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
Pan Macmillan King Rat
Book SynopsisChina Miéville lives and works in London. He is three-time winner of the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award (Perdido Street Station, Iron Council and The City & The City) and has also won the British Fantasy Award twice (Perdido Street Station and The Scar). The City & The City, an existential thriller, was published to dazzling critical acclaim and drew comparison with the works of Kafka and Orwell (The Times) and Philip K. Dick (Guardian).Trade ReviewTackles his theme with a dark assurance . . . with its original blend of twisted urban fairytale and modern gothic horror, King Rat marks out China Miéville as an author to be watched. * The Times *Brings together elements of fantasy, fairytale and the detective story . . . I greatly enjoyed Miéville's weird and engaging myth-making. * Daily Telegraph *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Bonesetters Daughter
Book SynopsisA major novel from the internationally bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club', The Kitchen God's Wife' and The Hundred Secret Senses'.LuLing Young is in her eighties, and finally beginning to feel the effects of old age. Trying to hold on to the evaporating past, she begins to write down all that she can remember of her life as a girl in China. Meanwhile, her daughter Ruth, a ghostwriter for authors of self-help books, is losing the ability to speak up for herself in front of the man she lives with. LuLing can only look on, helpless: her prickly relationship with her daughter does not make it easy to discuss such matters. In turn, Ruth has begun to suspect that something is wrong with her mother: she says so many confusing and contradictory things.Ruth decides to move in with her ailing mother, and while tending to her discovers the story LuLing wrote in Chinese, of her tumultuous life growing up in a remote mountain village known as Immortal Heart. LuLing tells of the secrets passedTrade Review‘Compelling … exotic lands and the past lend themselves to poetry. Tan turns the familiar but harrowing accounts of pre-Communist Chinese women into a romantic and intriguing tale. LuLing is a classic Tan character, a resilient survivor who, like Olivia in “The Hundred Secret Senses”, betrays someone close to her with dire consequences.' TLS 'A classic … [told with] originality and humour … this is a delicious page-turner that keeps you guessing, laughing and crying until the end.' Sunday Express
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Space Between Us
Book SynopsisIn this beautifully crafted novel about the interlinked lives of two women, Thrity Umrigar explores the complex relationships between the classes in India, rarely addressed in contemporary fiction.''Bhima is real. She worked in the house I grew up in, year after year, a shadow flitting around our middle-class home, her thin brown hands cleaning furniture she was not allowed to sit on, cooking food she was not allowed to share at the family dining table, dusting the stereo that mainly played American rock and roll, music that was alien and unfamiliar to her, that only reminded her of her nebulous presence in our home, our world, our lives.'' Thrity UmrigarSet in contemporary Bombay, The Space Between Us' tells the story of Sera Dubash, an upper-middle-class Parsi housewife and Bhima, the woman who works as a domestic servant in her home. Despite their class differences, the two women are bound by the bonds of gender and shared life experiences both had marriages that started out with gTrade Review'A Mumbai Parsi novel, a post-nationalist slum poverty novel, and perhaps most compellingly, a maid-and-mistress story: think Douglas Sirk's film “Imitations of Life”. The varied elements of this tale of affection and class conflict are carried off with a winning ease and enthusiasm that make it both engrossing and moving.' The Independent 'Thrity Umrigar has a striking talent for portraying pain and suffering and the sheer unfairness of life…The result is a vital social comment on contemporary India.' The Financial Times ‘It is a great book; I love it…I am so happy for Thrity Umrigar! And proud of her as a woman, too. What a gift she has given us. Please tell her of my admiration, joy, delight and relief (it is so precious to have a book about a woman one rarely even "sees" in society, whether Indian or American).’ Alice Walker, author of ‘The Colour Purple’ 'Joyful, lyrical, tragic – and a real page-turner.' Voyager magazine
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers A Place Called Here
Book SynopsisA redemptive and captivating novel from the No. 1 bestselling author of PS. I Love You.Ever wondered where lost things go?Ever since the day her classmate vanished, Sandy Shortt has been haunted by what happens when something or someone disappears. Finding has become her goal.Jack Ruttle is desperate to find his younger brother who vanished into thin air a year ago. He spots an ad for Sandy''s missing persons agency and is certain that she will answer his prayers and find his brother.But then Sandy disappears too, stumbling upon a place that is a world away from the only one she has ever known. Now all she wants, more than anything, is to find her way home.Trade Review‘There’s more than a touch of fairytale about Cecelia Ahern’s novels… thanks to a liberal sprinking of magic’ Glamour ‘A contemporary fairytale’ Irish Times ‘An enchanting blend of magic and whimsy’ Daily Mail
£8.54
Canongate Books Adios Hemingway
Book SynopsisA classic detective story that explores the last years of Hemingway's life, evoking both Cuba and this giant of American letters with enormous skill and wit. When the bones of a man murdered forty years earlier surface on the Havana estate of Ernest Hemingway, writer and ex-cop Mario Conde is called in to investigate. As he unearths the truth of the night of 3 October 1958, he is forced to come to terms with a very different side to his former literary hero.Padura Fuentes switches between Conde's world and that of Hemingway's Cuba four decades earlier; in the heat and rum haze, the two seem slowly to merge. In an extraordinary journey into the past and into the personality of one of the twentieth century´s most enigmatic and powerful writers, a masterful and totally convincing portrait emerges, as well as a riveting mystery that will keep you in suspense until the very final pages.Trade Reviewintelligent, moving and delightful...It makes you think and feel. What more can you ask for?...a lovely little novel. * * The Scotsman * *Fact and fiction are seamlessly merged... * * Buzz * *. . . the gently melancholic tone, beautifully rendered here by John King, subverts any literal reading. * * The Guardian * *a well-paced and beautifully characterised detective story. * * The Observer * *a superb piece of crime literature...a thrilling and engaging mystery. * * City Life * *beautifully recreates a complicated and interesting man. * * Event Magazine * *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Crossing to Safety
Book SynopsisA novel of the friendships and woes of two couples, which tells the story of their lives in lyrical, evocative prose by one of the finest American writers of the late 20th century.When two young couples meet for the first time during the Great Depression, they quickly find they have much in common: Charity Lang and Sally Morgan are both pregnant, while their husbands Sid and Larry both have jobs in the English department at the University of Wisconsin. Immediately a lifelong friendship is born, which becomes increasingly complex as they share decades of love, loyalty, vulnerability and conflict. Written from the perspective of the aging Larry Morgan,Crossing to Safety is a beautiful and deeply moving exploration of the struggle of four people to come to terms with the trials and tragedies of everyday life.With an introduction by Jane Smiley.Wallace Stegner (1909-1993) was the author of, among other novels, Remembering Laughter, 1937; A Shooting Star, 1
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Lady and the Unicorn: A Virago Modern Classic
Book SynopsisBy the author of Black Narcissus and The River'Rumer Godden's novels have a timeless shimmer' GUARDIAN 'Touching, amusing, enchanting . . . an exceptional work' OBSERVER'Her prose is pure, delicate, and gently witty' NEW YORK TIMES In a crumbling Calcutta mansion, with faded frescos and a jasmine-covered garden, the Lemarchant family live, clinging to the fringes of respectability: neither Indian nor English, they are accepted by no one and exploited by all.After only a day in India, Stephen Bright meets Rosa Lemarchant. In an ill-fitting dress once belonging to her sister, she is awkward, shy and couldn't be more different from the stories he has heard of fast 'Eurasian' girls. Ignorant of Calcutta's strict codes of conformity, he falls in love with Rosa and becomes enchanted by the building in which she lives, determined to uncover its secrets.Mystery pervades this story of a memory-haunted house in old Calcutta, as secret as a sundial in a ruined garden.Trade ReviewRumer Godden's novels have a timeless shimmer. But powerful adult themes underlie their surface -- Rosie Thomas * Guardian *Touching, amusing, enchanting . . . an exceptional work * Observer *Her craftsmanship is always sure; her understanding of character is compassionate and profound; her prose is pure, delicate, and gently witty * New York Times *One of our best and most captivating novelists -- Philip HensherThis tale of a haunted house in a decayed quarter of Calcutta cannot fail to delight . . . graceful and perceptive * Scotsman *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Kitchen Gods Wife
Book SynopsisA stunning reissue of the international bestseller, from the much-loved author of The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter's Daughter.Pearl Louie Brandt has a terrible secret which she tries desperately to keep from her mother, Winne Louie. And Winnie has long kept her own secrets about her past and the confusing circumstances of Pearl's birth. Fate intervenes in the form of Helen Kwong, Winnie's so-called sister-in-law, who believes she is dying and must unburden herself of all falsehoods before she flies off to heaven. But, unfortunately, the truth comes in many guises, depending on who is telling the taleThus begins a story that takes us back to Shanghai in the 1920s, through World War II, and the harrowing events that led to Winnie's arrival in America in 1949. The story is one of innocence and its loss, tragedy and survival and, most of all, the enduring qualities of hope, love and friendship.Trade Review‘In this remarkable book Tan manages to illuminate the nobility of friendship and the necessity of humour. Give yourself over to the world she creates.’ New York Times ‘Once again this wonderful novel has extended experience. There is something dizzyingly elemental about Tan’s storytelling; it melds the rich simplicities of fairytales with a delicate lyrical style.’ Sunday Times ‘Tan is a prodigal with her talent. She weaves a dazzling web of unfamiliar colours, smells, tastes and landscapes.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘Amy Tan writes with passion and humour, making East and West mutually more comprehensible.’ Daily Mail
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers NOTHING BUT GHOSTS
Book SynopsisThe brilliant second collection of stories from Germany's answer to Zadie Smith. Judith Hermann's first collection, The Summer House, Later', sold 250,000 hardbacks in Germany, and was shortlisted for both the IMPAC award and the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.Judith Hermann''s first book, The Summer House, Later' was described as a book about a certain kind of young woman, trying to get a boyfriend, to get some fun out of life, but with a sense of melancholy and a sense of loneliness that seems to define a generation'.Now in Hermann's second collection, Nothing but Ghosts', that generation has moved on, grown up perhaps, and the women have indeed found boyfriends but the relationships, described here with painstaking honesty, are all on the turn in some way and have passed their first flush of romantic love. We join many of these characters just as they have stopped communicating; the talking has stopped and the women, with their lives in stasis, have become watchful and disappointTrade Review‘Hermann is a reserved and careful writer…Several stories here throw up moments of startling clarity.’ Metro ‘A fascinating writer who, in the short story, had found the perfect form.’ Independent Praise for ‘The Summer House, Later’ (2001): ‘A daringly lyrical collection.’ Oprah Magazine ‘An elegant and perceptive reading on the emptiness that fills our lives. Its author is a master storyteller.’ Independent ‘A collection of striking distinction and poise. Some of the stories touch on brilliance. She can rival the best contemporary exponents of short fiction. Exceptional.’ Sunday Business Post ‘Tales of impressive quality and formidable originality.’ Sunday Times ‘Cool…told without sentimentality, drawing power from the precision of the language and from a laconic style that narrates but refuses to explain.’ TLS
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers AN EXPERIMENT IN LOVE 1
Book SynopsisFollowing A Change in Climate', this brilliant novel from the double Man Booker prize-winning author of Wolf Hall' is a coming-of-age tale set in Seventies London.It is London, 1970. Carmel McBain, in her first term at university, has cut free of her childhood roots in the north. Among the gossiping, flirtatious girls of Tonbridge Hall, she begins her experiments in life and love. But the year turns. The mini-skirt falls out of style and an era of concealment begins. Carmel's world darkens, and tragedy waits in the wings.Trade Review‘The most powerful of her novels, a near-faultless masterpiece of pathos, observation and feeling … She writes like an angel.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘Hilary Mantel is a wonderfully unsurprised dissector of human motivation, and in An Experiment in Love she has written a bleak tale seamed with crackling wit.’ Helen Dunmore, Observer ‘Funny, tragic and wondefully perceptive, this is a book to be treasured, for the sheer quality of its writing and for its honesty.’ Independent ‘Mantel writes prose of imperturbable aplomp, crisp with irony and highlighted with deftly places, elegantly surprising images … she has a penchant for caustic, spiky heroines and a sardonic ear for dialogue.’ Sunday Times ‘My favourite novel of the year: An Experiment in Love is written with subtle perceptiveness, sharp wit and canny wisdom’ Margaret Forster, Independent ‘Cool unsentimental, and unassumingly authoritative.’ Anita Brookner, Spectator ‘The time is 1970, and it is wonderfully well evoked … The skill with which Mantel manages her time-shifts, the precision of her writing, the acuteness of her observations, the seriousness of her themes, and the way in which she weaves them into a coherant whole, make this an unusually satisfying novel.’ Allan Massie, Scotsman ‘An Experiment in Love has much to say about its turbulant era, and is replete with the atmosphere of the cusp, with the prospect of irreversible change … It is also a profoundly sad novel, to which Mantel’s liberal sense of comedy and dazzling acuity for metaphor add an almost excruciating flavour.’ Rachel Cusk, The Times
£9.49
Granta Books Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned
Book SynopsisA man is thrown out of his home after his wife discovers that the sweat-smudged footprint on the inside of his windscreen doesn't match her own. Teenage cousins, drugged by summer, meet with a reckoning in the woods. A boy runs off to the carnival after his stepfather bites him in a brawl. In the stories of Wells Tower, families fall apart and messily, hilariously try to reassemble themselves. His characters - marauding Vikings, washed-up entrepreneurs and jobbing hacks on local papers - are adrift from the mainstream, confused by contemporary masculinity, angry and aimless. Combining electric prose with compassion and dark wit, this is a major debut.Trade ReviewTower's prose is muscular and poetic with an almost vertiginous momentum and his characters teeter on the brink of emotional collapse ... This is a collection that, for once, lives up to the hype. Watch out for Wells * Sunday Times *Short stories exploring love, violence and the fear that has us lying, eyes open, in the dark. An extraordinary debut and a sensitive, surprising voice * The Times Review *Reading them, you are reminded of how Richard Ford, a master of the craft, once proposed the quality of "audacity" as the defining characteristic of perfect short stories, suggesting that they were always "the high-wire act of literature". In this sense, Tower certainly makes you crane your neck * Observer *Like David Foster Wallace, Tower taps into what lies beneath, often comically. There are dazzling points of light and compassion in the darkness * Independent on Sunday *The failed American dream is frequently picked over in literature, but this debut collection of short stories will make you feel you've never read about it before ... the disarming honesty and startling imagery make each tale an intense, articulate and near-tangible nugget of cultural disaffection * Sunday Telegraph *Stories from modern America - angry young men, mellow young men, troubled teenage girls, sons visiting demented fathers - by an edgy, ultra-realist young writer. * The Times *Towers is an original, with an extraordinary way with words * The Times *
£11.69
Zondervan The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass on Tour
Book SynopsisWe got our first taste of Adrian Plass's outrageous humour in The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass, Age 37 and The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass, Age 45 . With over 2 million copies sold, these beloved bestsellers naturally placed the author's fanciful alter-ego in great demand as an inspirational speaker. And of course, his touring experiences have led to all-new stories to share with his friends. This sequel to the first two books will doubtless secure the Sacred Diarist's reputation as a spiritual authority. It's probably not the reputation he's hoping for, but it's the perfect medium for a bucketful of laughter. So meet the speaker, meet the crew and take a seat. It's time to join Adrian Plass on tour! Anne seems to think it would be a good idea to let people see some of the diary entries I've written in connection with the little seven-day speaking tour that she and I have just done On that innocent note, Adrian Plass whisks us along on one of the zaniest tours in his career as a C
£12.88
Alma Books Ltd The Captains Daughter
Book SynopsisSet during the Pugachov rebellion against Catherine the Great, The Captain's Daughter was Pushkin's only completed novel and remains one of his most popular works. The inexperienced and impetuous young nobleman Pyotr Grinyev is sent on military service to a remote fortress, where he falls in love with Masha, Captain Mironov's daughter but then the ruthless Cossack Pugachov lays siege to the stronghold, setting in motion a tragic train of events.This volume also contains another work by Pushkin on the same theme, A History of Pugachov, which presents an impartial, meticulously researched history of the revolt, but was regarded in aristocratic circles as subversive on its publication. Together, these two works provide a fascinating insight into the character of the peasant who tried to overthrow an empress, written with the clarity and insight of Russia's greatest poet.
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers Twelve Days of Christmas
Book SynopsisTrisha’s bestselling Christmas book will have you hooked from start to finish – the perfect read as those cold winter nights draw in. Christmas has always been a sad time for young widow Holly Brown. So when she's asked to look after a remote house on the Lancashire moors, the opportunity to hide herself away is irresistible – the perfect excuse to forget about the festivities. The owner of the house, Jude Martland, is also avoiding Christmas since the last one saw his brother run off with his fiancee. But forced to return home unexpectedly, Jude arrives to find that his family are running amok – with Holly seemingly at the centre of it all. As the blizzards descend, there is no escape. With nowhere to go, Holly and Jude get much more than they bargained for – and a Christmas they will always remember!Trade Review‘This is the perfect novel to snuggle up with on a cold winter’s night.’ Closer ‘A lovely, cosy read.’ My Weekly ‘As warm as a glass of mulled wine on a cold winter’s night.’ Lancashire Evening News
£8.54
Oxford University Press The Oxford Book of Short Stories
Book SynopsisV. S. Pritchett, one our greatest short-story writers, has chosen forty-one stories written in the English language for this volume, producing a collection that successfully displays the wealth and variety of an art that spans some 200 years. Great Britain, America, and especially Eire have fine traditions of short-story writing that have developed from the time of Sir Walter Scott and Nathaniel Hawthorne, while in the last century the art was perfected by Ernest Hemingway, D. H. Lawrence, W. Somerset Maugham, John Updike, and V. S. Pritchett himself. The Irish contribution includes such masters as James Joyce, Frank O''Connor, and Liam O''Flaherty, and stories by Canadian, Indian, New Zealand, and Australian writers show the full range of invention and ability in a genre that continues to flourish.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition Look for this book at airport departure lounge bookshops and guarantee youself a good flight. * Evening Echo *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION; REFERENCES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; INDEX OF AUTHORS
£11.39
Oxford University Press The Custom of the Country
Book SynopsisEdith Wharton''s satiric anatomy of American society in the first decade of the twentieth century appeared in 1913; it both appalled and fascinated its first reviewers, and established her as a major novelist. The Saturday Review wrote that she had ''assembled as many detestable people as it is possible to pack between the covers of a six-hundred page novel'', but concluded that the book was ''brilliantly written'', and ''should be read as a parable''.It follows the career of Undine Spragg, recently arrived in New York from the midwest and determined to conquer high society. Glamorous, selfish, mercenary and manipulative, her principal assets are her striking beauty, her tenacity, and her father''s money. With her sights set on an advantageous marriage, Undine pursues her schemes in a world of shifting values, where triumph is swiftly followed by dissullusion.Wharton was recreating an environment she knew intimately, and Undine''s education for social success is chronicled in meticulouTrade Review'Wharton captures with masterly ease the world of post-Civil War America in this brilliantly-written and highly-entertaining novel.' Charles Osborne, Sunday Telegraph
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd After Rain Stories
Book SynopsisAfter Rain - Twelve remarkable stories by the master storyteller William Trevor ''There is no better short story writer in the English-speaking world'' Wall Street JournalIn this collection of twelve dazzling, acutely rendered tales, William Trevor plumbs the depths of the human heart. Here we encounter a blind piano tuner whose wonderful memories of his first wife are cruelly distorted by his second; a woman in a difficult marriage who must choose between her indignant husband and her closest friend; two children, survivors of divorce, who mimic their parents'' melodramas; and a heartbroken woman traveling alone in Italy who experiences an epiphany while studying a forgotten artist''s Annunciation. Trevor is, in his own words, ''a storyteller. My fiction may, now and again, illuminate aspects of the human condition, but I do not consciously set out to do so.'' Conscious or not, he touches us in ways that few writers even dare to try.Trade Review"There is no better short story writer in the English-speaking world."—Wall Street Journal"Everyone will have his own list of the best short stories. Mine includes most of Chekhov, one or two by James Joyce, a dozen or more from D. H. Lawrence and -- in this same vein -- a healthy selection from William Trevor. This Irish-born, English-domiciled writer, who is also an excellent novelist, gave us his ''Collected Stories'' a few years back. Now, as if to assure us that the well is far from dry, he offers a luminously disturbing new collection, ''After Rain.'' -- Wendy Lesser, The New York Times Book Review"The deft handling of information, as well as the exquisite sense of control, again show Trevor as a brilliant master of his craft." - Publishers Weekly (Starred) "Dependably brilliant work from one of Chekhov's most accomplished disciples." - Kirkus ReviewsTable of ContentsAfter Rain The Piano Tuner's WivesA FriendshipTimothy's BirthdayChild's PlayA Bit of BusinessAfter RainWidowsGilbert's MotherThe Potato DealerLost GroundA DayMarrying Damian
£9.49
Pan Macmillan The Tie That Binds
Book SynopsisIn The Tie That Binds, his critically acclaimed first novel, Kent Haruf delivers the sweeping tale of eighty-year-old Edith Goodnough. Narrated by her neighbour, Edith's tragedies unfold: a tough childhood, a mother's death, a violence that leaves a father dependent on his children, forever enraged. She is a woman who sacrifices everything in the name of family - until she is forced to reclaim her freedom in one dramatic and unexpected gesture. Breathtaking and truthful, The Tie That Binds is a powerful tribute to the demands of rural life, and to the tenacity of the human spirit.
£8.54
Vintage Publishing Mason Dixon
Book SynopsisCharles Mason (1728 -1786) and Jeremiah Dixon (1733-1779) were the British Surveyors best remembered for running the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland that we know today as the Mason-Dixon Line. Here is their story as re-imagined by Thomas Pynchon, in an updated eighteenth-century novel featuring Native Americans and frontier folk, ripped bodices, naval warfare, conspiracies erotic and political and major caffeine abuse. We follow the mismatch''d pair - one rollicking, the other depressive; one Gothic, the other pre-Romantic - from their first journey together to the Cape of Good Hope, to pre-Revoluntionary America and back, through the stange yet redemptive turns of fortune in their later lives, on a grand tour of the Enlightenment''s dark hemisphere, as they observe and participate in the many opportunities for insanity presented them by the Age of Reason.Trade ReviewPynchon's finest work yet...if anyone is still looking for the Great American Novel...then this may well be it -- Brian Morton * Scotland on Sunday *A rollicking, picaresque tale... playful, erudite and funny * New York Times *Very grand and mad and beautiful...I can't remember ever having reviewed a more original novel... and if America produces a novel to come near this marvellous, proliferating thing this decade, I promise to eat it -- Philip Hensher * Spectator *Pynchon offers readers a trip as long and full of yearning as that of his heroes * New Yorker *A hugely ambitous epic...show cases all of Mr Pynchon's gifts as a writer: his magical abilty to fuse history and fable, science and science fiction; his Swiftean grasp of satire and his vaudevillian's sense of farce. It's a book that testifies to his remarkable powers of invention and his sheer power as a storyteller... as moving as it is cerebral, as poignant as it is daring * New York Times *
£12.34
Cornerstone Bare Bones
Book Synopsis___________________________________A gripping Temperance Brennan novel from world-class forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs, the international no. 1 bestselling crime thriller writer and the inspiration behind the hit TV series Bones.During one of the hottest summers on record, Dr Temperance Brennan is haunted by a string of horrifying events.First, the bones of a newborn baby are discovered in a wood stove. The mother is nowhere to be found.Next, a plane flies into a rock face. The dead pilot and passenger are burned beyond recognition, and covered in an unknown substance.And then a store of bones is found in a remote corner of the county. What has happened, and who will be the next victim? The answers lie hidden deep within the bones - but Tempe must find them in time to stop further disaster.___________________________________Dr Kathy Reichs is a professional forensic anthropologist. She has workedTrade ReviewWith Kathy Reichs the reader knows they're in the hands of an expert * Sunday Express *You’ll want to keep turning the pages long after lights out to find out what happens next … Reichs’ real-life expertise gives her novels an authenticity that most other crime novelists would kill for * Daily Express *Reichs' seamless blending of fascinating science and dead-on psychological portrayals, not to mention a whirlwind of a plot, make [her novels] a must read * Jeffery Deaver *Reichs is not just "as good as" Cornwell, she has become the finer writer * Daily Express *Reading Reichs is always an education one way or another. There is plenty of action... but it is the detail that actually makes it gripping * Evening Standard *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing Sidetracked
Book SynopsisHenning Mankell (1948-2015) became a worldwide phenomenon with his crime writing, gripping thrillers and atmospheric novels set in Africa. His prizewinning and critically acclaimed Inspector Wallander Mysteries continue to dominate bestseller lists all over the globe and his books have been translated into forty-five languages and made into numerous international film and television adaptations: most recently the BAFTA-award-winning BBC television series Wallander, starring Kenneth Branagh. Driven by a desire to change the world and to fight against racism and nationalism, Mankell devoted much of his time to working with charities in Africa, including SOS Children's Villages and PLAN International, where he was also director of the Teatro Avenida in Maputo. In 2008, the University of St Andrews conferred Henning Mankell with an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in recognition of his major contribution to literature and to the practical exercise of conscienceTrade ReviewWallander's investigations are perfectly judged to create a thrilling mood of growing tension culminating in a satisfying climax * The Times *Wonderfully bleak thrillers...somehow unremitting and gripping at the same time -- Sean French * Independent *Mankell is one of the most ingenious crime writers around. Highly recommended * Observer *Sweden's answer to Morse and Wexford * Mail on Sunday *Gripping... Expert plotting * Daily Telegraph *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing The White Lioness
Book SynopsisHenning Mankell (1948-2015) became a worldwide phenomenon with his crime writing, gripping thrillers and atmospheric novels set in Africa. His prizewinning and critically acclaimed Inspector Wallander Mysteries continue to dominate bestseller lists all over the globe and his books have been translated into forty-five languages and made into numerous international film and television adaptations: most recently the BAFTA-award-winning BBC television series Wallander, starring Kenneth Branagh. Driven by a desire to change the world and to fight against racism and nationalism, Mankell devoted much of his time to working with charities in Africa, including SOS Children's Villages and PLAN International, where he was also director of the Teatro Avenida in Maputo. In 2008, the University of St Andrews conferred Henning Mankell with an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in recognition of his major contribution to literature and to the practical exercise of conscienceTrade ReviewWell paced... A thinking man's thriller * New York Times *The real test of thrillers of this kind is whether you want to spend more time in the detective's company. I certainly do -- Sean French * Independent *Mankell is one of the most ingenious crime writers around, strong on characterisation, plotting and atmosphere. Highly recommended -- Peter Gutteridge * Observer *Superbly crafted detective stories -- Christopher Gray * Oxford Times *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing Love
Book SynopsisWITH AN INTRODUCTION BY AUDREY NIFFENEGGERLove is Angela Carter''s fifth novel and was first published in 1971. With surgical precision it charts the destructive emotional war between a young woman, her husband and his disruptive brother as they move through a labyrinth of betrayal, alienation and lost connections. This revised edition has lost none of Angela Carter''s haunting power to evoke the ebb of the 1960s, and includes an afterword which describes the progress of the survivors into the anguish of middle age.Trade ReviewAn excessively stylish tale about a fatal love triangle in provincial Bohemia..The novel and its afterword form a fascinating study, an erstwhile aesthetic object unravelled into realism and commitment * Guardian *Carter observes her characters with a cool detachment as if they were specimens on a slide. She catches acutely the dying throes of the love generation, when Swinging London had run to seed * New Society *Angela Carter has language at her fingertips * New Statesman *Whatever her subject, Angela Carter writes like a dream - sometimes a nightmare * Sunday Telegraph *
£7.19
Cornerstone The New Watch
Book SynopsisWalking the streets of our cities are the Others. These men and women have access to the Twilight, a shadowy parallel world of magical power that exists alongside our own. Each has sworn allegiance to one side: the Light, or the Darkness.At Moscow airport, Higher Light Magician Anton Gorodetsky overhears a child screaming about a plane that is about to crash. He discovers that the child is a prophet: an Other with the gift of foretelling the future. When the catastrophe is averted, Gorodetsky senses a disruption in the natural order, one that is confirmed by the arrival of a dark and terrifying predator. Gorodetsky travels to London, to Taiwan and across Russia in search of clues, unearthing as he goes a series of increasingly cataclysmic prophecies. He soon realises that what is at stake is the existence of the Twilight itself and that only he will be able to save it.Trade ReviewThis is slick, clever, assured urban fantasy, told with style, and shot through with wry humour. * Crime Review *If you’ve been following Russkie Lukyanenko’s excellent parallel universe series you’ll have rushed out and bought this book already… the Watch books are deeper and meatier than most of their kind. * 4 star review, Weekend Sport *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing Speedy Death
Book SynopsisGladys Maude Winifred Mitchell or The Great Gladys' as Philip Larkin called her was born in 1901, in Cowley in Oxfordshire. She graduated in history from University College London and in 1921 began her long career as a teacher. Her hobbies included architecture and writing poetry. She studied the works of Sigmund Freud and her interest in witchcraft was encouraged by her friend, the detective novelist Helen Simpson. Her first novel, Speedy Death, was published in 1929 and introduced readers to Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley, the detective heroine of a further sixty six crime novels. She wrote at least one novel a year throughout her career and was an early member of the Detection Club, alongside Agatha Christie, G.K Chesterton and Dorothy Sayers.In 1961 she retired from teaching and, from her home in Dorset, continued to write, receiving the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger in 1976. Gladys Mitchell died in 1983.Trade ReviewShe is one of the Big Three women detective writers * Observer *Begins like a parody of a country house murder. But you soon see that the author means the jokes, and also develops both a tricky mystery and a quite solid argument about crime and its disruption of society. Then she brings it all to a head in a very remarkable conclusion. From the start, Mitchell was outstanding. * Glasgow Herald *A crime writer who, in her day, ranked with Christie and Sayers * Daily Mail *Extremely well constructed story of murder and detection...Mrs Bradley is the prize piece * Daily News *Gladys Mitchell can always be relied upon for a packed and meaty novel, and an intelligent one at that * Guardian *
£9.49
The New York Review of Books, Inc Young Man With A Horn
Book SynopsisRick Martin loved music and the music loved him. He could pick up a tune so quickly that it didn?t matter to the Cotton Club boss that he was underage, or to the guys in the band that he was just a white kid. He started out in the slums of LA with nothing, and he ended up on top of the game in the speakeasies and nightclubs of New York. But while talent and drive are all you need to make it in music, they aren?t enough to make it through a life. Dorothy Baker?s Young Man with a Horn is widely regarded as the first jazz novel, and it pulses with the music that defined an era. Baker took her inspiration from the artistry?though not the life?of legendary horn player Bix Beiderbecke, and the novel went on to be adapted into a successful movie starring Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, and Doris Day.
£15.29
Oxford University Press The Age of Innocence
Book SynopsisEdith Wharton's most famous novel, written immediately after the end of the First World War, is a brilliantly realized anatomy of New York society in the 1870s. The charming Newland Archer is content to live within its constraints until he meets Ellen Olenska, whose arrival threatens his impending marriage as well as his comfortable future.
£8.99
Vintage Publishing God Bless You Mr Rosewater
Book SynopsisWith the satirical eye of his science fiction author alter ego Kilgore Trout, the author of Slaughterhouse-Five delivers a classic of modern American literature.Eliot Rosewater, President of the fabulously rich Rosewater Foundation and volunteer firefighter, is tortured by an inheritance he doesn't feel that he deserves. After (unfortunately) developing a social conscience, he sets out on a drunken tour of America, unravelling a little more at every stop until his path crosses with the science-fiction writer Kilgore Trout. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is one of Kurt Vonnegut's funniest satires, about the pleasures, pains and perversions of people and money, the obsessions of a famous family and the collective madness of a nation.Trade ReviewVonnegut faces up to the less glamorous phenomenon of human mediocrity in this sharp, hilarious, boundlessly humane story. It taught me about compassion and a few things about writing good dialogue -- Michel Faber * Glasgow Herald *Rumbustious stuff... There may be greater novelists than Vonnegut, but there can be a few, if any, with as much good humour and generosity * Guardian *Filled with irony and black humour and a woozy bonhomie * Sunday Times *Wild hilarity * Sunday Telegraph *Extremely funny * Observer *
£9.49
Fitzcarraldo Editions Street of Thieves
Book SynopsisPart political thriller, part road-movie, part romance, the latest novel by Mathias Enard takes us from the violence of Tangier's streets to Barcelona's louche Raval quarter. Street of Thieves is an intense coming-of-age story that delves deep into the brutal realities of the immigrant experience.Trade Review‘[Street of Thieves] confirms Enard as the most brazenly lapel-grabbing French writer since Michel Houellebecq.’ — Leo Robson, New Statesman‘This is what the great contemporary French novel should be. Enard looks at the world as it is: poisoned by religion, poisoned by politics, choking on materialism and dying of globalization. His prose bites, and his characters retain our sympathy however extreme their actions. Enard fuses the traditions of Céline and Camus, but he is his own man.’ — Patrick McGuinness, author of The Last Hundred Days ‘Though his journeys are limited to Morocco, Tunisia and Spain, [Lakhdar's journeys] provide a glimpse into the tremors of the Arab spring, the threat of Islamic fundamentalism, and the indignados movement in Spain. ... Enard is an ambitious writer and his prose, in Charlotte Mandell’s translation, has moments of devastating clarity.’ — Laila Lailami, Guardian‘A remarkable and important novel. I can’t think of any better contemporary writers than Enard.’ — Thom Cuell, Bookmunch‘Street of Thieves is a feat of the imagination propelled by deep cultural familiarity and experience, an extraordinary animation of another person ... I’ll read everything Enard writes from now on.’ — Lee Klein, 3:AM Magazine‘Street of Thieves represents the kind of fiction one hopes will emerge, from Enard or others, after the tumult once known as the Arab Spring has receded a little further into the past.’ — Robert F. Worth, New York Times‘Set against a backdrop of rising Islamic extremism, the Arab Spring, and the Occupy movement, Enard’s latest novel is a howling elegy for thwarted youth.’ — Publishers Weekly
£11.69
Vintage Publishing East West
Book SynopsisSalman Rushdie is the author of sixteen novels, including Midnight's Children (for which he won the Booker Prize and the Best of the Booker), The Satanic Verses, and Quichotte (which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize). A former president of PEN American Center, Rushdie was knighted in 2007 for services to literature and was made a Companion of Honour in the Queen's last Birthday Honours list in 2022.Trade ReviewA vindication of the rights of fiction...His story-telling powers are alive and well - his ingenuity, wit, charm and his restless talent for the unexpected * Sunday Times *Literary magic * Literary Review *The most original imagination writing today * Nadine Gordimer *Scheherazade meets Star Trek in these well-honed miniatures from the maestro of the cross-cultural blockbuster * Independent *Home in neither, but poised somewhere in between - Salman Rushdie's volume of short stories on this theme is deft, inventive, entertaining * Financial Times *
£9.49
Cornerstone A Painted House
Book SynopsisJohn Grisham is the author of forty works of fiction and one of non-fiction. His works are translated into forty-two languages. He lives in Virginia.Trade ReviewHis best work * The Times *A beguiling and gracefully constructed novel * Sunday Times *Chararacters no reader will forget. And a drop-dead evocation of a time and a place that mark this novel as a classic * Publishers Weekly *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing The Childrens Book
Book SynopsisFamous author Olive Wellwood writes a special private book, bound in different colours, for each of her children. In their rambling house near Romney Marsh they play in a story-book world - but their lives, and those of their rich cousins and their friends, the son and daughter of a curator at the new Victoria and Albert Museum, are already inscribed with mystery. Each family carries its own secrets. They grow up in the golden summers of Edwardian times, but as the sons rebel against their parents and the girls dream of independent futures, they are unaware that in the darkness ahead they will be betrayed unintentionally by the adults who love them. This is the children''s book.Trade ReviewIntricately worked and sumptuously inlaid novel...seethes and pulses with an entangled life, of the mind and the senses alike. Colour and sensation flood Byatt's writing...she is a master-potter, or magic-working puppeteer -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *Superlatively displays both enormous reach and tremendous grip...sizzling with ideas and alive with imaginative energy, too...this is the most stirring novel AS Byatt has written since Possession * Sunday Times *It's success is as a novel of ideas, forcefully and often memorably expressed, while the story follows darkening fortunes into a chastened postwar world -- Helen Dunmore * The Times *Compelling...strenuously inclusive and also tremendously enriching - an intricate tale, energetically fashioned from sturdy strands of material, by "a spinning fairy in the attic", an indefatigable storyteller * Irish Times *Astonishing power and resonance -- Jane Shilling * Sunday Telegraph *More than a novel, this is a historical primer, discursive, shimmering with colour and texture, containing stories within stories and giving walk-on parts to luminaries of the age... For fans of Byatt this is better than Possession. A truly great novel * Daily Express *Light and lustrous, commanding and transporting, The Children's Book is superb * Daily Mail *
£10.44
Pan Macmillan Guernica
Book SynopsisA Chicago native, Dave Boling has been a journalist in the Pacific Northwest since 1980. Prior to that, he worked as a logger, iron-worker, boat-builder, bartender, bouncer, short-order cook, painter and college football coach. He lives on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.
£9.49
Vintage Publishing A Slipping Down Life
Book SynopsisRead Pulitzer Prize-winning, Sunday Times bestselling author Anne Tyler''s raw exploration of the power of youth and fate.In a small Southern town, shy teenager Evie Decker becomes obsessed with local rock singer Bertram ''Drumstrings'' Casey, and decides to take her life into her own hands. When she manages to meet him, she bursts out of her lonely shell and their two lives become unforgettably entwined.**ANNE TYLER HAS SOLD OVER 8 MILLION BOOKS WORLDWIDE**''Anne Tyler takes the ordinary, the small, and makes them sing'' Rachel Joyce''She knows all the secrets of the human heart'' Monica Ali ''A masterly author'' Sebastian Faulks''I love Anne Tyler. I''ve read every single book she''s written'' Jacqueline WilsonTrade ReviewWickedly good * John Updike *Her brilliance in capturing the ripples on the surface of family life gives her a claim to be the Jane Austen of our age * Allison Pearson, Daily Mail *Anne Tyler is inventive, funny and wise. Her fiction is magically alive to the quirks and coincidences of fate * Guardian *Wickedly good * John Updike *Her brilliance in capturing the ripples on the surface of family life gives her a claim to be the Jane Austen of our age * Allison Pearson, Daily Mail *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing Eleven Kinds of Loneliness
Book SynopsisRichard Yates was born in 1926 in New York and lived in California. His prize-winning stories began to appear in 1953 and his first novel, Revolutionary Road, was nominated for the National Book Award in 1961. He is the author of eight other works, including the novels A Good School, The Easter Parade, and Disturbing the Peace, and two collections of short stories, Eleven Kinds of Loneliness and Liars in Love. He died in 1992.Trade ReviewThe most perceptive author of the twentieth century * The Times *Yates is a realist par excellence, the natural heir to Hemingway's pared-to-the-bones style and the antecedent of Carver's flat minimalism. There is something else though: a kind of transparency, almost a translucency, that owes more to Fitzgerald, his great literary hero... Read and weep -- Kate Atkinson * Guardian *Yates created what is almost the New York equivalent of Dubliners * New York Times *Eloquent and powerful... Wryly funny even when he's quietly tearing your heart out * Harper's *Extravagantly gifted... Yates' eye and ear are unsurpassed; I know of no writer whose senses are in more admirable condition. It is they that make his characters live, make these stories move and beat - they, and the sure perfection of his writing * Esquire *
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Six Tudor Queens Katherine of Aragon The True
Book Synopsis*A Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller*Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen by bestselling historian Alison Weir, author of The Lost Tudor Princess, is the first in a spellbinding six novel series about Henry VIII''s Queens. Alison takes you on an engrossing journey at Katherine''s side and shows her extraordinary strength of character and intelligence. Ideal for fans of Philippa Gregory and Elizabeth Chadwick. ''Shatters the many myths about Henry VIII''s long-suffering first wife'' Tracy Borman''Weir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life'' GuardianA Spanish princess. Raised to be modest, obedient and devout. Destined to be an English Queen.Six weeks from home across treacherous seas, everything is different: the language, the food, the weather. And for her there is no comfort in any of it. At sixteen-years-old, Catalina is alone among strangers.Trade ReviewIn this, the first novel of the Six Tudor Queens series, Alison Weir brings Katherine of Aragon dazzlingly to life. Based upon extensive new research, it is a portrayal that shatters the many myths about Henry VIII's long-suffering first wife. Far from being the one-dimensional victim of history, she emerges as a charismatic, indomitable and courageous heroine whose story never fails to enthral -- Tracy BormanA tender understanding of and genuine sympathy for this proud, much-loved and honourable Queen... I was gripped [from] start to finish -- Mavis CheekWeir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life * Guardian *Yet again, Alison Weir has managed to intertwine profound historical knowledge with huge emotional intelligence, to compose a work that throws light on an endlessly fascinating historical figure. Yet her real gift in all of this is making it feel so fresh and alive -- Earl SpencerThis exquisite book charts the rise and fall of Henry VIII's first wife, Katherine . . . A fascinating insight into this period of our history. Weir's undeniable strength is her immaculate description, enabling the reader to be transported back to Tudor England * Sun *Weir manages to untangle the complex web of 16th-century politics, shown through Katherine's duties as ambassador, and her astute reading of the games being played. This adds greatly to the heft of the character, demonstrating what a competent woman she was becoming * Herald Scotland *Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen is a true tour de force. Finely crafted, this novel is wonderful historical fiction and an outstanding introduction to the Six Tudor Queens series * Queen Anne Boleyn Blog *Alison Weir clearly admires her heroine . . . meticulously researched * The Times *A majestic book! ... I felt every one of [Katherine's] emotions: her joy, her heart-wrenching despair and the passionate loyalty she shows to Henry. The bravery she displays is incredible and she must have been one hell of a Queen. It is beautifully written and captivating with so much attention to detail, that the Tudor court came alive in every sense * Baattyaboutbooks Blog *Captivating. . . The way that Katherine comes alive on the page is credit to the author who has such a breadth of knowledge about this Tudor period that it's a real pleasure to read her fictional work * Jaffareadstoo Blog *This well-researched and engrossing read gives a new perspective on the long-suffering first wife * Good Housekeeping *Known for bestselling historical biographies, Alison Weir is in command of her detail . . . her handling of Katherine's misery and dignified response to her predicament is very touching -- Elizabeth Buchan * Daily Mail *The authentic voice of Katherine rings true throughout. It is a study of a woman who inspires admiration as well as sympathy . . . a fitting tribute to a queen who was unduly wronged by history * The Lady magazine *This ambitious, engrossing novel tells Katherine's story from that moment, through her brief and controversial marriage to Prince Arthur and then to his brother, the handsome, gallant Henry VIII . . . Fascinating * S Magazine (Sunday Express) *Alison ensures that we not only come away knowing more of the real Katherine, we understand more of how it felt to be her. . . The author really enables us to feel the claustrophobia and paranoia as Katherine tries to make decisions for her day to day life on snippets of news from her advisors - advisors she begins to realise may not be telling her the truth * The Book Bag *Alison Weir brings Henry VIII's first queen to life, revealing a strong, spirited and intelligent woman fighting for her rights and those of her daughter * Choice magazine *Weir's opening foray into the life of Katherine of Aragon presents Henry's first and most enduring marriage from a refreshingly new and utterly gripping perspective * Lancashire Evening Post *Engrossing and meticulously researched . . . Katherine's life and world are brought vividly to life * Choice magazine *
£10.44
Orion Publishing Co Xeelee Vengeance
Book SynopsisHalf a million years in the future, on a dead, war-ravaged world at the centre of the Galaxy, there is a mile-high statue of Michael Poole.Poole, born on Earth in the fourth millennium, was one of mankind''s most influential heroes. He was not a warrior, not an emperor. He was an engineer, a builder of wormhole transit systems. But Poole''s work would ultimately lead to a vast and destructive conflict, a million-year war between humanity and the enigmatic, powerful aliens known as the Xeelee. The Xeelee won, but at a huge cost. And, defeated in a greater war, the Xeelee eventually fled the universe. Most of them.A handful were left behind, equipped with time travel capabilities, their task to tidy up: to reorder history more to the Xeelee''s liking. That million-year war with humankind was one blemish. It had to be erased. And in order to do that, a lone Xeelee was sent back in time to remove Michael Poole from history . . .Trade ReviewThis impressive collection is a fine introduction to Baxter's fascinating, complex world * SFX *A sense of grandeur few other SF novelists can even hope to match. * SFX MAGAZINE *If you're in search of some gripping science fiction utilising big concepts and backed by brilliant writing, look no further than Endurance. 10/10 * Starburst Magazine *Sense-of-wonder is clearly Baxter's middle name. * CONCATENATION *I love to dive into the future and Stephen Baxter is an author that really delivers for me as a reader. Here within this book the reader is treated to a whole host of short stories that add flavour and background to enrich Stephen's Universe. As with his other books, its well written, delivers some great characters and of course a whole host of tales from different parts of his timeline in order to get a fuller picture. * Falcata Times *a...terrific compilation of stories, best read as a companion to the novels, but strong enough to stand on its own. * Daily Mail *
£9.99
Hot Key Books Maggot Moon
Book SynopsisA starkly original and heartbreaking tale of friendship and rebellionTrade ReviewDazzling, chilling, breathtaking. A perfect book. -- Meg Rosoff, award-winning author of HOW I LIVE NOWThe outstanding teenage novel of the autumn, arresting and original and written in a singular voice... -- Lorna Bradbury * The Telegraph *startlingly original, horribly gripping ... an inspirational [story] which deserves many prizes. -- Amanda Craig * The Times *This novel is a celebration of the refusal of the human spirit to be crushed and in Standish, Gardner has created a hero to be cherished. -- Sally Morris * Daily Mail *... a unique and compelling read * The Bookseller (Children's Booksellers' Choice: September) *Maggot Moon is a fast-paced, tough and heartbreaking story. I loved it * We Love This Book *... Maggot Moon is an unusual, deeply moving and thought-provoking story, which has clear potential to become a modern classic * Booktrust's 'September book we like' *... a remarkable novel * Books for Keeps *This novel will just blow you away -- Emma Louise Pennell * Waterstones Chichester *a story that is rich in drama and ideas -- Julia Eccleshare * Lovereading4kids *Quite simply, it is a book you have to read. * Bookbag *Fans of the dystopia genre and conspiracy theorists alike will be flipping the pages of this gem. The story moves at a gripping pace with clever use of language, providing vivid characterization ad setting, while the unexpected twists in the plot will leave readers stunned * Recommended Reads, Children’s Books Ireland *[Standish's] use of language because of (not despite of) his dyslexia is idiosyncratic poetry, full of fizzing wordplay and deadpan humour. Gardner's novels have always been thought-provoking but she flexes her writing muscles here and Standish is an utterly unique creation, impossible not to love. * The Scotsman *A novel for the square pegs, and for those who try to make them fit. Readers need to come to this book armed with imagination - which is kind of the point. It's part-fable, part-dystopian, and wholly brilliant * Big Issue Scotland *
£9.25
Simon & Schuster Ltd The Last Piece of My Heart
Book Synopsis'Wonderfully heartfelt... her best book yet!' heat, five star review 'A gorgeous, warm novel' ADELE PARKSWhen life feels like a puzzle, sometimes it's the small pieces that make up the bigger picture... Join Bridget on a journey to put her world back together. A successful travel journalist, Bridget has ambitions to turn her quirky relationship blog about the missing pieces of her heart into a book. But after a spate of rejections from publishers, she accepts an alternative proposition.Nicole Dupré died leaving behind a bestselling novel and an incomplete sequel. Tasked with finishing the book, Bridget is thankful to have her foot in the publishing door, even if it means relocating to Cornwall for the summer and answering to Nicole's grieving husband, Charlie... ‘You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and be hooked frTrade ReviewPraise for Paige Toon ‘You’ll love it, cry buckets and be uplifted’ MARIAN KEYES ‘Tender, heartbreaking and magical’ GIOVANNA FLETCHER ‘Heart-warming, wistful and full of joy’ LINDSEY KELK ‘Poignant and lovely, warm and wise’ MILLY JOHNSON ‘Family secrets, new horizons and a gorgeous continent-crossing romance... prepare to be swept away!’ LUCY DIAMOND ‘Warm, inspiring, like a holiday mood in book form’ MHAIRI MCFARLANE ‘For smart, romantic fiction, look no further than the new book from bestselling Paige Toon’ RED ‘Achingly romantic and brilliantly written... Five Stars!’ HEAT ‘Simply gorgeous’ SUN ‘You won’t be able to put down this emotional read’ CLOSER ‘Paige Toon is the queen of will-they/won't-they romance, setting up an ending that will leave you in bits’ SUNDAY EXPRESS ‘Full of living-in-the-moment and what-might-have-been contrasts, this tender read pulls at the heart strings’ FABULOUS
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers Once Upon a Leap Year
Book SynopsisYou will fall for Noah and Lucy . . . this is one of those stories that will capture your attention and not let it go' Reader review ?????I couldn't get enough of this story' Reader review ?????I was hooked from page one. Following Noah and Lucy''s life over twenty years broke my heart, made me laugh and eventually had me swooning' Reader review ?????* * *A gorgeous, high-concept romcom about finding love and daring to take a chance. After all, it's all about timing. . .29th February 2000. Lucy's never met another leapling until she encounters Noah also spending his once-in-four-years birthday on a disappointing day trip to Calais. There's a spark that Lucy is sure Noah must feel too, and their friends insist they have amazing chemistry, but they're both with other people. It can never be more than platonic and that's OK.Over the next twenty years, they're at each other's side through all of life's big moments weddings, babies, new jobs, family illness but Lucy can never shake the feTrade Review'A great, heartwarming read' Fabulous 'This immersive romcom is just what you need on a cold winter's night' Chat 'A heartwarming read' That's Life
£8.54
Pan Macmillan New Selected Poems
Book SynopsisCarol Ann Duffy is the most humane and accessible poet of our time' Rose Tremain, Guardian New Selected Poems contains poems chosen by Carol Ann Duffy from her first six acclaimed collections, from Standing Female Nude to Feminine Gospels, and a handful of other poems collected here for the first time. Endlessly varied and wonderfully inventive, this volume is the perfect introduction for new readers, the essential selection for students, and a glorious sum of parts for old acquaintances.
£999.99
Pan Macmillan The Emperors Children
Book SynopsisWith an introduction by Neel Mukherjee.In Manhattan, just after the century's turn, three thirty-year-old friends, Danielle, Marina and Julius, are seeking their fortunes. But the arrival of Marina's young cousin Bootie - fresh from the provinces and keen, too, to make his mark - forces them to confront their own desires and expectations.The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud is an American classic: a sweeping portrait of one of the most fascinating cities in the world, and a haunting illustration of how the events of a single day can change everything, for ever.Trade ReviewIn its scope, style and substance, The Emperor's Children is an attempt to return the novel to its golden age; it is engaged in a conversation with George Eliot, Henry James, Dostoevsky. Its psychological realism is perfect, its characters . . . thrillingly real, alive and utterly convincing in their subtleties of thought and the ticking of their minds.Messud's prose is a timely and intensely pleasurable reminder of the possibilities of the English language. To use the word clarity about her style - dense, chaste, luminously intelligent - is to return the word to its origins; this is style as illumination, shining a searching yet sympathetic light on the minds and inner worlds of her characters, and as a radiant mode of moral inquiry. * The Times *From the moment the book opens, one senses a writer of confidence and maturity, expansive, sure of her ground and savouring her own sonorous prose . . . Messud has proved in her previous novels that she is an intelligent and ambitious writer whose fiction is concerned with matters well beyond the personal and domestic . . . There is much to enjoy here, not least Messud's delicate yet devastating use of irony, her nuanced portrayal of character and motive and her vivid descriptions. * Sunday Telegraph *[The Emperor's Children] demonstrates Ms. Messud's growing range as a writer, her ability to shift gears effortlessly between the comic and the tragic, the satiric and the humane . . . Ms. Messud delineates this Manhattan world with quick, sure, painterly strokes, relying less on Tom Wolfeian status details and obviously satiric vignettes than on her psychological radar for how people talk and behave . . . Ms. Messud does a nimble, quicksilver job of portraying her central characters from within and without - showing us their pretensions, frailties and self-delusions, even as she delineates their secret yearnings and fears. At the same time, she uses their stories to explore many of the same questions she explicated so masterfully in The Last Life - questions about how an individual hammers out an identity of his or her own under the umbrella of a powerful family, questions about the ways in which people mythologize their own lives and the lives of those they love. * New York Times *As large-hearted as it is ambitious, this is a novel that combines the old-fashioned art of storytelling with a clear-eyed view of the modern world. * Sunday Times *Messud has captured a moment, and she has captured it brilliantly . . . Messud has written a big book about the gleaming surfaces of life, and what they conceal. Her ambition - positively nineteenth century, I think - is outweighed only by her talent. * Evening Standard *A splendid American novel, contemporary yet historical, with an avalanche of characters flowing across the world from Australia to Manhattan to small-town America and to Florida . . . This is an ambitious, confident, most readable book by a first rate storyteller with the youth and vitality to spread a huge canvas and enjoy filling it. * Spectator *Claire Messud is a novelist of unnerving talent . . . The Emperor's Children is a masterly comedy of manners - an astute and poignant evocation of hobnobbing glitterati in the months before and immediately following September 11 . . . [It] is, on its surface, a stingingly observant novel about the facades of the chattering class - with its loves, ambitions and petty betrayals - but it is also, more profoundly, about a wholesale collision of values . . . The Emperor's Children is full of satirical chiding, but it's one of the most delightful - even delicious - forms of such chiding I've encountered . . . Among its many pleasures, this novel indisputably reminds us of one truth that cannot be declared fungible: the obdurate reality of the human imagination. The Emperor's Children is a penetrating testament to its power. * New York Times Book Review *
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton Sleeping Tiger
Book Synopsis''I thoroughly enjoyed this story, immersing myself in the warmth and beauty of Spain, before returning to the vagaries of Scottish weather'' Reader review ?????Sweet Mediterranean escapism by the much-loved Rosamunde PilcherAre you brave enough to wake the sleeping tiger?Selina Bruce has impulsively left behind her lawyer fiancé in London and flown to a tiny island off the Spanish coast. She is searching for the father she has never known, but what she finds is an unexpected truth about herself and the man she plans to marry. For exotic San Antonio offers Selina far more than the penetrating brilliance of the noonday sun. It offers the mysterious George Dyer, who holds the key not only to her past . . . but to her heart.READERS LOVE SLEEPING TIGER:''A simple but enthralling plot line. I only wish it could have gone on and on'' Reader review ?????''This is a delicious Trade ReviewHer genius is to create characters you really care for * Daily Express *Pilcher's storytelling skills are serene and beguiling * The Times *Whether she is being poignant, wry or perceptive, Rosamunde Pilcher is always gentle * Woman's Realm *It is never too soon to discover Rosamunde Pilcher * Good Housekeeping *A beautiful, haunting story . . . that will tug at your heartstrings * Prima *
£8.99
Hodder & Stoughton Another View
Book Synopsis''Rosamunde Pilcher always writes the most enjoyable stories and this has to be among her best. A truly satisfying read'' Reader review ????? A captivating, timeless novel by the much-loved Rosamunde PilcherEmma Litton cannot get on with her life until she finds out whether she has a place in her father''s heart. From being at school in Europe since she was fourteen, and then working in Paris, she has always wondered what her famous artist father was doing in Japan, America or at their cottage in Cornwall. Even after she meets Robert Morrow, the handsome gallery owner, and rediscovers her stepbrother, Christo, Emma still feels compelled to probe into the truth of her past. But she learns, too late, that what she really needs is to discover the truth about herself, and that letting go is the first step towards holding onto love.READERS LOVE ANOTHER VIEW:''I love Rosamunde Pilcher. I love thTrade ReviewHer genius is to create characters you really care for * Daily Express *Pilcher's storytelling skills are serene and beguiling * The Times *Whether she is being poignant, wry or perceptive, Rosamunde Pilcher is always gentle * Woman's Realm *It is never too soon to discover Rosamunde Pilcher * Good Housekeeping *A beautiful, haunting story . . . that will tug at your heartstrings * Prima *
£8.99
Simon & Schuster Ltd Reputation
Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal, now a major Netflix series… Reputation: it takes a lifetime to build and just one moment to destroy.‘Sarah Vaughan has done it again. Superb’ Shari Lapena Emma Webster is a respectable MP. Emma Webster is a devoted mother. Emma Webster is innocent of the murder of a tabloid journalist. Emma Webster is a liar. #Reputation: The story you tell about yourself. And the lies others choose to believe… 'Uncannily timely… As dark and gripping as you’d expect from the author of Anatomy of a Scandal’ ObserverYour favourite authors love Reputation: ‘A terrifically entertaining legal drama and an unsettling cautionary tale for any woman considering entering politics’
£8.54
Simon & Schuster Ltd Charlie Love and Cliches
Book SynopsisThe brand new novel from bestselling author and TikTok sensation Ella Maise. Perfect for fans of Elena Armas and Ali Hazelwood. Charlie might work at her dad’s company but that doesn’t make her life easy. She’s the kind of person who always goes the extra mile for a client, remembers colleagues’ birthdays and arranges the cake. And yet her dad still favours her sister. So Charlie shouldn’t be surprised when her dad brings someone in to manage her and the team. But what does surprise her is that the new boss is her guy. The man who she went out with years ago and could never stop thinking about. Charlie wants to hide under the desk… but then she realises she doesn’t have to. Because William doesn’t seem to remember her at all.
£9.49
Ultimo Press Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens: WINNER OF THE
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE MILES FRANKLIN LITERARY AWARD'This is an engaging story that feels both urgent and necessary. It is also a terrific read.' – The Daily Telegraph (Australia)Welcome to Cinnamon Gardens, a home for those who are lost and the stories they treasure. Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home is nestled in the quiet suburb of Westgrove, Sydney – populated with residents with colourful histories, each with their own secrets, triumphs and failings. This is their safe place, an oasis of familiar delights – a beautiful garden, a busy kitchen and a bountiful recreation schedule. But this ordinary neighbourhood is not without its prejudices. The serenity of Cinnamon Gardens is threatened by malignant forces more interested in what makes this refuge different rather than embracing the calm companionship that makes this place home to so many. As those who challenge the residents’ existence make their stand against the nursing home with devastating consequences, our characters are forced to reckon with a country divided. Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens is about family and memory, community and race, but is ultimately a love letter to storytelling and how our stories shape who we are.
£15.29
Simon & Schuster Ltd Walking Disaster
Book SynopsisSet in the same time-frame as Beautiful Disaster, now we hear the story from Travis'' point of view. Travis lost his mother at a very young age, but before she died she taught him two important rules... Love hard. Fight harder. Growing up in a family of men who like to gamble and fight, Travis Maddox is a tough guy. Known for his bad reputation with women, and feared for his incredible fighting skills, all the boys want to be him, while the girls simply want him... Abby Abernathy is the first girl to treat him the way he feels he should be treated, with dislike and disinterest. It is her lack of interest that sparks his determination to win her round. Will the invincible Travis ''Mad Dog'' Maddox be defeated by a girl?
£9.49
