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
Little, Brown Book Group Ginger Man
Book SynopsisFeckless, unwashed and charming, Trinity College law student Sebastian Balfe Dangerfield is an Irish-American with an English accent. Dreaming of dollars and ready women, he stumbles from public house to pawnbrokers, murmering delusive enticements in the ear of any girl who'll listen.Trade ReviewA triumph. - Guardian * 'Mr Donleavy's creation…has left a mark on a literary generation.’ *#NAME? * 'Comic, dirty, and delightful. And one of those books which reveals its quality from the first line… The Ginger Man is the picaresque novel to stop them all, lusty, violent, wildly funny.’ *Dorothy Parker
£10.44
Faber & Faber The Last Temptation
Book SynopsisKazantzakis''s classic novel, blacklisted by the Vatican, filmed by Scorsese, has been labelled heretical, blasphemous, and also a masterpiece. His Christ is an epic conception, wholly original.''When Kazantzakis describes the raising of Lazarus, the early life of Mary Magdalene, the domestic lives of Martha and Mary, it is as if an old box of lantern slides had suddenly become a moving picture. The author has achieved a new and moving interpretation of a truly human Christ.'' Times Literary Supplement
£9.49
Faber & Faber Report to Greco
Book SynopsisThis autobiographical novel is one of the last things written by Kazantzakis before he died in 1957. It paints a vivid picture of his childhood in Crete, and then steadily grows into a spiritual quest that takes him to Italy, Jerusalem, Paris, Vienna, Berlin and Russia.
£9.49
Transworld Publishers Ltd A Prayer For Owen Meany
Book SynopsisJohn Irving published his first novel, Setting Free the Bears, in 1968. He has been nominated for a National Book Award three times - winning once, in 1980, for the novel The World According to Garp. He also received an O. Henry Award in 1981 for the short story 'Interior Space'. In 1992, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2000, he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules - a film with seven Academy Award nominations. In 2001, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His most recent novel is Last Night in Twisted River.Trade ReviewI believe it to be a work of genius... because of its absolutely irrepressible flow of invention and suggestion, expressed in some of the most fascinating prose written in fiction today. Originality has distinguished all Mr Irving's books, but in A Prayer For Owen Meany it achieves a new pitch and a new profundity * Independent *Marvellously funny... What better entertainment is there than a serious book which makes you laugh? * Spectator *So extraordinary, so original, and so enriching * The Washington Post *May justly join the classic American list * Observer *A heartbreaking masterpiece of a novel... tremendously ambitious and fiendishly clever -- Dominic Holland * Sunday Express *
£9.49
Transworld Publishers Ltd Next of Kin
Book Synopsis1936: London is abuzz with gossip about the affair between Edward VIII and Mrs. Simpson. But the king is not the only member of the aristocracy with a hard decision to make. Owen Montignac, the handsome and charismatic descendent of a wealthy land-owning family, is anxiously awaiting the reading of his late uncle''s will. For Owen has run up huge gambling debts and casino boss Nicholas Delfy has given him a choice: find 50,000 by Christmas - or find yourself six feet under.So when Owen discovers that he has been cut out of the will in favour of his beautiful cousin Stella, it is time to prove just how cunning he can be... And Owen is nothing if not inventive - even a royal crisis can provide the means for profit. And for murder...Trade ReviewA moving and insightful book… stylistically fluent and engages the reader with every word * Irish Independent *A narrative pace that never flags, a solid cast of characters, a vividly imagined recreation of period * The Irish Times *
£10.79
John Murray Press Pardonable Lies Maisie Dobbs Mystery 3
Book SynopsisLondon, 1930. Maisie Dobbs, the renowned psychologist and investigator, receives a most unusual request. She must prove that Sir Cecil Lawton''s son Ralph really is dead.This is a case that will challenge Maisie in unexpected ways, for Ralph Lawton was an aviator shot down by enemy fire in 1917. To get to the bottom of the mystery, Maisie must travel to the former battlefields of northern France, where she served as a nurse in the Great War and where ghosts of her past still linger. As her investigation moves closer to the truth, Maisie soon uncovers the secrets and lies that some people would prefer remain buried.''Maisie Dobbs in a delightful character . . . an enjoyable mystery'' Literary ReviewTrade Review'In Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear has given us a real gift. Maisie Dobbs has not been created -- she has been discovered. Such people are always there amongst us, waiting for somebody like Ms. Winspear to come along and reveal them. And what a revelation it is!' * Alexander McCall Smith *'These clever mysteries, their period settings and the unusual character of Maisie herself are bang on target for the classic crime buyer' * Sue Baker, Publishing News *The British counterpart to Alexander McCall Smith's The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency * Associated Press *A fine new sleuth for the twenty-first century * Elizabeth George *A heroine to cherish * New York Times *A wry and immensely readable beginning to what promises to be a vivid new addition to crime fiction * Praise for MAISIE DOBBS, Daily Mail *Feisty, working-class heroine Maisie is a deliberate throwback to the sleuthettes of old-fashioned crime writing. The well-plotted story, its characters and the picture of London between the wars are decidedly romantic. American readers loved it; many Brits will, too. * Guardian *A terrific mystery ... Intriguing and full of suspense, it makes for an absorbing read * Observer *'For readers yearning for the calm and insightful intelligence of a main character like P D James's, Maisie Dobbs is spot on' * Boston Globe *Even if detective stories aren't your thing, you'll love Maisie Dobbs * New Woman *'(Maisie Dobbs') most engaging adventure so far' * Sydney Morning Herald *'It is only a question of time before this series hits the television screens, for it is just made for it' * The Irish Times *'Altogether an excellent mystery story, which grips the reader all the way through. Contains many ideas which would interest book groups' * New Books Magazine *'Wonderfully nostalgic and traditional sleuthing in post-First World War London' * Bookseller *'Maisie Dobbs is a delightful character... The war's long shadow over Maisie and her clients and suspects lends emotional depth to an enjoyable mystery' * Literary Review *'Think Upstairs Downstairs meets Miss Marple - with a touch of chirpy cheerful Cockney from the Dick Van Dyke school' * Yorkshire Post *'The classic crime buyer' * Publishing News *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Peace Like a River
Book SynopsisWhen Israel Finch and Tommy Basca, the town bullies, break into the home of school caretaker Jeremiah Land, wielding a baseball bat and looking for trouble, they find more of it than even they expected. For seventeen-year-old Davey is sitting up in bed waiting for them with a Winchester rifle. His younger brother Reuben has seen their father perform miracles, but Jeremiah now seems as powerless to prevent Davey from being arrested for manslaughter, as he has always been to ease Reuben''s daily spungy struggle to breathe. Nor does brave and brilliant nine-year-old Swede, obsessed as she is with the legends of the wild west, have the strength to spring Davey from jail. Yet Davey does manage to break out. He steals a horse, and disappears. His family feels his absence so sorely, the three of them just pile into their old Plymouth, towing a brand new 1963 Airstream trailer, and set out on a quest to find him. And they follow the outlaw west, right into the cold, wild and empty Dakota Ba
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Library of Lost and Found The most charming
Book SynopsisA librarian's discovery of a mysterious book sparks the journey of a lifetime in the delightful novel from the author of The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper.''A gem of a book. I loved it.'' Sarah Morgan, author of The Christmas Book Club''A lovely, heart-warming story.'' B A Paris, author of Behind Closed DoorsLibrarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people, though not for lack of trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her notebook. And yet, sometimes it feels like she's invisible.All of that changes when a mysterious book arrives on her doorstep. Inside, Martha finds a dedication written to her by her grandmother Zelda, who died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. When Martha discovers a clue within the book that her grandmother may still be alive, she becomes determined to discover the truth. As she delves deeper into Zelda's past, she unwittingly reveals a family secret that will change her life forever.Filled with PhaeTrade ReviewPraise for Phaedra Patrick: ‘A charming story with thought-provoking themes.’Candis ‘A feel-good story with oodles of charm that had me rooting for Arthur all the way.’The Daily Mail ‘Charming by name, charming by nature, this book is a balm for the soul and the heart.’The Sun ‘A gorgeous journey told through charms.’Heat ‘Eccentric, charming and wise, this will illuminate your heart.’Nina George, author of The Little Paris Bookshop ‘A charming, unforgettable story.’Harper’s Bazaar ‘With many poignant as well as laugh-out-loud moments, in the vein of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, this is a lovely feel-good read.’Compass ‘As charming and witty as the title suggest.’My Weekly ‘We love this sweet story about self-discovery.’Take A Break
£9.49
American University in Cairo Press The Night Will Have Its Say: A Novel
Book SynopsisInternational Booker Prize finalist and "one of the Arab world's most innovative novelists" (Roger Allen) delivers a brilliant retelling of the Muslim wars of conquest in North AfricaThe year is 693 and a tense exchange, mediated by an interpreter, takes place between Berber warrior queen al-Kahina and an emissary from the Umayyad General Hassan ibn Nu'man. Her predecessor had been captured and killed by the Umayyad forces some years earlier, but she will go on to defeat them.The Night Will Have Its Say is a retelling of the Muslim wars of conquest in North Africa during the seventh century CE, narrated from the perspective of the conquered peoples. Written in Ibrahim al-Koni's unique and enchanting voice, his lyrical and deeply poetic prose speaks to themes that are intensely timely. Through the wars and conflicts of this distant, turbulent era, he addresses the futility of war, the privilege of an elite few at the expense of the many, the destruction of natural habitats and indigenous cultures, and questions about literal and fundamentalist interpretations of religious texts.Al-Koni's masterly account of conquest and resistance is both timeless and timely, infused with a sense of disaster and exile—from language, the desert, and homeland.Trade Review"I loved The Night Will Have Its Say. Ibrahim al-Koni weaves a magical tale of a world where female power and the polyphony of the feminine are a given, where the earth and the heavens are in constant dialogue, and where ancestors and scriptures are alive and present."—Nadia Wassef, author of Shelf Life“A rich text. . . with gripping scenes and confrontations, and some fascinating underlying conflicts, in particular concerning attitudes towards life, freedom, and conquest . . . . an unusual kind of historical fiction, but certainly worthwhile.”—The Complete Review"[W]estern readers will be rewarded with insights into the rise of Islam and some lesser-known but important leaders . . . [and] find triggers here that cause one to examine, at least for a while, eternal questions about who we are and where we fit in the larger tides of life." —Historical Novels Review"One of the most acclaimed writers in the Arabic world . . . his most recent novel, The Night Will Have Its Say . . . placed during the Muslim conquest of North Africa in the seventh century CE, written from the perspective of the conquered, he once again returns to the desert that has remained his spiritual home."—AramcoWorldPRAISE FOR IBRAHIM AL-KONI“A magnificent novelist”—Marilyn Booth, translator of the International Booker Prize winner, Celestial Bodies“One of the Arab world’s most innovative novelists”—Roger Allen, University of Pennsylvania“The desert setting is al-Koni's strength: its expanse, desolation, and mystery are powerfully evoked.”—Banipal"Al-Koni's story, simply and elegantly told, has all the inevitability of a Greek tragedy--or, better, all the tribulations of Job."—Kirkus Reviews“Al-Koni’s novels are aesthetic renderings of the passions of the desert and of the rich legends and cosmology of his people. An encyclopedic writer who has digested mythologies of the ancient world and literature of the modern world, al-Koni has both a poetic bent and a mystical inclination.”—Al Ahram Weekly“A true journey into the human psyche”—Cairo Magazine“Imagine Cormac McCarthy’s savage lyricism in a Paul Bowles desert landscape and you begin to enter the bleakly beautiful world of this mesmerizing, fable-like novel.”—The Independent
£11.99
Little, Brown Book Group Spring at Blueberry Bay
Book SynopsisWelcome to beautiful Hope Island where the sea sparkles, the daffodils are blooming and a blossoming romance is just around the corner . . .Bella has always had a sunny outlook and caring nature, despite recently falling on hard times. When she finds a handsome homeless man on her doorstep, her kind heart tells her she must help him. So, she invites Isaac into her cottage and into her life in ways she could never have imagined...But Isaac is not what he seems. He''s keeping a huge secret from Bella, yet he never expected to fall for this open, generous and charming woman.Bella can''t ignore the chemistry between her and Isaac, but she''s had her trust badly broken in her past. Will she run when she learns the truth about Isaac, or will he be the one man who can help Bella believe in love again?A gorgeously romantic and heartwarming story to completely lose yourself in. Perfect for fans of Jenny Colga
£7.99
Titan Books Ltd Horizon Zero Dawn Vol. 2: Liberation
Book SynopsisThe second volume of the ongoing Horizon Zero Dawn comic series, based on the hit video game by Guerrilla Games! Horizon: a far-future Earth full of epic natural beauty and forgotten ruins, where awe-inspiring, animal-like machines are the dominant species and humans struggle to survive in pre-industrial tribes. Collects issues #5-8 of the smash-hit Horizon Zero Dawn comic series.Trade Review"The Art Is Gorgeous" - Comical Opinions "The artist allowed each character to stand out when it was their time to shine, really letting us see what they are feeling, or how battered they might be after battle." - CGMonline "inspired writing and intelligent characterisation" - Reading with Flight Ring "a great post-apocalyptic science fiction adventure story" - The Hashtag Show " a fun, adventure packed read" - Comic Watch
£13.49
Simon & Schuster Ltd A Taste of Home
Book SynopsisThe delicious new novel from Sunday Times bestseller Heidi Swain: ‘Heidi’s known for her feel-good factor and this story is a delight’ New! Magazine ‘A charming, summery read’ The People’s Friend ‘A summer trip to Wynbridge will never disappoint. Swain’s writing as always is so delicious you could eat it all up’ My Weekly ‘Visions of luscious strawberries and raspberries leap from the pages’ My Weekly Special ‘A story so full of sunshine you almost feel the rays’ Woman’s Weekly ‘Family always comes first in Swain’s inspirational books and A Taste of Home brims with the real-life issues, evocative landscapes, heartfelt emotions and all the love, laughter and tears that we have come to expect from this accompl
£7.59
Canongate Books The Dead Fathers Club
Book SynopsisFROM THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHORPhilip Noble is an eleven-year-old in crisis. His pub landlord father has died in a road accident, and his mother is succumbing to the greasy charms of her dead husband's brother, Uncle Alan. The remaining certainties of Philip's life crumble away when his father's ghost appears in the pub and declares Uncle Alan murdered him. Arming himself with weapons from the school chemistry cupboard, Philip vows to carry out the ghost's relentless demands for revenge. But can the words of a ghost be trusted any more than the lies of the living?Trade ReviewHumorous and original * * Daily Mail * *A story . . . so surprising and strange that it vaults into a realm of its own * * Guardian * *Both funny, surreal and at times full of very black humour * * Sunday Express * *Totally engrossing * * Observer * *Touching, quirky and macabre * * S Magazine, Sunday Express * *Matt Haig is a writer for children and adults who is adept at digging into the human heart * * Sunday Times * *Haig writes exquisitely from the perspective of the heart-sore outsider, but at their most moving his novels reveal the unbearable beauty of ordinary life * * Guardian * *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers King of Ashes First book in the extraordinary new
Book SynopsisThe first volume in legendary master and New York Times bestselling author Raymond E. Feist's epic heroic fantasy series, The Firemane Saga an electrifying tale of two young men whose choices will determine a world's destiny.The world of Garn once boasted five great kingdoms, until the King of Ithrace was defeated and every member of his family executed by Lodavico, the ruthless King of Sandura, a man with ambitions to rule the world.Ithrace''s ruling family were the legendary Firemanes, and represented a great danger to the other kings. Now four great kingdoms remain, on the brink of war. But rumour has it that the newborn son of the last king of Ithrace survived, carried off during battle and sequestered by the Quelli Nacosti, a secret society whose members are trained to infiltrate and spy upon the rich and powerful throughout Garn. Terrified that this may be true, and that the child will grow to maturity with bloody revenge in his heart, the four kings have placed a huge bounty onTrade Review‘This is a knockout.’Publisher’s Weekly (praise for Queen of Storms) PRAISE FOR KING OF ASHES ‘File under guilty pleasure’Guardian ‘Get in at the start of a master’s new series’Daily Sport ‘Epic scope…vivid imagination…a significant contribution to the growth of the field of fantasy’Washington Post
£9.49
Simon & Schuster Ltd Together Again
Book SynopsisTHE NEW MILLY JOHNSON NOVEL, THE HAPPIEST EVER AFTER, IS OUT NOW! Together again after years apart, can they find a new beginning? The brilliant novel full of laughter, love, tears and hope from the Sunday Times bestselling author Milly Johnson. 'This masterpiece honestly describes the strength and acceptance required to be a family. 5 STARS' Adele Parks, Book of the Month, Platinum magazine Sisters Jolene, Marsha and Annis have convened at their beautiful family home, Fox House, following the death of their mother, the tricky Eleanor Vamplew. Born seven years apart, the women are more strangers than sisters. Jolene, the eldest, is a successful romantic novelist who writes about beautiful relationships even though her own marriage to the handsome and charming Warren is complicated. Marsha, the neglected middle child, has put all of her energy into her work, hoping money will plug the gap in her liTrade Review'Darkness and light, complexity and humour, Milly has nailed the perfect cocktail for a compelling, page-turning read. Absolutely magnificent.' VERONICA HENRY ‘Emotional, empowering and heart-wrenching – sisterhood at its finest’ CATHY BRAMLEY ‘Powerful, heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting’ JO THOMAS 'Emotional and honest' THE PEOPLE'S FRIEND‘Milly’s 20th novel is a heart-warming read about the bonds between siblings and finding a new direction in life' * My Weekly *“A moving and uplifting book about the reality of family life and the power of kindness from the magnificent Milly Johnson.” Woman’s Weekly “Tackling dark topics with real warmth and wit, this is an emotional read.” Heat
£8.54
Simon & Schuster Ltd The Lighthouse Bookshop
Book SynopsisAt the heart of a tiny community in a remote village just inland from the Aberdeenshire coast stands an unexpected lighthouse. Built two centuries ago by an eccentric landowner, it has become home to the only bookshop for miles around. Rachel is an incomer to the village. She arrived five years ago and found a place she could call home. So when the owner of the Lighthouse Bookshop dies suddenly, she steps in to take care of the place, trying to help it survive the next stage of its life. But when she discovers a secret in the lighthouse, long kept hidden, she realises there is more to the history of the place than she could ever imagine. Can she uncover the truth about the lighthouse’s first owner? And can she protect the secret history of the place?Praise for Sharon Gosling's first novel, The House Beneath the Cliffs:‘A wonderfully wise and beautifully written story about finding the courageTrade Review‘A warm, romantic mystery, beautifully structured and feelingly written’ * Daily Mail *'The central themes of home and homelessness, love and loss, art and history, are all woven skilfully into this bookish mystery. Dialogue is sharp and believable, and the mystery of the lighthouse’s history keeps you guessing' * Cumbria Life and Bury & West Suffolk Magazine. *'atmospheric tale' * The People’s Friend *
£8.54
Faber & Faber Saints and Sinners
Book Synopsis''Edna O''Brien writes the most beautiful, aching stories of any writer, anywhere.'' Alice Munro''The taboo-breaking, the fabulous prose there''s no one like Edna.'' Anne Enright ''Surprising and beautiful and courageous .. A beacon.'' Megan Nolan ''Brilliant and brave.'' Ann Patchett ''Glittering energy.'' Colm Tóibín A woman walks the streets of Manhattan and contemplates with exquisite longing the precarious affair she has embarked on, amidst the grandeur and cacophony of the cityscape; a young Irish girl and her mother are thrilled to be invited to visit the glamorous Coughlan''s but find - for all the promise of their green gorgette, silver shoes and fancy dinner parties - they leave disappointed; an Irishman in north London retraces his life as a young lad with his mates digging the streets and dreaming of the apocryphal gold, an outsider both in Ireland and England, yet he carries the lodestar of his native land.<
£9.49
Simon & Schuster Ltd The Secret Hours
Book SynopsisThe enchanting novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Santa MontefioreMy curiosity is aroused. I realise, to my shame, that I know nothing about my mother, nothing at all... nothing of her growing up, of the struggles and hardships she endures. I know nothing of her parents, her siblings, and of her home. My mother is gone. And there is no one left to tell her story. Determined to fulfil her mother’s last wish, Faye travels to the picturesque village of Ballinakelly to scatter her ashes on the hills overlooking the sea in a remote corner of Ireland. In searching for answers about her mother’s past, will Faye’s own future become clear?***PRAISE FOR SANTA MONTEFIORE*** ‘Nobody does epic romance like Santa Montefiore’ JOJO MOYES ‘An enchanting read overflowing with deliciously poignant moments’ DINAH JEFFER
£9.49
Vintage Publishing On Chesil Beach
Book SynopsisIan McEwan's celebrated novel, now an unmissable film starring Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, Brooklyn) It is July 1962. Edward and Florence, young innocents married that morning, arrive at a hotel on the Dorset coast. At dinner in their rooms they struggle to suppress their private fears of the wedding night to come and, unbeknownst to them both, the events of the evening will haunt them for the rest of their lives.Trade ReviewWonderful...exquisite...devastating * Independent on Sunday *On Chesil Beach is more than an event. It is a masterpiece * Times Literary Supplement *Superb... The protagonists have everything to lose, and their faltering journey towards a point of no return is conjured into life my McEwan with irresistible subtlety, tact and force * Financial Times *Exquisitely crafted * Evening Standard *Written with a fierce pursuit of the truth and an utterly modern self-awareness, what a confidant tour de force this turns out to be * Sunday Express *
£999.99
Saqi Books Zeina
Book SynopsisDistinguished literary critic Bodour is trapped in a loveless marriage and carries with her a dark secret. She fell in love in her youth and gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, Zeina, whom she abandoned on the streets of Cairo. Bodour doesn''t know that Zeina has blossomed into one of Egypt''s most beloved entertainers. Pining for her estranged daughter, she writes a fictional account of her life in an attempt to find solace. But as the revolution in Cairo begins to gain fire, the novel goes missing and Bodour must find who has stolen it. Will her hunt for the thief bring mother and daughter together? Or is Bodour destined to lose her daughter to Cairo forever?Trade Review`The leading spokeswoman on the status of women in the Arab world' Guardian; 'At a time when nobody else was talking, [El Saadawi] spoke the unspeakable.' Margaret Atwood, BBC Imagine; `El Saadawi writes with directness and passion' New York Times; `A poignant and brave writer' Marie Claire; `El Saadawi has come to embody the trials of Arab feminism' San Francisco Chronicle
£8.54
Orion Publishing Co The Museum of Modern Love
Book Synopsis''One of my stand-out Australian reads from 2016 . . . A glorious novel, meditative and special'' Hannah Kent, author of BURIAL RITESArky Levin, a film composer in New York, has promised his wife that he will not visit her in hospital, where she is suffering in the final stages of a terminal illness. She wants to spare him a burden that would curtail his creativity, but the promise is tearing him apart. One day he finds his way to MOMA and sees Mariana Abramovic in The Artist is Present. The performance continues for seventy-five days and, as it unfolds, so does Arky. As he watches and meets other people drawn to the exhibit, he slowly starts to understand what might be missing in his life and what he must do.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2017 Stella PrizeWinner of the 2017 Margaret Scott Prize - Tasmanian Premier's Literary PrizesWinner of the 2017 Christina Stead Prize for Fiction - NSW Premier's Literary Awards Shortlisted for the 2017 Australian Literature Society Gold Medal Shortlisted for the 2017 University of Queensland Fiction Book AwardOne of my stand-out Australian reads from 2016 . . . A glorious novel, meditative and special -- Hannah Kent, author of BURIAL RITESFraming a love story around a long-durational performance work, where the passage of time is essential, is a profoundly original idea. I loved this book -- Marina AbramovicRose's clever, genre-bending hybrid of fact and fiction is an exploration of love and convergence . . . a portrait of human desire and human failing, but perhaps most profoundly, human striving for something greater than self. Rose's melancholy book resonates with emotion, touching on life's great dilemmas-death, vocation, love, art * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *Incisive, beautiful and precise, THE MUSUEM OF MODERN LOVE is a work of art in itself, a treatise on the shared threshold of devastation and beauty, the liminal and the eternal -- Letitia Montgomery-Rodgers * FOREWORD REVIEWS *Deeply involving . . . Profound . . . Emotionally rich and thought-provoking * BOOKLIST, starred review *THE MUSEUM OF MODERN LOVE is more than just that rare treat, a book that requires something of the reader - it is a book that painstakingly prepares you for its own requirements. In a playful way, this bold new novel by Heather Rose is an astute meditation on art, bravery, friendship, love, how to live, and on dying -- Louise Swinn * THE AGE *This captivating work explores the meaning of art in our lives and the ways in which it deepens our understanding of ourselves. As Hannah Rothschild did in The Improbability of Love, Australian author Rose also combines intriguing characters with a laser-sharp focus on art to produce a gem of a novel * LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred review *If Heather Rose's audacious and beautiful new novel were adapted for the stage, it would require a theatre-in-the-round treatment . . . That Rose's novel evokes such a vivid mental staging is a testament to her powers as a storyteller. One of the delightful surprises of THE MUSEUM OF MODERN LOVE is discovering that the all-knowing storyteller is not your distant, narrative god descended from Dickens and Austen, but an intimate voice, someone we all recognise from our own struggles and lives. Pondering the parameters of this storyteller turns out to be almost as tantalising in this book as mulling its deeper questions: What are we? What is art? How should we live? -- Dominic Smith, author of THE LAST PAINTING OF SARA DE VOSBeautiful and provocative, THE MUSEUM OF MODERN LOVE is an unforgettable story about life, love, and art's ability to transform both * BUSTLE *Rose brings a skilled and at times almost mischievous artistry, not least in eff ecting narrative surprises that both disorient and persuade * SYDNEY REVIEW OF BOOKS *THE MUSEUM OF MODERN LOVE is that rare and lovely thing: a novel of ideas that blooms into a persuasive illusion of real life . . . The lapidary brilliance of Rose's sentences is never overblown and her style is one of prescient, unflustered beauty * WEST WEEKEND MAGAZINE *A moving book that invites the reader to revel and re-evaluate * BOOKTOPIA *The narrator's voice gives the novel a quiet power, as if the universe was filled with a non-meddling benevolence. There's a cinematic quality too, with even minor figures sketched in with sure and affecting touches. THE MUSEUM OF MODERN LOVE is alive with the surprise and challenge of presence in many of its forms - it is a very generous book indeed. Images and storytelling have been intertwined since the first human beings gathered by a painted wall to tell tales in the firelight. Heather Rose's THE MUSEUM OF MODERN LOVE works with these ancient ghosts with exquisite care and intelligence. Positing grief and art as deep echoes that corroborate the transitory nature of our lives, Rose brings the reader to a place of acceptance despite the inevitable darkness. With rare subtlety and humanity, this novel relocates the difficult path to wonder in us all * The Christina Stead Prize 2017 *Tremblingly earnest ... a bold proposition-Rose does not shy away from grappling with questions about the meaning and purpose of art ... The real power of the book, though, lies not in its philosophising but in the unsteady tenderness between its characters * KIRKUS *A deliciously inventive tale of the New York art scene, swirling with complex characters and connections, posing questions about how we should live, about art's ability to change our lives, and about the ways art changes the artists who create it -- B. A. Shapiro, author of THE COLLECTOR'S APPRENTICEAn engaging, multifaceted meditation on the meaning of life and art. Rose sets this exploration in the context of one man's compelling midlife search for direction as he observes Abramovic's fleeting art, which the novel intriguingly brings back to life. This is a brilliant find for any reader who enjoys grappling with the larger questions of life and literature, and it is an excellent choice for book clubs seeking thought-provoking discussion * BOOKPAGE *A reimagining of the circumstances surrounding ["The Artist is Present"]. Both thoughtful and moving, the story explores connection, hope and humanity * ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER *A light, easy novel, but it does shed insight into the mysterious Abramovic, her personal life, and her artistic vision, as well as the fictionalized characters whose struggles mirror everyday realities * VANITY FAIR *Through meditating on Abramovic's life and artwork, Rose's THE MUSUEM OF MODERN ART encapsulates the relationship between art and love, and its captivating effects on the lives of many * DAZED MAGAZINE *Rose has woven a rich tapestry of plot and characters, among them a composer, a tourist, an art critic, a grad student and two incorporeals: a muse, who acts as omniscient narrator, and the ghost of Abramovic's mother. The result is an unusual and lively work of fiction * NEWSDAY *A meditation on love and creativity. In an ambitious admix of real-life figures, memorable fictional characters, and a ghost(!) or two, Rose guides an exploration of how best to live and, with distinction, how art might assist ... Special kudos to the author for a pedantry-free examination of art's ability to change lives-and for this novel's tacit implications of the vanishing space between fact and fiction * NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS *Rose uses Levin to explore the profound ways in which art impacts life, grapples with questions about the purpose of art, and reveals the intense ways in which art and love and life intersect, and how that beautiful convergence is at the heart of what it means to be human * NYLON *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Summer at Tiffanys
Book SynopsisA story of love, laughter and happily ever after, Summer at Tiffany's by bestselling Karen Swan is the captivating and romantic sequel to Christmas at Tiffany's, perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore and Veronica Henry.A wedding to plan. A wedding to stop. What could go wrong? Cassie loves Henry. Henry loves Cassie. With a Tiffany ring on her finger, all that Cassie has left to do is plan the wedding. It should be so simple but when Henry pushes for a date, Cassie pulls back.Henry's wild, young cousin, Gem, has no such hesitations and is racing to the aisle at a sprint, determined to marry in the Cornish church where her parents were wed. But the family is set against it, and Cassie resolves to stop the wedding from going ahead. When Henry lands an expedition sailing the Pacific for the summer, Cassie decamps to Cornwall, hoping to find the peace of mind she needs to move forwards. But in the dunes and coves of the no
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Christmas at Claridges
Book SynopsisKaren Swan began her career in fashion journalism before giving it all up to raise her three children and to pursue her ambition of becoming a writer. She lives in the forest in Sussex, writing her books in a treehouse overlooking the Downs. Her first novel, Players, has since been followed by many bestselling titles, including, Prima Donna, Christmas at Tiffany's, Summer at Tiffany's and Christmas on Primrose Hill.Her books are known for their evocative locations and Karen sees travel as vital research for each story. She loves to set deep, complicated love stories within twisting plots.
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Blind Assassin. Collectors Edition
Book Synopsis* Atwood's Booker prize-winning novel reissued with a striking new jacket along with other titles from Margaret Atwood's backlistTrade ReviewAtwood has never written with more flair and versatility than in this multidimensional novel. Adding sardonic wit and characterisation that takes you into the ambivalent intricacies of a personality, this is a novel of extraordinary variety and reach. A brilliant accomplishment * Peter Kemp, SUNDAY TIMES *Atwood has never written with more flair and versatility than in this multidimensional novel. Adding sardonic wit and characterisation that takes you into the ambivalent intricacies of a personality, this is a novel of extraordinary variety and reach. A brilliant accomplishment * Peter Kemp, SUNDAY TIMES *The fertility of Atwood's imagination is something extraordinary...The only thing familiar about The Blind Assassin is its technical accomplishment and exhilarating emotional power. Everything else is sparkling new * Kathryn Hughes, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *The fertility of Atwood's imagination is something extraordinary...The only thing familiar about The Blind Assassin is its technical accomplishment and exhilarating emotional power. Everything else is sparkling new * Kathryn Hughes, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *Margaret Atwood is one of the most brilliant and unpredictable novelists alive * Kate Kellaway, LITERARY REVIEW *Margaret Atwood is one of the most brilliant and unpredictable novelists alive * Kate Kellaway, LITERARY REVIEW *With every year and every novel, Atwood's subjects get bigger...her new novel is so rich thematically and so convincing psychologically... THE BLIND ASSASSIN may indeed prove to be that most elusive of literary unicorns * Elaine Showalter, NEW STATESMAN *With every year and every novel, Atwood's subjects get bigger...her new novel is so rich thematically and so convincing psychologically... THE BLIND ASSASSIN may indeed prove to be that most elusive of literary unicorns * Elaine Showalter, NEW STATESMAN *
£10.44
The American University in Cairo Press Gold Dust: A Novel
Book SynopsisRejected by his tribe and hunted by the kin of the man he killed, Ukhayyad and his thoroughbred camel flee across the desolate Tuareg deserts of the Libyan Sahara. Between bloody wars against the Italians in the north and famine raging in the south, Ukhayyad rides for the remote rock caves of Jebel Hasawna. There, he says farewell to the mount who has been his companion through thirst, disease, lust, and loneliness. Alone in the desert, haunted by the prophetic cave paintings of ancient hunting scenes and the cries of jinn in the night, Ukhayyad awaits the arrival of his pursuers and their insatiable hunger for blood and gold. Gold Dust is a classic story of the brotherhood between man and beast, the thread of companionship that is all the difference between life and death in the desert. It is a story of the fight to endure in a world of limitless and waterless wastes, and a parable of the struggle to survive in the most dangerous landscape of all: human society.Trade ReviewAl-Koni's descriptive powers and the urgency of his narrative make Gold Dust [italic] a gripping, moving tale that sweeps the reader on towards its tragic conclusion. -- BanipalImagine Cormac McCarthy's savage lyricism in a Paul Bowles desert landscape and you begin to enter the bleakly beautiful world of this mesmerising, fable-like novel. -- The IndependentIts lyrical prose exudes the unique breath of desert life and a mystical taste of the afterlife. -- Arab NewsA magnificent novelist. -- Marilyn Booth, University of Oxford, UKOne of the Arab world’s most innovative novelists. -- Roger Allen, University of Pennsylvania
£11.99
Simon & Schuster Ltd Postcards From the Edge
Book Synopsis** THE NEW YORK TIMES-BESTSELLING CULT CLASSIC NOVEL ** ** In a new edition introduced by Stephen Fry **‘I don’t think you can even call this a drug. This is just a response to the conditions we live in.’ Suzanne Vale, formerly acclaimed actress, is in rehab, feeling like ‘something on the bottom of someone’s shoe, and not even someone interesting’. Immersed in the sometimes harrowing, often hilarious goings-on of the drug hospital and wondering how she’ll cope – and find work – back on the outside, she meets new patient Alex. Ambitious, good-looking in a Heathcliffish way and in the grip of a monumental addiction, he makes Suzanne realize that, however eccentric her life might seem, there’s always someone who’s even closer to the edge of reason. Carrie Fisher’s bestselling debut novel is an uproarious commentary on Hollywood – the home of success, sex and insecurity – and has become a beloved cult classic. ‘This novel, with its energy, bounce and generous delivery of a loud laugh on almost every page, stands as a declaration of war on two fronts: on normal and on unhappy’ STEPHEN FRY ‘A single woman’s answer to Nora Ephron’s Heartburn . . . the smart successor to Joan Didion’s Play It as It Lays’ Los Angeles Times ‘A cult classic . . . A wonderfully funny, brash and biting novel’ Washington Post 'A wickedly shrewd black-humor riff on the horrors of rehab and the hollows of Hollywood life' People 'Searingly funny' VogueTrade Review‘I’d forgotten how good it is. Carrie Fisher’s narrator Suzanne Vale tells this story, of a privileged woman gone awry, with sharpness and wit’ * Evening Standard *‘A sharply irreverent, deliciously witty trip through Hollywood-land’ -- Jackie Collins‘Savagely funny and savagely revealing. It makes Moby-Dick seem like a big, fat, dumb book’ -- Steve Martin‘Carrie Fisher’s 1987 roman à clef bristles with a bravery and candor that still feels groundbreaking’ * New York Times *
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HarperCollins Publishers A Ladys Guide to FortuneHunting
Book SynopsisRead the most captivating historical debut of the year![A] scintillating, swash-buckling debut terrifically fun' SUNDAY TIMESSharp, modern and absolutely delicious' TAYLOR JENKINS REIDFans of Bridgerton will swoon' NITA PROSEKitty Talbot needs a fortune. Love is not requiredShe's got just twelve weeks to find a rich husband and save her sisters and she must use every ounce of cunning and ingenuity she possesses to climb London society if she is to succeed.The only person she can't fool is Lord Radcliffe, who sees straight through her plans, and is determined to stop her at any cost.There is not a day to lose and no one not even a lord will stand in her wayReaders LOVE A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting:Like Bridgerton, but better' ?????The best book I have read in a long time' ?????Sassy, outrageous and bingeable' ?????MUST READ' ?????LOVED it!' ?????Sophie Irwin is going to be an author to watch' ?????An utter delight of a book' ?????Great fun and hugely entertaining' ?????What a chTrade Review‘[A] scintillating, swash-buckling debut … terrifically fun’ Sunday Times ‘Sharp, modern, and absolutely delicious … one of the most fun, romantic books I've read in a long time’ Taylor Jenkins Reid ‘What a sassy, witty, delicious tale [with] a fabulous, fearless heroine’ Sophie Kinsella ‘A thoroughly modern heroine with wit, style and energy … a formidable Austentacious talent’ Janice Hallett ‘Delicious – frothy, gossipy and glamorous’ Daily Mail ‘Charming, witty and infectiously exuberant’ Santa Montefiore ‘Divine – an utter delight’ Nina Stibbe ‘Will fill the Bridgerton-shaped hole in your life’ Red ‘Plucky, witty and bright … Readers of Austen and fans of Bridgerton will swoon’ Nita Prose ‘A diamond of the first water! Shades of Heyer with a dash of modern roguishness … Full of heart and swooningly romantic’ Beth Morrey ‘An addictive read’ Sunday Express ‘Utterly delightful and impossible to put down’ Louise O’Neill ‘[A] whip-smart, beautifully observed, sparkling romance’ Lindsey Kelk ‘Full of spirit and gumption … enormous fun: just what we all need’ AJ Pearce ‘Funny, fresh and original – you’ll want to put it straight on your dance card’ Cesca Major ‘Very clever and hugely entertaining’ Sarah Hilary ‘This is SO much fun. The most pleasing homage to Georgette Heyer with a thoroughly modern sensibility. Tremendous stuff’ Harriet Tyce ‘A huge, warm treat of a book. Refreshing, funny and sparklingly smart … The debut of the season’ Cressida McLaughlin 'A sparkling debut that reads like a turbo-charged Jane Austen’ Joanna Toye ‘I cheered for Kitty as she confronts polite society in her outrageous pursuit of a rich husband….an impressive debut’ Mary Balogh ‘Move over, Mr Darcy! [A] hilarious, sparkling debut! Utterly irresistible’ Eloisa James
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Quercus Publishing Measuring the World
Book SynopsisMeasuring the World recreates the parallel but contrasting lives of two geniuses of the German Enlightenment - the naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt and the mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss. Towards the end of the 18th century, these two brilliant young Germans set out to measure the world. Humboldt, a Prussian aristocrat schooled for greatness, negotiates savannah and jungle, climbs the highest mountain then known to man, counts head lice on the heads of the natives, and explores every hole in the ground. Gauss, a man born in poverty who will be recognised as the greatest mathematician since Newton, does not even need to leave his home in Göttingen to know that space is curved. He can run prime numbers in his head, cannot imagine a life without women and yet jumps out of bed on his wedding night to jot down a mathematical formula. Measuring the World is a novel of rare charm and readability, distinguished by its sly humour and unforgettable characterization. It brings the two eccentric geniuses to life, their longings and their weaknesses, their balancing act between loneliness and love, absurdity and greatness, failure and success.Trade Review'A dazzling success ... Fantastically imagined' * Daily Telegraph *'Pulsing with fictional energy ... Here for once is a popular hit as sophisticated as it is engaging' * Sunday Times *'Nothing less than a literary sensation' * Guardian *'This is a masterpiece' * Independent on Sunday *'Kehlmann is one of the brightest, most pleasure-giving writers at work today, and he manages all this while exploring matters of deep philosophical and intellectual import. He deserves to have more readers' * Jeffrey Eugenides *
£8.99
Pan Macmillan Annie John
Book SynopsisA haunting and tragicomic tale of the end of childhood, Annie John is told with Jamaica Kincaid’s trademark candour and complexity, and is a true coming-of-age classic.An adored only child growing up in Antigua, Annie has until recently lived a peaceful and content life. She is inseparable from her beautiful mother, a powerful and influential presence, who sits at the very centre of the little girl’s existence. Loved and cherished, Annie grows and thrives within her mother’s shadow.When she turns twelve, however, Annie’s life changes, in ways that are often mysterious to her. She begins to question the cultural assumptions of her island world; at school she makes rebellious friends and frequently challenges authority; and most frighteningly, her mother, seeing Annie as a ‘young lady’, ceases to be the source of unconditional adoration and takes on the new and unfamiliar guise of adversary.Part of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the best of modern literature.Trade ReviewSo touching and familiar it could be happening to any of us . . . and that's exactly the book's strength, its wisdom, its truth * The New York Times Book Review *What a writer – elegant, uncompromising, simultaneously direct and layered and complex. -- Ali SmithSo neon-bright that the traditional story of a young girl's passage into adolescence takes on a shimmering strangeness -- Elaine Kendall * Los Angeles Times *An unaffectedly sumptuous, irresistible writer. . . thrilling -- Susan SontagI’ve read everything by Jamaica Kincaid, and I’ve still never read anyone like her. If you are new to Kincaid, I envy you. -- Jackie Kay
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Little, Brown Book Group The Charioteer: A Virago Modern Classic
Book SynopsisInjured at Dunkirk, Laurie Odell, a young corporal, is recovering at a rural veterans' hospital. There he meets Andrew, a conscientious objector serving as an orderly, and the men find solace in their covert friendship. Then Ralph Lanyon appears, a mentor from Laurie's schooldays. Through him, Laurie is drawn into a tight-knit circle of gay men for whom liaisons are fleeting and he is forced to choose between the ideals of a perfect friendship and the pleasures of experience. First published in 1953, The Charioteer is a a tender, intelligent coming-of-age novel and a bold, unapologetic portrayal of homosexuality that stands with Gore Vidal's The City and the Pillar and James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room as a landmark work in gay literature.Trade ReviewEmotionally intelligent, beautifully written and deeply moving, it transcends categorisations. -- Peter Parker Daily Telegraph A stunningly good book -- Antonia Senior The Times A tender coming-of-age love story from one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century Daily Express
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Vintage Publishing A Wild Sheep Chase: Special 3D Edition
Book SynopsisHaruki Murakami's third novel, A Wild Sheep Chase is the mystery hybrid which completes the odyssey begun in Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973.The man was leading an aimless life, time passing, one big blank. His girlfriend has perfectly formed ears, ears with the power to bewitch, marvels of creation. The man receives a letter from a friend, enclosing a seemingly innocent photograph of sheep, and a request: place the photograph somewhere it will be seen. Then, one September afternoon, the phone rings, and the adventure begins. Welcome to the wild sheep chase.'Mr. Murakami's style and imagination are closer to that of Kurt Vonnegut, Raymond Carver and John Irving' New York TimesTrade ReviewWonderfully easy to read and just as wonderfully difficult to make sense of...like the narrator, who slowly accepts the presence in his life of mystery, we slowly recognize the possibility of a new kind of world. Like him, we lean forward and topple headlong into magic * Washington Post *It begins as a detective novel, dips into a screwball comedy, and at its close becomes a tale of possession...A highly accomplished piece of craftsmanship * New Yorker *Mr. Murakami's style and imagination are closer to that of Kurt Vonnegut, Raymond Carver and John Irving * New York Times *A Wild Sheep Chase has the conventional hull of a thriller - a quest, a mystery, an extraordinary woman, and plenty of elegant duress - but its fantastic superstructure transforms it into something quite different...a science fiction fantasy, a romance, a metaphysical tease, or a dramatisation of philosophical ideas * Independent *If you consider yourself an intelligent, sensitive common reader but wish to accommodate something a little removed from your experience, and probably your imagination, I dare you to turn your eyes towards Murakami and head off on a wild sheep chase. * Glasgow Herald *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers When the World Fell Silent
Book Synopsis''A beautiful, meticulously researched story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.'' USA Today bestseller, Genevieve GrahamA story of loss, hope and redemption against impossible odds?1917. Halifax, Nova Scotia.Nora Crowell wants more than her sister's life as a wife and mother. As WWI rages across the Atlantic, she becomes a lieutenant in the Canadian Army Nursing Corps. But trouble is looming and it won't be long before the truth comes to light.Having lost her beloved husband in the trenches and with no-one else to turn to, Charlotte Campbell now lives with his haughty relations who treat her like the help. It is baby Aileen, the joy and light of her life, who spurs her to dream of a better life.When tragedy strikes in Halifax Harbour, nothing for these two women will ever be the same again. Their paths will cross in the most unexpected way, trailing both heartbreak and joy its wakePraise for Donna Jones Alward:A triumphant, unforgettable tale of sacri
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Verso Books If Only
Book SynopsisA relatively young woman, aged thirty. She married in her early twenties, had two children. It is winter. January and minus 14°C, white, frosty mist around the parked car, around the spruces, the mailbox on its post, but higher up the sky is blue, clear, the sun has come back. She has written in her diary that she is waiting for the heartbreak that will turn her into her true self. She has an impending sense of doom or possibly her own death.Can passion be mistaken for love? When Ida meets Arnold, also married, at a conference, she impulsively invites him to share her bed. She returns home, already half-obsessed, and the dissolution of her marriage and break-up of her family pass almost without her noticing. Arnold has a more relaxed attitude toward the affair. But neither his coolness nor the alarming talk she hears about him can dampen her desire. When she finally has Arnold for herself, all the surface niceties and indulgences they enjoy - travel, sex, beers for
£12.34
HarperCollins Publishers The Last Lifeboat
Book Synopsis
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Murder Room
Book SynopsisThe gripping new thriller with a difference for 2024 from internationally bestselling author Lisa StoneWhat do you do when your home becomes a living nightmare? Your house should be the safest place in the world. But imagine you rent out a room, and the unthinkable happens?someone is murdered in it.This is the nightmare Alfie Watson is plunged into. He can?t go to the police, because he knows he?ll be in danger too. But he can?t just do nothing.Then Alfie receives a blackmail note ? the killer is after him. And unless Alfie plays his cards right, he may not live to tell the tale?
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Walking Practice
Book Synopsis
£12.36
And Other Stories Inland
Book SynopsisInland is a work which gathers in emotional power as it moves across the grasslands of its narrator’s imagination – from Szolnok County on the great plains of Hungary where a man writes in the library of his manor house, to the Institute of Prairie Studies in Tripp County, South Dakota, where the editor of the journal Hinterland receives his writing, to the narrator’s own native district in Melbourne County, between Moonee Ponds and the Merri, where he recalls the constant displacements of his childhood. ‘No thing in the world is one thing,’ he declares; ‘some places are many more than one place.’ These overlapping worlds are bound by recurring motifs – fish pond, fig-tree, child-woman, the colours white, red and green – and by deep feelings of intimacy and betrayal, which are brought to full expression as the book moves to its close.Trade Review‘The most ambitious, sustained, and powerful piece of writing Murnane has to date brought off. The underlying narrative is of the twelve-year-old boy and the girl from Bendigo Street, their friendship and their parting, and of the man’s later attempts, Orpheus-like, to summon her back, or if not her, then her shade, from the realm of the dead and the forgotten. Woven into this narrative are a number of motifs whose common element is resurrection: the violated serf girl who returns as an angel of defiance; the lovers in Wuthering Heights united beyond the grave; the great recuperative vision experienced by Marcel in Time Regained; and verses from the Gospel of Matthew that foretell the second coming of Christ.’ JM Coetzee, New York Review of Books'Murnane’s unique body of work certainly merits the world’s most prestigious literary prize, boasting an ability to convey the workings of human consciousness that is unlike anything else I’ve read. His deep, strange, mesmerising books – a dozen novels, numerous short stories and essays – seem less like discrete entities than one enormous work in which the author meditates over and over on various talismanic images and subjects.’ Jack Kerridge, The Daily Telegraph‘The sort of writing Murnane gives us – focused, precise – probably depends upon a life free from disruption: free to think and take time and put one word after another with as much care as possible … It doesn’t have what most novels do – plot, characters in the traditional sense, even a clear setting at times – and yet to read it with an eye on what’s not there is to overlook what is. It plunges deep into the way our minds work, the connections between memories and images that make up what we call our selves. Indeed, reading Murnane’s fiction, stripped of the usual elements, actually makes other novels seem thin by comparison.’ John Self, Irish Times
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HarperCollins Publishers The Island Love Song
Book SynopsisEscape to the beautiful Greek Island of Hydra with this moving novel, filled with family secrets and romanceEmma Cowell, author of THE HOUSE IN THE OLIVE GROVE, returns with her brand new, emotional and romantic novel set on an idyllic Greek Island.Hydra, the picturesque Greek island, is a paradise for most, yet for sisters Ella and Georgia, it is a place where their darkest secrets dwell. And now the time has come for them to confront their past as they return to Greece to scatter their mother's ashes.Ella is haunted by a love song that was written for her by the man who broke her heart years earlier and she longs to find peace so she can move on with her life.Georgia pretends everything in her life is perfect, but she is plagued with guilt. If what she's kept hidden for decades was revealed, their family would never be the same again.The island is urging the sisters to confront the truth, but can they build a future on the ruins of their past??Readers love Emma Cowell:Emma Cowell cre
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Simon & Schuster Ltd Judgement Prey
Book Synopsis‘One of the great novelists of all time’ STEPHEN KING ‘One of the finest thriller series in existence. Sandford is superb - in a class of his own’ JOHN CONNOLLYLucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers team up to crack an unsolvable case in this thrilling new novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author John Sandford. When federal judge Alex Sand and his two young sons are shot in cold blood at their family home, the brutality of the murders leaves their wealthy St. Paul community reeling. There's no shortage of people with a vendetta against the judge, but the collapse of a major charitable donation he had planned complicates things further, leaving the money in limbo and all eyes on his grief-stricken widow. As public pressure mounts and both the local police force and the FBI hit one dead end after another, it isn't long before Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowe
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Headline Publishing Group Beneath Dark Waters
Book Synopsis''High-wire suspense that keeps you riveted'' Lisa GardnerThe heart-stopping new thriller in the New Orleans series, from Sunday Times bestselling author Karen Rose.Assistant District Attorney Kaj Cordozo''s life is thrown upside down when two masked men attempt to kidnap his son, Elijah. Given the high-profile case Kaj is working on, he''s not about to take any more risks.When Val Sorensen of Burke Broussard Private Investigation Agency is assigned as Elijah''s bodyguard, she realises she also has a very personal connection to the gang thought to be behind the attempted kidnap - a run in with Sixth Day cost her brother his life.As Kaj and Val work together to prevent a second kidnap attempt, they uncover a trail of violence and deception leading back to brothers Aaron and Corey Gates. Aaron is in prison, but Corey is dangerous, at large and about to threaten everything Kaj holds dear.Will the revelation of involvement fro
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Rebellion Publishing Ltd. Interstellar MegaChef
Book SynopsisMasterchef in Space! A fun, satirical, thought-provoking novel by the critically-acclaimed author of The Ten-Percent ThiefLooking for your one shot to rise to the “top of the pots” in the cutthroat world of interstellar cuisine? Look no further—you might have what it takes to be an Interstellar MegaChef! Stepping off a long-haul star freighter from Earth, Saras Kaveri has one bag of clothes, her little flying robot Kili… and an invitation to compete in the galaxy’s most watched, most prestigious cooking show. Interstellar MegaChef is the showcase of the planet Primus’s austere, carefully synthesised cuisine. Until now, no-one from Earth—where they’re so incredibly primitive they still cook with fire—has ever graced its flowmetal cookstations before, or smiled awkwardly for its buzzing drone-cams. Corporate prodigy Serenity Ko, inventor of the smash-hit sim Sou
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CHEERIO Publishing Mrs Jekyll
Book Synopsis
£15.29
Simon & Schuster Ltd Dangerous Kiss
Book SynopsisFeaturing a brand new introduction from bestselling author, Carmel Harrington, talking about what Jackie and her books mean to her! ‘Lessons galore on every page… about feminism, equality, tolerance and love’ CARMEL HARRINGTON'Jackie Collins’s daring, unapologetic stroke of the pen, combined with her glorious wit, has single-handedly given creative license to new generations of authors and storytellers.' COLLEEN HOOVERDangerous Kiss is a story of raw anger, love, lust, murder and revenge, and at its white-hot center is Lucky Santangelo, a strong, exciting woman who dares to take chances – and always wins. There have been many imitators, but only ever one Jackie Collins. With millions of her books sold around the world, and thirty-one New York Times bestsellers, she is one of the world’s top-selling novelists. From glamorous Beverly H
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HarperCollins Publishers The History of Middleearth Boxed Set 3
Book SynopsisThird in a series of hardcover boxed sets celebrating the literary achievement of Christopher Tolkien, featuring double-sided dustjackets. Set 3 contains The Return of the Shadow, The Treason of Isengard, The War of the Ring, and Sauron Defeated (Books 6-9 of The History of Middle-earth).The Return of the Shadow is the story of the first part of the history of the creation of The Lord of the Rings, a fascinating study of Tolkien's great masterpiece, from its inception to the end of the first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring.The Treason of Isengard continues the account of the creation of The Lord of the Rings started in the earlier volume, tracing the great expansion of the tale into new lands and peoples south and east of the Misty Mountains: the emergence of Lothlorien, of Ents, of the Riders of Rohan, and of Saruman the White in the fortress of Isengard.The War of the Ringtakes up the story with the Battle of Helm's Deep and the drowning of Isengard by the Ents, continues with the
£75.00
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Unfortunately Yours UK
Book SynopsisAnd well, dumped, remember?But Natalie is desperate enough to propose to a man who makes her want to kill him—and kiss him, in equal measure. August Cates may own a vineyard, but he doesn’t know jack about making wine.Trade Review"This enemies-to-lovers, fake-marriage romance is brimming with witty banter and sizzling with chemistry. The protagonists are fully realized, with painful backstories and emotional growth throughout the novel... Bailey’s fans won’t be disappointed with this hilarious, heartfelt follow-up to Secretly Yours." — Library Journal "The latest addition to the author’s Vine Mess books, which follows Secretly Yours (2023), is vintage Bailey with heady notes of earthy sensuality and smoldering sexual chemistry neatly balanced by deliciously dry hints of sassy humor." — Booklist “Tessa Bailey is the queen of rom-coms. Long may she reign!" — Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Merry Little Meet Cute “Nothing makes my heart catch fire like a Tessa Bailey book. She is all things magic and dirty talk.” — Elena Armas, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Spanish Love Deception “The tenderness, vulnerability and heat I am always guaranteed with a Tessa Bailey book are the reasons she is one of my all-time favorite authors.” — Sally Thorne “Tessa Bailey writes pure magic.” — Alexis Daria “One of the genre’s very best.” — Kate Clayborn “Tessa Bailey’s writing stands out in all the right sexy ways.” — Buzzfeed “Bailey writes banter and rom-com scenarios with aplomb, but for those who like their romance on the spicier side, she’s also the Michelangelo of dirty talk. She wields filth like Da Vinci does a paintbrush, and there’s a lot to be said for an author who can fill such exchanges with all the requisite heat, enthusiastic consent, and yes, even humor, of such a scenario without veering into corny territory.” — Entertainment Weekly
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HarperCollins Publishers Beyond Black Hilary Mantel Collins modern
Book SynopsisIntroducing the Collins Modern Classics, a series featuring some of the most significant books of recent times, books that shed light on the human experience classics which will endure for generations to come.Alison Hart, a medium by trade, tours the dormitory towns of London's orbital ring road with her flint-hearted sidekick, Colette, passing on messages from beloved dead ancestors. But behind her plump, smiling persona hides a desperate woman: she knows the terrors the next life holds but must conceal them from her wide-eyed clients. At the same time she is plagued by spirits from her own past, who infiltrate her body and home, becoming stronger and nastier the more she resistsShortlisted for the Orange Prize, Hilary Mantel's supremely suspenseful novel is a masterpiece of dark humour and even darker secrets.Trade Review‘Magnificent…It’s one of the greatest ghost stories in the language, but it’s far more than just a ghost story – it’s a novel of desperate truthfulness – a majestic work, truly’ Philip Pullman ‘Sparkling, sinister and supremely original’ Sunday Telegraph ‘As black as a tar barrel and very, very funny’ The Times ‘Laceratingly observant, a masterpiece of wit, heavy with atmosphere. It is also gloriously insolent and slyly funny: full of robust, uncluttered prose and searing moments' Independent ‘Pins elusive Middle England to the page in all its creepiness: a place blank and disconnected, yet fatally self-absorbed’ Rachel Cooke, Observer ‘An elegant, atmospheric tale and a nuanced portrait, full of ironies’ Tatler 'Chilling, creepy and endlessly inventive' Kate Saunders, The Times ‘Hilary Mantel has done something extraordinary. She has taken the ethereal halfway house between heaven and hell, between the living and the dead, and nailed it on the page’ Fay Weldon, Guardian ‘Has the kind of gallows humour that makes you laugh out loud…A real page-turner, a darkly humorous take on the enduring effects of childhood trauma’ Mslexia 'A deep, disturbing, violently amusing and subversive work’ Daily Telegraph
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc A FiveLetter Word for Love
Book Synopsis
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Pan Macmillan Sleeping Children
Book SynopsisAnthony Passeron was born in Nice in 1983. He teaches French Literature and Humanities at a secondary school. Sleeping Children is his first novel. It was awarded the Prix Première Plume, and it was shortlisted for the Prix Fnac and the Prix Medicis Essai.
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