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
Hodder & Stoughton Evvie Drake Starts Over
Book Synopsis''I guzzled it up'' -- Pandora Sykes, THE HIGH LOW SHOW''A quirky, sweet, and splendid story of a woman coming into her own . . . an absolute delight'' -- Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of DAISY JONES AND THE SIX and THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO''Charming, hopeful and gently romantic. Evvie Drake is great company'' -- Rainbow Rowell, author of ATTACHMENTSTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON THE TODAY SHOW ''Everything a romantic comedy should be: witty, relatable, and a little complicated'' People''Effortlessly enjoyable . . . [a] pitch-perfect . . . adult love story that is as romantic as it is real'' USA TodayIt''s been a year since Evvie Drake''s husband died, but she still can''t leave the house. Her best friend Andy thinks it''s because she''s grieving, and Trade ReviewCharming, hopeful and gently romantic. Evvie Drake is great company -- Rainbow RowellA quirky, sweet, and splendid story of a woman coming into her own . . . an absolute delight -- Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of DAISY JONES AND THE SIXHolmes writes with an easy warmth about kind people who are trying their best but messing things up anyway. . . . A warm and lovely romance, perfect for readers of Rainbow Rowell and Louise Miller * Kirkus *A witty blend of romance and reflection . . . wraps you in the cozy warmth of small-town Maine and delves into the complexities of the human heart -- Helen Hoag, author of THE KISS QUOTIENTI was utterly charmed by Evvie Drake Starts Over - a book that shows us that just because you're broken doesn't mean you can't be put back together again. You'll want to stay cozied up with these delightful, unique, and incredibly human characters long after you turn the last page -- Doree Shafrir, author of STARTUP: A NOVEL and co-host of Forever35 PodcastEvvie Drake Starts Over is what happens when great writing, complex and charming characters, and a not-quite-what-you-expect ending collide, making this lovely novel much more than just another romantic comedy. Deeply moving while simultaneously hilarious, you will want to share it with your best friend, but keep your own copy so you can read it again and again -- Karen White, New York Times bestselling author of DREAMS OF FALLINGA sweet and sincere grown-up love story. Fans of grounded romance will fall hard for Evvie Drake and Dean Tenney, two broken people who help each other mend. Refreshing and real, with a huge heart. I loved it -- Georgia Clark, author of THE REGULARS and THE BUCKET LISTEvvie Drake Starts Over is a warm, witty, and wonderful romance about the art of creating second chances-or a whole second act. Linda Holmes's moving, smartly written debut is so engaging, you'll be tempted to wish Evvie could start over yet again, just for a sequel -- Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, bestselling authors of THE ROYAL WIFE
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton The Whispering Muse: Winner of the Swedish
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE SWEDISH ACADEMY'S NORDIC PRIZE 2023'Funny, strange, provoking and disturbing; darkness with a light touch.' TLSA master storyteller, Sjón weaves together Greek and Nordic myths with the legacies of the Second World War in this mesmerising novel, which reminds us that everything is capable of change.Valdimar Haraldsson is an eccentric Icelander with dubious ideas about the relationship between fish consumption and Nordic superiority. To his delight, in the spring of 1949, he is invited to join a Danish merchant ship on its voyage to the Black Sea. He is less delighted with the lack of fish on the menu. Worse, his fellow travellers show no interest in his 'Fish and Culture' lecture. They prefer the enthralling tales of the second mate, Caeneus, who every evening regales them with his adventures aboard the Argo, on Jason's legendary quest for the Golden Fleece.Trade ReviewFunny, strange, provoking and disturbing; darkness with a light touch. * TLS *'Sjón pulls off the difficult task of creating an unboring bore with panache. Not only that, he allows a twist at the end that changes our perspective...He has changed the way I see things.' * A. S. Byatt, New York Review of Books *'Sublime...A work of coy humor and shape-shifting magic.' * Wall Street Journal *A quirky, melodic, ticklish, seamlessly-translated, lovingly-polished gem of a novel. Sjón's work deserves space on any self-respecting bookshelf of European fiction. * David Mitchell *Once again, Sjón has chosen an unusual subject, interwoven the fantastical with the ordinary, and produced a complex and strangely compelling work of fiction. * Huffington Post *An extraordinary, powerful fable - a marvel. * Alberto Manguel *
£8.99
Hodder & Stoughton The Book of Science and Antiquities
Book SynopsisA novel of breath-taking reach and inspired imagination, drawing on the discovery of Australia's oldest known human inhabitant. Shade lives peaceably with his second wife on the shores of a bountiful lake. Conscious of ageing but still vigorous, when called on by the spirit ancestors to sacrifice himself for the sake of his clan, he knows he must obey. Over 40,000 years later, Shade's skeleton is unearthed near the now dry Lake Learned in New South Wales. The sensational discovery of so-called 'Learned Man' rewrites the history of Australia and fuels the Aboriginal people's claim to be the land's rightful owners - and has a lasting impact on a young documentary maker, Shelby Apple, who gets caught up in the fate of Learned's remains. When Shelby, too, faces mortality and looks back on his life, Learned stands as an enduring spirit, a fellow player in the long, ever-evolving story of humankind.Trade ReviewLike The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, it uncovers a rich hidden seam in Australian history; like Schindler's Ark, it addresses appalling violence with impressive tact . . . passionate and heartfelt -- Robert Douglas-Fairhurst * The Times *Wonderfully imaginative -- Jeffrey Burke * Mail on Sunday *Electric with life, passion and appetite . . . intensely personal, hugely inventive and often moving novel. -- Geordie Williamson * Australian *Bristles with what makes life worth living . . . a book of wonder and regular brilliance . . . Keneally's art is to make the profound accessible. The important is rendered seamlessly . . . In a book that teems with journeys, both spiritual and physical, he finds something true, brave and powerful to say about mankind's fate. -- Hugh MacDonald * Herald (Glasgow) *A paean to belonging, idealism and human evolution. * The i *Learned's voice is a wonderful creation: modern, compassionate and filled with moral authority . . . Both perspectives will fascinate Keneally's dedicated followers who have come to expect daring narratives dealing with themes of family, morality and moral responsibility. * Australian Bookseller *[An] impressive sketch of ghostly affinities between a man who makes images at once artistic and real out of the life he records and shapes, and another who conjures and kills and wills himself on the tightrope of justice and mercy in a time that Keneally is very adept at animating . . . It leaps to Africa, it resounds with the shadow-world of ancient Australia, it can evoke a background of the Inuit, of any damn thing pertinent to the purposes of a master craftsman who has no intention of taking anything lying down. * The Saturday Paper *[Keneally] steps forth into a wild landscape of evolution, myth and primal emotion . . . a hymn to idealism, and to human development . . . As a portrait of passion, belonging, anger and forgiveness in marriage, in whatever stage of evolution, this book is deeply affecting. * Sydney Morning Herald *[T]he parallels between the two [men] are engaging . . . [an] elegiac novel . . . with its joyful descriptions of Shade's family, his songs, his gods and the "flame of praise" he feels under the stars, and of the huge creatures - the razor-toothed great lizard, the giant kangaroo - that he and his clan hunt amongst the saltbush. -- Markie Robson-Scott * The Tablet *
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers Rules of the Road An emotional uplifting novel of
Book SynopsisGripping, emotional and uplifting a novel about the true power of friendship.'a tender, emotional and uplifting read I loved it' Lucy Diamond'A superb writer the Irish Jojo Moyes' Irish ExaminerThe simple fact of the matter is that Iris loves life. Maybe she's forgotten that. Sometimes that happens, doesn't it? To the best of us? All I have to do is remind her of that one simple fact.Monday morning starts like any other until Terry discovers her best friend Iris has gone missing. Finding her takes Terry, Iris and Terry's confused father Eugene, into an extraordinary journey one that will change all of their lives. And, along the way, what should be the worst six days of Terry's life turn into the best.Because friendship teaches us all to be brave. And, sometimes, the rules are made to be broken.Trade Review Praise for Rules of the Road: ‘A road-trip story celebrating friendship, loyalty and acts of courage… This is a tender, emotional and uplifting read that manages to be as funny as it is heartbreaking. I loved it’ Lucy Diamond ‘As a celebration of female friendship, you need look no further. A tear-inducing read with undeniable warmth’ Woman ‘In this uplifting novel … what should be the worst six days of the narrator Terry’s life turn into the best…friendship can teach us to be brave, and this magical read certainly affirms this’ Woman’s Weekly ‘Very funny, very moving and utterly unsentimental…as Terry discovers what makes life worth living.’ Irish Times ‘A genuine feel-good hit […]Geraghty's tightly wound adventure is as touching as it is entertaining’ Independent ‘A book to be shared, a book to be cherished … an homage to the strength of friendship and a celebration of life in all its colours’ Mairead Hearne, Swirl and Thread ‘Infused with warmth, humour and human understanding. An homage to life and fantastic friendships, this book will warm the cockles of your heart.’ Justine Carberry, Sunday Independent ‘A beautiful, touching story that both warms and breaks the heart. Rules of the Road is a poignant celebration of the power of friendship, and how to live life your own way.’ Phaedra Patrick, bestselling author of The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper ‘Funny, gentle, compassionate and wise’ Anne Cunningham, Meath Chronicle ‘Tender, funny, and heartbreaking… Ciara Geraghty is a wonderful writer’ Hazel Gaynor ‘Geraghty combines sadness with humour, handling the delicate balance very cleverly.’ Irish Times
£7.59
Simon & Schuster Ltd The World That We Knew
Book Synopsis* LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL *‘Oh, what a book this is! Hoffman’s exploration of the world of good and evil, and the constant contest between them, is unflinching; and the humanity she brings to us – it is a glorious experience. The book builds and builds, as she weaves together, seamlessly, the stories of people in the most desperate of circumstances – and then it delivers with a tremendous punch. It opens up the world … in a way that is absolutely unique. By the end you may be weeping’ Elizabeth Strout, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge In Berlin in 1941 during humanity’s darkest hour, three unforgettable young women must act with courage and love to survive, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Dovekeepers and The Marriage of Opposites Alice Hoffman. <Trade Review‘Oh, what a book this is! Hoffman’s exploration of the world of good and evil, and the constant contest between them, is unflinching; and the humanity she brings to us – it is a glorious experience. The book builds and builds, as she weaves together, seamlessly, the stories of people in the most desperate of circumstances – and then it delivers with a tremendous punch. It opens up the world … in a way that is absolutely unique. By the end you may be weeping’ -- Elizabeth Strout, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge‘A hymn to the power of resistance, perseverance, and enduring love in dark times…gravely beautiful…Hoffman the storyteller continues to dazzle’ * The New York Times *‘With the dream-like feel of a fairy tale, this is the story of a young Jewish girl who is sent away from Berlin during the Second World War… this classic fairy tale of good versus evil is wonderful. The storytelling is lush and vivid, and it stayed with me for a long time’ * Good Housekeeping *‘This fable of love and sacrifice blends magic realism with brutal history to devastating effect . . . a spellbinding testament to resilience in the face of evil’ * Mail on Sunday *‘A whirlwind, multi-strand plot honours real-life atrocities and everyday heroism . . . the emotional power of Hoffman’s storytelling is rarely in doubt’ * Daily Mail *‘Will break your heart, and then stitch it back together piece by piece. It’s about love and loss, about history and the world today, about what happens when man goes against the laws of nature for good and for evil’ -- Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of A Spark of Light‘Hoffman’s fictional world is one of violence and terror, in which the angel of death is a menacing presence; it is also one that celebrates the redemptive power of love and sacrifice. Infusing the real events of the Holocaust with Jewish mysticism and folk tales, she has created an original, deeply moving novel’ * Sunday Times *‘Three unforgettable women, Lea, Ettie and Ava, escape the Nazi regime in Berlin in 1941. During humanity’s darkest hour, where evil can be found at every turn, they must find hidden courage and love to survive against all odds. A magical read from a wonderful writer’ * My Weekly *‘Breaching the space between reality and mysticism . . . the battle between evil and love, and myth and truth is so powerfully woven into the evocative narrative it will take your breath away’ * Woman *
£10.44
Simon & Schuster Ltd A Chain Across the Dawn
Book Synopsis Bigger spaceships. Bigger explosions. Bigger planets. Bigger problems. It's been three years since Esa joined the ranks of the Justified after her rescue from the fanatical murderers the Pax. Together, Esa and her mentor Kamali travel from planet to planet, searching for children with supernatural abilities. It's hard work, but Esa has never felt more assured of her place in the universe. On a visit to a planet so remote that its inhabitants never learned that the Sect Wars ended over a hundred years ago, they learn that the Justified are not the only people searching for gifted children. There is a creature with unexpected powers who will stop at nothing to get its hands on the children that Esa and Kamali are trying to rescue. With their latest recruit in tow -- a young Wulf child named Sho -- Esa and Kamali will travel halfway across the galaxy in pursuit of answers. But the answers only lead to more q
£8.54
Headline Publishing Group Undone
Book SynopsisUndone is a unforgettable new romance from bestselling author Kelly Rimmer, in her Start Up in the City series, perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis and Nora Roberts.The only vow she''s prepared to make is not to say ''I do''...Running a major tech company without breaking a sweat? No problem. But being bridesmaid at her best friend''s wedding is giving Jess Cohen a bad case of the jitters. Maybe that''s because she''ll have to face the groom''s brother, Jake - the man she''s been avoiding for the last two years, after she dumped him mercilessly, unable to tell him the truth about her past. Jake, who''s loyal, loving and all wrong for someone who refuses to be tied down - if only her heart could remember that.Jake Winton spent four months secretly dating Jess, and the past two years trying - and failing - to forget the woman he''d been ready to propose to. Now, he''s sure their connection is still there, sizzling and undeniable. WhTrade ReviewA heartbreaking book about an impossible decision. A novel about the deepest love possible -- Luanne RiceA heartrending tale . . . captures the unbreakable bond of two sisters * Publishers Weekly *One of the best books for discussion that I've read in years -- Diane ChamberlainRipped from the headlines and from the heart, Before I Let You Go is an unforgettable novel that will amaze and startle you with its impact and heart -- Patti Callahan HenryHeartbreaking and life-affirming. Before I Let You Go captures the bittersweet nature of existence and turns it into something truly beautiful -- Tilly TennantHeartbreaking, soul-searching but ultimately uplifting, this thought-provoking book challenges the judgements society makes and weaves a heartwarming story around the bonds we forge as sister, mother and partner -- Zara StoneleyA deeply emotional and thought-provoking read. It was impossible to not be moved by this beautifully written book -- Vanessa CarnevaleAnother incredible, gripping read from an exceptionally talented author. This book takes you through a myriad of emotions, whilst opening your eyes to some very important issues for women. I read this in one sitting, because I had to. So will you. A magnificent read I can't praise or recommend highly enough -- Heather HillBeing a mother means you are open to criticism from every angle, but if you are a pregnant addict, what then? Children are protected in society, but what about those who gave them life? Kelly Rimmer writes from the heart and soul. Be prepared to lose and gain a little of each as you read her stories -- Rachel Dove
£11.69
Cornerstone The Road to the Country
Book SynopsisFROM THE TWICE BOOKER-SHORTLISTED AUTHORLonglisted for the Dublin Literary Award, the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, and the New American Voices AwardNamed a Best Book of the Year by the Boston Globe, Economist, and Kirkus Reviews'A major voice' SALMAN RUSHDIE'Remarkable' ALICE WALKER'A sweeping, heart-racing, mystical novel' NEW YORK TIMESWhen a country is torn apart by civil war, Kunle and Tunde are separated, each on opposite sides. Desperate to find his brother, Kunle's search becomes one of atonement, leading him to join an army and to fight in a war he barely understands. Amidst the chaos, he forms deep, lifelong friendships and falls in love. But his ultimate hope remains: to reunite with his family. An emotionally powerful masterpiece, Chigozie Obioma's odyssey of brotherhood, love, and extraordinary courage set against the backdrop of the Biafran War captures the essence of a young man's quest for redemption in a nation ablaze. 'Mr Obioma has been described as the heir to Chinua Achebe ... He pulls from the same wells of rage and horror as his literary forebear did' Economist'A remarkable talent' Independent'Incredibly moving and hopeful' Nadifa Mohammed'A wondrous novel' Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
£9.49
Metonymy Press Little Blue Encyclopedia for Vivian
Book SynopsisA love story from one transwoman to another, an encyclopedia of sorts, and an in-depth analysis of a fictional TV show called Little Blue.
£11.69
Canelo A Christmas in Prague
Book SynopsisWhat if a last wish could mean a new love?When Olivia's beloved Aunt Grace passes, she leaves everything to her niece, with one condition: Travel to Prague and deliver a message to Grace's long-lost true love, Marek.The trouble is, Olivia's world is getting smaller. Since her husband left her one heartbreaking Christmas Eve, she has found even getting into town a challenge, let alone travelling by herself to a different country.But this is one adventure she has to take, if she is to honour Grace.The snowy, magical city of Prague slowly starts to awaken her festive spirit, and as Marek's nephew, Tomas, shows her around the gorgeous Christmas markets, Olivia begins to feel she can truly live again.Grace never had her chance at love, but might Olivia's secret Christmas wish come true and grant her a second chance at romance?A heartwarming, uplifting second-chance romance perfect for fans of Milly Johnson and Julie Capli
£8.54
Canelo A Mothers Revenge
Book SynopsisA mother will stop at nothing to protect her familyCheryl Davidson was happy with husband Leo, watching her beloved son, Dean, grow into a handsome young man, dreaming of the paths his life would take, the grandchildren he would bring home.Until the day that Dean was murdered, his body dumped in an isolated scrapyard with a bullet in his head, and Cheryl's world exploded.Discovering that Dean had been mixed up in the underworld of the Glasgow crime world, and worst of all, that Leo had brought him in, means that Cheryl's sanity is hanging by a thread.Overwhelmed by grief and with no one left to trust, Cheryl plans to take deadly retribution on the family that caused her son to be killed, vowing that they should suffer her same pain.Cheryl might be up against the formidable Janey Hallahan, the woman who runs Glasgow gangland with guns and fear, but Janey and the Hallahans might discover that a grieving mother with nothing to lose mi
£9.49
And Other Stories Proleterka
Book SynopsisA fifteen-year-old girl and her father, Johannes, take a cruise to Greece on the SS Proleterka. Jaeggy recounts the girl's youth in her distinctively strange, telescopic prose: the remarried mother, cold and unconcerned; the father who was allowed only rare visits with the child; the years spent stashed away with relatives or at boarding school. For the girl and her father, their time on the ship becomes their `last and first chance to be together.' On board, she becomes the object of the sailors' affection, receiving a violent, carnal education. Mesmerised by the desire to be experienced, she crisply narrates her trysts as well as her near-total neglect of her father.Proleterka is a ferocious study of distance, diffidence and `insomniac resentment.'Trade Review`"Incorruptible crystal" is an apt description of Jaeggy's style. Her sentences are hard and compact, more gem than flesh. Images appear as flashes, discontinuous, arresting, then gone . . . this feels appropriate for a writer who is a "stranger" and an "enemy" to the familial.' Sheila Heti, The New Yorker ---- `Jaeggy's works are a translator's dream: short, lucid and complex. Her distinctive vocabulary and syntax move elegantly and it would seem effortlessly into the English language.' Margaret Drabble, The New Statesman ---- `. . . an elegantly structured and stubbornly moving study of innocence destroyed and love denied. Very accomplished indeed.' Kirkus Reviews ---- `. . . an elegantly structured and stubbornly moving study of innocence destroyed and love denied. Very accomplished indeed.' Kirkus Reviews ---- `[Jaeggy] has a startling ability to go beyond: beyond the sentimental heart, the writerly niceties, the conventions that bind us, and the messy effusions of contemporary life.' The New Yorker ---- `[Jaeggy] has a startling ability to go beyond: beyond the sentimental heart, the writerly niceties, the conventions that bind us, and the messy effusions of contemporary life.' The New Yorker --- Praise for Fleur Jaeggy --- `Fleur Jaeggy's pen is an engraver's needle depicting roots, twigs, and branches of the tree of madness-extraordinary.' Joseph Brodsky ---- 'The fierceness of her words erupts from the seams of her tiny sentences ... Jaeggy's highly unusual work is finally gaining recognition in the English-speaking world.' Emily Rhodes, The Spectator---`Proleterka is a ferocious study - a masterclass in distance , diffidence, death, and `insomniac resentment.’ Barbara Epler
£8.54
Canelo A Wartime Christmas in the Dales
Book SynopsisCan the festive cheer warm her heart again?October 1941. Despite the hardships of life during wartime, Bobby Bancroft has never been happier. Engaged to her airman sweetheart Charlie, living in the beautiful Dales village of Silverdale and gainfully employed at The Tyke magazine, her life seems to be going exactly the way she always hoped it would.As the festive season approaches, Bobby is recruited to help produce a Christmas pantomime for the evacuee children billeted in the village. The project introduces her to some new friends, including a handsome Canadian, Flying Officer Ernie King, and her friend Topsy's upper-crust cousin Archie Sumner.However, fresh troubles arise when Charlie discovers his RAF training is to be cut short and he must prepare to join the fight imminently. What's more, his upcoming leave has been cancelled, leaving him to spend a lonely Christmas in his barracks. Can a miracle bring Charlie and Bobby together fo
£8.54
Orion Publishing Co Secret Beach
Book SynopsisTHE STUNNING AND ROMANTIC NEW NOVEL FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR VERONICA HENRY!''Dreamy and irresistible!'' JILL MANSELL''A summery tale of intrigue, family drama and romance. I loved it!'' SARAH MORGANNikki kept her secret safe for twenty years.Now the tide is about to turn...Nikki finally owns the little coastguard cottage of her dreams - and it''s a few steps away from the hidden beach that means so much to her.But when a handwritten note lands on her doorstep, she realises it''s only a matter of time before the heartbreaking truth of her past is uncovered.Twenty years ago, her whole world was turned upside-down when a terrible storm rolled into the small seaside town of Speedwell.Ever since that night, Nikki has been keeping a secret. One she knows has the potential to destroy the lives of those she loves most.Because as sure as the tide turns,
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers Maybe Perhaps Possibly
Book Synopsis'Fabulous, relaxing, page-turning, dream-inspiring' MIRANDA HART 'Exquisitely beautiful and so perceptive' JOANNA CANNON From the Costa-shortlisted author of THE OTHER HALF OF AUGUSTA HOPE and ALL MY MOTHERS Can two lost people find each other? The story of two people who have no idea how to fall in love On two Northumbrian islands joined by a bridge at low tide, Addie and Sol draw comfort from the migrating birds and vast ocean around them. Every day they dream of escape. Introverts with turbulent pasts and wary hearts, they are both drawn to Nature far more than to people until they catch sight of each other in the wild. Can they break free from their inhibitions and risk a better future together? 'A mini-holiday in itself, and an adorable ode to the romance of the awkward, the shy and the uncertain' LO
£9.49
Amazon Publishing Then Again
Book SynopsisA woman in the most challenging moment of her life faces impossible decisions in a poignant and deeply moving novel about love and loss, letting go, and moving on.Asha’s husband, Charlie, isn’t dead, but he’s been gone just the same since the day his aneurysm trapped him in a coma. Everything that made him Charlie left this world a year ago for a limbo that has trapped Asha, too. She doesn’t want to stay in this situation, but she can’t bear to kiss the love of her life goodbye.Luckily, she’s not alone. Asha has the support of her best friend, her father, and then, unexpectedly, Jason. Asha and Jason shared a tumultuous romance from junior high through her early college years, and he’s her first love. Now divorced, Jason wants to reconnect. For Asha, it feels weird. It feels wrong. But for now, it also feels kind of wonderful.Exploring love—and its infinite variations—Then, Again, told th
£8.54
And Other Stories Berg
Book Synopsis`A man called Berg, who changed his name to Greb, came to a seaside town intending to kill his father . . .' So begins Ann Quin's madcap frolic with sinister undertones, a debut `so staggeringly superior to most you'll never forget it' (The Guardian). Alistair Berg hears where his father, who has been absent from his life since his infancy, is living. Without revealing his identity, Berg takes a room next to the one where his father and father's mistress are lodging and he starts to plot his father's elimination. Seduction and violence follow, though not quite as Berg intends, with Quin lending the proceedings a delightful absurdist humour. Anarchic, heady, dark, Berg is Quin's masterpiece, a classic of post-war avant-garde British writing, and now finally back in print after much demand.Trade Review`Rare enough is a book that begins by stating its intention—rarer still one that proceeds to do seemingly everything it can to avoid following the path its intention has laid.’ Danielle Dutton, Literary Hub ----`Quin’s prose is as sharp as a deadly blade, flashing between light and dark with arresting effect.’ Financial Times ----`Progressing with the potency of a fever dream, this reissue invites readers to discover Quin’s remarkable voice.’ TANK Magazine----`The prose that makes Quin’s novel so dazzling 55 years later. The language of her book lurches in unexpected directions, fishtailing wildly from the dark to the erotic to the violent to the insanely funny.’ Shane Anderson, The Nation ----`A mixture of the surreal, the whimsical and the macabre [...] [Berg] is funny and profound, and intensely of its time.' Ian Patterson, London Review of Books----Praise for Ann Quin----'A marvelously warped book' New York Times----`Quin works over a small area with the finest of tools... every page, every word gives evidence of her care and workmanship.' New York Times Book Review-----`Quin's prose never falters; it's stunning.' Caitlin Youngquist, The Paris Review----`A gritty yet deliciously strange masterpiece of British fiction' - Calum Barnes, Morning Star`Berg reminds a little of Veronique Olmi's tragic Beside the Sea, or Ferrante's lost dolls in the sand, but with a runaway, off-kilter style all of its own that reminds the reader how celebrated Quin ought to be.' - Laura Waddell, The Skinny----`A triumph of post-war literature. A classic of social surrealism.' - Andrew Gallix, Irish Times ----`What makes Berg one of the best British novels published since the war, is [the] repetitive, unyielding territory of failed transformation ... not merely a mystical plane opened up by the work of literature: paradoxically (and with a heavy dose of sadness and black humour) it is the place where literature comes closest to life.' Daniel Fraser, Dublin Review of Books----`Read the book. There's nothing I can do in this review that approaches the feeling of reading Ann Quin's Berg. I can make lame comparisons, saying that it reminds me of James Joyce's Ulysses (in its evocations of loose consciousness), or David Lynch's Blue Velvet (in its oedipal voyeuristic griminess), or Luis Bunuel's The Exterminating Angel (for its surreal humor and dense claustrophobia). Or I can repeat: Read the book. [...] Quin wrote three other novels before walking into the sea in 1973 and never coming back. Those novels are Three (1966), Passages (1969), and Tripticks (1972). I really hope that And Other Stories will reissue these in the near future. Until then: Read the book.' Edwin Turner, Biblioklept
£10.00
Vintage Publishing Lotte In Weimar
Book SynopsisRead Thomas Mann's meditation on the power of literary representation and the tyranny of the writer's imagination. Mann's novel, written some 150 years after Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther, follows Lotte Kestner, Goethe's real-life heroine, as she makes a pilgrimage to Weimar to meet the author who courted her forty years before. To her surprise, Lotte is greeted on her arrival as a celebrity and immediately taken up into Goethe's set. Time and place are brilliantly evoked in Mann's novel, but its genius lies in his masterful portrayal of Goethe himself, and of the astonishing influence he exerted on his contemporaries.'A masterpiece' Stefan ZweigTrade ReviewA masterpiece -- Stefan Zweig
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Last Dragon King
Book SynopsisAn inter-connected romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas The Dragon King is looking for a wife
£17.00
HarperCollins Publishers The Ruthless Fae King
Book SynopsisAn inter-connected romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas
£17.00
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Drop City
Book Synopsis'One of the funniest, most subtle novels we've had about the hippy era's slow fade to black ... this may be his most affecting emotionally complex novel' (New York Times Book Review) Star has travelled to Drop City - forty-seven sun-washed acres of commune in California - to be free from her home, from society's constraints, and to feel part of something important. But she starts to suspect that free love was invented by some spotty dude who couldn't get laid any other way, and that chilled out means lazy. And as for peace-living, there seems to be an ugly undercurrent of violence. Then, when rape charges are brought and the police threaten to close down Drop City, the hippies decamp to the wilds of Alaska where they intend to live off the land. But instead the community runs into trouble, unexpected friendships are made and dangerous enemies are born.Trade ReviewBoyle's riveting new novel lays bare the raw reality behind the city-dweller's romantic dream of living at one with nature * The Times *Lively, intelligent, wonderfully written * Observer *Writing on the top of his form ... hugely enjoyable ... thoroughly gripping * Daily Telegraph *One of the funniest, most subtle novels we've had about the hippy era's slow fade to black ... this may be his most affecting emotionally complex novel ... This may be his most affecting and emotionally complex novel * New York Times Book Review *Boyle is a maverick talent ... tension is maintained by a series of gripping conflicts until the reader finally emerges with despair and admiration for the human spirit * Daily Mail *A vastly entertaining tale that balances the exuberance and the excesses, the promise and the preposterousness of the counterculture perhaps better than any other work of American fiction * Los Angeles Times Book Review *Not only an entertaining romp through the madness of the countercultural ’70s, but a stirring parable about the American dream as well * New York Times *Exhilarating ... Drop City is a marvel of construction with a champion omniscient narrator * Independent *Anything goes in Boyle's imaginative world, so long as it is raw, elemental and in excess * Sunday Telegraph *Comedy, tragedy and more great sentences than seems entirely fair. Boyle's not exactly unknown, but it's high time he was deified. Marvellous * Uncut *Acutely observed and perfectly pitched, this exhilarating novel rides emotional novel rides emotional cross-currents like a raft on rapids * Time Out *TC Boyle's doorstop of a book will have you rushing to bed early to find out what happens next ... a gripping book and a timely reminder of the sexism at the heart of the hippy movement * Good Housekeeping *No one better than Boyle can hoover a sentence out of the gods' imaginations, and set it in glitter on the page ... Boyle is America's most acerbic catastrophist-realist writing today. Here his vision is more compassionate, more hopeful than ever before. Full of pure invention. A glorious read * Scotsman *Boyle, whose prolific fiction outpouring has begun to rival that of such workhorses as John Updike and Joyce Carol Oates, ranks as one of our master satirists * San Francisco Chronicle *Boyle has spun a tale of love, lust and communities, set against the backdrop of the great American landscape * Harpers & Queen *Right from the opening sentence, Boyle shows himself to be a consummate novelist. Utterly stylish prose, humane characterisation, deft attention to detail and graceful plotting: what reader could ask for more? A profoundly satisfying book * Scotland on Sunday *One of the finest American contemporary novelists, his name on the cover a guarantee of an intelligent and stimulating read ... Read it and, if you haven't done so already, go away and invest in his fine back catalogue ... Don't be square, man, get him to the trip * Sunday Tribune *Drop City verges on flawless ... Boyle has a light, winning touch that never fails. He conveys small details beautifully, and through them encapsulates whole worlds ... literary bliss. All in all, quite a trip * Sunday Business Post *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing History of Violence
Book Synopsis** Shortlisted for the 2020 International Dublin Literary Award **The radical, urgent new novel from the author of The End of Eddy - a personal and powerful story of violence.I met Reda on Christmas Eve 2012, at around four in the morning. He approached me in the street, and finally I invited him up to my apartment. He told me the story of his childhood and how his father had come to France, having fled Algeria. We spent the rest of the night together, talking, laughing. At around 6 o'clock, he pulled out a gun and said he was going to kill me. He insulted me, strangled and raped me. The next day, the medical and legal proceedings began.History of Violence retraces the story of that night, and looks at immigration, class, racism, desire and the effects of trauma in an attempt to understand a history of violence, its origins, its reasons and its causes. 'It stays with you' Times'A heartbreaking novel' John BoyneTrade ReviewLouis’s greatest strength as a writer is that he feels things so passionately, sometimes to the point of obsession, but that he also has a philosophical turn of mind that explores, rather than neutralises, his feelings. -- Edmund White * Guardian *[B]oth brave and ambitious in its determination never to let its reader, or its author, escape lightly the damaging realities it describes. -- Tim Adams * Observer *[A] harrowing piece of autofiction… History of Violence is a slim but densely layered novel that begins with raw urgency. -- Johanna Thomas-Corr * The Times *[A] heartbreaking novel… I find myself captivated by Édouard Louis's books and his raw honesty. -- John Boyne * Irish Times *An intense and uncomfortably thrilling book, which uses the harrowing events of that Christmas Eve as a basis for a wider exploration of class, race and individualism... a novel that is unflinching in its examination of class and discrimination. -- Tash Aw * Times Literary Supplement *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing The Mars Room
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZETHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA fearless and heartbreaking novel about love, friendship and incarceration, from the author of the internationally acclaimed The Flamethrowers.Astounding this year's must-read' ANNE ENRIGHTRomy Hall is starting two consecutive life sentences at Stanville Women's Correctional Facility. Her crime? The killing of her stalker.Inside awaits a world where women must hustle and fight for the bare essentials. Outside: the San Francisco of her youth. The Mars Room strip club where she was once a dancer. Her seven-year-old son, Jackson.As Romy forms friendships over liquor brewed in socks and stories shared through sewage pipes her future seems to unfurl in one long, unwavering line until news from beyond the prison bars forces Romy to try and outrun her destiny.* Pre-order Rachel Kushner's new novel, Creation Lake, now *Breathtaking' VOGUEOne of our most outstanding modern writers' STYLISTGritty, empathetic, finely rendered' MARGARET ATWOOD (on Twitter)Trade ReviewIt is an unforgettable novel, and leaves the reader in no doubt that Kushner is one of America’s greatest living authors. * Daily Telegraph *One of the greatest novels I have read in years. Her prior novel, The Flamethrowers, was expansive and thrilling, but this is richer and deeper, more ambitious in its moral vision… an exhilarating, always surprising read. * Irish Times *When I finished reading The Mars Room, I immediately reread it because I didn’t want to leave its world… The Mars Room teems with quick and distinctive voices. -- Max Liu * Financial Times *Cements [Kushner's] status as one of America's finest writers. * Vogue, **Must-Read Books of 2018** *I’ve been bowled over by Rachel Kushner’s The Mars Room [about life in a women’s prison]. It’s astounding – very difficult to read but so beautifully done, and with such knowledge, although it doesn’t feel like a “researched” book. -- Anne Tyler * Observer *
£9.49
Transworld Publishers Ltd Never Greener: The number one bestselling novel
Book SynopsisTHE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, PICKED FOR THE ZOE BALL TV BOOK CLUB'Ruth Jones is excellent on human nature and why we make the mistakes we do. I felt for every character. Unputdownable.' Jojo MoyesThe past has a habit of tracking us down. And tripping us up.When Kate was twenty-two, she had an intense and passionate affair with a married man, Callum, which ended in heartbreak. Kate thought she'd never get over it.Seventeen years later, life has moved on - Kate, now a successful actress, is living in London, married to Matt and mother to little Tallulah. Meanwhile Callum and his wife Belinda are happy together, living in Edinburgh and watching their kids grow up. The past, it would seem, is well and truly behind them all.But then Kate meets Callum again.And they are faced with a choice: to walk away from each other . . . or to risk finding out what might have been.Second chances are a rare gift in life. But that doesn't mean they should always be taken . . .-In her unmissable debut, actress and screenwriter Ruth Jones shows us the dangers of trying to recapture that which was once lost and failing to realise the beauty of what we already have.Praise for Ruth Jones:'I love books about gnarly, messy relationships and this one kept me gripped from the beginning. A great read.' Jane Fallon'Heart-rending, provocative and astutely written, Never Greener is a love story about getting what you want and losing everything you need. Ruth's characters will stay with me for a long time.' Cathy Bramley'Easy to read and full of laughter - and truth.' Daily MailReaders have fallen in love with Never Greener:***** 'Loved this book from start to finish.'***** 'I fell in love with all the characters and could not put it down.'***** 'Brilliantly written, laugh-out-loud hilarious yet tear-jerking.'****RUTH'S BRILLIANT NEW NOVEL LOVE UNTOLD IS AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW. COMING IN 2022****Trade ReviewRuth Jones is excellent on human nature and why we make the mistakes we do. I felt for every character. Unputdownable. * Jojo Moyes, bestselling author of ME BEFORE YOU *Heart-rending, provocative and astutely written, Never Greener is a love story about getting what you want and losing everything you need. Ruth's characters will stay with me for a long time. * Cathy Bramley, bestselling author of THE LEMON TREE CAFE *I love books about gnarly, messy relationships and this one kept me gripped from the beginning. A great read. * Jane Fallon, bestselling author of MY SWEET REVENGE and STRICTLY BETWEEN US *Easy to read and full of laughter - and truth * Daily Mail *A great debut * Bella *
£9.49
Simon & Schuster Ltd Paradise Logic
Book SynopsisMeet Reality Kahn, a dangerously hopeful 23-year-old actress for local waterpark commercials, zine maker, and aspiring notary who is on an epic quest to be the greatest girlfriend of all time. Guided by ladies’ magazine Girlfriend Weekly and experimental psychopharmaceuticals, Reality sets out to perform the rituals of dating and femininity in increasingly disturbing ways. Bad things keep happening to Reality on her quest, but she doesn’t care: her eyes are on the prize, she wants to be the perfect girlfriend. Audacious, surreal and brilliantly funny, Paradise Logic is a raucuous picaresque about the search for love and connection from a dazzlingly original new voice.
£15.29
DC Comics The Nice House by the Sea Vol. 1
Book SynopsisMax has hand-picked her invitees. They re all masters of their fields, titans of their industries humanity s best and brightest. Who better to carry on the torch of civilization after the world ends?
£15.99
Canongate Books The Radleys
Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING DAMIAN LEWIS AND KELLY MACDONALD FAMILIES. SOMETIMES THEY''RE A BLOODY NIGHTMARE . . . Life with the Radleys: Radio 4, dinner parties with the Bishopthorpe neighbours and self-denial. Loads of self-denial. But all hell is about to break loose. When teenage daughter Clara gets attacked on the way home from a party, she and her brother Rowan finally discover why they can''t sleep, can''t eat a Thai salad without fear of asphyxiation and can''t go outside unless they''re smothered in Factor 50.With a visit from their lethally louche Uncle Will and an increasingly suspicious police force, life in Bishopthorpe is about to change. Drastically.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Nineteen Steps
Book SynopsisLove blooms in the darkest days Discover this heart-wrenching, life-affirming tale of first romance in the face of the tragic events of an often forgotten piece of WW2 history. ''Will make you swoon, laugh, and even cry'' Daily Mirror''A dazzling debut'' Woman''s Own''A spellbinding read'' Fiona Davis???London, 1942. Despite the raging war, spirited 18-year-old Nellie Morris lives a quiet life in the tight-knit East End community of Bethnal Green. Her family and friends all tease that she will marry air raid warden Billy, the boy next door who's always been sweet on her.The arrival of Ray, a handsome American airman stationed nearby, causes Nellie to question everything she thought she knew about her future.Nellie's new-found happiness is short-lived when a tragic accident occurs during an air raid. Even the closest family can't escape the devastation of war, and as the secrets and truth about that fateful night become clear, they threaten to tear Nellie and those dearest to her apart.'There is no healing without remembering, and there is no remembering without stories. So thank goodness Brown's Nanny Ruth, who was a survivor of the crush, told her granddaughter what she rememberedYou might open Nineteen Steps for the celebrity name, but stick with it for the history of an under-recognized event of World War II.' New York TimesReaders love Nineteen Steps:''I couldn''t put it down'' ?????''Heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time'' ?????''Truly inspiring, powerful'' ?????''Prepare for waterworks'' ?????''I devoured it'' ?????''A wonderful story'' ?????
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Forever House
Book SynopsisAn exciting crime thriller with a ghostly edge you won''t be able to put down!A perfect new homeWhen Jasmine moves into 13 Ravens Lane with her husband and two daughters, she's excited to be finally settling into their forever home.A tingle up the spineBut very soon, it becomes clear that something is wrong with the house. Sudden drops in temperature, unexplained swarms of insects, plants that keep dying for no reason. It's almost like someone, or something, doesn't want them there.A terrifying nightmareIt's not long before Jasmine is forced to question whether she and her family are really safe in their new home. Or if whatever is lurking somewhere inside is going to be the death of them all
£10.80
Titan Books Ltd Conan the Barbarian Vol. 5
Book SynopsisFans of Robert E. Howard's legendary hero will devour this next instalment ofConan the Barbariancomics, filled with high adventure, savage combat, ancient gods, and rollicking sword-and-sorcery action!
£13.49
Airship Modern Villainess Its Not Easy Building a
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£13.49
Influx Press I Love You So Much Its Killing Us Both
Book SynopsisSet in the suburbs of Los Angeles and New York City, I Love You So Much It's Killing Us Both is a Black woman's coming-of-age story, chronicling a life-changing friendship, the interplay between music fandom and identity, and the slipperiness of sanity.
£10.79
Fairlight Books Woman in Blue
Book SynopsisAman in Amsterdam finds himself irresistibly drawn to Vermeer's Woman in BlueReading a Letter, studying it in search of answers to his problems. Butthere is more to the Woman in Blue than those who gaze upon her realise, andshe has a story of her own to tell. A masterful exploration of the intersectionbetween art, artist and viewer
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Fish Tales
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£15.29
Orion Publishing Co Love Marriage
Book Synopsis'In this globe-scattered Sri Lankan family, we speak only of two kinds of marriage. The first is the Arranged Marriage. The second is the Love Marriage.' An outstanding debut novel of fractured family relationships in modern Sri Lanka.
£10.44
Pan Macmillan A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth
Book Synopsis*Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2021**From Daniel Mason, the bestselling, award-winning author of The Winter Soldier and The Piano Tuner comes a collection of interlacing tales of men and women as they face the mysteries and magic of the world.On a fated flight, a balloonist makes a discovery that changes her life forever. A telegraph operator finds an unexpected companion in the middle of the Amazon. A doctor is beset by seizures, in which he is possessed by a second, perhaps better, version of himself. And in Regency London, a bare-knuckle fighter prepares to face his most fearsome opponent, while a young mother seeks a miraculous cure for her ailing son. At times funny and irreverent, always moving, these stories cap a fifteen-year project that has won both a National Magazine Award and Pushcart Prize. From the Nile’s depths to the highest reaches of the atmosphere, from volcano-wracked islands to an asylum on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, these are lives of ecstasy and epiphany.Trade ReviewOne of the finest prose stylists in American fiction * New York Times *Nine tales of human endurance, accomplishment, and epiphany told with style and brio. Mason is one of our best historical novelists, creating panoramas of rich detail, propulsive plot, and artful character development in novels such as The Piano Tuner and The Winter Soldier. In his first story collection, he shows how quickly and completely he can immerse readers in a foreign place and time . . . An enchanting cabinet of curiosities and wonders * Kirkus *I've given up picking perfect sentences to read aloud and am now just reciting the entire book. The talent of Daniel Mason - using words in this way is witchcraft, surely -- Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll FactoryUnique and beguiling... Mason's first short story collection is a treasure trove of lush scene setting in faraway times and places, from the wilds of England to the Malay Archipelago... A perfect and fitting pick for these seemingly endless days when science, our understanding of reality and a faint longing for human connection are so irrevocably intertwined * San Francisco Chronicle *What I've found most remarkable about Mason's fiction is the quality of his revelations, his ability to unveil temperaments, habits, natures. His stories are mysteries, albeit not in the genre sense... In all of the stories, you can see Mason figuring out new strategies to get closer to the people he is writing about. Each is a portrait, each a deep dive into an individual's nature, each rooted in history * New York Times Magazine *Mason is particularly strong at depicting the state of mind a character works himself into when struggling with fear, uncertainty or even impostor syndrome… the subjects and settings provide a pleasing unity. The grand pleasures of fiction are all here: rich, cushioning detail; vivid characters delivering decisive action; and a sense of escape into a larger world * Guardian *Mason conveys more in a short story than many authors manage in an entire novel * Christian Science Monitor *The characters in these robust short stories, set mostly in the nineteenth century, struggle as captains of their destinies * The New Yorker *A wonderful set of period tales that offer a welcome transportive escape... conjuring a vivid world of scientific endeavor and human isolation in myriad settings -- Mariella FrostrupDaniel Mason is a masterful storyteller, and these stories---the attention to history and science and all that is unknown---are nothing short of brilliant. With exquisite, mesmerizing language, he transports us to places far beyond the realm of our realities and then lands us in ways wholly intimate and moving. A Registry Of My Passage Upon the Earth is a marvel and a journey not to be missed -- Jill McCorkle, bestselling author of Life After LifeMason's melodious, introspective collection locates startling depth in a series of engrossing character studies... The title story is a standout, rendered in the form of a madman's ravings, in which a gifted writer is compelled to obsessively catalogue every poignant piece of human existence. Mason is a brilliant wordsmith... and respectful of his readers by not giving away too much. Each story is informed and deepened by scientific inquisitiveness, and rewards readers with understated philosophical insight. This showcases Mason's wide range and mastery of lyrical precision * Publisher's Weekly *Transporting... Pinpoint physical details and precisely articulated emotions collide with the mystical, while scientific quests drive characters to extremes... With touches of Borges and Calvino, Mason's fabulist stories are works of tenderness and awe for human curiosity, passion, mad valor, and profound resiliency * Booklist *
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers Godwin
Book SynopsisA fantastic novel, brilliantly crafted' MARCUS DU SAUTOY 'Enthralling not to be missed' GUARDIAN A meticulously constructed marvel' WASHINGTON POST 'I wish there were more books like this' ELIF BATUMAN
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Clean
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Profile Books Ltd City of Night
Book SynopsisBold and inventive in style, City of Night is the groundbreaking 1960s novel about male prostitution. Rechy is unflinching in his portrayal of one hustling 'youngman' and his search for self-knowledge among the other denizens of his neon-lit world. As the narrator moves from Texas to Times Square and then on to the French Quarter of New Orleans, Rechy delivers a portrait of the edges of America that has lost none of its power. On his travels, the nameless narrator meets a collection of unforgettable characters, from vice cops to guilt-ridden married men eaten up by desire, to Lance O'Hara, once Hollywood's biggest star. Rechy describes this world with candour and understanding in a prose that is highly personal and vividly descriptive.Trade ReviewRechy's tone rings absolutely true, is absolutely his own, and he has the kind of discipline which allows him a rare and beautiful recklessness. tells the truth, and tells it with such passion that we are forced to share in the life he conveys. This is a most humbling and liberating achievement. -- James BaldwinOne of the major books to be published since World War II. * The Washington Post *City of Night is a remarkable book . . . Mr. Rechy writes in an authentic jive-like slang: the nightmare existence is explored with a clarity not often clouded by sentimentality and self-pity. The book therefore has the unmistakable ring of candor and truth. * The New York Times Book Review *A breathless, amphetamine-fuelled dash across America ... Rechy's descriptive energy is instead reserved for city life's twilight world and a colourful parade of characters... his descriptive energy surpasses any queer literature label. * New Statesman *John Rechy's groundbreaking novel City of Night lifted the lid on gay life in `60's America ... it broke new ground with its depiction of the gay sexual subculture in America's cities ... The author is ripe for rediscovery. * Time Out *In his first novel, City of Night, John Rechy achieved what most authors strive for their entire career. A book that will last ... Although it was long after the original publication, through City of Night Rechy taught me that my feelings of isolation could be released, that my experiences could be written. It was Rechy who showed me that no subject matter is taboo. -- Charles Casillo * LA Review of Books *Probably no first novel is so complete, so well held together, and so important as City of Night. * The Houston Post *
£10.44
Dalkey Archive Press Midnight Is Not in Everyones Reach
Book SynopsisA polyphonic novel set over the course of three days, Midnight is Not in Everyone's Reach isa stunning meditation on memory and time from Antonio Lobo Antunes, considered by many to be Portugal's greatest living writer. The year is 2011, and our aging narrator has returned to Alto da Vigia to say goodbye to the house where her family spent summers during her childhood. Divided into three sections, one for each day that she spends at the home, Midnight is Not in Everyone's Reach unspools in torrents of dialogue and surreal, feverish scenarios. Over these three days, the dead return to life, time splinters and freezes, and conversations flow from the past into the present and back again, as we journey across the narrator's corrosive psyche toward our real destinationthe place inside herself where the family's grief-stricken secrets are kept.
£13.29
Europa Editions (UK) Ltd Dog
Book SynopsisDOG is a novel full of deft humour and escalating tenderness a tale about misfits, human and canine, and the currents of hope and courage that bring them together. Ross Raisin, author of God''s Own CountryWhen 18-year-old Benjamin Glass goes to look at a dead whale that has washed up on the beach, he meets an unfamiliar dog who follows him home to his caravan. Benjamin isn't equipped to take care of a dog he has a chronic fear of germs, and is currently living alone while his grandmother is in hospital.But when a delivery driver recognises the dog as The Mighty Gary, the fastest greyhound in the country, and tells Benjamin about his unsavoury owners, Benjamin is forced to trust the stranger on his doorstep and devise a plan to keep Gary safe. As Benjamin becomes more attached to the dog, it becomes clear that his trust in the delivery driver may well have been misplaced. He will have to leave his comfort zone, take some unhygienic r
£9.49
Profile Books Ltd This Is a Love Story
Book Synopsis''Lyrical, graceful - Jessica Soffer has captured the glittering magic of New York City'' Jenny Jackson, NYT-bestselling author of Pineapple StreetAbe and Jane have been together for fifty years: as two among the thousands of starry-eyed young lovers in Central Park, as frustrated and exhausted parents, as an artist and a writer whose careers were taking flight. Now, Jane is seriously unwell, and together she and Abe look back on their marriage - on the parts they cherished, and those they didn''t: Abe''s early betrayal; and the trials of raising their son Max, who, now grown, still believes his mother chose art over parenthood.A homage to New York, to pleasure, loss and love that endures despite or perhaps because of what life throws at us, This Is a Love Story brings these layered voices together in a chorus as complex, radiant and captivating as the city itself.
£15.29
Hodder & Stoughton Finale
Book Synopsis***BRAND NEW JACKET!***All games must come to an end . . .The heart-stopping end to the magical Caraval series, where Scarlett and Tella Dragna must fight for their happy endings . . .Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun - with lives, empires, and hearts all at stake. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win, and those who will lose everything. Welcome, welcome to the Caraval''s Finale. All games must come to an end . . .Further praise for the Caraval Series:''Enchanting . . . [I] never wanted to come out'' Sabaa Tahir''Immersive and engaging . . . destined to capture imaginations'' Kirkus''An enchanting carnival of dreams and nightmares . . . beautifully and vividly written'' SciFi Now******************''Decadent and enchanting''- Roshani Chokshi''I lost myself in this world'' - Sabaa Tahir'
£21.25
Pan Macmillan Bonding
Book SynopsisMariel Franklin lives and works in London. She has a MA in English from Edinburgh University and later went on to study Fine Art at Goldsmiths. After graduating, she spent several years working in data administrating in the tech industry. Bonding is her first novel.
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Granta Books Pew
Book SynopsisFrom the author of Biography of X, an eerie modern tale for fans of Shirley Jackson... 'I consumed it. It is the electric charge we need' Daisy Johnson, author of Everything Under One Sunday morning, a mysterious silent figure is found sleeping in a church in an unnamed American town. The congregants call this amnesiac 'Pew' and seek to uncover who they are: their age; their gender, their race, their intentions. Are they an orphan, or something worse? What terrible trouble is Pew running from? And why won't they speak? Unable to agree on how to treat a person they cannot categorize - whether to adopt or imprison, help or harm them - this small town is quickly undone by Pew's terrifying silence. What remains is a foreboding, provocative, and amorphous fable about the world today: our borders and our boundaries, our fears and our woes. 'You can absolutely imagine the novel being made into a dark indie film by the Coen brothers or David Lynch' New StatesmanTrade ReviewA stranger comes to town, and takes us with them into their estrangement among the denizens of a conservative religious community. The people of this community are stifling, and generous, cruel, earnest, needy, overconfident, fragile and repressive, which is to say that they are brilliantly rendered by their wise maker, Catherine Lacey -- Rachel Kushner, author of * The Mars Room *I consumed it. It is the electric charge we need -- Daisy Johnson, author of * Everything Under *The mercurial and electric Catherine Lacey has now conjured up an of-the-moment fable of trauma and projection - one part Kaspar Hauser, one part James Purdy, and one part Rachel Cusk. The pages shimmer with implication -- Jonathan Lethem, author of * Motherless Brooklyn *
£9.49
Oneworld Publications Little Eyes: LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER
Book SynopsisA visionary novel about our interconnected world, about the collision of horror and humanity, from the Man Booker-shortlisted master of the spine-tingling tale A Guardian & Observer Best Fiction Book of 2020 * A Sunday Times Best Science Fiction Book of the Year * The Times Best Science Fiction Books of the Year * NPR Best Books of the Year World Literature Today's 75 Notable Translations of 2020 * Ebook Travel Guides Best 5 Books of 2020 * A New York Times Notable Book of 2020 They’re not pets. Not ghosts or robots. These are kentukis, and they are in your home. You can trust them. They care about you... They've infiltrated apartments in Hong Kong, shops in Vancouver, the streets of Sierra Leone, town squares of Oaxaca, schools in Tel Aviv, bedrooms in Indiana. Anonymous and untraceable, these seemingly cute cuddly toys reveal the beauty of connection between far-flung souls – but they also expose the ugly truth of our interconnected society. Samanta Schweblin's wildly imaginative new novel pulls us into a dark and complex world of unexpected love, playful encounters and marvellous adventures. But beneath the cuddly exterior, kentukis conceal a truth that is unsettlingly familiar and exhilaratingly real. This is our present and we’re living it – we just don’t know it yet. *Little Eyes comes with two different covers, and the cover you receive will be chosen at random*Trade Review'Ingenious... An artful exploration of solitude and empathy in a globalised world… In a nimble, fast-moving narrative, what’s most impressive is the way she foregrounds her characters’ inner hopes and fears.' * Guardian *'Disturbing... Schweblin enjoys hovering just above the normal. Inspired by Samuel Beckett, she is interested in exposing absurdities.' * Financial Times *‘Little Eyes makes for masterfully uneasy reading; it’s a book that burrows under your skin.’ * Telegraph *'I cannot remember a book so efficient in establishing character and propelling narrative; there’s material for a hundred novels in these deft, rich 242 pages... The writing, ably translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell, is superb, fully living up to the promise of Schweblin's stunning previous novel, Fever Dream... A slim volume as expansive and ambitious as an epic.' * New York Times *'A timely meditation on humanity and technology.' * Harper's Bazaar *'Little Eyes provides us with a powerful examination of the underlining disparities that persist. It is a fable for a society in which we are all made to feel simultaneously exposed and anonymous, connected and alone.' * Times Literary Supplement *‘Little Eyes acts as a clear warning that every digital decision we make has consequences... It does feel alarmingly real.’ * i *'This dazzling inquiry into loneliness and connection...has been given added resonance by the atomisation of lockdown.' * Guardian, '50 Brilliant Books to Transport You This Summer' *'A dark story, beautifully translated by Megan McDowell, it leaves the reader in a world from which there is no escape, as it questions our growing complicity in social media and neocapitalist technologies.' * Morning Star *'Creepy as hell.' * Weekend Sport *‘Enjoyable reading… riffing on everyday human foibles – jealousy, capriciousness, existential restlessness…the understatedly arch tone is well served by Megan McDowell’s translation, which is so slick that one hardly seems to be reading a translated work.’ * Literary Review *'Daring and original... Schweblin deftly explores both the loneliness and casual cruelty that can inform our attempts to connect in this modern world.' * Booklist *'If you want a spookily prescient vision of human isolation both assuaged and deepened by inscrutable, glitch-prone tech, then Little Eyes more than fits the brief... Adroitly served by Megan McDowell’s winningly deadpan translation, these stories deal not in 'truly brutal plots' but 'desperately human and quotidian' urges, fears and scams... In the middle of our stay-at-home, broadband-enabled apocalypse, that feels right.' * Spectator *'The 'toys' Schweblin has created are the perfect hybrid between a pet and a social network, enabling her to dissect problems that touch all of our lives: the dark side of the internet; the global epidemic of loneliness; the dumb inertia that leads us to jump on board with the latest trend… As always in the worlds Schweblin creates, the real monsters are to be found not in the outside world, but inside each of us.' * New York Times (Spanish edition) *'A dystopian novel that is necessary, hypnotic, irresistible.' * Elle Italia *'This brilliant and disturbing book resembles Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale in how it speculates…Schweblin unspools a disquieting portrait of the dark sides of connectivity and the kinds of animalistic cyborgs it can make of us, as we walk through barriers that even spirits cannot cross.' * Literary Hub *'The finest novel of the past five years. Quite exceptional. Little Eyes will certainly feature in future lists of the ten best novels of this century.' * Luisgé Martín, author of The Same City *'A nuanced exploration of anonymous connection and distant intimacy in our heavily accessible yet increasingly isolated lives...Capacious, touching, and disquieting, this is not-so-speculative fiction for an overnetworked and underconnected age.' * Kirkus Reviews *'Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell, is a chilling and often hilarious book on the pitfalls of living in a highly interconnected world. Schweblin has a true talent for getting to the centre of our fears and drawing them out. An intensely clever title that will have you examining your own relationship to the internet.' -- Daisy Johnson, author of Sisters'This has a propulsive, Dave Eggers-ish readability.' * Daily Mail *'Little Eyes is a short, powerful, disquieting novel. The story explores the grey area that constitutes an invasion of privacy, and the line between intimacy and exhibitionism. Samanta Schweblin guides the narrative with a skilful hand reminiscent of her very finest short stories. An excellent storyteller, but above all, a true writer.' * La Razón *'Readers will be fascinated by the kentuki-human interactions, which smartly reveal how hungry we are for connection in a technology-bent world. Of a piece with Schweblin’s elliptical Fever Dream and the disturbing story collection Mouthful of Birds...this jittery eye-opener will appeal to a wide range of readers.' * Library Journal *'Schweblin’s handling of tension and her viscously instantaneous ironic twists, familiar from her short story collection Mouthful of Birds, are delicious... An eerie sense of disjuncture characterises the entire reading experience...an indicator of the deep, discomforting place it has made itself under my skin.' * 3:AM magazine *'Schweblin unfurls an eerie, uncanny story… Daring, bold, and devious.' * Publishers Weekly *'Her most unsettling work yet – and her most realistic.' * New York Times *‘A master of the unsettling… the imaginary technology at the heart of Little Eyes feels all too real, and Schweblin persuasively elaborates its operations and implications… the novel’s breadth provides much of its pleasure, allowing an inventiveness that balances the bleakness of its characters’ lives.’ -- Hannah Rosefield * The New Statesman *'In Samanta Schweblin's fiendishly readable Little Eyes, the new must-have tech gadget allows users to leapfrog into the lives of strangers – a sharp idea that became even more pertinent with the isolation and atomisation of lockdown.' -- Guardian, Best Fiction of 2020'Schweblin's clear and brisk language, aided by a seemingly effortless translation from Spanish by Megan McDowell, drives home the accessibility of this outlandish story. Little Eyes is strange and addictive, an experience made even more frightening by how familiar this feels.' * Salon *‘Alluring and unsettling in equal measure… A subtle and scathing parody of modern communications technology and social media… Colourful and near-hypnotic prose… A rare, yet powerful, indictment of a society that tolerates and even encourages violations of one of our most precious moral commodities – privacy.’ * E&T *'She has a gift for fiction that is pure, original, revelatory.' * El País *'Little Eyes calls to mind the world of Black Mirror. The result is suffocating and addictive in equal measure; combining the minutiae of domestic life with a picture of the dark side of technology in a disconcertingly natural style. A story about voyeurism, and the pleasure of looking at the world through someone else’s eyes.' * El Mundo *'An insightful reflection on solitude and privacy.' * ABC *'[Schweblin is] a literary explorer of 21st century fears.' * La Vanguardia *'Schweblin plunges herself once again into the disturbing limits of what we think of as 'normal'.' * Letras Libres *'This isn’t science fiction; this is the here and now.' * El Diario *'Drawn in quotidian elegance, the novel is a string of nonstop, colorful vignettes… If Schweblin’s sci-fi thriller Fever Dream made sleep difficult, Little Eyes raises the unease quotient. The book seems to watch viewers creepily as it unfolds.' * BookPage *'Like a true master, Schweblin manages to lure us in with a story that leaves us both bruised and fascinated.' * Culturas *'The undisputed star of Latin American fiction.' * ABC Sevilla *'The fantastic and strange worlds of Samanta Schweblin’s work are described with wisdom and ferocity.' * La Repubblica *'[Little Eyes is] yet another unsettling glimpse of life...providing us with the disturbing psychological insights which we associate with her work... Once again Schweblin has produced a novel which is prescient and frightening in equal measure.’ * 1streading *'Embedded within this novel of international interconnectivity are questions of the exhibitionism and voyeurism tied up in our use of technology. Expect echoes of the Wachowskis' Sense8, except told with what has been characterized as Schweblin's "neurotic unease."' * The Millions, Most Anticipated Titles of 2020 *'Samanta Schweblin will injure you, however safe you may feel.' * Jesse Ball, author of Census *'Samanta Schweblin is one of the most promising voices in modern literature.' * Mario Vargas Llosa, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature *'Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin was pure sorcery. Hands down, one of the best books of 2020 (so far)... I was intoxicated.' * The Book Satchel *'In accentuating so many of the dangers of online communities, as well as [the] advantages, Schweblin takes you on a psychological journey that feels like a Black Mirror episode and has you questioning actions that seemed mundane before.' * The Book Slut *'Brilliantly creepy.' -- New York Times, Notable Books of 2020'Little Eyes supposes a world that is our world, 5 minutes from now... It then introduces one small thing — one little change, one product, one tweaked application of a totally familiar technology — and tracks the ripples of chaos that it creates... Think for just a moment the kind of joy and the kind of horror something like that would create. Then read Little Eyes and see how whatever it was that you imagined was just the beginning of how awful it could be.' -- NPR, Best Books of the Year'A smart and timely meditation on what the internet is doing to the human soul... Funny, frightening and bound to make you turn off your mobile.' -- Tablet, Summer reads
£9.49
Forefront Books The Last Prophet
Book SynopsisThe Last Prophet is novel based on the extraordinary life of the prophet Muhammed, one-time shepherd and outcast revolutionary. This desert master’s discipline and principles would later become the basis for Islam, which today claims two billion followers.Death comes easily in the seventh-century Arabian desert—from hunger and thirst to the relentless sun to war and raiding tribes who take by force the scarce resources needed to survive. In this harsh land, the powerful city of Mecca is a beacon, famous for its well, which provides abundant life-giving water, and its great temple, where pilgrims come to worship the totems of hundreds of gods. It is here that the prophet Muhammed is born. An orphan raised by his uncle, Muhammed is disparaged by society. He has traveled throughout Arabia, soaking in an array of knowledge and religious views. He is a man of wisdom and faith who is troubled by the world around him. When God speaks to him, he sets out to preach what he has been told. Though every tribe has their own deity, he speaks of just one God. He shuns arrogance and the pursuit of luxury over truth and seeks to abolish slavery. In this patriarchal culture, he insists smothering infant girls in the sand is murder, a custom to be abolished. As the prophet starts to develop a following, the leaders of the city recognize the threat his radical views have to their lifestyle—one of wealth built in part upon the backs of slaves. The nobles try to turn the people and even his own family against Muhammed. They ban him and his tribe, and they torture and kill those who follow him. But no matter what they do to him, his influence continues to grow. The two sides eventually call upon allies throughout Arabia, rallying warriors for an epic battle that will forever change the course of history.
£21.00
Soho Press The Revolution According To Raymundo Mata
Book Synopsis
£12.34
