Fiction: literary and general non-genre
Birlinn General 1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four: New Edition of the
Book SynopsisTHE JURA EDITION with new introduction by Alex Massie 'For him Jura was home' - Richard Blair on his father George Orwell 'The book of the twentieth century . . . haunts us with an ever-darker relevance’ – Ben Pimlott, Independent 'The greatest British novel to have been written since the war’ – Time Out 'His final masterpiece . . . enthralling and indispensable for understanding modern history' – New York Review of Books The year is 1984 and war and revolution have left the world unrecognisable. Great Britain, now known as Airstrip One, is ruled by the Party, led by Big Brother. Mass surveillance is everything and The Thought Police are employed to ensure that no individual thinking is allowed. Winston Smith works at The Ministry of Truth, carefully rewriting history, but he dreams of freedom and of rebellion. It is here that he meets and falls in love with Julia. They start a secret, forbidden affair - but nothing can be kept secret, and they are forced to face consequences more terrifying than either of them could have ever imagined. In this new edition of a modern classic, Alex Massie's introduction highlights the importance that Jura had on the writing of one of the twentieth century's most important works of fiction. Trade Review'Right up there among my favourite books ... I read it again and again' -- Margaret Atwood'More relevant to today than almost any other book that you can think of' -- Jo Brand'His final masterpiece. Enthralling and indispensable for understanding modern history' -- Timothy Garton Ash * New York Review of Books *'One of the most shocking novels of the twentieth century' -- Margaret Drabble'The book of the twentieth century' -- Ben Pimlott * Independent *
£7.19
Atlantic Books The White Tiger
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2008Balram Halwai is the White Tiger - the smartest boy in his village. His family is too poor for him to afford for him to finish school and he has to work in a teashop, breaking coals and wiping tables. But Balram gets his break when a rich man hires him as a chauffeur, and takes him to live in Delhi. The city is a revelation. As he drives his master to shopping malls and call centres, Balram becomes increasingly aware of immense wealth and opportunity all around him, while knowing that he will never be able to gain access to that world. As Balram broods over his situation, he realizes that there is only one way he can become part of this glamorous new India - by murdering his master. The White Tiger presents a raw and unromanticised India, both thrilling and shocking - from the desperate, almost lawless villages along the Ganges, to the booming Wild South of Bangalore and its technology and outsourcing centres. The first-person confession of a murderer, The White Tiger is as compelling for its subject matter as for the voice of its narrator - amoral, cynical, unrepentant, yet deeply endearing.Trade ReviewBlazingly savage and brilliant * Sunday Telegraph *A masterpiece * The Times *Dazzling... With The White Tiger, Adiga sets out to show us a part of [India] that we hear about infrequently: its underbelly... [Balram's voice is] brimming with idiosyncrasy, sarcastic, cunning. * Independent on Sunday *Adiga's portrait of the Indian capital is very funny but unmistakably angry... Keeps you guessing to the final page and beyond. * Financial Times *
£9.49
Bonnier Books Ltd The Lion King (Disney Animated Classics): A
Book SynopsisA retelling of Disney The Lion King, accompanied by art from the original Disney Studio artists. Collect the whole Animated Classics series!This beautiful hardback features premium cloth binding, a ribbon marker to match the cover, foil stamping and illustrated endpapers, making this the perfect gift for all those who have been enchanted by the magic of The Lion King and a book to be treasured by all.A family favourite, Disney The Lion King is one of the best-loved films of all time. Relive the magic through this retelling of the classic animated film, accompanied by paintings, story sketches and concept art from the original Disney Studio artists. Also featured is a foreword by Lissa Treiman, a Story Artist and Studio Department Lead at the Walt Disney Animation Studios. Turn to the back of the book to learn more about the artists who worked on this iconic animated film.
£12.74
Orion Publishing Co The Lathe Of Heaven
Book Synopsis'Her worlds have a magic sheen . . . She moulds them into dimensions we can only just sense. She is unique. She is legend' THE TIMES'Le Guin is a writer of phenomenal power' OBSERVERGeorge Orr is a mild and unremarkable man who finds the world a less than pleasant place to live: seven billion people jostle for living space and food. But George dreams dreams which do in fact change reality - and he has no means of controlling this extraordinary power.Psychiatrist Dr William Haber offers to help. At first sceptical of George's powers, he comes to astonished belief. When he allows ambition to get the better of ethics, George finds himself caught up in a situation of alarming peril.Trade ReviewLe Guin is a writer of phenomenal power * OBSERVER *Ursula Le Guin was able to reimagine many concepts we take to be natural, shared, and unalterable - gender, utopia, creation, war, family, the city, the country - and reveal the all-too-human constructions at their center ... Literature will miss her. There's no one like her -- Zadie SmithShe is unparalleled in creating fantasy peopled by finely drawn and complex characters * GUARDIAN *Le Guin is one of the singular speculative voices of our future, thanks to her knack for anticipating issues of seminal importance to society * TLS *Her worlds have a magic sheen . . . She moulds them into dimensions we can only just sense. She is unique. She is legend * THE TIMES *I'd love to sit at my desk one day and discover that I could think and write like Ursula Le Guin -- Roddy DoyleA rare and powerful synthesis of poetry and science, reason and emotion * NEW YORK TIMES *[Le Guin had] the heart of a poet who knew all too well the difference between miracle and eureka, revelation and revolution * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *Le Guin's storytelling is sharp, magisterial, funny, thought-provoking and exciting, exhibiting all that science fiction can be * EMPIRE *Ursula Le Guin is a chemist of the heart -- David Mitchell, author of CLOUD ATLASWhen I read The Lathe of Heaven as a young man, my mind was boggled; now when I read it, more than twenty-five years later, it breaks my heart. Only a great work of literature can bridge - so thrillingly - that impossible span -- Michael ChabonLe Guin writes tellingly of different kinds of society . . . and of the individual's response to them * DAILY TELEGRAPH *
£8.54
Inner Traditions Bear and Company The Lost Book of Enki: Memoirs and Prophecies of
Book SynopsisZecharia Sitchin’s bestselling series The Earth Chroniclesprovided humanity’s side of the story concerning our origins at the hands of the Anunnaki, “those who from heaven to earth came.” In The Lost Book of Enkiwe now view this saga from the perspective of Lord Enki, an Anunnaki leader revered in antiquity as a god, who tells the story of these extraterrestrials’ arrival on Earth from the planet Nibiru. In his previous works Sitchin compiled the complete story of the Anunnaki’s impact on human civilization from fragments scattered throughout Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Hittite, Egyptian, Canaanite, and Hebrew sources. Missing from these accounts, however, was the perspective of the Anunnaki themselves. What was life like on their own planet? What motives propelled them to settle on Earth--and what drove them from their new home? Convinced of the existence of a lost book that held the answers to these questions, the author began his search for evidence. Through exhaustive research of primary sources, he has here re-created tales as the memoirs of Enki, the leader of these first “astronauts.” What takes shape is the story of a world of mounting tensions, deep rivalries, and sophisticated scientific knowledge that is only today being confirmed. An epic tale of gods and men unfolds, challenging every assumption we hold about our past and our future.Trade Review"The story is compelling, drawing readers into the world of extraterrestrials, gods, and ancient events in a way that seems a combination of reading that daily paper and indulging in popular fiction. Reading The Lost Book of Enki is a truly unique, intellectual, and pleasurable experience to recommend to customers looking for something a little different." * R. John Allcorn, New Age Retailer, March/April 2002 *"This book is another brilliant example of Sitchin's scholarship. I found it exciting reading, and give it my highest recommendation. The Lost Book of Enki . . . has an impact that will generate discussions all over the globe." * Don Ecker, UFO Magazine, April-May 2002 *"...this is really one interesting book....a very intriguing topic." * Morgaine, Circle of Stones, July, 2004 *"An epic tale of gods and men . . . challenging every assumption we hold about our past and future." * Branches of Light, Issue 30 *Table of ContentsIntroductionAttestationThe Words of Lord Enki The First Tablet The Second Tablet The Third Tablet The Fourth Tablet The Fifth Tablet The Sixth Tablet The Seventh Tablet The Eighth Tablet The Ninth Tablet The Tenth Tablet The Eleventh Tablet The Twelfth Tablet The Thirteenth Tablet The Fourteenth TabletGlossary
£13.29
Little, Brown Book Group The Goldfinch 10th Anniversary Edition
Book SynopsisWinner of the Pulitzer Prize for FictionTrade ReviewAnother rich slice of gothic drama -- Books of the Year * Sunday Times *Combines narrative grandeur with dazzling detail -- Books of the Year * Guardian *Sublimely written, with elegant touches of the gothic -- Books of the Year * The Times *Really does grip from the first page... a noirish thriller and epic love story rolled into one -- Books of the Year * Daily Mail *Runs the gamut from thriller to meditation on loss, and runs it magnificently -- Books of the Year * Sunday Telegraph *A soaring masterpiece * Washington Post *The Goldfinch is a triumph... Donna Tartt has delivered an extraordinary work of fiction * Stephen King *Sumptuous, generous and entirely captivating -- Books of the Year * Independent *Dazzling. A glorious, Dickensian novel that pulls together all Tartt's remarkable storytelling talents into a rapturous, symphonic whole and reminds the reader of the immersive, stay-up-all-night pleasures of reading * New York Times *An astonishing achievement. If anyone has lost their love of storytelling, The Goldfinch will most certainly return it to them. The last few pages of the novel take all the serious, big, complicated ideas beneath the surface and hold them up to the light. Not for Tartt the kind of clever riffs which are too commonly found in contemporary fiction. Instead, when plot comes to an end, she leads us to a place just beyond it - a place of meaning * Guardian *The Goldfinch is a book about art in all its forms, and right from the start we remember why we enjoy Donna Tartt so much: the humming plot and elegant prose; the living, breathing characters; the perfectly captured settings.... Joy and sorrow exist in the same breath, and by the end The Goldfinch hangs in our stolen heart * Vanity Fair *Lavish and lush in décor and span... The novel lets us see, and feel, the real bird beyond the brush, or rather, the grief, and addictive yearning, behind its cabinet of curiosities. For those who want to share the double vision, to slip attentively between luxurious illusion and overt craftiness, a deeper layer of pleasure awaits in The Goldfinch. In every sense, this is quite a piece of work -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *In the epic range of its concerns with grief, loss, loneliness, fate, and the nature of good and evil, its rich cast of characters, and its broad social canvas, it bears comparison with Proust, Dickens, Dostoevsky and Nabokov. It is meticulously structured and paced, and reading it is an enthralling experience of total immersion in Tartt's vision and voice. A beautiful and important book -- Elaine Showalter * Prospect *A gripping page-turner and a challenging, beautifully written account of modern life. Moving but unsentimental, funny without being trite, all human life is here. It will doubtless be a contender for one of 2013's best novels -- James Kidd * Independent on Sunday *A modern epic and an old-fashioned pilgrimage, a nimble thrill-seek and heavyweight masterpiece. And if it doesn't gain Tartt entry to the mostly boys' club that is The Great American Novel, to drink with life-members John Steinbeck, Harper Lee, Saul Bellow, Philip Roth et al, then we should close down the joint and open up another for the Great Global Novel - for that is what this is -- Alex O'Connell * The Times *It is the extraordinary depth of detail and wholeness of her imagining that makes it such an impressive work... Utterly absorbing, a superb novel -- Victoria Moore * Daily Mail *Mysterious and mercurial, The Goldfinch finally reveals itself as a rare bird - a highbrow fable and a page-turner -- Anthony Quinn * Mail on Sunday *Without doubt a beguiling novel. It is smart - in both the British and American senses of that word - brilliantly readable, thrilling and touching -- Jane Shilling * New Statesman *Like a Dutch painting, every scene is described in glittering detail and framed with retrospective melancholy. A modern-day David Copperfield... The Goldfinch is impressive - lavish, gripping, exciting -- Emily Stokes * Financial Times *A novel of the highest literary ambition and dedication -- David Sexton * Evening Standard *Donna Tartt engineers a recklessly impressive plot... The precocious talent that fired up her cult debut The Secret History is on full display here * Sunday Telegraph *Written with precision and thoughtfulness, it's at once a slow-burner, with Tartt lingering over scenes and descriptions and building the story in detail, and an attention-grabber... The Goldfinch is built up in careful brushstrokes into an absorbing, epic tale of deepening shadows -- Tina Jackson * Metro *From the opening pages it grabs you by the scruff of the neck and does not let you go . . . It has layer upon layer of psychological detail and emotion -- Viv Groskop * Red *This book is so beautifully written, you'll want to simultaneously read it at top speed to find out what happens, and savour it * Marie Claire *A large-canvas, small-brush picaresque that's both heart-rending and irresistibly wicked * Vogue *Where to begin? Simply put, I'm indescribably jealous of any reader picking up this masterpiece for the first time. And once they do, they will long remember the heartrending character of Theo Decker and his unthinkable journey * Sarah Jessica Parker *A long-awaited, elegant meditation on love, memory, and the haunting power of art... Eloquent and assured, with memorable characters... A standout and well-worth the wait * Kirkus (starred review) *A massively entertaining, darkly funny book that goes a long way toward explaining why its author is finally securing her place alongside the greatest American novelists of the past half century, including John Updike, Philip Roth, Toni Morrison, and that other latter-day Dickensian, John Irving... Required reading for anyone who loves great literature from this or any other century * USA Today *
£23.75
Headline Publishing Group The Snow Child
Book SynopsisThe magical, internationally bestselling debut novel from Eowyn Ivey, THE SNOW CHILD is a fairy-tale for adults that brings the Alaskan landscape to unforgettable life.Trade Review'A magical, heartbreaking story... gorgeous' * Marie Claire *'It's the harsh beauty of the landscape that gives this stunning first novel its unique shape and atmosphere' * The Times *'It is an exceptional book that deserves to melt millions of hearts' * Sunday Express *'A story about finding love in unexpected places... full of fire and ice' * Financial Times *
£10.44
Orenda Books The Moose Paradox: The outrageously funny, tense
Book SynopsisInsurance mathematician Henri has his life under control, when a man from the past appears and a shady trio take over the adventure park’s equipment supply company. Things are messier than ever in the absurdly funny, heart-stoppingly tense second instalment in Antti Tuomainen’s bestselling series. ‘In these uncertain times, what better hero than an actuary?' Chris Brookmyre ‘One of those rare writers who manages to deftly balance intrigue, noir and a deliciously ironic sense of humour … a delight’ Vaseem Khan ‘What a book! Antti has managed to put the fun into funerals and take it out of fun fairs in a gripping nail-biter … a thrilling and hilarious read’ Liz Nugent**Soon to be a major motion picture starring Steve Carell** _______________________________ Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen has finally restored order both to his life and to YouMeFun, the adventure park he now owns, when a man from the past appears – and turns everything upside down again. More problems arise when the park’s equipment supplier is taken over by a shady trio, with confusing demands. Why won’t Toy of Finland Ltd sell the new Moose Chute to Henri when he needs it as the park’s main attraction? Meanwhile, Henri’s relationship with artist Laura has reached breaking point, and, in order to survive this new chaotic world, he must push every calculation to its limits, before it’s too late… Absurdly funny, heart-stoppingly poignant and full of nail-biting suspense, The Moose Paradox is the second instalment in the critically acclaimed, pitch-perfect Rabbit Factor Trilogy and things are messier than ever… ________________________________ ‘Finnish crime maestro Antti Tuomainen is unique in the Scandi-crime genre, infusing his crime narratives with the darkest humour … [his] often hilarious, chaotic narrative never vitiates the novel’s nicely tuned tension’ Financial Times ‘Enter hitmen, serendipity, offbeat comedy and the reappearance of literally the last person Henri expects to see … unlike anything else out there’ The Times ‘A thriller with black comedy worthy of Nabokov’ Telegraph Book of the YearPraise for The Rabbit Factor Trilogy**Shortlisted for the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger** **Shortlisted for the Last Laugh Award** ‘The antic novels of Antti Tuomainen prove that comedy is not lost in translation … Tuomainen, like Carl Hiaasen before him, has the knack of combining slapstick with genuine emotion’ The Times 'The funniest writer in Europe, and one of the very finest … original and brilliant story-telling' Helen FitzGerald ‘British readers might think they know what to expect from Nordic noir: a tortured detective, a bleak setting, a brutal crime that shakes a small community. Finnish crime novelist Tuomainen turns all of this on its head … The ear of a giant plastic rabbit becomes a key weapon. It only gets darker and funnier’ Guardian ‘Dark, gripping and hilarious … Tuomainen is the Carl Hiaasen of the fjords' Martyn Waites ‘A triumph, a joyous, feel-good antidote to troubled times' Kevin Wignall ‘Finland's greatest export’ M.J. Arlidge 'You don’t expect to laugh when you’re reading about terrible crimes, but that’s what you’ll do when you pick up one of Tuomainen’s decidedly quirky thrillers' New York Times ‘Tuomainen is the funniest writer in Europe’ The Times ‘Right up there with the best’ Times Literary Supplement ‘Tuomainen continues to carve out his own niche in the chilly tundras of northern’ Daily Express
£9.49
Bonnier Books Ltd Dumbo (Disney Animated Classics): A deluxe gift
Book SynopsisA retelling of Disney Dumbo, accompanied by art from the original Disney Studio artists. Collect the whole Animated Classics series!This beautiful hardback features premium cloth binding, a ribbon marker to match the cover, foil stamping and illustrated endpapers, making this the perfect gift for all those who have been enchanted by the magic of Dumbo and a book to be treasured by all.A family favourite for almost eighty years, Disney Dumbo is one of the best-loved films of all time. Relive the magic through this retelling of the classic animated film, accompanied by paintings, story sketches and concept art from the original Disney Studio artists. Also featured is a foreword by Natalie Nourigat, a storyboard artist at the Walt Disney Animation Studios. Turn to the back of the book to learn more about the artists who worked on this iconic animated film.Trade ReviewEnjoy a classic fairy tale as you have never before seen it! Dumbo is the new book in Disney Animated Classics, a sparkling series from Studio Press with each book presenting an enchanting retelling of Walt Disney's eternally popular films as seen through the animator's eye. These beautiful hardback books with their premium cloth binding, ribbon marker to match the cover, gold foil stamping and illustrated endpapers, make the perfect gifts for all those who have been spellbound by the magic of Disney's famous animated classic films. The series includes Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid and now Dumbo, some of the best-loved films of all time and family favourites for over eighty years. Relive the star-dusted magic through Lily Murray's retelling of the classic animated film, accompanied by paintings, story sketches and concept art from the original Disney Studio artists. Also featured is a foreword by Natalie Nourigat, a storyboard artist at the Walt Disney Animation Studios. And when the story is finished, youngsters can turn to the back of the book to learn more about the artists who worked on the memorable animated film. These sumptuous books, full of atmospheric retellings and fascinating illustrations, are perfect for both Disney fans and young collectors.Read more at: * Northern Regional Newspapers *a beautiful retelling of Disney's Dumbo accompanied by art from the original Disney Studio artists and EVERYONE loves Mrs Dumbo. This publication is just in time for Disney's Dumbo out in cinemas on 29th March and is a lovely hardback edition with beautiful illustrations. * Angels and Urchins *If you're getting excited about the new live-action Dumbo movie from Disney Studios, take a moment to revisit the classic animated movie instead, with another truly beautiful storified version of the movie with that utterly glorious production art and animation stills illustrating the story throughout.The story of a young elephant with a difference - born into a circus, but separated from his mother (in a scene that still reduces me to tears even after all these years), Dumbo soon realises his huge flappy ears mean that he can do something that no other elephant can.He can fly, he can fly, he can fly!This highly collectable book once again extends Studio Press's impressive range of books chronicling the processes and sketches that led to the final movie. As we said before, this is nigh on essential for Disney fans, but also fans of animation and art as the illustrations in this are just absolutely gorgeous. I mean take a look at them!I love the way these feel like classic storybooks I had as a kid.t's also great to hear that more are on the way in this fab range, including Aladdin, which should be out in the blink of a Genie's eye! YESSSS! Can't wait! * Read it Daddy *
£12.59
Atlantic Books Pengelly's Daughter: A sweeping historical
Book SynopsisA stunning eighteenth-century Cornish romance, perfect for fans of Poldark!Cornwall: 1793. Rose Pengelly's father has been ruined - he has lost his boat yard and his fortune, plunging Rose and her mother into poverty and debt. There appears to be only one way out of their terrible circumstances; for Rose to marry Mr Tregellas, a powerful timber merchant and the man Rose believes is responsible for her father's downfall. He has made his terms clear; either she marries him or faces homelessness and destitution.Desperate, Rose sets out to find evidence of Mr Tregellas's wrongdoing. In her search, she encounters a mysterious young sailor called Jim, who refuses to disclose his identity. Even as she falls in love with him, she questions who he really is. He may help her restore her fortune and her good name, but does he ever tell her the truth?Trade ReviewA stirring Cornish tale of skulduggery and deception... A most enjoyable read set in the wild and majestic landscape of Cornwall. It will delight Poldark Fans. * Ellie Dean, author of Keep Smiling Through and Where the Heart Lies *A good, honest yarn in the Poldark tradition * Saga *
£13.81
Simon & Schuster Not Forever, But For Now
Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of Fight Club comes a hilarious horror satire about a family of professional killers responsible for the most atrocious events in history and the young brothers that are destined to take over.Meet Otto and Cecil. Two brothers growing up privileged in the Welsh countryside. They enjoy watching nature shows, playing with their pet pony, impersonating their Grandfather...and killing the help. Murder is the family business after all. Downton Abbey, this is not. However, it’s not so easy to continue the family legacy with the constant stream of threats and distractions seemingly leaping from the hedgerow. First there is the matter of the veritable cavalcade of escaped convicts that keep showing up at their door. Not to mention the debaucherous new tutor who has a penchant for speaking in Greek and dismembering sex dolls. Then there’s Mummy’s burgeoning opioid addiction. And who knows where Daddy is. He just vanished one day after he and Mummy took a walk in the so called “Ghost Forest.” With Grandfather putting pressure on Otto to step up, it becomes clear that this will all end in only two ways: a nuclear apocalypse or just another day among the creeping thistle and tree peonies. And in a novel written by Chuck Palahniuk, either are equally possible.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR NOT FOREVER, BUT FOR NOW: “Palahniuk’s unflinching approach to the macabre material is sure to please many of his fans”—Publishers Weekly “A garish, sticky confabulation, equal parts saccharine caricature and startling raunch.”—Kirkus Reviews “The very same satirical content Palahniuk’s legion of fans has come to expect and relish.”—Booklist PRAISE FOR CHUCK PALAHNIUK “Palahniuk doesn’t write for tourists. He writes for hard-core devotees drawn to the wild, angry imagination on display and the taboo-busting humor.”—The New York Times “Like Edgar Allan Poe, Palahniuk is a bracingly toxic purveyor of dread and mounting horror. He makes nihilism fun.”—Vanity Fair “Palahniuk’s literature is a breed all its own.”—USA Today “With his love of contemporary fairy tales that are gritty and dirty rather than pretty, Palahniuk is the likeliest inheritor of Vonnegut’s place in American writing.”—San Francisco Chronicle “One of the most feverish imaginations in American letters.”—The Washington Post “Few authors have captured the pathologies of modern life quite like Palahniuk.”—Rocky Mountain News “Truly unique. He writes at the edge of crazy, and you can feel his desperate urge to get at the truth of things.”—The Seattle Times
£17.09
Pan Macmillan Dangerous Games: A Gripping Story Of Corruption,
Book SynopsisOne woman risks everything to expose the truth in Danielle Steel's deeply suspenseful drama, the gripping bestseller, Dangerous Games.TV journalist Alix Phillips is always willing to put herself on the frontline for her job. Driven by her ambition to succeed and her passion for her work, all that matters is getting the story.After the loss of her husband, only her beloved mother and daughter are allowed to get close. And her cameraman, Ben. Neither of them fears death – but neither can face up to their true feelings for each other.With rumours circulating of major scandal in the White House, Alix is determined to uncover the truth. This story could blow the corridors of power wide open, and this time Alix is feeling the heat.But as Alix delves further into the scandal, powerful people want to silence her, targeting her family.For someone who was never scared, Alix now realizes that the time has come to play some very dangerous games . . .
£7.19
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Tom Lake: The Sunday Times bestseller - a BBC
Book SynopsisDive into Tom Lake - the breathtaking new novel from Ann Patchett * THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NO. 1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * * SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2023 * * A REESE WITHERSPOON AND BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK * * A 2023 BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE TIMES * ‘Filled with the moments I live for in a story’ BONNIE GARMUS, author of Lessons in Chemistry ‘[Tom Lake] has it all ... Young love, sibling rivalry and deep mother-daughter relationships’ REESE WITHERSPOON ‘One of the most beloved authors of her generation’ SUNDAY TIMES This is a story about Peter Duke who went on to be a famous actor. This is a story about falling in love with Peter Duke who wasn’t famous at all. It’s about falling so wildly in love with him – the way one will at twenty-four – that it felt like jumping off a roof at midnight. There was no way to foresee the mess it would come to in the end. It’s spring and Lara’s three grown daughters have returned to the family orchard. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the one story they’ve always longed to hear – of the film star with whom she shared a stage, and a romance, years before. Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents lead before their children are born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. ‘One of our greatest living chroniclers of love and marriage … Expect wonder; Patchett always delivers’ ELLETrade ReviewA bittersweet tale of family, heartbreak and hope ... Those who want fiction to soothe, bolster and cheer will love it * Guardian *A beautiful, stirring book that sneaks up on you and makes a deep impression ... The moment I finished it, I wanted to go back and start again * Sunday Times *Few authors can dig into the minutiae of human emotion quite like the Women’s Prize-winning author, and Tom Lake is one of her best ... Flitting between past and present, the novel spools out like a film, and ponders timeless questions about love, family and destiny * i *Thoughtful and elegiac in its descriptions of first love and motherhood ... Patchett celebrates not just the smallest events of our lives, but 'small' lives themselves * Financial Times *Patchett is always great on family dysfunction, and these scenes prickle to life * The Times *A twinned narrative of a past young love, present day nostalgia and the complex, intertwined connections between mothers and daughters ... Enchanting and bittersweet, it is another tour de force from Patchett * Harper's Bazaar *A deeply American story of love, heartbreak and wistful old age ... We’re in nostalgic summer romance territory, and Tom Lake delivers the expected emotional pay-off * Telegraph *Completely absorbing * Grazia *Elegant, gloriously immersive, beautifully imagined, funny and tender, this is an elegy to family love, even when the world is in a state of crisis and uncertainty. Ann Patchett leads us with the intelligence, detail, wit and nuance of the greatest chroniclers of human nature and relationships. Nothing escapes her -- Rachel JoyceFilled with the moments I live for in a story – careful, compelling insights into human nature, the most effortless humour, and the kind of vivid descriptions that reveal exactly how something is -- Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of LESSONS IN CHEMISTRYOne of our greatest living chroniclers of love and marriage – and its resounding impacts over generations – is back this summer ... Expect wonder; Patchett always delivers * Elle *Patchett’s intricate and subtle thematic web ... enfolds the nature of storytelling, the evolving dynamics of a family, and the complex interaction between destiny and choice ... These braided strands culminate in a denouement at once deeply sad and tenderly life-affirming. Poignant and reflective, cementing Patchett’s stature as one of our finest novelists * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *Masterly ... A love letter to both storytelling itself and the bonds that tie family and friends together, Patchett has once again worked her unique brand of magic with this gentle, tender story that glows with heart and humanity * Bookseller, Book of the Month *Few authors can match Patchett in her skill for creating quietly profound novels that stay with readers long after the final page * Good Housekeeping, Book of the Year Pick *Dazzling … Secrets are withheld in a story that offers small plot twists and reveals that pack the power of a defibrillator shock. The characters are varied and astutely drawn and the way Patchett – who has been writing great fiction for decades – handles Lara’s inner life is sublime * Independent, Book of the Year Pick *
£17.09
Birlinn General Animal Farm: New Edition
Book SynopsisIntroduced by Alan Johnson. ‘All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others.’ Mr Jones of Manor Farm is so lazy and drunken that one day he forgets to feed his livestock. The ensuing rebellion under the leadership of the pigs Napoleon and Snowball leads to the animals taking over the farm. Vowing to eliminate the terrible inequities of the farmyard, the renamed Animal Farm is organised to benefit all who walk on four legs. But as time passes, the ideals of the rebellion are corrupted, then forgotten. And something new and unexpected emerges . . . First published in 1945, Animal Farm – the history of a revolution that went wrong – is George Orwell’s brilliant satire on the corrupting influence of power.
£6.99
Faber & Faber Small Things Like These
Book SynopsisAn exquisite winter tale of courage - and its cost - set in Catholic Ireland.Trade Review'A haunting, hopeful masterpiece.' - Sinead Gleeson'A moral tale that is unsentimental and deeply affecting, because true and right.' - David Hayden
£11.69
Cornerstone Tinkers
Book SynopsisConfined to bed in his living room, he sees the walls around him begin to collapse, the windows come loose from their sashes, and the ceiling plaster fall off in great chunks, showering him with a lifetime of debris: newspaper clippings, old photographs, wool jackets, rusty tools, and the mangled brass works of antique clocks.Trade ReviewWonderful, lyrical . . . Triumphant . . . A beautiful, moving and elegiac lament on the human condition . . . Hypnotic. * The Times *Brilliantly realised . . . a reminder of how rich the written language can still be * Independent *Prepare to be seduced... Beguiles from the opening sentence ...This little novel is a wonder * Irish Times *An expert piece of historical and psychological archaeology, which unpicks the intricacies of ordinary life while also asking the terrifying, unanswerable, yet endlessly fascinating questions that haunt us all * Observer *A dense, elegiac and richly imagined piece of remembering...Life-affirming and visceral in its detail. * Daily Mail *
£9.49
Transworld Publishers Ltd Big Sky
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe main plot...is dark and disturbing, but Atkinson brings wry comic touches to the story as she both playfully inhabits and deftly subverts the crime genre. * Observer *Big Sky is laced with Atkinson’s sharp, dry humour, and one of the joys of the Brodie novels has always been that they are so funny. * Observer *Atkinson weaves a magically absorbing world full of crossed paths and coincidences. Her sublime turn of phrase, impeccable gallows humour, beautifully drawn characters and complex plotting make for a fabulously entertaining and moving book. It can be enjoyed as either a standalone mystery or a very welcome reunion with an old friend. * Sunday Mirror *A masterclass in what can be done with crime fiction, brilliantly using the form to expose what Atkinson bleakly describes as 'one more battle in the war against women'. * Sunday Times *Atkinson’s new mystery hits all the right notes * Sunday Times Style *Atkinson brings back her much-loved PI Jackson Brodie for a tightly plotted tale...the real mystery here is the human heart, with Atkinson serving up an acute and believable look at the state of Britain today. * i *I romped through it: as ever, the plotting is clever and complex, it’s full of the dry wit Atkinson is so good at and it’s an absorbing mystery. * Good Housekeeping *There's a lot going on here, all of it rendered with Atkinson's vastly enjoyable nonchalance...Atkinson tells a great story, toys with expectations, deceives by omission, blows smoke and also writes like she's your favourite friend. Thank goodness the long Jackson Brodie hiatus is over. * New York Times *Atkinson throws in many entertaining diversions, and a fair few juicy red herrings… an exuberant, entertaining read…Atkinson’s work is always playful, and there’s a brisk, jaunty tone to Big Sky and much dry observational comedy. * Independent *The brilliance of Big Sky lies in its broad range of memorable characters, each with their own intriguing backstory.....sharp humour,sparkling prose and acute psychological insight. * Daily Express *A stunning comeback... Told in Atkinson’s typically wry prose, it is Dickensian in sweep, utterly riveting and has a wonderful ending, quite magnificent. * Daily Mail *I can't get enough of Jackson Brodie...he may well be the great fictional detective of our age...her bunch of seemingly ordinary but deeply fascinating characters... seem so real that you come to care about them like your oldest friends. * Sunday Express *As usual, it's ingeniously structured and told with humour and compassion. * New Statesman *Her peerless ability to plot with audacity and with a sinuous beauty...it's the most marvellous book, so delightful you'll want to eke it out for as long as possible. * Radio Times *Jackson Brodie gets his fifth outing in the new novel by the reliably brilliant Atkinson. * Woman & Home *You can't go wrong with the majestic new Kate Atkinson book...wise, funny and sad. * Stylist *Jackson Brodie is back and how we’ve missed him….you’re in for a treat. * Red *How can anyone fail to love Kate Atkinson?...A gripping beach read for lovers of detective fiction. * ES magazine *Atkinson’s nimble and endearing skill across all her fiction…is to take the determinedly domestic, find the wry, sometimes waspish humour in it, and yet reveal something profoundly humane....And deft misdirection, cheeky literary references and Brodie's flailing attempts to offer sympathy by quoting country-and-western lyrics are constantly entertaining. You finish Big Sky feeling battered - but thoroughly cheered up. * The Times *With a many-tentacled storyline distilling some of the more disturbing headlines of recent years, this dark material proves supremely compulsive...Brodie brings out the best in Atkinson, partly because he’s a handy peg for what tends to come across as her regretful sense of bemusement about modern Britain. * Metro *
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Fruit of the Lemon
Book SynopsisAn unique novel full of humour, wit and passion.Trade Review''Levy has a gift for creating character through mimickry, bu tnever succumbs to thepitgalls of sentiment masquerading as authenticity. This is a comic but sharp novel that steers its readers confidently through its heroine's revelatory journey' TimesFunny and moving... Levy is an ironic comedian whose subtle, intelligent novel steers well clear of whimsy * Guardian *'Unflinchingly unsentimental, her writing is leavened with humour and warmth...entertaining and revelatory' * TLS *'Written in an accessible, friendly style' Independent on SundayReinforces Levy's reputation as an astute observer of modern British life * Financial Times *Always refreshingly undogmatic...[readers] will recognise the truthfulness of the world which Andrea Levy describes * Sunday Telegraph *'Levy has a gift for voices...a thoughtful comment on racism and the importance of knowing where you are from' * The Sunday Times *'Bright and inventive' * Independent *
£11.69
Mira Books The Henna Artist
Book SynopsisTrade Review“Romantic, old-time Rajasthan leaps to life in the skilled hands of Alka Joshi. The Henna Artist brims over with richly drawn customs, locations, and characters. I can hardly wait for Alka Joshi’s next masterpiece.” --Sujata Massey, internationally bestselling author of The Satapur Moonstone and The Widows of Malabar Hill “Rich in detail and bright with tastes and textures, The Henna Artist is a fabulous glimpse into Indian culture of the 1950s.”—Bookpage, Starred Review“Eloquent debut…moving… Joshi masterfully balances a yearning for self-discovery with the need for familial love.” –Publishers Weekly"Vibrant characters, evocative imagery, and sumptuous prose create an unforgetable tale."--Christian Science Monitor “Joshi has constructed a bewitching glimpse into the past with a tough heroine well worth cheering on.”--Booklist"The Henna Artist is a bold, ambitious, beautifully written novel about India in the decade after independence, and about class, identity, love and deceit. The broad cast of characters will etchthemselves into your psyche." --Tom Barbash, author of Stay Up With Me"Fantastic, so evocative and beautiful and full of life and light.... The Henna Artist is detailed and sumptuous, vivid in its characters and deeply satisfying in its storytelling."--Leah Franqui, author of America for Beginners"Alka Joshi's superb first novel is unforgettable.... Read this book slowly and savor it: Every page is rich with intricate pleasures for both the mind and the heart."--Anita Amirrezvani, author of The Blood of Flowers"Like a brilliant, magical kaleidoscope, bursting with color, The Henna Artist kept me riveted from start to finish."--Lauren Belfer, NYT bestselling author of After the Fire and City of Light"Everything a great novel needs is here: The protagonist balancing impossible burdens with her bountiful talents; the many other characters, each so colorful and complex, each necessary to the intricate and delicate plot, Such a satisfying novel!"--Sandra Scofield, author of The Last Draft"Alka Joshi's debut novel is a richly drawn design of love and the many hungers that drive human beings...a lush, gorgeous journey that any reader will be sorry to see end."--Erin McGraw, author of The Good Life and The Seamstress of Hollywood"The Henna Artist is a delicious, old-fashioned tale about timeless heartaches. There's something elemental and mythic about Lakshmi and her knowledge of spices, roots, oils, and barks that drew me into the kind of world I gladly lived in when reading fairy tales as a child, a place inhabited by powerful queens, talking birds, magical drinks, orphans, sad princesses, clever servants, and dangerous poisons. I'm in awe of Joshi's storytelling and a little jealous of the character who winds up with the talking bird. “Namaste!” as he says. “Bonjour! Welcome!”---Laura McNeal, author of The Practice House
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Cousin Rosamund Virago Modern Classics
Book SynopsisCousin Rosamund unfolds the final chapters of the saga that began with The Fountain Overflows, Rebecca West''s acknowleged masterpiece, and continued with This Real Night.As the glitter of the 1920s gives way to the Depression, Rose and Mary find themselves feted and successful pianists. But their happiness is diminished by their cousin''s unfathomable marriage to a man they perceive as grotesque. Lacking her cousin Rosamund''s intuitive understanding, Rose looks to the surrogate wisdom of Mr Morpurgo, while quiet days with Aunt Lily and the Darcys at their pub on the Thames offer respite from the tensions of foreign concert tours. With approaching middle age Rose gains in perspective. Yet the most exciting development still awaits her: the discovery of and delight in her own sexuality...Trade ReviewA lastingly important English writer * Marghanita Laski *Rich, generous and consoling in spirit * Hilary Spurling, OBSERVER *Rebecca West highly intelligent, highly gifted, vital, original, combative, formidable and kind was a great woman * Victoria Glendinning *
£10.44
Headline Publishing Group Ready or Not
Book SynopsisA surprise pregnancy leads to even more life-changing revelations in this heartfelt, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance of found family and unexpected love.''Bastone delivers on this truly heartwarming, funny, and real story'' Abby Jimenez''The perfect slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance. Cara Bastone''s voice is wholly unique and sparkles with effervescence and joy'' KJ Dell''Antonia ''One of the most emotionally satisfying romances I''ve read in years'' Joanna Lowell ''A delightfully romantic story that celebrates modern love and the excitement of the unexpected'' Amy Poeppel..................Eve Hatch has always been content to coast through her life, with a steady, if uninspiring, job and a cozy apartment in Brooklyn, close to her childhood best friend Willa and far from the midwestern, traditional family who never really understood her. But when she finds herself pregnant after an uncharacte
£10.44
Orion Publishing Co The Cartographers
Book Synopsis''Exquisitely written ... Be prepared to be swept away on an incredible journey'' Brad Thor, #1 bestselling author of Black Ice''A story about magical maps that lead to your heart''s desire [and] the people who would do anything to find them ... A vastly rich experience'' Charles Soule, author of The Oracle Year*Some places you won''t find on any maps. Others, are only on maps . . .Nell Young hasn''t spoken to her father, the world-respected cartographer Dr. Daniel Young, in years - but this morning he was found dead in his office at the New York Public Library.When they last met, Dr Young fired Nell after an argument over a seemingly worthless mass-produced highway map. Now every copy of this map is being found and destroyed . . .To find out why, Nell will embark on a dangerous journey into the heart of a conspiracy beyond belief, discovering her family''s darkest secrets and the true pTrade ReviewPeng Shepherd has done it again! The Cartographers is an exquisitely written, brilliantly plotted, absolutely fantastic novel. A story like this reminds us of why we all fell in love with reading to begin with. Be prepared to be swept away on an incredible journey that will stay with you long after you turn the final page * Brad Thor, bestselling author of BLACK ICE *The Cartographers is a story about magical maps that lead to your heart's desire, the sort of people who would do anything to find them, and the joy, regret, and possibility they bring. A vastly rich experience. I loved this book. * Charles Soule, author of THE ORACLE YEAR *One of those brilliant books you have to read twice ... The Cartographers is, at its heart, about three things: family, found and otherwise; how much of one's life can be built and balanced on a single lie; and the transformative nature of cartography. Its examination of this last aspect is what takes the book from an enjoyable, fast-paced (and fantastical) thriller to something you want to put down and think about before rereading it - snarling viciously at anyone who tries to pick it up before you can get that second pass. * Washington Post *Shepherd's convincing blend of magic from old maps with the modern online world both delights and thrills. * Publishers Weekly *An engrossing tale involving maps, murders, and rooms that are not there ... Readers will be hooked and find their imaginations sparking as they turn the pages. * Library Journal *With an elaborately realized plot, fanatic cartographers, maps with surreal powers generated by phantom settlements (intentional errors), and many-faceted suspense, Shepherd contrasts science and art, obsession and love in a bedazzling metaphysical tale of lost and found * Booklist *The Cartographers is wildly imaginative and totally mind-bending in the best possible way. Shepherd has crafted a juicy mystery masquerading as a grown-up scavenger hunt filled with astonishing twists and revelations. The result is a romp that's pure pleasure to read and will keep readers guessing-and gasping-as the map's true power and beguiling history are brought to light * Bookpage *
£8.99
Amazon Publishing The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell: A Novel
Book SynopsisWall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni’s coming-of-age story is, according to Booklist, “a novel that, if it doesn’t cross entirely over into John Irving territory, certainly nestles in close to the border.” Sam Hill always saw the world through different eyes. Born with red pupils, he was called “Devil Boy” or Sam “Hell” by his classmates; “God’s will” is what his mother called his ocular albinism. Her words were of little comfort, but Sam persevered, buoyed by his mother’s devout faith, his father’s practical wisdom, and his two other misfit friends. Sam believed it was God who sent Ernie Cantwell, the only African American kid in his class, to be the friend he so desperately needed. And that it was God’s idea for Mickie Kennedy to storm into Our Lady of Mercy like a tornado, uprooting every rule Sam had been taught about boys and girls. Forty years later, Sam, a small-town eye doctor, is no longer certain anything was by design—especially not the tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown, and the life he’d always known. Running from the pain, eyes closed, served little purpose. Now, as he looks back on his life, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world. This time, his eyes are wide open—bringing into clear view what changed him, defined him, and made him so afraid, until he can finally see what truly matters. Winner of Suspense Magazine’s Crimson Scribe Award.Trade ReviewA Suspense Magazine Crimson Scribe Award Winner A Goodreads Choice Award Semifinalist, Historical Fiction An Amazon Best Book of the Month: Literature & Fiction Category “This is the bestselling Dugoni’s masterpiece, the book by which his work, and that of others, will be measured for years to come.” —Providence Journal “Dugoni has produced a novel that, if it doesn’t cross entirely over into John Irving territory, certainly nestles in close to the border…Told in two separate time lines (Sam as a boy, and Sam as a man) that eventually come together, and written in a gentle, introspective yet dramatic style that is very different from that of Dugoni’s crime fiction, this is an inspirational story of a man who spends a lifetime getting to know himself.” —Booklist “Sam Hell is inspiring and aglow with the promise of redemption.” —Kirkus Reviews “Robert Dugoni has a rare and brilliant talent for infusing his characters with complex emotions. It is very hard not to ache for young Sam…Frankly, this might be the best book of the year.” —Bookreporter “Distinctly different in style from Dugoni’s typical fare, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, is a captivating and poignant journey of strength and the power of finding your true self. Without a doubt, this is Dugoni’s best yet.” —Suspense Magazine “Dugoni’s writing is compellingly quick, simple, and evocative; readers will immediately empathize with young Sam and will race to discover how his story ends. The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell is a heartwarming novel that celebrates overcoming the unfairnesses of life.” —Seattle Book Review Past Praise for Robert Dugoni: “Dugoni is a superb storyteller…” —Boston Globe “Dugoni has a gift for creating compelling characters and mysteries that seem straightforward, but his stories, like an onion, have many hidden layers.” —Associated Press
£11.85
Hodder & Stoughton In: The Graphic Novel
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE BETTY TRASK PRIZE'BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL OF 2021' Guardian and Irish Times'Starts as a charming romantic comedy and turns into something tender and affecting about our need for connection. I loved this one. ' David Nicholls'Beautiful, bittersweet portrait of modern life . . . his tragicomedy will also make the heart swell.' Guardian'Brilliant.' Candice Carty-Williams'This is a miraculous book.' Joe DunthorneNick, a young illustrator, can't connect with people. Whether it's the barista down the street, his own family or Wren, an oncologist whose life becomes painfully tangled with his, Nick can't shake the feeling that there is some hidden realm of human interaction beyond his reach. He staggers through meaningless conversations and haunts lookalike, vacuous coffee shops in the hope that he will find it there. But it isn't until Nick learns to stop performing and speak about the things that really matter that the complex and colourful worlds of the people he meets are finally revealed to him.Illustrated in both colour and black-and-white in McPhail's instantly recognisable style, In is poignant, fresh and hilarious. McPhail transforms the graphic novel with a heart-wrenching compassion uncannily appropriate for our isolated times.Trade ReviewThe finest graphic novel of the year was IN by Will McPhail, a clever and touching account of a young illustrator dealing with his mother's illness and his own ennui. This beautifully composed debut mixes nuanced observation with hipster satire, and scalpel-sharp one-liners about the things that don't matter with stumbling attempts to articulate the things that do. -- James Smart,Guardian Best graphic novels of 2021There are few better cartoonists that the New Yorker's Will McPhail, and we can now officially confirm there are few better graphic novelists...There are books which get called funny because they raise a few chuckles, and then there are books which have you wheezing with laughter and reading out multiple paragraphs to whichever long-suffering companion happens to be within hearing. In. is very much the latter kind of book, which makes its bracing dives into pathos and profundity all the more risky, and all the more stunningly rewarding. -- Best Graphic Novels of 2021 * Irish Times *Beautiful, bittersweet portrait of modern life . . . his tragicomedy will also make the heart swell. * Guardian *Starts as a charming romantic comedy and turns into something tender and affecting about our need to connect. I loved this one. * David Nicholls *Brilliant. IN feels so real to me. * Candice Carty-Williams *This is a miraculous book. Very funny, very sad and very beautiful - all at the same time, somehow. * Joe Dunthorne *A curious, funny and deeply human story about growing up in adulthood. Asks all the questions, and makes a case for real connection in a world full of podcasts and plant-based milk. * Emmy the Great *Will McPhail draws sensitively and with impeccable emotional precision. In IN, he has created a hilarious, touching, infinitely surprising world. I will read this book many times. * Liana Finck, author of Passing for Human: A Graphic Memoir *[A] breakout graphic novel...The characters in In are absolutely delightful. * BookPage, starred review *McPhail's delicately lined graphite drawings, neatly squared into comics-y frames, are playful yet full of depth. . . . Impressive art, a relatable hero's struggle, and a healthy dose of humor (Nick haunts establishments with names like 'Your Friends Have Kids Bar' and 'Gentrificchiato') will make McPhail's graphic novel debut appealing to many. * Booklist *The visuals are scrumptious and the yearning for personal connection is deeply relatable . . . McPhail presents [beats] with style and grace, deftly moving the story along with subtle, impactful visual cues . . . Gorgeous. * Kirkus Reviews *
£19.80
Amazon Publishing West with Giraffes: A Novel
Book SynopsisAn emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. “Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes…” Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. It’s 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California’s first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world’s first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes. Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it’s too late.Trade ReviewA Texas Center for the Book Great Read Selection “A delightful read.” —The New York Times Book Review “West with Giraffes is truly a fun read…I [can’t] imagine a reading list that would not contain Lynda Rutledge’s astonishing novel.” —Old Naples News “Every year I find at least one book that soars above all the others. This year West With Giraffes is that book.” —Florida Times Union “A flawless novel.” —Austin American-Statesman “A perfect balance between history and fiction.” —POPSUGAR “[A] larger-than-life story about the power of both animal magnetism and human connection…witty, charming, and heartwarming.” —Booklist
£8.54
Quercus Publishing The Garden of Burning Sand
Book SynopsisIn Zambia, American lawyer Zoe Fleming and policeman Joseph Kabuta have uncovered a crime that has no rhyme or reason: a young girl, attacked and left for dead. Zoe and Joseph - their pasts, cultures and upbringings radically different - must work together. Their task is not only to help the girl, Kuyeya, recover but, against overwhelming odds and terrifying danger, to ensure justice doesn't fail her again.Trade Review'Chock full of suspense and emotion' Pride. * Pride *'A compelling novel with a conscience and a heart, gripping in its drama and unique in its insights into a hidden and dangerous world. Resonant with authenticity, The Garden of Burning Sand rewards the reader on every level' Richard North Patterson, author of Eden in Winter. * Richard North Patterson *
£9.49
Atlantic Books All of Us and Everything
Book SynopsisEsme: eldest child, control-freak, perfect wife. In fact, her husband has run off with his dentist and their teenage daughter is live-tweeting the entire mess to her 3,000 followers. Liv: middle child, fiancé stealer, squatter. Holed up in her ex-husband's apartment with her acupuncturist and a bottle of whiskey.Ru: youngest child, writer, runaway. Hopes to find inspiration for her second novel whilst fleeing her fiancé. One-by-one the siblings return to the family home, where a box of old letters awaits them containing the answer to the mystery they have all lived with, until now: who was their father, and why the hell did he disappear?Trade ReviewSimilar to Nick Hornby... Asher's novel rewards readers with an engrossing plot rich in witty and frank dark humor... Thoughtful and provoking. * Booklist *Asher's newest title spotlights her unique voice plus an affinity for quirky, wounded characters that are both realistic and likeable... An entertaining yet astute look at family, self, story and connections. * Kirkus *The Rockwell siblings... won me over completely, and their story twists and turns in such fascinating, hilarious, heartfelt ways, that it left me in awe of Asher's abilities. -- Kevin Wilson, author of The Family Fang
£9.74
Transworld Publishers Ltd Pine: The spine-chilling Sunday Times bestseller
Book SynopsisWINNER of the McIlvanney Prize 2020Shortlisted for Bloody Scotland's Scottish Crime Debut of the Year 2020Longlisted for the Highland Book Prize 2020'Hugely atmospheric, exquisitely written and utterly gripping' LUCY FOLEY, author of The Hunting Party'It's both eerie and thrilling at once, and had me under its spell until the end' SOPHIE MACKINTOSH, author of Blue Ticket and The Water Cure______________They are driving home from the search party when they see her. The trees are coarse and tall in the winter light, standing like men.Lauren and her father Niall live alone in the Highlands, in a small village surrounded by pine forest. When a woman stumbles out onto the road one Halloween night, Niall drives her back to their house in his pickup. In the morning, she's gone.In a community where daughters rebel, men quietly rage, and drinking is a means of forgetting, mysteries like these are not out of the ordinary. The trapper found hanging with the dead animals for two weeks. Locked doors and stone circles. The disappearance of Lauren's mother a decade ago.Lauren looks for answers in her tarot cards, hoping she might one day be able to read her father's turbulent mind. Neighbours know more than they let on, but when local teenager Ann-Marie goes missing it's no longer clear who she can trust.In the shadow of the Highland forest, Francine Toon captures the wildness of rural childhood and the intensity of small-town claustrophobia. In a place that can feel like the edge of the word, she unites the chill of the modern gothic with the pulse of a thriller. It is the perfect novel for our haunted times.______________READERS LOVE PINE . . .'Stunning ... I was completely spellbound' *****'Mesmerising and addictive' *****'I raced through this one, absolutely adored it!' *****'Can't recommend it enough' *****'I could not pull myself away from the pages' *****Trade ReviewA literary gothic thriller to chill the marrow * Guardian *[A] simmering gothic thriller * Daily Mail *(A) pacey horror-tinged novel ... Even with the strange and supernatural goings-on in the woods, it’s the rage and grief and darkness of grown-ups that’s the biggest mystery of all * Telegraph, Best First Novels of 2020 *The novel's strength is its evocation of bleak landscapes and complex characters * Sunday Times *Splicing small-town domestic drama with grisly mystery and occult thrills, it’s a cleverly crafted debut * Metro *One of the standout debuts of the year * Irish Independent *As gripping as any boxset * Sunday Times Scotland *This haunting debut is a must-read for fans of eerie gothic fiction * The Skinny *An evocative read which will keep you guessing * Sunday Independent *Pine is a thrill of a book * i-D *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing The Dollmaker
Book Synopsis'A terrifying lesson in US history – and a haunting tragedy' GuardianGertie is the young mother of five children – uneducated, determined, strong. Her only ambition is to own her own small farm in the Kentucky hills where she lives, to become self-sufficient and free.Whenever the struggle to live off the land eases, her inarticulate imagination takes its freedom and flies. Because Gertie is also an artist, a sculptor of wood and creator of beautiful handmade dolls.When the family is forced to move to industrial Detroit, with its pre-fab houses, appliances bought on credit and neighbours on every side, life turns into an incomprehensible, lonely nightmare. Gertie realises she must adapt to a life where land, family and creativity are replaced by just one thing: the constant need for money. ‘A masterwork… A superb book of unforgettable strength and glowing richness’ New York Times WITH AN AFTERWORD BY JOYCE CAROL OATESTrade ReviewA masterwork...A superb book of unforgettable strength and glowing richness * New York Times *A book of biblical intensity... With vivid insights into racial, religious and labour tensions, this is a terrifying lesson in US history – and a haunting tragedy * Guardian *An extraordinary novel, one that burns ferociously with the great twinned fires of country and city that constitute America. Its opening pages are among the most striking I’ve read in recent years but so are its last. May this hard, beautiful story find the many new readers it deserves -- Laird HuntIt is a legitimate tragedy, our most unpretentious American masterpiece -- Joyce Carol OatesThe depth and power and stature of this enormous book are rare indeed in modern fiction * New York Times *
£11.69
Atlantic Books All the Missing Girls
Book SynopsisIt's been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared without trace. Then a letter from her father arrives - 'I need to talk to you. That girl. I saw that girl.' Has her father's dementia worsened, or has he really seen Corinne? Returning home, Nicolette must finally face what happened on that terrible night all those years ago. Then, another young woman goes missing, almost to the day of the anniversary of when Corinne vanished. And like ten years ago, the whole town is a suspect. Told backwards - Day 15 to Day 1 - Nicolette works to unravel the truth, revealing shocking secrets about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne. Like nothing you've ever read before, All the Missing Girls is a brilliantly plotted debut thriller that will leave you breathless.Trade ReviewAre you paying attention? You'll need to be; this thriller will test your brain with its reverse chronological structure, and it's a page-turner to boot. * Elle Magazine *In All the Missing Girls Megan Miranda leads readers back through the past of a small town, enfolding them in a slow, tense nightmare of suspicion, menace, and tangled motives. A twisty, compulsive read - I loved it. * Ruth Ware, author of In a Dark, Dark Wood *Extremely interesting...a novel that will probably be called Hitchcockian * New York Times, editor's pick *All the Missing Girls is a smart, suspenseful, and emotionally complex thriller. Told in reverse, this story will make you want to lock the doors, turn off the phone, and read until the last satisfying page. * Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of 'The Ex' *As original as it is addictive, this story puts a knot in your gut from the opening pages. Vividly rendered, psychologically complex, All The Missing Girls is, above all, totally gripping. * Tim Johnston, New York Times bestselling author of 'Descent' *All the Missing Girls is set to become one of the best books of 2016 * Los Angeles Review of Books *Megan Miranda's utterly gripping and original All the Missing Girls keeps you off balance in the most perfect way. I was held hostage by the book from the first page to the stunning conclusion. This literally backward tale is a winner. * Lisa Lutz, author of 'The Passenger and How to Start a Fire' *A very unusual reading experience. Definitely worth a look. -- InStyle.co.uk * If You Liked Girl on a Train You’ll Love These… *The kind of book it seems like everyone has been hungry for since Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and Paula Hawkins's Girl on a Train. * Cosmopolitan.com *[An] impressive tale of suspense. * The Sun *A thoroughly nail-biting narrative puzzle * Closer magazine *I loved this book... the structure is amazing. A must read! * Kate Williams *
£8.54
Atlantic Books The Serpent's Mark
Book SynopsisLonglisted for the CWA Historical Dagger Award in 2020, the second book from the author of The Angel's Mark, a CWA Dagger shortlisted novel and a Walter Scott Prize Academy Recommended Read 2019'S.W. Perry's ingeniously plotted novels have become my favourite historical crime series.' S. G. MacLean, author of The Seeker series____________________Treason sleeps for no man...London, 1591. Nicholas Shelby, physician and reluctant spy, returns to his old haunts on London's lawless Bankside. But, when spymaster Robert Cecil asks him to investigate the dubious practices of a mysterious doctor from Switzerland, Nicholas is soon embroiled in a conspiracy that threatens not just the life of an innocent young patient, but the overthrow of Queen Elizabeth herself.With fellow healer and mistress of the Jackdaw tavern, Bianca Merton, again at his side, Nicholas is drawn into a sinister world of zealots, charlatans and dangerous fanatics...Trade ReviewThe second in [Perry's] series about the Elizabethan doctor-cum-sleuth Nicholas Shelby... is as elegantly written as the first * The Times *An excellent romp through an exciting era. * Jon Wise, the Sunday Sport *No-one is better than S. W. Perry at leading us through the squalid streets of London in the sixteenth century. * Andrew Swanston, author of the Thomas Hill Novels *A satisfyingly convoluted plot. * Sunday Times *The writing is of such a quality, the characters so engaging and the setting so persuasive that, only two books in, S.W. Perry's ingeniously plotted novels have become my favourite historical crime series. * S. G. MacLean, author of The Seeker series *The Serpent's Mark is an excellent evocation of Elizabethan England, with espionage, intricate conspiracies, strange medical practises and a gripping story. A rattling good read. * William Ryan, bestselling author of The Constant Soldier *A gorgeous book - rich, intelligent and dark in equal measure. It immerses you in the late 16th century and leaves you wrung out with terror. This is historical fiction at its most sumptuous... * Rory Clements, author of the the John Shakespeare series, on The Angel's Mark *Wonderful! Beautiful writing, and Perry's Elizabethan London is so skilfully evoked, so real that one can almost smell it. * Giles Kristian, author of Lancelot, on The Angel's Mark *An impressively dramatic and gripping debut novel. Elegantly written, thoroughly researched, The Angel's Mark draws us into the murky world of Elizabethan London where life is a game of chance, and savage death a close neighbour, quick to pounce on the unsuspecting. I predict that we will be seeing much more of Nicholas Shelby, physician and reluctant spy. * Anne O'Brien, author of The Scandalous Duchess, on The Angel's Mark *I knew before I got to the bottom of the first page that The Angel's Mark was the real thing. In an increasingly crowded field, this one is going to stand out. * S. G. MacLean, author of The Seeker series, on The Angel's Mark *
£8.54
Canongate Books So the Wind Won't Blow It All Away
Book SynopsisIn a small Pacific Northwest town we meet a young man who has shot dead his best friend with a gun. The novel deals with the repercussions of this tragedy: the anguish, regret, despair and bittersweet romance.Typical of Brautigan's singular style, So the Wind Won't Blow It All Away is a beautifully written, brooding novel. Its autobiographical prose is a fitting epitaph to this complex, contradictory and often misunderstood writer.Trade ReviewPoetic, gently eccentric and deeply poignant * * The Times * *[His] most substantial novel . . . Brautigan is especially adept at evoking the everyday magic of childhood * * Times Literary Supplement * *The verbal humour and zany charm of the book remain quite irresistible * * Daily Telegraph * *Strikingly original . . . [Brautigan] is the lone eccentric on the busy city intersection staring at the sky and finding patterns in the clouds, while everyone else shuffles along staring at the ground * * Guardian * *Brautigan gets you drunk on similes, knocks you out with exquisite turns of phrase . . . Amazing * * Uncut * *
£8.99
Canelo Something New at the Borrow a Bookshop: A
Book Synopsis‘Kiley's writing is delightful and so easy to cosy down with…Best book of the year!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader ReviewA fairytale ending isn’t just for fiction…The Borrow-a-Bookshop is recovering, seven months on from the winter flood that destroyed all its stock, and the latest temporary bookseller, Joy Foley, arrives in Clove Lore with her daughter, five-year-old Radia Pearl. As a tech expert, she’ll be working on dragging the Bookshop into the twenty-first century.But what no one knows is that Joy is running from Radia Pearl’s father. She can’t settle down here or anywhere … moving on is how she stays safe. So when Radia befriends Monty Bickleigh, ex-fisherman and the new cook at The Siren’s Tail pub, despite herself, Joy finds herself growing closer to him, and the quirky community of Clove Lore.While Joy settles in to the bookshop, Araminta Clove-Congreve, local lady of the Manor, is finding running her new wedding business harder than anticipated. She needs to hire a chief wedding planner, and fast - and Joy’s family may have the answer.As Joy finds her heart softening by the magic of Clove Lore, can her new friends – and Monty – be enough to convince Joy to stop running and find a new life?An uplifting, gorgeously romantic read that will warm your heart; fans of Jenny Colgan and Trisha Ashley won't be able to put this down. Bookworms everywhere, escape to the magic of Clove Lore today...Readers are loving Something New at the Borrow a Bookshop:‘I couldn't get enough of this story and was reading it every second I had over the course of a day. Just simply fabulous.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘What a heart-warming, feel good story! A perfect weekend read…Loved it!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘Charming, cozy, heartbreaking, and heart-warming. It was truly a delight to read.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘A wonderful read which made me feel warm and gooey inside. Perfect for a pick-me-up!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘An absolutely wonderful read. Kiley never disappoints and this book was no exception…some deep themes all wrapped up in a warm hug.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘The Borrow-a-Bookshop series is like a gentle hug from a friend… Before you know it, you are caught up in the lives of the characters and want to join them.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘A lovely and emotional (in a good way) romance, with a wonderful sense of community.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘These books are uplifting, heart-warming and heart-breaking’. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘A book series to rely on, one that has me longing to visit again, enjoying the escape and the warmth inside.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘A quaint seaside village, interesting characters, a cozy bookshop, and the sweetest love story.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘A cute, heart-warming, cosy read…I have fallen in love with Clove Lore and their residents.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘I think this is the best book in the series to date… A story of community and friendships and family.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘I adore this series, so, so much! I read them much too fast because they are so darn cute.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘These books are a real treat and pure escapism not to be missed.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘A truly satisfying read with a wonderful ensemble cast.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘The author packs this book with lovable characters…A heart-warming trip to a fictional gem of the Devon seaside.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review
£8.54
Everyman The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The War of
Book SynopsisIn The Time Machine an inventor travels to the remote future where he finds both love and terror. The protagonist of The Invisible Man struggles to come to terms with his condition in a narrative which is by turns comic and tragic. The War of the Worlds imagines planetary conflict from an individual point of view. If these themes reveal the originality of Wells as a thinker, each story displays his skill as a novelist by the ways in which he anchors astonishing events in vivid everyday details of character and place.All three have spawned countless adaptations and imitations but Wells remains the greatest poet of science we have, an inexhaustible source for speculation about the nature of the future and the meaning of the present.
£13.49
Little, Brown Book Group Living In The Maniototo
Book Synopsis'All I had experienced, all the stories I had read or dreamed came to me the moment I, a stranger, turned the key in the lock of the unknown house.'In a sweltering basement in downtown Baltimore, Mavis Halleton, writer, ventriloquist and gossip, is struggling to write her novel when an unexpected invitation arrives. The Garretts, a couple Mavis has never heard of but who admire her work, are to spend time in Italy and offer the use of their airy home in the Berkeley hills.During her stay, an earthquake hits northern Italy and Mavis, to her surprise, inherits the house. But, surrounded by museum replicas and tasteful imitations, she finds reality itself is on shaky ground.In this highly inventive novel, reality, fiction and dreams are woven together as Janet Frame playfully explores the process of writing fiction.Trade ReviewQuirky, rich, eccentricPuts everything else that has come my way this year in the shadeProbably as near a masterpiece as we are likely to see this year . . . it is a novel full of riches * Daily Telegraph *A clever, high-spirited performance * New Yorker *She treats the book like one of those miniature glass balls which snows when you shake it. Playful, deft work, then, by a writer of eccentric strengths * Kirkus Reviews *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group When Rain Clouds Gather And Maru
Book SynopsisA RIVETING STORY FROM ONE OF AFRICA'S MOST IMPORTANT WOMAN WRITERS 'When Rain Clouds Gather and Maru are fairy tales about the transformations that love can wreak. And they transform love into a force to be thankful for' HELEN OYEYEMIEscaping South Africa and his troubled past, Makehaya crosses the border to Botswana, in the hope of leading a peaceful and purposeful life. In the village of Golema Mmidi, he meets Gilbert, a charismatic Englishman who is trying to modernise farming methods to benefit the community. The two outsiders join forces, but their task is fraught with hazards: opposition from the corrupt chief, the pressures of tradition and the unrelenting climate ever threaten to bring tragedy. Maru: Margaret, an orphan from a despised tribe, has lived her life under the loving protection of a missionary's wife. She has only to open her mouth to cause confusion, for her education and English accent do not fit her looks. When she accepts her first teaching post, in a remote village, Margaret is befriended by Dikeledi, sister of Maru the chief-in-waiting. Despite making influential friends, Margaret faces prejudice even from the children she teaches, and her presence causes Maru and his best friend - also Dikeledi's lover - to become sworn enemies.Trade ReviewWhen Rain Clouds Gather and Maru are fairy tales about the transformations that love can wreak. And they transform love into a force to be thankful for -- Helen Oyeyemi
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Fountain Overflows
Book SynopsisRose Aubrey is one of a family of four children. Their father, Piers, is the disgraced son of an Irish landowning family, a violent, noble and quite unscrupulous leader of popular causes. His Scottish wife, Clare, is an artist, a tower of strength, fanatically devoted to a musical future for her daughters. This is the story of their life in south London, a life threatened by Piers's streak of tragic folly which keeps them on the verge of financial ruin and social disgrace . . .'A book bursting with love and vitality' DAILY EXPRESSTrade Review* 'It is improbable that even the most scrupulous reader could name a more poignantly and lovingly told tale, a more beautiful piece of writing * NYTimes ** 'So vivid and lovable are her subjects, a crisis-ridden musical and literary family, that to finish the book is to suffer a bereavement. * Mail on Sunday. *
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group Fire from Heaven: A Novel of Alexander the Great:
Book SynopsisAlexander's beauty, strength and defiance were apparent from birth, but his boyhood honed those gifts into the makings of a king. His mother, Olympias, and his father, King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle. His love for the youth Hephaistion taught him trust, while Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's Iliad fuelled his aspirations. Killing his first man in battle at the age of twelve, he became regent at sixteen and commander of Macedon's cavalry at eighteen, so that by the time his father was murdered, Alexander's skills had grown to match his fiery ambition.Trade ReviewRenault's skill is in immersing us in their world, drawing us into its strangeness, its violence and beauty ... a literary conjuring trick ... so convincing and passionately conjured The Times Mary Renault is a shining light to both historical novelists and their readers. She does not pretend the past is like the present, or that the people of ancient Greece were just like us. She shows us their strangeness; discerning, sure-footed, challenging our values, piquing our curiosity, she leads us through an alien landscape that moves and delights us Hilary Mantel The Alexander Trilogy contains some of Renault's finest writing. Lyrical, wise, compelling: the novels are a wonderful imaginative feat Sarah Waters All my sense of the ancient world - its values, its style, the scent of its wars and passions - comes from Mary Renault. I turned to writing historical fiction because of something I learned from Renault: that it lets you shake off the mental shackles of your own era, all the categories and labels, and write freely about what really matters to you Emma Donoghue Mary Renault's portraits of the ancient world are fierce, complex and eloquent, infused at every turn with her life-long passion for the Classics. Her characters live vividly both in their own time, and in ours Madeline Miller The Alexander Trilogy stands as one of the most important works of fiction in the 20th century ... it represents the pinnacle of [Renault's] career ... Renault's skill is in immersing us in their world, drawing us into its strangeness, its violence and beauty. It's a literary conjuring trick like all historical fiction - it can only ever be an approximation of the truth. But in Renault's hands, the trick is so convincing and passionately conjured. -- Antonia Senior The Times
£9.49
Alma Books Ltd North and South
Book SynopsisHaving grown up in London and rural southern England, Margaret Hale moves with her father to the northern industrial city of Milton. She is shocked by the poverty she encounters and dismayed by the unsympathetic attitude of the textile-mill owner John Thornton, whose factory workers are engaged in an acrimonious strike. Against this backdrop of social unrest, the relationship between the two is tumultuous, and it takes further upheaval and tragedy for them to see each other in a different light. First serialized in Dickens's magazine Household Words in the same period as Hard Times, North and South shares its famous counterpart's concern with the inequality and hardship generated by the Industrial Revolution in northern England, while at the same time creating one of the nineteenth century's most memorable and engaging female protagonists in Margaret Hale.Trade ReviewA great story-teller... it seems as though the art of writing came to her as easily as an instinct. -- Virginia Woolf
£8.20
Little, Brown & Company Solo Leveling, Vol. 5 (novel)
Book SynopsisJinwoo’s received some amazing gifts from the system, but the latest one might proveto be the greatest one yet-a key to the double dungeon where it all started. Perhaps asecond visit might provide him with answers for once. He’s got some time to kill untilhe can use the item though, but before he can tackle another gate, unexpectedmovement from the shadow soldiers guarding Jinah sets his alarm bells ringing...
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers Inc 1984 Deluxe Edition
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of the BBC's 100 Novels that Shaped the World “Orwell saw, to his credit, that the act of falsifying reality is only secondarily a way of changing perceptions. It is, above all, a way of asserting power.”—The New Yorker “1984 is a profound, terrifying, and wholly fascinating book. It is a fantasy of the political future, and like any such fantasy, serves its author as a magnifying device for an examination of the present.”—Lionel Trilling —
£20.00
Quercus Publishing This is How You Lose the Time War: The epic
Book SynopsisWINNER OFHugo Award for Best NovellaNebula Award for Best NovellaReddit Stabby Award for Best NovellaBritish Science Fiction Association Award for Best NovellaSHORTLISTED FOR2020 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial AwardThe Ray Bradbury PrizeKitschies Red Tentacle AwardKitschies Inky TentacleBrave New Words AwardCo-written by two award-winning writers, This Is How You Lose the Time War is an epic love story spanning time and space.Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading.Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There's still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war. That's how war works. Right?'A fireworks display from two very talented storytellers' Madeline Miller, author of Circe'An intimate and lyrical tour of time, myth and history' John Scalzi, bestselling author of Old Man's War'Lyrical and vivid and bittersweet' Ann Leckie, Hugo Award-winning author of Ancillary Justice'Rich and strange, a romantic tour through all of time and the multiverse' Martha Wells, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of The Murderbot DiariesTrade ReviewThis book has it all: treachery and love, lyricism and gritty action, existential crisis and space-opera scope, not to mention time travelling superagents. Gladstone's and El-Mohtar's debut collaboration is a fireworks display from two very talented storytellers * Madeline Miller, internationally bestselling author of Circe and Song of Achilles *An intimate and lyrical tour of time, myth and history, with a captivating conversation between characters - and authors. Read it * John Scalzi, New York Times bestselling author of The Collapsing Empire *Lyrical and vivid and bittersweet. An absolutely lovely read from two talented writers * Ann Leckie, Hugo Award-winning author of Ancillary Justice *This is How You Lose the Time War is rich and strange, a romantic tour through all of time and the multiverse, and you shouldn't miss a moment * Martha Wells, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of The Murderbot Diaries *An intense, poetic work * The Times Literary Supplement *Exquisitely crafted . . . Part epistolary romance, part mind-blowing science fiction adventure, this dazzling story unfolds bit by bit . . . Full of fanciful ideas and poignant moments, weaving a tapestry stretching across the millennia and through multiple realities that's anchored with raw emotion and a genuine sense of wonder. This short novel warrants multiple readings to fully unlock its complexities * Publishers Weekly Starred Review *Spectacular . . . Poetry, disguised as genre fiction. I read several sections out loud - this is prose that wants to be more than read. It wants to be heard and tasted * Kelly Sue DeConnick, creator of Captain Marvel *If Iain M. Banks and Gerard Manley Hopkins had ever been able to collaborate on a science fiction project, well, it wouldn't be half as much fun as this novella by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. There is all the pleasure of a long series, and all the details of an much larger world, presented in miniature here * Kelly Link, MacArthur Genius Grant recipient and Pulitzer Prize finalist for Get in Trouble *Fast-paced and intricately plotted * Temi Oh, author Do You Dream of Terra-Two? *A time travel adventure that has as much humanity, grace, and love as it has temporal shenanigans, rewriting history, and temporal agents fighting to the death. Two days from now, you've already devoured it * Ryan North, New York Times Bestselling and Eisner Award winning author of How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler *Sweet, hopeful, and unashamedly beautiful * SciFiNow *A gorgeous love story playfully yet powerfully spanning time and space in a weave of imagery and delight * Claire North, author of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August *This is the time-travelling queer epistolary romance I didn't know I needed . . . With precise, cut-glass prose - poetic and pragmatic at once - deeply compelling characters, and a tensely rewarding conclusion, This Is How You Lose the Time War is one of the most striking works of fiction I've read this decade. I'm going to be thinking about it - returning to it - for months, at least. Read it, because I can't recommend it highly enough * Locus *A wonderful tapestry of detail * Starburst *I'm very rarely a reader of romances - but I think now that's only because there is so rarely a romance like How To Lose the Time War. I've lost the day to it, and my only regret is that it's over . . . It's a smart, inventive, lyrical story that dances a pas de deux down the edge of a razor, and I'm very glad to have read it * Stephanie Saulter, author of Gemsigns *Intimately operates within an immersive space opera * Entertainment Weekly *The intergalactic and historic sweep . . . services rather than overwhelms what is in essence a story about falling in love under a repressive dictatorship * The Big Issue *Soars and succeeds in its vivid detail, and in its vast imaginative sweep . . . Vivid, savage, tender, cruel, it is worthy of many readings * Stephen Cox, author of Our Child of the Stars *An epistolary masterpiece, a masterclass in allusion, a deep dive into character, a perfect manipulation of form and syntax and tone, a bending of the genre to create something that is intrinsically science-fiction and yet absolutely, gorgeously unique . . . This book stunned me * Old Firehouse Books *Lush, glorious, passionate . . . I don't know how I'm going to move on past this book - but do I need to? I feel profoundly changed, cracked open and weeping, my heart in my hand, a songbird in my chest * For Every Helen of Troy *A message that the world needs to hear * Cheryl's Mewsings *If you took that sappy story of unrequited love, Keanu Reeves and a time-traveling mailbox, strapped it up in body armor, covered it with razors, dipped it in poison and set it loose to murder and burn its way across worlds and centuries, what you'd end up with is This Is How You Lose The Time War, the experimental, collaborative, time-travelling love-and-genocide novel by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone * NPR *Compulsively readable . . . this book was one of my most anticipated reads this year since I found out about it, and it really did not disappoint one bit * Reads Rainbow *Strange and lovely . . . unique * I Should Read That *A story told through lyrical writing you very rarely see in fantasy these days . . . A genuine tour de force from a pair of writers at the top of their games * Streetlamp Halo *Well deserves every second you dedicate to it * Calles de Tinta *The worldbuilding is superb . . . This Is How You Lose the Time War wonderfully delivers on its premise * Den of Geek *Beautifully conceived and written in shifting tones with clockwork precision underpinning its Möbius convolutions, one of the most fascinating books of the year so far * Geek Chocolate *A short, but punchy book that was highly emotional. I loved it a lot. The whole idea behind it is brilliantly ironic. I loved the writing, and I wished it was longer * Umut Reviews *Breathtaking. Brilliant in a way I'm not sure a review can illustrate. It has to be read to be believed * To Other Worlds *Exquisitely pitched . . . I don't remember the last time I cried rereading a book, but this one manages it * Strange Horizons *It's more than good. It's astonishing. You should read it. * Espresso Coco *Two hundred and one pages of can't-put-down goodness * Emily Holyoak *We might call it an "epistolary time-travel spy love story", but that doesn't really convey the book's poetic quality - it's one of a kind * The Guardian, 'Best of the Year’ *An intellectually rewarding read with prose of a high standard. And it's a must-read for time travel tragics like moi * Dark Matter Zine *Poetic and lovely * Lucy’s Novel Purpose *A brilliant reading experience. For something different and beautiful this is exactly the kind of story you've been waiting for * A Run Along the Shelves *An epistolary novel about two time travellers battling one another for control of the future who fall in love -- Adrian McKinty * Daily Express *
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Pizza Girl The TikTok sensation and mustread
Book SynopsisPerfect for fans of Coco Mellors, R. F. Kuang and Yomi Adegoke, this electrifying debut and TikTok sensation charts the unlikely relationship between a pregnant teenage pizza delivery driver and a stressed-out, middle-aged mum.Eighteen years old, pregnant, and working as a pizza delivery girl, our dysfunctional heroine is deeply lost and in complete denial about it all. She's grieving the death of her father, avoiding her loving boyfriend, and flagrantly ignoring her future.Her world is further upended when she becomes obsessed with Jenny, a stay-at-home mother new to the neighbourhood, who comes to depend on weekly deliveries of pickle-covered pizzas for her son's happiness.As one woman looks toward motherhood and the other toward middle age, the relationship between the two begins to blur in strange, complicated, and ultimately heartbreaking ways.Bold, tender, and unexpected, Pizza Girl is a moving and funny portrait of a flawed, unforgettable young woman as she tries to find her plaTrade Review‘Utterly moving’ Stylist ‘A bold and unusual novel’ Vogue ‘This story is both heartbreaking and hysterical, so buckle in for a wild emotional ride’ Good Housekeeping ‘A thought provoking debut … so compelling … I loved it’ Daily Mail ‘Bold, funny and quick … a unique, satisfying read that can be devoured in one sitting’ Vice ‘Exactly the sort of read I’m looking for at the moment’ Refinery29 ‘A fine debut’ Independent ‘A punchy and riveting story about struggling to take control of your life’BuzzFeed ‘Pacy and unexpected, this is a read you'll find refreshing if you've been stuck in a rut’ Cosmopolitan ‘By turns witty and moving, this is a sharp shock of a novel … Frazier is a stylish writer who wears her skills lightly … Her debut is a blistering slice of life with all the toppings’ The Irish Times ‘Short and sweet, this is a wry and understated tale of finding your place and identity’ Heat ‘A really remarkable debut’ The Nerd Daily ‘Messy, funny, dark, with characters who feel so real you’d swear you know them already. A truly original coming-of-age tale that feels both fresh and familiar’ Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City ‘A sublime ode to obsessive outcasts and lovable screw-ups everywhere, Pizza Girl is irresistible and bold, brutal and sweet, with an ending that will thrash your heart’ Kimberly King Parsons ‘Riotously funny’ Elle ’Fresh, funny, bittersweet’ New York Times ‘This quirky, moody novel delivers in unexpected ways’ People ‘Jean Kyoung Frazier brings a flawless ear for language, great inventiveness, unfailing intelligence and empathy, and best of all a rare and shimmering wit.’ Richard Ford ‘Luminous, brooding, and, frankly, awe-inspiring’ Bryan Washington
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Inc To Kill a Mockingbird
Book Synopsis
£14.44
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Shutter Island
Book Synopsis
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Poppy War
Book Synopsis
£13.09
HarperCollins Publishers Inc All the Ever Afters
Book SynopsisIn the vein of Wicked, The Woodcutter, and Boy, Snow, Bird, a luminous reimagining of a classic tale, told from the perspective of Agnes, Cinderella’s "evil" stepmother.We all know the story of Cinderella.Trade Review“[A] charmed debut [....] Teller pulls off the spellbinding trick of turning an easy-to-hate character into a strong and conscientious female lead.” — Publishers Weekly “Teller’s reimagined tale. . .stands out among the best. . . . Fairy-tale aficionados will adore Teller’s complex, touching retelling of this classic story of womanhood, perseverance, and familial love, in which she strikes an ideal balance between familiar and fresh.” — Booklist (starred review) “A fascinating reimagining of the original tale. . . .Readers will feel empathy for Agnes, consider various misunderstandings and think twice before labeling her as wicked.” — Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers “Teller set aside an established medical career as a pulmonary doctor and researcher five years ago to write full time. Nevertheless, she plays surgeon still, extracting the (formerly) villainous stepmother as protagonist and skillfully excising the classic story’s myths, magic and misconceptions.” — San Jose Mercury News “As in the best literary inversions (e.g., Gregory Maguire’s Wicked), Teller demonstrates the flaws and fine points of characters on both sides.” — Washington Post “Teller’s novel is a powerfully written rendition of the Cinderella story… Tells a complex tale of a love that forms through patient nurturing and by just being present.” — Book Club Babble “Teller woos readers into taking a better, more open-eyed look at a character that’s been maligned for centuries, one with strength and who’s worthy of stunned sympathy.” — Guam Daily Post Sometimes you’ve only heard one part of the story. Cinderella’s famously maligned stepmother, Agnes, gets to tell her own side in this clever take on the fairy tale.” — New York Post “A fun, fantastical story with a strong heroine. . . Inspired me and reminded me that how we confront adversity reveals profound truths about who and what we are.” — First for Women
£9.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Neverwhere Illustrated Edition
Book Synopsis
£24.00
