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
Mondadori A caccia dell'Orso
Book Synopsis
£14.50
HarperCollins Publishers Daughter of the Empire
Book SynopsisFrom the imagination of two of fantasy's greatest names comes a magnificent epic of heroic and dynastic struggle.At age 17, Mara''s ceremonial pledge of servantship to the goddess Lashima is interrupted by the news that her father and brother have been killed in battle on Trigia, the world through the rift.Now Ruling Lady of the Acoma, Mara finds that not only are her family''s ancient enemies, the Minwanabi, responsible for the deaths of her loved ones, but her military forces have been decimated by the betrayal and House Acoma is now vulnerable to complete destruction.Trade Review‘A gripping tale.’The Times
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Absent in the Spring
Book SynopsisA striking novel of truth and soul-searching.Returning from a visit to her daughter in Iraq, Joan Scudamore finds herself unexpectedly alone and stranded in an isolated rest house by flooding of the railway tracks.Looking back over the years, Joan painfully re-examines her attitudes, relationships and actions and becomes increasingly uneasy about the person who is revealed to herFamous for her ingenious crime books and plays, Agatha Christie also wrote about crimes of the heart, six bittersweet and very personal novels, as compelling and memorable as the best of her work.Trade Review‘The one book that has satisfied me completely – the book I always wanted to write.’ Agatha Christie ‘A tour de force which should be recognized as a classic.’ New York Times
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Maybe Next Time
Book Synopsis2024's most unforgettable romance that will give you ALL the feels! From the queen of the ''what if'' love storyIt''s the sort of story which makes you want to say, I love you, to everyone you care about the most in your life,' Reader review ?????Dan is Emma's person. She's known it since the first time she saw him dressed in lederhosen on the tube.On their fifteen year dateversary', Emma texts a list of everything she should have told Dan that morning.Tell the kids to remember their homeworkAnd their gloves.Can you defrost some sausages?Emma just forgets to write the most important words of all I love you and by the end of the day everything changes.Or does it? Emma is given the chance to rewrite their future if she can just figure out their pastEscape with the most uplifting and emotional love story of the year. Perfect for fans of The Man Who Didn't Call and Jojo Moyes!Readers LOVE Maybe Next Time!WOW! WOW! WOW! Powerful and life affirming, So much more than five stars. If there Trade Review‘Astonishing – the love story you’ve been waiting for’ Clare Mackintosh, The Last Party ‘Addictive, heart-breaking and achingly romantic … an absolute triumph. This forced me to think very seriously about how I want to live my life’ Rosie Walsh, The Man Who Didn’t Call ‘Haunting, moody, clever and affecting’ Gillian McAllister, Wrong Place, Wrong Time ‘Warm, funny and life-affirming – a reminder of just how precious every day can be’ Lucy Diamond, Anything Could Happen ‘Heart-warming and life-affirming – a gorgeous read’Louise O’Neill, Idol ‘Deeply moving, extremely funny, brilliantly knowing and fabulously observed … heartbreaking but simultaneously life-affirming. A total triumph’ Daisy Buchanan, Careering ‘Full of love, wisdom and heartache … nudging us to reflect on what is truly important in life. It's a Wonderful Life meets Groundhog Day. I challenge you not to cry’ Sophie Cousens, This Time Next Year ‘Wonderfully intriguing and thought-provoking … I loved it’ Kate Eberlen, Miss You ‘Ingenious, intriguing and so emotional’ Jill Mansell, Should I Tell You? ‘All the compulsion of a thriller but swooningly romantic as well. Forensically plotted and beautifully worked out. A belter and a tear-jerker’ Beth Morrey, Em & Me ‘Thought-provoking, tear-jerking and page-turning …amazing, will really make you think about your life’ Katie Fforde, A Wedding in Provence ‘Superbly plotted, shockingly breathtaking – heartbreaking, poignant and beautifully written … a love story like no other’ Cathy Bramley, Merrily Ever After ‘WOW. Both heartbreaking and heartwarming … I loved every page’ Sarah Morgan, Beach House Summer ‘Hilarious and poignant and heartwarming all at once’ Sophie Irwin, A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting
£9.49
Faber & Faber When We Were Orphans
Book SynopsisVerlagsinfo: From the Booker Prize-winning, bestselling author of "Remains of the Day" comes this stunning work of soaring imagination. Born in early-twentieth-century Shanghai, Banks was orphaned at the age of nine after the separate disappearances of his parents. Now, more than twenty years later, he is a celebrated figure in London society; yet the investigative expertise that has garnered him fame has done little to illuminate the circumstances of his parents' alleged kidnappings. Banks travels to the seething, labyrinthine city of his memory in hopes of solving the mystery of his own, painful past, only to find that war is ravaging Shanghai beyond recognition-and that his own recollections are proving as difficult to trust as the people around him. Masterful, suspenseful and psychologically acute, When We Were Orphans offers a profound meditation on the shifting quality of memory, and the possibility of avenging one's past.
£9.49
Faber & Faber Zorba the Greek Faber Modern Classics
Book SynopsisThis moving fable sees a young Greek writer set out to Crete to claim a small inheritance. But when he arrives, he meets Alexis Zorba, a middle-aged Greek man with a zest for life. Zorba has had a family and many lovers, has fought in the Balkan wars, has lived and loved - he is a simple but deep man who lives every moment fully and without shame. As their friendship develops, he is gradually won over, transformed and inspired along with the reader.Zorba the Greek, Nikos Kazantzakis'' most popular and enduring novel, has its origins in the author''s own experiences in the Peleponnesus in the 1920s. His swashbuckling hero has legions of fans across the world and his adventures are as exhilarating now as they were on first publication in the 1950s.''There can never be any doubt that Kazantzakis was the possessor of genius.'' Sunday Telegraph
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton You Are Here
Book SynopsisA book of the summer for The Times, Sunday Times, Observer, Financial Times, Guardian, Evening Standard, Irish Independent and ScotsmanThe new novel by the author of One Day, now a major Netflix series''Written with charm and wit, it even made me consider walking the Northumberland Coast Path''JACQUELINE WILSON, SPECTATOR''A triumph, a real gift of a novel''SUNDAY TIMES''A comforting antidote to the grimness of our grim world''GUARDIAN''Nicholls''s knack for warm characters, funny dialogue and superb scene-setting is as spot-on as ever''DAILY MAIL''I read David Nicholls'' new book You Are Here - you''ll love it as much as One Day . . . Probably his best yet''INDEPENDENT''A great comic novel . . . The reader becomes so invested in the outcom
£17.00
Random House Slaughterhouse 5
Book SynopsisA beautiful hardback edition of one of the most funny, moving and brilliant novels of the twentieth century.''A book to read and reread. He is a true artist'' New York TimesBilly Pilgrim - hapless barber''s assistant, successful optometrist, alien abductee, senile widower and soldier - has become unstuck in time.Hiding in the basement of a slaughterhouse in Dresden, with the city and its inhabitants burning above him, he finds himself a survivor of one of the most deadly and destructive battles of the Second World War.But when, exactly?How did he get here?And how does he get out?Travel through time and space on the shoulders of Vonnegut himself.This is a book about war.Listen to what he has to say: it is of the utmost urgency.''The great, urgent, passionate American writer of our century, who offers us a model of the kind of compassionate thinking that might yet save us from ourselves'
£15.29
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC A View to a Kilt
Book SynopsisForget about Cool Britannia and Gallic Chic. Scotland is having a fashion moment... 'Effing marvellous' JILLY COOPER. 'Funny and smart' INDIA KNIGHT. 'Total bliss' DAILY MAIL. London's most glamorous glossy magazine is in trouble. Advertising revenues are non existent, and if editor Laura Lake can't pick them up, she's out of a job. According to those in the know, Scotland is having a fashion moment. Smart spas are offering porridge facials, and a chain of eco-hotels is offering celebrity bagpipe lessons. So Laura's off to a baronial estate in the Scottish Highlands to get a slice of this ultra-high-end market. It's supposed to be gorgeous, glitzy and glamorous. But intrigue follows Laura like night follows day. And at Glenravish Castle – a shooting lodge fit for a billionaire – Laura finds herself hunting for a scoop that won't just save her job, it could save her life... WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT WENDY HOLDEN: 'A brilliant, funny read... Perfect escapism from the daily grind' 'Move over Sophie Kinsella – there's a new Chick Lit queen in town' 'Escapism in its purest form... A little gem' 'Pure fun, escapism and self indulgence. Delicious!'Trade ReviewI am a huge fan of Holden's sparkling prose and zany, roller-coaster plots stuffed with brilliantly drawn characters. She irreverently skewers social pretentions of all kinds, from those held by hipsters in East London to members of the aristocracy, and there are always tons of memorable one-liners and laugh-out-loud moments... I adored it' * Daily Mail *Holden's glossy-magazine journalist Laura Lake heads to the Highlands for another witty and entertaining romp around the posher side of British life * Reader's Digest *
£8.54
Canongate Books The Siege
Book SynopsisIt is the fifteenth century and war looms. The people of Albania have refused to negotiate with the Ottoman Empire and they know their fate is sealed. As they take refuge in a fortress in the mountains, the army arrives and prepares to lay siege to the Christian citadel.Trade ReviewThe Siege is a compelling tale of the savagery and uncertainty of war, and a brilliant historical novel by one of the world's greatest living writers -- Simon Sebag MontefioreGreat books, books that last, are shape-shifting books. The Siege is about what it is about - a siege in the fifteenth century. It is also a universal evocation of human violence * * Sunday Times * *A rallying cry to people besieged by the forces of tyranny -- Alice Fordham * * The Times * *The Siege is more relevant and powerful than ever . . . Kadare's early novel is stunning. The full panoply of the Ottoman's multi-ethnic empire is vividly rendered -- Heather McRobie * * Daily Telgraph * *His fiction offers invaluable insights into life under tyranny - his historical allegories point both to the grand themes and small details that make up life in a restrictive environment. He is a great writer, by any nation's standards -- Ben Naparstek * * Financial Times * *A tale steeped in blood, a snapshot of a centuries-long conflict, but at the same time Kadare's realism and lively sense of irony give it a modern twist -- Adam Lively * * Sunday Times * *The urgent gestures towards something that's not quite said somehow make the story linger in the mind long after the regime in which The Siege was written went the way of the empire it dreams back to life -- Christopher Taylor * * Guardian * *It is Kadare's great achievement to create individuals who are at the same time archetypes . . . Powerfully atmospheric . . . Fascinating -- Jane Jakeman * * Times Literary Supplement * *A story that is both stirring at a human level and steeped in historical symbolism . . . A vast and varied cast is expertly marshalled by a writer who is increasingly enjoying a worldwide reputation -- Sally Cousins * * Sunday Telegraph * *Ismail Kadare is one of Europe's most consistently interesting and powerful contemporary novelists, a writer whose stark, memorable prose imprints itself on the reader's consciousness * * Los Angeles Times * *
£9.49
Profile Books Ltd The Warriors
Book SynopsisIt's a hot 4th of July night in New York City. In the darkness of the Bronx, thousands of boys have gathered from all across the city. Among them are the warriors of the Coney Island Dominators. Ismael Rivera, leader of the Delancey Thrones, has called an assembly of New York's disparate youth gangs. Why should they keep taking it from the Man when they could be the ones giving it to everyone else? But when the assembly descends into violence, the Dominators are suddenly a very long way home from home. The Warriors follows the Dominators as they rape and murder their way back to Coney Island through the terrifying New York night. First published in 1965, Sol Yurick's bleak and shocking novel is a brutal tale of young men left to raise themselves, and an urgent warning about the animal savagery that emerges from the torn fabric of human society.Trade ReviewSol Yurick...was too radical, too extreme and too violent for the respectable literary establishment of New York, yet no writer more fully embodied the city's anguished spirit in the 1960's * Guardian *The best novel of its kind I've read. An altogether perfect achievement. I'm sure that to many it will sound like sacrilege but I have to say I think it a better novel than Lord of The Flies. -- Warren Miller
£9.49
Profile Books Ltd Jakob von Gunten
Book SynopsisThe Institut Benjamenta: a school of humility for the unambitious. The young Jakob von Gunten arrives at this most curious of educational establishments with the goal of becoming 'something very small and subordinate later in life', a goal he sets about achieving with laconic dedication and wry detachment. Irony, scepticism, absurd images and sensations, disconcerting humour, minor humiliations and minute observations mingle to form one of the signature works of twentieth century fiction. First published in 1908, a forerunner to and key influence on the work of writers such as Franz Kafka and Thomas Bernhard, Robert Walser's masterpiece is a paean to infinitesimal unimportance, a celebration of the marginal life that is the life of the mind.Trade ReviewA clairvoyant of the small ... Walser has been my constant companion -- W. G. SebaldIf he had hundred thousand readers, the world would be a better place -- Hermann Hesse, winner of the Nobel Prize in LiteratureA truly wonderful, heartbreaking writer -- Susan SontagAn essential writer of our time -- Elias Canetti, winner of the Nobel Prize in LiteratureHis greatest novel ... a strange mix of exuberance and submission, lyrical abandon and self-abnegation -- Ben Lerner * New Yorker *An effortlessly classy writer, as elegant and as thoughtful as Joseph Roth, he is also engagingly excitable, his cry-outs to the reader reminiscent of the young Dostoevsky. * Big Issue *
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Doppler
Book SynopsisDoppler has a nice house, a nice wife and a nice job. But Doppler isn't happy. 'Wonderfuly subversive, funny and original' Observer. 'A darkly comic fable' Independent. When his father dies, Doppler decides to leave everything behind and start a new life in the forest. There, deep amongst the trees, he reconnects with nature, ponders the meaning of life, and bonds with a baby elk called Bongo. Sweet, funny and subversive, this is a charming fable about the pressures of modern existence and finding friends in the strangest of places. 'Dead-pan comedy' Financial Times. 'An absurdist, hilariously subversive novel'Saga. Trade ReviewWonderfully subversive, funny and original * Observer *Laugh-out-loud, typically distinctive, satirical and hilarious * VICE magazine *A darkly comic fable which makes some astringent points about the way we live today * Independent *There's much to enjoy in Loe's dead-pan comedy * Financial Times *An absurdist, hilariously subversive novel * Saga *Funny and a touch dark... [Doppler] is like a Nordic Obi-Wan' * Big Issue *It gripped me from the very first page and I read the entire thing in a single day. It was unusual in that it was both powerful and entertaining; a rare combination that is difficult to pull off * Farm Lane Books *Compelling, disquieting and perceptive * Adresseavisen *Shamelessly charming without intellectual fuss * Stavanger Aftenblad. *With Doppler, Erlend Loe has become Norway's most alarming writer * Dagens Næringsliv. *
£7.59
Fitzcarraldo Editions Aliss at the Fire — WINNER OF THE 2023 NOBEL
Book SynopsisIn her old house by the fjord, Signe lies on a bench and sees a vision of herself as she was more than twenty years earlier: standing by the window waiting for her husband Asle, on that terrible late November day when he took his rowboat out onto the water and never returned. Her memories widen out to include their whole life together, and beyond: the bonds of family and the battles with implacable nature stretching back over five generations, to Asle's great-great-grandmother Aliss. In Jon Fosse's vivid, hallucinatory prose, all these moments in time inhabit the same space, and the ghosts of the past collide with those who still live on. Aliss at the Fire, is a visionary masterpiece, a haunting exploration of love and loss that ranks among the greatest meditations on marriage and human fate.Trade Review‘Jon Fosse is a major European writer.’ — Karl Ove Knausgaard, author of My Struggle‘The Beckett of the twenty-first century.’ — Le Monde‘Jon Fosse has managed, like few others, to carve out a literary form of his own.’ — Nordic Council Literary Prize‘It is some measure of Fosse’s talents that he manages to weave such a compelling narrative from a largely static setting ... Nothing really happens and yet there is something quietly dramatic about Fosse's meandering and rhythmic prose, aided by Damion Searls's limber translation, which has a strangely mesmerising effect. ... [A]n intense reading experience.’ — Lucy Popescu, Independent‘Fosse carefully captures the contradictions…It is hard not to marvel at what peace and sorrow he fits into a single thought…’ — George Berridge, TLS‘A drowning is solemnly relived over the generations in Fosse's circuitous, claustrophobic tale. ... The immense burden of family history weighs heavily on each generation as ghosts, memories, and tragedies collide to effects both confounding and enlightening.’ — Publishers Weekly‘Prose doesn’t have hooks, and Fosse’s incantations are as unexcerptable as Philip Glass symphonies or Béla Tarr tracking shots.... On it goes, building layer upon layer of past and present, ancestors and loved ones, until you are immersed in that world and the prose conjures luminous glory flashing past like Blakean angels. Maybe it is convincing to say that Fosse is the only writer whose book has made me weep with emotion as I translated it.’ — Damion Searls, Paris Review‘Like Faulkner’s best works, Aliss at the Fire is about the inescapability of the past and how history reverberates mysteriously across generations. Through voices and narratives that are constantly interrupting and interfering with one another, Fosse captures the grief—and love—that can never be put into words.’ — Alex Shepherd, The Atlantic‘It is becoming increasingly difficult to find any Norwegian author who can equal Jon Fosse.’ — Tom Egil Hverven, NRK
£7.99
ACA Publishing Limited The Backstage Clan
Book SynopsisAll the world’s a stage, but someone has to build it. Smooth Diao’s day is going anything but. Judging by how the stagehands treat him, you wouldn’t guess that he’s the foreman who makes sure there’s food on their tables – or that this bunch of yokels work for Xi’an’s premier theatre company, where their unseen grafting makes all the dazzling performances possible. Whoever said showbusiness was glamorous? Keeping the gang out of trouble in the city's many dives and cheap noodle bars is a thankless job when all Smooth wants to do is get home in time every night to salvage his third marriage. So, when this motley crew is given a seemingly ideal chance to set the stage for a performance in the nation's capital, it’s make or break. Can they set their internal drama aside and ignore the sneers of high society long enough to prove their worth? It’s time someone noticed who really makes the show go on.
£13.59
Profile Books Ltd Washington Black: Shortlisted for the Man Booker
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2018 WINNER OF THE GILLER PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2020 FINALIST FOR THE CARNEGIE MEDAL AND THE ROGERS WRITERS TRUST FICTION PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE 2019 New York Times Top Ten Book of the Year 2018 Sunday Times Paperback of the Year 2019 'A masterpiece' Attica Locke 'Strong, beautiful and beguiling' Observer 'Destined to become a future classic ... that rare book that should appeal to every kind of reader' Guardian When two English brothers take the helm of a Barbados sugar plantation, Washington Black - an eleven-year-old field slave - finds himself selected as personal servant to one of them. The eccentric Christopher 'Titch' Wilde is a naturalist, explorer, scientist, inventor and abolitionist, whose single-minded pursuit of the perfect aerial machine mystifies all around him. Titch's idealistic plans are soon shattered and Washington finds himself in mortal danger. They escape together, but then Titch disappears and Washington must make his way alone, following the promise of freedom further than he ever dreamed possible. Inspired by a true story, Washington Black is an extraordinary tale of a world destroyed and made whole again.Trade ReviewWashington Black is a profoundly humane story about false idols, the fickleness of fortune and whether a slave, once freed, can ever truly be free. * The Times *A lush, exhilarating travelogue reminiscent of Jules Verne . . . Edugyan, like her hero, can paint an indelible scene * New Yorker *A full-pelt adventure story featuring hot-air balloon crashes, blizzards in the Arctic, scientific discovery, knife fights in dark alleys, bounty hunters and forbidden romance * Sunday Times *Washington Black is a brilliantly absorbing picaresque; a book that combines the unflinching depiction of violence with a lyrical, hallucinatory beauty. -- Sandra NewmanWondrous ... gripping ... vivid and captivating * Economist *Magnificent and strikingly visual prose * Financial Times *Washington Black is a gripping adventure and an atmospheric portrayal of 1830s society at both the fringes of the world and the heart of the British Empire -- John BoyneA pacey yet thoughtful exploration of freedom, and our moral compulsion to act * Spectator *Exquisite -- Boris Kachka * New York Magazine *An engrossing hybrid of 19th-century adventure and contemporary subtlety, a rip-roaring tale of peril imbued with our most persistent strife . . . Edugyan is a magical writer * Washington Post *A towering achievement . . . Edugyan is one of our sharpest and deepest writers of historical fiction * Entertainment Weekly *Edugyan's genius here is that she's found an urgent, fresh way of writing the antebellum novel . . . A romping yarn, beautifully and evocatively written, the narrative spinning along at a glorious pace. -- Lucy Scholes * The National *Astonishing . . . Washington Black's presence in these pages is fierce and unsettling. His urge to live all he can is matched by his eloquence. * The New York Times *In a story that is escapist, as well as poignant and political, Edugyan enjoys taking her readers where they are least expecting to go . . . Like the best historical fiction, it shines a light on the present as well as the past. * Irish Independent *Washington Black is made vivid by Esi Edugyan's gifts for language and character, and by the strength of her story ... The reader feels honoured and moved to have kept Wash company on his journeying * New Statesman *At the core of this novel, with its searing, supple prose and superb characters, is a visceral depiction of the abomination of slavery. Yet, as importantly, it explores an unlikely friendship, the limits to understanding another's suffering, the violence lurking in humans and the glories of adventure in a world full of wonders. -- Elizabeth Buchan * Daily Mail *
£8.54
Birlinn General Three Fires
Book SynopsisIn Three Fires, award-winning author Denise Mina re-imagines the 'Bonfire of the Vanities', a series of fires lit throughout Florence at the end of the fifteenth century - inspired by the fanatical Girolamo Savonarola. Girolamo Savonarola was a Dominican friar living in Florence at the tail end of the fifteenth century. An anti-corruption campaigner his hellfire preaching increasingly spilled over into tirades against all luxuries that tempted people towards sin. These sermons led to the infamous ‘Bonfire of the Vanities’ - a series of fires lit throughout Florence for the incineration of everything from books, extravagant clothing, playing cards, musical instruments, make-up and mirrors, to paintings, tapestries and sculptures. Railing against the vice and avarice of the ruling Medici family, he was instrumental in their removal from power, and for a time became the puritanical leader of the city. After turning his attention to corruption in the entire Catholic Church, he was first excommunicated and then executed by a combination of hanging and being burnt at the stake. Denise Mina brings a modern take to this fascinating historical story - drawing parallels between the febrile atmosphere of medieval Florence and the culture wars of the present day. In dramatising the life and last days of Savonarola she explores the downfall of the original architect of cancel culture and in the process explores the neverending tensions between wealth, inequality, and freedom of speech that so dominate our modern world.Trade Review'Three Fires is a brisk, pointed and eminently readable account that examines the virtues and failings of a remarkable individual, and helps us see our own world in relation to the late Middle Ages in a way that feels bracingly relevant and alive' * The Herald *'a slight but powerful morality tale about souring utopias and the dangers of absolute certainty' -- Antonia Senior * Times, Best New Historical Fiction *'Perfectly succinct and powerfully stirring, it’s a tour de force of historic fiction, delivered with sparkling style, astute social commentary and the kind of page-turning pace you’d hope for from a rip-roaring thriller' * LoveReading, Star Book *'Mina gives us literary gold with this reimagining of the Bonfire of the Vanities... exquisite prose' * Sunday Post *'This little book is beautifully done... remarkable, moving and thought-provoking... a rare achievement' -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *'A fascinating book that works beautifully at several different levels' -- Ken Lussey * Undiscovered Scotland *'Denise's use of language brings real humanity to her characters... she also breathes humour into her tale' -- Nora McElhone * Dundee Courier *'Short, vibrant ... There is no mincing of words here. Mina sees clear parallels between yesterday’s horrors and today’s challenges. Nor does she find comfort in Savonarola’s execution. He was a man who wrote extensively—he is often credited as a source of inspiration to Martin Luther, for example—and for good and for bad, Savonarola's influence is with us now. Powerful stuff' * Historical Novel Society *'[Mina] writes about the political and religious conflicts of the day with well-informed precision, but she does so with a cheekily contemporary flair... Quite the gut punch for a novel of its slim stature, and one that will have readers pondering the frighteningly short distance between Savonarola’s times and our own' -- Book Reporter
£9.50
HarperCollins Publishers 1022 Evergreen Place (A Cedar Cove Novel, Book
Book Synopsis‘Perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy’ – Candis Dear Reader, Guess what? I'm falling in love! With Mack McAfee. My baby daughter, Noelle, and I have been living next door to Mack since the spring. I'm still a little wary about our relationship, because I haven't always made good decisions when it comes to men. My baby's father, David Rhodes, is testament to that. I'm so worried he might sue for custody. In the meantime, the World War II letters I found are a wonderful distraction. Both Mack and I are trying to learn what happened to the soldier who wrote them and the woman he loved. Come by sometime for a glass of iced tea and I'll show you the letters. Plus I'll tell you the latest about Grace and Olivia, my brother Linc and his wife, Lori (who tied the knot about five minutes after they met!), and all our other mutual friends. Oh, and maybe Mack can join us…. Mary Jo Wyse
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers New York, Actually
Book SynopsisPre-order your copy of Sarah Morgan’s new novel Beach House Summer now – coming May 2022! Praise for Sarah Morgan: ‘A complete joy. It’s a glorious, summery read full of warmth, humour and poignancy, against the perfect romantic backdrop’ Cressida McLaughlin ‘Another charming read from author Sarah Morgan’ HELLO! * * * Meet Molly New York’s most famous agony aunt, she considers herself an expert at relationships…as long as they’re other people’s. The only love of her life is her Dalmatian, Valentine. Meet Daniel A cynical divorce lawyer, he’s hardwired to think relationships are a bad idea. If you don’t get involved, no-one can get hurt. But then he finds himself borrowing a dog to meet the gorgeous woman he sees running in Central Park every morning… Molly and Daniel think they know everything there is to know about relationships…until they meet each other that is… * * * Readers have fallen in love with NEW YORK, ACTUALLY ‘A new book from Sarah Morgan is always a treat and New York, Actually is a wonderfully romantic, emotional and sexy tale from this gifted author’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘One to curl up with and makes you believe in happy ever after. Highly recommend’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘As usual a story by Sarah Morgan doesn't fail to give you a warm fuzzy feeling’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Truly loved this romantic love story. Couldn't put the book down’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Trade Review‘Smart and funny and a little bit naughty – but also warm and wise. If you’re feeling out of sorts it will restore your faith in the power of love and friendship – and owning a dog! It’s everything a romantic novel should be – an absolute delight.’ – Veronica Henry ‘Sarah’s a master at creating the moments when the reader seriously doubts the hero and heroine are really going to get together… until phew, they do. Bliss!’ – Sue Moorcraft 'Wonderfully romantic and sumptuously atmospheric.’-Alex Brown, author of The Secret Orchard Cottage ‘The perfect book to curl up with’ – Heat ‘Lovers of romance will relish this tale of friendship, fun and flirting set in beautiful New York.’-My Weekly ‘Morgan excels in balancing the sweet and sexy to create the perfect blend.’-Booklist 'A gorgeously sparkly romance about letting go and learning to love again.- Julia Williams, bestselling author of Coming Home for Christmas 'Morgan is a magician with words'– RT Book Reviews ‘Morgan’s novel delivers the classic sweep-you-off-your-feet romantic experience.’ – Publisher’s Weekly ‘Perfect chick-lit’ – BEST magazine ‘Her dynamic prose like narrative is eloquent, the laugh-out-loud humor lightens the load and both her big-city and small-town settings are perfect’ – RT Book Reviews ‘I am fairly certain there will never be a Sarah Morgan book that I won’t love. This was no exception. My very favourite book of hers to date!’ – Erin’s Book Choice ‘A fun loving story with the sprinkling of magic I love in Sarah Morgan’s books.’ – Sarah Mackins ‘Fresh, romantic, complexity and heart! Sleepless in Manhattan is everything you want in romance!’ – Chicks that Read ‘Sleepless in Manhattan is Sarah Morgan at her best.’ – Rachel’s Random Reads
£8.99
Persephone Books Ltd They Were Sisters
Book Synopsis
£16.00
Dedalus Ltd T Take Six (Six Portuguese Women Writers)
Book SynopsisA remarkable work of horror, half-way between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
£11.78
Charco Press The Adventures of China Iron
Book SynopsisShortlisted for the International Booker Prize 20201872. The pampas of Argentina. China is a young woman eking out an existence in a remote gaucho encampment. After her no-good husband is conscripted into the army, China bolts for freedom, setting off on a wagon journey through the pampas in the company of her new-found friend Liz, a settler from Scotland. While Liz provides China with a sentimental education and schools her in the nefarious ways of the British Empire, their eyes are opened to the wonders of Argentina’s richly diverse flora and fauna, cultures and languages, as well as to the ruthless violence involved in nation-building.This subversive retelling of Argentina’s foundational gaucho epic Martín Fierro is a celebration of the colour and movement of the living world, the open road, love and sex, and the dream of lasting freedom. With humour and sophistication, Gabriela Cabezón Cámara has created a joyful, hallucinatory novel that is also an incisive critique of national myths.Trade ReviewInternational Booker Prize (Shortlist)"A thrilling and mystical miniature epic." —The Guardian"[The Adventures of China Iron] reminds us, in Cabezón Cámara’s entrancing poetry, how magical and frankly unpleasant it is to live through history." —New York Times"[The Adventures of China Iron] compels readers to examine critically not only the biases of the myths we celebrate, but also how they seep into our contemporary understandings of nationhood." —LA Review of Books"Brilliantly translated by Fiona Mackintosh and Iona Macintyre, this is a heartfelt, dreamlike paean to Argentina’s past and what might have been had the pampas been left alone." —The Times Literary Supplement"Cabezón Cámara’s exciting LGBTQ look at pioneers of the pampas makes for a rewarding and subversive treat." —Publishers Weekly"Shaking loose new possibilities for how we might reshape the present precisely by unsettling something seemingly so settled as the past." —Music & Literature"Daring." —The Financial Times"A daring, playful story." —New Statesman"A wonderful reading experience, filled with light, joy, discovery, friendship, and love." —The Massachusetts Review"An unexpected ride that delivers on all accounts." —DIVA Magazine"By disrupting pedagogical nationalist representations, Cámara’s story enables all those places in the margins to re-signify constructs of the Argentine people." —WasafiriBest books published in Latin America 2017. —New York Times (Español)"A transformative adventure, wholly romantic and sublime, at times even supernatural in its message of discovery." —Books and Bao"A thrilling book that has a little of everything that I look for in a novel." —SubText"10 Best Translated Books 2019" —Books and BaoGlobetrotting: Your sneak preview of books in translation —New York Times"It’s moving and intelligent and funny and all of it is fun (so much fun)." —Mark Haber, Brazos Bookstore"Best books dealing with feminism, sisterhood and queerness" —Pagina/12"With a touch of whimsy, ‘The Adventures of China Iron’ rewrites a historical narrative and renders spaces inclusive." —Daily Star"Best Books of 2017" —Los inRockuptibles"20 Best Latin American books 2017" —El País**********Praise for Gabriela Cabezón CámaraSilverio Cañada Memorial Prize (Shortlist)"Queer writing at its most exhilarating." —The Times Literary Supplement"Cámara’s breakout tale is mind-blowingly good." —Publishers Weekly, starred review"A revelation for contemporary literature."" —Andrés Neuman , author of TRAVELLER OF THE CENTURY and TALKING TO OURSELVESGlobetrotting: Your sneak preview of books in translation —New York Times"Cámara has a powerful voice, one to be taken seriously." —Library Journal"Cabezón Cámara’s exuberant range of styles truly shines." —Asymptote"Book of the Year 2009." —Rolling Stone (Argentina)**********
£9.99
Cogito Publishing Limited A Man of Understanding
Book SynopsisIt takes a man of understanding to rebuild a shattered soul, a man with a deep and learned grasp of philosophy and poetry, a man who can nurture and inspire an enquiring mind, a man with the wit and humour to bring the world alive. That enigmatic man is Horatio Hennessy. His grandson Blue is that shattered soul. Following the death of twelve-year-old Blue's parents, his new home is a Finca in the mountains of Mallorca, with the grandfather he has never met before. But is Horatio up to the challenge, or is he merely trying, through Blue, to make good his past? Gradually a bond evolves between them through a shared love of poetry. But when secrets are uncovered, will understanding turn to misunderstanding? Will two souls be shattered this time? Absorbing, moving, witty and profound, A Man of Understanding is a beautifully-told story of the search for a higher understanding of the self and others, interlaced with poetry, philosophy and love.Trade ReviewPraise for A Man of Understanding:"A story of bereavement and a story of healing. This is a well-written and flowing story and the poetry included is elegant...beautiful. The narrative drew me in... a heart-warming tale." LoveReading (Featured Books: Indie Books We Love); "I was not prepared for how this beautiful and poignant story completely captured my heart and stirred my senses. After being moved like never before from reading the evocative narrative I really struggled to read the last page as the tears in my eyes were distorting my vision. In my opinion, A Man of Understanding should be classed as a modern literary classic. It is stunning." Novel Delights."I tell no lie when I say that I shed a tear at the end... for the beauty this work entails and encompasses, and brings together so seamlessly. A melding of word art, emotional turmoil and entwining it with such a firm grasp on existential thoughts and fears. I adored it. I love the art of poetry, and questions of philosophy that burn to be dissected. This is such a wonderful combination of the two, which is only enhanced by the presence of Blue and Horatio. The stripping of persona and relationships to the core of inner essence - soul... Then using core emotions of grief, abandonment, the need to belong and be loved to drive this powerful story to a conclusion, which is in itself once more a beginning or end...Beautiful work." Cheryl M-M's book blog. Five stars."A novel that is multi layered and created the space for me to mull over the meaning of grief, love and guilt in friendship, and within a family. I have not read a book as philosophical as this for quite some time. Such a poetic novel in every way. I could say I felt almost honoured to read A Man of Understanding, I felt like I shared their journey and even became a little more aware from the feelings and thoughts it brought up. I could say I may have blinked a little tear away too." Sharon Rimmelzwaan, Beyond The Books."A witty and heartwarming coming-of-age tale, centred on the inter-generational relationship between a grandfather and the grandson he had never met...Poetic in both content and style... a layered meaning that'll make you reflect on the meaning of life." Kgiuls, Instagram."I loved the interaction between grandfather and grandson as they slowly got to know each other. Each helping the other to heal without realising. I loved the small little injection of humour throughout too...The poetry element in this story so beautifully written... Emotional, thought-provoking and a beautiful story of two people bonding slowly and finding their way in life after their loss." Book Reviews for u "Granga talks, philosophises, teaches Blue about poetry, good food and Aristotle and the Golden Mean. My favourite part of the book apart from the poems which alone deserve 5 stars, is the part where Blue meets twelve sheep in a field. This book could have been pretentious, snobby and aimed at a reader with an MA in philosophy at least to understand it, let alone appreciate its beauty. But it isn't. You don't need to like poetry (though I do) or have read Aristotle or Kant (I haven't) to love it. It's just beautiful and it made me cry. Veronika Jordan, Bookchatter@cookiebiscuit, 5 Stars, Amazon Vine."It is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. The words just flow so naturally but there is so much substance behind them. The relationship between Rufus/Blue and his grandfather (Granga) is something truly special and you really feel like you are reading about real people. The story is interspersed with poems written by Granga and Blue and whilst I am really not one for poetry even I could appreciate the beauty and poignancy of these poems. I finished reading the book with tears in my eyes...It's something really special. Kelly Holland, bookwormblogss "The characters (even minor) are rich, the settings are vivid and the story is riveting"; WD Hart, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, University of Illinois, Chicago.Praise for Diana's previous novel The Infinite Wisdom of Harriet Rose: "Reading this really well-written book, I genuinely felt I was living Harriet's life with her" Independent on Sunday; "...a rather brilliant and beautifully-written story...This really is a rather special book that is hard to do justice to on paper" The Bookbag; "This book itself is a meditation, an invitation to readers who do not conform, to ask and seek answers less obvious than usual, whatever the question" El Mundo (Spain); "A wickedly funny, tender-hearted novel...a book that is a joy from beginning to end" Australian Women's Weekly;"Harriet is a great character...fantastically clever, arrogant, socially inept and likely to refer to Kant at inopportune moments. There should be more books... with heroines who idolise Marcus Aurelius" Observer
£8.99
Moonflower Publishing Piece of My Heart
Book SynopsisBeautifully written, wise, funny, and all so true. - Esther Freud, author of Hideous KinkyBoth sides of the fashion world told by a true 60s icon. I loved it. - Kate MossFame. Money. Beauty. Sex. Love. Ari wants them all. And as the face of the 1960s, they're hers for the taking. But to find them, she may have to lose herself.
£17.09
Charco Press Ramifications
Book SynopsisThe memories we return to most frequently are the most inaccurate, the least faithful to reality...This is the tragic realisation made by the narrator of Ramifications as he tries to make sense of the defining event of his childhood: the disappearance of his mother to join the Zapatista uprising that shook Mexico in 1994. Left behind with an emotionally distant father who is singularly unqualified to raise him, and an older sister who only wants to get on with being a teenager, he takes refuge in strange rituals that isolate him from his peers: favouring the left-hand side of his body, trying to tear leaves into perfect halves, obsessively shaping origami figures. Now, two decades older and withdrawn from the world, he folds and unfolds these memories, searching the creases for the truth of what happened to his mother, unaware that he is on the verge of a discovery that will destroy everything he believed he knew about his family.Award-winning Mexican author Daniel Saldaña París masterfully evokes a child’s attempts to interpret events beyond his understanding. Less a Bildungs-roman than a tale of arrested development, this story of a boy growing up in the aptly-named Educación neighbourhood of Mexico City is a rich and moving portrait of a life thwarted by machismo and secrecy.Trade ReviewDublin Literary Award (Longlist)"[S]trange and elegant. . . . París brilliantly explores memory, masculinity, and familial drama in equal measure. The result is an affecting account of arrested development." —Publishers Weekly"A Dostoyevskian tale set in the Mexico City of today." —Kirkus"Ramifications grapples with the earnest naivety of one experiencing trauma far too young." —New Statesman"Saldaña París excels at imbuing his earnest protagonist's effort to write himself free from his memories with levity, which MacSweeney — a highly gifted translator who seems to specialize in voice-driven and tonally complex books — conveys beautifully." —NPR.org"Saldaña París brilliantly folds this story into itself, deftly dissolving time and reality, while constructing an intricate, intimate origami of heartbreak, dark humor, familial fractures and profound dispossession."" —Tanaïs , author of BRIGHT LINES"Saldaña París is the Mexican Philip Roth."" —Ottessa Moshfegh , author of EILEEN"Ramifications is a masterful and devastating fairy tale about the particular loneliness of a child lost in the woods of machismo and social revolts."" —Alejandro Zambra , author of BONSÁI and WAYS OF GOING HOME"A deft examination on the nature of truth." —The Skinny"Paced like a detective thriller, this slim novel contains hard-boiled meditations on masculinity, personal responsibility and the plasticity of memory." —Seattle Times"In Daniel Saldaña París’s resonant novel Ramifications, an eventful summer has ripple effects that last decades. . . . a rich, smart, and satisfying rendering of abandonment and loss, whose effects reverberate through time." —Foreword Reviews"[A] sinister little book suffused with a biting humor and morbid curiosity. " —Uriel Perez, BookPeople"A captivating novel by one of the most important figures in contemporary Mexican literature." —Morning Star"the reader is drawn into an almost memoir-like story, interjecting snippets of real-time Mexican history with the dreamlike quality of being stuck within a house." —Sounds & Colours"When the revelation arrives, it comes as a punch in the guts, one the reader feels as much as the narrator does." —Tony's Reading List************Praise for Daniel Saldaña ParísEccles Centre and Hay Festival Writers Award Winner"Brief, brilliantly written, and kissed by a sense of the absurd. . . . Like a much lazier, Mexico City version of Dostoevsky's Underground Man ." —NPR Fresh Air"Great fun are the jabs at academia, Mexico City and the dusty town where the action, or inaction, moves after Rodrigo meets Marcelo, a Spanish cretin with a Ph.D. in aesthetics. These flameless flaneurs humph and hump, personifying urban malaise." —New York Times Sunday Book Review"Full of odd twists and surprises. Among the high points are Saldana Paris' exasperated but affectionate paeans to 'the immense, beautiful city' that is Mexico's capital. Though a study of slothfulness and its discontents, a welcome book on which the author has clearly expended energy." —Kirkus"The novel takes some bizarre turns as Marcelo leads Rodrigo into experiments involving drugs, tequila, hypnosis and more, all in the name of transformation. If the young man's notion of radical change is to take part in his life rather than observe it from afar, he's off to a good start."—New York Times"Saldana Paris's first novel to be translated Stateside is a leisurely story of slacking off that's nicely conveyed in a sharp, cynical tone. . . . Read this messy, shaggy picaresque for its ample page-by-page pleasures, which include devilishly clever syntax, a charming tendency to digress, and satisfying flashes of Rodrigo and Marcelo getting their act together." —Publishers Weekly"For all Saldana Paris' sharp wit, Among Strange Victims is about waking up to the world's brighter possibilities." —NPR
£9.49
MX PUBLISHING Mr Holmes Advent Calendar Vol2 24 SolveitYourself
Book Synopsis
£14.24
MX PUBLISHING Mr Holmes Advent Calendar 24 SolveitYourself
Book Synopsis
£14.24
Hodder & Stoughton I'm Just a Teenage Punchbag: POIGNANT AND FUNNY:
Book Synopsis'Obligatory reading for all parents of teenagers!' NIGELLA LAWSON'Bloody marvellous. Horribly familiar, funny, touching, sad, brutally honest...clutch this book to your stained T-shirt and never let it go.' JO BRAND'Terrific. A remarkable blend of hilarity and heartbreak with a really satisfying plot. Being childless never felt so good.' GRAHAM NORTON'Warm and witty... The competitive mothering, the hell that is other people's children, the fights and accusations of Homeland inquisition all rang deliciously true... a most entertaining read.' KATHY LETTE'Very poignant... A moving read as well as a funny one.' JANE GARVEY 'Honest, hilarious and painful' WOMAN & HOMEWarning!! This novel may lead you to make rash and life-changing decisions!**Probably don't read if you fear you may be ripe for liberation. Or if you sometimes wee when you laugh...First there was Having It All, then there was Bridget Jones' s Diary and I Don't Know How She Does It. Now there is Teenage Punchbag.I'm Just A Teenage Punchbag is a laugh-out-loud, sob-on-the bus journey through the so-called life of a middle-aged woman.Ciara is mother to three ungrateful, entitled teenagers, is married to steady Martin, a man with hairy udders, and is grieving for her mum who now lives in the wardrobe in a cardboard box from the crematorium. She finds solace in her anonymous blog, and in the daily chats she has with her mum's ashes (often the best conversations she has all day.)Despite the menopause, the invisibility of middle age and the daily self-esteem bashings, courtesy of her kids, Ciara manages to navigate the stormy waters of grief and family life - until her mask slips and she is cast out from the family bosom. She embarks on a mission to fulfil her mum's dying wishes to have her remains sprinkled from the top of the Empire State Building, finding company, distraction and - ultimately - herself in the process.If motherhood is a job - who says you can't resign?
£11.24
Random House The Night Circus
Book SynopsisA beautiful hardback edition of the modern fantasy classic, from the bestselling author of The Starless Sea.''The only response to this novel is simply: wow. It is a breathtaking feat of imagination, a flight of fancy that pulls you in and wraps you up in its spell'' The TimesThe circus arrives without warning.It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Against the grey sky the towering tents are striped black and white. A sign hanging upon an iron gates reads:Opens at NightfallCloses at DawnFull of breath-taking amazements, Le Cirque des Rêves seems to cast a spell over all who wander its circular paths. But behind the glittering acrobats, fortune-tellers and contortionists a fierce competition is underway.Celia and Marco are two young magicians in the Circus, who have been trained since childhood for a deadly duel. With the lives of everyone at the Circus of Dreams at stake, they must test th
£17.09
Eye Books Sea Defences
Book SynopsisTwo mothers at war with the elements. And each other... 'Poetry in prose. Astutely observed' Fiona Erskine. Rachel, a trainee vicar struggling to bond with her flock in the coastal town of Holthorpe, learns the terrifying power of the North Sea when her six-year-old daughter goes missing on the beach. Meanwhile Mary, a defiant and distrustful loner, is fighting her own battle against nature as the crumbling Norfolk shoreline brings her clifftop home ever closer to destruction. Both scarred by life, the two women are drawn into an unlikely friendship, but Mary's misfit son Adam is nursing a secret. For Rachel, it will subject her battered faith to its greatest test: will she be strong enough to forgive? In her taut, lyrical debut novel, Hilary Taylor weaves the bleak power of the East Anglian winter into a searingly honest psychological drama, as gripping as any thriller.Trade Review'Poetry in prose. Written with warmth and wit, this astutely observed study in grief is balanced by an exploration of faith, friendship and love' - Fiona Erskine; 'A heartbreaking exploration of grief and faith, with undercurrents of unease and intrigue, this is a tender, poignant and compassionate literary thriller' - Philippa East; 'Utterly engrossing and atmospheric, Sea Defences is an extraordinarily accomplished debut novel with its bare but beguiling prose and poignant exploration of loss. I loved it!' - Jane Jesmond 'A stunning debut: evocative descriptions, strong characterisation and a simmering tension which builds to a thrilling finale. Fans of Broadchurch, in particular, will love this book.' Sarah Linley, Author of The Trip and The Wedding Murders.
£9.49
Vintage Publishing All About Sarah
Book Synopsis'All About Sarah moves impressively from the chaos and noise of love, to silence and solitude, like a spun coin settling.' John Self, Observer'A brief, intense read...compulsive... seductive prose.' Lara Feigel, GuardianAn intoxicating and evocative novel about the all-consuming love affair between two women in Paris and the ruin it leaves in its wake. It's all about Sarah, her mysterious beauty, Sarah the impetuous, Sarah the passionate, Sarah the sulphurous, it's all about the exact moment when the match flares, the exact moment when that piece of wood becomes fire, when the spark lights up the darkness. A thirty-something teacher drifts through her life in Paris, raising a daughter on her own, lonely in spite of a new boyfriend. Then one night, at a friend's tepid New Year's Eve party, Sarah enters the scene like a tornado. A talented young violinist, she is loud, vivacious, appealingly unkempt in a world where everyone seems preoccupied with being 'just so'. It is the beginning o
£13.49
Vintage Publishing The Jealousy Man
Book Synopsis**THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** TWELEVE DARK GRIPPING TWISTS FROM THE KING OF SCANDI CRIME Meet a detective on the trail of a man suspected of murdering his twin; a hired assassin facing his greatest adversary; and two passengers meeting by chance on a plane, spelling romance or something far more sinister. In this thrilling new collection the master of crime delivers a gripping, edge-of-your seat read that you won''t be able to put down. **Shortlisted for the Crime Writers'' Association Dagger Awards 2022** *JO NESBO HAS SOLD OVER 50 MILLION BOOKS WORLDWIDE* PRAISE FOR JO NESBO: ''A storyteller with few equals'' Daily Express ''Deliciously dark'' Heat ''Nightmare-inducing and terrific'' The Times READERS LOVE JO NESBO: ***** ''Intriguing, mysterious, full of suspense'' Netgal
£17.00
Vintage Publishing Enlightenment
Book SynopsisSarah Perry is the internationally best-selling author of the novels Enlightenment, Melmoth, The Essex Serpent and After Me Comes the Flood, and the non-fiction Essex Girls. She is a winner of the Waterstones Book of the Year Award and the British Book of the Year Award and has been nominated for major literary prizes including the Women's Prize for Fiction, the Dylan Thomas Prize, the Folio Prize and the Costa Novel Award. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
£17.00
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Skin
Book Synopsis
£15.19
Canelo The Assassin
Book SynopsisA diplomatic genius' Gordon BrownTom Fletcher is the essential diplomat, and was my support and sounding board about virtually every country on earth' David CameronHow far will he go to save a future he may never see?Having been made High Commissioner in Nairobi, Ed Barnes is keeping his head down and staying out of trouble. But when his daughter, Stephanie, is kidnapped following a security crisis for which he is blamed, his attempts at normality fall apart once again. He finds himself at the heart of a complex negotiation with a dangerous Somali terrorist group, in an effort to avert a regional security crisis and free his daughter.Meanwhile, across the globe a series of political assassinations have been shaking the world of business and government. Tensions boil over when a Chinese envoy is murdered in Jordan, only days before a crucial climate change conference, sparking a diplomat
£17.09
Granta Publications Ltd Ghost Wall
Book SynopsisINCLUDED IN THE BEST OF GRANTA SERIES: a powerful and chilling novel of haunted landscapes, rites of the past and a teenage girl in danger
£9.49
Rossdale Print Productions The Booksellers Wife
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Amusements
Book Synopsis''THIS BOOK is EVERYTHING'' Marian Keyes''Unputdownable . . . one of the best novels of the year'' Sunday IndependentIn the seaside town of Tramore, County Waterford, visitors arrive in waves with the tourist season, reliving the best days of their childhoods in its caravan parks, chippers and amusement arcades.Local teenager Helen Grant is indifferent to the charm of her surroundings; she dreams of escaping to art college with her glamorous classmate Stella Swaine and, from there, taking on the world. But leaving Tramore is easier said than done. Though they don''t yet know it, Helen and Stella''s lives are pulled by tides beyond their control.Following the Grant and Swaine families and their neighbours over three decades, The Amusements is a luminous and unforgettable story about roads taken and not taken - and a brilliantly observed portrait of a small-town community.__________''Flannery''s flawed, hopeful ch
£11.69
Barbican Press Red Hands
Book SynopsisRed Hands is a deeply compelling tale of a woman caught inside the destruction of a regime. Iordana is a normal girl, brought up with all the perks of Romania's corrupt communist regime. Then she falls in love and marries the eldest son of her parents' arch-rival, Romania's monstrous dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. They become the in-laws from hell, but she brings them their only grandson. And then there's the 1989 revolution, when crowds will kill anyone with the Ceausescu name. In all the blood and chaos, can Iordana keep her little son alive? Drawn from eighty hours of unique interviews and told in Iordana's own voice; a true-life tale that spins readers into the pleasures, excesses and horrors of late twentieth-century Europe. AUTHOR: Colin Sargent is the founding editor and publisher of the award-winning Portland Magazine in Maine, USA. Colin teaches Creative Writing at William & Mary in Williamsburg and is the author of Museum of Human Beings and The Boston Castrato, currently optioned for film by Gideon Films. He has a PhD in creative writing from Lancaster University and has also written 3 collections of poetry. Colin edited Approach Magazine, the US Navy's international flying magazine, whose contributors included Tom Wolfe. SELLING POINTS: . The remarkable fictionalised life of Iordana Ceausescu, who married Nicolae Ceausescu's eldest son,Valentin and became the mother of the Ceausescu's only grandson . A true-life tale that spins readers into the pleasures, excesses and horrors of late twentieth-century Europe . Drawn from 80 hours of unique interviewsTrade Review'Red Hands gives a unique insider’s view of the rise and fall of the dystopian regime of Nicolae and his wife, Elena. It is also a love story of Iordana for the couple’s eldest son, Valentin, as told to Sargent by Iordana during her exile in Old Orchard Beach, where she hid for several years after the bloody 1989 revolution... The taut, vivid writing in Red Hands – there are no wasted words – makes for a fast-paced, heartfelt book for our time.' - Maine Sunday Telegram“Sargent’s work reads like memoir, written in Iordana’s voice. But Sargent’s skilled writing provides vivid images, lively character studies, a portrait of a brutal, controlling regime, insights into the nature of love, friendship and courage, and tension maintained at such a pitch, that it was almost a relief when the blood eventually began to spill. In an era of books geared to gendered markets, there’s more than enough of both romance and political intrigue to satisfy both groups.”- Historical Novel Society“A very personal story of love and loss amidst senior political families. Sargent’s description of the street battles and looting in Bucharest are palpitatingly told, fully engaging the reader in the narrowness of their survival. This is a fine book and an excellent read.” – Morning Star, UK"Colin Sargent describes crafting Red Hands, his latest novel about Iordana Ceausescu, like salvaging scattered crystals from a shattered chandelier... Sargent's depiction restores her as a luminescent and resilient whole set against a turbulent background." Midwest Book Review"Sargent’s novel is both a personal story of deep romantic love and a terrifying historical lesson about life in a police state helmed by a ruthless, cult-of-personality dictator... Poignant, frightening, packed with historical nuggets—a cautionary tale for contemporary times." - Kirkus Reviews
£12.34
Cassava Republic Press Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun
Book SynopsisMorayo Da Silva, a cosmopolitan Nigerian woman, lives in hip San Francisco. On the cusp of seventy-five, she is in good health and makes the most of it, enjoying road trips in her vintage Porsche, chatting to strangers, and recollecting characters from her favourite novels. Then she has a fall and her independence crumbles. Without the support of family, she relies on friends and chance encounters. As Morayo recounts her story, moving seamlessly between past and present, we meet Dawud, a charming Palestinian shopkeeper, Sage, a feisty, homeless Grateful Dead devotee, and Antonio, the poet whom Morayo desired more than her ambassador husband. A subtle story about ageing, friendship and loss, this is also a nuanced study of the erotic yearnings of an older woman.Trade Review'Dr. Morayo Da Silva is one of the most memorable characters you are likely to encounter on the page - intelligent, indomitable, author and survivor of a large life. In dreamlike prose, Manyika dips in and out of her present, her past, in a story that argues always for generosity, for connection, for a vigorous and joyful endurance.' - Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves; 'Manyika's story about an elderly Nigerian woman is quiet, sophisticated and it expands the canon of contemporary African literature into welcome new territory.' - Bernardine Evaristo, author of Mr Loverman; 'If aging be a lamp, then Morayo, the protagonist in Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun is a mesmerizing glow. Astute, sensual, funny, and moving.' - NoViolet Bulawayo, author of We Need New Names; 'Sarah Manikya's 'Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun' is the rare sort of book that, from the instant you pick it up, you know that you will privy to the most intimate secrets. It is as if Dr. Morayo Da Silva is speaking directly into your ear. A real life-force of a character whose honesty, warmth, energy, and bravery in the face of inevitable loss springs forth on the page. Chekhov once said that the 'Russian loves to recall living, but he does not love living." Da Silva manages, in her unique way, to love both, the remembering and life in the present tense. A beautiful, important new novel, and one that will continue to echo in a reader's mind for a long time after.' - Peter Orner, author of Love and Shame and Love; 'S.L. Manyika writes with great verve and gentle wit, illuminating her characters with subtle insight.' - Jamal Mahjoub, author of Travelling with Djinns; 'In this gorgeous and finely crafted book Sarah Manyika takes a sideways look at the lives of other people, lives that usually pass us and each other by, that when they touch may do so with no more than a glancing blow, but may also connect, as they do in Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun, tenderly, simply and sweetly. Manyika's novel shows ordinary people at their best. Uplifting!' - Aminatta Forna, author of The Memory of Love; Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun follows the adventures of the fabulous Dr. Morayo, a woman dancing on the edge of old age. This remarkable novel contains multitudes. It is a story of aging; the wry, stately voice of Dr. Morayo gives us a Grand Old Heroine for our times: mischievous, wise, fallible, feisty, and above all, strong. It is a love affair with San Francisco; a contrapuntal variety of voices and perspectives bring the city to eager, brimming life. And it is deeply political: speaking of a Nigerian woman's awesome sense of power and her simultaneous anguish at the depredations of her boko-haramed hometown. Wise, tender and beautifully voiced, Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun is a storytelling triumph.' - Lavanya Sankaran, author of The Red Carpet;
£10.79
Cassava Republic Press When We Speak of Nothing
Book Synopsis"Some of the women walked so slow they were, like, floating. For real. Heads perfectly straight. Hips swaying, left, slow, right, slow, step, slow. If you didn't concentrate you would think they weren't moving at all, their bodies just hanging in space..."Best mates Karl and Abu are both 17 and live near Kings Cross. Its 2011 and racial tensions are set to explode across London. Abu is infatuated with gorgeous classmate Nalini but dares not speak to her. Meanwhile, Karl is the target of the local "wannabe" thugs just for being different. When Karl finds out his father lives in Nigeria, he decides that Port Harcourt is the best place to escape the sound and fury of London, and connect with a Dad he's never known. Rejected on arrival, Karl befriends Nakale, an activist who wants to expose the ecocide in the Niger Delta to the world, and falls headlong for his feisty cousin Janoma. Meanwhile, the murder of Mark Duggan triggers a full-scale riot in London. Abu finds himself in its midst, leading to a near-tragedy that forces Karl to race back home.When We Speak of Nothing launches a powerful new voice onto the literary stage.The fluid prose, peppered with contemporary slang, captures what it means to be young, black and queer in London. If grime music were a novel, it would be this.Trade Review‘This smart novel with electric prose tells us what it means to be young, black and queer in London.’ Elle Magazine ‘Refreshingly original, energetic and ambitious storytelling. Popoola joins the ranks of the best of the powerful new voices invigorating both British and African fiction.’ Bernardine Evaristo, author of Mr Loverman
£10.79
Cassava Republic Press A Small Silence
Book SynopsisImprisoned for ten years for his rage against society, activist and retired academic Prof resolves to live a life of darkness after his release from prison. He holes up in his apartment, pushing away friends and family, and embraces his status as an urban legend in the neighbourhood until a knock at the door shakes his new existence. His new visitor is Desire, an orphan and final year student, who has grown up idolising Prof, following a fateful encounter in her hometown of Maroko as a child. Tentatively, the two begin to form a bond, as she returns every night at 9pm to see him. However, the darkness of the room becomes a steady torment, that threatens to drive Desire away for good. A Small Silence is an intimate and evocative debut that charges us to look again at the alienating effects of trauma and the power of solitude and darkness to ignite the imagination.
£10.79
Random House China Room
Book SynopsisThe author of the multi-prize-winning The Year of the Runaways returns with a novel of forbidden love that echoes across the generations''China Room is the kind of novel that reminds you why you fell in love with reading'' Open Book, BBC Radio 4Shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2022Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2021Longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2022Longlist for the Ondaatje Prize 2022A Daily Telegraph , Guardian and The Times Book of the Year Mehar, a young bride in rural 1929 Punjab, is trying to discover the identity of her new husband. She and her sisters-in-law, married to three brothers in a single ceremony, spend their days at work in the family''s ''china room'', sequestered from contact with the men. When Mehar develops a theory as to which of them is hers, a passion is ignited that will put more than one lif
£15.29
Mirror Books The Weight of Small Things
Book Synopsis'A beautifully written book with a charming, young narrator, combined with a surprisingly dark and unusual whodunnit. It's a touching, powerful and twisty read, packed with intrigue. Will appeal to fans of Joanna Cannon's The Trouble With Goats and Sheep.' S.J. Harris, author of The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder'Powerful writing...' Woman's Way Magazine'With devastating purity and clarity, nine year old Frankie Appleton is likely to enter your hearts in this poignant and emotional read.' Love Reading Nine-year-old Frankie Appleton likes to count gates.One day she hopes to design the perfect gate - a gate to keep the bad things out.Little does she know that the bad things have already got in.Now her mother is dead, and the only other person with a house key has disappeared.Frankie thinks she knows who it is. But first she has to prove it.A delicately brutal exploration of what lies behind closed doors, and of the secrets and lies that form the fabric of every family, The Weight of Small Things is as charming as it is chilling.Trade Review'A beautifully written book with a charming, young narrator, combined with a surprisingly dark and unusual whodunnit. It's a touching, powerful and twisty read, packed with intrigue. Will appeal to fans of Joanna Cannon's The Trouble With Goats and Sheep.' S.J. Harris, author of The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder'One of the best books I've read this year' Dave, 5 stars'Extremely current and highly readable' Beverley, 5 stars'Brutally honest, frank and beautiful' Natalie, 5 stars
£8.54
Marmalade Press Tib Street Ballroom
Book SynopsisManchester, 1986. Ambitious detective Andrew Joyce is transferred to a new department which employs unusual methods to solve cold cases. Sceptical Joyce must find a way to work with former socialite Peggy Swan - who just so happens to be able to speak to the dead - to solve the mystery of a young woman's murder before the killer can strike again.
£8.99
Vintage Publishing Resolution
Book SynopsisThe #1 Sunday Times bestseller is back with a powerful, riveting new novel, as maverick investigator Ray Lennox discovers that confronting his past could cost him everything.OLD TRUTHS HAVE NEW CONSEQUENCESRay Lennox is determined to move on from his darkest days. The former detective has left Edinburgh for a fresh start in Brighton. Soon, his fixations and addictions have been replaced with quiet evenings and a rigorous fitness regime.Then Lennox meets Mathew Cardingworth. Rich, smooth-talking and immaculately dressed, he presents himself as a successful, and respectable, property developer. Yet their encounter reawakens memories that have haunted Lennox for decades, sending him into a spiral of confusion and rage.Lennox has no choice he must confront the events of his childhood. But the more he identifies the links between Cardingworth, the disappearance of a group of foster care boys and the violence of his past, the more h
£17.00
Cranthorpe Millner Publishers Stars on the Blue Horizon
Book SynopsisDavid dreams every night of a mysterious red-haired woman. But as he falls more and more in love with the concept of her, his obsession leads him to make dangerous choices, culminating in his involvement with Amsterdam's criminal underworld.
£9.49
Cranthorpe Millner Publishers I Didnt See That Coming
Book SynopsisExploring the challenges of the female experience, Sarah Whitton's insightful debut novel offers an honest but deeply flawed protagonist, whose countless mistakes in her romantic relationships ultimately teach her to respect herself and her own value.
£999.99
