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
ZunTold Rapids
Book SynopsisRapids Yan Harris is VERY EXCITED. Well, of course she is. It’s summer, she’s got over her depression and she’s in London for a week with her BFF Chelsea. After seventeen years in a sleepy village where everybody just knows them as The Chinese One and The Brainy One… life is calling. It’s a pretty cool prospect… if Chel can stop worrying about discourse in the Nordhelm fandom long enough to enjoy it. Chelsea’s worried about Yan, too, to Yan’s annoyance. Barely sleeping, barely eating, getting increasingly gobby, having an – ahem – close encounter in a toilet, giving a Tory MP a good kick in the shins, and running around kind of literally screaming… well, it’s all just good summer fun, isn’t it? Isn’t it? In the desperate battle of Yan vs. bipolar disorder, does the poor disease really stand a chance? Written by an author who lives with bipolar herself, this is a hilarious yet edge-of-your-seat ride, with friendship at its heart. Perfect for fans of Holly Bourne and Alice Oseman. “This book nails it—not just the vertiginous flights of bipolar, but also the pure joy of youth.” – Marya Hornbacher, author of Wasted and Madness: a Bipolar Life “Cleverly written, fast-paced and engaging. I rattled through it, desperate to know what happened.” – Nicola Morgan, author of Blame My Brain “You don't want to miss this story, it will hit you like a tidal wave.” – Lucas Maxwell, UK School Librarian of the Year 2017 “It’s impossible not to fall in love with Yan.” – Tabitha Suzuma, author of Forbidden and A Note of Madness “Authentic, dazzling and a vivid demonstration of why neurodivergent "own voices" are so important.” - Eric Lindstrom, author of Not if I See You First and A Tragic Kind of Wonderful “Witty, inventive and incredibly immersive. Yan is a brilliant, heart-breaking character.” - Elen Caldecott, author of The Short Knife
£9.49
Prototype Publishing Ltd. Lorem Ipsum
Book SynopsisLorem Ipsum, the debut novel from poet Oli Hazzard, consists of a single, 50,000-word sentence. An epistolary fiction addressed to an unidentified email recipient, the novel is modelled after the Japanese prose genre of the zuihitsu, which means ‘following the brush’.This playful, disruptive and digressive novel is written out of and towards a moment of crisis in the ordinary, in which the experience of attention has changed entirely.Lorem Ipsum is also an intimate, singular exploration of being a parent and a child, of dreams, work, fantasies, reading, happiness, secrets, memory, protest, repetition, intergenerational conflict, and the forms of community which appear or disappear based on how we conceive of 'shared time'. It is a book about the foundations upon which we build our lives, and what happens when they are shaken.
£10.80
Orenda Books The Bleeding: The dazzlingly dark, bewitching
Book SynopsisQueen of French Noir, Johana Gustawsson returns with a spell-binding, dazzlingly dark gothic thriller that swings from Belle Époque France to 21st-century Quebec, with an extraordinary mystery at its heart … FIRST in a bewitching new series **Shortlisted for the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger** `A wonderfully dark, intricately woven historical thriller spanning three generations … it will have you hooked from the very first page' B A Paris `A gripping story of murder and black magic …Gustawsson slowly weaves together three seemingly disparate strands of her narrative with a skill that shows why she is such an admired crime writer in her native France´ The Times BOOK OF THE MONTH `Intriguingly dark and vivid, and so cleverly told through three different time frames´ Essie Fox ________________ Three women Three eras One extraordinary mystery…1899, Belle Époque Paris. Lucienne’s two daughters are believed dead when her mansion burns to the ground, but she is certain that her girls are still alive and embarks on a journey into the depths of the spiritualist community to find them. 1949, Post-War Québec. Teenager Lina’s father has died in the French Resistance, and as she struggles to fit in at school, her mother introduces her to an elderly woman at the asylum where she works, changing Lina’s life in the darkest way imaginable. 2002, Quebec. A former schoolteacher is accused of brutally stabbing her husband – a famous university professor – to death. Detective Maxine Grant, who has recently lost her own husband and is parenting a teenager and a new baby single-handedly, takes on the investigation. Under enormous personal pressure, Maxine makes a series of macabre discoveries that link directly to historical cases involving black magic and murder, secret societies and spiritism … and women at breaking point, who will stop at nothing to protect the ones they love… _________________ `This novel is a whirlpool that draws you irresistibly into levels of darkness so much deeper than you can possibly be ready for´ Ambrose Parry `I found myself racing through the book, always wanting one more page, one more chapter. A wonderfully creepy, unsettling read, with a superb twist in its tail´ James Oswald `Gustawsson’s writing is so vivid, it’s electrifying. Utterly compelling´ Peter James `I was hooked from the first page – a stunning and beautifully written gothic thriller full of atmosphere, intrigue and delight´ Alexandra Benedict `Brilliant … the last chapters knocked me sideways, and it’s a long time since that’s happened´ Lisa Hall `A dark world of elegance and grotesque … mesmeric´ Matt Wesolowski `Harrowing, compelling, haunting, vivid, twisty and shocking! ´ Noelle Holten `A powerful page-turner´ Livres Hebdo ***NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER IN FRANCE*** FOR FANS OF Laura Purcell, Stacey Halls, Bridget Collins, Anna Mazzola, Essie Fox, Ambrose Parry and Laura Shepherd-Robinson Praise for Johana Gustawsson `A satisfying, full-fat mystery´ The Times `Assured telling of a complex story´ Sunday Times `A real page-turner, I loved it´ Martina Cole `A bold and intelligent read´ Guardian `Utterly compelling´ Woman’s Own `Cleverly plotted, simply excellent´ Ragnar Jónasson `A must-read´ Daily Express `Gritty, bone-chilling, and harrowing – it’s not for the faint of heart, and not to be missed´ Crime by the Book `A relentless heart-stopping masterpiece´ New York Journal of Book
£9.49
Henningham Family Press The Goddess Lens
Book SynopsisPascal implants his eye with a green lens that promises to open a Virtual Reality world. While he waits for it to kick in, his critical ex-boyfriend/editor, a ramshackle novel about Goddesses, and the first Covid-19 lockdown make the real world an awkward and unpleasant place to be.
£11.69
RedDoor Press Dust
Book Synopsis'Early in life, my grandfather told me that only three things were certain: birth, death and time. And time only ticked one way; it went forward and never back. It came to be a recurring wish with me, the desire to turn back the clock, to undo what I had done. Always wishing for the impossible, my feet stuck firm in the molasses of the present, unable to shrug off decisions I had made and their unforeseen or disregarded consequences.' J.J Walsh and Tony 'El Greco' Papadakis are inseparable. Smoking Kents out on an abandoned cannery dock, and watching gulls sway on rusting buoys in the sea, they dream of adventure...a time when they can act as adults. The day they'll see the mighty Pacific Ocean. Set in small-town New Jersey in the 1960s, against the backdrop of the Vietnam war, Dust follows the boys through the dry heat of a formative summer. They face religious piety and its murderous consequences, alcohol, girls, sex, loss, tragedy and ultimately the tiny things that combine to make life what it is for the two friends - a great adventure. But it's a road trip through the heart of southern America with J.J.'s father that truly reveals a darker side to life - the two halves of a divided nation, where wealth, poverty and racial bigotry collide.This beautifully written debut novel would not be out of place alongside the work of Steinbeck and Philipp Meyer's American Rust. At turns funny, and at others heart-achingly sad, their story unfolds around the honest and frequently irreverent observations of two young people trying to grow up fast in a world that is at times confusing, and at others seen with a clarity only the young may possess.
£8.99
Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Publishers The Boy Who Could Swim
Book Synopsis
£11.69
Charco Press A Perfect Cemetery
Book Synopsis"His stories shimmer like revelations – the clarity, mystery, beauty, depth, and sheer, thrilling peculiarity of ordinary life when the veil lifts. They’re exhilarating to read, just as exhilarating to re-read." —Deborah EisenbergChildhood does not last long in the Argentine mountains of Córdoba, and adult lives fall apart quickly. In disarming, darkly humorous stories, Federico Falco explores themes of obsessive love, romantic attachment and the strategies we must find to cope with death and painful longing.In the middle of a blizzard a widow watches the ruin of her late-husband’s garden, until suddenly she sees a woman running naked in the falling snow. After telling her parents she is abandoning her Christian faith, a girl becomes infatuated with a Mormon missionary who reminds her of a boy killed in her village years before. When his family’s home is lost, a father desperately offers his daughter’s hand in marriage to anyone who will take them in. And a town’s mayor tries to fulfill his father’s dying wish – to design the perfect cemetery.Trade Review"The quiet assurance with which Falco addresses rural environments represents a departure recalling the perspectives of writers from the northern hemisphere such as Denis Johnson, Knut Hamsun or Tobias Wolff." —The Times Literary Supplement"Expansive and ingeniously crafted—an unforgettable collection." —Kirkus, starred review"Falco proves himself as a fine storyteller." —Publishers Weekly"These rich and authentic portraits of Argentinian lives are well worth seeking out...You could imagine Alastair McLeod or John McGahern paying homage. (5 stars)" —RTÉ"Moving, morbid, and humorous at the same time." —LA Review of Books"Falco is a master of the short story."" —Martin MacInnes , author of INFINITE GROUND and GATHERING EVIDENCE"His stories shimmer like revelations – the clarity, mystery, beauty, depth, and sheer, thrilling peculiarity of ordinary life when the veil lifts. They’re exhilarating to read, just as exhilarating to re-read."" —Deborah Eisenberg , author of YOUR DUCK IS MY DUCK"Each powerful story captivates and I cannot recommend this collection enough." —Morning Star"When people praise Chekhov, stories like this are what they're thinking of." —James Crossley, Madison Books"Croft’s translations of the stories in A Perfect Cemetery are loyal to the profound beauty, rootedness, and longing they portray." —World Literature Today"At long last, Argentine author Federico Falco finally has a full-length work in translation. A Perfect Cemetery is a 2016 collection of five stories, several of which are much longer than traditional short stories (thankfully so). With confident prose, storytelling verve, and remarkable consideration for both character and landscape, Falco writes impressively well. Though plights of fancy embroil each of Falco’s characters, they are conveyed with a compassion and authenticity that make them seem utterly lifelike." —Jeremy Garber, Powell's Bookshop"Every word and sentence, including those of Croft’s sincere and illuminating note that concludes the volume, should be savored, consumed in a rush only during those moments when you’re flying down the summer streets with Silvi on her bicycle as she searches for the boy she believes she loves." —On the Seawall"As so often in this compelling collection, the stories only open out once you finish them." —David's Book World"The succinctness of the plotlines in these stories is inversely proportional to their vast narrative expanse, to everything the writing is able to carve out between the sharply curtailed dialogues and all that simmers underneath." —La Nación"Perfectly honed... [Falco’s] skill is apparent in the originality of these plots, the economy and naturalness of the characters’ conversations, and in the meticulous observation of a gesture that may encapsulate whole central motifs" —Ñ Magazine
£9.49
Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Publishers Art
Book Synopsis
£10.44
Greenwich Exchange Ltd Stealing the Past: A River Tale
Book Synopsis
£10.19
Eulipion I Hear a Melody
Book SynopsisSet from 1954 until present times in Cornwall and London, the story begins with seven-year-old Sarah Hodges, a mixed-race child and her loving parents. Music, particularly jazz is a major part of their family, a backdrop to her Cornish childhood and her adult life in London. She considers how to navigate her way as an outsider throughout. A major life event, together with people she meets helps her to reflect upon her own identity.Trade Review‘Themes of race and identity are explored in rural and urban environments, and found to be problematic in both. Growing up and becoming aware of these issues, coupled with oppressive gender attitudes she encounters, Sarah’s innocence seems to be gradually eroded. And yet, despite Sarah’s life struggles, there is a sense of joy, and a positivity, that flows throughout her life’s narrative. Grounded and anchored by family and friends, our protagonist finds delight and comfort in the simple things - shared meals, music and companionship. This marks Anna’s drama out from others that might deal with such crucial subjects in a less optimistic way. Above all, there is hope.’ David Brett, The Word Bookshop, London; ‘I Hear a Melody gives an insightful and rich perspective into how it feels to be a child growing up within two cultures as she navigates her own identity in Britain.’ Oluwatoyin Odunsi, Creative Producer and Head of Learning and Participation, Brixton House, London; ‘unique, memorable, and brilliant storytelling.’ Lorna Wells, playwright, writer and lyricist
£10.44
Scribe Publications Learning to Die
Book SynopsisDeath is a bird of paradise: we all know what it is, but it can be many different things that arenât at all alike. Is thirty already too late to reconsider? Natalie, usually so conscientious, canât remember why her life is following Plan B. Danâs unclouded vision of the universe has never extended to understanding his wife. But their marriage has some precious ember at its core, doesnât it?Meanwhile, trader Mike is relieved to discover that it doesnât matter if thereâs a void where the weightiest substance of your character should be. Fearless mountaineer Brenda sweats and trembles in a crowded room. And James, pacing and fidgeting in a cage of his own design, doesnât know how to unfollow his dreams. This vivaciously intelligent novel follows five characters as they confront a painful truth that none is expecting so soon, but that might just help them learn how to live.
£11.04
Aspal Press Limited Some Kind of Company
Book Synopsis
£12.34
Everything with Words Notes on my Family
Book SynopsisFamily isn't a word, it's game with too many players. Lou's world is changing, breaking down, chaos is seeping in. Dad is having an affair, Mum has 'an episode', nan's communicating with angels, brother Mikey, struggling with his sexuality, covers every kitchen surface with cakes, her friend Faith discovers the importance of Nietzsche and Fleetwood Mac, then Mikey disappears... Emily Critchley's touching, unsettling and darkly hilarious novel is a hymn to the absurdity and surreal undercurrents that lie beneath ordinary suburban lives.Trade Review'This exceptional debut is the compelling, sharply observed story of a family in crisis told, in an understated narrative voice reminiscent of Mark Haddon or Harper Lee, by 13-year-old Lou, who is on the autism spectrum.' The Sunday Times. 'A warm, witty and moving look at one complicated family and the girl at the heart of it. Full of sincerity, intelligence and hope.' Anna James, A CASE FOR BOOKS. 'Brilliantly observed.' Julia Bell, author of THE DARK LIGHT. 'A Talent to watch.' Sunny Singh, author of HOTEL ARCADIA.' An outstanding book about the nature of identity.' LINDAS BOOK BAG
£8.54
Medina Publishing Ltd A Dark and Stormy Night
Book SynopsisTo that which we give the name of Love, be it of the flesh or of God, is it ever less than divine? In a space of mere hours, a life and faith in their entirety are to be re-lived by Simon Chance. One-time missionary and bishop, Chance had withdrawn in mid-life to research - and teach - his enduring mentor Dante, creator of The Divine Comedy. He is recently widowed, after the prolonged descent into dementia of his devoted wife Marigold, violinist and composer. To recuperate, he is invited by a life-long confidante, Clare, to her son's villa in the hills behind St Tropez in southern France, to join a house party of old friends from their university days, each now reaping the rewards of their worldly careers. The reunion coincides with the collapse of global banking confidence - and the playing-out of Clare's own loss of love. Such is one weave of this narrative. On a walk in the forest of the Massif des Maures surrounding the remote villa, in search of a church abandoned centuries ago, Chance loses his way - in a `dark wood', as once experienced by Dante. The night turns wild. Such is a second weave. Marigold has not been the only love of Simon Chance. The passionate liaison of his earlier life, pre-ordination, was with a student botanist. This very Evie, with her Parliamentarian spouse, is about to join the house party of Clare, her greatest friend. A vital element in that searing, abandoned youthful liaison is yet to be reconciled with this scholar-cleric Chance had come to be. Now it rises to confront him. Here is the binding and defining weave of this night, unraveling in dark and storm and dawn. The working-through of the nature of love, physical and spiritual, in love's innocence and purity, will redeem Simon Chance or destroy him. Or both.Trade Review"This is a beautiful book. The Dante Scholar lost in a dark wood, the Bishop going into the darkness where God is. The man who has experienced Love on so many levels, reliving his past before confronting the great Empyrean. This impressive narration isn't just a stream of consciousness. It is a well-crafted narration, it has a plot. Marigold is very vivid to me, but the other two women, Clare and Evie, are also very distinct. Tom Stacey also conveys - mysteriously - the characters of the other members of the house party: whom we never meet. Humour, humanity, passion are all here. It's a superb achievement." - A N Wilson ;"Tom Stacey again confronts life's great issues in his superb new novel A Dark and Stormy Night. God and Mammon, music and Faith, pain and bereavement, the passing of time and the nature of friendship and grief, it opens with the hero getting physically lost in a forest in Provence at the time of the Great Crash. But is he spiritually lost too? All this plus Dante, pygmies and a brilliant twist in the tale. Vintage Stacey." - Andrew Roberts
£9.00
Tramp Press Line
Book SynopsisWillard, his mother and his girlfriend Nyla have spent their entire lives in an endless journey where daily survival is dictated by the ultimate imperative: obey the rules, or you will lose your place in the Line. Everything changes the day Willard s mother dies and he finds an incomprehensible book hidden among her few belongings...Trade Review'An enthralling work of high imagination and storytelling flair.' - Donal Ryan 'Line is an extraordinary novel – gripping, unsettling, brilliant.' - Roddy Doyle 'A powerful, discomfiting fable of uncertainty and failure, poetically crafted, politically pointed, a Ballardian take on the near-now that shows us how fleeting our idea of absoluteness really is.' - June Caldwell 'Line is a modern parable of the most ambitious kind. A Grapes of Wrath for the age of digital capitalism.' - Rónán Hession 'Beautifully written, terrifyingly intelligent, shot through with poetry, political nous and a darkly comic sensibility. Queuing up for a loaf of sourdough will never feel quite the same again.' - Hilary Fannin 'Sharply funny and astute.' - Sarah Moss, Irish Times 'Reads like a lost pulp fiction classic.' - The Times 'A dystopian tale worth queuing up for... Bourke's world-building is epic.' - Independent 'Groundbreaking speculative fiction.' - Doug Johnstone, Big Issue
£10.79
Pushkin Press The Other's Gold
Book SynopsisAssigned to the same suite during their freshman year at Quincy-Hawthorne College, Lainey, Ji Sun, Alice, and Margaret quickly become inseparable. But their bonds must weather threats that come from the dark forests of their childhoods, and beyond - from institutions, from one another, and ultimately, from within themselves. As they move through their wild college days to their more feral days as new parents, each of the four friends will make a terrible mistake. With one part of the novel devoted to each mistake - the Accident, the Accusation, the Kiss, and the Bite -The Other's Gold reveals the achingly familiar ways our life-defining turning points prompt our relationships to unravel and re-knit, as the women discover what they and their loved ones are capable of, and capable of forgiving.
£8.54
Pushkin Press Dinner Party
Book SynopsisKate has taught herself to be careful, to be meticulous. To mark the anniversary of a death in the family, she plans a dinner party - from the fancy table settings to the perfect Baked Alaska waiting in the freezer. Yet by the end of the night, old tensions have flared, the guests have fled, and Kate is spinning out of control. But all we have is ourselves, her father once said, all we have is family. Set between the 1990s and the present day, from a farmhouse in Carlow to Trinity College, Dublin, Dinner Party is a dark, sharply observed debut that thrillingly unravels into family secrets and tragedy. As the past catches up with the present, Kate learns why, despite everything, we can't help returning home.
£15.29
Cipher Press Large Animals
Book SynopsisDaring, witty, and strange, the twelve stories in Large Animals confront what it means to have a body. Jess Arndt's often-unnamed narrators battle with inhabiting a form that makes them feel both deeply uncomfortable and detached, constantly challenging the limits of gender and reality as they try to connect with other people and with themselves. These are stories that rebel against accepted ideas of human identity and present a new normal that is as ambiguous as it is messy. In 'Moon Colonies' the narrator's disconnect with their body leads them on a masochistic gambling spree. In 'Jeff', Lily Tomlin mistakes Jess for Jeff, triggering a hilarious and unhinged identity crisis. And in 'Contrails', a character calls each of their ex lovers the night before surgery, confronting a gut-twisting fear of becoming non-existent. Soupy, visceral, and often disconcerting, Large Animals sets a new standard for language, challenging our concepts of gender and body in a way that feels radical, insightful, and incredibly relevant.Trade Review"...joins in with the classics of loaded, outlaw literature... this is an electric debut." Maggie Nelson; "Everything in Jess Arndt's Large Animals veers towards the supernatural. Everything is strangely bodily and shape-shifting. Hugely original, this debut is wild." - Isabel Waidner; "Jess Arndt has crafted a queer uncanny, an eerily recognizable landscape of dark magic and darker humor where the instability of bodies, desire, relationships, and the self take on a supernatural dimension. A tremendously exciting collection." - Michelle Tea; "Jess Arndt is like a queer Kafka''- Ingrid Contreras, New York Times editor's choice author of Fruit of the Drunken Tree. “Each time I pick up a book, this is the voice I’m hoping to hear. Honest, agitating, queer, visionary. Arndt refuses binaries, haunting the space between. The pleasure of Large Animals is in the bite.” - Justin Torres, author of We the Animals "Strange, smart, and probing... an important voice on timely questions of the body politic." - Elle “Arndt’s vivid, rollicking stories represent a new kind of American outlaw literature, of transgression and nonconformity and queerness and heart, all told in a propulsive, original voice.” - Literary Hub “Metamorphosis―of time, of space, of character―is exposed in every playful sentence of Large Animals. Language will not be kept in its form. Life, poetry, gender are always in the process of transformation, and this fundamental condition is at the heart of Jess Arndt’s stories. Large Animals is a strange and beautiful must-read.” - Dorthe Nors, author of Karate Chop and So Much for That Winter "Jess Arndt’s writing is so strange and imaginative that it provides release from the real world." - The Cut "Arndt tells stories that resemble handfuls of ribbons―vibrant, overlapping, tangled, seemingly more middles than beginnings and endings. . . . Arndt’s keen, wild stories are truly original, and readers will hope for more." - Booklist "Arndt’s short stories are delicious flights of fancy, or obsession, or fertile curiosity―or, more accurately, some beguiling combination of all three...This is a playful and provocative collection, full of sly, deft turns of phrase and striking imagery." - Publishers Weekly “[A] bold new literary voice, borderless and brave.” - O, The Oprah Magazine "Reading Arndt is like walking toward a shimmering desert mirage and being met with a cloud of acid instead of an oasis of cool water… A deeply transgressive, riveting shot out of the gate. Arndt is one to watch." - Kirkus Reviews
£9.49
Pushkin Press Service
Book SynopsisNew in paperback: the conversation-starting, engrossing novel about power and consent in the pressure cooker of a high-end restaurantWhen Hannah learns that famed chef Daniel Costello is facing accusations of sexual assault, she's thrown back to the summer she spent waitressing at his high-end Dublin restaurant - the plush splendour of the dining rooms, the wild parties after service, the sizzling tension of the kitchens. But Hannah also remembers how the attention from Daniel soon morphed from kindness into something darker. Now the restaurant is shuttered and Daniel is faced with the reality of a courtroom. His wife Julie is hiding from paparazzi lenses behind the bedroom curtains. Surrounded by the wreckage of the past, Daniel, Julie and Hannah must reconsider what happened at the restaurant. Their three different voices reveal a story of power and complicity, the lies we tell and the courage it takes to face the truth.
£9.49
Fairlight Books There Are Things I Know
Book SynopsisEight year old Pepper sees the world a little differently from most people. One day, during a school field trip, Pepper is kidnapped by a stranger and driven to rural Arkansas. The man, who calls himself 'Uncle Dan', claims that Pepper's mother has died and they are to live together from now on - but the boy isn't convinced. Pepper always found it hard to figure out when people are lying, but he's absolutely certain his mother is alive, and he's going to find her...Trade Review'8-year old Pepper proves a tenacious, resourceful hero in his own drama. Immensely readable and sweetly told' —Marti Leimbach, author of 'Daniel Isn't Talking'; ‘A charming and touching story’ —The Big Issue; ‘An engaging, highly readable and skilfully written novella. It generates a fine sense of shadowy jeopardy and builds to a satisfyingly tense climax. In Pepper it has a convincing young narrator who sees the world in his own very distinctive fashion' —Anthony Ferner, author of 'Inside the Bone Box'
£7.59
Cipher Press Dryland
Book SynopsisIt's 1992 in Portland, Oregon. Fifteen-year-old Julie Winter moves through her days as if underwater - watching skaters through the constant rain, detached from her best friend's crushes, listening to the same B-side REM song on repeat. The rest of the world is caught up in the AIDS crisis, the war in Yugoslavia, and grunge. But to Julie it's all background. No one at home talks about her older brother, a once-champion swimmer who could be living in Berlin, or could be anywhere. And although she spends her time searching for pictures of him in the pages of Swimmer's World magazine, she'd never considered swimming herself. Until Alexis, captain of the swimming team, tries to recruit her. What starts as a flirtation and an infatuation becomes a chance to join in with the world, find out what really happened to her brother, or finally let him go. Yearning, stifled, and sharp, Dryland is an anti-coming out novel that captures gauzy queer exploration at its quietest and its most loud.Trade Review"Be still my gay grunge heart" - Beth Ditto “Sara Jaffe’s Dryland is the perfect indie-rock love song, an anthem for lonely 90s queer kids—a little melancholy, a little surly, a little dirty." - Andrea Lawlor, Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl "Remarkable. It's realism, but its realism brushes ever so deftly against the allegorical, making the novel shimmer, part diary, part dream" - Maggie Nelson, The Argonauts "A brilliant, beautiful, and evocative first novel, full of historical and experiential details that I had never quite articulated to myself and was so grateful and happy to find written down. Sara Jaffe is a treasure." - Elif Batuman, The Idiot "A gorgeous, layered, meticulous, clamoring, beating heart of a thing." - Sara Marcus, Girls to the Front "Moving sideways with its weight of secrets, this novel never strikes a false note"- Kirkus
£9.49
Fairlight Books The Woodcock
Book SynopsisWhen an American whaler arrives to a coastal town, the peace of its inhabitants is disrupted. A tale of passion and folly set in the North East of England.Trade Review'A novel of shifting, silted landscapes and relationships laid bare, with quiet urgency The Woodcock reveals the complexities of desire, instinct and faith' —Eley Williams, author of 'The Liar's Dictionary'; 'Beautifully written - I could almost taste the salt' —Carys Bray, author of 'A Song for Issy Bradley'; 'An astonishing piece of literary ventriloquism - Smyth revisits the period novel with a contemporary sensibility and an incredible sense of place' —Owen Booth, author of 'The All True Adventures (And Rare Education) of The Daredevil Daniel Bones'; 'This is a funny and thoughtful novel. Sardonic sometimes, mordant at others, it is always witty, fast, and smart' —Tim Dee, author of 'Greenery'; 'Observing the consequences of the arrival of strangers through the salty prism of a small, northern English coastal town, Smyth has a naturalist's eye for detail, and turns it here upon human nature. 'The Woodcock' is beautiful and unsettling in equal measure' —Jon Dunn, author of 'Orchid Summer'; 'The world Smyth evokes with his vibrant prose leaps off the page - every character lives and breathes, and beneath its ordinary surface, 1920s Gravely teems with beauty, complexity and mystery' —Jenn Ashworth, author of 'Fell'; 'Compelling' —Eithne Farry, Daily Mail; 'Accomplished' —iPaper; 'Smyth's evocation of place and nature [...] is imbued with a compelling sense of closely observed realism' —Alexander Larman, Literary Review; 'The bleakness of the coast, the mist, the shifting nature of the sands all speak of contingency, brutality, deception. [...] The period detail and the sensibilities and prejudices of the time are portrayed with great deftness' —Alice Jolly, TLS
£8.54
Fairlight Books The Therapist
Book SynopsisIn this bittersweet and hauntingly surreal tale, a couple finds the distance between them mirrored in a strange epidemic sweeping the globe. Little by little, each victim becomes transparent, their heart beating behind a visible rib cage, an intricate network of nerves left hanging in mid-air. Finally, the victims disappear entirely, never to be seen again.Trade Review'If the population of the world had vanished while I was reading Nial Giacomelli’s beautifully observed novella, I’m not sure I would have noticed. It’s that good' —Christopher Stanley, author of 'The Forest is Hungry'; The narrative drive is perfectly pitched, conveying an urgency that carries us irresistibly along while at the same time fearlessly confronting and challenging us' —Dr Meredith Miller, literary critic and author of 'Little Wrecks'
£7.59
Open Pen I, Nerd
Book Synopsis
£5.99
Sandstone Press Ltd Waiting for Lindsay
Book SynopsisOn a hot July day, Lindsay Mathieson, confident, carefree and thirteen years old, walks up the beach where she has played all her life, around the rocks and out of sight. She does not come back. More than thirty years later, her younger brothers and cousins are still dealing with the fallout from that terrible summer.
£8.54
Orenda Books Nothing Important Happened Today
Book SynopsisWhen strangers take part in a series of group suicides, everything suggests that a cult is to blame. How do you stop a cult when nobody knows they are a member? ***Telegraph Book of the Year*** ***Longlisted for Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award*** ***Longlisted for Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2020*** 'Heavy gusts of bedsit nihilism usher in this strange mystery ... weirdly page-turning' Sunday Times 'Laying bare our 21st-century weaknesses and dilemmas, Carver has created a highly original state-of-the-nation novel' Literary Review 'Arguably the most original crime novel published this year' Independent _________________ Nine suicides One Cult No leader Nine people arrive one night on Chelsea Bridge. They've never met. But at the same time, they run, and leap to their deaths. Each of them received a letter in the post that morning, a pre-written suicide note, and a page containing only four words: Nothing important happened today. That is how they knew they had been chosen to become a part of the People Of Choice: A mysterious suicide cult whose members have no knowledge of one another. Thirty-two people on that train witness the event. Two of them will be next. By the morning, People Of Choice are appearing around the globe; it becomes a movement. A social media page that has lain dormant for four years suddenly has thousands of followers. The police are under pressure to find a link between the cult members, to locate a leader that does not seem to exist. How do you stop a cult when nobody knows they are a member? _________________ 'Cements Carver as one of the most exciting authors in Britain. After this, he'll have his own cult following' Daily Express 'At once fantastical and appallingly plausible ... this mesmeric novel paints a thought-provoking if depressing picture of modern life' Guardian 'This book is most memorable for its unrepentant darkness...' Telegraph 'Unlike anything else you'll read this year' Heat 'Utterly mesmerising...' Crime MonthlyTrade Review'It's unusual, it is original, and it is a brilliant read' * Crime Fiction Lover * 'Beautifully written, smart, dark and disturbing - and so original. The whole thing feels like a shot of adrenaline... -- Alex North 'Dark and disturbing, Carver goes from strength to strength' -- S.J. Watson 'A gloriously melancholy, twisted and twisty, with so much to say on modern lives it'll stay with me for a very long time' -- Tom Wood 'A literary thriller with the darkest storyline and the most ingenious execution I've ever read...' -- SJI Holliday 'Will Carver has taken the rules of a serial killer novel and ignored every single one of them ... this book will mess with your head' -- Michael Wood 'Thrilling and completely original ... deserves to become an instant classic' -- Kevin Wignall 'A taut, highly original novel from one of the most under-rated crime writers out there' -- Simon Kernick 'I've never read such an original, stunning, clever, literary thriller. I'm absolutely blown away' -- Sarah Pinborough
£8.54
SCHNOFF EXIT ROSTOV
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Imperial War Museum Pathfinders
Book SynopsisA new edition of Cecil Lewis’s 1944 aviation classic. Over the course of a single night in 1942, the crew members of a Wellington bomber reflect on the paths of their own lives as they embark on a fateful mission deep in the heart of Nazi Germany. Based on his own experience as a World War I fighter ace, Cecil Lewis’s stunning novel examines the life of each man, rendering a moving account of each as not merely a nameless crew member, but as an individual with a life lived: “A life precious to some, or one. . . . These men with dreams and hopes and plans of things to come.” This new edition of the 1944 classic includes a new introduction from an Imperial War Museums historian that puts the novel in historical context and shines a light on this vital and sometimes contested aspect of Britain’s involvement in World War II.Trade Review"Moving, interesting and of great literary value." -- Louis de Bernières
£8.54
Imperial War Museum Mr Bunting at War
Book SynopsisMr Bunting at War sheds a light on the wartime experiences of the quiet everyman' and his family on the British Home Front, during the Battle of Britain and beyond.
£8.54
Tramp Press Dark Enchantment
Book SynopsisA classic story of superstition and sorcery set in 1950s France. "The village which had so charmed her had grown sinister…" Exhausted after years of unhappiness, 20-year-old Juliet Cunningham is delighted to find herself living in a village in the French Alps. Recovering in the fresh air of the mountains, she becomes involved in local life. As Juliet makes new friends and meets fellow wanderers – such as the handsome young Michael – she hears of stories of witchery, of fortunes told, of spells, and murder … but are the rumours of the witch true, and can Juliet escape in time? First published in 1953, Dark Enchantment evokes a magical pre-war France, and was written after Macardle’s other successful and influential novels The Uninvited and The Unforeseen. This edition of Dark Enchantment features an introduction by Caroline B Heafey. For fans of Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier and Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner. Also by Dorothy Macardle, The Uninvited and The Unforeseen.Trade ReviewNEW YORK TIMES 'A vanished enchantment... perfect escape literature.' KIRKUS 'Casts its own spell.' BENEDICT KIELY 'Remarkable.' IRISH TIMES 'A novel in the French fairytale tradition... A wonderful story, wonderfully written.'
£14.24
Dedalus Ltd Fair Trade Heroin
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Dedalus Ltd Satan Wants Me
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Charco Press An Orphan World
Book SynopsisIn a poverty-stricken neighbourhood wedged between the city and the sea, a father and son struggle to keep their heads above water. Rather than being discouraged by their difficulties and hardship, their response is to come up with increasingly bizarre and imaginative plans in order to get by. Even when a horrifying, macabre event rocks the neighborhood and the locals start to flee, father and son decide to stay put. What matters is staying together.This is a bold, poignant text that juxtaposes a very tender father-son relationship with the son's sexual liberation and a brutal depiction of homophobic violence. Giuseppe Caputo uses delicate – yet electrifying – lyricism and imagery to weave a tale that balances desire, violence, discrimination, love, eroticism and defiance, while evoking with surreal humor the social marginalization of the protagonists as they struggle to keep afloat in a society where there are no safety nets.Like a brightly-lit theme park with its house of horrors, reminiscent in parts of James Baldwin’s Another Country or Virginie Despentes’ Vernon Subutex trilogy, An Orphan World defies the reader to look away, and the reward is an exhilarating carnival ride filled with beauty, compassion and loss.Trade ReviewEnglish PEN (Award)"A delirious, tender fable." —The Times Literary Supplement"Colombian writer Caputo’s transfixing debut explores the poverty, sexuality, and community found in a hardscrabble neighborhood….Caputo’s arresting novel hits hard." —Publishers Weekly"An extraordinary book. (Garth Greenwell)" —Literary Hub"Caputo is a blazing new talent in world literature. Everyone should read this book!"" —Garth Greenwell , author of WHAT BELONGS TO YOU"He’s a talent."" —Niven Govinden , author of THIS BRUTAL HOUSE"Gritty...an effortlessly multi-layered plot that challenges the reader to question everything." —The Skinny"Caputo writes with his pen on fire." —Books and Bao"One of the best debut novels I’ve read this year and it marks Caputo out as one of the most striking new voices coming from Latin America." —Morning Star"Caputo tells a difficult story with urgency and a master skill of narration, prose and poetry. It is truly a work of horrific beauty and indulgent joy (or the promise of it)." —Wasafiri
£9.49
World Editions Ltd New Year
Book Synopsis
£11.69
Sandstone Press Ltd Cut Out
Book SynopsisA lyrical tale of family secrets and self-discovery. Denis knows his mother kept things from him. His godmother, Clemence, knows the truth. In rich, sensuous prose, Roberts interweaves Denis's search for answers with Clemence's memories of the time she spent working for Matisse.Trade Review‘A wonderful writer: one in possession of immense feeling’ * The Observer *‘Roberts writes with wit and honesty.’ * The Independent *‘A magnificent writer.’ * The Guardian * ‘Brimming with delights, as full of life and colour as Matisse’s cut outs. Beautifully written with many sharp and original ideas about life and loss and creativity. A novel of deep pleasures.’‘Lyrical, atmospheric, wonderful. This novel has all the romance of the most delicious hot French summer. No-one writes quite like Michèle Roberts.’‘One of Britain's best novelists.’ * Independent on Sunday *The story is alive with vivid women. * Financial Times *Impressive. * The Sunday Times *This lyrical tale of family secrets and self-discovery is heavenly. * Woman's Weekly *Roberts tells her tale carefully, in small brightly coloured segments that can’t help but recall the style of Matisse’s famous cut-out artworks, and with an eye for domestic detail so sumptuous you can almost feel the linen and smell the sage leaves. * Daily Mail *A subtle and delicate new work of fiction imagining the unsung lives of women in the orbit of Henri Matisse. * Mail on Sunday *A sumptuously written and life-affirming examination of what it is to be an artist, a woman, a feminist... * Literary Review *It’s a book to be read slowly, taking time to pause, remember, picture and dream. * The Scotsman *A tender exploration of friendship and love in its many forms. * The Tablet *Beautifully written * Woman *
£13.49
Charco Press Loop
Book SynopsisWinner PEN Translates Award (UK)Recovering from an unspecified accident, the narrator of Loop finds herself in waiting rooms of different kinds: airport departure lounges, doctors’ surgeries, and above all at home, awaiting the return of her boyfriend, who has travelled to Spain following the death of his mother. Loop is a love story told from the perspective of a contemporary Penelope who, instead of weaving and unravelling her shroud, writes and erases her thoughts in her ‘ideal’ notebook. At once, funny and thought-provoking, her thoughts range from her stationery preferences to the different scales on which life is lived, while a cast of unlikely characters cross the page, from Proust to a mysterious dwarf, from a dreamy cat to David Bowie singing ‘Wild is the Wind’. Written in an assured, irreverent style, Loop is the journal of an absence, one in which the most minute or whimsical observations open up universes. Combining aphoristic fragments with introspective narrative, and evoking Italo Calvino and Fernando Pessoa in its playfulness and wry humour, this original reflection on relationships, solitude and the purpose of writing offers a glimpse of contemporary life in Mexico City, while asking what it really means to find our place in the world.Trade ReviewEnglish PEN (Award)"A glorious tapestry of ideas." —The Guardian"In this novel, the stream of consciousness is more like a whirlpool." —New York Times"It should be read, period." —The Quietus"A meditation on writing itself." —3:AM Magazine"Absolutely marvelous from first to final sentence….an unmitigated delight." —Jeremy Garber, Powell's Bookshop"A delightful meditation on waiting, love, and the inevitability of change." —Publishers Weekly"Unforgettably marvelous from its very first sentence to its final one, Loop is a delighting, discursive, diary-like novel full of personality, humor, and profundity." —, Powell's Bookshop"Lozano is a marvellous writer, bright, funny, subtly perverse, always moving."" —Francisco Goldman , author of THE ART OF POLITICAL MURDER"Lozano knows she is gifted, and has no shame in showing it."" —Margarita García Robayo , author of FISH SOUP and HOLIDAY HEART"An astonishingly successful notebook narrative that blends a solid plot with considered and funny musings on purpose and loneliness." —Books and Bao"Experimental, witty and disruptive." —Splice"Clever, innovative...an erudite observation of the everyday." —Translating Women"A truly original reflection on love, relationships, solitude and the aesthetics and purpose of writing." —Elif the Reader"Tremendous fun and an immensely rewarding read." —Jeremy Garber, Powell's Bookshop"This is not a work that represents the irreducible violence of the place, solves loneliness, or is about death in every respect, but rather an attempt to live with these realities and still miss your boyfriend." —Air/Light Magazine"Filled with many weird and wonderful curiosities." —Full Stop"utterly charming and fun, philosophical and strange" —Loop"Incredible...I loved every second of this book." —The Tartan
£9.99
MOIST ABECEDAIRE
Book Synopsis"I wrote five days a week for a year, no more than a page, writing only for the length of the analytic hour, fifty minutes, following Freud's model of train travel for his theory of free association, acting 'as though, for instance, [you were] a traveller sitting next to the window of a railway carriage and describing to someone inside the carriage the changing views [...] outside'. Many of my women character's names begin with A: their first names; there are few surnames, save those of the secondary male characters. . Some of these women exist or existed, others are from fiction, or write fiction. Some are friends or acquaintances. None are credited but a keen reader could recognise many of them. I invented nothing. I am the aleph."Trade Review"Sharon Kivland is a phenomenal writer, thinker and artist." Ali Smith
£11.40
Watkins Media Limited Swan Songs
Book Synopsis"Unfortunately making the greatest rap album of all time was to be put on hold as the insidious Job Centre advisors had finally had enough of my shit. I would be forced to sign up to one of the town's two recruitment agencies, or I would be starved of weed money." Leonard Swanson lives in an obscure north-western town — the kind that "has a knack for swallowing you whole". He is supposed to be making the greatest rap album of all time, Swan Songs, but instead is forced to work in one of the town's factories, "picking things up and putting them down for twelve hours in a giant white room". Swan Songs follows Leonard as he works, quits, signs on, and travels the country, playing in small capacity venues for even smaller capacity audiences, for which he gets "paid in booze, drugs and a night on a bed bug-ridden mattress somebody dragged in from the street", all the while making the album he thinks will change hip-hop forever. Part Alan Sillitoe and part William Burroughs, UK rapper Lee Scott's debut novel, partially based on his own experiences of becoming a rapper in Runcorn, is an experimental and humorous modern satire about the perils of being a hip-hop visionary far from the beaten track...
£10.44
Charco Press Theatre of War
Book SynopsisThis assured debut novel from acclaimed Chilean author Andrea Jeftanovic explores the devastating psychological effects of the conflict in the Balkans on a family who flee to South America to build a new life. It is told from the perspective of the young Tamara, as she tries to make sense of growing up haunted by a distant conflict. Yet the ghosts of war re-emerge in their new land – which has its own traumatic past – to tear the family apart.Staging scenes from childhood as if the characters were rehearsing for a play, the novel uses all the imaginary resources of theatre director, set paint- er and lighting designer to pose the question: how can Tamara salvage an identity as an adult from the ruins of memory, and rediscover the ability to love? With themes that echo Elif Shafak’s The Bastard of Istanbul , a sensitive narrator recalling Eimear McBride’s A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing , and a focus on the body in the style of Elfriede Jelinek, this is an artfully construct- ed, widely praised work from one of the most exciting novelists at work in Latin America today.Trade Review"A memorable novel of devastating poignancy." —Irish Times"Exquisitely constructed and executed."** —New Internationalist**"A memorable novel of devastating poignancy."** —Irish Times**"Jeftanovic’s prose, seamlessly reproduced by Frances Riddle, is exquisite, each sentence carefully crafted, doing so much on its own, while contributing to the whole."** —BookBlast**"Theatre of War is a confident debut and a powerful exorcism of one family’s inherited trauma."** —The Skinny**"It shows us that wars last far longer than battles in the hearts, minds, the very DNA of those who have to suffer them. Theatre of War is an absolute triumph or literature."** —Books and Bao**"Jeftanovic’s staccato rhythms, with short lines and stark and sometimes dark imagery, matches the urgency of the novel, along with its lyrical and symbolic qualities"** —Morning Star**"Jeftanovic explores the darkest corners of human psychology...a rare gem."** —El Cultural**"Restless and wholly engrossing."** —Sounds & Colours**
£9.49
Renard Press Ltd This Good Book
Book Synopsis‘Sometimes I wonder, if I had known that it was going to take me fourteen years to paint this painting of the Crucifixion with Douglas as Jesus, and what it would take for me to paint this painting, would I have been as happy as I was then?’ Susan Alison MacLeod, a Glasgow School of Art graduate with a dark sense of humour, first lays eyes on Douglas MacDougal at a party in 1988, and resolves to put him on the cross in the Crucifixion painting she’s been sketching out, but her desire to create ‘good’ art and a powerful, beautiful portrayal means that a final painting doesn’t see the light of day for fourteen years. Over the same years, Douglas’s ever-more elaborately designed urine-based installations bring him increasing fame, prizes and commissions, while his modelling for Susan Alison, who continues to work pain and suffering on to the canvas, takes place mostly in the shadows. This Good Book is a wickedly funny, brilliantly observed novel that spins the moral compass and plays with notions of creating art.Trade Review'Nineteen-eighties Glasgow is evoked well… [and] the realisation of where the duo’s commitment to their art is taking them is genuinely chilling. Hood’s debut has a dark, compelling urgency.' (Alastair Mabbott, The Herald) 'The work of a true poet, this book is as dark and psychotic as it is beautiful and delicate… No book has ever reminded me of The Picture of Dorian Gray quite like this…' (Amelia Bashford, The Publishing Post) 'Highly original, darkly funny… a compulsive read.' (Leigh Chambers) 'This Good Book works as a commentary on the ‘art is life, life is art’ idea… it’s also funny and has an offbeat writing style, which utilises Scottish dialect. Whether one is into religion or not, This Good Book’s innovative use of art is definitely worth a read.' (Robert Pisani) 'A novel about Glasgow, about art, and about obsession. This Good Book will have you gripped from the opening chapter to its disturbing conclusion. Iain Hood is an original new voice in Scottish fiction.' (Colette Paul)
£9.50
Renard Press Ltd Still Lives
Book Synopsis'The glow of my cigarette picks out a dark shape lying on the ground. I bend down to take a closer look. It's a dead sparrow. I wondered if I had become that bird, disoriented and lost.' Young, handsome and contemptuous of his father's traditional ways, PK Malik leaves Bombay to start a new life in America. Stopping in Manchester to visit an old friend, he thinks he sees a business opportunity, and decides to stay on. Now fifty-five, PK has fallen out of love with life. His business is struggling and his wife Geeta is lonely, pining for the India she's left behind. One day PK crosses the path of Esther, the wife of his business competitor, and they launch into an affair conducted in shabby hotel rooms, with the fear of discovery forever hanging in the air. Still Lives is a tightly woven, haunting work that pulls apart the threads of a family and plays with notions of identity. Shortlisted for the SI Leeds Literary Prize, Winner of the Reader's Choice Award at the Diverse Book Awards 2023Trade Review'An expertly crafted novel, filled with light-touch prose and inhabitable scenes, threaded with compelling and believable dialogue. It's a book you can lose yourself in, and I did.' (Adam Farrer, author of Cold Fish Soup) 'Through small moments and big changes Still Lives captures beautifully and painfully how it is to live across two countries, nowhere feeling quite like home.' (Laura Besley, author of 100nehundred and The Almost Mothers) 'Ruia's extraordinary skill lies in capturing the landscape of diasporic lives... Still Lives is a heart-rending evocation of a life in crisis. This is your must-read book for the summer.' (Selma Carvalho, Joao-Roque Literary Journal) 'This book grabs you from the get-go. Compelling characters, fantastic prose, sexy, funny and wise.' (Heidi James, author of The Sound Mirror and So the Doves) 'This book had my attention from the first page. Stunning. Heartbreaking. And so very real.' (Khurrum Rahman, author of East of Hounslow and Homegrown Hero) 'Lyrical, funny and at times haunting, Still Lives is an urgent novel that deserves to be read widely. It had me reading well into the night. Beautiful!' (Awais Khan, author of No Honour and In the Company of Strangers)
£9.50
HopeRoad Publishing Ltd A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
Book SynopsisOutsiders often expect Muslim women to be timid, conservative, or submissive, the reality is different. While some of these authors express a quiet piety and explore poignant situations, others use black humour and biting satire, or play with possibilities. Still others shade into the territory of a Muslim Fifty Shades of Grey, creating grey areas where the mainstream media sees only black and white. The stories also reflect on gender differences, lesbian desire,and many other subjects.Table of ContentsForeword;Introduction;The Cat That Came in with the Dark;Love Letter;Ghazal;Her Trials; Boneland;Tears and Tantrums;Waiting for the Bus;Marriage of Convenience; Rearranged;Peter Pochmann Goes to Dinner;Moments in Time;Frida's Breakfast;A Simple Nature;Proper and Perfect?; Acid Reflux;Heartbeat
£10.44
Fairlight Books Braver: Shortlisted for the Writers' Guild Best
Book SynopsisHazel has never felt normal. Struggling with OCD and anxiety, she isolates herself from others and sticks to rigid routines in order to cope with everyday life. But when she forms an unlikely friendship with Virginia, a church minister, Hazel begins to venture outside her comfort zone. Having rebuilt her own life after a traumatic loss, Virginia has become the backbone of her community, caring for those in need and mentoring disadvantaged young people. Yet a shock accusation threatens to unravel everything she has worked for. Told with warmth, compassion and gentle humour, 'Braver' is an uplifting story about the strength that can be drawn from friendship and community.Trade Review'Deborah Jenkins wonderfully uplifting novel deftly captures the impact of fear, guilt, loneliness and shame on the lives of her characters [...] Utterly human, and deeply compassionate' —Loree Westron, author of 'Missing Words'; 'A charming, lyrical read for fans of good fiction that combines skilful writing with a story that makes you feel hopeful' —Fran Hill, author of 'Miss, What Does Incomprehensible Mean?'; 'A heart-warming book about how you can change your life, and that of those around you [...] A wonderful story which shows us how it feels to be different and still accepted' —Debbi Voisey, author of 'Only About Love'; 'An inspiring and heart-warming story' —People's Friend; 'A feel-good story. Easy, heart-warming’ —LoveReading
£8.54
Fairlight Books The House of Marvellous Books
Book SynopsisTucked away in a near-derelict library in the centre of London, The House of Marvellous Books is a publishing house on the brink of financial disaster. With assistant Ursula asleep at her desk, head publisher Gerard going health and safety mad, and chief editor Drusilla focused on finding a supposedly priceless but famously missing manuscript, there is hardly anyone left to steer the ship. Young Mortimer Blakeley-Smith, junior editor, charts the descent of the House in his logbook as it lurches from one failure to the next. Will mysterious Russian buyers, lurking in the wings, finally sink the ship? Or will Drusilla find the legendary Daybreak Manuscript and save the day?Trade Review'A joyride of a novel ripe with delightful irony and a flurry of colourful characters. It will have its readers smiling throughout' -Jac Shreeves-Lee, author of 'Broadwater'; 'A book full of funny lines, set pieces and memorable characters - Fiona Vigo Marshall's bookish jeu d'esprit is hugely entertaining' -Gill Darling, author of 'Erringby'; 'A must-read, rib-tickling, uproarious satire' -Peter Tyler, Emeritus Professor of Community Psychiatry and Consultant in Transformation Psychiatry, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; 'Amusing satire of the publishing industry' -The Independent; 'a hilarious and charming must-read for anyone who loves books - it deserves to be a massive word-of-mouth bestseller' -Red Magazine; 'This is a must-read for anyone who loves books' -Sarra Manning, author of 'Rescue Me'
£8.54
Chiselbury Publishing Trembleath
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£7.59
Fairlight Books The Fish
Book Synopsis'There is a fish on the sand; I see it clearly. But it is not on its side, lying still. It is partly upright. It moves. I can see its gills, off the ground and wide open. It looks as though it's standing up.' A few decades into the twenty-first century, in their permanently flooded garden in Cornwall, Cathy and her wife Ephie give up on their vegetable patch and plant a paddy field instead. Thousands of miles away, expat Margaret is struggling to adjust to life in Kuala Lumpur, now a coastal city. In New Zealand, two teenagers marvel at the extreme storms hitting their island. But they are not the only ones adapting to the changing climate. The starfish on Cathy's kitchen window are just the start. As all manner of sea creatures begin to leave the oceans and invade the land, the new normal becomes increasingly hard to accept.Trade Review'Joanne Stubbs is a brilliant storyteller. Courageous, confident and intelligent, she explores the horrors of a fading planet in denial of its own guilt. Important and unputdownable' —Fay Weldon; 'Stubbs skillfully captures the tension and uncertainty of living under a slowly unfolding disaster and the pressure it puts on relationships on the way to a masterful, bittersweet ending. Readers are sure to be drawn into this page-turning speculative tragedy' —Publishers Weekly; 'Haunting' —Evening Standard; 'Set in a vividly imagined, watery near future, where the boundaries between the inhabitants of land and sea are increasingly blurred, this debut novel is an original and powerful exploration of the devastation climate change wreaks on ordinary lives. The Fish is a wonderfully absorbing and skilful work by a highly talented writer' —Emma Timpany, author of 'Travelling in the Dark'; 'An impressive debut: beautifully written, immersive, prophetic, terrifying and wonderful. I could not put it down!' —Melanie Golding, author of The Replacement; 'The Fish is a finely tuned, subliminal commentary on how good we are at ignoring the damage we inflict on our precious earth. The writing is slick, the world is bizarre, and the impending doom is palpable. Brilliant, clever, and important; READ IT!' —Karla Neblett, author of 'King of Rabbits'
£10.44
Fairlight Books Starling
Book SynopsisStarling can trap a rabbit, cook a meal from a hedge and hear a bailiff coming from a mile off. All she has ever known is a nomadic existence, travelling in a converted van with Mar, her strong-willed mother. But Mar has cut them off from their community, and this winter they're stuck in deep mud in a wood, with no fuel, no money and no friends. One morning, without explanation, Mar leaves and doesn't come back. Utterly alone, Starling must learn to survive without her mother and build a life on her own terms. An offer to stay with an old friend draws her into a more conventional way of living - but can rootless Starling ever find a place where she truly belongs?Trade Review'A beautifully written debut. Sarah Jane Butler explores the challenges of treading lightly in this modern world, the power of community and the process of recovering from a difficult mothering' -Katherine May, author of 'Wintering'; 'A beautiful tale of wandering and searching, full of gorgeous nature writing that illuminates our complex and varied relationships with the natural world. Starling reminds us that there are many ways to be free and wild, and we must find our own' -Zoe Gilbert, author of 'Mischief Acts'; 'Starling is both a hymn to the English landscape and an exploration of what it takes to live together and apart. Sarah Jane Butler writes with a visceral lyricism; she doesn't so much observe the natural world as plunge us into its ditches, woods and rivers. A profound, gripping and deeply humane story about the choices we make in relation to the land and each other' -Judith Heneghan, author of 'Snegurochka'; 'Starling is a love letter to the natural world, a celebration of the threads that bind us to the land and to each other' -Peggy Riley, author of 'Amity & Sorrow'; 'Sarah Jane Butler is an author to watch' -Times of Tunbridge Wells; 'Starling is so immersed in nature you can literally smell it jumping off the pages' -BBC Radio
£9.49
The Book Guild Ltd Slings and Arrows
Book SynopsisIt's January 1982, and Britain will soon be at war with Argentina. But that's not why Terry's life is falling apart. Forty-five and recently redundant from the only job he's ever had, he and his wife Pat are forced to sell their home and move into a static caravan.The only chink of light is the unlikely success of the White Hart darts team, but Terry's teammates face problems of their own: Phil suspects his wife is having an affair, while Tom's is depressed about their inability to conceive. Then Terry's son reveals some surprising news, and Terry makes a visit to the doctor that leaves him with no choice but to consider what matters most in his life.Slings and Arrows is a funny and moving novel about love, family, friendship and darts.
£9.49
