Family life fiction / Stories about family
Oneworld Publications Beasts of a Little Land
Book SynopsisAs the Korean independence movement gathers pace, two children meet on the streets of Seoul. Fate will bind them through decades of love and war. They just don’t know it yet.Trade Review'Beasts of a Little Land is a stunning achievement. Juhea Kim wrestles with the chaos of a half-century of love, idealism, war and violence, and does so with courage and wisdom.' TLS'Full of Korean myth and historical detail, it’s an immersive read for a long weekend.' Stylist'This is historical fiction at its very best! I am astonished by Juhea's talent.' Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing'Stunning... Profound... This novel will devastate you and then still you with its wise meditations on love and loss. I couldn’t put it down.' Alexis Schaitkin, author of Saint X'Beasts of a Little Land is a heartbreaking story rendered mythic by Kim’s gorgeous prose.' Jing-Jing Lee, author of How We Disappeared'A magnificent, mesmerizing story of love and war… Cinematic in its scope, this is the type of novel that the reader finishes both with pleasure (for its satisfying denouement and pleasing circularity) and with sadness (at having to leave the story behind).' New Internationalist'Some people say that all stories are about either love or war. Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Korea, Kim’s epic debut novel is about both.' Harper's Bazaar US, 'Best Books of 2021''Gorgeous prose and unforgettable characters combine to make a literary masterpiece.' Kirkus, (starred review)'Kim's dreamy, intense debut is both a sure-footed historical account of the Korean struggle for independence from Japan and the emotionally fraught story of several people whose lives are inextricably tied together... The prose is ravishing.' Publishers Weekly'An immersive historical novel set in occupied Korea with a sweeping cast of characters whose lives intersect over half a century.' Lit Hub, 'Most Anticipated Books of 2021''This epic historical novel offers an entrancing glimpse into a colourful world of love and conflict.' Daily Mail, 'Must Reads'
£9.49
Vintage Publishing The Wilderness
Book SynopsisSamantha Harvey is the author of the novels Orbital, The Wilderness, All is Song, Dear Thief and The Western Wind and a work of non-fiction, The Shapeless Unease: A Year of Not Sleeping. Orbital was the winner of the Booker Prize 2024, and her other work has been shortlisted for the James Tait Black Award, the Women's Prize, the Guardian First Book Award and the Walter Scott Prize. The Wilderness was awarded the Betty Trask Prize. She is a tutor on the MA course in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.Trade ReviewBrave and intelligent...a mesmerising work * Independent *A stunning composition of human fragility and intensity * Guardian *An extraordinary dramatisation of a mind in the process of disintegration ... Brilliant - read it now, before it scoops up all the prizes * The Times *Touches a resounding chord of melancholy. The author, whose debut this is, is very talented * Evening Standard *This is a finely written ode to memory, identity and love * Financial Times *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing Motherhood
Book SynopsisSheila Heti is the author of ten books, including the novels Pure Colour, Motherhood and How Should a Person Be?, which New York magazine deemed one of the 'New Classics' of the twenty-first century and which was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. Her novels have been translated into twenty-four languages. She lives in Toronto and Kawartha Lakes, Ontario.Trade ReviewLikely to become the defining literary work on the subject. * Guardian *Probing, psychologically unafraid, witty. -- Catherine Taylor * Financial Times *If you are an underliner, as I am, your pen may go dry . . . Indeed, Heti always seems to be drawing from a paranormally deep well. -- Dwight Garner * The New York Times *Brave and funny... Heti demonstrates the contradictions between freedom and the tyranny of choice and how impossible it is for anyone to ever make the 'right' decision. -- Chris Kraus * The White Review Books of the Year *A brilliant, radical, and moving book, it is sure to cause the cultural riot her earlier work has . . . There's a new quality to Heti's writing in Motherhood. The only way I can describe it is tenderness . . . Beautiful . . . Surprising. -- Claudia Dey * The Paris Review *Heti thinks clearly and originally -- Adam Kirsch * Times Literary Supplement, **Books of the Year** *Motherhood confronts the philosophical questions raised by childbearing and womanhood... Heti's narrator wants to create - specifically, to create something that will honour the memory of her mother and grandmother... Motherhood both documents that desire and fulfils it. -- Sally Rooney * London Review of Books *Motherhood is a poetic, innovative book. It is groundbreaking in its fluidity, in its recognition of the unrecognizability of desire, and in its scrutiny of expectation… she introduces a critical, exhilarating freedom. -- Rebecca Watson * Spectator *Motherhood is subtitled A Novel, though it's one in which the boundaries between fiction and memoir are porous and constantly shifting… Heti is experimenting with literary form even as she wrestles with the form her adult life should take -- Stephanie Merritt * Guardian *Motherhood is a fiercely intelligent and probing read that delves deep into the fundamentals of procreating, motherhood and what it means to be a woman in today's world. -- Sarah Gilmartin * Irish Times *[Motherhood] embed[s] deeply philosophical questions into casual and familiar language… It is about the paralysis a person might feel when given the freedom to create, whether babies, books or oneself. -- Jo Lo Dico * Evening Standard *Motherhood is self-examination elevated to an art form… beautifully written and profound. -- Lucy McLuckie * The Scotsman *Illuminating . . . Intimate . . . Poignant. -- Alexandra Schwartz * The New Yorker *Engrossing . . . Heti approaches the subject with an observer's curiosity. -- Molly Fischer * New York Magazine *This inquiry into the modern woman’s moral, social and psychological relationship to procreation is an illumination, a provocation, and a response - finally - to the new norms of femininity, formulated from the deepest reaches of female intellectual authority. It is unlike anything else I’ve read. Sheila Heti has broken new ground, both in her maturity as an artist and in the possibilities of the female discourse itself. -- Rachel CuskI’ve never seen anyone write about the relationship between childlessness, writing, and mother’s sadnesses the way Sheila Heti does. I know Motherhood is going to mean a lot to many different people - fully as much so as if it was a human that Sheila gave birth to - though in a different and in fact incommensurate way. That’s just one of many paradoxes that are not shied away from in this courageous, necessary, visionary book. -- Elif BatumanAn emotionally complex novel about motherhood that isn't about children. An intricately constructed book based on games of chance. This feels new. -- Jenny OffillReading this beautiful novel, I felt I was watching a brilliant mind invent new tools for thinking. Sheila Heti wrings revelation from the act of asking, again and again, in ever more challenging and innovative ways, impossible questions of existence. Motherhood is a thrilling, very funny, and almost unbearably moving book. -- Garth GreenwellI read this novel more quickly and eagerly than any I've read in ages. Sheila Heti's simple, elegant sentences invariably give pleasure; her thinking is incisive and wholly original as she grapples with the kind of unhappiness that many of us, myself included, prefer to distract ourselves from rather than look at squarely. Reading Motherhood forced me to become a little more honest with myself. -- Adelle WaldmanHere it finally is. A book for all of you who are considering having a baby, who had a baby, who didn’t have a baby, who didn’t want a baby, who don’t know what they want but the clock is ticking anyway. This topic is finally tackled as if it were the most important decision in your life. Because, um. How lucky are we that one of our foremost thinkers took this upon herself, for years, in real time, wrestling every day and living to tell. So fucking ready to live in the world this book will help make. Read and discuss, discuss, discuss. -- Miranda JulyWith each of her novels, Sheila Heti invents a new novel form. Motherhood is a riveting story of love and fate, a powerful inspiration to reflect, and a subtle depiction of the lives of contemporary women and men, by an exceptional artist in the prime of her powers. Motherhood constitutes its own genre within the many-faceted novel of ideas. Heti is like no one else. -- Mark GreifI think of Motherhood as a beautiful, natural, living thing - a rare tree in the car-filled parking lot of literature, offering aesthetic and sustainable pleasures while also bristling with multiple, helpful, compassionate functions in the world. The high stakes, complexity, intensity, playfulness, seriousness, and inter-dimensionality of Motherhood's synthesis of art and life, of the imagination and the universe, makes me excited about both life and literature. I recommend reading and rereading Motherhood. -- Tao LinMotherhood is a gesture towards honesty, bringing much that was dark into light. The book makes it more possible to think the decision, but also to dream, embody and feel it. -- Niki Seth-Smith * OpenDemocracy *A celebration of life, expressed poignantly through her prose - which is playful, funny, ultimately moving. -- Jacqueline Landey * Totally Dublin *[This] novel is astonishing -- Katy Thompsett * Refinery29, **Books of the Year** *I found it totally addictive and read it [Motherhood] in one go * Red *A thoughtful, frank novel... Intellectual yet conversational, it's a meditation on responsibility and freedom, and the purpose of life itself. I found it extremely moving * Week *
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers The Things That Matter
Book SynopsisA beautifully moving and poignant tale of finding yourself in the wake of heartbreak, perfect for fans of Amanda Prowse and Imogen ClarkNatasha and Daniel were meant for each other. On paper you'd never think it so; whilst Taz would arrive at school hungry and in clothes too small, Dan's affluent background was no secret. But they were drawn together and found comfort in the fact that neither felt they truly belonged.When something terrible happens and Dan is sent to prison, Taz doesn't even pause to think before standing by his side. As the ground beneath Dan crumbles, it's Taz who is there to catch him. A family of two, it's them against the world.But now, years later, what happens when the threats they face come from within? Plagued by guilt over a secret in her past, Taz must face the truth or risk losing Dan forever.Readers can't get enough of The Things That Matter:A beautifully written storyone of the best books I have read this year' MurielA highly original readso much characte
£8.54
Hodder & Stoughton Christmas on Nantucket
Book SynopsisA warm and enchanting festive novel from New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand. Christmas on Nantucket finds Winter Street Inn owner Kelley Quinn and his family busily preparing for the holiday season. Though the year has brought tragedy, the Quinns have much to celebrate: Kelley has reunited with his first wife Margaret, Kevin and Isabelle have a new baby; and Ava is finally dating a nice guy. But when Kelley''s wife Mitzi shows up on the island, along with Kevin''s devious ex-wife Nora and a dangerously irresistible old fling of Ava''s, the Inn is suddenly overrun with romantic feuds, not to mention guests. With jealousy, passion, and eggnog consumption at an all-time high, it''s going to take a whole lot more than a Christmas miracle to get the Quinns - and the Inn - through the holidays intact.Trade ReviewPraise for Winter Street * : *A holiday package filled with humor, romance, and realism -- Jocelyn McClurgWinter Street...[will] get you in the holiday mood * Kirkus Reviews *The holidays wouldn't be complete without a little family dysfunction, and Hilderbrand writes it well * Library Journal *Praise for Elin Hilderbrand's other novels * : *A page-turner * Coastal Living *It provides a pacey read, with colourful characters that have fascinating motivations. I couldn't get them out of my head for days. * Sunday Express *
£9.49
Quercus Publishing Beyond Summer
Book SynopsisFrom the million-copy bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes an uplifting novel where unexpected challenges and new friendships reveal what 'home' really means. When Tam Lambert learns that her family are about to be evicted from their lovely home, the privileged life she's known is forever changed. Tam and her family must move to a changing Dallas neighbourhood called Blue Sky Hill...New resident Shasta Williams knows nothing of real estate schemes when she and her husband purchase a home in Blue Sky Hill. To her it's the perfect place to raise her children. Better yet is getting to know Tam, who lives next door. When neighbours realize that a corrupt deal could force them from their homes, friendships and loyalties are tested. Over the span of one summer, two young women discover the strength and maturity to do the impossible. They find that in Blue Sky Hill, life-altering relationships and amazing possibilities can begin to blossom...Perfect for fans of Kathryn Hughes and Santa Montefiore.Trade ReviewLisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation's history and weaves a tale of enduring power * Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife *Heartfelt, honest, and entirely entertaining... this poignant story will touch your heart from the first page to the last * Kristin Hannah, author of The Nightingale *One of the year's best books . . . It is impossible not to get swept up in this near-perfect novel. It invades your heart from the very first pages and stays there long after the book is finished * Huffington Post *A poignant, engrossing tale * People Magazine *Wingate roots her tender tale in hope, redemption, and family * Publishers Weekly *A gift for crafting a story. Lisa Wingate never disappoints * USA Today *
£10.44
Boldwood Books Ltd The Summer of Lies: The BRAND NEW novel from NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER Louise Douglas for 2024
Book SynopsisThe BRAND NEW novel from Number 1 bestseller Louise Douglas.As wild fires creep a devastating path towards the idyllic town of Morranez, a vulnerable girl goes missing. But was she taken - or was she escaping...The summer is the hottest yet in the Brittany coastal town of Morranez, but when a new case lands on the desk of the Toussaints detective agency, there can be no time to relax. As wild fires bear down on the town, the alert goes out for a missing girl.Nineteen-year-old Briony Moorcroft has seemingly been taken from her sleepy Welsh village and brought to France. Her parents are baffled and scared – Briony needs her life-saving medicine or this case will become even more sinister, and with the police dragging their heels, the Moorcrofts are relying on Mila Shephard and Carter Jackson’s sleuthing skills.Meanwhile there are mysteries troubling Mila’s life too. Two years after the accident that swept her sister Sophie and brother-in-law Charlie away and left their daughter Ani in Mila’s care, new evidence resurfaces that makes Mila doubt everything.Can Carter and Mila find Briony before it’s too late? And is the truth about Sophie and Charlie finally about to be revealed…Number One bestselling author Louise Douglas is back with a brooding, twisty tale of secrets and lies, love and loyalty.Praise for Louise Douglas:'I loved The Lost Notebook so much! From the opening lines, I was drawn in to a gripping story, beautifully written and so cleverly orchestrated. I rooted for the main character, I held my breath at the denouement and as for the climax of the book - just wow. Highly recommended.' Judy Leigh'Louise Douglas achieves the impossible and gets better with every book.' Milly Johnson'A brilliantly written, gripping, clever, compelling story, that I struggled to put down. The vivid descriptions, the evocative plot and the intrigue that Louise created, which had me constantly asking questions, made it a highly enjoyable, absolute treasure of a read.' Kim Nash on The Scarlet Dress'Another stunning read from the exceptionally talented Louise Douglas! I love the way in which Louise creates such an atmospheric mystery, building the intrigue and suspense brick by brick. Her writing is always beautiful and multi-layered, her characters warm and relatable and the intriguing nature of the mystery makes this unputdownable.’ Nicola Cornick on The Scarlet Dress'A tender, heart-breaking, page-turning read' Rachel Hore on The House by the Sea'The perfect combination of page-turning thriller and deeply emotional family story. Superb’ Nicola Cornick on The House by the Sea
£20.69
HarperCollins Publishers The Christmas Book Club
Book SynopsisTHE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER! * * * Could this Christmas be the start of a whole new chapter? ‘A heart-warming Christmas story of friendship, family and love – what a treat’ Lucy Diamond, author of The Best Days of Our Lives ‘Uplifting and compelling’ My Weekly * * * A long-lasting friendshipEvery year, Erica, Claudia, and Anna reunite for their book club holiday. They’re bonded by years of friendship and a deep love of books, but there is still so much they keep from each other . . . A perfect Christmas escapeAt the cosy Maple Sugar Inn, Hattie specialises in making her guests’ dreams come true, but this Christmas all she wants is to survive the festive season. Between running the inn and being a single mother, Hattie is close to breaking point. The start of a brand-new story…?Over the course of an eventful week, Hattie sees that the friends are each carrying around unspoken truths, but nothing prepares her for how deeply her story will become entwined in theirs. Will this Christmas be the end of the book club’s story or the start of a whole new chapter? *** Read yourself happy with Sarah Morgan! ‘For me, Sarah Morgan really knows how to write the perfect Christmas book’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A book you can’t put down. Loved every minute of it’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A gorgeous, feel-good festive treat of a read’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A magical read that deserves at least a ten-star rating’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Trade ReviewPraise for Sarah Morgan: ‘Funny and often poignant . . . will thaw even the biggest Grinch’s heart’ The Independent ‘A mug of hot chocolate in book form’ Good Housekeeping ‘A feel-good pick-me-up you’ll love’ Fabulous magazine ‘The perfect cosy escape’ My Weekly ‘Full of drama to enjoy snuggled up in the warm’ Woman & Home ‘A warm and funny festive romance’ Daily Mirror ‘A heart-warming read packed with seasonal cheer’ Daily Express
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers The Reading List
Book Synopsis*Discover the magic of The Twilight Garden, the brand new novel from Sara Nisha Adams available to buy now**A finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards for Fiction, discover this year's most uplifting and heart-warming debut*Absolutely gorgeous' RUTH WAREA joyful, uplifting read!' GOOD HOUSEKEEPINGA captivating debut' HEIDI SWAIN________________________________________________________________A faded list.Nine favourite stories.For two strangers, friendship is only a page away . . .When Mukesh Patel pops to the local library, forgoing his routine of grocery shopping and David Attenborough documentaries, he has no idea his life's about to change.He meets Aleisha, a reluctant librarian and the keeper of a curious reading list just a scrappy piece of paper with the names of 9 stories. It doesn't seem anything special. Yet something tells her to keep it close . . .Story by story, Mukesh and Aleisha work their way through the list their worries slipping away with every encounter, with every world discovered in their unlikely book club of two.A fresh chance at life, at friendship, wasn't on the cards for these lonely souls but every story starts somewhere . . .Everyone's getting swept away with The Reading List:Oh this book what a glorious, emotional, powerful and uplifting read' Netgalley reviewerA lovely story about the power of books and libraries' Libby PageA gorgeous debut novel about the power reading has to bring people together' RedIf you love books, read this. If you love crying with sadness, crying with happiness, and feeling like you have been wrapped in the blanket of someone else''s life, read this' Debbie JohnsonJoyous, uplifting and reminds us what it feels like to find a book we connect with' Netgalley reviewerIt's a perfect escape for anyone who wants to be reminded of the power of stories' Stephanie ButlandA beautiful book about the joys of reading and connecting with people' Netgalley reviewerA stunning debut that broke my heart and put it back together again' Radiya HafizaTrade Review‘A love letter to books, reading and the power of connection – absolutely gorgeous’ Ruth Ware 'A gorgeous, life-affirming novel full of moments of tenderness that will fill readers' hearts with joy. Sara writes so beautifully about family love, loneliness and loss' Huma Qureshi ‘The story is an absolute joy. I loved the way Aleisha and Mukesh found their lives entwined thanks to the power of books . . . A captivating and exquisitely crafted debut’ Sunday Times bestseller, Heidi Swain ‘A real heart-lifter . . . . A joyful, uplifting read’ Good Housekeeping ‘A gorgeous debut novel about the power reading has to bring people together, no matter the barriers of age, culture and class’ Red ‘This is an uplifting and life-affirming novel […] it oozes charm’ Platinum ‘Wonderful…It’s a perfect escape for anyone who wants to be reminded (if we need to be reminded) of the power of stories’ Stephanie Butland ‘A beautiful and very special read, which reminded me why I love books so much and it made me miss the library even more’ Emily Koch ‘If you love books, read this. If you love people, read this. If you love crying with sadness, crying with happiness, and feeling like you have been wrapped in the blanket of someone else's life, read this’ Debbie Johnson ‘The Reading List absolutely captures the magic of reading and of libraries’ Louise Hare ‘This story utterly stole my heart, it’s a love letter to book lovers everywhere and I for one have become entirely smitten by Sara’s words’ Emma Cooper ‘A spellbinding novel about friendship, loss, community and the power of reading. A stunning debut that broke my heart and put it back together again’ Radiya Hafiza ‘Compassion, humour and intelligence shine through on every page of this wonderful novel . . . Sara Adams finds hope in abundance, and in the most wonderful, unexpected of places’ Rosie Price
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Truly Madly Guilty
Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author behind the addictive, EMMY and GOLDEN GLOBE-winning HBO sensation BIG LITTLE LIES comes a cocktail of family, friendship, and the fear of what could have been . . .''Perfect summer read'' REESE WITHERSPOON______________Six responsible adults. One day that changes everything.''This is a story which begins with a barbecue in the suburbs . . .''In just one evening, a lifelong friendship will be in tatters, a marriage on the rocks and an innocent bystander dead.In just one evening, six lives will change for ever.______________''Filled with so many twists and turns. Keeps you guessing until the very end. Perfect summer read'' Reese Witherspoon''You must clear a reading slot for this novel . . . Truly Madly Guilty is as brilliantly accomplished as it is dark, twisty and compulsive. No wonder Reese Witherspoon is such a huge Moriarty fan''Trade ReviewA drama that will keep you on your toes the whole time * Grazia *Every single one of her books is a great read * E! Online *** From the bestselling author of Big Little Lies, now a gripping HBO series, comes Liane Moriarty's new novel Truly Madly Guilty. Voted by Amazon reviewers as a 4 STAR read ** Truly, Madly, Guilty is a cocktail of friendship and modern love spiked with a little deception. * from the publisher's description *** From the bestselling author of Big Little Lies, now a gripping HBO series, comes Liane Moriarty's new novel Truly Madly Guilty. Voted by Amazon reviewers as a 4 STAR read **Six responsible adults, two best friends and one day that changes everything. Truly, Madly, Guilty is a cocktail of friendship and modern love spiked with a little deception. * from the publisher's description *Every single one of her books is a great read * E! Online *If, like us, you've been obsessively enjoying Big Little Lies, then you must clear a reading slot for this novel by the same author... Truly Madly Guilty is as brilliantly accomplished as it is dark, twisty and compulsive. No wonder Reese Witherspoon is such a huge Moriarty fan * Heat *Wise, honest, beautifully observed. One of the few writers I'll drop anything for * Me Before You *Straight-from-life characters, knife-sharp insight and almost unbearable suspense will have you racing through it * Good Housekeeping *If, like us, you've been obsessively enjoying Big Little Lies, then you must clear a reading slot for this novel by the same author . . . Truly Madly Guilty is as brilliantly accomplished as it is dark, twisty and compulsive. No wonder Reese Witherspoon is such a huge Moriarty fan * Heat *A riveting drama packed with suspense and secrets * Woman & Home *If you liked The Husband's Secret, or Big Little Lies, you will love Truly Madly GuiltySomething truly terrible goes down. By the time you find out exactly what, your nerves will have been shredded * Glamour *A friendly neighbourhood barbecue spirals out of control in Liane Moriarty's gripping domestic drama. This is an assured summer hit * Sunday Express *This book, about the tiny moments that can change your life, is perfect poolside fare * Hello Magazine *Liane Moriarty has done it again. Truly Madly Guilty has it all: suspense, drama, humour and a cracking story cleverly told * Fabulous *Moriarty is at her finest. . . You will not soon forget this cast of troubled yet very likable characters, and the relationships that both bind and nearly destroy them * Huffington Post *A masterclass in teasing, drip-feed storytelling, this tale of three recognizably flesh-and-blood couples navigating the fallout of a disastrous social gathering is another triumph for Liane Moriarty. I loved every line of itPraise for Liane Moriarty * - *Brilliant, stand-out, superbly clever. Moriarty writes vividly, wittily and wickedly * Sunday Express *A hell of a good book. Funny and scary * Stephen King *Reading one [of Liane Moriarty's novels] is a bit like drinking a pink cosmo laced with arsenic . . . a fun, engaging and sometimes disturbing read * USA Today *A staggeringly brilliant novel. It is literally unputdownable * Sophie Hannah *
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Salvage the Bones
Book Synopsis_______________''A brilliantly pacy adventure story ... Ward writes like a dream'' - The Times''Fresh and urgent'' - New York Times''There's something of Faulkner to Ward's grand diction'' - Guardian_______________WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDHurricane Katrina is building over the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the coastal town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, and Esch''s father is growing concerned. He''s a hard drinker, largely absent, and it isn''t often he worries about the family.Esch and her three brothers are stockpiling food, but there isn''t much to save. Lately, Esch can''t keep down what food she gets; at fifteen, she has just realized that she''s pregnant. Her brother Skeetah is sneaking scraps for his prized pit bull''s new litter, dying one by one. Meanwhile, brothers Randall and Junior try to stake their claim in a family long on child''s play and shTrade ReviewFresh and urgent * New York Times *Masterful ... A palpable sense of desire and sorrow animates every page ... Salvage the Bones has the aura of a classic about it * Washington Post *A brilliantly pacy adventure story ... Ward writes like a dream. A real dream: uneasy, vivid and deep as the sea * The Times *Beautifully written ... A powerful depiction of grinding poverty, where somehow, amid the deprivation, the flame of filial affection survives and a genuine spirit of community is able to triumph over everything the system and nature can throw at it * Daily Mail *There’s something of Faulkner to Ward’s grand diction * Guardian *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Virgin Blue Historical fiction from the
Book SynopsisA triumph. Excellent' Time OutA beautifully crafted story shot with vivid colours' The TimesAn intriguing and poignant read' Sunday ExpressSuch an achievement for a serious writer that you feel it deserves an award' IndependentShe was called Isabelle, and when she was a small girl her hair changed colour in the time it takes a bird to call to its mateMidwife Isabelle du Moulin is marked as different, by both her red hair and her love for the Virgin Mary in her rich blue robes. As religious fervour sweeps 16th-century France, Isabelle's striking likeness to the Madonna puts her in danger when her village is enraptured by new Protestant doctrine.Four centuries later, Ella Turner moves to the French village of Lisle-sur-Tarn and finds her dreams are haunted by the colour blue. Ella hopes to become both a midwife and a mother, but her plans unravel as she discovers her link to Isabelle, and her ancestor's shocking fate.Trade Review‘Tracy Chevalier’s first novel is a triumph. Excellent’ Time Out ‘An intriguing and poignant read’ Sunday Express ‘Such an achievement for a serious writer that you feel it deserves an award’ Independent ‘A beautifully crafted story shot with vivid colours’ The Times
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC No One Is Talking About This: Shortlisted for the
Book Synopsis‘Patricia Lockwood is the voice of a generation’ Namita Gokhale ‘A masterpiece’ Guardian ‘I really admire and love this book’ Sally Rooney ‘An intellectual and emotional rollercoaster’ Daily Mail ‘I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much reading a book’ David Sedaris ‘A rare wonder . . . I was left in bits’ Douglas Stuart * WINNER OF THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2022 * * SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2021 * * SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021 * * A BBC BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK * ______________________________________________ This is a story about a life lived in two halves. It’s about what happens when real life collides with the increasing absurdity of a world accessed through a screen. It’s about living in world that contains both an abundance of proof that there is goodness, empathy, and justice in the universe, and a deluge of evidence to the contrary. It's a meditation on love, language and human connection from one of the most original voices of our time. ______________________________________________ ‘An utterly distinctive mixture of depth, dazzling linguistic richness, anarchic wit and raw emotional candour’ Rowan Williams A 2021 Book of the Year: Sunday Times, Guardian, Daily Mail, Telegraph, Evening Standard, The Times, New Statesman, Red, Observer, Independent, Daily Telegraph Trade ReviewAstonishing and wholly original . . . Patricia Lockwood is the voice of a generation of new writers who grew up under the constant pressures of real-time news and social media -- Namita Gokhale, Chair judge for the Dylan Thomas Prize 2022No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood is a rare wonder. The author is razor-sharp as she takes us through the absurdities of internet living, but when the narrative shifts in the second half, and her family reel from personal tragedy, I was left in bits * Douglas Stuart, Booker Prize-winning author of SHUGGIE BAIN *I have been in headlong love with Patricia Lockwood’s hilarious and subversive mind since her memoir Priestdaddy, but her first novel, No One Is Talking About This, sent me reeling. Everything about this book is testament to her wicked genius * Lauren Groff, Red Magazine, Books of the Year 2021 *I finally read No One Is Talking About This after everyone recommending it to me all year, and I'm so, so happy I did. Please, please read this book -- LordeLockwood is an incontrovertibly gifted writer. Her sentences are routinely surprising, her voice a startling agglomeration of poetic clarity and hectic comedy * Guardian *Often filthy and irreverent, sometimes extremely funny, and ultimately surprisingly poignant, No One Is Talking About This offers more proof of Lockwood’s particular genius * Telegraph *A work that feels intensely relevant to our fractured time . . . Wonderfully intricate * Independent *Lockwood has paid attention more closely than perhaps any other human on earth to what it’s like to be alive right now * Vanity Fair *Astonishing . . . No One Is Talking About This will frighten you, implicate you, and scrape your guts out, in the best way possible * Esquire *Lockwood’s conceit is smart, her prose original, hugely entertaining and witty . . . It is a story, simply, about love, selfless and delighted * New Yorker *A smart and sharp book that is both addictive and deeply unsettling * Sarah Hughes, i *What begins as an ironical story about irony becomes an intimate and moving portrait of love and grief. In this way, a novel that had been toying with the digital surface of modern life finds the tender heart pumping away beneath it all * Wall Street Journal *Reading Patricia Lockwood feels like looking through a kaleidoscope built by a mischievous sorcerer — the world is suddenly rearranged in fragments that are cosmic, wondrous, humiliating, and profane. No One Is Talking About This is a furiously original novel, alive and unstable; the book builds to a reminder of how devastation and connection produce each other, endlessly and surprisingly, both on the internet and in human places that our shared digital consciousness can never reach -- Jia TolentinoLockwood is a phenomenal writer who is a keen observer of . . . the fragility of the human heart -- Roxane GayHilarious, affectionate and deeply-felt. There is nothing that Lockwood – and I don't say this lightly – can’t do -- Nicole Flattery, author of SHOW THEM A GOOD TIMEA delightfully weird look at our service to the internet (fitting in a year that gave us the “doomscroll”) and human connection and intersection * Stylist *A formidably gifted writer who can do pretty much anything she pleases * New York Times Book Review *The first half is a series of unbelievably accurate and funny and insightful takes on what it means to live in the internet of the modern age, and the second half swivels and becomes a kind of personal, family dynamic … It moved me to tears -- Elizabeth DayThe poet and essayist turns her hand to fiction in this fragmentary tale that addresses urgent questions about the absurdity of the digital world * Harper's Bazaar *An eagerly awaited novel . . . about a woman whose life is overwhelmed by the internet * The Times *Set to be one of 2021’s biggest books . . . riveting * Daily Mail *I really admire and love this book. Patricia Lockwood is a completely singular talent and this is her best, funniest, weirdest, most affecting work yet -- Sally Rooney
£8.54
Pan Macmillan The Exhibitionist
Book SynopsisTHE TIMES NOVEL OF THE YEARA GUARDIAN BEST BOOK OF 2022A GOOD HOUSEKEEPING BOOK OF THE YEAR'It takes the most ferocious intelligence, skill, and a deep reservoir of sadness to write a novel as funny as this. I adored it' - Meg Mason, author of Sorrow & Bliss'A devastating treat of a novel: funny, furious, dark and delicious' - Sarah Waters, author of FingersmithMeet the Hanrahan family, gathering for a momentous weekend as famous artist and notorious egoist Ray Hanrahan prepares for a new exhibition of his art – the first in many decades – and one he is sure will burnish his reputation for good.His three children will be there: beautiful Leah, always her father’s biggest champion; sensitive Patrick, who has finally decided to strike out on his own; and insecure Jess, the youngest, who has her own momentous decision to make . . .And what of Lucia, Ray’s steadfast and selfless wife? She is an artist, too, but has always had to put her roles as wife and mother first. What will happen if she decides to change? For Lucia is hiding secrets of her own, and as the weekend unfolds and the exhibition approaches, she must finally make a choice.The longer the marriage, the harder truth becomes . . .The Exhibitionist is the extraordinary fifth novel from Charlotte Mendelson, a dazzling exploration of art, sacrifice, toxic family politics, queer desire, and personal freedom. 'Delicious, heartbreaking . . . Fabulously written and utterly compelling' - Marian Keyes, author of Grown-UpsTrade ReviewIn The Exhibitionist Mendelson brings a forensic eye to family dynamics, laying bare the agonies of rage, frustration and longing that lie just beneath the surface of domestic life. The result is a devastating treat of a novel: funny, furious, dark and delicious -- Sarah Waters, bestselling author of FingersmithIt takes the most ferocious intelligence, skill, and a deep reservoir of sadness to write a novel as funny as this. I adored it -- Meg Mason, bestselling author of Sorrow & BlissA delicious, heartbreaking family snapshot about thwarted ambition, misplaced loyalty and good and bad love. Secrets abound. Fabulously written and utterly compelling -- Marian Keyes, bestselling author of Grown-UpsMendelson is a master at family drama, and plots don’t get much more dramatic than this . . . Exhilarating * The Times *Soul-scouringly good -- Nigella LawsonSex, desire, deep-seated marital resentment, monstrous artists, determined wives: it's a delicious, piquant comedy of manners, and Mendelson's serrated prose will have you wincing at every word * Daily Mail *Like Katherine Heiny and Maria Semple, Mendelson is skilled at rendering the grotesque fascinating . . . It is also funny; so funny . . . Reading The Exhibitionist is like eating a rich, delicious and wildly elaborate cream cake. You know you'll regret devouring the whole thing at once, but it's very hard to stop * The i *One of the funniest writers in Britain . . . [The Exhibitionist] is so devoid of secondhand sentences that it’s quite possible [Mendelson] spent all nine years since its predecessor polishing her jokes and turning phrases round until they shine . . . A precision of observation that made me laugh frequently and smile when I wasn’t laughing * The Guardian *Electric . . . and has a hint of HBO's Succession . . . The Exhibitionist is both a roiling family drama and a chilling portrait of enmeshment, coercive control and enabled addiction -- Madeleine Feeney * The Sunday Telegraph *Unutterably brilliant -- Lucy WorsleyA deliciously evocative novel laced with sex and art -- Financial TimesA magnificent book, witty and furious and not a word out of place. I am obsessed -- Elizabeth Macneal, bestselling author of The Doll Factory and Circus of WondersExceptional * Woman & Home *A compulsive distillation of artistic ego, midlife passion and family dysfunction . . . Hilarious, sexy and thoughtful * Mail on Sunday *A devastating, blackly comic portrait of middle-class dysfunction . . . A fine and haunting book -- Sarah Moss * Guardian *A truly wonderful novel, and a funny and wise one, too; the individual components sparkle, the whole movement beguiles -- Sunjeev Sahota, author of 2021 Man Booker-longlisted The China RoomI don't think I've ever read anything that is simultaneously so elegant and so propulsive - every single sentence Charlotte Mendelson writes is arrestingly powerful. I think this book is beautiful, but it's also funny, furious, sexy, blissfully hot and cold and wild in its rage -- Daisy Buchanan, author of Insatiable The unhappy Hanrahans fall apart, their story playing out with devastating, exuberant glee . . . Honest and frenetically paced, this is a painfully funny look at art, ambition and damaging family dynamics * Sunday Express (S Magazine) *Mendelson's great success is to make the endless sacrifices, self-conscious denials and forbidden emotions of the Hanrahans heartbreakingly relatable . . . The Exhibitionist is an undeniable success * Literary Review *Sharp and sad, witty and hopeful, as with all Mendelson’s work, The Exhibitionist is both forensically aware of all the flaws of humanity but also able to be forgiving and compassionate -- Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of Everyone Is Still AliveA welcome return for the chronicler of family secrets, with a tale of art, ego and marriage * Guardian *The blackly amusing story of how [Lucia] finds her voice and rediscovers her sexuality in midlife is hilariously traced here by one of my favourite waspish writers -- Mariella Frostrup * Sunday Times *A treat . . . Excoriating observation of the art world, crazy toxic family intrigues, wit, wisdom and brilliant writing -- Muriel GrayCharlotte Mendelson has created a magnificently monstrous character . . . It's finely observed, witty and incredibly tense * The Times (Summer Reads Picks) *Longlisted for the Women's Prize, this is a darkly funny portrait of a dysfunctional family bent out of shape over decades by its narcissistic artist patriarch -- and of what happens when his wife will no longer squahs her own creative energies. Wise, waspish and emotionally astute, it's addictive reading * Guardian (Summer Books) *Read it for the characters (some you’ll love, some you’ll want to shake!), who I missed when I finished this funny family drama * Good Housekeeping (Best Summer Reads) *A masterful observation of the privileged corners of the art world: power dynamics, narcissistic tendencies and ego-boosting exhibitions * The Big Issue *In this excoriating spin on the bourgeois Hampstead novel, a portrait of an artistic marriage in free fall doubles as a savagely funny take-down of male entitlement * Telegraph's 50 Best Books of 2022 *The Times Book of the Year . . . A superb and eccentric family comedy, set across a single weekend. But it’s also really, horribly dark in its depiction of cruelty and crushing love. -- Susie Goldsbrough * The Times *The Exhibitionist is the funniest novel I read this year. It is one of those rare books that could be driven purely on the strength of its witty, flexible sentences, even if there wasn't an emotional payload and (a bit of) a plot. It will delight anyone who takes pleasure in words, and what is reading but taking pleasure in words? -- John Self * The Critic (Fiction Books of the Year) *
£15.29
Cornerstone Land of Milk and Honey
Book SynopsisA rapturous novel about a young chef whose discovery of pleasure alters her life and, indirectly, the world'A rich novel of ideas' GUARDIAN'A tasty treat' iNEWS'A genius balance of page-turning and lyrical prose' INDEPENDENT'A sharp, sensual piece of art. When I read I'm always searching for pleasure, for the want, and this book helped me feel something' RAVEN LEILANI'It's rare to read anything that feels this unique. A richly imagined, ambitious, and haunting novel' GABRIELLE ZEVIN'Truly exceptional' ROXANE GAYA smog has spread. Food crops are disappearing. A chef escapes her career in London to take a job at a decadent mountaintop colony seemingly free of the world's troubles. There, her enigmatic employer and his visionary daughter have built a lush new life for the global elite, one that reawakens the chef to the pleasures of taste, touch and her own body.In this atmosphere of hidden wonders and seductive violence, the chef's boundaries undergo a thrilling erosion. Soon she is pushed to the center of a startling attempt to reshape the world far beyond the plate.Sensuous and surprising, joyous and bitingly sharp, told in alluring language, Land of Milk and Honey is a striking novel about food, sex and the intricacies of desire and longing.Praise for C Pam Zhang:'A blazing writer' Daisy Johnson'Truly gifted' Sebastian Barry'An arrestingly original writer' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewTruly superb -- Douglas StuartA brilliant, near-future fairytale, LAND OF MILK AND HONEY is the most sensuous novel about food I've ever read -- Emma DonoghueIt’s a captivating story that is alien without being too far-fetched. Zhang’s writing is laden with metaphors – particularly around food and sex – and while this could risk being overwritten, it fits the story perfectly. It’s a genius balance of page-turning storytelling and lyrical prose * Independent *Sensual . . . This is a rich novel of ideas, insisting on moral complexity in the end times. It’s also a startling prose hymn to food and sex, love and violence, power and resistance * Guardian *Zhang constructs an unsettling, vertiginous world. Her ornate style reflects the opulence her characters guard so closely, her command of sensory language is impressive, and it’s hard not be mesmerised by prose that is as rich and as startling as the food her protagonist prepares * Observer *It's rare to read anything that feels this unique. A richly imagined, ambitious, and haunting novel -- Gabrielle ZevinLand of Milk and Honey is truly exceptional -- Roxane GayZhang writes with the same fierce artistry, vivid detail and microscopic precision that would make even her own Michelin-star characters proud – an exceptionally and uniquely written tale of greed, optimism and the pursuit of perfection in the face of scarcity -- Sofia AkelLand of Milk and Honey is a sharp, sensual piece of art. Zhang writes about the appetites of the body, the uneasy coexistence of scarcity and plenty, and the pleasure and debasement of what is surrendered to survive. This is an incredible exploration of whether it is possible to preserve one's art when answering to a master that is not yourself. When I read I'm always searching for pleasure, for the want, and this book helped me feel something -- Raven LeilaniLand of Milk and Honey is as much a parable as a novel about the murky morals of the 0.1 per cent club. Required reading for them and a tasty treat for everyone else * iNews *No one writes like C. Pam Zhang. Ferocious, sensual, and all consuming, Land of Milk and Honey is both a heartsick elegy for a world we are on the verge of losing and vibrant homage to pleasure and appetite. This book swallowed me whole and spit me out changed in the best way: buzzing, astonished, and alive -- Rachel KhongThis is an astounding book -- Caleb Azumah NelsonA brilliant, all-too-prescient novel. Extraordinary in its prose, vision, and power, Land of Milk and Honey is a triumph of a book to devour now and to treasure through the ages -- R.O. KwonA twelve-course feast for the senses and intellect. C Pam Zhang is one of the most talented novelists writing today, and she has given us a novel that is original and painful and sensuous, a honey-and-acid tasting menu exploring pleasure, loss, sex, power, and resurrection -- Sarah Thankam MathewsA dazzling, virtuosic meditation on seeking joy amid tragedy, beauty amid ruin. As hypnotic as it is profound, Land of Milk and Honey showcases C Pam Zhang's singular talent -- Kirstin ChenGorgeous. What a delicious world Zhang has created-full of so much wonder. I'll be thinking for a long time about what this novel says about desire and morality; what it means to try to stave off extinction of oneself and world; what happens when we are forced to reckon with the lies we've spent years telling ourselves -- Kat ChowC Pam Zhang is an intoxicating and fearless prose stylist who seems to invent a new language with each book. . . the incantatory rhythms of desire that power [the novel] serve us horror and pleasure in each bite -- Meng JinIntoxicating, timely, and beautifully written. Pam Zhang's exquisite prose and prodigious talents are pushed to their brink in her new, dazzling novel -- Jamil Jan KochaiAn extremely atmospheric novel about the interplay of environmental destruction and class. The bittersweet aftertaste will leave you considering what you’d be willing to do — or resist doing — to experience the most essential pleasure * The Washington Post *
£15.29
Vintage Publishing Beloved: A special edition of the award-winning
Book SynopsisA beautiful hardback edition of the Pulitzer-prize winning novel, from the great Toni Morrison.Sethe is now miles away from Sweet Home - the farm where she was kept as a slave for many years. Unable to forget the unspeakable horrors that took place there, Sethe is haunted by the violent spectre of her dead child, the daughter who died nameless and whose tombstone is etched with a single word, 'Beloved'.A tale of brutality, horror and, above all, love at any cost, Beloved is Toni Morrison's enduring masterpiece and best-known work.'An American masterpiece' A. S. Byatt'Toni Morrison was a giant of her times and ours... Beloved is a heartbreaking testimony to the ongoing ravages of slavery, and should be read by all' Margaret Atwood, New York Times**One of the BBC's 100 Novels That Shaped Our World**VINTAGE QUARTERBOUND CLASSICS: Bound to be beautiful
£15.29
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Gin Sisters' Promise: The most emotional and
Book SynopsisAn emotional and uplifting Irish bestseller, perfect for fans of Sheila O'Flanagan and Heidi Swain. Three estranged sisters. Six months to come back together. When Georgie, Iris and Nola's mother died, the sisters made a pact: they would always be there for one another, no matter what. Now, decades later, they can barely stand to be in the same room. As his health declined, their father came up with a plan to bring them back to one another. He stated in his will that before they can claim their inheritance, they must spend six months living together in the Irish village of Ballycove, and try to repair their broken relationships. But reunited in their childhood home, old resentments boil over, new secrets threaten to come out and each sister must decide what matters more: their pride, or their family. Can they overcome their past and find a way to love each other once more? Praise for Faith Hogan's books: 'Uplifting, emotional and brimming with warmth and humour' Cathy Bramley on The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club 'Joyful, life-affirming and inspirational' Heidi Swain on The Ladies' Midnight Swimming ClubTrade ReviewA nicely blended cocktail of all the fizzy ingredients required for an enjoyable poolside tipple * The Times *This is such a lovely read, full of humour, pathos, friendship, secrets and love * Bishop's Stortford Independent *Yet again Hogan has created a wonderfully uplifting page turner * Yours *PRAISE FOR FAITH HOGAN: 'This was a beautifully written, heart-rending but ultimately uplifting read set on Ireland's wild Atlantic coast. I loved it' Phillipa Ashley, on The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club. 'Charming... Full of pathos and humour. A heartwarming page-turner that would be perfect for staycation reading' Irish Independent on Saturday, on The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club. 'Joyful, life-affirming and inspirational' Heidi Swain, on The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club. 'Uplifting, emotional and brimming with warmth and humour' -- Cathy Bramley, on The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club
£9.49
Wild Quail Publishing Dessert at The Beach House Hotel
Book Synopsis
£14.39
Vintage Publishing Revolutionary Road
Book SynopsisHailed as a masterpiece from its first publication, Revolutionary Road is the story of Frank and April Wheeler, a bright young couple who are bored by the banalities of suburban life and long to be extraordinary.Trade ReviewHere is more than fine writing; here is what, added to fine writing, makes a book come immediately, intensely and brilliantly alive...a masterpiece -- Tennesse WilliamsThe literary discovery of the year... It's as brilliantly nuanced as Updike's Rabbit sequence, and as sad as anything by Fitzgerald -- Nick Hornby * Guardian Books of the Year *I hand out copies of Revolutionary Road to anyone who will take them...one of the most moving and exact portraits of suburbia in all of American literature -- David Hare * Observer *The Great Gatsby of my time... One of the best books by a member of my generation -- Kurt VonnegutThe best novel ever written about the death of the American dream -- Kate Atkinson * Daily Telegraph *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Morgan S Sleigh Bells In The Snow
Book SynopsisI absolutely loved this book . . . It was a lovely story of snow, romance and Christmas' Reader review ??????????A beautiful, tentative romance. Wonderful' Reader review ??????????An absolute gem of a novel and one that I will be reading again and again!' Reader review ??????????Sarah Morgan never fails to write the most magical and lovely stories that make you continue turning the pages long in to the night' Reader review??????????* * *Once upon a time Kayla loved Christmas Now she's more dedicated to her job than decking the halls, and can't wait for the most wonderful time of the year' to be over.Until she arrives at the enchanting Snow Crystal ski resort, determined to win gorgeous owner Jackson as a marketing client.But wooing Jackson professionally quickly turns personal as they spend flirty festive nights in this glittering winter wonderland.With snowflakes swirling and sleigh bells ringingcould Jackson be the one to make Kayla fall back under the Christmas spell?Tropes:?? Findi
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Prisoners Wife
Book SynopsisEngaging, gripping, addictive and completely unpredictable. An absolute must read. Ali Blood is an author to watch' NetGalley Reviewer, ?????She's married to a monster.Till death do them partEmma's husband is in prison.Emma's husband claims he is innocent.Emma's husband is a liar.And he's not done with her yetA pacy and gripping read with a chilling twist, perfect for fans of My Lovely Wife, Blood Orange and The Perfect Couple.Trade Review See what real readers are saying about The Prisoner’s Wife: ‘Thrilling, tense and amazingly paced.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A captivating debut… had me racing through the pages and kept me up all night.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An absolutely addictive, compelling and gripping page-turner!’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What a phenomenal debut! I need more!!! I devoured this. It left me speechless – I wish I could experience it for the first time all over again.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Engaging, gripping, addictive and completely unpredictable. An absolute must read. Ali Blood is an author to watch.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A brilliant thriller. Five stars.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘WOW. A page turner from beginning to end. A great read!’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This book is flippin’ brilliant! I could not put it down. It is so well written – you can feel the tension, the anxiety, the need to walk on eggshells. It will get your pulse racing!’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A brilliant twisting tale full of surprises.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A creepy, dark and atmospheric read that kept me on the edge of my seat with my heart pounding. Twisty, fast paced… I loved it.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
£7.59
Penguin Books Ltd Unsettled Ground
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHer strongest yet... a powerful, beautiful novel that shows us our land as it really is: a place of shelter and cruelty, innocence and experience * The Times *Dark, brilliantly observed and ultimately a tale of love winning the day. * The Sunday Telegraph *An intriguing, moving novel that will make you question assumptions you have about modern life * Tracy Chevalier, author of 'A Single Thread' *Superb...deservedly longlisted for this year's Women's Prize for Fiction * Daily Mail *A moving portrait of a family struggling against time. This book is ultimately about redemption-about the unexpected importance of neighbours, lovers, and friends, and the ways in which we can re-envision our lives for the better * Lucy Tan, author of What We Were Promised *So sharply, so utterly brilliant that I found myself holding my breath while reading it, dazzled by Fuller's mastery and precision. * Lauren Groff, author of 'Fates and Furies' *With sensitivity and intelligence, Fuller unpicks the relentless complexity of the modern world * The Guardian *'The way she writes (with empathy but never sentimentality) moves my heart' * Elizabeth Day, author of Magpie *Fuller is excellent at description, and capturing the twins' awkward interactions with the world. The fate of the illiterate and weak-hearted Jeanie once she loses everything that is safe is particularly unsettling * The Sunday Times *It's merciless in its observation of casual cruelty and merciful in its observation of casual kindness and family love * Richard Curtis *Unsettled Ground is another sly psychological treat from Claire Fuller, who just keeps on getting better with each book -- Laline PaullThese memorable characters will worm their way into your head and heart and the descriptions of the landscape are beautiful. * Jo Finney, Good Housekeeping *An atmospheric thriller that's both heartbreaking and heartwarming * Red *Tender, unusual... these memorable characters will work their way into your head and your heart * Good Housekeeping *Fuller's prose is darkly elegant, her eye for character astute and humane, and her sense of place vividly atmospheric -- here is a writer of great skill, sensitivity and subtlety -- Lucy Atkins, author of Magpie LaneClaire Fuller strikes the perfect balance between beauty and melancholy, in this relevant and powerful exploration of isolation and life on the fringes of society -- Clare Mackintosh, author of HostageUnsettled Ground shares with Fuller's previous works themes of closely guarded family secrets and homes built upon shaky foundations * Financial Times *This literary thriller is as moving and poignant as it is compelling * Express *These memorable characters will worm their way into your head and heart the descriptions of the landscape are beautiful * Good Housekeeping *
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Isobels Wedding
Book SynopsisIn ISOBEL''S WEDDING from no. 1 bestselling author Sheila O''Flanagan, Isobel faces every bride-to-be''s worst nightmare. Not to be missed by readers of Freya North and Veronica Henry. Four hundred and twenty pearls hand-sewn onto the wedding dress. The Mediterranean honeymoon booked for months. A pile of presents bigger than Everest. And her lovely Tim, the most perfect bridegroom a girl could wish for.Except, two weeks before the wedding, he changes his mind... Isobel''s wedding is off. Her world in tatters, Isobel turns to Spain, a new job, a new life and as many men as she can decently manage. Including the very appealing Nico with whom, she feels, there could be a long-term future. But part of Isobel knows that she will have to go back home some day. And that, despite all that''s happened since she left, she still has unfinished business...What readers are saying about Isobel''s Wedding: ''The best book I have ever read. I wish Sheila O''Flanagan would write another novel about Isabel as she was such a fantastic, normal, real character'' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars''Fabulous! Not only do I feel like I was taken on a stunning journey through Madrid, but the ending was spot on. I just wanted more, more, more!'' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars''A great novel with an unbelievable ending'' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars''I would strongly recommend this to anyone looking for a compelling and light-hearted funny book'' Amazon reviewer, 5 starsTrade Review'Another fantastic book' * Irish News *'The Sheila O'Flanagan guarantee is a pretty powerful one' * Irish Independent *
£10.44
Pan Macmillan Underworld
Book SynopsisUnderworld opens – famously – at the Dodgers-Giants 1951 National League final, where Bobby Thomson hits The Shot Heard Round the World and wins the pennant race for the Giants. But on the other side of the planet, another highly significant shot was fired: the USSR's first atomic detonation. And so begins a masterpiece of gloriously symphonic storytelling.Don DeLillo loosely follows the fate of the winning baseball as the book swells and rolls through time. He offers a panoramic vision of America, defined by the overarching conflict of the cold war.This is an awe-inspiring story, seen in deep, clear detail, of men and women, together and apart, as they search for meaning, survival and connection in the toughest of times.Part of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the best of modern literature.Trade ReviewA literary colossus, equal to any (and surpassing most) of the vaulting novels which strive for the immensity of the American mythic. -- Geoff Dyer * Sunday Telegraph *A rousingly impressive achievement in almost every novelistic department - dialogue, structure, timing, precise description, heartfelt veracity and the rest. -- William Boyd * Observer *Every decade or so the real thing comes along - a work of literature so overwhelmingly good that you know it is a masterpiece which will endure . . . huge sections sweep you along in a way that only the greatest books can. -- Michael Shelden * Daily Telegraph *His longest, most ambitious, and most complicated novel - and his best . . . Underworld is the black comedy of the Cold War; it is full of sentences that capture, with the choice of the odd word, a moment in American history. * New Yorker *Astonishing . . . an amazing performance . . . Mr DeLillo's most affecting novel yet . . . This bravura master of cerebral pyrotechnics also knows how to seize and rattle our emotions . . . In this remarkable novel, [DeLillo] has taken the effluvia of modern society, all the detritus of our daily and political lives, and turned it into a dazzling, phosphorescent work of art. * New York Times *Don DeLillo's latest epic, Underworld, brilliantly interweaves voices, incidents and telling details into a moving, empowering people's history. If Libra, White Noise and Mao II hadn't already done enough to persuade British readers that DeLillo ranks with the best of contemporary American novelists, Underworld surely will. -- Blake Morrison * Independent on Sunday *DeLillo suddenly fills the sky. Underworld renders DeLillo a great novelist . . . [it] surges with magisterial confidence through time (the last half-century) and through space (Harlem, Phoenix, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Texas, the Bronx) . . . It isn't every day, or even every decade, that one sees the ascension of a great writer. -- Martin Amis * Esquire *Among other things, the new novel from Don DeLillo is a remarkable feat of engineering . . . he chisels and carves until he has made something that cannot help but lift your heart: a cathedral of prose . . . He has built a towering structure and I recommend you climb to the top. The view is sensational. -- Allison Pearson * Evening Standard *With Underworld, DeLillo confirms himself in the select group of great American writers truly equal to the temper of very strange times. * Times Literary Supplement *Underworld is nothing less than the story of the States in the Cold War; an epic to set alongside Moby Dick or Augie March. -- Tim Adams * Observer *
£11.69
Pan Macmillan Christmas in the Snow
Book SynopsisWith glamorous locations and heart-breaking twists, Christmas in the Snow by Karen Swan is all you need for a truly decadent Christmas holiday. The perfect gift - even if it's just to yourself.No secret stays buried forever . . .In London, the snow is falling and Christmas is just around the corner - but Allegra Fisher barely has time to notice. She's pitching for the biggest deal of her career and can't afford to fail. And when she meets attractive stranger, Sam Kemp, on the plane to the meeting, she can't afford to lose her focus either. She learned to shut off her emotions long ago and only her sister and best friend Isobel knows why. But when Allegra finds herself up against Sam for the bid, their passion quickly turns sour.In Zermatt in the Swiss Alps, a long-lost mountain hut is discovered in the snow after sixty years and the last person expecting to become involved is Allegra - she hasn't even heard of the woman they Trade ReviewHide indoors with a glass of wine and lose yourself in this -- HeatDeliciously glamorous, irresistibly romantic -- Hello!As sassy and glamorous as a champagne cocktail -- Daily Mail
£9.49
Cornerstone The Balkan Trilogy
Book Synopsis'Her gallery of personages is huge, her scene painting superb, her pathos controlled, her humour quiet and civilised' Anthony Burgess'So glittering is the overall parade - and so entertaining the surface - that the trilogy remains excitingly vivid; it amuses, it diverts and it informs, and to do these things so elegantly is no small achievement' Sunday Times'A fantastically tart and readable account of life in eastern Europe at the start of the war' Sarah WatersThe Balkan Trilogy is the story of a marriage and of a war, a vast, teeming, and complex masterpiece in which Olivia Manning brings the uncertainty and adventure of civilian existence under political and military siege to vibrant life.At the heart of the trilogy are newly-weds Guy and Harriet Pringle, who arrive in Bucharest - the so-called Paris of the East - in the autumn of 1939, just weeks after the German invasion of Poland. Guy's lecturing job awaits, alongside friends and the ever-ardent Sophie - but for Harriet, alone and naive, it's a strange new life. Other surprises follow: Romania joins the Axis, and before long German soldiers overrun the capital. The Pringles flee south to Greece, part of a group of refugees made up of White Russians, journalists, con artists, and dignitaries. In Athens, however, the couple will face a new challenge of their own...Trade ReviewMagnificent ... full of wit, sharp insight and vivid description. * The Times *A fantastically tart and readable account of life in eastern Europe at the start of war -- Sarah WatersSo glittering is the overall parade- and so entertaining the surface that the trilogy remains excitingly vivid; it amuses, it diverts and it informs, and to do these things so elegantly is no small achievement. * Sunday Times *Wonderfully entertaining * Observer *One must salute the brilliance ... the exactness of sights and sounds, the precise touches of light and scent, the gestures and entrances * Guardian *
£17.09
Vintage Publishing The Daydreamer
Book SynopsisIan McEwan is the critically acclaimed author of seventeen books. His first published work, a collection of short stories, First Love, Last Rites, won the Somerset Maugham Award. His novels include The Child in Time, which won the 1987 Whitbread Novel of the Year Award; The Cement Garden; Enduring Love; Amsterdam, which won the 1998 Booker Prize; Atonement; Saturday; On Chesil Beach; Solar; Sweet Tooth; The Children Act; and Nutshell, which was a Number One bestseller. Atonement and Enduring Love have both been turned into award-winning films, The Children Act and On Chesil Beach are in production and set for release this year, and filming is currently underway for a BBC TV adaptation of The Child in Time.Trade ReviewExhilarating * Independent *Ian McEwan writes stories of exquisite precision and clarity * Evening Standard *As far-fetched and funny as anything by Roald Dahl * Vogue *Perfectly judged, scary, poignant, meaningful; he makes it look easy, but this is brilliantly achieved * Guardian *These stories are so good, as acute about childhood preoccupations, and at times as disturbing as you would expect * Harpers & Queen *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Rosie Result
Book SynopsisCurl up with the big-hearted and hilarious final instalment in the Rosie Project series about overcoming life''s obstacles with a little love and a lot of overthinkingTHE INTERNATIONAL MILLION COPY BESTSELLER ''Incredibly funny, life-affirming and warm-hearted'' HEAT''A fast-paced enjoyable journey. Genuinely heartwarming'' INDEPENDENT''Hilarity is the order of the day in this joyful read'' PRIMA''A fun and satisfying read'' SUNDAY EXPRESS''Laugh out loud'' MAIL ON SUNDAY __________Can you fit in when you were born to stand out?Don Tillman - scientist, husband, father, and world''s greatest problem-solver - is facing his toughest task yet.He and his wife Rosie have been told their son, Hudson, needs an autism assessment.Having faced a lifetime of not fitting in, Don fears for his son and decides only he can help.BuTrade ReviewThis funny novel tackles tough questions about family and love with a light touch and a big heart * Daily Mail Must Reads *Fans of The Rosie Project will love this ... It's heart-warming and clever * Daily Mail *Offers a touching and intelligent insight into autism, while Don's hilarious escapades keep the laughs coming * i *Graeme Simsion tackles some of the heavy issues of our day - autism, gender roles, political correctness - but his light touch makes this novel a fun and satisfying read * Sunday Express *Hilarity is the order of the day in this joyful read * Prima *The final book in Simsion's much-loved Rosie series . . . Uplifting * Mail on Sunday *A fast-paced, enjoyable journey. Genuinely heartwarming . . . He is certainly ending on a high note * Independent *All three of the Rosie novels made me laugh out loud. Ultimately the story is about getting inside the mind and heart of someone a lot of people see as odd, and discovering that he isn't really that different from anybody else -- Bill Gates, 2020 Summer BooksSuperb. A perfect mix of humour, heart and insight * Gavin Extence, bestselling author of The Universe Versus Alex Wood *Excellent . . . beautifully and sensitively written, you will enjoy every sentence * Living Edge *Don Tillman is surely one of the most recognisable, distinctive narrators in modern fiction ... While this book is deeper and more thought-provoking than the first, there are many moments of humour and unexpected joy ... Uplifting, eye-opening and definite food for thought on whether we need to adapt to the world, or whether something the world is a better place in accommodating us as we are * My Weekly *UpLit novels to light up your life * Red Online *Entertaining and thought-provoking * BookTrib *What is normal, and who among us gets to decide what is? Or is it enough to simply be comfortable in one's own skin? These are the heavy questions at the crux of this lighthearted book about identity and the consequences of seeing other people through the lens of labels * San Francisco Chronicle *The message of inclusiveness and embracing differences is lovely. In the end, The Rosie Result is about learning to be comfortable with who you are * National Public Radio *Behind all the steady wit and the rolling jokes, this is a thoughtful and provocative novel. [Readers] will love it as much as they did The Rosie Project * Sydney Morning Herald *Praise for The Rosie Project Series * : *Compulsively readable. A poignant, universal story about how best to reconcile head and heart * Observer *Sublime, pitch-perfect, extremely funny * Independent *Brilliant, important, good-hearted * Guardian *Exuberantly life-affirming * Sunday Times *The book offers a touching and intelligent insight into autism, while Don's hilarious escapades keep the laughs coming * Morecambe Visitor *All three books in Simsion's series made me laugh out loud and were wonderfully endearing, genuine and open-hearted - everything I look for in a story * Post (Bristol) *Behind all the steady wit and the rolling jokes, this is a thoughtful and provocative novel. [Readers] will love it as much as they did The Rosie Project * Sydney Morning Herald *Compulsively readable. A poignant, universal story about how best to reconcile head and heart * Observer *Sublime, pitch-perfect, extremely funny * Independent *Brilliant, important, good-hearted * Guardian *Exuberantly life-affirming * Sunday Times *
£10.44
Cornerstone Operation Moonlight: A compelling and emotionally
Book SynopsisPassion, war and deadly secrets . . .'A charming novel full of fascinating detail about the Second World War, AND a heart-warming love story. I loved every word of it!' Katie Fforde'Wonderfully moving. A book to curl up with' Fern Britton'I absolutely loved this heart-warming story of wartime secrets, love and redemption' Susan Lewis'Enthralling from beginning to end' Alan Titchmarsh'Well researched and extremely moving. I really enjoyed it' Jill Mansell___________________WARTIME FRANCE, 1944Trust absolutely no one.This is the only advice newly recruited SOE agent Elisabeth Shepherd is given when faced with the impossible.Her mission: to enter Nazi-occupied France and monitor the Germans' deadly long-range missiles.GUILDFORD, 2018Betty is celebrating her 100th birthday when she receives an invite from the Century Society to reminisce on the past.She remains mysteriously tight-lipped about her past, however.And then her carer, Tali, discovers a box full of maps, letters and a gun . . .___________________Readers love Operation Moonlight . . .***** 'Beautifully written and researched, this was a truly compelling read, emotionally moving and with the perfect amount of jeopardy to keep me glued to the pages!'***** 'Operation Moonlight goes beyond just another historical fiction tale of a woman in WWII to a real page-turning literary account which was a pleasure to read.'***** 'This is a wonderful book, very gripping with a slight hint of romance.'***** 'It was very well written, totally absorbing, and with a very authentic feel.'***** 'It's one that will be staying on my shelf.'Trade Review'Wonderfully moving. A book to curl up with'—Fern Britton'I absolutely loved this heart-warming story of wartime secrets, love and redemption' —Susan Lewis'Enthralling from beginning to end' —Alan Titchmarsh'A charming novel full of fascinating detail about the Second World War, AND a heart-warming love story. I loved every word of it!'—Katie Fforde'Well researched and extremely moving. I really enjoyed it' —Jill Mansell
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Sisters By A River: A Virago Modern Classic
Book Synopsis'Tragic, comic and completely bonkers all in one, I'd go as far as to call her something of a neglected genius' LUCY SCHOLES, GUARDIAN 'It is hard not to believe that Barbara Comyns's own adventures are entangled in her fiction' JANE GARDAM, SPECTATOR'All of her books read as if she wrote them effortlessly' URSULA HOLDEN On the banks of the River Avon, five sisters are born. The seasons come and go, the girls take their lessons under the ash tree and there is always the sound of water swirling through the weir. Then, unexpectedly, an air of decay descends upon the house: ivy grows unchecked over the windows, angry shouts split the summer air, the milk sours in the larder and their father takes out his gun. Tragedy strikes the family, and before long the furniture is being auctioned off and the sisters dispersed among relatives. In her daring first novel, originally published in 1947, Barbara Comyns' unique young heroine relates the vivid, funny and bittersweet story of a childhood.Trade ReviewTragic, comic and completely bonkers all in one, I'd go as far as to call her something of a neglected genius -- Lucy Scholes * Guardian *A vision that shifts between savagery, lyricism and tragic wit. A true original * Independent *It is hard not to believe that Barbara Comyns's own adventures are entangled in her fiction. Sisters by a River, which she wrote for her own children -- Jane Gardam * Spectator *Quite simply, Comyns' writes like no one else -- Maggie O'Farrell
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Wild Strawberries: A Virago Modern Classic
Book SynopsisPretty, impecunious Mary Preston, newly arrived as a guest of her Aunt Agnes at the magnificent wooded estate of Rushwater, falls head over heels for handsome playboy David Leslie. Meanwhile, Agnes and her mother, the eccentric matriarch Lady Emily, have hopes of a different, more suitable match for Mary. At the lavish Rushwater dance party, her future happiness hangs in the balance . . .Trade ReviewCharming, very funny indeed. Angela Thirkell is perhaps the most Pym-like of any twentieth-century author, after Pym herself -- Alexander McCall SmithIf you like Nancy Mitford you'll love this * Elle Decoration *A witty romantic comedy and a warm and inviting piece of social satire from this sharply observant and popular writer * Good Book Guide *With touches of Nancy Mitford, Barbara Pym and PG Wodehouse, Angela Thirkell's sparkling prose recounts misunderstandings and mishaps in a particularly English way. * Spectator *Charming, very funny indeed. Angela Thirkell is perhaps the most Pym-like of any twentieth-century author, after Pym herself. -- Alexander McCall SmithAppealing. * Glasgow Sunday Herald *If you like Nancy Mitford you'll love this * Elle Decoration *A witty romantic comedy and a warm and inviting piece of social satire from this sharply observant and popular writer * Good Book Guide *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Home Scar: From the Women’s Prize-longlisted
Book Synopsis"MacMahon writes with such beautiful simplicity, conjuring real and complex people straight off the page ... subtle and authentic" - Claire Fuller On opposite sides of the world, half-siblings Cassie and Christo have built their lives around work, intent on ignoring their painful past.When a dramatic storm in Galway hits the headlines, they're drawn back there to revisit a glorious childhood summer, the last before their mother died. But their journey uncovers memories of a far less happy summer - one that had tragic consequences.Confronted with the havoc their mother left in her wake, Cassie and Christo are forced to face their past and - ready or not - to deal with the messy tangle of parental love and neglect that shaped them.The Home Scar is a luminous and precise story about the inheritance of loss and the possibility of finally making peace with it._________"Her beautifully simple style belies psychological complexity ... and her tone is wryly accepting" - Big Issue "Quiet and bleakly beautiful ... like the siblings and Ireland, it will leave a permanent mark on those who venture into its depths" - Buzz "Picks at the wounds only a mother can inflict ... ambitious ... intricate" - Sunday Independent "An exceptional novel about a brother and sister returning to the west of Ireland and to a summer of their past." - Anne Griffin, Sunday Independent "A powerful story about legacy and loss and the possibility of reconciliation" - Irish Times Trade ReviewA powerful story about legacy and loss and the possibility of reconciliation * Irish Times *Her beautifully simple style belies psychological complexity . . . and her tone is wryly accepting * Big Issue *Quiet and bleakly beautiful . . . like the siblings and Ireland, it will leave a permanent mark on those who venture into its depths * Buzz *Picks at the wounds only a mother can inflict . . . ambitious . . . intricate * Sunday Independent *An exceptional novel about a brother and sister returning to the west of Ireland and to a summer of their past. -- Anne Griffin * Sunday Independent *
£12.59
Pan Macmillan The Nix
Book Synopsis'The best new writer of fiction in America. The best.' – John Irving'Outstanding' – John Boyne, The Irish Times'The best thing a reviewer can do when faced with a novel of this calibre and breadth is to urge you to read it for yourselves.' – The GuardianNathan Hill's brilliant debut, The Nix, journeys from the rural Midwest of the 1960s, to New York City during Occupy Wall Street; from Chicago in 1968, to wartime Norway: home of the mysterious Nix.Meet Samuel: stalled writer, bored teacher at a local college, obsessive player of online video games. He hasn't seen his mother, Faye, in decades, not since she abandoned her family when he was a boy. Now she has suddenly reappeared, having committed an absurd politically motivated crime that electrifies the nightly news, beguiles the Internet, and inflames a divided America.The media paints Faye as a radical hippie with a sordid past, but as far as Samuel knows, his mother was an ordinary girl who married her high-school sweetheart. Which version of his mother is true? Two facts are certain: she's facing some serious charges, and she needs Samuel's help.As Samuel begins to excavate his mother's, and his country's, history, he will unexpectedly find that he has to rethink everything he ever knew about her - a woman with an epic story of her own, a story she has kept hidden from the world.Trade ReviewImpressive that a debutant, Nathan Hill, with his scintillating The Nix has given us a character who comes close to out-Trumping Trump . . . Just one of the many pleasures of this engaging story of a mother and son whose private travails become front-page news. -- New Year Highlights * Observer *Alarmingly good . . . both a Great American Novel as well as a great American novel... aches with all-new relevance. * Guardian *A superb debut novel . . . could well be the most ambitious novel of the year... It seems like Hill is a writer who can do pretty much what he wants. * Daily Telegraph *Compulsive and crazily entertaining -- Anthony Quinn * Observer *We're in the presence of a major new comic novelist . . . a brilliant, endearing writer . . . Readers . . . will be dazzled. * Washington Post *The best new writer of fiction in America. The best. -- John IrvingI got a big kick out of Nathan Hill's impressive first novel, The Nix (Picador), out in the UK next year. Hill's zeitgeisty portrayals of video game addiction and customer-oriented university education are brilliant. -- Lionel Shriver, 'Books of the Year 2016' * Observer *Wonderful. Everything that doesn't involve reading this book is a nuisance and a distraction. -- Sarah Jessica ParkerHill has so much talent to burn that he can pull off just about any style, imagine himself into any person and convincingly portray any place or time. The Nix is hugely entertaining and unfailingly smart, and the author seems incapable of writing a pedestrian sentence or spinning a boring story * New York Times Book Review *There is an accidental topicality in Hill's debut, about an estranged mother and son whose fates hinge on two mirror-image political events - the Democratic Convention of 1968 and the Republican Convention of 2004. But beyond that hook lies a high-risk, high-reward playfulness with structure and tone: comic set pieces, digressions into myth, and formal larks that call to mind Jennifer Egan's A Visit From the Goon Squad. * New York Magazine *It broke my heart, this book. Time after time. It made me laugh just as often. I loved it on the first page as powerfully as I did on the last . . . Nathan Hill? . . . He's gonna be famous. -- National Public RadioThis is a book to get one excited not only about Hill and his future as a novelist, but also about the power of writing to blot out background-noise banality and vault us forward into the new and wondrous. * San Francisco Chronicle *Nathan Hill Is Compared to John Irving. Irving Compares Him to Dickens. * New York Times *Hill skillfully blends humor and darkness, imagery and observation. He also excels at describing technology, addition, cultural milestones, and childhood ordeals. Cameos by [the famous] add heart and perspective to this rich, lively take on American social conflict, real and invented, over the last half-century. * Publishers' Weekly, starred and boxed review *This guy has chops -- Jay McInerneyA great sprawling feast of a first novel . . . both darkly satirical and uproariously funny . . . Hill writes with an astonishingly sure hand for a young author . . . Let's just call him the real thing. * Newsday *Dazzling . . . rich and multilayered . . . the debut of an important new writer, able to variously make readers laugh out loud while providing a melancholy, resonant tale that argues "there is no greater ache than this: guilt and regret in equal measure." * USA Today *The Nix is a timely mass-media and political satire, a family saga and two bildungsromans rolled into one ? and, in each facet, Nathan Hill crafts a hilarious, observant, unputdownable tale. * Huffington Post *By turns, wickedly funny, shockingly wise, touching and thought-provoking . . . a rich buffet of a novel. * Toronto Star *A fantastic novel about love, betrayal, politics and pop culture - as good as the best Michael Chabon or Jonathan Franzen. * People *A stunning debut . . . the first book I’ve read in two decades that earns the title Great American Novel. -- Liesl Schillinger, 'What’s the Best Book, New or Old, You Read This Year?' * New York Times *Not only dramatising America’s great tussle between minority interests and Midwestern grievances, [The Nix] even features a rogue presidential candidate who talks about immigrants as though they are coyotes damaging crops . . . But it’s the human drama of a relationship between a son and his mother (too busy protesting in the Sixties to bring him up) that will keep you hooked while you think. * GQ *This self-assured, sprawling debut is about the relationship between a college professor and his mother. It's a dense, satirical piece of fiction which offers commentary on the American history and modern technology. This novel is more relevant than ever in these tech-crazed times of mass media and political turmoil. With J.J. Abrams adapting it for a miniseries starring none other than Meryl Streep, The Nix is definitely one of the highlights of 2017 * Wales Arts Review *I have not read anything like this since . . . Jonathan Franzen . . . Gripping and funny. * Evening Standard *My favourite novel of our solipsistic times is easily The Nix by Nathan Hill. Laura Pottsdam is a student caught plagiarising by her literature professor, the protagonist of the novel Samuel Andresen-Anderson. Pottsdam is the crushing embodiment of our Trumpian age... If his debut is anything to go by, Hill may well one day be seen as the Charles Dickens of our self-obsessed age. -- Will Storr * Guardian *To make sense of what is going on Portland, USA today, refer back to Nathan Hill’s The Nix - published four years ago. Hill captures the soul of the US through a handful of characters. He unlocks the code to the current state of the country - the hubris of polarisation; a way of life played as a zero-sum game . . .The Great American Novel is a myth, much like the baseball World Series, and is the myth that undermines the nation. There can, of course, be a North American great novel. The Nix certainly is that, and even better: it is a great novel. * Daily Maverick *
£10.44
Pan Macmillan Mum & Dad: The Heartfelt Richard & Judy Book Club
Book SynopsisA Richard & Judy Book Club Pick, Mum & Dad is a heartwarming family drama set in the vineyards of Spain. From the number one bestselling author of An Unsuitable Match, Joanna Trollope, and told with all her trademark wit and wisdom.'Trollope’s bestselling novel brings elegance and warmth to a painfully familiar dilemma' – Daily MailWhat happens when family roles are reversed and the children must look after mum and dad?It’s been twenty-five years since Gus and Monica left England to start a new life in Spain, building a wine business from the ground up. However, when Gus suffers a stroke and their idyllic Mediterranean life is thrown into upheaval, it’s left to their three grown-up children in London to step in . . .As the children descend on the vineyard, it becomes clear that each has their own idea of how best to handle their mum and dad, as well as the family business. But as long-simmering resentments rise to the surface and tensions reach breaking point, will the family finally fall apart?'No-one dissects the intricacies of family relationships quite like Joanna Trollope' - Good HousekeepingTrade ReviewNo-one dissects the intricacies of family relationships quite like her -- Good HousekeepingTrollope's mastery of the family saga means this tightly plotted tale makes for a thoughtful, absorbing read -- Daily MailA meticulous family drama, bristling with resentment and regret -- Mail on SundayTrollope is an extremely assured writer, with a brilliant eye for detail and a finely tuned emotional intelligence . . . she writes absorbing, wise stories that dramatize the dilemmas we face * Sunday Times *With her compassion for her characters, Trollope cuts to the quick of family life, and the difference between men and women -- Fanny Blake * Woman & Home *Joanna Trollope's novels address the issues and emotional journeys that face women today * Sunday Express *Trollope writes about family relationships with intelligence and clear-eyed sympathy * The Times *Nobody writes about family tensions better than Joanna Trollope * Good Housekeeping *Trollope’s bestselling novel brings elegance and warmth to a painfully familiar dilemma * Daily Mail *
£8.54
Atlantic Books Crazy Rich Asians
Book SynopsisThe acclaimed international bestseller now a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh and Gemma Chan!When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars and that she is about to encounter the strangest, craziest group of people in existence. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian jet set; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money - and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.Trade ReviewOriginal and fun, Crazy Rich Asians is quite a roller coaster trip. I loved it! -- Jackie CollinsMordantly funny -- Anna WintourUnputdownably funny... a Chinese Dallas meets Pride and Prejudice -- Plum Sykes, bestselling author of BERGDORF BLONDESThis summer's Bergdorf Blondes, over-the-top funny and a novelty to boot. Mr. Kwan delivers nonstop hoots about a whole new breed of rich, vulgar, brand-name-dropping conspicuous consumers -- Janet Maslin, New York TimesIf your definition of a beach read is a book version of Vogue, then this is the book for you -- Emma G Keller, 'Best Beach Reads' 2013 * Guardian.co.uk *This is fun, superficial escapism that hooks and reels in even the reluctant reader: Dynasty among the filthy-rich Chinese community -- Independent
£8.09
Penguin Books Ltd The Swimmers
Book SynopsisWinner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction''Exquisite'' The New York Times''A tale of grief and memory awash with dark humour and wit'' Spectator____________________________________________________Up there, she says, I''m just another little old lady. But down here, at the pool, I''m myself.For the people who swim there each day, the local pool is a haven of unexpected kinship and private solace. For Alice, her daily laps have become the ritual that gives her life meaning, even though she may not remember the combination to her locker or where she put her towel.But one day, a crack appears deep beneath the surface of the water, and then another, and then another. The pool must close for repairs, and with that Alice is plunged into dislocation and chaos.Away from the steady routines of her swimming, she is engulfed by difficult memories of her own past. And as her sense of home, and of herself, slip further out of her grasp, her daughter must navigate the newly fractured landscape of their relationship.From the internationally bestselling author of The Buddha in the Attic comes a novel about memory and loss, mothers and daughters, the stories that make up a life, and what happens when they start to unravel.______________________________________________''I''m in awe of how this beautiful, graceful novel can hold so much grief and loss and love in its pages: a literary gem.'' Nicci Gerrard''An unforgettable novel about mothers and daughters by a spellbinding talent'' Daily MailTrade ReviewHer wisdom is staggeringly beautiful, implicating each of us * The Irish Times *Here comes the new Julie Otsuka novel, so we can begin to live again * Colson Whitehead, author of Harlem Shuffle *Heartbreaking and astoundingly good * Rebecca Makkai, author of The Great Believers *I'm in awe of how this beautiful, graceful novel can hold so much grief and loss and love in its pages: a literary gem. * Nicci Gerard, author of Soham: A Story Of Our Times *'If it wasn't tragedy it would be comedy, and it nimbly treads the very narrow line between' * The Tablet *'One of the marvels of The Swimmers is its unshowy portrayal of the immense drama inherent in losing the mind before the body has expired. But perhaps even more impressive is its respect for the general confusion of living' * Financial Times *Poignant and funny, I've never read such a brilliant account of this devastating illness, nor for that matter of the compulsive nature of swimming lengths in a pool. * Collagerie *"The Swimmers" is an exquisite companion. Though it doesn't answer the unanswerable, the novel's quiet insistence resonates: that it is our perfectly ordinary proclivities that make us who we are. * New York Times *An unforgettable novel about mothers and daughters by a spellbinding talent * Daily Mail *Stylistically ambitious and deeply moving * Kirkus Reviews *A goddamn heartbreaker * Emma Straub, author of The Vacationers *A story of memory loss and its fallout for family, and of the power of pool friendship. Glittering and tender. * Sainsbury's Magazine *As a regular and sedate swimmer, I loved this novel...A quiet and thoughtful story about the small, steady joys of life and how quickly and irrevocably they can become disrupted. * Red Magazine *A story about mothers and daughters, love and loss, it will make you reconsider what's truly important in life * Kintsugi Magazine *Haunting, ironic and poetic in its resonance, this slender volume is a must-read...Don't miss this beautifully written, heartfelt, wry and wistful exploration of loss. * Woman & Home *With shrewd characterisation and original observations, Otsuka tells a tale of grief and memory that's quietly observed yet awash with dark humour and wit. * Spectator *Amid an incantatory litany of totalising losses, there are snapshots of a unique life with all its complications. Superbly realised and incredibly moving * Daily Mail *Haunting, ironic and poetic in its resonance, this slender volume is a must-read * Woman's Weekly *What makes a good life? What is a good death? The answers to these questions shimmer elusively just below the surface of The Swimmers * Stylist *Otsuka's slender, stylistically ambitious third novel is a marvel, capturing the hypnotic rhythm of lane-swimming and the devastating decline of memory and connection as dementia takes hold...Heartbreakingly powerful * Mail on Sunday, Best New Fiction *
£9.49
Faber & Faber The Illuminations
Book Synopsis** Order Andrew O''Hagan''s new novel, Caledonian Road, now ** From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Mayflies and Caledonian Road How much do we keep from the people we love? Why is the truth so often buried in secrets? Can we learn from the past or must we forget it?Standing one evening at the window of her house by the sea, Anne Quirk sees a rabbit disappearing in the snow. Nobody remembers her now, but this elderly woman was in her youth a pioneer of British documentary photography. Her beloved grandson, Luke, now a captain with the Royal Western Fusiliers, is on a tour of duty in Afghanistan, part of a convoy taking equipment to the electricity plant at Kajaki. Only when Luke returns home to Scotland does Anne''s secret story begin to emerge, along with his, and they set out for an old guest house in Blackpool where she once kept a room.
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton Nora Goes Off Script
Book Synopsis''Such a charming read'' CURTIS SITTENFELD ''Smart, fresh and romantic . . . I loved this book with my whole heart'' BETH O''LEARY ''Absolutely irresistible - funny, addictive and deliciously romantic'' ROSIE WALSH *****Nora''s life is about to get a rewrite . . .Nora Hamilton knows the formula for love better than anyone. As a romance channel screenwriter, it''s her job. But when her husband leaves her and their two kids, Nora turns the collapse of her marriage into the best script of her life. When it''s picked up for the big screen and set to film on location at her picturesque Hudson Valley home, Nora''s life will never be the same - especially after world-famous Hollywood actor and former ''Sexiest Man Alive'' Leo Vance is cast as her ex-husband.The morning after the crew leaves, Nora finds Leo on her porch with a half-empty bottle of tequila and a proposition. He''ll pay Trade ReviewI loved this book with my whole heart. It's smart, fresh and romantic, full of humour and warmth. I didn't want to put it down * Beth O'Leary *Such a charming read * Curtis Sittenfeld *Absolutely irresistible - funny, addictive and deliciously romantic, this is exactly the sort of book we all need right now * Rosie Walsh *Wildly addictive and perfectly escapist, I have recommended this book to everyone! * Paige Toon *I love Nora. I love her voice. I love the romance. I love the pacing. I love that she's a mum. I love it all . . . It's got the vibes of Beach Read by Emily Henry, with the escapist glamour of Hollywood. Absolutely nails the comedy, the romance, and the sparkle. My favourite read of this year, and soon to be yours! * Lizzy Dent *I absolutely loved this book. It is the perfect combination of heart, drama and humour. Totally delicious, and perfect for summer * Holly McCulloch *Magical . . . As much a beautiful story of female agency and empowerment, as it is a tantalising love story. The kind of book you want to savour, yet can't help whizzing through. It's a dream read * Heat *Nora and Leo are both believable, engaging protagonists who I rooted for from the start * Daily Mail *This sparkling rom-com is fresh, funny and will make your heart soar with the romance of it! * My Weekly *I really liked this book, with Annabel Monaghan managing to bring that feature film feeling to the page . . . the perfect book for those looking for a second chance at love and even those who just love to get swept up in a story * MyLondon *So refreshing and different, I was reading late into the night. I defy you not to fall in love with Nora's story * Dani Atkins *Funny and good-hearted - a romance for romantics, a blending of the real and the deliciously unreal * Linda Holmes *This perfectly-scripted love story left me feeling the way all the best romances do: filled with hope and the feeling that true love always wins * Jill Santopolo *Such a freaking delight . . . Charming, funny, uplifting and completely captivating, I devoured it in three days * Elin Hilderbrand *Dreamy * The Handbook Magazine * Perfectly captures the apprehension and excitement of infatuation blended with life's complications * Washington Post *Irresistible . . . With pitch-perfect characters full of foibles and flaws, the work taps into genuine feelings as the characters fall in love. This is a winner * Publishers Weekly *A witty and poignant roller coaster that springs a delightful surprise * People *The perfect escape from reality * USA Today *Wryly observed escapism - romantic but never mawkish * Mail on Sunday *For fans of Book Lovers by Emily Henry . . . highlights single motherhood and the ways in which children can both complicate new romance and make it even more heartwarming. It's the feel-good book you didn't realize you needed * Reader's Digest *I urge you to read the brilliantly scripted (pun intended), smart, off-beat romance Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan. I adored it * Book(ish) *
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co The Color Purple
Book SynopsisONE OF THE BBC ''100 NOVELS THAT SHAPED OUR WORLD''''A lush celebration of all that it means to be a black female''Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie''A story about Black women living in the intersections of racialized and gendered violence, who find liberation through community with each other. A brutal and beautiful novel''Brit Bennett''Every single time I read this book, I walk away as a slightly better person than I was when I picked it up''Tayari Jones''I think that The Color Purple was the first book that made me think that I could try to be a writer - or that made me aware that a young black woman from the South could write about the South''Jesmyn Ward''I got the book and read it, in one day, when it came out. And then I went back, the next day, and bought every copy they had''Oprah WinfreySisters Celie and Nettie share the pain and struggle of growing upTrade ReviewA genuinely mind-expanding book. * GUARDIAN *She is one of the most gifted writers in her countryThe Color Purple is a work to stand beside literature for any time and any place. It needs no category other than the fact that it is superbThe Color Purple is a lush celebration of all that it means to be female, to be a black female and like the best of celebrations, it is an honest one. Alice Walker's honesty in this book is combative, relentless and redemptive. It is from this honesty that bitterness emerges, and yet the bitterness never blights the encompassing humanity of Walker's vision.I love that The Color Purple doesn't try to soften its blows but is also courageous enough to hold on to a wonderfully affirming faith in possibility, in forgiveness and kindness and hope.The great irony about The Color Purple is that it transcends colour. To do that you have to be a magician or a genius. This book works on all levels, the political, the historical, the personal, the emotional, the spiritual . . . Not a word is wasted, every breath accounted for. We all know that this is one of the greatest books of all time.A unique blend of serenity and immediacy that makes your senses acheAlice Walker is a lavishly gifted writer * New York Times *A fable for the modern world * Washington Post *A stunning, brilliantly conceived book . . . a saga filled with joy and pain, humor and bitterness, and an array of characters who live, breathe and illuminate the world of black women * Publishers Weekly *One of the most haunting books you could ever wish to read ... it is stunning - moving, exciting, and wonderful * Lenny Henry *This made Alice Walker the first black woman to win a Pulitzer Prize. It's a fascinating but tough read because it deals with the abuse of women and children. Despite the brutality, it's filled with hope and optimism * DAILY EXPRESS *A story about Black women living in the intersections of racialized and gendered violence, who find liberation through community with each other. A brutal and beautiful novel * Brit Bennett, bestselling author of The Vanishing Half *
£17.09
Pan Macmillan Little Women
Book SynopsisNow a major motion picture starring Timothée Chalamet, Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson and Meryl Streep. Recognized as one of the best-loved classic children's stories of all time, Little Women is an utterly beguiling novel.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition includes the sequel, Good Wives, which picks up the girls' stories three years on, and features an afterword by publisher Anna South.Louisa May Alcott tells the story of the courageous and ingenious March sisters; Jo, the independent tomboy; Beth, who is delicate and loving; pretty and kind Meg; and beautiful, precocious Amy, the baby of the family. Their devoted mother Marmee, recently impoverished, must care for them alone whilst their father is away serving as a chaplain in the Civil War.Trade ReviewAlcott’s book has become the cast-iron foundation from which other writers and artists can build their own beliefs and desires. * Independent *One-hundred-and-fifty-year-old literature never felt so alive . . . There’s a reason why Little Women, in print continuously since its first volume was published in 1868, has been such an enduring phenomenon, and that is Jo March. * Guardian *During the 150 years since the novel’s publication, fans have worshipped Alcott’s story . . . a treasured American classic and peerless coming-of-age story for girls. * The Atlantic *
£9.89
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Last House Before the Mountain
Book Synopsis'Beautiful and heartbreaking ... I absolutely loved it' Monica Ali, Sunday Times Bestselling author of Love Marriage ‘The whole, biographically inspired family drama tells of the greatest feelings we have: Love, anger, envy and grief’ Meike Schnitzler, Brigitte Maria and Josef live with their children in a valley in westernmost Austria. When the First World War breaks out and Josef is drafted into the army, Maria is left to provide for her family alone. Every day is a struggle against starvation, the harsh alpine climate and the hostile nearby villagers who see Maria as little more than a beautiful temptress out for the men left behind. But when a red-haired stranger arrives in the village, Maria feels happiness seep back into her life and she faces a choice whose consequences will affect the lives of her family for generations to come. Based on the internationally bestselling and award-winning Austrian novelist Monika Helfer's own family history, Last House Before the Mountain is a propulsive, haunting, multi-layered saga about love, family, and the hidden wages of war.Trade Review[Last House] is beautiful and heartbreaking, and readers will fall in love with Maria. It’s also a profound meditation on the stories we tell about ourselves, the stories others tell about us, how those stories are handed down the generations, and the effect of inherited narratives and memories on our lives. I absolutely loved it * Monica Ali, Sunday Times Bestselling author of Love Marriage *A poignant, captivating, beautifully woven family saga. As honest as Elena Ferrante, with the folkloric intensity of Téa Obreht, Last House Before the Mountain explores the ways we reconstruct our family histories in an attempt to understand who we are * Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of The Exiles, A Piece of the World, and Orphan Train *Last House Before the Mountain by Monika Helfer is a masterclass in literary compression. In just 125 pages, Helfer brings a whole world of wonder, loss and deep, deep longing to indelible life * Laird Hunt, author of Zorrie *Monika Helfer powerfully transfigures the lives of a family who exist physically and emotionally at the edge of their society, as the flames of war reshape their shadowed world forever * David Park, author of Spies in Canaan *The whole, biographically inspired family drama tells of the greatest feelings we have: Love, anger, envy and grief * Meike Schnitzler, Brigitte *Every sentence resonates in hazy, indescribable beauty * Alexander Solloch, NDR Kultur *In Monika Helfer's novel, not only every word is right, but every syllable * schreiblust-leselust.de *A powerful, autofictional family epic * TOPMagazin *
£8.54
Transworld Publishers Ltd The Queen of Dirt Island: From the
Book SynopsisFrom the Booker longlisted author, and an Irish Times No.1 bestseller - a searing, jubilant novel about four generations of women and the stories that bind them.'Beautiful, compassionate ... Donal Ryan at his inimitable best.' MAGGIE O'FARRELL'One of the finest novelists writing today... a haunting, exquisite masterpiece.' RACHEL JOYCE___________This is a story about family, about all of the things it should be - and sometimes isn't.In Nenagh, County Tipperary, four generations of Aylward women live and love. The head of the family, Nana, is a woman who has buried two sons and whose life has been the family farm. Her daughter-in-law, Eileen, is estranged from her own parents, having 'shamed' them and given birth to Saoirse. And then there's Saoirse herself, eavesdropping on lives she cannot comprehend. It is only when they must battle for the inheritance of Dirt Island - a narrow strip of land adjacent to Eileen's childhood home - that they truly understand the roots that bind their lives together._________'The prose drips like honey off a spoon' SUNDAY TIMES'Beautifully poised, sad, poetic and human....I loved every single line.' IAN RANKIN'A generous mosaic of a novel about the staying power of love and pride and history and family' COLUM McCANN'His paragraphs are unnoticeably beautiful, his heart always on show' ANNE ENRIGHT'Endlessly surprising and incredibly moving' DAVID NICHOLLS'A life-enhancing talent' SEBASTIAN BARRY'I would struggle to think of any other Irish author working today who writes with as much compassion as Donal Ryan' LOUISE O'NEILLTrade ReviewThis is a generous mosaic of a novel about the staying power of love and pride and history and family. While Donal Ryan is never afraid of "all the meanness and sorrow of the world," he also manages to excavate the thrilling beauties that hold us together. He manages, with wit and grace, to illuminate the anonymous corners of human experience and get at the underworld of our souls. * COLUM McCANN *Donal Ryan is one of the finest novelists writing today and this is a gem of a novel. Full of humanity, humility, humour, drama and mystery, his characters are so vivid you feel they are sitting outside, waiting for him to conjure them to life. He writes with grace and precision, with love indeed, about who we are and why, about family history and the ghosts we carry. A haunting, exquisite masterpiece. * RACHEL JOYCE *From its opening pages, this book exerts a quiet, propulsive hold over its reader. The three generations of Aylward women will break your heart and then put it back together again. It's a beautiful, compassionate novel - Donal Ryan at his inimitable best. * MAGGIE O'FARRELL *Beautifully poised, sad, poetic and human....I loved every single line. * IAN RANKIN *I truly enjoyed The Queen Of Dirt Island from its jolting first chapter to its calm, graceful conclusion. Now I'm on to Strange Flowers. * PAUL SIMON *
£9.49
Transworld Publishers Ltd Us Three: The heart-warming and uplifting Sunday
Book Synopsis***THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER***'A touching celebration of the beauty and endurance of female friendship. There is nothing mightier. Fact.' DAWN FRENCHThe new novel from Ruth Jones, co-creator of Gavin & Stacey and author of the smash-hit, number one bestselling debut, Never Greener.Friends forever is a difficult promise to keep...Meet Lana, Judith and Catrin. Best friends since primary school when they swore an oath on a Curly Wurly wrapper that they would always be there for each other, come what may.After the trip of a lifetime, the three girls are closer than ever. But an unexpected turn of events shakes the foundation of their friendship to its core, leaving their future in doubt - there's simply too much to forgive, let alone forget. An innocent childhood promise they once made now seems impossible to keep . . .Packed with all the heart and empathy that made Ruth's name as a screenwriter and now author, Us Three is a funny, moving and uplifting novel about life's complications, the power of friendship and how it defines us all.Prepare to meet characters you'll feel you've known all your life - prepare to meet Us Three.*****Praise for Us Three:'A warm, smart, uplifting tale of true friendship.' BETH O'LEARY'This novel oozes warmth and honesty. A big-hearted book that provides a cast of characters you'll lose your heart to.' ADELE PARKS'I loved this brilliantly gripping depiction of the complexities of female friendship over the years. Love, betrayal, comedy and loss - Us Three has it all.' FIONA NEILL*****Readers love Us Three:'I love the way Ruth Jones writes. The relationship between the 3 friends is perfect and a wonderful book to read about friendship''I absolutely loved this so much. There were moments that made me cry and other moments that made me laugh.''Best book of the year so far. To sum it up I'd say "it was bloody lush"'****RUTH'S BRILLIANT NEW NOVEL LOVE UNTOLD IS OUT NOW****Trade ReviewJones's trademark warmth and humour suffuse the novel with comedy and pathos, making for a heart-warming, entertaining and, at times, deeply moving story * The Observer *A poignant novel about friendship and forgiveness . . . with fantastic characterisation, as you'd expect from the co-creator of Gavin & Stacey, it's an epic journey * Woman & Home *Us Three is a warm, smart, uplifting tale of true friendship. I loved Lana, Catrin and Judith - I was genuinely sad to leave them when I turned the final page. * Beth O'Leary, bestselling author of THE FLATSHARE *A touching celebration of the beauty and endurance of female friendship. There is nothing mightier. Fact. * Dawn French *This novel oozes warmth and honesty. A big-hearted book that provides a cast of characters you'll lose your heart to. * Adele Parks *
£9.49
Transworld Publishers Ltd You, With a View: A hilarious and steamy
Book Synopsis'An electrifying debut, and the perfect summer read... A million out of five stars!' Ali Hazelwood, The Love Hypothesis'Swoony, sexy, funny, and profoundly moving' Ava Wilder, How to Fake it in Hollywood'This road trip romance is guaranteed to sweep you off your feet!' Amy Lea, Set on You'Stunningly heartfelt and sexy beyond words' Rachel Lynn Solomon, The Ex Talk---Two weeks on the road... stuck in a car with your high-school enemy.Noelle Shepard is grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother when she discovers decades-old photos and letters that hint to a forbidden love in her gram's past. Needing to know the full story, she creates a TikTok video appealing for information - and it goes viral.Through her video, she manages to track down her grandmother's secret love, Paul, who offers to take her on the honeymoon road-trip he and Gram planned but never got to go on.Noelle jumps at the chance to make this one last connection with her grandmother. There's just one problem - Paul's grandson is Noelle's frustratingly handsome high-school rival Theo.And Theo has to come, too.It's only two weeks. Surely Noelle can survive that long? But with one car between them - and often only one bed - it doesn't take long for things to heat up...---Readers are loving You, With a View'I can't wait for everyone to scream about this... Absolute romance perfection''This was a couldn't-put-it-down/read-almost-in-one-sitting read for me... A true romance novel where my heart was left a mushy happy mess''EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK IS PERFECT TO ME''An absolute stunner of a debut. The banter between the two characters is top-notch and hilarious''Do yourself a favour and add this to your TBR immediately!'Trade ReviewJessica Joyce has gifted all of us with an electrifying debut, and the perfect summer read! If you love your flirting paired with a healthy dose of roasting, rivals turned lovers, road trips that become journeys of self discovery, hilarious but sexy banter, and steamy love stories, this is the beach read you want to pick up! A million out of five stars!' * Ali Hazelwood, bestselling author of Love, Theoretically *A stunningly emotional debut that wrapped itself around my heart from page one... this road trip romance is guaranteed to sweep you off your feet! * Amy Lea, author of Set on You *You, with a View is the total package: swoony, sexy, funny, and profoundly moving. Noelle and Theo's irresistible chemistry had me tearing through the pages, and the depth and beauty of Jessica Joyce's writing lingered with me long after I finished. This is a book that nestles deep into your heart and stays there * Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake it in Hollywood *Sometimes all it takes to get back on track is a road trip with your oldest rival . . . Jessica Joyce's debut, You, with a View, stole my heart and had me absolutely sweating at the chemistry between Theo and Noelle. I will never see a vintage red Bronco, a TikTok travel video, or a man's thighs the same way again * Alicia Thompson, author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers *Stunningly heartfelt and sexy beyond words. Jessica Joyce writes with a deeply empathetic pen, drawing each character with profound tenderness and crafting the perfect amount of rivals-to-reluctant-road-trip-companions-to-lovers tension - incidentally, my new favorite trope. I want to live inside this book * Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of The Ex Talk *A complete joy of a book. It's tender, swoony, sexy and endlessly witty * Culturefly *You, with a View is a sexy-as-hell romance that I couldn't put down, a heartfelt tribute to the love of grandparents, and an achingly relatable exploration of the search for "success" in your twenties. Noelle and Theo's road trip is as epic as their emotional journey, leaving my heart a happy, mushy mess by the end. I love this book. * Anita Kelly, author of Love & Other Disasters and Something Wild & Wonderful *You, with a View is angsty, atmospheric perfection. While navigating grief's pain as well as its transformative power, this road trip romance is an unforgettable journey of tenderhearted healing, scorching chemistry, and divinely witty banter * Chloe Liese, author of Two Wrongs Make a Right *Simultaneously escapist and deeply intimate, You, with a View is a love story about soulmates-both romantic and familial-and the importance of seizing the present while honoring the past. Debut author Jessica Joyce's prose and voice shine on every page, threading her leads' simmering tension and tangible chemistry through a vividly drawn travel adventure. The result is a soul-satisfying romance about the genesis of beautiful things out of grief, and of two people discovering that what they truly seek has been there on the journey with them all along * Jen Devon, author of Bend Toward the Sun *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Before We Hit the Ground
Book Synopsis
£15.29
Vintage Publishing Road Ends
Book SynopsisDiscover this powerful novel about a family falling apart, from the Booker Longlisted author of A TOWN CALLED SOLACE''Tender and surprising... A vivid and evocative tale'' New York TimesTwenty-one-year-old Megan Cartwright has never been outside the small town she was born in but one winter''s day in 1966 she leaves everything behind and sets out for London. Ahead of her is a glittering new life, just waiting for her to claim it.But left behind, her family begins to unravel. Disturbing letters from home begin to arrive and torn between her independence and family ties, Megan must make an impossible choice.''Every bit as good as I expected. A heart-aching and beautifully written story of a family falling apart'' Woman and HomeTrade ReviewTender and surprising… A vivid and evocative tale * New York Times *Subtle but gripping... Beautifully written, with the locations brilliantly evoked -- Francesca Cookney * Sunday Mirror *Road Ends is beautifully written, evocative and tender. It will haunt you long after you’ve finished it and leave you impatient for more -- Richenda Miers * Country Life *Austere, humane and accomplished, Road Ends depicts a wilderness of the heart through which some roads pass -- Richard Greene * Literary Review *Lawson grasps the anguished allure of family life played out against the vast, wintry backdrop of the Canadian landscape. Deftly she keeps our interest by dividing up the chapters between the characters to give shifting points of view on some universal themes -- Rosanna Greenstreet * Richmond Magazine *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Three Summers Penguin European Writers
Book SynopsisWith a new introduction by Polly Samson, Sunday Times bestselling author of A THEATRE FOR DREAMERS ''Gorgeous... the written equivalent of lying in the sun eating figs'' India Knight, Sunday Times''That summer we bought big straw hats. Maria''s had cherries around the rim, Infanta''s had forget-me-nots, and mine had poppies as red as fire. . .''Three Summers is a warm and tender tale of three sisters growing up in the countryside near Athens before the Second World War. Living in a ramshackle old house with their divorced mother are flirtatious, hot-headed Maria, beautiful but distant Infanta, and dreamy and rebellious Katerina, through whose eyes the story is mostly observed. Over three summers, the girls share and keep secrets, fall in and out of love, try to understand the strange ways of adults and decide what kind of adults they hope to become.''The sun has disappeared from books these days... You are one of Trade ReviewThe written equivalent of lying in the sun eating figs. I liked it much more than Elena Ferrante's books, but that's the general ballpark, except jollier. As Polly Samson writes in the preface, it brings to mind I Capture the Castle. Gorgeous -- India Knight * Sunday Times *A dreamy modernist gem of a novel... elegant and striking * Publishers Weekly *A dreamy, cinematic tapestry of Greek village life * NPR *A leisurely, large-hearted coming-of-age novel, earthy and innocent, nostalgic and beautifully rendered * Kirkus *We must be grateful to the Penguin European Writers series, a precious venture in these dark times -- John BanvilleThe sun has disappeared from books these days... You are one of those who pass it on -- Albert Camus to Margarita LiberakiDrifting blossom, girlish secrets and lantern-lit dances pervade the 1946 Greek classic Three Summers, by Margarita Liberaki, featuring three sisters on the brink of adulthood on a pre-civil-war country estate at Kifi ssia, outside Athens. Just reissued, this innocent gem is often compared to Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle * Country & Townhouse *With its sensuous prose, nostalgic charm, playful humour and evocation of burgeoning sexuality, this novel is the literary equivalent of a sun-soaked holiday in Greece * CultureWhisper *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Dirty Laundry
Book SynopsisSECRETS, DESIRE, BLOOD... It all comes out in the wash''Intelligent, perfectly observed, more-ish - I devoured it in two days'' Poorna Bell, In Case of Emergency''I was glued to this entertaining story of motherhood, marriage and friendship'' Daily Mail-------------Keep your friends close and your neighbours closer...Ciara has it all - a loving husband, well-behaved children and an immaculate home. But behind the filters, her reality is far from what it seems.Mishti is stuck in a loveless marriage, raising her daughter in a country that is too cold, among children who look nothing like her.Lauren is mostly happy, despite being judged for letting her kids run naked, wild and free.Then Ciara is found murdered in her pristine home and suddenly everyone is a suspect.Hushed whispers, secret rendezvous and bloody betrayals . . .Everyone has their dTrade ReviewA twisty tale of love gone wrong -- Joshilyn Jackson, Mother May ILethal, entertaining with characters you'll love to hate. A delicious take on people behaving badly -- Darby Kane, Pretty Little WifeBose masterfully creates deeply drawn and utterly human characters in this powerful suspense debut -- Liv Constantine, The Last Mrs ParrishWith characters that jump off the page, deep dark secrets and twisted webs of lies, Dirty Laundry is everything I want in a book - Desperate Housewives in a small-town setting, each turn in the story even better than the last -- Andrea Mara, All Her Fault
£13.49
