quartet of narrators, has a rebel's heartAn endearing story of female friendship staged against a backdrop of elitism, sexism and the relentless quest for cosmetic perfection... Enthralling * Vanity Fair *An insightful, powerful story from a promising new voice * Publishers Weekly *Cha's timely debut deftly explores the impact of impossible beauty standards and male-dominated family money on South Korean women * Kirkus *An eye-opening story of female friendship set against the brutal beauty standards of south Korea * Glamour *Mesmerizing... weaves together the complexities and contradictions of modern-day Seoul, in an ultimately uplifting story of women living in defiance of oppressive customs * Dazed *A gripping tale at once unfamiliar and unmistakably universal * BookRiot *A gripping portrait of four young women in South Korea... its focus on the tangled and complicated nature of female friendship is universally familiar and fascinating * Refinery 29 *Hypnotising... you won't want to put it down until the very last page * Harper's Bazaar *You'll find sisterhood at the heart of this ambitious book * New York Times Book Review *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Ancient Light John Banville Penguin Essentials
Book Synopsis''Billy Gray was my best friend and I fell in love with his mother.''Alexander Cleave, an actor who thinks his best days are behind him, remembers his first unlikely affair as a teenage boy in a small town in 1950s Ireland: the illicit meetings in a rundown cottage outside town; assignations in the back of his lover''s car on sunny mornings and rain-soaked afternoons. And with these early memories comes something sharper and much darker - the more recent recollection of the actor''s own daughter''s suicide ten years before. Ancient Light is the story of a life rendered brilliantly vivid: the obsession and selfishness of young love and the terrifying shock of grief. It is a dazzling novel, funny, utterly pleasurable and devastatingly moving in the same moment.''Illuminating, funny, devastating. A meditation of breathtaking beauty and profundity on love and loss and death'' Financial Times''Banville perfectly captures the Trade ReviewGlittering visual evocation, expressed in a tone at once fresh and wistfully ironic ... a world at once random, dreamlike and deeply experienced * The Sunday Times *4 STARS. Banville proves here over and over that one can write with the true texture if erotic memory without resorting to titillation. He deserves to outsell Fifty Shades of Grey tenfold. * Sunday Express *4 STARS. Prose that lingers on every last physical and psychological detail. * Metro *Banville does regretful roues better than almost anyone ... His use of language can also be startlingly brilliant ... Terrific ... full of sadness and yearning. * Sunday Telegraph *This dazzling novel captures a long-lost adolescent world of passion and desire. * Independent *... ravishingly written and scrupulously observed * Irish Times *The Booker prize winning author - widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in English today - has produced what many already consider a literary masterpiece. * Sunday Independent *We now want them [novels] to provoke, cajole, edify, entertain, puzzle, divert, clarify and console. Banville's new novel does all these things and much more besides. * Irish Independent *Banville, with his forensic sensory memory, his great gift for textural (and textual) precision, his ability to inhabit not just a room, as a writer, but also the full weight of a breathing body, is exactly in his element here. * Observer *A novel criss-crossed with ghost roads and dead-ends and peopled by shifty characters who seem provisional even to themselves. It is written in Baville's customary prose, rhythmic and allusive and dense with suggestive imagery, prose and deliberately slows you down and frequently wrongfoots you. * Guardian *A bittersweet rumination on first love ... The language soars, full of the beauty of nature and the sadness of loss * Marie Claire *Banville perfectly captures the spirit of adolescence, the body yearning for sexual experience, the mind blurring eroticism and emotion ... Banville is a Nabokovian artist, his prose so rich, poetic and packed with startling imagery that reading it is akin to gliding regally through a lake of praline: it's a slow, stately process, delicious and to be savoured ... This is a luminous breathtaking work * Independent on Sunday *Ancient Light also bears resemblance to Lolita that extend beyond the obvious hallmark ecstatic prose..different periods of his life blending into a single meditation of breathtaking beauty and profundity on love and loss and death, the final page of which brought tears. * The Financial Times *A beautifully written tale of youthful passion * Good Housekeeping *A novel about sexual awakening and the tricks that memory plays. Banville's lushly gorgeous prose enhances a mood of brooding passion in a place of secrets * The I *A sumptuous novel. Read it for the sentences and smarts, and for the copious sexy parts -- Richard Ford * Guardian, Books of the Year *Everything I want from a love story: sexy, convincing, baffling, funny, sad and unforgettable -- Juliet Nicholson * Evening Standard, "Books of the Year" *Banville's exquisitely written novel unravels the deceptions of memory with wit and pathos * Telegraph *
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Photograph
Book Synopsis''DO NOT OPEN - DESTROY.''The words on the envelope he has found are written in Kath''s hand, but Glyn ignores his wife''s instruction and breaks the seal. His life unwinds. For he finds a photograph showing Kath holding hands with another man. Unable to forget this long-ago act of betrayal he recklessly excavates the past, seeking out who knew what, tearing apart other lives as he tries to dig up the roots of his wife''s infidelity. But what is the truth about Kath? What is the truth about their love? And can it survive this?''Remarkable'' Sunday Telegraph
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Penguin Books Ltd Life Class
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewSharply written and elegantly constructed...breathtaking * Guardian *A compelling read * Literary Review *Thoughtful, ambiguous and powerful * Sunday Telegraph *A compelling read * Literary Review *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Beautiful Ruins
Book Synopsis''A monument to crazy love. Magic'' New York Times ''The actress arrived in his village the only way one could come directly . . .''In spring 1962 American actress Dee Moray''s boat motors into an Italian bay and the life of hotelier Pasquale Tursi. Dee - fleeing a film set, claiming to be dying and desperately awaiting her lover - throws herself on Pasquale''s generous mercy. Fifty years later Pasquale lands in Hollywood, sporting a fedora and seeking a long-forgotten actress. Why he''s come, what happened to Dee in Italy and, later, LA, are questions that Beautiful Ruins answers in the most surprising and wonderfully entertaining manner.''Exhilarating. Very, very funny'' The TimesTrade ReviewJust about the perfect summer read. It is intelligent and thought-provoking, but also a lot of fun. Reading hours fly by and reaching the final page feels like a genuine wrench * Sunday Times *Ambitious, large-hearted, exhilarating novel that leaves you wanting more . . . Very, very funny * The Times *Beautiful Ruins is a novel unlike any other you're likely to read this year -- Nick HornbyRomantic, very funny...Turbo-charged satire meets a Garcia Marquezesque love story. What's not to like? * Daily Mail *Walter creates an epic here - one that took him 15 years to write. The end result, however, is well worth the wait * Observer *A sparkling summer read * Telegraph *Thoroughly enjoyable, a tender, funny, ridiculous tale which has love at its core and a keen satirical edge to cut through the lovely, lush romanticism * Sunday Express *You're going to love this book * New York Times Book Review *A brilliant, madcap meditation on fate * Kirkus Reviews *A novel shot in sparkly Technicolor * Booklist *The beach read of the summer * Vogue *Hilarious and compelling * Esquire *Magic. Walter is a believer in capricious destiny with a fine, freewheeling sense of humour . . . A monument to crazy love with a deeply romantic heart * New York Times *Poignant, comical and marvellous * San Francisco Chronicle *Larger-than-life characters, billowy romance and crafty satire ... Any book that includes Richard Burton as a character is fine by us * Esquire *Cinematic and utterly romantic . . . the big beach read for summer * Sunday Times *My absolute favourite read this year -- Nick Curtis * Evening Standard 'Books of the Year' *A bravura feat -- Peter Kemp * Sunday Times 'Books of the Year' *Walter's account of the filming of the Burton/Taylor classic Cleopatra is a playful imagining of emotional history and hidden lives just out of view. Be warned, this is a novel that may make any festive guests somewhat anti-social as I read it in two days flat -- Olivia Cole * GQ 'Books of the Year' *
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd Agent Running in the Field
Book Synopsis''The British spy thriller at its unputdownable best'' ObserverSELECTED FOR BBC 2 BETWEEN THE COVERS________________________________Nat, a veteran of Britain''s Secret Intelligence Service, thinks his years as an agent runner are over. But MI6 have other plans. To tackle the growing threat from Moscow Centre, Nat is put in charge of The Haven, a defunct substation of London General with a rag-tag band of spies. His weekly badminton session with the young, introspective, Brexit-hating Ed, offers respite from the new job. But it is Ed, of all unlikely people, who will take Nat down the path of political anger that will ensnare them all. _______________________________''A rich, beautifully written book studded with surprises. Narrative is a black art, and Le Carré is its grandmaster'' Spectator ''Blisteringly contemporary'' Economist ''Subtle, wry and seamless, it''s an utter joy, from first page to last'' Daily Mail''A very classy entertainment about political ideals and deception . . . laced with fury at the senseless vandalism of Brexit and of Trump'' Guardian''A fine piece of storytelling'' TimesTrade ReviewA fine piece of storytelling. It is a neat, compact, slow-burning tale with just the right amount of twisting and turning and misdirection. Divided loyalties, uncertain motives, Russian agents, bureaucratic infighting, jaded spies, tatty offices - all of the things you want and expect from a high-quality le Carré thriller are here * The Times *A very classy entertainment about political ideals and deception . . . laced with fury at the senseless vandalism of Brexit and of Trump. Le Carré is the master of the spy genre. * Guardian *Le Carré delivers a tale for our times, replete with the classic seasoning of betrayal, secret state shenanigans and sad-eyed human frailty, all baked into an oven-hot contemporary thriller . . . Agent Running in the Field is right on the money, in psychology as much as politics, a demonstration of the British spy thriller at its unputdownable best * Robert McCrum, Observer *As ingeniously structured as any of le Carré's fiction, skilfully misdirecting the reader for much of the time * Evening Standard *A masterpiece * Mick Herron, TLS *Master of the game * Sunday Times *Le Carré's troubled new protagonist is developed with the author's customary skill . . . an impeccable piece of writing * i *No other writer has charted - pitilessly for politicians but thrillingly for readers - the public and secret histories of his times * Guardian *The master is back on form in this tale of Russian subterfuge and a middle-aged spy 's suspicious badminton partner * The Times *A rich, beautifully written book studded with surprises. Narrative is a black art, and Le Carré is its grandmaster * Andrew Taylor, Spectator *The master espionage novelist takes on Brexit and Trump in this tense and chilling portrait of today * Evening Standard *Wonderful . . . sophisticated entertainment from an author who, at 88, remains sharper than most of us * Church Times *John le Carré is as recognisable a writer as Dickens or Austen * Financial Times *A bang-up-to-date investigation of some of the big issues of our time * Sunday Express *Le Carré demonstrates once again his sublime elegance as a writer, and his delicate touch when portraying human failings in the shadowy world of espionage . . . subtle, wry and seamless, it's an utter joy, from first page to last * Daily Mail *A literary master for a generation * Observer *Blisteringly contemporary . . . Each new book from le Carré is refreshingly different and uniquely compelling * Economist *One of those writers who will be read a century from now * Robert Harris *Astute state-of-the-nation commentary * The Guardian Books of the Year *Classic, unmistakeable le Carré . . . it has the added bonus of some wonderfully vitriolic rants * Shots magazine: Book of the Month *The master of the espionage novel returns with a perfectly nuanced story of a spy on the scrapheap at the age of 47 and uncertain who to trust in the world of Brexit and divided loyalties * Daily Mail, Books of the Year *
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Penguin Books Ltd Nothing But Blue Sky
Book SynopsisIs there such a thing as a perfect marriage?David thought so. But when his wife Mary Rose dies suddenly he has to think again. In reliving their twenty years together David sees that the ground beneath them had shifted and he simply hadn''t noticed. Or had chosen not to.Figuring out who Mary Rose really was and the secrets that she kept - some of these hidden in plain sight - makes David wonder if he really knew her. Did he even know himself?Nothing But Blue Sky is a precise and tender story of love in marriage - a gripping examination of what binds couples together and of what keeps them apart.______________''Touching and enthralling'' Sunday Times''What a beautiful novel ... Elegant, understated, subtly powerful, and rings so perfectly true'' Donal Ryan''Heart-rending ... MacMahon''s words ring with the honesty of truth, offering genuine insight into the human condition'' Trade ReviewA poignant, gentle and astutely observed novel about marriage and the evolution of love * Sunday Times, Novels of the Year 2020 *A piece of perfection - a subtle, thought-provoking investigation of a marriage. It rings true. It's the best book I've read all year * Irish Examiner *What a beautiful novel ... elegant, understated, subtly powerful, and rings so perfectly true ... Beautiful, poignant moments, drawn with such quiet power. And that quiet power is alive and at work on every page -- Donal RyanBeautiful and moving -- Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled GroundInsightful and deeply moving, this is a story of one man's grief that somehow manages to hold onto its sense of humour. I loved this book -- Christine Dwyer HickeySkilfully written with a wonderful lightness of touch ... An acutely observed portrait of a relationship ... filled with astute observations of human behaviour * Irish Times *Kathleen MacMahon's prose could not appear more effortless or beautiful * Sunday Independent *Heart-rending ... a tender and beautiful [love story] ... MacMahon's words ring with the honesty of truth, offering genuine insight into the human condition * Business Post *A tender dissection of marriage * Independent *This elegant, tender novel is an absolute pleasure * Best *A beautifully written and powerful tale * Woman & Home *Gentle and triumphant, MacMahon offers us a novel steeped in beautiful prose and poignant tenderness -- Anne GriffinThe most beautiful prose I have read in years ... Not only my favourite novel of the year, but possibly of the decade -- Margaret Madden * Sunday Independent *I've been recommending Nothing But Blue Sky to anyone who'll listen ... It's about grief and eulogising and getting into the "habit of happiness" and I just loved it -- Emer McLysaght * Irish Times, Best Books of 2020 *Beautiful ... A gentle but deeply affecting read, and the perfect reminder of how sadness and hope can sometimes live side by side * Woman's Way *Sure and subtle, MacMahon holds the reader in her spell. She is a born storyteller -- Mike McCormackKathleen MacMahon has written an absorbing, grave, and emotionally resonant study of a marriage, of a life, of masculinity and of grief. A marvellous achievement -- Neil HegartyKathleen MacMahon sensitively explores the complexities of the human heart and reveals how even in the depths of grief, unexpected light can emerge from the darkness -- David ParkFull of humour and brims with the warmth of family, friendship and the possibility of second chances * Irish Sunday People *An elegantly written and moving account of one man coming to terms with the sudden death of his wife * Irish Times Magazine *Excellent (and darkly funny) ... A sensitive, nuanced, and ultimately hopeful exploration of grief -- Eimear Ryan * Irish Examiner *Full of humour and brims with the warmth of family, friendship and the possibility of second chances * Sunday Mirror *Touching and enthralling * Sunday Times *Stunning -- Henrietta McKervey * via Twitter *A tender portrait of a marriage and how we are formed by our closest relationships * Good Housekeeping *Heart-wrenching ... Almost a parable, it's a cautionary tale for those failing to appreciate just how short life can be * RTÉ Culture *It's rare to read an account of a happy normal marriage and she does it brilliantly -- Sue LeonardKathleen MacMahon writes with a confidence and ease and with an unerring sense of timing * Irish Times *Nothing But Blue Sky is quiet and thoughtful and very moving - Claire Fuller -- Claire Fuller
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd Blue Ticket
Book SynopsisFrom the author longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Women''s Prize for Fiction and selected as one of the Best Young British Novelists of the Decade:An unsettling and addictive feminist fable for fans of I Who Have Never Known Men, Hot Milk, Unsettled Ground and Klara and the Sun Recommended by Stylist, Evening Standard, Esquire, Red, Daily Mail, Oprah Magazine, LitHub, and Belletrist Book Club''Be sure to read everything Sophie Mackintosh writes'' Deborah Levy''Definitely don''t miss the return of Sophie Mackintosh'' StylistCalla knows how the lottery works. Everyone does. On the day of your first bleed, you report to the lottery station to learn what kind of woman you will be. A white ticket grants you children. A blue ticket grants you freedom. You are relieved of the terrible burden of choice. Or, to put it another way, you have no choice. And once you''ve taken your ticket, there is no going back.But what if the life you''re given is the wrong one?Blue Ticket is a devastating enquiry into free will and the fraught space of motherhood. Bold and chilling, it pushes beneath the skin of female identity and patriarchal violence, to the point where human longing meets our animal bodies.''Dreamlike, tense, compelling, [with] a pitch-perfect ending'' The New York Times''Gripping, ethereal, atmospheric'' Sunday Times''Thoughtful and haunting'' Observer''Terrifying and enchanting in equal measure'' LitHub''Blue Ticket will worms its way under your skin and haunt your dreams'' RedTrade ReviewDefinitely don't miss the return of Sophie Mackintosh... Blue Ticket gets to the root of women's ambivalence and confusion around becoming mothers set against an unsettling dystopia; she's amazing * Stylist, Best Autumn Reads 2020 *Dreamlike, tense, compelling... Blue Ticket adds something new to the dystopian tradition set by Orwell's 1984 or Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale... Piercing moments of wisdom and insight drive toward a pitch-perfect ending * The New York Times *The cool intensity and strange beauty of Blue Ticket is a wonder - be sure to read everything Sophie Mackintosh writes -- Deborah Levy, author of 'Hot Milk'Even more hallucinatory and spiralled than her first [novel]... Terrifying and enchanting in equal measure * Lit Hub, Best New Books to Read This Summer *The Handmaid's Tale as told by David Lynch... A bona fide chase narrative as well as a polyvalent, dream-like allegory of pregnancy and bodily change - not to mention the vortex of judgement that surrounds womanhood... Mackintosh is part of an exciting generation of writers, including Daisy Johnson and Julia Armfield... Blue Ticket stands apart from the crowd -- Anthony Cummins * iNews *One of the most disquieting novels I've read in a long time, Blue Ticket will worms its way under your skin and haunt your dreams * Red, 'Best Books of August' *Gripping, ethereal, atmospheric... Mackintosh handles haziness deliberately and with poise, demonstrating the near impossibility of trying to articulate or rationalise maternal desire * Sunday Times *Mackintosh writes with a language drawn from the body.... Impressionistic and haunting in equal measure -- Annabel Nugent * Independent *Visceral, primal, striking... This is a potent exploration of biology and agency, motherhood and childlessness, which confirms [Mackintosh] as a writer of note * Daily Mail *Mackintosh is part of a new generation of female writers creating feminist fictions that relate uncannily to our dystopian times... [Her] fiction lives, to an unusual extent, in its musicality, in the rhythm and spareness of its sentences -- Claire Armitstead * Guardian Review *For anyone currently waiting with bated breath for the new season of 'The Handmaid's Tale', Booker-longlisted author Sophie Mackintosh's new novel is a feminist dystopia to quench your thirst * Evening Standard *A thoughtful and haunting exploration of freedom, fate and a woman's right to choose her destiny * Observer *Chilling, timely, thought-provoking * Esquire, Best Books of Summer 2020 *[Mackintosh] writes with an ethereal lyricism that is equally capable of fragility and violence * Spectator *Blue Ticket offers a completely different angle on a familiar subject... Like all good speculative fiction, [it] reminds us of a truth in the real world * New Humanist *A compelling, unsettling tale... Part-horror, part thriller, and part pregnant-lesbian love story * i *A dark fable... Mackintosh sensitively conveys resonant questions about motherhood, female solidarity, queer love, and bodily autonomy * New Yorker *Cool, disturbing, it deals with emotionally fraught material. Mackintosh traffics in ambivalence and ambiguity... What Calla really wants, the author shows us, isn't necessarily a baby; it's an answer * Washington Post *A spare, haunting tale of autonomy and free will -- Anthony Cummins * Daily Mail *Both claustrophobic and expansive, dream-like and heart-stoppingly tense. You will want to languish in its world for a very long time -- Lara Williams, author of 'Supper Club'This book left me breathless - it is gloriously subversive in its exploration of motherhood and desire. I'll be pressing it on everyone -- Angela Chadwick, author of 'XX'Strange and luminous, spare and precise... A thrilling exploration of what it means to follow one's own longing to the point of destruction and beyond -- Rosie Price, author of 'What Red Was'Utterly exquisite - clever and brilliant and heartbreaking. From the dusty road to the salving forest, I absolutely adored it -- Emma Jane Unsworth, author of 'Adults' and 'Animals'Chilling, haunting, heartbreaking... Mackintosh brings a new sense of pathos to the dystopian novel... A moving and original meditation on freedom, fate, and women's rage * Kirkus, Starred Review *A dreamlike exploration of free will and desire * Monocle *A must for Handmaid's Tale aficionados * Booklist *Powerful, Ishiguro-esque... Sophie Mackintosh lays bare many of the fears and realities that face any society's women as they contemplate when their choices begin, and where they might end * Boston Globe *Told with ragged prose that catches the breath, [Blue Ticket] articulates the irrepressible desires and wounds that can lie deep within, marked by a claustrophobia that never stops pressing in from the margins. This unsettling reimagining of the anxieties and pressures around motherhood lays bare the alienation that comes when your body is not truly yours * Irish News *A darkly brilliant allegory... Astute, revelatory and heartbreakingA rich, sharp, and daring book. To read Blue Ticket is to feel so vigorously alert you can feel the world turningMesmerising * Daily Nerd *Mackintosh poses urgent questions about social expectations and free will that are relevant to all realities * Poets and Writers *
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Penguin Books Ltd You People
Book Synopsis''A moving, authentic, humane novel which raises fundamental questions about what it means to be kind in an unkind world'' Guardian____________________________________________The Pizzeria Vesuvio looks like any other Italian restaurant in London - with a few small differences. The chefs who make the pizza fiorentinas are Sri Lankan, and half the kitchen staff are illegal immigrants. At the centre is Tuli, the restaurant''s charismatic proprietor and resident Robin Hood, who promises to help anyone in need. Welsh nineteen-year-old Nia, haunted by her troubled past, is running from her family. Shan, having fled the Sri Lankan civil war, is desperate to find his.But when Tuli''s guidance leads them all into dangerous territory, and the extent of his mysterious operation unravels, each is faced with an impossible moral choice.In a world where the law is against you, how far would you be willing to lie for a chance to live? Trade ReviewEnthralling as a thriller, yet also a beautiful human drama, and a serious enquiry into the possibility of goodness -- Tessa HadleyBeautiful and brilliant. The exquisite writing is vivid, poetic and perceptive; the characters alive and compelling. Everything I want from a novel. I loved it. * Stephen Merchant *Lively, poetically written and above all compassionate * Sunday Times *Timely and hopeful * Cosmopolitan *This sinuous morality tale unfurls from the alternating perspectives... Slinking along like a thriller, it encompasses people smuggling, the labyrinthine inhumanity of Britain's immigration system, alcoholism and a class prejudice that cuts both ways. Kindness and its motives are a constant preoccupation * Economist *Pulses with energy * Mail on Sunday *A startlingly original, continuously astute, and deeply compassionate novel. You People alerts us, in these dark times, to the possibility of human nobility * Pankaj Mishra *Lalwani's vivid, intensely empathic novel raises profound moral questions while maintaining the momentum and urgency of a thriller * The Lady *Lalwani is a writer who understands people, and it shines through in her descriptions. This is a moving, authentic, humane novel which raises fundamental questions about what it means to be kind in an unkind world, and it will stay with me for a long time * Guardian *Lalwani's novel tackles racism and xenophobia, but You People is essentially a compassionate human drama, full of perceptive insights * Independent, Books of the Month *Folds serious social issues into an entertaining plot * Daily Mail *Brilliant . . . A thriller reminiscent of Dirty Pretty Things. Really recommend it. * Nikesh Shukla *Intelligent and heart-piercing - an exceptional novel about the Britain we live in, even if we choose not to see itLalwani's prose has a balletic lightness * Economist *A female lead who isn't defined by a romantic story arc? Yes please. Lalwani's serious, ravishing way of writing about the secret life of Britain is just what we need * Times *You People is a short, complex novel that shines a light behind the smiles at your local restaurant, and asks tough questions about the nature of goodness in an unfair society * Sunday Telegraph BOOK OF THE WEEK *A sensitive and thought-provoking examination of an issue that is never far from the news and, as the plot accelerates, it segues into a tense and nerve-wracking thriller * Western Mail *Lalwani's novels are full of moments when the stories people tell about themselves and the world prove to be unreliable or open to manipulation.... observations are magical, fresh and unsettling * London Review of Books *If you want a book to read this summer that taps into contemporary concerns, this excellent new one from Nikita Lalwani is the one to read * Spectator *Lalwani explores kindness, altruism and the precariousness of interconnected lives in an economical tale that has the pace and suspense of a thriller * Daily Mail *Lalwani eloquently explores the prejudices, financial pressures and loneliness faced by 'outsiders' trying to survive in a hostile environment * The Tablet *
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Penguin Books Ltd A Good Father
Book Synopsis''Brilliant . . . I couldn''t stop reading'' Jo Spain ''Exceptional . . . Deeply chilling'' Jane Casey______________Des is a good husband, a good father - a good man.He encourages his wife''s artistic endeavours, reads bedtime stories to his children every night, and holds down a well-paid job.But appearances can be deceptive. His wife seems to be forgetting that her art is for his eyes only. Rumours at work are threatening his reputation as a devoted family man. And his kids don''t seem to need him as much as they once did. Des is afraid.Afraid of the world encroaching on his home.Afraid of past mistakes catching up with him.So afraid of losing control over his family that he is contemplating the unthinkable.A Good Father is a dark and gripping novel that takes you into the mind of a man on the edge.__________________''This intricately made novel marks tTrade ReviewThis intricately made novel marks the debut of a writer from whom, and of whom, we shall be hearing much in coming times -- John BanvilleCaptivating . . . Readers will come for the premise and stay for its clever unpacking. What makes an ordinary man kill his family? In this multifaceted story, we come close to comprehending the incomprehensible * Irish Times *A marvellous book, sharp and chilling, compelling and frightening. I gulped it down in hours . . . I have never read anything like it -- Carlo GéblerA great read, it's gripping, at times disturbing -- Miriam O'Callaghan * RTÉ Radio 1 *Psychologists always identify the cowardice of such men, who would hurt the ones who love and depend on them the most. Talbot absolutely nails this element, deftly unpicking the psychology of this damaged father * Sunday Times *
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Penguin Books Ltd Aria
Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER''A sweeping saga about the Iranian revolution as it explodes . . . a Doctor Zhivago of Iran'' Margaret Atwood_____________________________________1950s Tehran. In an alleyway an abandoned baby cries into the night, attracting the attention of the young man who will save her.And so begins the story of Aria, an orphan girl who comes of age on the volatile streets. As Aria grows she is torn between the three women fated to mother her: the harsh wife of the man who rescued her; a wealthy widow, who offers her refuge but cannot offer her love; and the mysterious Mehri, whose secrets will shatter everything Aria thought she knew about herself. And then, just as the political turmoil in the country deepens, Aria falls in love with a boy caught on the wrong side of the revolution . . . _____________________________________''Sweeping, cinematic and oh-so-gripping'' Sunday TelegraphTrade ReviewAn affecting portrait of the Iranian revolution . . . leaves you simultaneously heartbroken and full of hope * Sunday Times *Explores the darkness and hope of a city on the brink of revolution . . . Epic. An impressive debut, not easily forgotten * Observer *Warm-hearted, compelling, hugely enjoyable * Times *A sweeping saga about the Iranian revolution as it explodes - told from the ground level and centre of the chaos. A Doctor Zhivago of Iran Aria is a feminist odyssey, about a girl in a time of intolerance as the revolution in Iran is breaking out ... a poised and dramatic historical novel with contemporary relevanceA beautiful book set against the pains and passions of the Iranian Revolution . . . It is a book about a particular time and place yet also, and perhaps more importantly, about the common hopes and intimate longings of lives so forcibly invaded by national events * Hisham Matar, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Return *Set in a vibrantly depicted Tehran and spanning a 30-year period leading up to the 1981 Iranian Revolution, Hozar's serpentine narrative shows how the inequality and corruption of Iranian society under the Shah gives way to something more sinister...it's a spellbinding debut * Mail on Sunday *This rags-to-riches-to revolution tale about an orphan girl's coming of age in Iran is sweeping, cinematic and oh-so gripping. In it we follow Aria as she searches for belonging and falls in love amid the political tumult of her age * Sunday Telegraph *Nazanine Hozar's immaculate first novel follows a group of Iranians in the lead-up to the 1979 revolution and marks the arrival of a major new voice * Alex Preston, Observer *The skilfully told story of a young woman struggling to find her place in intolerant, revolutionary Iran * i *An epic tale of turmoil in Iran. Its skilful blending of personal and political drama, along with its broad scope, richness of setting and vitality of character, gives it something of the quality of [Doctor Zhivago] * Guardian *Epic in scope . . . Hozar is a courageous and talented writer, excellent at capturing emotional complexity and interrogating her themes * The Irish Independent *Nazanine Hozar's stunning debut takes us inside the Iranian revolution - but seen like never before, through the eyes of an orphan girl . . . heart-pounding * Asia House Arts *An impeccable debut of a young girl's odyssey in the Iranian Revolution * Foyles newsletter *An alluring and enlightening read * Irish Times *
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Penguin Books Ltd The Young Accomplice
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewBritain's answer to Donna Tartt * Sunday Times *Tense and full of menace -- Johanna Thomas-Corr * New Statesman, Books of the Year *Highly accomplished . . . It's idealistic, gripping and beautifully textured, moving with great power. It's rare to see such attention to character and setting, and I think Wood is one of Britain's best young writers -- Philip Womack * Spectator, Best Books of 2022 *This satisfyingly old fashioned- feeling novel from a youngish author strikingly conveys its 1950s rural setting, and has a grim pull of foreboding . . . Benjamin Wood's perspective-shifting novel weaves elements ofthriller, romance and coming-of-age to gripping, memorable effect * Sunday Times, Best Books for the Year *A treat . . . Wood's daring narrative decisions show he hasn't lost the old spark, but has just added to it with his new repertoire. What, it asks, are the opportunities available to somoen who wants to leap clear of their wrong beginnings, when everything that hurts has already been cut? -- John Self * Critic, Fiction Books of the Year *Benjamin Wood knows how to generate tension, makes lively characters you can see and hear, and writes about rural England in a sensitive, considered way that doesn't stray into the nostalgic. A huge talent -- Hilary MantelWood is a seriously talented writer, able to enter the minds of his characters with eerie precision. The Young Accomplice is an involving tale of revenge and responsibility, which, while it devastates, also tells us that new lives can be built among the ashes * FT *[Wood's] best novel yet . . . [he] deserves to be far better known -- John Self * Irish Times, 2022 Books of the Year *A British novelist who deserves more attention than he has had . . . Wood blends storytelling punch with literary sensibility . . . The Young Accomplice shows the difference between a book that slides down the surface of things, and one that digs it claws into you and sticks there * The Times *Benjamin Wood is a beautiful writer and this is his best novel yet, both gripping and unputdownable. Like people in Thomas Hardy, his characters surge from the page, and the mystery unfolds with a sureness seldom seen in contemporary British fiction -- Andrew O’Hagan, author of MayfliesHis most original [novel] yet . . . The Young Accomplice has already been compared to Thomas Hardy novels and there are echoes of Tess of the d'Urbervilles in the story of a vulnerable young woman whose past catches up with her. Wood is also wonderful on the intricacies of love and architecture as a means of enriching people's lives. It's a novel that feels as if it has been imagined with slow and tender care - and I suspect it will be cherished by readers for a long time * Sunday Times *With deceptive ease, the books weaves elements of crime, mystery, love story and coming of age . . . a well-wrought novel whose pleasure is in each careful scene, moment and sentence * Irish Times *Blown away by A Station On The Path To Somewhere Better . . . Dark and disturbing, but wise, moving and beautifully written. Am immediately going to seek out his other books now. What a writer -- Richard Osman on A Station On The Path To Somewhere BetterBenjamin Wood is building a sublime body of work. This masterful, suspenseful novel is his best yet. It swallows you up. I love it -- David Whitehouse, author of About A SonA novelist to watch * The Times, on A Station on the Path to Somewhere Better *A resounding achievement . . . Rich, beautiful and written by an author of great depth and resource * Guardian, on The Ecliptic *Exhilarating, earthy, cerebral, frank and unflinching . . . A masterfully paced and suspenseful read * Independent, on The Ecliptic *
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Penguin Books Ltd Nat Tate
Book SynopsisThe infamous literary hoax that fooled the art worldOn January 8 1960, artist Nat Tate set out to burn his entire life''s work. Four days later he jumped off a Staten Island ferry, killing himself. His body was never found. When William Boyd published his biography of Abstract Expressionist Nat Tate, tributes poured in from a whole host of artists and critics in the New York art world. They toasted the troubled genius in a Manhattan launch party attended by David Bowie and Gore Vidal. But Nat Tate never existed. The book was a hoax. Will Boyd''s biography of a fake artist is a brilliant probe into the politics of authenticity and reputation in the modern art scene. It is a playful and intelligent insight into the fascinating, often cryptic world of modern art.Trade ReviewWilliam Boyd has probably written more classic books than any of his contemporaries * Daily Telegraph *A finely judged performance: a deft and resonant alchemy of fact and fiction, of literary myth and imagination * Guardian on Love Is Blind *One of Britain's most celebrated contemporary novelists * Sunday Times *
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Penguin Books Ltd The Lies We Tell
Book SynopsisSave your son . . .or save yourself?----------''Everything I love in a book'' Lisa Jewell ''Leaves you asking - what would I do? Jane Corry''s best yet'' BA Paris Sarah always thought of herself and her husband, Tom, as good people. But that was before their son Freddy came home saying he''d done something terrible. Begging them not to tell the police. Soon Sarah and Tom must find out just how far they are willing to push themselves, and their marriage, to protect their only child . . . As the lies build up and Sarah is presented with the perfect opportunity to get Freddy off the hook, she is faced with a terrifying decision . . .From the Sunday Times bestselling author of My Husband''s Wife, comes a beautifully written page-turner for fans of Lisa Jewell and Clare Mackintosh. ----------PRAISE FOR JANE CORRY''Compulsive, edgy and with some fabulous twists that I didn''t see coming!'' B A Paris, The Therapist ''Beautifully written'' Peter James, Left You Dead ''A ''keep you up all night'' thriller with a very big heart. I loved it'' Kate Hamer, Crushed ''I raced through this - staying up FAR too late to finish'' Teresa Driscoll, Her Perfect FamilyTrade ReviewBeautifully written ... totally hooked me -- Peter JamesA fearsomely good thriller -- Nicci FrenchFew writers can match Jane Corry in her compelling portrayals of damaged women and their dangerous liaisons -- Cara Hunter
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Penguin Books Ltd The Accidental
Book Synopsis''My mother began me one evening in 1968 on a table in the café of the town''s only cinema . . .''One hot summer a stranger arrives at the Norfolk holiday home of the Smart family. Intriguing, beguiling, arresting, Amber brings love, joy, pain and not a little upheaval, throwing the carefully ordered world of the Smarts into the air. They will be forever changed by Amber but how will they know whether it is for the bad, the good or something else entirely?''Joyous ... writing as rapture, as giddy delight'' The Times''Funny, sexy, poignant, bewitching'' ObserverTrade ReviewBrilliant and engaging, frequently hilarious, exhilaratingly sharp-eyed . . . Smith makes one look at the world afresh * Sunday Telegraph *Joyous, a shot across the bows . . . writing as rapture, as giddy delight * The Times *An astonishing book - funny and moving, playful and shocking. It is what one hopes for in a modern novel, and yet it confounds all expectations. It is complex. It is beautiful. It is exhilarating. It is fiction at its most artful * Financial Times *A beguiling page-turner ... a brilliant creation. To read The Accidental is to be excited from first to last * Independent *Smith's novels fizz with pyrotechnic prose, whirl-wind openings, bewitching invention * Observer *Exuberantly inventive ... at once dazzlingly bright and profoundly dark * Sunday Times *
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Penguin Books Ltd The Girls Of Slender Means
Book Synopsis''It never really occurred to her that literary men, if they like women at all, do not want literary women but girls.''The May of Teck Club ''exists for the Pecuniary Convenience and Social Protection of Ladies of Slender Means below the age of Thirty Years''. Nevertheless, and though there is a war on, they find the time between elocution lessons to jostle one another over suitors (some more suitable than others) and a single Schiaparelli gown. But can a love of literature, fine clothes and amorous young men save these young ladies from the horrors of the real world?''Unsettling and exhilarating'' William Boyd, Daily Telegraph ''An enduring genius'' Guardian Trade ReviewOne of this century's finest creators of the comic-metaphysical entertainment * The New York Times *Muriel Spark's novels linger in the mind as brilliant shards, decisive as a smashed glass is decisive' -- John Updike
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Penguin Books Ltd Burnt Sugar
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2020LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN''S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021WINNER OF THE SUSHILA DEVI AWARD 2021NEW YORK TIMES 100 NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2021A searing debut novel about mothers and daughters, obsession and betrayal - for fans of Jenny Offill, Deborah Levy, Rachel Cusk and Diana Evans''Beautifully written, emotionally wrenching and poignant in equal measure'' The Booker Prize Judges 2020''An unsettling, sinewy debut, startling in its venom and disarming in its humour from the very first sentence'' Guardian''I would be lying if I said my mother''s misery has never given me pleasure.''This is a tale of obsession and betrayal. This is a poisoned love story. But not between lovers - between mother and daughter. Tara and Antara, a woman and her angry shadow. But which one is which?Sharp as a blade and compulsively readable, Burnt Sugar slowly untangles the knot of memory and rumour that binds two women together, revealing the truth that lies beneath.''A work of extraordinary insight, courage and sophistication'' Washington Post''Arresting and fiercely intelligent, disarmingly witty and frank'' Sunday Times ''A sly, slippery, often heartbreaking novel about the role memory plays within families'' Stylist''Extraordinary... Come for the effortlessly stylish writing, stay for the boiling wrath'' ObserverTrade ReviewAn unsettling, sinewy debut, startling in its venom and disarming in its humour from the very first sentenceExtraordinary. Exquisitely written, painfully exhilarating, impossible to put down... An elegant family story that sizzles with hatred... Come for the effortlessly stylish writing, stay for the boiling wrath * Observer *Arresting and fiercely intelligent, disarmingly witty and frank... Horror stories from the past seep into the present, as Doshi builds her portrait of a fractured mother-daughter relationship * Sunday Times *A masterclass. Crisp, engaging, perfectly tragic in the way that families often tend to be... Doshi writes sharply, in no-nonsense prose, not a single sentence in the book can be omitted... Avni Doshi is a force to watch out for in the literary world * Scroll *A corrosive, compulsive debut * Sunday Telegraph (five stars) *Subtle, intelligent, thrilling, visceralThis caustic tale of a destructive mother-daughter bond is as potent as its title might suggest... It bristles with sharp, chilly aphorisms... Doshi's visceral debut is a no-holds-barred excavation of how hate can both poison and sustain * Daily Mail *Scouringly brilliant, a blazing debut that sticks in the mind like caramel blackened to the bottom of a pan... Doshi draws our relationships, both with the truth and with other people, with words that glitter sharp as shards of broken mirror * Buro. *When does self-determination become selfishness? What can you learn from a bad mother? ...Sorrowful, sceptical and electrifyingly truthful about mothers and daughters -- Shahidha Bari * Guardian *A sly, slippery, often heartbreaking novel about the role memory plays within families * Stylist *A raw, vividly described exploration of the toxic relationship between two women who are forever bound together * Good Housekeeping *Burnt Sugar straddles the line between pain and beauty. It makes the stomach churn. And, like all great literature, it prompts the question of the reader: is this you? * Bad Form *Acerbic, full of wit and cool intelligence - every sentence is a coiled spring and each psychological portrait burns itself into the mind. I couldn't put it downDaring and deliciously dark, Burnt Sugar will keep you gripped until the very last sentenceRaw, wise and cuttingly funny on love and cruelty, marriage and motherhood, art and illness, and one woman's fight for her sense of selfAvni Doshi quietly, cleanly, slices through the heart... Impeccably insightful, carved from love, rage, and grief, here all embellishment is discarded, all artifice shorn - motherhood, family, memory, language - to reveal something devastating about our relationships, with ourselves and with those closest to us * Janice Pariat, author of 'The Nine-Chambered Heart' *A brilliant debut, about mothers and daughters, that manages be acerbic and brittle all at the same timeA courageous novel written in spare, gleaming sentences. It made me hold my breath and gather it up again * Tishani Doshi, author of 'Girls Are Coming Out of the Woods' *Beautifully grotesque, vivid, unexpected. Doshi knows her characters so intimately I felt I could reach out and touch the skin they're in * Diksha Basu, author of 'The Windfall' *Crystalline, surgical, compulsively readable. An examination of toxic relationships and the ties that bind usA disturbing tale of memory and forgetfulness, questioning the relevance and the authenticity of both * Indian Express *Taut, unsettling, ferociousAvni Doshi writes fearlessly, with a cruel, almost terrifying intelligence. I was discomfited and exhilarated
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