Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisA BBC RADIO 2 BOOKCLUB PICKSHORTLISTED FOR THE CENTRE FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE, THE GOTHAM BOOK PRIZE AND THE LAMBDA AWARD*''Absolutely incredible. Beautiful, powerful writing. These pages will stay with me forever'' CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS, author of QUEENIE*''A gift as big, beautiful and complicated as living itself'' Jacqueline Woodson, author of RED AT THE BONE*''Hilariously funny and quietly devastating'' Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of PATSY and HERE COMES THE SUN*''There are three books on earth that I would give anything to be able to write and reread until the suns burns us up. Big Girl is one of those books'' Kiese Laymon, author of HEAVYGrowing up in rapidly gentrifying 90s Harlem, Malaya struggles to fit into a world that makes no room for her. She''s funny, creative and smart, but all people see - even those who love her - is her size. At eight, she is forced to go to Weight Watchers; at twelve, her parents fear she''ll be taken from them; by sixteen, a gastric bypass is discussed.But tensions at home are mounting as rapidly as Malaya''s weight, and soon a family tragedy forces her to finally face the source of her hunger on her own terms...An extraordinary debut novel shot through with remarkable nuance and tenderness, Big Girl is the unforgettable portrait of a queer Black girl as she learns to take up space in the world.

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Book SynopsisA wholly new kind of coming-of-age story about lust, punishment, artistic drive and desires that defy the hard-won boundaries of the self''Deeply empathetic and horny'' CARMEN MARIA MACHADO''Will quietly engulf you in flames'' LING MA''So incredibly hot'' RACHEL YODER''Hypnotic, sexy, smart'' MELISSA FEBOSWhen she first meets the choreographer at an artists'' residency, they don''t hit it off. She finds him loud, conceited, domineering. He thinks her serious, guarded, too precious about her work. But when he invites her to watch his dance company perform, something shifts.Their interaction at the show sets off a summer of expanding sexual boundaries. Over weekends sequestered at his summer house in upstate New York, her body learns to obediently follow his, and his desires quickly become inextricable from her pleasure - and her pain. Back in Boston, her roommate''s concern amplifies Trade ReviewAn unusual, erotic tale ... Arresting -- Books of the Year * New Yorker *We all want some sun over August, and if you want some literary heat you have got to immediately order Little Rabbit. Do not make plans when it arrives as you will want to cancel everything to read this * Glamour *A worthy contemplation of sexual politics, revealing how losing and finding yourself do not have to be mutually exclusive * New York Times Book Review *Alyssa Songsiridej's Little Rabbit shocked me. It tells truths about sex, the self, and art-making that I'd never seen on the page or even known the words to think before. It's bold, frightening, and magnificent, a work deserving of this honor and many more * Vulture *Like a modern queer feminist Story of O, this nuanced exploration of desire and the unseen dance between the lover and the beloved sucks you into its lush, yet precisely-rendered reality, one edged with ambiguity regarding possession and power, perception and identity * Electric Literature *It's the sexiest book we've read in a long time...a seductive, deeply complex exploration of power and agency, and lust and love. It rushes through you and leaves you stunned * goop *A darkly sensuous tale of awakening that will quietly engulf you in flames * Ling Ma, author of SEVERANCE *Little Rabbit is a glorious debut-riveting, soulful, cerebral, and the sexiest novel I've ever read. In this story about ambition, power, art-making, and the pursuit of beauty, Alyssa Songsiridej thrillingly interrogates the conflict between reason and desire, between our public and private selves. My life is richer for having read this book. Yours will be too * Jessamine Chan, author of THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD MOTHERS *A deeply empathetic and horny novel-a love letter to bottoming and being an artist and following yourself to the end of everything * Carmen Maria Machado, author of IN THE DREAM HOUSE *Eviscerating. Sophisticated. So incredibly hot * Rachel Yoder, author of NIGHTBITCH *Scintillating and seductive, almost unbearably perceptive, Little Rabbit announces the arrival of a brilliant new voice in literature, one who knows how to make the body sing * Alexandra Kleeman, author of SOMETHING NEW UNDER THE SUN *Little Rabbit turned me inside out and left me utterly in awe. This daring exploration of the boundaries between desire and obliteration will have you asking who is in control. A fearless portrayal of a young writer shaping her life and art, even as they collide * Sanaë Lemoine, author of THE MARGOT AFFAIR *What a hypnotic, sexy, smart, unputdownable book! It delves into so many of my favorite subjects: erotic obsession, art, friendship, and the slippery and surprising nature of selfhood * Melissa Febos, author of GIRLHOOD *An exhilarating story of intense desire, creative ambition, sex, and power. Little Rabbit's honest exploration of kink, control, and sexual freedom obsessed and transported me. When I reached the final page, I was stunned * Hanna Halperin, author of SOMETHING WILD *A fierce and utterly compelling look at the nearly biological instinct to nurture a love affair, even when that love isn't understood by others, and it blows your world apart. Little Rabbit is a totally absorbing debut: nuanced, intelligent, and sexy as hell * Courtney Maum, author of THE YEAR OF THE HORSES *Little Rabbit is a brilliant debut by a rare talent. Songsiridej writes with tremendous precision, intelligence, and insight about the complexities of desire-how it can prompt the impulse to empower, possess, erase, and recreate one's lover and oneself * Chloé Cooper Jones, author of EASY BEAUTY *It's the first great novel of the summer * Debutiful *A sweetly shocking novel exploring identity, love, lust, friendship, art, pain and possession * Ms *Explores power dynamics and kink within an unexpected relationship with riveting nuance ... Little Rabbit arrives at just the right time, serving as a fearless inquiry into the power of bodies and intimacy * Observer *Little Rabbit refuses to play into tropes that to be submissive is to be inherently exploited, and is also a nuanced exploration of BDSM and power. It's hard to put down, sexy and not predictable * Buzzfeed *This is a New York novel of simmering resentment, artist wannabes and successful artists, have-nots mocking the haves. Then a tantalizing queer confessional, where a bisexual woman writer is pulled to the kind of patriarchal male dancer she'd never spared a second for. Here the nearness of artistic fame is so palpable, you will desire it for the narrator nearly as much as she desires the consummation of her glittering S&M relationship. Skillfully and tautly drawn * San Francisco Chronicle *A really fascinating, sensual exploration of identity, creativity and what we sacrifice for love * Red *Expertly dives into the messy relationship between perception and desire... the reader is left with a profoundly moving experience thanks to an author capable of navigating sexual politics without compromising on steamy scenes, leaving a flourishing heat on the page * Big Issue *

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Book SynopsisA wholly new kind of coming-of-age story about lust, punishment, artistic drive and desires that defy the hard-won boundaries of the self''Deeply empathetic and horny'' CARMEN MARIA MACHADO''Will quietly engulf you in flames'' LING MA''So incredibly hot'' RACHEL YODER''Hypnotic, sexy, smart'' MELISSA FEBOSWhen she first meets the choreographer at an artists'' residency, they don''t hit it off. She finds him loud, conceited, domineering. He thinks her serious, guarded, too precious about her work. But when he invites her to watch his dance company perform, something shifts.Their interaction at the show sets off a summer of expanding sexual boundaries. Over weekends sequestered at his summer house in upstate New York, her body learns to obediently follow his, and his desires quickly become inextricable from her pleasure - and her pain. Back in Boston, her roommate''s concern amplifies

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Book SynopsisA gorgeous coming of age novel about two young girls trying to grow up too fast..

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Book Synopsis''A sharp-eyed and tender novel about human connection'' (PAULA HAWKINS) from the bestselling, National Book Award-winning author of The Friend''Layered and thoughtful ... it''s plainly written, but has beautiful depths'' TELEGRAPH - THE 75 HOTTEST BOOKS OF 2024 SO FAR''A must-read about unlikely friendships'' SUNDAY TIMES STYLE''One of my favourite authors'' NATALIE PORTMAN''A novel that truly, truly speaks to the soul'' GLAMOUR''Makes you feel smarter and more alive'' PEOPLEThree strangers are thrown together in one Manhattan apartment: a solitary writer; a Gen Z college drop-out; and a spirited parrot named Eureka. As the world outside descends into turmoil, the three of them must learn how to live with and care for one another - and discover what happens when strangers are willing to open their hearts to each other.''Compulsively readable'' ELLE''A gorgeous, funny novel about connection'' iPAPER''A breath of fresh air for a time when it still sometimes feels there isn''t any'' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING''Beautiful and profound'' MEG MASON''Infused with moments of hilarity and wisdom. Beautiful'' WOMAN''S WEEKLY''Filled with moments of the sublime'' CAROLINE O''DONOGHUE''Once you discover Sigrid Nunez, you don''t look back'' ANNE ENRIGHT''Cracks open windows and offers a reassuring breeze, reminding us that it''s OK - and perhaps even necessary - to need each other; it''s only human'' SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE''I am committed, until one of us dies, to Nunez''s novels. They are short, wise, provocative, funny'' NEW YORK TIMESTrade ReviewOnce you discover Sigrid Nunez, you don't look back * Anne Enright *A sharp-eyed and tender novel about human connection in a time of crisis. As compassionate as it is disquieting, and as funny as it is painfully honest * Paula Hawkins *Beautiful and profound * Meg Mason, author of Sorrow and Bliss *I am committed, until one of us dies, to Nunez's novels. I find them ideal. They are short, wise, provocative, funny - good and strong company * Dwight Garner, New York Times *Sigrid Nunez has a talent for slim, companionable novels that have both delicacy and power * Vogue *Powerful prose and insights into human connection make it compulsively readable * Elle *A gorgeous, funny novel about connection in the face of the pandemic * iPaper *[The Vulnerables] leaves us, as the novel reaches its extraordinarily hopeful and disarming last line, with the feeling that we have been helped * Guardian *With the intimacy and humour of a great conversation, this novel makes you feel smarter and more alive * People Magazine *The chic new hardback to have on your New Year reading pile . . . [Nunez is] a literary star -- Jessie Thompson * The Independent *A breath of fresh air for a time when it still sometimes feels like there isn't any * Good Housekeeping *Elegiac, tartly funny . . . To read it is to feel in intimate conversation with its narrator * Daily Telegraph *Infused with moments of hilarity and wisdom. Beautiful * Woman's Weekly *Nunez gracefully leaps from big emotions, including grief, to erudite literary digressions or biting wit * Wall Street Journal *The Vulnerables is full of alive, curious poetry on the chaotic times we live in * Sheena Patel, author of I'm a Fan *Smart and sad and funny * Sarah Moss *The elegant writing makes it a compelling read. I'm a huge fan * Good Housekeeping (UK) *A funny, divinely chatty novel filled with moments of the sublime. I really think there are sections of this book that I'll be thinking about forever * Caroline O'Donoghue *It is exciting to read a book that manages to be so honest and serious, and at the same time so playful and witty * Natasha Walter *Sigrid Nunez is among the most interesting writers of our generation ... Nunez is both as cold as ice about ageing (the old are "bleached and bent and shrivelled") and funny ("you reach a certain age, and it all kicks in: Social Security, Medicare and a fondness for hydrangeas") and constantly surprises you with her references (Larry David, Lily Tomlin) as well as her anecdotes (it's tough to forget the startling image of a young woman with an eating disorder who kills her appetite by coating her tongue with Tiger Balm) * Independent *It's fresh, it's funny and it's very now. It has humour and honesty in spades, both wielded in self-defence against a world that feels off-kilter and almost absurd in its terribleness, from the gig economy to the Trump 'phenomenon', from creative frustration to urban burnout. I love Sigrid's clarity and quick expression, along with her quirky range of interests, her economy and lightness of touch * Bidisha *Nunez's rare ability to be at once wistfully elegiac and sharply hilarious make The Vulnerables a gift * Boston Globe *Sigrid Nunez is a beautiful storyteller: there's beauty, depth, lightness and whimsy in her writing. But what I most admired was her confidence to be playful and inventive. The Vulnerables is clever, refreshing and fulfilling to read * Claire Kohda, author of Woman, Eating *Grounded in an unexpected friendship between an abandoned bird and a lonely, older novelist, The Vulnerables finds new ways to expound on themes of community, companionship, and finding hope in seemingly hopeless situations * Harper's Bazaar, Best Books of 2023 *Sigrid Nunez is the godmother of contemplating empathy and connection ...A novel that cracks open windows and offers a reassuring breeze, reminding us that it's OK - and perhaps even necessary - to need each other; it's only human * San Francisco Chronicle *What Nunez is trying to do instead is find meaning, to understand. What this feels like is an eventful, rich, addictive conversation with your smartest, funniest and most well-read friend. Except, Nunez says, the conversation takes on new dimensions and new textures when it's written down * Los Angeles Times *Hilarious and deeply reflective * Time *Nunez's writing seems always to be just what I need. The Vulnerables is a gorgeous book on ageing and regret and, as is often the case, on writing. Nunez is always posing controversial questions or ideas and leaving the reader to make up their mind. I loved it * Ayisha Malik *Nunez has a wry compassion, and an eye for the kind of detail only grown-ups can catch. The books feel lived-in rather than hard-earned, the voice is smart and kind * Anne Enright, The Times *Above all, this is a touching, beautiful book, which underlines everyone's vulnerability to all manner of challenges facing the world, not least how to co-exist even with those you would rather discard as weeds * The i *Nunez is a master at writing vivid characters in ordinary situations and bringing them to life, making every page fly by. And The Vulnerables is no different - it's a poignant and deft portrayal of humanity in a time when nothing felt normal * Shondaland *Sigrid Nunez is on a roll. She's tapped into a smart, wry voice which feels right for our times, as do her concerns with friendship, empathy, loss, and loneliness * NPR *Nunez's voice is unflinching and intimate * Entertainment Weekly *One of my favourite authors * Natalie Portman *Nunez's prose itself comforts us. Her confident and direct style uplifts-the music in her sentences, her deep and varied intelligence. She addresses important ideas unpretentiously and offers wisdom for any aspiring writer * New York Times Book Review *Long live Sigrid Nunez * Laura Marling *What's consistent across Nunez's books is their searching tone about the biggest of life's questions * Washington Post *Spare and understated and often quite funny, the experience is less like reading fiction than like eavesdropping on someone else's brain . . . despite the grimness of the setting, the novel itself is strangely, sweetly hopeful; there is, it seems, a reason to go on. Sharp-and surprisingly tender. * Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW *Funny and thoughtful ... Nunez manages to make a story of mortality go down easy * Publishers Weekly *All kinds of vulnerability are laced through this layered, thoughtful book . . . The states of feeling she conjures are quietly shocking, reminders of the pleasures and costs of our shared humanity' * Telegraph *If cheerful pessimism is a thing, then Sigrid Nunez might be a leading ambassador * Irish Times *Laced with humour and wit, this is a powerful portrayal of how, through connection with others, we can remain vibrant in a soul-less world * The Lady *[A] wry, thought-provoking novel * Daily Mail *The Vulnerables is sharply observed, crisply honest, and funny * Country and Town House Magazine *In many ways, then, this is a covid diary, and while Nunez captures the strangeness of that time, she is too good a writer for it to stop there, with musings on friendship, connection, writing, grief and the many vulnerabilities that are part and parcel of being alive * Marie Claire *

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Book Synopsis***A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE INDEPENDENT, IRISH TIMES, PROSPECT, HARPER''S BAZAAR, VOGUE, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICE, NEW REPUBLIC AND KIRKUS***''A sharp-eyed and tender novel about human connection'' (PAULA HAWKINS) from the bestselling, National Book Award-winning author of The Friend''Layered and thoughtful ... it''s plainly written, but has beautiful depths'' TELEGRAPH - THE 75 HOTTEST BOOKS OF 2024 SO FAR''A must-read about unlikely friendships'' SUNDAY TIMES STYLE''One of my favourite authors'' NATALIE PORTMAN''A novel that truly, truly speaks to the soul'' GLAMOUR''Makes you feel smarter and more alive'' PEOPLEThree strangers are thrown together in one Manhattan apartment: a solitary writer; a Gen Z college drop-out; and a spirited parrot named Eureka. As the world outside descends into turmoil, the three of them must learn how to live with and care for one another - and discover what happens when strangers are willing to open their hearts to each other.''Compulsively readable'' ELLE''A gorgeous, funny novel about connection'' iPAPER''A breath of fresh air for a time when it still sometimes feels there isn''t any'' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING''Beautiful and profound'' MEG MASON''Infused with moments of hilarity and wisdom. Beautiful'' WOMAN''S WEEKLY''Filled with moments of the sublime'' CAROLINE O''DONOGHUE''Once you discover Sigrid Nunez, you don''t look back'' ANNE ENRIGHT''Cracks open windows and offers a reassuring breeze, reminding us that it''s OK - and perhaps even necessary - to need each other; it''s only human'' SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE''I am committed, until one of us dies, to Nunez''s novels. They are short, wise, provocative, funny'' NEW YORK TIMES

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Book SynopsisThe supernatural looms over the grime and sweat of everyday life in Lagos in this dazzling collection of stories from a prize-winning young Nigerian writer.A FINALIST FOR THE 2024 NATIONAL BOOK AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE CAINE PRIZE FOR AFRICAN WRITINGLONGLISTED FOR THE PEN FAULKNER AWARDA FINALIST FOR THE LA TIMES ART SEIDENBAUM AWARDA FINALIST FOR THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIONS YOUNG FICTION AWARDA BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE DAILY MAIL, ELLE, TIME MAGAZINE AND THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW''Thrilling and disturbing ... a triumph'' Financial Times''Excellently uncanny'' Daily Mail''Terrifying'' TIME, 100 Must-Read Books of 2024The Lagos of these twelve sinister and beguiling stories is multi-faceted, peopled by Pentecostal Christians and exasperated atheists; by tight-knit extended families and struggling single fathers. Here are characters cursed by guilt, bound by the ties of ancestors and community; or enchanted by the allure of mysticism and would-be prophets. There are gossips and party girls - and a schoolboy followed home by a group of tribal masquerades, cloaked in feathers and twinkling beads. Yes, his mother has warned him not to bring strangers home, but he is sure she will understand ... Exploring the dark borders between psychology and superstition, these feverishly imaginative stories of trauma, betrayal, terror and love lay bare the forces of myth, tradition, gender, sexuality and modernity in Nigerian society. Powered by a deep empathy, and glinting with humour and insight, they announce a major new literary talent.INCLUDING THE STORY ''BREASTMILK'', SHORTLISTED FOR THE CAINE PRIZE FOR AFRICAN WRITING 2024

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Book SynopsisWhile I waited for sleep I retraced the road which brought me to you. Unbelievably it only took six months, equinox to equinox. This dazzling rediscovered classic, shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1973, is a heady, witty and seductive exploration of female sexuality - perfect for fans of Iris Murdoch and Brigid Brophy. ***''Funny and brave and moving and absolutely bonkers. I love this novel'' CHARLOTTE MENDELSON''A transgressive classic . . . intrepid, eccentric, and not giving a damn'' OBSERVER''Elizabeth Mavor relishes spirited, unorthodox women, free with their tongues and ready to snap their fingers at convention'' LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKSHero Kinoull is an antiquarian bookseller whose sedate life in the picturesque English town of Beaudesert is turned upside down between the spring and autumn equinoxes of a single year. First her quiet but forbidden liaison withTrade ReviewFunny and brave and moving and absolutely bonkers. I love this novel -- Charlotte MendelsonA Green Equinox is a book of astounding precocity in content, imagery, character and style . . . a masterly study of pretension, hypocrisy, and the immeasurable folly of refinement * Times Literary Supplement *Elizabeth Mavor relishes spirited, unorthodox women, free with their tongues and ready to snap their fingers at convention * London Review of Books *Funny and brave and moving and absolutely bonkers. I love this novel

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Book SynopsisOne of the most enchanting books about cats ever written, Minka and Curdy describes the adventures - and misadventures - of two very different kittens.Victoria, a real tyrant of a cat, spent so many years training her owner to be the ideal hostess that Mrs Bell feels it would be disrespectful to replace that formidable creature. But her resolve is worn down, and she finally agrees to take a marmalade kitten - and is immediately offered a Siamese that she also simply cannot resist. This is the story of a writer seduced by the contrasting charms of two kittens: Curdy, lively and mischievous; and Minka, elegant, imperious, and disdainful of the ginger upstart. Delightfully illustrated with line drawings, this is a witty and charming love letter to feline companionship from the author of Frost in May, and the perfect book for all cat lovers.

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Book SynopsisAn eerily brilliant and spooky tale of spiritualism and deception''Now you know why you are drawn to me - why your flesh comes creeping to mine, and what it comes for. Let it creep.'' From the dark heart of a Victorian prison, disgraced spiritualist Selina Dawes weaves an enigmatic spell. Is she a fraud, or a prodigy? By the time it all begins to matter, you''ll find yourself desperately wanting to believe in magic.''Refined, repressed and simmering... a delicious tale of Victorian spiritualism'' Independent on Sunday''Spooky, spellbinding, exquisitely written'' Val Hennessy ''Beautifully, atmospherically written, this is a tale to thrill your very soul'' Metro''Sexy, spooky, stylish... a wonderful book'' Guardian

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Book SynopsisThe King Must Die retells the story of Theseus, bringing mythology vividly to life - perfect for fans of Jennifer Saint and Madeline Miller.

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Book SynopsisThe sequel to Mary Renault's classic The King Must Die, which continues the story of the mythological hero Theseus after his return from Crete.

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Book Synopsis''You read her, laughing, and want to do your best to protect her characters from any reality but their own'' New York TimesIt''s the summer of 1947, and peacetime has brought new challenges to Barsetshire. Beliers Priory, once a military hospital during the War, has now become a flourishing preparatory school for boys run by Leslie and Philip Winter. When Charles Belton is hired as the new school master, six young people are thrown together in a web of flirtations and misunderstandings: Charles and his elder brother, Naval Captain Freddy Belton; Susan Dean, now Red Cross Depot Librarian, and her glamorous sister Jessica, an actress in thrall to the theatre; pragmatic Lucy Marling and her brother Oliver. And with the old social order in ruins, the scene is set for a delicious summer of comic - and romantic - possibilities. Love Among the Ruins is a delightful, clever and wryly poignant classic, and the 17th novel in Angela Thirkell''s

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Book Synopsis''You read her, laughing, and want to do your best to protect her characters from any reality but their own'' New York TimesThe county of Barsetshire is aflutter with preparations. With the wedding of Lucy Marling and Sam Adams fast approaching, and Lucy''s brother Oliver brooding over his ill-fated tendre for glamorous Jessica Dean, Mrs Marling calls for reinforcements. Help arrives in the form of charming writer Isabel Dale, still mourning the loss of her fiancé on D-Day - and in need of her own fresh start. Meanwhile, social barriers are crumbling at Omnium Castle, where theatrical rehearsals are bringing together the newly married Brandons and the impoverished Duke''s children, Lady Cora and Lord Silverbridge. The stage is set for a season of new alliances, old friends and second chances.A sparkling and deeply affectionate portrait of post-war England, County Chronicle follows The Old Bank House in Angela Thirkell''s beloved Barsetshire series.

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Book Synopsis''Charming, very funny indeed. Angela Thirkell is perhaps the most Pym-like of any twentieth-century author, after Pym herself'' - Alexander McCall SmithEdgewood Rectory may be set in an ancient landscape, but the Grantly family are very much of their time. Caught up in the uncertain world that has emerged since the outbreak of peace, the Rector and Mrs Grantly are bewildered by the challenges facing their eldest children: Eleanor, longing for more excitement than can be found in the Red Cross Library; and Tom, struggling to readjust to student life at Oxford after his military service. When their elderly neighbour Miss Sowerby sells her beloved Old Bank House to self-made MP Sam Adams, the one-time outsider finds himself at the heart of Barsetshire society. And while Sam may dismiss her advice that the house needs a mistress, even a contented widower can be surprised by love.

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1948, Jutland Cottage is a clever and quintessentially British classic in Angela Thirkell's beloved Barsetshire series. Now available as a Virago Modern Classic.

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Book SynopsisTHE RACHEL INCIDENT - Caroline O''Donoghue''s bestselling new novel* - is out nowA darkly funny novel about being a young woman in a man''s world''Like Nora Ephron''s Heartburn, Promising Young Women positively thrums with relatability and honesty'' IRISH INDEPENDENTJane is twenty-six, freshly dumped, and on the bottom rung of a lacklustre marketing career. She is also moonlighting as a worldly agony aunt. When an office party goes too far, she drunkenly tries out another role: the Other Woman. As Jane''s affair with her much older, married boss takes off, she disregards the advice her alter ego would give and dissolves into being someone else''s dirty little secret. But she''s not the only one at her company to have taken the wrong path. As she finds her own health and sanity disintegrating, can she discover the truth before another promising young woman is taken under his wing?''Deeply relatable and darkly comic . . . It''ll have you nodding with familiarity, thinking, laughing - and crying - as you race towards the end'' GRAZIA''So brilliant, I highly recommend it'' DOLLY ALDERTON''I loved it - whipsmart and so witty'' MARIAN KEYES''Sharp, pithy and engaging'' IRISH TIMES''Smart and spiky'' METROAn Post Irish Book Awards Shortlisted - Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year*The Rachel Incident was a #2 bestseller in Ireland in June 2023

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Book SynopsisTHE RACHEL INCIDENT - Caroline O''Donoghue''s bestselling new novel* - is out nowCharlie''s life isn''t going forward - so she''s decided to go backAfter a tough few years floundering around the British film industry and experimenting with amateur pornography, Charlie and her best friend Laura take a trip to her familial home on an island off the west coast of Ireland. Her father''s health is rapidly declining and this could be the last chance to connect with her roots. But events on the island cause Charlie to doubt her father''s childhood stories - and then there''s her complicated relationship with Laura. Pursuing the truth will shatter everything she thought knew - but is that what it takes to grow up?''A gorgeous exploration of the messy and fragile nature of friendship and all the many forms of love'' IRISH TIMES''A darkly humorous, keenly observed blend of millennial drift and murder mystery from a razor-sharp writer'' RED''Witty, tender and insightful'' GUARDIAN''A perfect page-turner. I loved it'' DOLLY ALDERTON''Wonderful. Had me gripped'' MARIAN KEYES*The Rachel Incident was a #2 bestseller in Ireland in June 2023

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Book SynopsisA novel of the loyalties, betrayals and rivalries of a glittering theatrical family - and the secrets they hide. From the author of the bestselling novel Rebecca.

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Book SynopsisA coming-of-age novel of adventure and love, ranging over early twentieth century Europe, told by a master storyteller.

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author Patricia Highsmith comes a brilliantly gripping psychological thriller about the fine line between love and obsession. Now reissued as part of the Virago Modern Classics Green Spines design.

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Book SynopsisBarbara Comyns' witty and touching classic The Vet's Daughter tells the story of Alice, a young woman from Edwardian South London who is gripped by strange and mysterious powers.

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Book SynopsisThe King Must Die retells the story of Theseus, bringing mythology vividly to life.

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and Portico Prize for Literature''As funny and sad as anything by Dunbar herself'' Observer, Books of the Year''One of the great debut novels of the century, and one of my very favourite books ever.'' David PeaceThey used to say I had a chip on my shoulder. Whatever that means. I couldn''t ever work that out but I know I always felt that I wasn''t as good as other people. I was angry. Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile tells the story of the tragically short life of playwright Andrea Dunbar. Interweaving fact and fiction, letters and scripts, newspaper stories and memory, Adelle Stripe reveals how a shy teenage girl defied the circumstances into which she was born, and the prejudice she met, to become one of her generation''s greatest dramatists...Set against the backdrop of the infamous Buttershaw estate in Bradford during the Thatcher era, this is an exhilarating and unforgettable account of an extraordinary woman''s life, her tragedies and her triumphs. Praise for Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile''Snaps and prickles and brings a talented, troubled woman to life. [Stripe] gives an important story a real spark: Dunbar''s energy and mischief bubble in the bleakness'' Guardian''The author''s voice and Dunbar''s mingle to create not just a portrait of an artist - funny, mischievous, reckless and truthful - but also divisions of class, geography and opportunity which continue to shape this country'' Spectator

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Book SynopsisMajor Sinclair Yeates leaves England to work as an Irish Resident Magistrate convinced that two and two make four. But as he passes judgement on a range of cases and characters that would have driven Solomon to drink he learns that in Ireland, two and two are just as likely to make five, or three, or even nothing at all...First published at the turn of the century as EXPERIENCES OF AN IRISH R.M., these stories were quickly recognised as classics of Anglo- Irish literature and as some of the funniest prose in the English language. This collection- containing all thirty-four stories- inspired the hugely successful television series.Trade ReviewOne of the funniest books ever written about Ireland * INDEPENDENT *A lyrical, hilarious masterpiece. * STANDARD *Boisterous, colourful high jinks in the country. * TLS *The achievement remains solitary, immortal, like Hamlet or The Diary of a Nobody. * OBSERVER *

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Book SynopsisGore Vidal''s fictional recreation of the Roman Empire teetering on the crux of Christianity and ruled by an emperor who was an inveterate dabbler in arcane hocus-pocus, a prig, a bigot, and a dazzling and brilliant leader.

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Book SynopsisVidal''s historical novel set in the 5th century BC and narrated by Cyrus Spitama, son of a Persian prince and Greek sorceress, grandson of the prophet Zoroaster, and ambassador to the courts of India, China and Greece. Pericles, Thucydides, Sophocles and Confucius are among the book''s characters.Trade ReviewOur greatest living historical novelist. * ANTHONY BURGESS *An historical novel of awesome scope and scholarship. * OBSERVER *Highly absorbing, rich in history, irony and erudition. * GUARDIAN *Splendid, serene, magisterial. * SUNDAY TIMES *

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Book Synopsis*'A notable fiction debut' (Publisher's Weekly) from the acclaimed author of The Weight of Water and The Pilot's Wife.

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Book SynopsisFrom his chlidhood in Fez, having fled the Christian Inquisition, through his many journeys to the East as an itinerant merhcant, Hasans story is a quixotic catalogue of pirates, slave girls and princesses, encompassing the complexities of a world in a state of religious flux. Hasan too is touched by the instability of the era, performing his hadj to Mecca, then converting to Christianity, only to relapse back to the Muslim faith later in life. In re-creating his extraordinary experiences, Amin Maalouf sketches an irrisistible portrait of the Mediterranea world as it was nearly five centuries ago - the fall of Granada, the Ottoman conquest of Egypt, Renaissance Rome under the Medicis: all contribute to a background of spectacular colour, matched only by the picaresque adventures of Hasan''s life.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisBorn in a Mesopotamian village in the third century, the son of a Parthian warrior, Mani grows up in a volatile and dangerous world. As battle rages for control over the Middle East between the great Roman and Persian empires, as Jews and Christians, Buddhists and Zoroastrians fight for ascendency, Mani- painter, mystic, physician and prophet- makes his way through the battlefields to preach to his incandescent doctrine of humility, tolerance and love, a doctrine that comes to be known as Manicheanism.A vivid glimpse of the ancient world in all its perfumed splendour and cruelty, an elegantly philosophical discourse on the fall of man, THE GARDENS OF LIGHT is a story of great beauty and resonance, exquisitely told.Trade ReviewA voice which Europe cannot afford to ignore. * GUARDIAN *Amin Maalouf weaves tapestries of intrigue that illuminate a broader historical moment... in his engaging prose [he goes] a considerable way towards restoring Mani to us...as eloquent as ever. * THE TIMES *A romantic and affectionate tale... engaging. * TLS *A master storyteller... and his observation of human nature in all its facets is wonderfully accurate. * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *

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Book SynopsisOn Smuttynose Island, off the coast of New Hampshire, more than a century ago, two Norwegian immigrant women were brutally murdered. A third woman survived by hiding in a cave until dawn. In 1995, Jean, a photographer, is sent on an assignment to shoot a photo essay about the legendary crime. Taking her extended family with her, Jean stays in a sailboat anchored off the coast, and finds herself gradually becoming more and more engrossed in the bay''s mysterious and gruesome past. Wandering into a library one day, she unearths letters written by Maren, the sole survivor of the murder spree. Jean''s fear of losing all that she cares about is reflected in Maren''s poignant tale of love and loss, and her obsession with the ancient story drives her to wild impulsive action -- with unrecoverable consequences.

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Book SynopsisA visionary, a craftsman, a comedian and as serious as it is possible to be without accidentally writing a religious text. He can do anything with a piece of prose, and it is a humbling experience to see him go to work on what has passed up till now as modern fiction. He''s so modern he''s in a different time-space continuum from the rest of us. Goddamn him'' Zadie SmithThe mysterious disappearance of her great- grandmother and twenty-five other elderly inmates from a Shaker Heights nursing home has left Lenore Stonecipher Beadsman emotionally stranded on the edge of the Great Ohio Desert. But that is simply one problem of many for the hapless switchboard operator, seriously compounded by her ongoing affair with boss Rick Vigorous; the TV stardom of her talking cockatiel, Vlad the Impaler; and other minor catastrophes that threaten to elevate Lenore''s search for love and self-detemination to new heights of spasmodic weirdness.Trade Review'Daring...hilarious...enigmatic...wonderfully odd... a zany picaresque adventure of contemporary America run amok' NEW YORK TIMES 'Dazzling...exhilarating...bizarre...sweepingly successful...engaging and haunting... a remarkable book with lots of prestidigitation in it... Wallace's talent is consistently impressive' SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

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Book Synopsis*Long-awaited first UK publication of David Leavitt's novel of love and war set during the Spanish Civil War.Trade ReviewPerfect * Philip Hensher, MAIL ON SUNDAY *Funny and sexy * TIME OUT *A literary triumph * INDEPENDENT *

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Book Synopsis''One of the wittiest books about family life ever written'' Guardian''A hilarious, remarkable and beautiful book'' Jeffrey Eugenides ''A blackly funny and beautifully written novel'' Sunday TimesSuburban New England, and the Hood family are about to wish they''d stayed home....1973 - ''The last year of the sixties'' as the author describes it. Amidst the worst storm for 30 years the local families gather for a party - the highlight of which is the wife-swapping ''key game'' - and for two couples this supposedly harmless piece of liberal-minded entertainment spells permanent disaster.Astutely acerbic, painfully funny, The Ice Storm is an astonishing novel of the decade that taste forgot.

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Book SynopsisIn these stories, the author renders the bizarre normal and the absurd hilarious, from the eerily "real", almost holographic evocations of historical figures, to overtelevised game-show hosts and late-night comedians. In the title story, punk nihilism meets Young Republicanism.Trade ReviewThis collection of ten tales provides ample proof of his virtuosity for the uninitiated... This is not a writer for the squeamish... but his satirical mastery of speech patterns and his eye for the grotesque can astonish. DAILY TELEGRAPH Puncturing the veneer of power lies at the crux of this collection, and attention to detail illuminates the banal. Wallace's control of different voices is superb, given the individual style of each tale. THE TIMES It is his prose that really sets him apart; sometimes eerily banal, at others so densely observed you're scared to blink, and making ordinary situations seem strangely disconnnected from reality. Cleverness and verbosity are additional key ingredients, and the effect is often brilliant. SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY A collection of stories as varied in length and theme as they are imaginative, and as downright bizarre as any collection by one author has a right to be. Truly funny surreal humour. San Francisco Chronicle

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Book SynopsisIt is 1937, and Amabelle Desir is a young Haitian woman working as a maid for a wealthy family in the Dominican Republic, across the border from her homeland. The Republic, under the iron rule of the Generalissimo, treats the Haitians as second-class citizens, and although Amabelle feels a strong sense of loyalty to her employers, especially since her own parents drowned crossing the river from Haiti, racial tensions are heightened when Amabelle''s boss accidentally kills a Haitian in a car accident. The accident is a catalyst for a systematic round-up of Haitians, ostensibly for repatriation but in fact a prelude to slaughter. Amabelle, caught up in the chaos and confusion, returns to Haiti after much hardship to make a new life, but is for years uncertain of the fate of her lover, Sebastian, and haunted by a nagging sense of guilt.A powerful, fiercely economical and deceptively moving work, blending historical accuracy with lyrical brilliance.Trade ReviewExtraordinary * TIME OUT *Danticat delicately tiptoes through bougainvillaea and butterflies into minefields of rape, mayhem, insanity, suicide, terror. * Fay Weldon, MAIL ON SUNDAY *A first novel of precocious maturity * INDEPENDENT *A writer of great force with still more potential * INDEPENDENT *

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