Contemporary fiction titles are those which focus on the present or near past. Stories rooted in the current cultural, social, and political landscape which feature characters we can all recognise.
Contemporary Fiction Books
Little, Brown Book Group The Chocolate Lovers Christmas
Book SynopsisCan friendship overcome all in The Chocolate Lovers' Christmas? Find out in the fantastic new Christmas novel from the Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller Carole Matthews.Trade ReviewSo warm, so festive * Jenny Colgan *So warm, so festive * Jenny Colgan *Fabulously enjoyable . . . full of heart and fun * Milly Johnson *Fabulously enjoyable . . . full of heart and fun * Milly Johnson *Full of joy and laughter * Trisha Ashley *Full of joy and laughter * Trisha Ashley *Simply brilliant * Closer *Simply brilliant * Closer *The perfect escape * Woman *The perfect escape * Woman *Carole Matthews delivers the perfect holiday read. * Woman *
£8.54
Little, Brown Book Group A Minor Indiscretion
Book Synopsis A funny, romantic read from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Sunny Days and Sea Breezes Ali Kingston is happily married with three children. She isn''t the type to have her head turned - but then it isn''t every day that a gorgeous younger man falls at her feet.When Ed, Ali''s husband, finds out that she''s spent time with another man, he''s sure there''s more to it than just a minor indiscretion - so in a moment of madness he kicks Ali out of the house.Their family and friends do all they can to help Ali and Ed reconcile but nothing seems to work. And then fate intervenes . . .Your favourite authors love Carole Matthews:''A gorgeous novel that will delight''KATIE FFORDE''Fun, fantastic and brimming with Matthews magic''MILLY JOHNSON''A life-affirming story full of joy and hope''CATHY BRAMLEY''An irresistibly warm-hearted sTrade ReviewA feel-good tale * Marie Claire *All the warmth and wit we expect from Carole. Perfect * Bella *They get better every time * Observer *It makes you laugh one minute and cry the next * Prima *
£7.49
Little, Brown Book Group Shields Of Pride
Book SynopsisThe year is 1173. King Henry''s efforts to crush his rebellious sons ignite bloody border skirmishes throughout the land. Yet it is a time of triumph for mercenary Josceline de Gael, bastard son of the king''s most trusted ally. Victorious on the battlefield, de Gael suffers sweet defeat when his heart is conquered by the lovely Linnet de Montsorrel. But their love will find its greatest challenge as the torments of jealousy, suspicion, pride - and an enemy from beyond the grave - threaten all they hold dear.Trade ReviewA whirlwind of a historical novel * News of The WORLD *The story is strong, the characters very believable, and the mix of touching romance and full-blooded adventure is just right * Keighley News *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery
Book SynopsisCosy up for a Cornish Christmas with top ten Sunday Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan!Trade ReviewThis is the perfect book to curl up with... the mouthwatering descriptions of baked goods will make it hard to stave off the Christmas pounds * Express *This is the perfect book to curl up with... the mouthwatering descriptions of baked goods will make it hard to stave off the Christmas pounds * Express *A good-hearted and humorous slice of Cornish life * Sunday Mirror *A good-hearted and humorous slice of Cornish life * Sunday Mirror *If you like your Yuletide tales with real characters and plenty of fun, this is the one for you! * Heat *If you like your Yuletide tales with real characters and plenty of fun, this is the one for you! * Heat *a cracker...the one must-read this festive season -- The Suna cracker...the one must-read this festive season -- The SunA heartwarming new read * Stylist *A heartwarming new read * Stylist *A funny, feel-good novel * Woman *A funny, feel-good novel * Woman *A delightful seasonal helping of romance * Woman & Home *A delightful seasonal helping of romance * Woman & Home *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Time Keeper
Book SynopsisFROM THE MASTER STORYTELLER WHOSE BOOKS HAVE TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF OVER 40 MILLION READERS''Mitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary'' Cecilia Ahern__________Banished for centuries, as punishment for trying to measure time, the inventor of the world''s first clock is finally granted his freedom, along with a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two people the true meaning of time.He embarks on a journey with two unlikely partners: a teenage girl who is about to give up on life and a wealthy, ageing businessman who wants to live for ever. To save himself, he must save them both.Gripping, and filled with deep human truth, this unforgettable story will inspire readers everywhere to reconsider their own notions of time and just how precious it truly is.__________WHAT READERS SAY ABOUT THE TIME KEEPER''As usual, Albom kept me completely captivated throughout this entire book. My only complaTrade ReviewMitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary -- Cecilia AhernPowerful . . . Albom has touched the lives of a lot of people he never even knew * Time *Compelling and uplifting * Independent *A writer with soul * Los Angeles Times *Albom breaks hearts with his stories * Mirror *An enthralling fantasy ... A story that makes the reader consider the real value of their lives * The Lady *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The First Phone Call From Heaven
Book SynopsisFROM THE MASTER STORYTELLER WHOSE BOOKS HAVE TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF OVER 40 MILLION READERS''Mitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary'' Cecilia Ahern__________One last chance. What would you say? When the residents of a small town on Lake Michigan start receiving phone calls from the afterlife, it becomes the subject of widespread attention. Is it the greatest miracle ever or a massive hoax?Sully Harding, a grief-stricken single father, returns to Coldwater from a stint in prison to discover his hometown gripped by ''miracle fever.'' Even his young son carries a toy phone, hoping to hear from his mother in heaven.As the calls increase Sully begins to dig into the phenomenon. Determined to discover who or what is behind the mystery, he gradually begins to piece together the pieces of his broken heart. __________WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE FIRST PHONE CALL FROM HEAVEN''GrippTrade ReviewMitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary -- Cecilia AhernPowerful . . . Albom has touched the lives of a lot of people he never even knew * Time *Compelling and uplifting * Independent *A writer with soul * Los Angeles Times *Albom breaks hearts with his stories * Mirror *Mitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary * Cecelia Ahern *You will be shaken, stirred and, finally, a little teary. Gorgeous * Star *It's set to be a word-of-mouth hit. Buy it, read it, then pass it on * Woman *This page-turner challenges beliefs about relationships, loss and life after death * The Sun *This story unfurls with grace and drama . . . most enjoyable * Sunday Mirror *His most moving and surprising novel yet * Take A Break Fiction Feast *This will have you reaching for the tissues * No.1 Magazine *Beautiful and smart. Perhaps the most stirring and transcendent heaven story since Field of Dreams * Matthew Quick, author of The Silver Linings Playbook *A beautifully rendered tale of faith and redemption that makes us think, feel and hope - and then doubt and then believe, as only Mitch Albom can make us do * Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Lady Of The English
Book SynopsisTwo very different women . . . Linked by destiny and a power struggle for the English crown.Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I, is determined to win back her crown from Stephen, the usurper king, against all odds and despite all men. Adeliza, Henry''s widowed queen and Matilda''s stepmother, has always been on Matilda''s side but now she is married to William D''Albini, a warrior of the opposition. In a world where a man''s word is law, how can Adeliza obey her husband while supporting Matilda, the rightful queen?What does it cost to be ''Lady of the English''?Trade ReviewRenowned historical novelist Chadwick tells this battle-of-the-sexes story from a woman's point of view, channeling Matilda and the wannabe regent's stepmother as storytellers New York Post
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Winner
Book Synopsis'A lean, careening thrill one of my favourite books of the year' Megan Nolan Riveting reading' The Times 'Irresistible A page-turning story of sex, power, and money' Vogue, Best Books of 2024 So Far
£10.80
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Wayward Girls
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£18.00
Orion Publishing Co Recipe for Life
Book SynopsisEscape to Italy with this sumptuous story of secrets and friendships under Mediterranean skies.Trade ReviewA rich and heady story, redolent of fine Italian cooking and Mediterranean sunshine * EVENING TELEGRAPH *The descriptions of the Italian dishes are mouth-watering ... a great summer read * SOUTH WALES ARGUS *
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co Star Sullivan Quick Reads S
Book SynopsisMaeve Binchy''s highly successful Quick Read.''She is the Queen of Fiction and one of the funniest and best-loved storytellers in the world . . . once you read Maeve you are hooked for life'' IRISH TIMES''Maeve Binchy''s work continues to inspire ... thought-provoking, warm and funny in equal measure'' WOMANMolly Sullivan said that the new baby was a little star. She was no trouble at all and she was always smiling - so she became known as Star and no one remembered that her name was Oona.Star Sullivan just wanted everyone to be happy - her father to stop gambling, her mother not to work so hard, her brother to stay out of trouble, her sister to stop worrying about every little thing she ate. Then the Hale family moved in next door, and from the moment Star saw 23-year-old Laddy Hale, everything began to change - until Star was no longer the sweet, thoughtful girl everyone loved and no one worried about...Trade ReviewWarm, witty and with a deep understanding of what makes us tick, it's little wonder that Maeve Binchy's bewitching stories have become world-beaters * OK MAGAZINE *Reading her books is like gossiping with old friends * DAILY EXPRESS *She is the Queen of Fiction and one of the funniest and best-loved storytellers in the world . . . once you read Maeve you are hooked for life * IRISH TIMES *What is Maeve Binchy's magic? Every time she publishes a novel the race is on to the armchair or the poolside seat, telephones fall eerily silent . . . Her great gift is to suck her reader into the drama of everyday lives without fuss . . . She relies on dialogue and on keeping up a cracking pace * DAILY MAIL *Maeve Binchy is a master storyteller * NEW YORK TIMES *Binchy . . . is a class act * DAILY EXPRESS *
£6.93
Little, Brown Book Group The Five People You Meet In Heaven
Book SynopsisBeautifully written first novel that addresses the meaning of life - and life after death - from the internationally bestselling author of the non-fiction TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE.Trade ReviewPraise for Mitch Albom * - *Mitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary -- Cecilia AhernPowerful . . . Albom has touched the lives of a lot of people he never even knew * Time *Compelling and uplifting * Independent *A writer with soul * Los Angeles Times *Albom breaks hearts with his stories * Mirror *Albom has done it again... FIVE PEOPLE is a powerful book, powerful enough to make one's inner snob feel a little uncomfortable...Albom has touched the lives of a lot of people he never even knew. If there is a heaven, he can expect to have around 5.7 million people waiting for him there * TIME *[Eddie] learns not only about his life but also about what his time on earth meant. It is simple, unaffected and written with great feeling * PUBLISHING NEWS *Simply told, sentimental and profoundly true, this is a contemporary American fable that will be cherished by a vast readership . . . this slim tale, like Charles Dickens's A CHRISTMAS CAROL, reminds us of what really matters here of earth, of what our lives are given to us for * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *Mitch Albom lifts us to a new level ... You'll find here echoes of the classics - The Odyssey for one - and that puts Albom's book in the best of company * Frank McCourt, author of ANGELA'S ASHES *
£9.49
Little, Brown & Company The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten Vol. 8 light
Book SynopsisWith the hustle and bustle of the cultural festival finally behind them, normal life has returned. Amane confesses his feelings for Mahiru once again, leading them to make a vow for the future. Intent on getting the perfect gift to represent his feelings, Amane takes a step into unfamiliar territory and takes up a part-time job. Meanwhile, Mahiru also wants to demonstrate her love for Amane in some way. Despite feeling a little lonely, she waits anxiously for his return, carrying out her plan with utmost secrecy...!
£11.69
Dalkey Archive Press Suicide
Book SynopsisSuicide cannot be read as simply another novelit is, in a sense, the author's own oblique, public suicide note, a unique meditation on this most extreme of refusals.Presenting itself as an investigation into the suicide of a close friendperhaps real, perhaps fictionalmore than twenty years earlier, Levé gives us, little by little, a striking portrait of a man, with all his talents and flaws, who chose to reject his life, and all the people who loved him, in favor of oblivion. Gradually, through Levé's casually obsessive, pointillist, beautiful ruminations, we come to know a stoic, sensible, thoughtful man who bears more than a slight psychological resemblance to Levé himself. But Suicide is more than just a compendium of memories of an old friend; it is a near-exhaustive catalog of the ramifications and effects of the act of suicide, and a unique and melancholy farewell to life.
£11.39
Amaurea Press The Hobby
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£18.36
Random House Publishing Group Hello Beautiful
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£15.19
Kensington Publishing Lilac Time
Book SynopsisThe air is sweet, the days grow warm, and the budding branches bring the promise of bright new beginnings in this heartwarming springtime collection headlined by one of the most beloved storytellers of our time, Fern Michaels, joined by bestselling authors Carolyn Brown and Lori Foster.SWEET AS HONEY * Fern MichaelsNatalie is through with pining over her ex. If only her efforts to be social again didn?t lead to repeated run-ins with an infuriating beekeeper at the local farmer?s market. Yet Garrett keeps buzzing around. And as Natalie watches his patience and dedication in tending his hives, she begins to wonder if life has a sweet surprise in store.EVERYTHING SHE?D EVER WANTED * Lori FosterAnnabeth can see that her neighbor?s handsome nephew, Devlin, has his hands full, raising his little girl single-handed. Yet though his life is frazzled, it?s full of the kind of joy and togetherness she longs for. And when Devlin?s daughter and Annabeth?s tiny dog fall hard for each other, it might be the start of more than one beautiful friendship. THE MEMORY CABIN * Carolyn BrownJenna Stewart loves gathering at her Texas lakeside cabin with her girlfriends. It?s an annual tradition to reconnect with the women who helped her deal with her mother?s passing along with the end of her marriage. But this year, lives are changing, dreams are evolving. And perhaps Jenna?s heart has healed enough to welcome a new love that arrives with the first flowers of spring . . .
£14.36
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Travelling Hornplayer
Book SynopsisBad, mad, flame-haired cellist Stella, adulterous Jonathan and high-spirited sisters Ellen and Lydia Dent find their fates bound together through love, loss and literature in this dazzling tragicomedyTrade ReviewPungent with life, with wit, love yearning and grief, The Travelling Hornplayer is Barbara Trapido’s most entertaining and powerful novel to date. Her fans might be forgiven for thinking this writer couldn't get any better. She just has * GUARDIAN *Murdochian entertainment: a tragicomedy of errors. Trapido ... races along with a kind of nervy glamour * NEW YORKER *This woman is brilliant. She deserves to be up there, topping the bestseller lists and winning all the prizes. And she actually makes you laugh … I enjoyed every page of this book, which is so shimmering with wit, hectic energy and crazy convolutions of plots that I eneded up in a state of sublime, satiated exhaustion * DAILY MAIL *Sprinkled with magic * SUNDAY TIMES *An entrancing, quirky confection packed with such a rich mixture of fun and pathos that readers may need to pause occasionally, if only draw emotional breath … She has the mind-teasing skills of a crime-writer combined with a sense of humour as dry as a Martini * TELEGRAPH *Witty ... moving ... clever, warm-hearted * NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW *A funny, cunning and surprisingly sexy novel, which moved at least this reader to both tears and laughter * SUNDAY TIMES *The brilliant [Trapido] ... is one of the better-kept secrets of contemporary letters ... [She] is a great novelist; sooner or later the whole reading world will know it * SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE *Audacious, energetic and dazzing … The vividness, and the immediately engaging style, is as sure as ever, and the Dickensian swiftness with which she can draw a character is full of charm … There aren’t many novelists whose stories one doesn’t want to end, but Barbara Trapido is one of them -- PHILIP HENSHER * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Reading Barbara Trapido is sheer pleasure. Afterwards, I went out and bought everything else she has written - and am only disappointed I didn't do it earlier * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *
£8.99
Vintage Publishing The Woman Who Walked into Doors
Book SynopsisFrom the Booker Prize winning author of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha and The Commitments: the story of an ordinary woman whose extraordinary character will stay with you long after reading.‘He loved me and he beat me.Trade ReviewIt is the triumph of this novel that Doyle - entirely without condescension - shows the inner life of this battered housewife to be the same stuff as that of the heroes of the great novels of Europe -- Mary Gordon * New York Times Book Review *In feeling the pulse of a raw Dublin suburb, Doyle is recording a beat that can be recognised all over the world * The Times *This new novel is Roddy Doyle's best to date. I cannot recall any writer who has better captured the vulnerability and courage of a woman trapped in a loveless marriage * Cork Examiner *Even more mesmerizing than his prize-winning Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha * Daily Mail *Impassioned, dignified and richly humane * Independent *His best work yet * The Times *Compulsively readable * Financial Times *
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group A Cold Heart
Book SynopsisMurder stalks the LA art world in A COLD HEART, a page-turning and perturbing novels from No. 1 international bestselling Jonathan Kellerman, author of KILLER, MOTIVE and BREAKDOWN. ''Jonathan Kellerman has justly earned his reputation as a master of psychological thriller'' (People), and his powerful stories will appeal to all those who love John Grisham and David Baldacci.Juliet Kipper, a gifted painter, is strangled in the LA gallery where her first solo show has opened to critical acclaim, and Milo Sturgis takes on the murder investigation as a favour to an old friend. He consults Alex Delaware, who, researching parallels with other deaths, looks for artists killed when on the verge of a breakthrough or comeback. And he finds two others.The investigation points to a gruesome, sadistic pattern of death, taking Milo and Alex into the dark side of the art world, and Alex''s ex-lover Robin into terrible danger.Trade ReviewStrong insights into the quirks of human and criminal behaviour * Guardian *Filled with insight * Stephen King *Coolly intelligent * GQ *A sense of humanity and justice * Publishers Weekly *An alert eye for detail * New York Times *
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Marathon Man Bloomsbury Film Classics
Book SynopsisMarathon Man is a thriller.Trade Review'Superb ... one hell of a read' Washington Post 'Well-plotted, expertly characterised and fast-paced' Los Angeles Times 'A tautly written thriller, an entity in itself ... sets my teeth to aching' Irish Times
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd Trouble with Lichen
Book SynopsisFROM THE RENOWNED CLASSIC SCI-FI WRITER AND AUTHOR OF THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS AND THE CHRYSTALIDS''Ingenious'' Evening StandardFrancis Saxover and Diana Brackley, two scientists investigating a rare lichen, discover it has a remarkable property: it retards the aging process. Francis, realising the implications for the world of an ever-youthful, wealthy elite, wants to keep it secret, but Diana sees an opportunity to overturn the male status quo by using the lichen to inspire a feminist revolution.As each scientist wrestles with the implications and practicalities of exploiting the discovery, the world comes ever closer to learning the truth . . .Trouble With Lichen is a scintillating story of the power wielded by science in our lives and asks how much trust should we place in those we appoint to be its guardians?Trade ReviewIngenious * Evening Standard *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Memory Keepers Daughter
Book SynopsisThe multi-million copy bestseller, Kim Edwards'' The Memory Keeper''s Daughter is a moving and poignant novel about grief, family and betrayal.Families have secrets they hide even from themselves...It should have been an ordinary birth, the start of an ordinary happy family. But the night Dr David Henry delivers his wife''s twins is a night that will haunt five lives for ever.For though David''s son is a healthy boy, his daughter has Down''s syndrome. And, in a shocking act of betrayal whose consequences only time will reveal, he tells his wife their daughter died while secretly entrusting her care to a nurse.As grief quietly tears apart David''s family, so a little girl must make her own way in the world as best she can.''Crafted with language so lovely you have to reread the passages just to be captivated all over again . . . this is simply a beautiful book'' Jodi Picoult ''I loved this riveting story with its intricateTrade ReviewCrafted with language so lovely you have to reread the passages just to be captivated all over again . . . this is simply a beautiful book * Jodi Picoult *I loved this riveting story with its intricate characters and beautiful language -- Sue Monk Kidd, author of the best-selling * The Secret Life of Bees *I loved this riveting story with its intricate characters and beautiful language -- Sue Monk Kidd, author of the best-selling * The Secret Life of Bees *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Live Fast
Book SynopsisWinner of the Prix GoncourtA powerful autobiographical novel of loss, the incandescent love that remains, and the small decisions that define the course of fatePaced and structured with the inevitable suspense of a countdown, Brigitte Giraud?s tense and haunting novel follows one woman?s quest to comprehend the motorcycle accident that took the life of her partner Claude at age 41.The narrator of Live Fast recounts the chain of events that led up to the fateful accident, tracing the tiny, madden twists of fate that might have prevented its tragic outcome. Each chapter asks the rhetorical question, ?what if,? departing from an image or memory from early years meeting in Algeria during the war, to moving to the suburbs of Lyon, buying and renovating a home where they could ?put down their suitcase for a whole life.? A sensitive elegy to her husband and a subtle, precise vision of a lasting love, Live Fast is a moving and electrifying portrait of two people caught up in the mundane activities of life, forgetting that living itself can be dangerous.
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd Put Out More Flags Penguin Modern Classics
Book SynopsisUpper-class rogues, bohemians, dowagers, socialites, bureaucrats and delinquent evacuees prepare for England to change forever, in this hilarious and deadly serious 1942 satire on the ''phoney war''The hideous, then unfamiliar shriek of the air-raid sirens sang out over LondonWhat happened to the characters of Decline and Fall and Vile Bodies when the war broke out? Put Out More Flags shows them adjusting to the changing social pattern of the times. Some of them play a valorous part; others, like the scapegrace Basil Sea, disclose their incorrigible habit of self-preservation in all circumstances. Basil''s contribution to the war effort involves the use of his peculiar talents in such spheres of opportunity as the Ministry of Information and an obscure section of Military Security - adventures which incite Evelyn Waugh to another pungent satire upon the coteries of Mayfair.Trade Reviewa wicked satire in the well-known Waugh manner * The New York Times *a novel of breathtaking symmetry, grace, craft, and discipline -- L. E. Sissman * The Atlantic *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Scoop
Book SynopsisEvelyn Waugh''s brilliantly irreverent satire of Fleet Street, with an introduction by Alexander WaughLord Copper, newspaper magnate and proprietor of The Daily Beast, has always prided himself on his intuitive flair for spotting ace reporters. That is not to say he has not made the odd blunder, however, and may in a moment of weakness make another. Acting on a dinner party tip from Mrs Algernon Stitch, he feels convinced that he has hit on just the chap to cover a promising little war in the African Republic of Ishmaelia. But for, pale, ineffectual William Boot, editor of the Daily Beast''s ''nature notes'' column, being mistaken for a competent journalist may prove to be a fatal error...''Waugh at the mid-season point of his perfect pitch''Christopher Hitchens
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Memoirs of Hadrian And Reflections on the
Book SynopsisThe Emperor Hadrian writes a valedictory letter to Marcus Aurelius, his future successor. The Emperor meditates on his past, describing his accession, military triumphs, love of poetry and music, and the philosophy that informed his powerful and far-flung rule. This work recreates the life and death of one of the great rulers of the ancient world.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd We Do Not Part
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE 2024Like a long winter's dream, this haunting and visionary new novel from 2024 Nobel Prize winner Han Kang takes us on a journey from contemporary South Korea into its painful historyOne of the most profound and skilled writers working on the contemporary world stage' Deborah LevyBeginning one morning in December, We Do Not Part traces the path of Kyungha as she travels from the city of Seoul into the forests of Jeju Island, to the home of her old friend Inseon. Hospitalized following an accident, Inseon has begged Kyungha to hasten there to feed her beloved pet bird, who will otherwise die.Kyungha takes the first plane to Jeju, but a snowstorm hits the island the moment she arrives, plunging her into a world of white. Beset by icy wind and snow squalls, she wonders if she will arrive in time to save the bird or even survive the terrible cold which envelops her with every step. As night falls, she struggles her way to Inseon's house, unaware as yet of the descent into darkness which awaits her.There, the long-buried story of Inseon's family surges into light, in dreams and memories passed from mother to daughter, and in a painstakingly assembled archive documenting a terrible massacre on the island seventy years before.We Do Not Part is a hymn to friendship, a eulogy to the imagination and above all an indictment against forgetting.Translated by e. yaewon and Paige Aniyah MorrisA vital voice and a writer of extraordinary humanity. Her work is a gift to us all' Max PorterA remarkable novelist who reflects our modern condition with courage, imagination, and keen intelligence' Min Jin Lee
£17.09
Orion Publishing Co Magnolia Parks The Long Way Home
Book SynopsisThis exclusive edition includes the following special features: Brand new cover design illustrated by Emmy Lawless Gold foil artwork on clothbound hardbacks Gorgeous, illustrated endpapers by Emmy Lawless Colour head and tail bands and ribbon marker Exclusive author letter from Jessa Hastings complete with digital signature ****How many loves do you get in a lifetime? And are Magnolia and BJ each other''s?It''s been nearly a year since everything happened between Magnolia Parks and BJ Ballentine on the steps of the Mandarin Oriental, and it seems like everything since then has changed.Magnolia has a life in New York now and BJ appears to have finally let go and moved on.But when they both wind up back to London and are thrust together once again, they find themselves asking their age-old question: how many loves do you actually get in a lifetime, and most importantly - are they each other''s
£22.50
Penguin Books Ltd Nausea
Book SynopsisJean-Paul Sartre''s first published novel, Nausea is both an extended essay on existentialist ideals, and a profound fictional exploration of a man struggling to restore a sense of meaning to his life. This Penguin Modern Classics edition is translated from the French by Robert Baldick with an introduction by James Wood.Nausea is both the story of the troubled life of an introspective historian, Antoine Roquentin, and an exposition of one of the most influential and significant philosophical attitudes of modern times - existentialism. The book chronicles his struggle with the realisation that he is an entirely free agent in a world devoid of meaning; a world in which he must find his own purpose and then take total responsibility for his choices. A seminal work of contemporary literary philosophy, Nausea evokes and examines the dizzying angst that can come from simply trying to live.Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) was an iconoclastic French philosopher, novelist, playwright and, widely regarded as the central figure in post-war European culture and political thinking. Sartre famously refused the Nobel Prize for literature in 1964 on the grounds that ''a writer should not allow himself to be turned into an institution''. His most well-known works, all of which are published by Penguin, include The Age of Reason, Nausea and Iron in the Soul.If you enjoyed Nausea, you might like Albert Camus'' The Outsider, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.''One of the very few successful members of the genre Philosophical Novel ... a young man''s tour de force''Iris MurdochTrade ReviewA tour de force -- Iris MurdochJean-Paul Sartre dominated the intellectual life of twentieth-century France to an extraordinary degree ... heralded as the "pope" of existentialism, he ranked as an international superstar * The New York Times *
£9.49
Verve Books The Book of X
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£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Finnegans Wake
Book SynopsisA daring work of experimental, Modernist genius, James Joyce's Finnegans Wake is one of the greatest literary achievements of the twentieth century, and the crowning glory of Joyce's life. The Penguin Modern Classics edition of includes an introduction by Seamus Deane'riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs'Joyce's final work, Finnegan's Wake is his masterpiece of the night as Ulysses is of the day. Supreme linguistic virtuosity conjures up the dark underground worlds of sexuality and dream. Joyce undermines traditional storytelling and all official forms of English and confronts the different kinds of betrayal - cultural, political and sexual - that he saw at the heart of Irish history. Dazzlingly inventive, with passages of great lyrical beauty and humour, Finnegans Wake remains one of the most remarkable works of the twentieth cent
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd What is the What
Book SynopsisWhat is the What is Dave Eggers''s astonishing novel about one of the world''s most brutal civil warsValentino Achak Deng is just a boy when conflict separates him from his family and forces him to leave his small Sudanese village, joining thousands of other orphans on their long, long walk to Ethiopia, where they find safety - for a time. Along the way Valentino encounters enemy soldiers, liberation rebels and deadly militias, hyenas and lions, disease and starvation. But there are experiences ahead that will test his spirit in even greater ways than these . . .Truly epic in scope, and told with expansive humanity, deep compassion and unexpected humour, What is the What is an eye-opening account of life amid the madness of war and an unforgettable tale of tragedy and triumph.''If there was ever any doubt that Dave Eggers is one of our most important storytellers, What Is the What should put it to rest... [A] strange, beautiful and unforgettable work'' San Francisco Chronicle''A remarkable book: harrowing, witty, wretched, delightful; and always compelling, always surprising'' London Review of BooksAll of the author''s proceeds from this book will go to the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation. Read more at: www.valentinoachakdeng.com.Trade ReviewRead Dave Eggers' What is the What – it's the best book of the year * Guardian *If there was ever any doubt that Dave Eggers is one of our most important storytellers, What Is the What should put it to rest... [A] strange, beautiful and unforgettable work * San Francisco Chronicle *'A remarkable book: harrowing, witty, wretched, delightful; and always compelling, always surprising' London Review of BooksIf there was ever any doubt that Dave Eggers is one of our most important storytellers, What Is the What should put it to rest... [A] strange, beautiful and unforgettable work * San Francisco Chronicle *
£11.69
Orion Publishing Co The Lifeline
Book Synopsis''I loved this book - could not put it down'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''A joy to read... I really did love every page of this book'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''An easy five stars'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Everybody needs saving sometimes...For Kate, having a newborn baby means she is almost never alone. But that doesn''t mean she isn''t lonely. The move from London to Somerset with her husband Jay was supposed be the start of an exciting new chapter. But sometimes she can''t help but wonder if she turned the pages too soon . . . Phoebe needs help. As a mental health nurse serving her community, the wellbeing of her patients has always come before her own. Yet there''s only so long she can pour from an empty cup. Looking for a lifeline, Kate and Phoebe find a sense of community - and each other - through their local river swimming group. But when things get tough, they realise
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Man and Boy
Book SynopsisThe 20th anniversary edition of the multi-million copy bestseller!Wistful, touching and funny' Mail on SundayHilarious and tear-jerking in turns' Express A sharp, witty and wise book straight from the heart' Daily MailHarry Silver has it all. A successful job in TV, a gorgeous wife, a lovely child. But in one moment of madness, he chucks it all away. A modern classic, Man and Boy is a hilarious and touching novel about how Harry comes to terms with his life, brings up his son alone and, gradually, learns what words like love and family really mean.Includes a new foreword and Q&A from Tony Parsons!Trade Review Praise for Man and Boy: ‘Wistful, touching and funny, it looks back at the glory days of the family without losing hope for the future. In the end, it is a deeply touching book: a love letter to a son from his father, and to a father from his son’Mail on Sunday ‘One of the finest books published this year… Hilarious and tear-jerking in turns’Express ‘Parsons has written a sharp, witty and wise book straight from his heart. His characters are all nitty-gritty, bounce-off-the-page, real people; his dialogue is brilliant’Daily Mail ‘A touching novel… full of quiet tenderness, and written from the heart’Independent ‘A finely constructed novel that says more about human relationships than a library of psychology manuals, hitting the funny bone and the emotional jugular at one and the same time’ Irish Times ‘A grown-up novel that is simultaneously a heart-rending gripping read and suffused with an irresistible reality’ Glasgow Herald
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers SuperCannes
Book SynopsisA high-tech business park on the Mediterranean is the setting for a most disturbing crime in this reissue featuring an introduction by Ali Smith.People are so immersed in their work they wouldn't notice the end of the world.A high-tech business park lies hidden in the hills above Cannes an ultra-modern utopia where residents live a life of luxury and seclusion.But when Jane Sinclair arrives in Eden-Olympia for a new medical post, a disturbing mystery awaits. What caused her apparently sane predecessor to murder ten people in a shooting spree that made headlines around the world? As her husband Paul explores his new surroundings, he begins to uncover a thriving subculture of crime that is spiralling out of control.Both novel of ideas and complex thriller, Super-Cannes is an extraordinary satire from the author of Empire of the Sun', The Drowned World' and Crash'.Trade Review‘Sublime…An elegant, elaborate trap of a novel, which reads as a companion piece to “Cocaine Nights” but takes ideas from that novel and runs further. The first essential novel of the 21st century’ Independent ‘Possibly his greatest book. “Super-Cannes” is both a novel of ideas and a compelling thriller that will keep you turning the pages to the shocking denouement. Only Ballard could have produced it’ Sunday Express ‘In this tautly paced thriller he brilliantly details how man’s darker side derails a vast experiment in living, and shows the dangers of a near-future in which going mad is the only way of staying sane’ Daily Mail ‘Vintage Ballard, a gripping blend of stylised thriller and fantastic imaginings’ Guardian
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers The Painted Drum
Book SynopsisFrom the winner of the National Book Award for Fiction, 2012 comes this elegantly crafted novel that explores the strange power that lost children exert on the memories of those they leave behindWhen Faye Travers is sent to appraise a family estate in a small New Hampshire town and comes across a forgotten set of valuable Native American artefacts, she is not surprised by the discovery. However, she is shocked when she finds a rare drum particularly because without even touching the instrument she hears its deep resonant sound.Following the discovery, we trace the drum''s passage both backwards and forwards in time. We hear the voice of Bernard Shaawano, an Ojibwe, who tells of how his grandfather created the drum after years of mourning his younger daughter''s death and how it changes the paths of those who cross it. Through Faye, we experience her anguished relationship with a local sculptor who also mourns the loss of a daughter, and witness the life Faye has made alone with her moTrade Review‘The author knows how to spin a good yarn … Full of poetic writing and a passionate indignation on behalf of the dispossessed, this novel shows the author at her best.’ The Times ‘Erdrich handles the shift in pace beautifully. The world she portrays is harsh, with death from smallpox or starvation giving way to the oppressions of poverty and alcoholism. But such is the unsentimental poetry of Erdrich’s vision that it becomes a place to almost envy, too.’ Observer 'Resonant, poetic and exact … these visions will remain imprinted on the reader's mind.' Los Angeles Times 'Intricate and beautifully written.' Boston Globe 'Spare, perceptive, unsentimental.' New York Times
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Chasing Harry Winston
Book SynopsisFrom the author of the million copy bestselling The Devil Wears Prada.Three best friends. Two resolutions. One year to pull it off.Emmy has just split with her boyfriend of five years. A serial monogamist, she suddenly realises how much she's missed the thrill of single life. A new job travelling across the globe could offer her the one thing she is craving, so she vows to find a man on every continent for some pure no-strings-attached fun.Adriana is stunning and can have any man she desires. Yet all she wants is an eligible bachelor who''ll slip a five-carat Harry Winston diamond on her finger.Leigh has a doting boyfriend that most girls would kill for. But when literary bad boy Jesse Chapman asks to work with her and more, she just can''t refuse.The three friends make a pact come hell or high water, they must change one thing in their lives by the end of the yearTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR LAUREN WEISBERGER: ‘This little gem mixes Sex and the City charm with dry New York wit.’ REAL ‘Sassy, insightful and sooo Sex and The City, you'll be rushing to the bookshop for your copy like it's a half price Prada sale.’ COMPANY ‘The most fun we've had in ages.’ HEAT ‘Delicious…a great insight into the world of magazines and fashion.’ RED
£13.48
Crown The English Problem
Book SynopsisA young Indian man is tapped to help his country’s fight for freedom—but his heart engages him in a different war.“Grand, sweeping, mesmerizing . . . a richly detailed, politically profound story of love, of migration, of individuals caught up in the great convulsions of history.”—Joseph O’Neill, PEN/Faulkner Award–winning author of GodwinShiv Advani is an eighteen-year-old growing up in India. But he is no ordinary young man. Shiv has been personally chosen by Mahatma Gandhi to come to England, learn their laws, and then return home and help drive the British out of India. Before he leaves, his family insists he fulfill his arranged marriage, and he is hastily betrothed to a young woman he hardly knows.He arrives in London and soon discovers a world he is both repelled by and drawn to. Shiv knows his duty: get in, learn the letter of the law, get out. But as anyone who has ever lived in a Bri
£21.75
HarperCollins Publishers The Valhalla Exchange THE CLASSIC WWII BESTSELLER
Book SynopsisThe electrifying WWII bestseller from the master of the game.Trade ReviewAnother first rate page-turner from Jack Higgins, a writer at the peak of his power’Daily Express ‘Open a Jack Higgins novel and you’ll encounter a master craftsman at the peak of his powers … first-rate tales of intrigue, suspense and full-on action.’Sunday Express ‘Higgins is a master of his craft.’Daily Telegraph ‘A thriller writer in a class of his own.’Financial Times ‘The master craftsman of good, clean adventure.’Daily Mail
£10.44
Biteback Publishing Kings Gambit
Book SynopsisWith a background as a special forces soldier, Holger Berg is framed as a deniable pawn in a murky plan to rescue the hostage.
£9.49
Bookouture The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz
Book SynopsisMillions of people walked into Auschwitz, but she was the first woman who escaped. This powerful novel is inspired by the true story of Mala Zimetbaum, whose fate altered the course of history... Nobody leaves Auschwitz alive. Mala, inmate 19880, understood that the moment she stepped off the cattle train into the depths of hell. As an interpreter for the SS, she uses her position to save as many lives as she can. Edward, inmate 531, is a camp veteran and a political prisoner. Crucially, he''s also part of the underground Resistance. And he has an escape plan. When Mala meets Edward, he makes her believe in the impossible: they will leave this death camp. A promise is made--they will escape together or they will die together. What follows is one of the greatest love stories in history...Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Choice, and The Orphan Train will love this breathtakingly beautiful t
£7.99
Penguin Books Ltd The Garden Party and Other Stories Katherine
Book SynopsisInnovative, startlingly perceptive and aglow with colour, these fifteen stories were written towards the end of Katherine Mansfield's tragically short life. Many are set in the author's native New Zealand, others in England and the French Riviera. All are revelations of the unspoken, half-understood emotions that make up everyday experience - from the blackly comic 'The Daughters of the Late Colonel', and the short, sharp sketch 'Miss Brill', in which a lonely woman's precarious sense of self is brutally destroyed, to the vivid impressionistic evocation of family life in 'At the Bay'. 'All that I write,' Mansfield said, 'all that I am - is on the borders of the sea. It is a kind of playing.'For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the serie
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd The Lost Estate Le Grand Meaulnes
Book SynopsisThe Lost Estate is Robin Buss''s translation of Henri Alain-Fournier''s poignant study of lost love, Le Grand Meaulnes.''I read it for the first time when I was seventeen and loved every page. I find its depiction of a golden time and place just as poignant now as I did then'' Nick Hornby When Meaulnes first arrives at the local school in Sologne, everyone is captivated by his good looks, daring and charisma. But when Meaulnes disappears for several days, and returns with tales of a strange party at a mysterious house - and his love for the beautiful girl hidden within it, Yvonne de Galais - his life has been changed forever. In his restless search for his Lost Estate and the happiness he found there, Meaulnes, observed by his loyal friend Francois, may risk losing everything he ever had. Poised between youthful admiration and adult resignation, Alain-Fournier''s compelling narrator carries the reader through this evocative and unbearably poignaTrade Review“I read it for the first time when I was seventeen and loved every page. I find its depiction of a golden time and place just as poignant now as I did then.” ―Nick Hornby“[A] favorite . . . a beautiful and mysterious story about the end of childhood.” ―Claire Messud, The New York Times Book Review
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd Lord Jim A Tale Penguin Classics
Book SynopsisThis compact novel, completed in 1900, as with so many of the great novels of the time, is at its baseline a book of the sea. An English boy in a simple town has dreams bigger than the outdoors and embarks at an early age into the sailor's life. The waters he travels reward him with the ability to explore the human spirit, while Joseph Conrad launches the story into both an exercise of his technical prowess and a delicately crafted picture of a character who reaches the status of a literary hero.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Sundial
Book SynopsisIn The Sundial Shirley Jackson, author of We Have Always Lived in the Castle, blends family politics and apocalyptic terror to create a disturbing world of sinister relations and the macabre.''An amazing writer'' Neil GaimanMrs Halloran has inherited the great Halloran house on the death of her son, much to the disgust of her daughter-in-law, the delight of her wicked granddaughter and the confusion of the rest of the household. But when the original owner - long dead - arrives to announce the world is ending and only the house and its occupants will be saved, they find themselves in a nightmare of strange marble statues, mysterious house guests and the beautiful, unsettling Halloran sundial which seems to be at the centre of it all. Shirley Jackson''s chilling tales have the power to unsettle and terrify unlike any other. She was born in California in 1916. When her short story The Lottery was first published in The New Yorker in 1948, readers were so horrified they sent her hate mail; it has since become one of the greatest American stories of all time. Her first novel, The Road Through the Wall, was published in the same year and was followed by five more: Hangsaman, The Bird''s Nest, The Sundial, The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, widely seen as her masterpiece. Shirley Jackson died in her sleep at the age of 48.''The world of Shirley Jackson is eerie and unforgettable ... It is a place where things are not what they seem; even on a morning that is sunny and clear there is always the threat of darkness looming, of things taking a turn for the worse'' A. M. Homes''Shirley Jackson is unparalleled as a leader in the field of beautifully written, quiet, cumulative shudders'' Dorothy Parker''Shirley Jackson''s stories are among the most terrifying ever written'' Donna TarttTrade ReviewShirley Jackson's stories are among the most terrifying ever written -- Donna TarttA pioneer of the supernatural horror genre * Observer *She is the finest master...of the cryptic, haunted tale * The New York Times Book Review *
£9.49
Atria Books Icebreaker Deluxe Edition Hardcover
Book SynopsisHannah Grace's #1 New York Times bestselling Icebreaker in a spectacular deluxe hardcover edition featuring: New bonus material Pearlized and foiled jacket Stunning sprayed edges Designed endpapers Foil stamped case Sparks fly when a competitive figure skater and hockey team captain are forced to share a rink. Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA. It looks like everything is going according to plan when she gets a full scholarship to the University of California, Maple Hills and lands a place on their competitive figure skating team. Nothing will stand in her way, not even the captain of the hockey team, Nate Hawkins. Nate's focus as team captain is on keeping his team on the ice. Which is tricky when a facilities mishap means they are forced to share a rink with the figure skating teamincluding Anastasia, who clearly can't
£29.60
HarperCollins Publishers The Treasured One The dreamers
Book SynopsisA brilliant fantasy epic set in a world extraordinary danger and magic from bestselling authors David and Leigh Eddings.They are called the Dreamers. They look like sleeping children. They are, in fact, Gods.Despite the literally earth-shattering climax of The Elder Gods, Dahlaine still does not regret having brought the Dreamers into the world of the Elder Gods. He only wishes he'd thought harder about the consequences.His sister Aracia fears the whole world will collapse in on itself if the Dreamers should all wake up and realize where they are. It's bad enough with them dreaming the future, but at least it's a future.Dahlain is pretty sure he's safe from an I-told-you-so' from Aracia. The Dreamers give the Elder Gods a chance in the battle against the vicious Ruler of the Wasteland.Then spies of very short stature start cropping up in Veltan's bucolic and peaceful domain.They look like people, or maybe they all look like the same person, but they are more sinister than that.FortunatTrade Review‘All the verve and pace we’ve come to expect.’The Dark Side ‘My ideal summer read…Having enjoyed the entire ten-book serial, I was delighted to be able to read this latest addition as it not only provides fantastic escapism in itself, but, being a prequel, will make my re-reading of the other books all th more satisfying.’ The Irish Times
£10.44
