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 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.
Book Synopsis'An urgent story told beautifully' - Dolly Alderton'Gripping, unflinching and elegant' - Sophie MackintoshA powerful, unforgettable story about modern love, privilege and a young woman's journey after her life falls apart.******When Kate meets Max in the first week of university, a life-changing friendship begins. Over the next four years, the two become inseparable. But loving Max means knowing his family: the wealthy Rippons, all generosity, social ease and quiet repression.Theirs is not Kate's world, and yet she finds herself drawn quickly into their gilded lives, and the secrets that lie beneath. Until one summer evening at the Rippons' home, just after graduation, her life is shattered in a bedroom while a party goes on downstairs.******An Observer Hottest-Tipped Debut Novelist and Elle One To Watch'Unforgettable...subversive and sophisticated' Elle'Outstanding...brilliantly told' Observer'A writer with a voice as fresh as new paint... Beautiful' The Times'One of the most powerful debuts you'll ever read' Stylist'Scorching and original' Sunday Times, Style'Dazzling... Enthralling' Alexandra Kleeman'Unputdownable... A powerful and haunting tale' Independent'If you like David Nicholls, Elizabeth Day, Donna Tartt...it's exceptional' Pandora Sykes'Compelling... Price's prose glimmers' Mail on SundayTrade ReviewMoving, vivid, confronting and bold, What Red Was is an urgent story told beautifully * Dolly Alderton *Subversive and sophisticated… [Rosie Price’s] exploration of sexual violence and class makes for an unforgettable read * Elle, **Books to Look Out for in 2019** *Bringing together themes of survival, agency, complicity, self-denial and, ultimately, courage, this assured book is one of the most powerful debuts you’ll ever read. * Stylist *An incredibly nuanced exploration of the complexities of sexual violence, WHAT RED WAS heralds the arrival of a major new literary talent. This is an important book. * Louise O'Neill, author of ASKING FOR IT and ALMOST LOVE *WHAT RED WAS is a gripping novel that shines an unflinching light on trauma and its prismatic impact. A deeply necessary book, elegant and assured even as it burns at the centre with cool, clear-eyed rage. * Sophie Mackintosh, author of THE WATER CURE *
£999.99
Book SynopsisA big, exquisite novel about friendship, betrayal, nostalgia, culture, politics, and beliefs.
£999.99
Book SynopsisSecret lives and new loves emerge in the bright Caribbean sunlight . . .A year ago, Irene Steele had the shock of her life: her loving husband, father to their grown sons and successful businessman, was killed in a plane crash. But that wasn''t Irene''s only shattering news: he''d also been leading a double life on the island of St. John, where another woman loved him, too. Now Irene and her sons are back on St. John, determined to learn the truth about the mysterious life - and death - of a man they thought they knew. Along the way, they''re about to learn some surprising truths about their own lives, and their futures. Lush with the tropical details, romance and drama, What Happens in Paradise is another immensely satisfying page-turner from one of the world''s most beloved and engaging storytellers.Trade ReviewA holiday package filled with humor, romance, and realism[Her] straightforward style pulls the reader into the minds of her characters, and all the secrets and sorrows that create the universal messiness of major family events. - Publisher's WeeklyThe holidays wouldn't be complete without a little family dysfunction, and Hilderbrand writes it well - Library JournalA page-turner - Coastal LivingA series only works when the characters are worth following over the long haul, and Hilderbrand is a master, making for a satisfying conclusion to her Christmas at the Inn story." - KirkusHilderbrand juggles an ensemble cast and successfully weaves together many bittersweet story threads, tying up just enough of them to keep readers anticipating another sequel. - Shelf Awareness[Hilderbrand] expertly meshes everything together so that peace exists within each character and within the family dynamic...The queen of the romance novel is on top of her game, and she won't let you down. - Book ReporterWinter Street...[will] get you in the holiday mood - Kirkus Reviews
£9.49
Book SynopsisCourtney Sullivan is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel, Commencement. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times Book Review, Elle, Glamour, Men's Vogue, and the New York Observer, among others. She is a contributor to the essay anthology The Secret Currency of Love and co-editor of Click: When We Knew We Were Feminists. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.Trade ReviewRich and exhilarating... The dialogue sizzles... Maine does not falter. You don't want this novel to end. -- Lily King * New York Times Book Review *This read will transport you... The cast of quirky characters will have you laughing out loud and aching for their regrets in the same chapter, pining for more pages when it comes to an end. * Marie Claire *Thoughtful, witty and totally compulsive * Woman & Home *A funny, touching, beautifully written triumph... Hand of heart, I didn't want it to end. * Psychologies *A crackling-smart character study of the Kelleher women, who retreat to their oceanfront Maine compound, unearthing 60 years of family secrets, grudges, and regrets. * Elle *Whether you're in need of a beach-read or looking for a festive fireside book, Courtney Sullivan's Maine... is just the thing. * Grazia *Bittersweet, true to life, Maine is a reminder that every family should be celebrated, however dysfunctional. -- Bella Pollen * author of The Summer of the Bear *Simple yet elegant, sometimes funny, often sad and always convincing. -- Emma Henderson * author of Grace Williams Says It Loud *
£999.99
Book SynopsisINTRODUCED BY RACHEL COOKE''Virginia Woolf''s roving consciousness lies behind the prose in Novel on Yellow Paper, but the tone owes more to Dorothy Parker . . . When first published in 1936, it overnight turned Smith into a celebrity . . . the subversiveness of this novel has never lost its appeal, its greatness lying in its exuberant celebration of the uncircumscribed spirit'' - Frances Spalding, IndependentStevie''s alter ego Pompey is young, in love and working as a secretary for the magnificent Sir Phoebus Ullwater. In between making coffee and typing letters for Sir Phoebus, Pompey scribbles down - on yellow office paper - her quirky thoughts. Her flights of imagination take in Euripedes, sex education, Nazi Germany and the Catholic Church, shattering conventions in their wake.Trade ReviewA more individual talent than Stevie Smith's you don't get. An artist of utmost sophistication... Her pre-war Novel on Yellow Paper is an unforgettable work that has nevertheless needed to be rediscovered several times since the day it was first greeted, correctly, as a masterpiece - Clive James, the New YorkerVirginia Woolf's roving consciousness lies behind the prose in Novel on Yellow Paper, but the tone owes more to Dorothy Parker . . . There are distinct intentions behind Smith's engagingly idiosyncratic manner, and every new reading uncovers further depths. When first published in 1936, it overnight turned Smith into a celebrity. It was swiftly followed by the first two collections of her poetry for which, today, she is better known. But the subversiveness of this novel has never lost its appeal, its greatness lying in its exuberant celebration of the uncircumscribed spirit -- Frances Spalding * Independent *Stevie Smith captures, with exquisite stillness and delicacy, all the pains of love -- Lee Rourke * The Guardian *
£9.49
Book SynopsisThe first sixteen tales in this collection were published by Canongate in 1983 with the title Unlikely Stories, Mostly. This collection also has fifty-seven tales from later books, plus sixteen new ones written for the hardback publication of this collection. This last section, Tales Droll and Plausible, shows that Gray''s recent twenty-first-century fiction is as uncomfortably funny and up to date as his earliest.Trade ReviewGray is a true original, a twentieth century William Blake. * * Observer * *A great writer, perhaps the greatest writer living in Britain today. -- Will SelfOne of the most gifted writers to have put pen to paper in the English language. -- Irvine WelshA necessary genius. -- Ali SmithA genuine experimentalist. -- David Lodge
£17.00
Book SynopsisThe No.1 Sunday Times bestselling novel! *Don''t miss Fern''s brand-new novel A Cornish Legacy out now!*Three women. A chance to rewrite history 1918.The Great War is over, and Clara Carter has boarded a train bound for Cornwall to meet a family that would once have been hers. But they must never discover her secret1939. Hannah has always been curious about her mother's mysterious past, but the outbreak of the Second World War casts everything in a new light. As the bombs begin to fall, Hannah and her brothers are determined to do their bit for the war effort whatever the cost.2020. Caroline has long been the keeper of her family's secrets. But now, with her own daughter needing her more than ever, it's time to tell the truth to show Natalie that she comes from a long line of women who have weathered the storms of life, as hardy and proud as the rugged Cornish coastlineFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a sweeping, epic novel of mothers and daughters, secrets and lies, and a love that lasts a lifetimeTrade ReviewPraise for Fern Britton ‘A charming story that is full of hope…will help put a spring in your step’ The Courier ‘This is ideal holiday reading’ Woman Cornwall is only a page away in this gorgeous, heart-warming novel – a wonderful read for the summer holidays! ‘A warm, easy read that depicts the joys of rural Cornwall’ Daily Mail ‘The warmth and empathy that have made Fern Britton such a popular TV presenter are evident in her latest novel’ Woman’s Weekly
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Book SynopsisAS SEEN ON ITVXOVER HALF A MILLION COPIES OF APPLE TREE YARD SOLDThe perfect thriller.' StylistScarily plausible . . . desperately moving.' GuardianGripping.' Good HousekeepingThe novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Platform Seven at 4am: Peterborough Railway Station is deserted. The man crossing the covered walkway on this freezing November morning is confident he's alone. As he sits on the metal bench at the far end of the platform it is clear his choice is strategic he's as far away from the night staff as he can get.What the man doesn't realise is that he has company. Lisa Evans knows what he has decided. She knows what he is about to do as she tries and fails to stop him walking to the platform edge.Two deaths on Platform Seven. Two fatalities in eighteen months - surely they're connected?No one is more desperate to understand what
£9.49
Book Synopsis''Vivid, bawdy and bitter'' THE TIMES ''A first-rate first novel . . . pungent, raunchy dialogue . . . passages of fine understated wit'' IVAN GOLD, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW Pat Barker''s first novel shows the women of Union Street, young and old, meeting the harsh challeges of poverty and survival in a precarious world.There''s Kelly, at eleven, neglected and independent, dealing with a squalid rape; Dinah, knocking on sixty and still on the game; Joanne, not yet twenty, not yet married and already pregnant. Old Alice is welcoming her impending death whilst Muriel helplessly watches the decline of her stoical husband.And linking them all, watching over them all, mother to half the street, is fiery, indomitable Iris.Trade ReviewVivid, bawdy and bitter * The Times *They are gritty ... but it is not a cheap grit, rather one that has been ground out, grain by grain, in order to give a realistic picture of life as it was - and remains today for many in forgotten pockets up and down the country -- Belinda Webb * Guardian *A first-rate first novel . . . pungent, raunchy dialogue . . . passages of fine understated wit -- Ivan Gold * New York Times Book Review *The novel's point is life, and how rich and hard it is, and the different ways people have of toughing it through the pain without being crushed -- Meredith Tax * The Village Voice *Vivid, bawdy and bitter * The Times 'Barker's talent for gently sifting through the hidden depths of the human psyche is awesome’ *Nova
£9.49
Book SynopsisJack Reacher has no place to go, and all the time in the world to get there, so a remote rail road stop on the prairie with the curious name of Mother's Rest seems perfect for an aimless one-day stopover. He expects to find a lonely pioneer tombstone in a sea of nearly-ripe wheat...Trade ReviewChild's best for some time: an enhancement of the old formula, with detective-story and romcom elements (even sly humour) on top of the psychological duels and set-piece violence. * Sunday Times *Typically blunt and energetic...precisely judged. * Independent *Lee Child's Reacher series has hit Book No. 20 with a resounding peal of wisecracking glee ("Are you going to be a problem?" "I'm already a problem. The question is, what are you going to do about it?"). Everything about it...is as strong as ever....Make Me is a hot one. -- Janet Maslin * New York Times *Breathless and bloody...You can't help lapping it up. * Evening Standard *The fights are convincing and the dialogue is as brilliant as always. * Literary Review *
£9.49
Book Synopsis 1941. The Blitz rages over London. And even in Cornwall, the war is being fought… Trade Review‘A fascinating story, beautifully written, with interesting characters I really liked. A most enjoyable read!’ Kitty Neale, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Daughter’s Ruin ‘A warm-hearted story – at times I laughed and at others I held my breath … I loved the characters and I’m delighted it is the first in a series’ Pam Weaver, Sunday Times bestselling author of Goodnight Sweetheart ‘This is the first in a series, which is great news for fans of Betty Walker and the Cornish Girls!’ Historical Novel Society
£9.49
Book SynopsisThe Great Depression led people to take desperate measures to survive. The marathon dance craze, which flourished at that time, seemed a simple way for people to earn extra money, dancing the hours away for cash, for weeks at a time. But the underside of that craze was a competition and violence unknown to most ballrooms. A lurid tale of dancing and desperation, Horace McCoy's classic American novel captures the dark side of the 1930s.Trade ReviewAn extraordinary achievement and every bit as shocking and moving today as it must have been for its original readers. The characters are both more, and less, than human, the writing is tersely perfect, and the ending almost unbearably moving. * Guardian *The first existentialist novel to have appeared in America -- Simone de BeauvoirA classic novel about hardscrabble survival in 1930s Depression-era America * The Times *A heartbreaking existentialist fable about a gruelling marathon dance contest [that] assumes the weight of Greek tragedy ... a masterpiece. * Independent on Sunday *Sordid, pathetic, senselessly exciting ... has the immediacy and the significance of a nerve-shattering explosion * New Republic *Were it not in its physical details so carefully documented, it would be lurid beyond itself * Nation *Language is not minced in this short novel which presents life in its most brutal aspect * Saturday Review of Literature *A brilliant, bitter, wonderful portrait of mother and daughter, artist and lover * Kirkus *Horace McCoy shoots words like bullets * Time *A spare, bleak parable about American life, which McCoy pictured as a Los Angeles dance marathon in the early thirties ... full of the kind of apocalyptic detail that both he and Nathanael West saw in life as lived on the Hollywood fringe * New York Times *Captures the survivalist barbarity in this bizarre convention, and becomes a metaphor for life itself: the last couple on their feet gets the prize * Independent *I was moved, then shaken by the beauty and genius of Horace McCoy's metaphor * Village Voice *It's the unanswerable nature of the whydunnit that ensures the book's durability * booklit.com *Takes the reader into one of America's darkest corners ... The story has resonance for contemporary America and the current craze for reality television. How far are we from staging a dance marathon for television? * readywhenyouarecb.com *This almost sadistically frank pulp fiction from 1935 will cure anyone of the delusion that earlier generations didn't know the score. With murder, incest, abortion, and the like generously added to a plot about people entertaining themselves by watching the misery of others, it's like one of these eliminationist "reality" television shows (Survivor, Big Brother, etc.) as conceived by the creative team of Thomas Hobbes and Charles Darwin. These lives are indeed nasty, brutish, and short. It doesn't make for a pretty story, but you have to admire the zeal and energy with which Horace McCoy drives his point home * Brothersjudd.com *A sharply-honed novella... Brilliant -- Val Hennessy * Daily Mail *America's first existential novel * Evening Standard *And finally, showing the modern writers how it's done... the 1930s existentialist noir classic... it's a breathtaking piece of storytelling that is still thrillingly relevant today. -- Doug Johnstone * Big Issue *The brutality of the story is offset by the poetic beauty and precision of the narrative... In our world of fleeting reality TV stardom, this stark, urgent novel feels more timely than ever. -- Anita Sethi * Observer *
£9.49
Book SynopsisThree women face a journey that will change their lives forever. From Man Booker International Prize finalist, Marie NDiaye.Trade Review'The prose compels with its astonishing range and precision' Maya Jaggi, Guardian. * Guardian *'NDiaye was the first black woman to win the Prix Goncourt in 2009: the French equivalent of the Man Booker. I can see why. The novel has a passion, daring and individuality that makes it stand out' Bernadine Evaristo, Independent. * Independent *'The youngest finalist for the Man Booker International prize, French-born NDiaye recalls Henry James's prose style with her fondness for long, careful and psychologically complex sentences' Sunday Herald. * Sunday Herald *'Extraordinarily powerful' Kate Saunders, The Times. * The Times *
£9.49
Book Synopsis''Nobody does cosy, get-away-from-it-all romance like Jenny Colgan'' Sunday Express''An evocative, sweet treat'' Jojo Moyes___________________________________ In a quaint seaside resort, a charming bakery holds the key to another world... Curl up and escape with Jenny Colgan ''An evocative, sweet treat'' Jojo Moyes''This sweet romance will lift your spirits'' Sunday Mirror''Gorgeous, glorious, uplifting'' Marian Keyes''Irresistible'' Jill Mansell''Just lovely'' Katie Fforde''Naturally funny, warm-hearted'' Lisa Jewell''A gobble-it-all-up-in-one-sitting kind of book'' Mike Gayle''A sheer delight from start to finish'' Sophie Kinsella___________________________________When she is given the opportunity to move to a remote tidal island off the CorTrade ReviewComforting and indulgent * Best mag *
£11.24
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE PEN/FAULKNER AWARD FOR FICTION 2022''A beautiful, well paced, enraging, funny and heartbreaking book'' the Guardian ''Spectacular . . . Alameddine''s irreverent prose evokes the old master storytellers from my own Middle Eastern home . . . deeply poignant'' New York TimesMina Simpson, a Lebanese doctor, arrives at the infamous Moria refugee camp on Lesbos, Greece, after being urgently summoned for help by her friend who runs an NGO there. Alienated from her family except for her beloved brother, Mina has avoided being so close to her homeland for decades. But with a week off work and apart from her wife of thirty years, Mina hopes to accomplish something meaningful, among the abundance of Western volunteers who pose for selfies with beached dinghies and the camp''s children. Soon, a boat crosses bringing Sumaiya, a fiercely resolute Syrian matriarch with terminal liver cancer. Determined tTrade ReviewAlameddine's spectacular novel is rendered through the refreshingly honest lens of Dr. Mina . . . Alameddine's irreverent prose evokes the old master storytellers from my own Middle Eastern home . . . deeply poignant * New York Times *Alameddine hits a distinctly contemporary note with this new book about refugees . . . it feels totally authentic on Middle Eastern culture * The Sunday Times *'The Wrong End of the Telescope doesn't so much switch between emotional registers as occupy all of them at once - humour, grief, anger, melancholy, love of every stripe. It's a beautiful, well paced, enraging, funny and heartbreaking book' * The Guardian *The Wrong End of the Telescope is the best kind of prose. Lines break out like poetry and the story muscles on, telling. The setting is real history which I'm hungry for and Rabih Alameddine queers it handsomely with all kinds of love and a feeling that existence is pure experience, not language at all and the shape of this book, right up to the end, is a becoming. * Eileen Myles, author of Afterglow and Chelsea Girls *Rabih Alameddine is a master of both the intimate and the global -- and The Wrong End of the Telescope finds him at the top of his craft. A story of rescue, identity, deracination, and connection, this novel is timely and urgent and a lot of fun. * Rebecca Makkai, The Great Believers. *The incomparable Rabih Alameddine's latest novel shows sly wit, poetic turns of phrase, and the slow-burning outrage at the ongoing Mediterranean refugee crisis--but I particularly love his understated handling of Mina, the novel's transgender narrator. Her identity is not a battlefield for the culture wars, just a refreshingly unproblematic perspective from which a story unfolds. * Susan Stryker, Transgender History: The Roots of Today’s Revolution *'Devastating and wondrous. Nobody write like Rabih. Nobody gets anywhere close' -- John Green'I still can not understand why people do not jump up and down The Wrong End of the Telescope by Rabih Alameddine. I loved this one so much that as soon as I finished it, I went and bought the entire Alameddine's backlist' * jNews *A pointed, poignant and often hilarious story...He has an ability to collect and create beauty, and to remain in a state of incandescent anger at politicians and what they have done with the world * Financial Times *
£9.49
Book Synopsis'Based on a true story this gorgeous sweeping romance crossing time and continents is completely captivating as Florence epitomises the enduring power of love' My Weekly‘Fascinating, compelling and a searingly romantic roller coaster ride’ Daily MirrorRupert promised he was going to come back. All Florence had to do was wait. Cornwall, 1944 When Rupert Dash is declared missing, presumed dead during the Battle of Arnhem, his wife, Florence, is devastated. She can’t accept that he has gone from her life forever, and so when she finds a poem called ‘Wait for Me’ hidden in an old book, she believes it’s a sign from her husband. A promise that he will return to her. London, 1988 Since childhood Max has suffered from a recurring nightmare. Surrounded by the horrific chaos of war, he has an urgent mission he knows he must complete. But time after ti
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Book SynopsisIncludes a new introduction from New York Times bestselling author, Catherine Steadman, where she talks about what this book and Jackie means to her. ‘Jackie wrote with shameless ambition, ruthless passion and pure diamond-dusted sparkle’ CATHERINE STEADMAN'Jackie Collins’s daring, unapologetic stroke of the pen, combined with her glorious wit, has single-handedly given creative license to new generations of authors and storytellers' COLLEEN HOOVER London, 1969: a world of hedonists and pleasure-seekers living for the moment. One man at the centre of this decadent scene plays all the angles, never missing a chance to score with beautiful women. But now the woman he wants knows his number – and may just call his bluff. There have been many imitators, but only ever one Jackie Collins. With millions of her books sold around the world, and thirty-one New York Times
£8.54
Book Synopsis''Epic... Apart from being the Emmy award-winning creator of the superb television series Fargo, the American author Noah Hawley is a talented deviser of high-class literary thrillers... It''s a fabulous worst-of-all-fears scenario... Hawley attacks his narrative from a broad, TV drama-ish viewpoint, assembling a large, intercutting cast of characters'' - The Sunday Times''Noah Hawley taps into our existential anxiety- and transforms it into a hefty page-turner that''s equal parts horrific, catastrophic and, at times, strangely entertaining'' - New York Times''Terrifyingly good... Hawley is such an experienced storyteller...this book is nothing if not art imitating life'' - Irish Sunday Independent From the visionary bestselling author of Before the Fall and The Good Father, an epic literary thriller set where America is right now . . . and the world will be tomorrow.America spins iTrade ReviewEpic... Apart from being the Emmy award-winning creator of the superb television series Fargo, the American author Noah Hawley is a talented deviser of high-class literary thrillers... It's a fabulous worst-of-all-fears scenario... Hawley attacks his narrative from a broad, TV drama-ish viewpoint, assembling a large, intercutting cast of characters * The Sunday Times *In Anthem, Hawley has written some of the most savage satire since Jonathan Swift . . . The plot-rich, cinematic story moves swiftly and compellingly, exciting reader interest and empathy. Anthem is truly an epic adventure * Booklist *An all-too-plausible dystopia rendered believable through matter-of-fact prose. Hawley makes this sing by combining the social commentary of a Margaret Atwood novel with the horrors of a Stephen King book * Publishers Weekly *Hawley is a TV veteran, and he knows how to quickly establish character, maintain pacing, and write excellent action scenes * Kirkus Reviews *Hawley has crafted an explosive, multi-genre American novel, offering entertaining cultural commentary as well as intellectually courageous observations on empathy, politics and corruption * shelf-awareness.com *Noah Hawley confirms his place as one of the most essential writers of our times * Belfast Telegraph, Books of the Year *A timely and provocative take on the classic trope of young people tasked with saving the future. Truly like nothing I've ever read before * Anna Bailey, author of Tall Bones *Terrifyingly good... Hawley is such an experienced storyteller...this book is nothing if not art imitating life * Irish Sunday Independent *[A] story that hurtles at an accelerated velocity...[Hawley's] dialogue brings the characters alive...humorous, sad and revealing...[a] tender, complicated reflection...charged with considerable anger and despair about our chaotic world * New York Times *Plenty of novelists aiming at the mainstream market have lately taken to borrowing from SFF's toolkit as they struggle to describe our current reality, but few have done it with Hawley's skill, bravado and understanding of genre fiction * SFX *Wow, this sprawling dystopian thriller packs a punch * Peterborough Telegraph *Hawley taps into our existential anxiety-and transforms it into a hefty page turner that's equal parts horrific, catastrophic and, at times, strangely entertaining * New York Times *Hawley the fiction writer is at his best when pitching his taut setup and its well-drawn cast of characters * USA Today *A blistering thriller that follows a group of teenagers on an adventure through an apocalyptic America much like our own * Entertainment Weekly *Anthem is a Great American Novel for these tumultuous times-a provocative work of fiction that sees to the heart of things, cuts through the noise, and asks, 'How can we change, before it's too late?' * Esquire *Terrifying, expertly crafted literary thriller * Oprah Daily *Hawley creates an all-too-plausible dystopia rendered believable through matter-of-fact prose. [He] makes this sing by combining the social commentary of a Margaret Atwood novel with the horrors of a Stephen King book * Publisher's Weekly *The plot-rich, cinematic story moves swiftly and compellingly, exciting reader interest and empathy. Anthem is truly an epic adventure * Booklist *[ANTHEM is] perhaps the first must-read novel of 2022, the kind of book that you'll be urging your friends to pick up throughout the year * Book Reporter *Hawley, more stoic in nature, speaks during pivotal moments, providing commentary that evokes an existential response. A rapid plot, dramatic characterizations, and a horrific but believable setting will excite thriller fans and have them questioning where today's society is headed * Audio File *A Vonnegutian story that is as timeless as a Grimm's fairy tale, it is a leap into the idiosyncratic pulse of the American heart, written with the bravado, literary power, and feverish foresight * Shereads *An act of Hawley's sorcery, and with his sharp dialogue and short, elegant chapters, Hawley propels this novel toward a form of hope * National Book Review *Gripping, suspenseful... Noah Hawley is one of our most masterful multimedia storytellers * Wisconsin Public Radio *An emotionally stark and brilliant work of fiction... A must-read book * San Francisco Book Review *
£15.29
Book Synopsis**The Sunday Times top ten bestseller**Do you ever check your partner''s phone? Should you? Are you prepared for the consequences?Everything but the Truth is Gillian McAllister''s stunning breakthrough thriller about deceit, betrayal and one woman''s compulsive need to uncover the truthIt all started with the email.Rachel didn''t even mean to look. She loves Jack. She''s pregnant with their child. She trusts him.But now she''s seen it, she can''t undo that moment. Or the chain of events it has set in motion.Why has Jack been lying about his past? Just what exactly is he hiding? And doesn''t Rachel have a right to know the truth at any cost? ''Packed with twists and turns that will make it almost impossible to put down!'' Hello''Twisty and emotionally charged. Breathlessly brilliant'' Heat''A gripping, compelling page tTrade ReviewDo you ever check your partner's phone? Should you? Are you prepared for the consequences?Everything but the Truth is Gillian McAllister's stunning breakthrough thriller about deceit, betrayal and one woman's compulsive need to uncover the truth * from the publisher's description *Written with authority and insight, this book delivers a top domestic noir and creates two brilliantly intricate characters and a host of fascinating moral conundrums * The Sun *Wonderful writing and a brilliant story. An amazing debut -- B.A. Paris, bestselling author of * Behind Closed Doors *Perfection. Intriguing and compelling. An exceptional debut * Clare Mackintosh, author of I LET YOU GO *A beautifully written domestic noir full of secrets and lies that felt utterly plausible yet suspenseful and chilling. Perfectly paced, with a clever, tense plot that makes you question your own moral code. I was gripped from the very first page * Claire Douglas, author of LOCAL GIRL MISSING and THE SISTERS *Everything but the Truth is a cracker of a debut, all the more gripping because it could happen to any of us. Rachel and Jack and Wally were completely real to me from the very first page; I HAD to know what was coming next. Tense, thrilling and compelling - this is a book to devour * Elizabeth Haynes *Incredible! I read it all in one sweaty-palmed sitting. A morally complex mystery bound up in the everyday of our ordinary lives - it's impossible to read this book and not ask yourself, how far would I go for love? * Harriet Reuter Hapgood, author of THE SQUARE ROOT OF SUMMER *Everything But the Truth is startlingly good. Claustrophobic, suspense-layered and devillishy twisty, it grabs your attention from the very first page. What makes Gilly McAllister's debut rise above other psychological thrillers is a lead character you can't help but root for - even though you suspect you shouldn't. Wise, scary and terrifyingly real, this marks Gillian McAllister as a new star in psychological thrillers * Miranda Dickinson, Sunday Times bestselling author *Everything But The Truth is a thunderous debut. An utterly unique story with a deep heartbeat and expertly crafted moral dilemmas. I read it in just two days, my heart in my mouth the whole time * Holly Seddon, author of TRY NOT TO BREATHE *Addictive - I found myself wanting to pick it up at every opportunity. Rachel manages the delicate balance between believable and likeable and you find yourself praying things work out for her. This is a brilliant debut * Jenny Blackhurst, author of HOW I LOST YOU *Once I'd started I was of course powerless to stop. Everything But the Truth is a dream début, brilliantly executed, clever and utterly realistic. I loved it * Jill Mansell, Sunday Times bestselling author *Intriguing and atmospheric * Sheila O’Flanagan, Sunday Times bestselling author *Gillian's writing is beautiful. She weaves so much into every paragraph, revealing things slowly, as if pulling back a heavy curtain * Cressida McLaughlin *Tense and compelling. Everything But The Truth is an assured, clever, page-turning book. A great debut -- Paula Daly, bestselling author of * The Mistake I Made *A gripping, compelling page turner that kept me up half the night -- Liz Nugent, bestselling author of R&J book club pick * Lying in Wait *McAllister delivers a fascinating, complex and fast paced read about love, lies and acceptance. You won't be able to put it down! -- Hollie Overton, author of Richard and Judy Book Club pick * Baby Doll *A disquieting exploration of how events in the past take on a whole new perspective when parenthood looms. An assured and gripping debut -- Alex Marwood, bestselling author of * The Darkest Secret *A fast-paced page turner with an emotional punch that sets it apart from so many other psychological thrillers -- Mark Edwards, author of * The Devil's Work *Breathlessly brilliant. A Must! * Heat *Gillian's gripping debut novel is packed with twists and turns that will make it almost impossible to put the book down * Hello *Everything But The Truth is an assured, suspenseful debut * Good Housekeeping *One lie kicks off this suspenseful domestic noir * Woman & Home *Toxic relationships, secrets and lies - this is a tense morality tale * Glamour *What would you do if you thought your partner was hiding something? Rachel thinks her boyfriend Jack is and, after delving into his past, discovers he may not be who he says he is. A thrilling book-club read, as it will have you debating moral dilemmas * Prima *This smart, twisty and ingenious debut follows pregnant Rachel as she tracks the trail of deceit left by her boyfriend, Jack. As emotionally engaging as it is taut, this is drama at its best * Heat *How well can you really know someone? That's the question posed by this superb debut...With engaging characters, and a cleverly crafted message about morality and forgiveness at its core, this contemporary love story wrapped up in a thriller is a brilliant read. Compelling and intense * The Sunday Mirror *Prepare to be gripped by this tense thriller * Fabulous Magazine *Completely plausible, perfectly paced plot, create moments of heart-in-mouth suspense * Sunday People *
£9.49
Book SynopsisLose yourself in this wickedly addictive exploration of family, relationships and modern love from the bestselling author of the HBO sensation BIG LITTLE LIES''I adored it. Fresh, intelligent and entertaining'' MARIAN KEYESThey say trouble always comes in threes . . .For sisters Lyn, Cat and Gemma Kettle, the year they turn thirty-three is no exception.Sensible Lyn is struggling to balance being a mother, wife and businesswoman without losing her mind.Cat, whose perfect marriage is the envy of all her friends, never suspected that her husband had been hiding a secret that will tear her life apart.Directionless Gemma, who changes jobs and boyfriends every few months, has just met a new man who could be the one to unlock her hidden past.The bonds of these sisters are strong enough to withstand whatever life throws at them.That is until the night of their thirty-fourth biTrade ReviewI adored Three Wishes . . . It's fresh, very, very funny, accessible, and entertaining. But it's also intelligent and unsentimental about family dynamics -- Marian KeyesFunny and dramatic, with vibrant characters, it's a delight * Sunday Mirror *Moriarty's first novel, written with wisdom, humour and sincerity, is an honest look at sisters who have a bond stronger than anything life throws their way * Booklist *Quirky and lovable * Publishers Weekly *Funny, wry, touching . . . the drama is raw and real. Each of the beautifully drawn characters is so vividly alive * Australian Women's Weekly *Three Wishes feels firmly set in the real world, where trivial domestic details, biting pain and sudden joy regularly overlap * Telegraph *Every single one of her books is a great read * E! Online *
£9.49
Book SynopsisFROM THE AUTHOR OF ITV''S OUR HOUSE COMES ANOTHER ADDICTIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE YOU SIMPLY CAN''T PUT DOWN ''The best book I have read all year . . . keeps you guessing until the end'' 5***** READER REVIEW ''I was gripped by this book'' 5***** READER REVIEW ________ My name is Amber Fraser. I''ve just moved in at Number 40, Lime Park Road. You''ll think of me as a loving wife, a thoughtful neighbour and a trusted friend. But this is a lie. When Christy and Joe Davenport are handed the keys to Number 40 on picture-perfect Lime Park Road, it should be a dream come true. But it''s strange that the house was on the market for such a low price. And that the previous owners, the Frasers, had renovated the entire property yet moved out within a year. And that none of the neighbours will talk to Christy. As her curiosity begins to give way to obsession, Christy finds Trade ReviewA thriller novel meets soap opera with hints of Rear Window . . . addictive and fun . . . it will keep you guessing until the end * Stylist *Brilliantly obsessive * Viv Groskop, Red *Tense and intriguing * Woman and Home *Pacy and claustrophobic * Fabulous *Smart and perceptive * Good Housekeeping *Louise Candlish's latest thriller is packed with twists and turns * Hello Magazine *A story of manipulation, obsession and love. I couldn't put it down! * Essentials *Subtle, clever and sexy, this is irresistibly enjoyable * Sunday Mirror *Anyone who likes totally gripping fiction MUST read The Sudden Departure of the Frasers. It's truly awesome * Sophie Hannah *The Sudden Departure of the Frasers is terrific! Exciting and full of surprises right to the last page. Perfect for hols * Adele Geras *If you loved Desperate Housewives, then this tense thriller will have you hooked from the start * Sheerluxe.com *Amazing! I flew through it. I really loved it * Veronica Henry, bestselling author of A Night on the Orient Express *I LOVED it! I couldn't put it down - and neither could my husband when he borrowed it afterwards * Lucy Diamond, bestselling author of The Year of Taking Chances *Loved The Sudden Departure of the Frasers. Enthralling, surprising, it had me totally hooked * Kate Furnivall, New York Times bestselling author of The Russian Concubine *
£8.54
Book SynopsisA TENSE PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER RIPPED STRAIGHT FROM THE HEADLINES . . .''I was thoroughly gripped. Expertly plotted with some major twists'' 5***** Reader Review''A gripping psychological thriller that had me hooked from the first page'' 5***** Reader Review _________ Twenty years ago 21-year-old Sophie Collier vanishes one night. She leaves nothing behind but a trainer on the old pier - and a hole in the heart of her best friend Francesca. Now A body''s been found. And Francesca''s drawn back to the seaside town she''s tried to forget. Perhaps the truth of what happened to Sophie will finally come out. Yet Francesca is beginning to wish she hadn''t returned. Everywhere she turns, ghosts from her past appear. The same old faces that always haunted her. But if someone knows what really happened to Sophie that night, then now''s the time to find out . . . ITrade ReviewCompelling and page-turning, wonderfully written and impossible to second-guess with a brilliant twist -- Debbie Howells * bestselling author of Richard & Judy pick The Bones of You *The creepy goings-on in the off-season, secret-filled resort will give you chills * Sunday Mirror *A gripping and atmospheric read * Closer *Praise for The Sisters * - *Grippingly claustrophobic and unpredictable on every page: perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train * Marie Claire *Tension oozes from every page . . . an addictive read that will leave you on the edge of your seat * Sun *As soon as I finished the first page, I knew I wouldn't be able to put this down . . . I thoroughly enjoyed it * Good Housekeeping *Unforgettably dark and complex * Woman & Home *Praise for Last Seen Alive * - *This stunning new release from Claire Douglas is packed with a killer twist * Closer *Thrillingly tense and twisty, a great read -- B. A. ParisA heart-thumping psychological mystery that ticks all the boxes . . . with twists galore, it's impossible to guess the shocking ending * Saga *Fast-paced and chock-full of twists, Last Seen Alive is both absorbing and gripping. After reading it you'll never dream of a house swap again -- Paula DalyThrilling . . . superb plotting. I could hardly catch my breath between twists! -- Jenny BlackhurstIt's so twisty, turning and grippy. Highly recommend it! -- Gilly MacmillanI love stories where you're not quite sure who is telling the truth! This one kept me guessing -- Jane Corry
£9.49
Book SynopsisThe beautiful, poignant and utterly compelling No. 1 bestseller from the author of ME BEFORE YOU, STILL ME and SOMEONE ELSE''S SHOES.''An uplifting, charming, life-affirming tale that you won''t want to put down'' HEAT_________Jess always wears flip-flops in the hope of spring . . .Jess Thomas has two jobs and two kids and never enough money. And when life knocks her down, she does her best to bounce right back. But sometimes you can''t do it all on your own . . .Ed is the good guy gone bad . . .Ed Nichols had it all, then one stupid mistake cost him everything. Now he''ll do anything to make it right.One chance encounter . . .Ed doesn''t want to save anyone. And Jess certainly doesn''t want saving. But together they might just be more than they could ever be apart . . .____________''A laugh-out-loud, rollickingTrade ReviewA love story, a road trip and family drama all rolled into one brilliant page turner. Jojo Moyes has triumphed again * Hello! *
£9.49
Book SynopsisNo.1 bestselling author Gill Sims is back with her eagerly awaited fourth and finalWhy Mummynovel.I just wanted them to stop wittering at me, eat vegetables without complaining, let me go to the loo in peace and learn to make a decent gin and tonic. Mummy has been a wife and mother for so long that she's a little bit lost. And despite her best efforts, her precious moppets still don't know the location of the laundry basket, the difference between being bored and being hungry, or that saying I can't find it Mummy' is not the same as actually looking for it!Amidst the chaos of A-Levels and driving tests, she's doing her best to keep her family afloat, even if everybody is set on drifting off in different directions, and that one of those directions is to make yet another bloody snack. She's feeling overwhelmed and under appreciated, and the only thing that Mummy knows for sure is that the bigger the kids, the bigger the drink.Reader reviews for Why Mummy's SloshedUtterlybrilliant' ?????
£8.54
Book SynopsisThe enemy is close to home in The Manor, a gripping gangland thriller from the top five bestseller Jessie Keane.Charlie Stone and Terry Barton have been blood brothers since the cradle. They grew up in the East End skimming along the bottom of the underworld, until Charlie took over the manor from the local mob and a twist of fate put him and his best mate on the road to the high life.When Charlie and Terry both marry and have kids, everything is set. Both families have everything they ever wanted. But things begin to turn sour when Charlie’s adopted son Harlan starts to cause trouble.It soon becomes clear that Harlan doesn’t just want to be number one son; he wants to be number one, full stop, and he wants Terry’s daughter Belle Barton by his side.As the feud caused by Harlan spirals out of control it is left to Belle to pick up the pieces. Is she strong enough to take on Harlan Stone? And has she got what it takes to rule the manor . . .'Perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Lynda La Plante' – GlamourTrade ReviewSwift-moving intrigue * Woman & Home *Perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Lynda La Plante * Glamour *Another brilliant gangland thriller * Bella Magazine *
£8.54
Book SynopsisBook five in the sensational Magnolia Parks Universe series! How many loves do you actually get in a lifetime? Everyone knows by now that Magnolia Parks and BJ Ballentine are in the stars, but is that enough? Magnolia and BJ are reeling from a devastating loss as they try to plan what''s been dubbed ''the wedding of the century''. As family tensions mount and their respective pasts begin catching up to them, they finally have to look the truth in the eye: Can they learn to trust and be with one another again, or will they die trying?READERS LOVE THE MAGNOLIA PARKS UNIVERSE''Magnolia and BJ have embedded themselves into my DNA.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''This book gave drama, love triangles, toxicity, chaos and I ate up every single moment.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''TikTok made me do it, 1000% lived up to the hype.'' ⭐⭐⭐
£9.49
Book SynopsisA fantastic Maeve Binchy - written specially for the World Book Day Quick Reads promotion.''Her storytelling ability is second to none'' SUNDAY EXPRESS''It''s little wonder that Maeve Binchy''s bewitching stories have become world-beaters'' OK MAGAZINE''Maeve Binchy is a master storyteller'' NEW YORK TIMESDee loves her children very much, but now they are all grown up, shouldn''t they leave home?Rosie moved out when she got married, but it didn''t work out, so now she is back with her parents. Helen is a teacher, and doesn''t earn enough for a place of her own. Anthony writes songs, and is just waiting for the day when someone will pay him for them. Until then, all three are happy at home. It doesn''t cost them anything, and surely their parents like having a full house?When a crisis occurs, Dee decides things have to change for the whole family...whether they like it or not.Trade ReviewShe is one of the few writers who can pull at your heartstrings . . . The author's great skill is to draw you into the world she creates, so that reading her books is like gossiping with old friends * DAILY MAIL *Maeve Binchy, as always, explores the truth of family relationships with honesty, humour and compassion in a style that is uniquely her own. Wonderful * PARENT TALK *I love her stories! -- Tom HanksShe 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 is a master storyteller * NEW YORK TIMES *Maeve Binchy's work continues to inspire . . . thought-provoking, warm and funny in equal measure * WOMAN *Maeve Binchy, as always, explores the truth of family relationships with honesty, humour and compassion in a style that is uniquely her own. Wonderful. * Parent Talk *
£6.83
Book SynopsisHot Mess [n.] - someone attractive, who is often in disarray.Have you ever shown up to Sunday brunch still smelling of Saturday night?Chosen bed, Netflix and pizza over human contact?Stayed in your mould-ridden flat because it''s cheap?Meet your spirit animal, Ellie Knight. Her life isn''t turning out exactly as she planned. She hates her job, her friends are coupling up and settling down, and her flatmates are just plain weird.Some people might say she''s a hot mess but who really has their sh*t together anyway? For fans of Fleabag and Girls, this is a fresh and funny coming-of-age story with a single-girl heroine that will speak to millennials everywhere.Everyone is talking about Hot Mess - the hilarious laugh-out-loud Bridget Jones for a new generation:''More lifestyle-affirming than Bridget Jones'' Sarah Knight, author of The Life Changing Magic of Trade ReviewPraise for the hottest new release of 2017:I'd need the fingers and toes of all the Tinder dates that Ellie Knight goes on in Hot Mess - and then some - to count the times I laughed out loud while reading this bawdy broad of a book. More lifestyle-affirming than Bridget Jones, less jab-a-fork-in-my-eye weepy than Love, Actually - this is a rom-com for a new generation. I loved it! * Sarah Knight, bestselling author of The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck and Get Your Sh*t Together *The most relatable book I've read in years - funny, real, filthy, if you liked Fleabag and Broad City, you'll love this * Heat *If you love dirty jokes, dating horror stories and hilarious dialogue, this book is for you. Hot Mess will make you feel less alone and proud to be the imperfect hero of your own life * Emma Gannon, author and podcast host of Ctrl Alt Delete *Hot Mess is one of the funniest, warmest books I've ever read. Heroine Ellie is a loveable, likeable everywoman and I laughed and sighed with recognition as I turned every page. It's a gorgeous story about all relationships, friendships, family and romance. If it doesn't make you laugh out loud, I could never be friends with you. A truly lovely and lively debut - I'm hooked on Lucy Vine's writing. * Daisy Buchanan, author of How To Be a Grown-Up *Lucy Vine is always hilarious and with Hot Mess she's channelling her uniquely pithy tone into shining a light on the daily toils of being single and millennial. I'd swipe right for Hot Mess * Grazia *The funniest thing I have read in a very,very long time. Ellie Knight is your new single soul sister and the perfect antidote to nosy relatives constantly asking when you're going to meet someone "nice" * Cosmopolitan *Bad dates, bad mates, figuring yourself out and f**king it up - the laugh out loud literary equivalent of Trainwreck-meets-Fleabag * Glamour *A laugh-out-loud comedy of errors -- Sarra Manning * Red Magazine *A breath of fresh air, deftly subverting some of chick lit's biggest clichés. You're guaranteed at least one moment of total recognition per chapter * Stylist *This book is getting a lot of Bridget Jones comparisons, but thanks to her disastrous Tinder dates and single-life fails, we think lead character Ellie Knight is even better. And funnier. This is must-pack holiday reading that'll have you snorting into your pina colada and passing it onto your mates. -- Giselle Wainwright * LOOK *A hilarious read that singletons everywhere will relate to. Perfect for the summer. -- Natasha Harding * THE SUN *An irreverent, zingy novel about how there's far more to life than finding The One -- Kerry Potter * GLAMOUR *This is refreshingly realistic and combines laughs with tear jerking moments -- Deirdre O'Brien * SUNDAY MIRROR *Hot Mess has a laugh-out-loud moment on every single page. Hilarious and real - if you like Fleabag and Broad City, then you'll love this book. -- Issy Sampson * HEAT *This laugh-out-loud book reminds you that you aren't alone. A Bridget Jones for the Tinder generation * CLOSER *A more realistic, relatable Bridget Jones for this generation * GRAZIA *More sassy than Carrie Bradshaw, more 2017 than Bridget Jones, this is a funny, satisfying read for anyonewho doesn't have all the answers to the perfect life -- Aine Toner * WOMAN'S WAY *
£7.19
Book Synopsis''Wonderfully warm and funny'' Cathy Woodman, bestselling author of Trust Me I''m A Vet Will is a Yorkshire lad, through and through. He''s in his element when he''s outside in the country air, not stuck in a classroom wasting his youth and the beauty of Yorkshire. When he starts as an apprentice farrier, his first few days are a baptism of fire. His fellow apprentice is a wind-up merchant and his gruff boss, Stanley, ribs him mercilessly about his tea drinking habit. But in this chaotic environment, the three of them form a brotherhood, and soon, Will realises that the coming year is going to teach him a lot more than how to shoe a horse properly...A charming story full of dry Yorkshire humour and warmth - a must-read for fans of James Herriot, Clare Balding, Countryfile and The Shepherd''s Life.Trade ReviewWonderfully warm and funny -- Cathy Woodman, bestselling author of TRUST ME, I'M A VET'Perfect holiday poolside read.' -- The Lady
£7.19
Book SynopsisFINALIST FOR THE 72ND NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARDS – BOOK CLUB CATEGORY ONE OF THE SUNDAY TIMES' BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS OF 2022 ‘Zimler is an honest, powerful writer’ The Guardian 'A memorable portrait of the search for meaning in the shadow of the Shoah.' – The Sunday Times From the acclaimed author of The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon and The Warsaw Anagrams comes an unforgettable, deeply moving ode to solidarity, heroism and the kind of love capable of overcoming humanity's greatest horror. Maybe none of us is ever aware of our true significance. Benjamin Zarco and his cousin Shelly are the only two members of their family to survive the Holocaust. In the decades since, each man has learned, in his own unique way, to carry the burden of having outlived all the others, while ever wondering why he was spared. Saved by a kindly piano teacher who hid him as a child, Benni suppresses the past entirely and becomes obsessed with studying kabbalah in search of the 'Incandescent Threads' - nearly invisible fibres that he believes link everything in the universe across space and time. But his mystical beliefs are tested when the birth of his son brings the ghosts of the past to his doorstep. Meanwhile, Shelly - devastatingly handsome, charming and exuberantly bisexual - comes to believe that pleasures of the flesh are his only escape, and takes every opportunity to indulge his desires. That is, until he begins a relationship with a profoundly traumatised Canadian soldier and artist who helped to liberate Bergen-Belsen - and might just be connected to one of the cousins' departed kin. Across six non-linear mosaic pieces, we move from a Poland decimated by World War II to modern-day New York and Boston, hearing friends and relatives of Benni and Shelly tell of the deep influence of the beloved cousins on their lives. For within these intimate testimonies may lie the key to why they were saved and the unique bond that unites them.Trade Review'A memorable portrait of the search for meaning in the shadow of the Shoah.' - The Sunday Times; 'exceptional... richly drawn' - Publishers Weekly (starred review); 'A thoughtful and affecting novel about generational trauma.' - Kirkus
£15.31
Book Synopsis'Sheer joy!' Katie FfordeCurl up with the new Sunday Times bestselling Christmas novel from Phillipa Ashley, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Karen Swan and Heidi Swain!Can the spirit of Christmas reignite an old flame?With her thriving business Cottage Angels, Freya Bolton prepares the Lake District's holiday homes for Christmas visitors. It's her job to think of everything, from cinnamon-scented candles to tasteful decorations and hampers of seasonal treats.If only her love life were such a success After being burned by past relationships, she's now determined to steer clear of love for good.So when she bumps into gorgeous and single ex-boyfriend Travis, a no-strings festive fling seems perfect.But when her feelings for him begin to develop, is she on track for another romantic calamity? Or could this Christmas give her the gift of true love?This gorgeous Christmas romance from Sunday Times bestseller Phillipa Ashley will take you to the Lake District with a story of second chanceTrade ReviewPraise for Phillipa Ashley’s books: ‘Sparkling and festive, as satisfying as figgy pudding and clotted cream – loved it!’ Milly Johnson ‘Warm and funny and feel-good. The best sort of holiday read’ Katie Fforde ‘Filled with warm and likeable characters. Great fun!’ Jill Mansell ‘A delicious festive treat with as many twists and turns as a Cornish country lane’ Jules Wake ‘An utterly glorious, escapist read from a one of the freshest voices to emerge in women's fiction today. I loved every gorgeous page’ Claudia Carroll ‘A deliciously entertaining twist on the Poldark tale’Liz Fenwick ‘A transporting festive romance, full of genuine warmth and quirky characters’ Woman’s Own ‘Serious festive escapism . . . like a big warm hug’ Popsugar ‘A page-turner of a festive read’ My Weekly ‘A tale of family secrets, heartache, friendship and romance’ Daily Express
£8.54
Book SynopsisA sweeping, romantic debut set in Cornwall, reminiscent of Rosamunde Pilcher.When artist Maddie inherits a house in Cornwall shortly after the death of her husband, she hopes it will be the fresh start she and her step-daughter desperately need. Trevenen is beautiful but neglected, and as Maddie discovers the stories of generations of women who''ve lived there before, she begins to feel her life is somehow intertwined within its walls.But Maddie''s dream of a calm life in the countryside is far from the reality she faces - and as she pulls at the seams of Trevenen''s past, the house reveals secrets that have lain hidden for generations.Trade ReviewTHE CORNISH HOUSE is an escapist and often emotional book, in which relationships are put to the test * STAR MAGAZINE *Totally absorbing, a delightful debut novel * TELEGRAPH & ARGUS *A heart tugging story of loss and recovery. -- Fanny Blake * WOMAN & HOME *This is a book about loss, misguided decisions, heartbreak and change, but it's also about hope, long held secrets and friendships formed between the unlikeliest of people ... [it] made me laugh out loud and cry a few times. I loved it -- Debs Carr * NOVELICIOUS *... the story is beautifully told with characters who reach out to you * SIDMOUTH HERALD *THE CORNISH HOUSE is an escapist and often emotional book, in which relationships are put to the test. * STAR MAGAZINE *Totally absorbing, a delightful debut novel * TELEGRAPH & ARGUS *
£9.49
Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZEBeautifully written, ridiculously erudite, warm and open-hearted' The TimesCompelling and poignant' GuardianThis is travel writing at its best' Observer Internationally bestselling William Dalrymple takes us to the heart of an undiscovered India.A Buddhist monk takes up arms to resist the Chinese invasion of Tibet - then spends the rest of his life trying to atone for the violence by hand printing the best prayer flags in India. A Jain nun tests her powers of detachment as she watches her best friend ritually starve herself to death.Nine people, nine lives; each one taking a different religious path, each one an unforgettable story. William Dalrymple delves deep into the heart of a nation torn between the relentless onslaught of modernity and the ancient traditions that endure to this day.Trade ReviewHis most ambitious yet, taking the reader into lurid, scarcely imaginable worlds of mysticism . . . Dalrymple has an inimitable way of conjuring the Indian landscape * Financial Times *Beautifully written, ridiculously erudite, warm and open-hearted . . . A towering talent * The Times *A blend of travelogue, ethnography, oral history and reportage, Nine Lives is compelling and poignant * Guardian *The reader gets the sense that the author is driven by an unquenchable curiosity about a country he loves. Dalrymple never mocks his subjects. Indeed, his prose is often tinged with tenderness and a sense of longing. In dashes of brilliance, Dalrymple’s work reveals an India still rich in religious experience, its spiritual quest – or rather, quests – still very much part of the warp and weft of daily life. Amid all the excitement about economic growth, an older India endures -- Sadanand Dhume * Wall Street Journal *At its best travel writing beats fiction, firing the imagination with tales of foreign peoples drawn close by our common humanity . . . This is travel writing at its best. I hope it sparks a revival -- Ruaridh Nicoll * Observer *Nine Lives remains oddly gripping, and often very moving, in its first-person accounts of spiritually-minded people that Dalrymple meets on his travels across the subcontinent -- Pankaj Mishra * The National *For those who enjoyed Dalrymple’s earlier travel adventures, this latest book is written with the same verve and sense of immediacy . . . In a deft way he shows how the tensions, dilemmas and changes in the lives of these individuals illustrate the vast transformation of Indian society . . . Vibrant and engaging, Dalrymple paints a compelling portrait of this complex sprawling giant of a country at a time of momentous change -- Peter Kirkwood * The Australian *His characteristic wit and sympathy are fully evident in the interviews he has conducted . . . Beautifully illustrates the relationship between tradition and modernity in India * Spectator *A fascinating text . . . It is an index of Dalrymple’s ability as a writer and his complex immersion in Indian cultures that he deftly avoids any hint of “Orientalism” . . . Dalrymple succeeds in juxtaposing the sacred and the secular without diverting the captivating flow of his prose. This is a rich book, teeming with fascinating characters and places worth visiting; it is a travel book that takes the reader not only across the wide expanse of the Indian subcontinent but also into intriguing aspects of India’s past and present -- Tabish KhairDalrymple’s storytelling skills and eye for the bizarre make this a fascinating and entertaining window onto spiritual India -- Anthony Sattin * Sunday Times, Books of the Year *A travel writer of huge talent, even genius * Outlook *A fast-paced book, moving from the perspective of a Jain nun contemplating the slow and voluntary relinquishing of her life, to the dilemma of the Dalit theyyam who shuttles between his job as a prison warden to his life as a man in the grip of religious ecstasy. These are compelling contemporary stories, and Dalrymple seems to be channelling a modern-day avatar of Kipling * Business Standard *In Nine Lives the author is on the road again, but deliberately takes a back seat, allowing his characters to tell their own spellbinding stories. Dalrymple’s exhaustive research and deep feeling for Indian culture and ancient faiths mean he writes with clarity, erudition and engagement. With his guidance and context, each story reads like a rare insight into a multifarious and often impenetrable culture. Nine Lives is India at its most pure but also its most fragile. Dalrymple’s stories always strive for a higher purpose than simply recounting adventures in the manner of so much contemporary travel writing. In Nine Lives, that purpose is to record and conserve these unique, fantastical histories, before they disappear forever -- Kendall Hill * Sydney Morning Herald *Dalrymple is widely read and admired, and Nine Lives is both moving and radiant: an austere, piercing, and exciting book on nine astonishing religious lives -- Pradeep Sebastian * The Hindu *
£11.69
Book Synopsis''Subtle, understated, not without a hint of menace and always courageous ... An important book'' Irish Times''Marvellously compelling ... Park takes that most difficult of subjects - recent history - and with graceful integrity explores the difficulties involved in coming to terms with the legacies of the past ... beautifully described in Park''s crystalline prose'' Daily MailIt is December in Belfast, Christmas is approaching and three sets of people are about to make their way to Amsterdam.Alan, a university art teacher, goes on a pilgrimage to the city of his youth with troubled teenage son Jack; middle-aged couple Marion and Richard take a break from running their garden centre to celebrate Marion''s birthday; and Karen, a single mother struggling to make ends meet, joins her daughter''s hen party.As these people brush against each other in the squares, museums and parks of Amsterdam, their lives are transfigured as they encounter the complexities of loTrade ReviewSubtle, understated, not without a hint of menace and always courageous ... An important book * Eileen Battersby, Irish Times *Marvellously compelling ... Park takes that most difficult of subjects - recent history - and with graceful integrity explores the difficulties involved in coming to terms with the legacies of the past ... beautifully described in Park's crystalline prose * Daily Mail *One of the shrewdest observers of the way we live now * Independent *A stealthily affecting novel, this could well give more famous names a run for their Booker money * GQ Magazine *Woven together with warmth, compassion and great skill * The Times *
£10.44
Book SynopsisAt the turn of the twentieth century, Nathan Walker comes to New York City to take the most dangerous job in the country: digging the tunnel far beneath the Hudson that will carry trains from Brooklyn to Manhattan. In the bowels of the riverbed, the workers - black, white, Irish and Italian - dig together, the darkness erasing all differences.Trade Review'It is, perhaps, the first authentic novel about homeless, about living below and beyond this rich city. He evokes so powerfully the stink of the present, the poignancy of the past' Frank McCourt 'Vivid, potent, beautifully measured, and sustained by astonishingly deft description' Maggie O'Farrell, Independent on Sunday 'A tour de-force social history of modern New York, exploring the labyrinthine netherworld of disused subway tunnels, from their creation by Irish migrant workers to their occupation by down-and-outs' Dermot Bolger, Irish Independent 'A dazzling blend of menace and heartbreak' New York Times Book Review
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Book SynopsisTHE BESTSELLER THAT DEFINED AN AGEWith cloth binding and bespoke marbled endpapers, this gorgeous 30th-anniversary hardback edition of The Secret History is the perfect gift for fans! ''Everything, somehow, fit together; some sly and benevolent Providence was revealing itself by degrees and I felt myself trembling on the brink of a fabulous discovery, as though any morning it was all going to come together---my future, my past, the whole of my life---and I was going to sit up in bed like a thunderbolt and say oh! oh! oh!''Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them down a dangerous path, beyond human constructs of morality.''Haunting, compelling and brilliant'' The Times''Irresistible and seductive'' Guardian''Enthralling... Forceful, cerebral and impeccably controlled'' New York Times Trade ReviewThe Secret History succeeds magnificently ... A remarkably powerful novel [and] a ferociously well-paced entertainment ... Forceful, cerebral, and impeccably controlled * New York Times *So irresistible and seductive it's almost a guilty pleasure * Guardian *A huge, mesmerizing, galloping read * Vanity Fair *Donna Tartt is an amazingly good writer. She's dense, she's allusive. She's a gorgeous storyteller -- Stephen KingTakes my breath away -- Ruth RendellBrilliant and compulsive * Evening Standard *A haunting, compelling, and brilliant piece of fiction ... Packed with literary allusion and told with a sophistication and texture that owes much more to the nineteenth century than to the twentieth * The Times *
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Book Synopsis“Taut, thoughtful, and complex.” —Publishers WeeklySet in 1950s North Carolina, Anna Jean Mayhew’s instant classic coming of age novel, which evokes the writing of Sue Monk Kidd, is a heartwarming, vividly transporting depiction of Southern life in the throes of segregation, what it will mean for a young girl on her way to adulthood—and for the woman who means the world to her…**Includes an updated discussion guide and new letter to readers from Anna Jean Mayhew!On a scorching day in August 1954, thirteen-year-old Jubie Watts leaves Charlotte, North Carolina, with her family for a Florida vacation. Crammed into the Packard along with Jubie are her three siblings, her mother, and the family’s black maid, Mary Luther. For as long as Jubie can remember, Mary has been there—cooking, cleaning, compensating for her father’s rages and her mother’s benign neglect, and loving Jubie u
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Book Synopsis
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Book SynopsisThe scene opens in a smouldering orchard in Flanders, where the French soldier Ferdinand, shell-shocked, badly wounded and surrounded on all sides by mud, corpses and destruction, tries to find his way to safety and make sense of what has happened to him since he lost consciousness. His hallucinatory wanderings eventually take him to the military hospital of Peurdu-sur-la-Lys. There, after narrowly cheating death, he strikes up a friendship with a Parisian pimp and continues to be confronted with the moral chaos and side effects of war in all their vicious and repulsive senselessness and brutality.Written around 1934, only a couple of years after Journey to the End of the Night, War shares its protagonist, its setting and many of its themes with Céline's most celebrated novel. Its manuscript, considered lost after being looted during the Liberation of Paris, re-emerged in France in 2020, sparking a frenzy of interest and being hailed as a major rediscovery. Translated now fo
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Book Synopsis''Magnificent - deeply moving'' Sunday Times''Engrossing, moving, and unforgettable'' The TimesIn the heat of the French summer of 1910, young Englishman Stephen Wraysford arrives in Amiens to stay with the Azaire family. But soon a secret passion emerges that threatens to destroy the household. Six years later, Stephen finds himself on the Western Front with civilization itself in the balance. And in a maze of tunnels under the trenches he will fight for everything he has known and loved.An epic of love, death and redemption, Birdsong has moved millions of readers all over the world to become a contemporary classic.
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Book Synopsis‘A subtle, singular novel of profound insight, delivered in a voice so hilarious, intimate and frank, it was as if I suddenly had a zany French genius for my best friend. I enjoyed this book so much it felt illicit.’ ISOBEL WOHL, AUTHOR OF COLD NEW CLIMATE --- This is the story of an affair, or two. The narrator of As The Eagle Flies has been with Igor for seven years, and has two children with him - when she meets Joseph. Before long, they are deeply entangled with each other, and choices have to be made between the life she knows with Igor and this unpredictable, and potentially destructive, affair. She is willing to start again with Joseph, but at what cost? And does he feel the same way? With a sharp wit, and a refreshing honesty, she charts the course of both of these relationships, exploring their highs and lows over a decade. Using literature, psychology, and popular culture to get to the heart of questions about love, family and identity, this is a book about getting lost in other people, and the lengths we go to to find ourselves again.Trade Review'An incisive and exhilarating debut.' Le Monde -- 'Woody Allen meets Annie Ernaux.' Page des libraires -- 'A debut novel that is original, funny, invigorating and full of self-deprecation.' La liberation
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Book Synopsis*WINNER OF THE AKUTAGAWA PRIZE, Japan''s most prestigious literary award, first published when the author was just 24**A Japanese contemporary classic, perfect for fans of Convenience Store Woman**A love letter to Tokyo as it can only be seen through the eyes of a young woman setting out in the world*It was raining when I arrived at the house. The walls of my room were lined with cat photos, set in fancy frames just below the ceiling.When her mother emigrates to China for work, 21-old Chizu moves in with 71-year-old Ginko, an eccentric distant relative, taking a room in her ramshackle Tokyo home, with its two resident cats and the persistent rattle of passing trains.Living their lives in imperfect symmetry, they establish an uneasy alliance, stress tested by Chizu''s flashes of youthful spite. As the four seasons pass, Chizu navigates a series of tedious part-time jobs and unsatisfying relationships, b
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Book Synopsis''Searingly brilliant . . . like George Orwell and Anthony Burgess before her, lets the dystopian ironies speak for themselves.'TLS''Absolutely stunning.'' HERNAN DIAZ''A masterpiece.'' KAVEH AKBAR A debut novel of urgent big ideas imbued with pacy plotting and atmospheric power, by an exciting new talent.The Icelandic Psychological Association has prepared a test. They call it a sensitivity assessment: a way of measuring a person's empathy and identifying the potential for anti-social behaviour.In a few days' time, Iceland will vote on whether to make the test compulsory for every citizen. The nation is bitterly divided. Some believe the test makes society safer; others decry it as a violation.As the referendum draws closer, four people Vetur, Eyja, Tristan and Ólafur find themselves caught in the teeth of the debate. Each of them will have to reckon with uncomfortable questions: Where
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Book SynopsisAt thirty a woman has a directness in her eye. Juliet Montague did anyhow. She knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted to buy a refrigerator.But in a rash moment, Juliet commissions a portrait of herself instead. She has been closeted by her conservative Jewish community for too long, ever since her husband disappeared. Now she is ready to be seen.So begins the journey of a suburban wife and mother into the heart of ''60s London and its thriving art world, where she proves an astute spotter of talent. Yet she remains an outsider: drawn to a reclusive artist who never leaves Dorset and unable to feel free until she has tracked down her husband - a quest that leads to California and a startling discovery.Trade ReviewCaptivates you with its charm, quirkiness and old-fashioned storytelling * Daily Mail *This charming, mesmerising story is ultimately about the triumph of the human spirit, not the caging of it . . . Solomons has created a warm, luscious read that brims with passion and skilfully evokes a bygone era when only married women could be prescribed the Pill, when the sexual revolution was just beginning and when children were cheerfully given cherry brandy as a "sleeping draught". It is a beautifully written tale about a woman who was left socially dead but rose again by seizing life. * The Times *The Gallery of Vanished Husbands is a colourful and captivating tale of a woman shedding her skin. * Stylist *Natasha Solomons typically binds her themes with her gift as a storyteller. Many times I had to stop and gasp for air at some incredible revelation. But mostly this is a portrait of a woman. Solomons doesn't tell us Juliet is beautiful, but you know she is from the way her head and heart behave and the way the men in her orbit adore her. * Sydney Morning Herald *This brilliant novel is infused with empathy and humour. I adored it. * Irish Examiner *A luminous book - passionate, rich and touching. * Sainsburys Magazine *The loose and liberated art world of the 1960s in the setting for The Gallery of Vanished Husbands, a charming tale by Natasha Solomons. After having her portrait painted, a newly abandoned wife breaks free from her uptight upbringing to find a new love and life. * Good Housekeeping *Solomons creates in Juliet a detailed character portrait of a woman who exhibits strength and poise under less than ideal conditions. Each chapter tells the story of one of Juliet's paintings and of important events in her life, and readers will respond to the realistic and beautifully flawed characteristics assigned to her. * Library Journal *
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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE ROMANTIC NOVELISTS'' ASSOCIATION CONTEMPORARY ROMANTIC NOVEL AWARD, 2015.As heart wrenching and life-affirming as One Day or Me Before You, A HUNDRED PIECES OF ME is a story about what it means to finally live life to the full.Letters from the only man she''s ever truly loved.A keepsake of the father she never really knew.A blue glass vase that catches the light on a grey day.Gina Bellamy is starting again, after a few years she''d rather forget. But the belongings she''s treasured for so long don''t seem to fit who she is now.So Gina makes a resolution. She''ll keep just a hundred special items - the rest can go.But that means coming to terms with her past and learning to embrace the future, whatever it might bring . . .''Bittersweet, lovely and ultimately redemptive; the kind of book that makes you want to live your own life better.'' Jojo Moyes''SucTrade ReviewA HUNDRED PIECES OF ME is bittersweet, lovely and ultimately redemptive; the kind of book that makes you want to live your own life better. * Jojo Moyes *An uplifting novel which will appeal to fans of David Nicholls. * Daily Mail *This vibrant and uplifting novel has not only entertained me hugely, but made me change the way I look at life. * Katie Fforde *A totally feelgood novel about the importance of living life to the full. * Sun *
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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of In an Instant comes the moving story of a family grappling with grief and a woman with the power to help them through it—or stand in their way. After a tragic accident claims the life of one of her children, Marie Egide is desperate to carve out a fresh start for her family. With her husband and their three surviving children, Marie travels to New Hampshire, where she plans to sell a family estate and then, just maybe, they’ll be able to heal from their grief. Marie’s plans are thwarted when she realizes a war veteran known by locals as “the river witch” is living in a cabin on the property, which she claims was a gift from Marie’s grandfather. If Davina refuses to move on, Marie won’t be able to either. The two women clash, and battle lines are drawn within Marie’s family and the town as each side fights for what they believe is right, the tension rising until it reaches its breaking point. And the choice is no longer theirs when a force bigger than them all—fate—takes control.Trade Review“A poignant tale of blame, forgiveness, and the slender threads that weave into the tapestry of life. Redfearn takes her readers from heartbreak to hope, all the way making us see our ties to what’s been lost, and that even the most unlikely people can set us free.” —Gian Sardar, author of When the World Goes Quiet “A captivating and thoughtful novel about resilience and grace in the face of tragedy. Nestled among memorable characters who will stay with you long after the last page, Suzanne Redfearn explores the lengths we will go to and the secrets we will keep to protect those we love.” —Mansi Shah, author of The Direction of the Wind “Where Butterflies Wander is a heart-wrenching story about a grieving family and the different ways people cope with grief. Suzanne Redfearn is a master at placing her characters in challenging circumstances where they are forced to make impossible decisions. I stayed up much too late furiously turning pages to find out what would happen. I was so invested in all the characters that I didn’t know whom to root for, wanting everyone to get what they wanted. Davina and the Egide family will stay with me for a long time to come.” —Diane Barnes, author of All We Could Still Have and More Than
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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE GUARDIAN FIRST BOOK AWARDNATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALISTNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER and BOOK OF THE YEAR''Extraordinary . . . a must-read'' Guardian''A masterpiece . . . a classic'' The Times''A stunning achievement'' Sunday Times''Remarkable . . . every line is a defiant assertion of the power of beauty to revivify'' Hilary Mantel''Harrowing, inexplicably beautiful, and utterly, urgently necessary'' Ann PatchettEverywhere John looks, he sees Murph.He flinches when cars drive past. His fingers clasp around the rifle he hasn''t held for months. Wide-eyed strangers praise him as a hero, but he can feel himself disappearing.Back home after a year in Iraq, memories swarm around him: bodies burning in the crisp morning air. Sunlight falling through branches; bullets kicking up dust; ripples on a pond wavering like plucked strings. The promise he made, Trade ReviewExtraordinary . . . beautifully accomplished. The mark of an artist of the first order . . . a must-read book. * Guardian *A masterpiece . . . a classic. * The Times *A stunning achievement - visceral [and] poignant. * Sunday Times *'Remarkable for its intensity of both feeling and expression. In this book about death, every line is a defiant assertion of the power of beauty to revivify, whether beauty shows itself in nature or (later) in art. * Guardian *The best book I have read this year * Irish Times *A wonderful, powerful novel that moves and terrifies. * Independent on Sunday *Harrowing, inexplicably beautiful, and utterly, urgently necessaryAn extraordinary novel . . . remarkable . . . stands with Tim O'Brien's enduring Vietnam book, The Things They Carried, as a classic of contemporary war fiction . . . brilliantly observed and deeply affecting. * New York Times *A stunning read . . . beautiful [and] devastating * BBC Radio 2 Bookclub *'Kevin Powers has conjured a poetic and devastating account of war's effect on the individual.'Reaffirms the power of fiction to tell the truth about the unspeakable ... a superb literary achievement. I urge everyone to read it.Written with an intensity which is deeply compellingIn the great tradition of Hemingway and Tim O'Brien, Kevin Powers's exquisitely written The Yellow Birds draws us in to the combat zones of Iraq: the watch, the wait ("Stay alive, Stay alert"), the bungle, the slaughter and the irreparable aftermath. * Guardian *This is a novel I've been waiting for. The Yellow Birds is born from experience and rendered with compassion and intelligence. All of us owe Kevin Powers our heartfelt gratitudeOne of those books that knocks your perceptions into new alignment permanentlyThe Yellow Birds is the All Quiet on the Western Front of America's Arab WarsThus far the definitive novel of our long wars in the Middle East; this book is certain to be read and taught for generations to come.Kevin Powers' poetic, grievously sad debut novel captures one young man's experience of the war in Iraq . . . Powers is clear-eyed and dolorous, observing the damage done, but alive to the beauty of the landscape, and the details that cement friendship in a world dominated by violence and fear * Marie Claire *Extraordinarily well-written . . . brilliant . . . he's just a really, really beautiful writer . . . everyone will be reading it * BBC Radio 2 Arts Show *Page after page yields unforgettable images . . . undeniably, this is an important novel by a formidable talent. * Daily Mail *A novel about the war in Iraq might not usually top your reading list, but make an exception for this one . . . it's an intense, brutal and yet lyrical tale . . . Novelists from Ann Pratchett to Colm Toibin have praised its harrowing beauty. It's an elegant literary treat. * Easy Living *'The most recent war is much like the most ancient, torn bodies, cracked psyches, the emotional roundelay of pride, pain, confusion and sorrow. In The Yellow Birds, Kevin Powers has delivered an exceptional novel from the war in Iraq, written in clean, evocative prose, lyric and graphic, in assured rhythms, a story for today and tomorrow and the next.'We haven't just been waiting for a great novel to come out of the Iraq War, our 21st century Vietnam; we have also been waiting for something more important, a work of art that illuminates our flawed and complex and striving humanity behind all such wars. At last we have both in Kevin Powers' The Yellow Birds.The Yellow Birds is a superb novel. Call it a war novel or a first novel or whatever you'd like. Powers has created a powerful work of art that captures the complexity and life altering realities of combat service. This book will endure. Read it and then put it way up on that high rare shelf alongside Ernest Hemingway and Tim O'BrienShort, taut and eminently readable. With a John Updike-like hypersensitivity in rendering the mundane extraordinary . . . an extremely impressive debut - Kevin Powers is a name to watch. * Time Out *The Yellow Birds skulks along, detached and undemanding, until all of a sudden you turn a page and find yourself weeping. * GQ *Elegiac, sober, and haunting. * Time *Intense, painful, excellent . . . Bartle tries to piece it all together, and his torment, which must be akin to the author's, feels like a gift. * Spectator *Powers' poetic gifts render the experience of Americans in Iraq with great emotional intensity. War has been a subject of literature ever since The Iliad. The best books transcend their time and circumstances to say something enduring and truthful about war itself. The Yellow Birds belongs in that categoryTerrific . . . vivid [and] gripping. A very much needed book.What happens to soldiers at war? The Yellow Birds delivers answers that should rightfully unnerve us, if we're still willing - ten long years into Iraq and Afghanistan - to contemplate 'our little pest of a war.' The human cost is surely beyond any comprehensible measure, but in this haunting, unflinching crucible of a novel, Kevin Powers gives us the essence, with all comfortable, corrupting illusion and rhetoric burned away.Beautifully written . . . This is a harrowing and pitiful story of the sad waste of war. * THE LADY *This book epitomises the power of the written word; the language is at once poetic and brutal, vivid and sparse. A stunning, timely and engrossing novel * Bookseller *What impresses most here are the mournful and melodious refrains which manage to cultivate beauty and pathos from the smothering chaos and dust. * We Love This Book *A book that will make you look good on the bus . . . a powerful tale. * Heat *From an opening that suggests The Wasteland to a closing that echoes The Great Gatsby, Kevin Powers has crafted one of the most beguiling and beautiful war novels of recent times . . . its soul spills out over every poetic page. * RTE Guide *The Yellow Birds is a wonderful, powerful novel that moves and terrifies. * Independent on Sunday *Tautly written and unforgiving in its depiction of the human cost of war. * The Times *I found in The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers a vivid, poetic account of modern warfare. Powers joined the US Marines at 17, going on to serve as a machine gunner in Iraq, and each line bleeds hard-fought truths. * Evening Standard *Powers has written a compassionate, poetic evocation of war and its legacy which has already been hailed as a classic of its genre. * Sunday Express *[Powers] has forged a harrowing, enormously powerful first novel . . . Powers' writing is also attentive to nature and landscape, and he manages to entertain contradictory notions of beauty and horror. Wasn't that Fitzgerald's definition of genius? * Financial Times *Kevin Powers' lyrical account of war's deep impact on the individual is an important addition to the tradition of American war fiction and perhaps the first great novel to emerge from the long, intractable conflicts in the Middle East. * Literary Review *An extraordinary novel - honest painful, poetic. Powers's exquisitely drawn portrait of three young soldiers struggling in their own way to make sense of their situation gives you the real human story * Guardian *It is a novel about the horrors of war made beautiful by the author's poetic language which is like handsome ironmongery, delicately strong but not overwrought . . . At one stage in the book, there's a bravura passage of stream of consciousness that may well be among the most effective lines ever written about a soldier trying to come to terms with what he has seen and done. For that alone Powers deserves a medal. * Scotsman *The author's status as a veteran of the war, and therefore a curio in the American literary world, provides an unimpeachable veracity to the novel . . . It is quite clear that he is major talent. * Independent *[An] unforgettable debut novel . . . [Powers has] written fiction that seems more real than the "real" thing. * Newsweek *That it horrifies with beauty and numbs by way of sensuality is Powers' big achievement * Dublin Sunday Independent *If you're looking for one of the first great novels of the Iraq war, this may be it. * CNN.com *It's a sad and deftly written story - and one that can stand tall with the great war novels that preceded it. * Emerald Street *
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Book SynopsisA laugh-out-loud, magical romcom from the author of CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY-SOMETHING F##K UP!After a bad break up, doesn''t every girl wish for the same things? * For her ex-boyfriend to stay single forever.* Or maybe emigrate to a remote, uninhabited island?* Better still - that she''d never met him in the first place!But what if one of those wishes came true?Tess is heartbroken when Seb breaks up with her and can''t help blaming herself. If only she''d done things differently. If only she could make right all her regrets. Drunk and upset on New Year''s Eve, she wishes she''d never met him . . .But when she wakes up to discover this dream has come true, Tess realises she has a chance. To do it all over again. And to get it right this time.From the bestselling author of ME AND MR DARCY, this heartwarming love story is for every girl who has loved, lost and dreamt of getting her man back.Trade ReviewThis rom-com taps into the longing we've all had to hit rewind when a relationship flounders - so we can do it all again, only better * Glamour *This smart romcom is brilliantly dreamy and funny with a magical twist * Closer *Funny, light and a great summer read - whether you're lying on a sunlounger or sitting on the train to work. A fab modern-day love story with a touch of magic * Fabulous *Yet again Alexandra Potter has written an upbeat, quirky piece of chick lit that can't help but bring a smile to your face * Novelicious *This rom-com taps into the longing we've all had to hit rewind when a relationship flounders - so we can do it all again, only better. * Glamour *'This smart romcom is brilliantly dreamy and funny with a magical twist.' **** * Closer *A new Alexandra Potter book is always something to celebrate. She's one of the only chick lit authors who puts a magical spin on her novels, and she's always successful at it . . . a great read * www.chicklitreviewsandnews.com *'Funny, light and a great summer read - whether you're lying on a sunlounger or sitting on the train to work. A fab modern-day love story with a touch of magic.' * Fabulous *Yet again Alexandra Potter has written an upbeat, quirky piece of chick lit that can't help but bring a smile to your face * www.novelicious.com *'Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed this book. I have always been a big fan of comedic chick lit and this one hit the spot.' * www.debrasbookcafe.co.uk *Fantastically funny * Elle on ME AND MR DARCY *Feel-good fiction full of unexpected twists and turns * OK! *A touching, funny love-story * Company *Always perceptive, often funny, never dull * Heat *
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