Humorous fiction

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Book Synopsis**A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**Mark Renton from Trainspotting is back – and he’s finally a success An international jet-setter, he now makes significant money managing DJs, but the constant travel, airport lounges, soulless hotel rooms and broken relationships have left him dissatisfied with his life. He’s then rocked by a chance encounter with Frank Begbie, from whom he’d been hiding for years after a terrible betrayal and the resulting debt. But the psychotic Begbie appears to have reinvented himself as a celebrated artist and – much to Mark’s astonishment – doesn’t seem interested in revenge. Sick Boy and Spud, who have agendas of their own, are intrigued to learn that their old friends are back in town, but when they enter the bleak world of organ-harvesting, things start to go so badly wrong. Lurching from crisis to crisis, the four men circle each other, driven by their personal histories and addictions, confused, angry – so desperate that even Hibs winning the Scottish Cup doesn’t really help. One of these four will not survive to the end of this book. Which one of them is wearing Dead Men’s Trousers?‘Welsh is on compulsively readable, searingly funny form’ The Times‘No one captures the competing affections and resentments that underpin lifelong friendships like Welsh’ EsquireTrade ReviewWelsh is on compulsively readable, searingly funny form in what has been billed as the final Trainspotting novel… What I really like about Welsh’s storytelling is that he makes these amoral misadventures so propulsive, so joyfully awful, that you have to go with the flow… this roués’ romp is about as much fun as you can have between two book covers. -- Dominic Maxwell * The Times *Dead Men’s Trousers is Welsh at his scabrous, foul-mouthed best as the Trainspotting crew ofRenton, Begbie, Sick Boy and Spud are reunited in a high-velocity tale of drug dealing,prostitution and the Hollywood art scene – with the odd compulsory organ donation casuallytossed in with sadistic aplomb. -- Stephen McGinty * Sunday Times *Some things never change. Violence lurks beneath the surface. Football still resonates. And, best of all, the Scots dialect retains its colloquial zing. Welsh fans are in for another witty, scabrous treat. -- Max Davidson * Mail on Sunday **Best New Fiction** *Irresistible... No one captures the competing affections and resentments that underpin lifelong friendships like Welsh, and the original lads – Sick Boy and Spud in particular – still bring out the best in him... keeping you gripped and choking on bursts of shocked laughter. * Esquire *A vignette-like study of modern masculinity… This final book in Welsh’s self-described “Harry Potter franchise” is as much character study as social commentary, and a sympathetic observation about how growing older doesn’t necessarily mean growing wiser. -- Zoë Apostolides * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis ''Charming, very funny indeed. Angela Thirkell is perhaps the most Pym-like of any twentieth-century author, after Pym herself'' Alexander McCall SmithIt is wartime in Barsetshire, and so much has changed. Belier''s Priory is now a hospital for wounded soldiers, and Sir Harry and Lady Waring have moved to the servants'' quarters, where they make the best of it - so much more practical than the large, draughty house! Soon, their niece Leslie, who has a hush-hush job with the navy, comes to recuperate: her nerves are frayed from overwork and a close call with a torpedo.When the Warings are then asked to house an intelligence officer and his wife, they reluctantly agree. They cannot know what a much-needed tonic Noel and Lydia Merton will prove to be. With the Priory being both the Waring residence and the army hospital, it becomes the hub of activity for all of Barsetshire.Trade ReviewYou read her, laughing, and want to do your best to protect her characters from any reality but their own * New York Times *The novels are a delight, with touches of E. F. Benson, E. M. Delafield and P. G. Wodehouse -- Christopher Fowler * Independent on Sunday *Charming, very funny indeed. Angela Thirkell is perhaps the most Pym-like of any twentieth-century author, after Pym herself -- Alexander McCall Smith

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Book SynopsisRead the hilarious rom-com that inspired the hit new sitcom Not Dead Yet starring Gina Rogriguez (Jane the Virgin), Hannah Simone (New Girl) and Lauren Ash (Superstore). As recommended on Davina McCall's Making the Cut podcast, and perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton, Ruth Jones and Marian Keyes.'The new Bridget Jones' – Celia Walden, Telegraph'Say hello to a book that will have you laughing with every page, whether you're 20, 40 or 80' – HeatA novel for any woman who wonders how the hell she got here, and why life isn't quite how she imagined it was going to be. And who is desperately trying to figure it all out when everyone around them is making gluten-free brownies.Meet Nell. Her life is a mess.In a world of perfect Instagram lives, she feels like a disaster. But when she starts a secret podcast and forms an unlikely friendship with Cricket, an eighty-something widow, things begin to change. Because Nell is determined. This time next year things will be very different. But first, she has a confession . . .Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter will make you laugh, and it might even make you cry. Above all, it will remind you that you're not on your own – we're all in this together.'Brilliant! Laughing out loud' – Emma Gannon, podcaster (Ctrl Alt Delete) and author of Olive'Funny but layered, light-hearted but surprisingly deep' – RedTrade ReviewA funny, feisty tale about the highs and the oh-so-lows of having to start over in your forties with a smart, sassy character at its heart who you'll be cheering on from start to finish. -- Mike Gayle, author of All The Lonely PeopleNell’s journey to mid-life happiness is hilarious, moving and filled with clear-eyed wisdom about what it means to be a woman of any age, proving that the best happy ever afters come when you fall in love with life. -- Lucy Dillon, author of After the Rain and A Hundred Pieces of MeI loved this book so much. It’s very funny and painfully true. Confessions of a Forty-Something F*ck Up is perfect comfort reading for anyone who thinks life isn’t working out as they want it to, whether they’re forty, fourteen or eighty-four. -- Chrissie Manby, author of Three Days in Florence and A Proper Family HolidaySay hello to a book that will have you laughing with every page, whether you're twenty, forty or eighty * Heat *

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Book SynopsisThis was truly the Christmas romance of my dreams 5 ?, Reader reviewWill all three women have their Christmas wishes come true?Christmas is coming and best friends Chloe, Jules, and Lucy are needing change so swapping homes for the holidays could be the perfect present for all of them!Australian Chloe spends her Christmas in a sleepy village in Oxfordshire, England. She is totally star-struck when she discovers who lives across the road.Lucy, who has jetted off to snowy Colorado for her dream-come-true white Christmas, is taken into the fold of Jules's loud and brash family, discovering more about herself in a few short days than she has in years.And Jules leaves the cold climes of Colorado to spend her Christmas on a beach with Chloe's friends in Melbourne, finding that time away is just what she needed.The only thing better than one Christmas romance is three, the perfect festive read for fans of Sarah Morgan, Holly Martin and Karen Swan.*Sandy's BRAND NEW Christmas romance, The ChriTrade Review“The Christmas Swap was GREAT! This was truly the Christmas romance of my dreams and I can't wait to read her other books.” “To say I really enjoyed this book may be an understatement!… I only found one drawback to this book, and that is it finished, so I'm hoping (well, more like begging) that this book turns into a series,” “This sweet holiday story had me totally hooked! If you’re looking for a fun, romantic, different take on a Christmas novel, you should absolutely pick this one up!” “I had so much fun reading this. It was super cheesy in the best way. I found myself grinning silly and trying to hide it while I read in public. ” “This story was everything I want in a holiday read” “What a delightful, heart-warming book! I absolutely adored reading this book that will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy! If you’re a fan of The Holiday, you’ll definitely like this one. Three Christmas swaps in one book, what a treat!” “There’s such a tremendous warmth about the whole book – the settings, the festive touches, the way the characters develop and discover themselves, that strong friendship, the perfect romances – and I entirely loved it. You really must add it to your Christmas reading list – you’re going to love it too.” “This is a great escapist read and was just what I needed… This is a great read if you are looking for a warm and cosy snuggle up on the sofa with some happy feel good vibes.” “A great festive story, or three, for putting you in a Christmas mood – very enjoyable.” “This book was great. An easy, uplifting, hopeful read in these crazy Covid times”

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Book Synopsis''An utterly gorgeous novel. It will forever hold my heart in its pages'' Pandora Sykes, co-host of The High-Low podcastGrace loves a woman. Annie loves a man. Violet isn''t quite sure. But you''ll love them all...Grace has what one might call a ''full and interesting life'' which is code for not married and has no kids. Her life is the envy of her straight friends, but all this time she has been waiting in secret for love to hit her so hard that she runs out of breath, like the way a wave in a rough sea bowls you over, slams you into the sand, and nearly drowns you.When Grace meets a beautiful woman at a party, she falls suddenly and desperately in love. At the same party, lawyer Annie meets the man of her dreams - the only man she''s ever met whose table manners are up to her mother''s standards. And across the city, Violet, who is afraid of almost everything, is making another discovery of her own: that for the first time in her life she''s falling in love with a woman.A Love Story for Bewildered Girls is a moving and exquisitely funny novel about love, sex and heartbreak.''Exquisitely tender, beautifully written, funny and sad'' Daisy Buchanan, author of How to Be a Grown-up ''Funny, honest, brilliant'' Nina Stibbe, bestselling author of Love, Nina''I absolutely loved this book by Emma Morgan which follows 3 women''s very different love lives... I inhaled it'' Emma Gannon, Sunday Times best-selling author and host of the podcast Ctrl-Alt-Delete''Funny, touching, uplifting, thoroughly modern'' Lauren Bravo, author of What Would the Spice Girls Do?''I was transfixed by this funny and moving story of three women navigating their way through the complexities of love, life and the search for personal fulfilment'' Sarah Haywood, author of The Cactus, a Richard & Judy Book Club Pick ''A charming modern romance'' Glamour ''Beautifully written, Morgan''s novel is a seriously impressive debut'' Stylist''Emma Morgan is an author to look out for'' Julie Cohen, author of ''Louis & Louise''LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI PRIZE 2020Trade ReviewAn utterly gorgeous novel. It will forever hold my heart in its pages. -- Pandora Sykes, host of The High-Low podcastExquisitely tender, beautifully written, funny and sad. . . a story about women rescuing themselves and each other. It made my heart swell -- Daisy Buchanan, author of 'How To Be A Grown Up'I absolutely loved this book by Emma Morgan which follows 3 women's very different love lives... I inhaled it -- Emma Gannon, host of the podcast Ctrl-Alt-DeleteFunny, honest, brilliant -- Nina Stibbe, bestselling author of 'Love, Nina'Funny, touching, uplifting, thoroughly modern -- Lauren Bravo, author of 'What Would the Spice Girls Do?'A funny exploration of love, friendship and female sexuality, I found this novel difficult to put down -- Clare Fisher, author of 'All The Good Things'A Love Story For Bewildered Girls is a triumph and I don't use that word lightly. When I finished it, I wanted to start it all over again. -- Geraldine Quigley, author of 'Music Love Drugs War'A debut novel about three women exploring the highs and lows of first love. . . It's so good to read a romcom with LGBT+ characters and that focuses on the strength of female friendship as well as romance. * Red *I was transfixed by this funny and moving story of three women navigating their way through the complexities of love, life and the search for personal fulfilment. I was rooting for them from the start, willing each of them on to find their own particular key to happiness, which isn't necessarily where you think it will be. This exquisite depiction of misplaced love, heartbreak and emerging self-knowledge feels utterly true-to-life. -- Sarah Haywood, author of 'The Cactus', a Richard & Judy Book Club PickFunny, sweet, wise, beautifully observed and just so full of heart. I absolutely loved it. Emma Morgan is clearly a very talented writer indeed. -- Christina Patterson, author of 'The Art of Not Falling Apart'A charming modern romance * Glamour *Beautifully written, Morgan's novel is a seriously impressive debut * Stylist *

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Book SynopsisA collection of never-before-published bonus materials detailing the exploits of the Service Club during the sports day after the cultural festival-and the Christmas party after volume 9!

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Book SynopsisWINNER of the GUARDIAN ''NOT THE BOOKER'' PRIZE 2019BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR - Vogue, TIME, Vulture, Woman and Home, and many more ''Subversive, radical, written with total glee and rollicking sense of unlimited possibility. Williams is one to watch'' StylistIf you feed a starving woman, what will she grow into?Twenty-nine year old Roberta has spent her whole life hungry. So she invents Supper Club: a secret society for women sick of bad men and bad sex. Fed up of being told to talk less, take less, be less, they gather after dark to feast and dance through the night. But as their bodies expand, so do their horizons, their desires - and their urge to break the rules.You look hungry. Join the club.''Superb... Hilariously funny and deeply moving'' Guardian Not the Booker Prize''Engrossing, ambitious, joyful as well as dark - which is so close to the bone and so necessary. I can''t wait to read her next book'' Emilie Pine, author of Notes to Self''Cool and knowing, jam-packed with cultural references, not to mention mouthwatering recipes'' Metro''Daring, funny, humane, delightful. She''s the real thing'' Sam Jordison, Guardian''For reading while eating in the bath and licking your lips. There''s no other book to read this month'' Lit Hub''Darkly delicious. A celebration of female power and friendship'' Sunday Mirror''Riotous, bold, wild and witty'' Sunday Express Trade ReviewA radical retake on the notion that women must starve themselves to meet society's demands... Written with total glee and rollocking sense of unlimited possibility, Lara Williams is one to watch * Stylist *Sophisticated, attentive, visceral, sensual.... Following in the footsteps of Elena Ferrante and Sally Rooney, Williams explores the shifting dynamics of female friendships * Times Literary Supplement *Exquisite. Wise and generous, subtle and superbly attentive... The food in this book eats you, imparting a depth of flavour that resurfaces stylishly when you least expect it * The New York Times *Cool and knowing, jam-packed with cultural references, not to mention mouthwatering recipes... Kicks back against the degradations and appetite-shaming strictures of a notionally feminist age * Metro *Supper Club is SO GREAT. Utterly perfect on loneliness, isolation, friendship, love, appetite, body image. It's about millennial women but I'm reading and nodding: 'Whole Mood'Powerful and original, insightful and moving... The voice feels akin to Sally Rooney's: colloquial, precise, at once uneasy about its place in the world and determined to stand up for itself... Williams suggests convincingly that cooking is as rigorous and complex as any art form * Guardian *Like Fight Club but with food... About rebellion and power and all the desires women have suppressed for so, so long * Bustle *Supper Club will speak to parts of you that you didn't know were yearning. A thought-provoking read that will make you hungry for more * Refinery29 *A smart, zeitgeisty, genuinely affecting coming-of-age-tale... Lara Williams is very much a talent in her own right * Daily Mail *For reading while eating in the bath and licking your lips... There's no other book to read this month * Lit Hub *Totally invigorating... With elements of Stephanie Danler's Sweetbitter, Ottessa Moshfegh's My Year of Rest and Relaxation and Phoebe Waller Bridge's Fleabag, Supper Club is a succulent, unapologetic celebration of female friendship, female rage, and female appetite * Pure Wow *[A] delicious first novel... Williams writes with warmth, wit, and wisdom, serving up distinctive characters and a delectably unusual story. Supper Club will satisfy your craving for terrific writing and leave you hungry for more from this talented writer * Kirkus (Starred Review) *A darkly funny coming-of-age story like no other... Supper Club is the ravenous read we all need * Read It Forward *A bacchanalian debut novel (that) will leaving you panting and ravenous * New York Magazine *Extremely well done... Williams's enthusiasm for good food is attractive, and she writes with a pleasingly fluent style * Evening Standard *Darkly delicious... A celebration of female power and friendship with wonderful food writing * Sunday Mirror *Engrossing, humorous and candid, this exploration of a woman on the verge of finding herself makes for an enthralling novel * Publishers Weekly (STARRED REVIEW) *An homage to female rage and the bonds of friendship, Supper Club will entice readers like a gourmet feast and leave them just as satisfied * Library Journal *Williams explores the complex relationship many women have with their deepest desires * Time (Summer Reading Highlights) *A bacchanalian homage to women's rage and female friendshipYou'll want to feast on this book * Cosmopolitan *A love letter to those friends, both retained and lost, who have an irrevocable influence on who we are and how we understand ourselves. It's a powerful interrogation of the current status of women within western societies. But it is also a provocation to demand more, a challenge to hold each other to account, and an enticement to celebrate the vibrancy of women's lives with the raucous abandon they deserve. It's the counter fairy tale: biting the apple brought wisdom and confidence, not a loss of consciousness. No prince necessary * Women’s Review of Books *Rebellious and subversive... Williams excels at visceral descriptions of bodies and food alike * Mail on Sunday *A bold and fresh story about food, friendship and feminism...compelling reading. * i *Bold, wild and witty * The Sunday Express *A small utopia celebrating the intoxications of female friendship and standing as a private bulwark against patriarchy * TIME Magazine *

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Book SynopsisAt the turn of the twentieth century, as he composes a treatise on melancholy, Jacov Reinhardt sets off from his small Croatian village in search of his hero and unwitting mentor, Emiliano Gomez Carrasquilla, who is rumored to have disappeared into the South American jungle—“not lost, mind you, but retired.” Jacov’s narcissistic preoccupation with melancholy consumes him, and as he desperately recounts the myth of his journey to his trusted but ailing scribe, hope for an encounter with the lost philosopher who holds the key to Jacov’s obsession seems increasingly unlikely.From Croatia to Germany, Hungary to Russia, and finally to the Americas, Jacov and his companions grapple with the limits of art, colonialism, and escapism in this antic debut where dark satire and skewed history converge.Trade Review“Jacov Reinhardt and his faithful assistant roam South America in a quixotic search for the essence of melancholy—an enterprise that makes Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo, their rough contemporary, come off as a levelheaded pragmatist. To follow Reinhardt, fueled by amounts of cocaine not even Sigmund Freud could have managed, is to walk into a fascinating literary maze that spans from Ulrich Schmidl’s chronicles to the decadent movements in turn-of-the-century Europe and Latin America. Melancholy has never felt more euphoric than in Mark Haber’s breathless paragraph-long novel.” —Hernan Diaz “Evokes Gertrude Stein, contemporary European and South American writers like Matthias Énard, Roberto Bolaño, and César Aira, with the Quixotic atmosphere of Werner Herzog films like Fitzcarraldo…A strange but lavishly imagined tale of a hard-to-describe feeling.” —Kirkus “An exhilarating fever dream about the search for the secret of melancholy. . . . Haber’s dizzying vision dextrously leads readers right into the melancholic heart of darkness.” —Publishers Weekly&ldsquo;Heart of Darkness viewed in a fun house mirror.<&rdsquo;&emdash;Library Journal “Haber, who has been called 'one of the most influential yet low-key of tastemakers in the book world,' is about to raise it up a level with the debut of his novel.” —The Millions“An enchanting story of satirical wit, dark humor, and luminous creativity. . . . an exhilarating grand adventure of passion, obsession and lunacy.”—The Literary Review“At times we can imagine Haber to be a Latin American writer. This subtle yet brilliant act of mimicry is perhaps the author’s intention all along.” —BOMB Magazine&ldsquo;The cynicism of Haber’s book is tempered with a sweetness that gives it a lovely balance. . . . an innovative piece of fiction.&rdsquo—Houston Chronicle“Hilarious and thrilling. . . . this novel may look like something new, but it reads like that timeless treat, a rollicking good yarn.” —Star Tribune“There is a strange, beautiful aesthetic in the spun thread of tightly, smoothly laminated prose. . . . to accomplish this art in narration, and Haber has, is masterful, touching on genius.” —Lone Star Literary Life“In prose as sure as a poison-laced dart, Mark Haber takes the reader on a delirious journey to the heart of melancholy.” —Sjón“There is a strange, beautiful aesthetic in the spun thread of tightly, smoothly laminated prose. . . . to accomplish this art in narration, and Haber has, is masterful, touching on genius.” —Fernando A. Flores “An adventurous journey into the country of melancholy. A fascinating dissection of human vulnerability.” —Guadalupe Nettel “Reinhardt’s Garden is one of those perfect books that looks small and exotic and melancholic from the outside but, once in, is immense and exultant in the best possible way. Think Amulet by Roberto Bolaño, think Nightwood by Djuna Barnes, think Train Dreams by Denis Johnson, think Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, think Zama by Antonio Di Benedetto, think The Loser by Thomas Bernhard. Think.” —Rodrigo Fresán “It’s official: [Mark Haber]’s novel about melancholy is a laugh riot. Narrated by the devoted assistant of pseudo-intellectual Jacov Reinhardt, the reader follows along for their increasingly misbegotten, cocaine-fueled adventures across Europe and South America. Told in one long, feverish paragraph with sentences that surprise at nearly every turn, Reinhardt’s Garden is a gorgeous, joyful, tiny epic. I loved it, and more importantly it got me out of yet another reading rut. Preorder this bad boy from an indie bookstore or [Coffee House Press] please!” —Annie Metclaf, Magers and Quinn Booksellers PRAISE FOR MARK HABER “[Mark Haber’s] infinite, fast-paced energy is transparent in the way these stories are constructed. There is no room for awkward silence or meaningless descriptions; everything fits as in a well-told joke that builds on its own momentum. His prose maintains not only a rhythm that seems like a continued punch-line but when it finally arrives at a safe landing place it delivers a terrible reality: the absurdity of failure in his characters’ conditions of possibility tells us way more than what we expected. It is humbling and depressing, all at once.” —Bruno Ríos, Argonáutica

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Book SynopsisGamma Rae’s one true love is already dead, and her best friend was demoted to being a glorified janitor after a series of what seemed like strategic crimes against humanity. Most people wouldn’t call this winning, but sometimes when you’re in the middle of a genocidal war that you started with the ugliest people in the city, you’ll take what you can get.Collects PRETTY VIOLENT #7-11

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Book SynopsisNow in their second year of high school, Amane and Mahiru are placed into the sameclass. Despite Mahiru’s efforts to bring them closer together at school, Amane isreluctant to bridge the gap because of his shyness towards everyone’s “angel.” As hewatches Mahiru’s friendliness erode the barriers between her and her classmates, oldwounds he once thought were healing begin to resurface...

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Book SynopsisMeet Yinka. And Yinka''s mum. And Yinka''s aunties. Who are all asking . . . YINKA, WHERE IS YOUR HUZBAND? --------''Your bookself needs this . . . full of heart'' Jendella Benson, Hope and Glory''Love story? Nah, more of a self-love story!'' Reader *****Yinka wants to find love. Her problem? Her mum wants to find it for her.She also has too many aunties who frequently pray for her delivery from singledom. Plus there''s her preference for chicken and chips over traditional Nigerian food, and a bum she''s sure is far too small as a result. Oh, and the fact that she''s thirty-one and doesn''t believe in sex before marriage might be a bit of an obstacle too . . .So when her cousin gets engaged, Yinka commences ''Operation Find A Date for Rachel''s Wedding''. Armed with a totally flawless, incredibly specific plan, will Yinka find herself a huzband?What if the thing she really needs to find is herselfTrade ReviewWarm and fun and sweet, great on female friendships and extended families -- Marian KeyesSuch a warm, funny and relatable book -- Jendella BensonYou'll fall in love with Yinka in this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy * Red *

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Book Synopsis'A stunning mix of hilarious tropes, swoony romance and lovable, relatable characters. A must read for every romance lover!' Ali Hazelwood, author of The Love HypothesisBrace yourself for longing, laughter, and a swoony slow-burn in this brothers best friend sports romance about scoring the love of your life when you least expect to.ZiggyI'm the youngest player on the National Soccer team, the baby of my family, and thoroughly sick of being underestimated, so I've decided to take matters into my own hands . . .My brother's teammate and best friend Seb needs to save his reputation. I want to give mine an edge. So I propose a fake friendship with real benefits: spending time in the public eye, my good-girl image and his bad-boy notoriety rubbing off on each other. But will it be as easy as I think to keep him in the (fake) friend zone?SebastianMy hockey career and sponsorships are in jeopardy, so when Ziggy Bergman proposes a public "friendship" to rehab my image, it's an offer that even a self-respecting reprobate like myself can't refuse.It's simple: fake a friendship with Ziggy, fix my reputation, and get back to hockey - the one and only thing I love . . . until I find myself falling for the last person I should be: my best friend's sister.Praise for Chloe Liese:'I could curl up in Liese's writing for days, I love it so' Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient'Absolute romantic perfection' Christina Lauren, author of The Unhoneymooners

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Book SynopsisPre order Lindsey''s brand new romcom LOVE STORY now!Greetings card copywriter Phoebe Chapman knows a good romantic line or two and it makes her a fantastic Cupid.So when she lands in the Hollywood Hills a place that proves film stars, golden beaches and secret waterfalls don't just exist in the movies she can't resist playing matchmaker for her handsome neighbour, carpenter Ren.But you can't hide from love in La La Land.And isn't there something a little bit hot about Ren, her own leading man next door?EVERYONE ADORES LOVE ME DOA total delight . . . captures all the sunny glamour of LA, but still so relatable and completely hilarious. You need this book in your suitcase this summer!' BETH O'LEARYMy favourite LIndsey book yet, and her funniest . . . I loved it' DAISY BUCHANANA new Lindsey book is the next best thing to going on holiday' MHAIRI McFARLANEA stunner of a summer read . . . Deliciously fun . . . Make sure this one's on your summer reading list' GLAMOURA vitamin D-infused delight' STYLISTLindsey Kelk never leaves Phoebe without a quip. It's all done with an engagingly light touch and plenty of jokes' TimesA gorgeously warm and funny rom-com. A delight' LOUISE O'NEILLDelicious escapism at its very best. An utterly unforgettable, spirit-lifting summer rom com that's full of soul, joy, laugh-out-loud moments and meaning. Flawless' HELLY ACTONFabulous, feel-good and funny. I loved it! The perfect rom com to pack in your suitcase this summer' ALEXANDRA POTTERFun, fizzy and utterly rom-com-tastic, Lindsey Kelk has knocked it out of the park yet again!' MIKE GAYLEHer books are my go-to comfort reads. Love Me Do transported me to California . . . I loved every minute' SOPHIE COUSENSFunny and summery and so, so delicious' SOPHIE IRWINBlissfully funny' The iTold with all of Kelk's trademark humour and warmth, Love Me Do is an essential holiday read' RedLindsey's books make the ideal summer read' Woman & HomeA funny, heartwarming romcom will whip you up into a feelgood frenzy, yearning for sunnier climes and a hot dalliance of your own' HeatA perfect summer read' CloserTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR LINDSEY KELK’S ROMCOMS: ‘So uplifting and wildly romantic’ MARIAN KEYES ‘Genuinely funny, engaging and sparkly’ JANE FALLON ‘The literary equivalent of opening a glass of wine with your best friend’ MHAIRI MCFARLANE ‘The kind of book you can’t put down, but also want to last forever’ EMILY HENRY ‘I’ll read anything Lindsey Kelk writes’ BETH O’LEARY ’As warm and satisfying as a hot chocolate on a winter’s day’ HEAT ‘We loved this feel-good book’ Bella ‘Funny and feel-good, this is another brilliant read from Lindsey Kelk’ Closer ‘We all need an escape at times, and who better to serve a delicious, escapist romance?’ Woman’s Weekly ‘Another perfect romantic comedy from Lindsey Kelk, who always gets the balance of rom and com exactly right’ Sarra Manning, RED ‘Swoops you up and fills your heart with such joy’ GIOVANNA FLETCHER ‘Sparkling and gorgeously romantic’ SARAH MORGAN ‘Touching, hugely romantic and properly laugh-out-loud funny’ SOPHIA MONEY-COUTTS ‘I laughed and cried with every chapter, I never wanted it to end’ LUCY VINE ‘Utterly brilliant: super smart, achingly funny and just impossible to put down’ ROSIE WALSH ‘The perfect balance between sparkly escapism and big-hearted realness’ SOPHIE RANALD ‘As warm as a hug but as funny as a night out with the girls’ LAURA JANE WILLIAMS ‘Perfect, escapist fiction’ LIA LOUIS ‘You will not want to miss your invite to this ball’ CRESSIDA MCLAUGHLIN ‘Full of Lindsey’s trademark warmth and wit’ ALEX BROWN ‘Everything a perfect and iconic romcom should be’ CARMEL HARRINGTON ‘You cannot spell romcom without Lindsey Kelk’ LAUREN HO

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Book SynopsisI romped through Why Mummy Drinks at Christmas', and I absolutely adored it' Jilly CooperTis' the season to get trollied!Mummy has always loved Christmas. Sure, the kids turn into demons, the dinner gets burnt to a crisp and Aunt Louisa's general staggering inappropriateness sends Mummy reaching for the nearest maximum-strength festive tipple, but nevertheless, for her, Christmas is always special.This year, she wants nothing more than to perfectly fig up the pudding and sit by the fire reading aloud from A Christmas Carol to a rapt, rosy-cheeked audience. But, just like all Mummy's best-laid plans, this year's Festive Vision is in danger of being totally derailed by her chaotic family. There's not much chance of any action under the mistletoe, and the kids are just not playing ball.Can Mummy find her silver lining after all and bring the whole family together for one moment of harmony, so they can finally proclaim Verily You Are the Queen of Christmas'? Or should she get stuck into the festive spirits and just let it all go?Trade Review‘Such a great writer’ Jilly Cooper

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Book Synopsis ‘A sparklingly delicious confection to satisfy the mystery reader’s appetite’ Helena Dixon, bestselling author of the Miss Underhay Mysteries

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Book SynopsisThis volume marks the first short-story collection in the Slime series, taking a deep dive into the epic tale’s fantasy world—and what its characters get up to when Rimuru isn’t bossing them around! Gard Mjöllmile, the most powerful human member of Tempest’s government, is up to some less-than-proper dealings in the Western Nations; Velgrynd gets involved with a familiar-looking planet as she traces the trail of her lover; Caligulio starts facing up to his past as he strives to rebuild the Empire; and Raine, Primal Demon and servant of the demon lord Guy Crimson, has a complaint or two about her toxic work environment. All that plus an extra tale you won’t want to miss in this stellar collection!

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Book Synopsis''Wow, what a read! Great plot and characters. Everything you want in a mystery. This series gets better with every book'' NetGalley reviewer, ?????When a body is found at the Merrywell Book Festival, amateur sleuth Violet Brewster must leave no page unturned to solve the mysteryThe small and idyllic village of Merrywell is getting ready to host its first ever book festival, and Violet Brewster is delighted when she is asked to interview the star author.Leonie Stanwick, now a bestselling romance author, is the featured guest of the festival. She was born in Merrywell, but abruptly left when she was 18 years old and never came back.But the festival takes a dark turn when Leonie is found murdered; her return to the village had clearly shaken someone up. When a shocking secret about Leonie's past is revealed, Violet's suspicions must turn to her own neighbours. Who in the village was intent on making sure Leonie could never leave the village again?An utterly gripping and unputdownable Eng

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Book SynopsisA New York Times bestseller! From Edgar Award-winning novelist, playwright, and story-songwriter Rupert Holmes comes a diabolical thriller with a killer concept: The McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts, “a fantasy academy laid out like a combination of Hogwarts, Downton Abbey, and a White Lotus-style resort” (Los Angeles Times) dedicated to the art of murder where students study how best to “delete” their most deserving victim.Who hasn’t wondered for a split second what the world would be like if a person who is the object of your affliction ceased to exist? But then you’ve probably never heard of The McMasters Conservatory, dedicated to the consummate execution of the homicidal arts. To gain admission, a student must have an ethical reason for erasing someone who deeply deserves a fate no worse (nor better) than death. The campus of this “Poison Ivy League” college—its location un

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Book Synopsis''I could not put this one down. Just a truly fun and satisfying read from start to finish'' ANITA KELLY''[A]n adorable, swoony, beautifully written romance that I devoured in a day. Full of warmth, heart (and food), I was completely charmed by Sadie and Jacob and cried all the happy tears. I didn''t want it to end!'' CATHERINE WALSHOne disastrous year. One magical wish. One chance to change the past. In one fell swoop, Sadie Thatcher managed to lose her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend. So when a fortune teller offers her one wish, Sadie longs to redo her awful year. More than a little sceptical, she makes her wish, opens her eyes, and . . . nothing has changed. And then, in perhaps her worst move yet, she kisses her brother''s best friend, Jacob.When Sadie wakes up the next morning, she''s in her former apartment with her former boyfriend, and her former boss is expecting her at work. She realises it''s January 1 . . . of l

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Book SynopsisB.K. Borison is the author of cozy, contemporary romances featuring emotionally vulnerable characters and swoon-worthy settings. When she's not daydreaming about fictional characters doing fictional things, she's at home with her family, more than likely buying books she doesn't have room for. Lovelight Farms was her debut novel.Trade ReviewSweet and sexy. Everything you’d ever need in a romance. I’ll buy everything B.K Borison writes. - Hannah Grace, Sunday Times bestselling author of ICEBREAKER'Small town swoon' - Tessa Bailey, #1 New York Times bestselling author of IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER'A delicious dwindling-days-of-summer indulgence' - Chloe Liese, author of TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT 'The Lovelight series is my happy place' - Sarah Adams, author of THE CHEAT SHEET

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Book SynopsisMasachika Kuse sits next to Arya, a girl of Russian and Japanese descent. She’sbeautiful, haughty, and an exceptional student, while Masachika is nerdy and known forbeing a slacker. He’s an easy target for her comments in Russian, which she’s all toohappy to translate—except he can understand what she’s really saying!

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Book SynopsisJean-Paul Didierlaurent lives in the Vosges region of France. His short stories have twice won the International Hemingway Award. The Reader on the 6.27 is his first novel. A bestseller in France, it has been sold in over twenty-five territories.Trade ReviewA delightful tale about the kinship of reading . . . Already a bestseller in France, The Reader on the 6.27 looks set to woo British readers and become a book club favourite. * Independent on Sunday *Charming . . . It is a clever, funny, and humane work that champions the power of literature * Sunday Times *This contemporary fable was acquired by more than twenty countries. A beautiful testimony to the universality of the love of books * Livres Hebdo *The humanity of the characters . . . the re-enchantment of everyday life, the power of words and literature, tenderness and humor . . . The Reader on the 6.27 is a must. * L'Express *I read it in one sitting, I couldn't put it down! * Literary Loveliness - Hello Magazine Online *

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Book SynopsisComplete and unabridged.Three Men in a Boat remains one of the best-loved and most entertaining comic novels. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, unabridged, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition features illustrations by A. Frederics and an afterword by David Stuart Davies.Join our young heroes J., George and Harris (not forgetting Montmorency, the mischievous, irascible fox terrier) as they take a boating holiday along the Thames. Their aim is to escape the weary workaday world and improve their health, but they are ill prepared for the various escapades, difficulties and vicissitudes that they encounter along the watery way. The adventures of these incompetent innocents abroad are magnified to epic proportions by the storyteller, J. His narration gives the book not only a wonderful endearing freshness but also a series of hilarious moments of timeless comedy.Trade ReviewThere are a few seriously funny books that remain great for all time. Three Men in a Boat is one of these. -- Robert McCrum * Guardian *Ultimately, Three Men in a Boat is a study of friendship, human foibles and forgiveness. Returning to the book is like settling in for a fireside chat with an eccentric great-uncle who has seen it all, done it all, but who's still more ready to mock himself than others. -- Mark Mills * Independent *

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Book SynopsisTerry Pratchett was the acclaimed creator of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983. In all, he was the author of over fifty bestselling books which have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood for services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any. www.terrypratchettbooks.comTrade Review • "You'd have thought that, by now, Pratchett would be running out of ideas; thankfully, however, the universe he created 25 years ago just keeps on giving... It's a triumphant effort." --Independent on Sunday

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Book SynopsisThe no. 1 Sunday Times bestselling satire of New York high society from the wickedly funny Plum Sykes''Perfectly pitched playful, funny, satirical and sweet. I laughed out loud many times'' Anna Wintour, Vogue''Sykes has a distinctive, wily and well-deployed comic voice Into the blender go Bridget Jones, Anita Loos, Sex and the City and Clueless; out comes a diabolically amusing concoction'' New York Times''A masterpiece: never has intelligence been so wickedly dark, on-point and outright funny ... I'm full of awe and admiration'' Alain de Botton on Party Girls Die in PearlsMeet moi, a champagne bubble of a girl about town working at being a princess by day and by night on the prowl for that elusive, must-have accessory every girl simply demands: an impossibly rich fiancé''. It shouldn't be too tricky. After all, her BFF is Julie Bergdorf, department store heiress, Trade ReviewA masterpiece: never has intelligence been so wickedly dark, on-point and outright funny ... I’m full of awe and admiration * Alain de Botton on Party Girls Die in Pearls *Highly entertaining and intelligent … Whips along at an exhilarating speed * Mail on Sunday *Sparkling, bliss, glitteringly honest … A delicious bubble of a book. I haven’t had so much fun since re-reading the Mitford novels -- Rachel Johnson * Spectator *Plum Sykes channels Nancy Mitford and Holly Golightly with great charm and sweetness -- Jane GreenRiveting, the sparkiest kind of fable * The Times *Perfectly pitched – playful, funny, satirical and sweet. I laughed out loud many times -- Anna Wintour * Vogue *Bright, funny … Haute couture chick lit -- Candace BushnellSykes has a distinctive, wily and well-deployed comic voice … Into the blender go Bridget Jones, Anita Loos, Sex and the City and Clueless; out comes a diabolically amusing concoction -- Janet Maslin * New York Times *Mishaps and misadventures, fabulously accessorized, très romantic. A comedy of social mores in Manhattan * Daily Mail *Explosive … Lifts the lid on the swirling social world of New York’s fashion industry * Daily Express *Savagely funny * Observer *Fun, bubbly, riveting * Daily Telegraph *Hilarious, witty and clever, it’s the story of a New York society girl about town with a wardrobe to die for and loads of charm * Woman & Home *Sykes has an upbeat, breathy style … Sharp observations * New Statesman *Playfully witty … A deft, sparky, sharply observed comedy * Metro *Fizzes like a lychee bellini * In Style *Sharply observed, frothy * Tatler *If dreaming how the other half lives appeals, you’ll be delighted by this tale of an English girl let loose among the platinum blondes, peach bellinis and Park Avenue mansions of New York’s high fliers * Red *

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Book SynopsisJim Qwilleran, newspaper columnist and Moose County''s richest resident, is intrigued to hear about the mysterious disappearance of an unidentified backpacker somewhere in Fishport, a village near Mooseville where he has a log cabin. With its hundred miles of lake for a vista and its great dome of sky, Mooseville is just the place to spend a short summer vacation. Rest and relaxation, however, are out of the question, for Qwill finds himself dragged into some hightly innovative plans for this year''s fourth of July parade.Above all, he is determined to dispel the rumours circulating that extraterrestrial beings may be responsible for the missing backpacker...Trade Review'The fastidious plotting is designed to appeal to more than just the cat-lover' The Times

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Book SynopsisAs seen on ITV in the Zoe Ball Book Club''Beautifully written, thought-provoking and completely charming.'' Ruth Hogan''Mike Gayle is the king of touching, human stories, and this big-hearted book is his best yet'' Heat, 5* This is the stunning novel from bestselling author Mike Gayle, for fans of The Keeper of Lost Things and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. A powerful and bittersweet story of an unexpected male friendship and an unlikely love story, a thought provoking storyline told with Mike''s distinctive wit and insight, touching on issues which affect us all. This uplifting tale reminds us of the simple courage at the heart of every human being.Ever since The Incident, James DeWitt has stayed on the safe side.He likes to know what happens next.Danny Allen is not on the safe side. He is more past the point ofTrade ReviewThe Man I Think I Know by Mike Gayle is amazing! Really uplifting and a jolly good read to boot -- Katie FfordeThat rarest of things; a moving, beautifully written novel about male friendship. The Man I Think I Know is a truthful, wise and wonderfully redemptive story about men stripped bare of the traditional ideals of masculinity - success, strength, power - learning to face up to the real world. I absolutely loved it. -- Lisa JewellThe Man I Think I Know by Mike Gayle is amazing! Really uplifting and a jolly good read to boot -- Katie FfordeBeautifully written, thought-provoking and completely charming. Mike does a wonderful job of tackling a tricky subject (ABI) with sensitivity, wit and humour. His story reminds us that the everyday things we take for granted without realising how precious they are, can be snatched away in an instant with catastrophic consequences. But I think the thing that struck me most about this book were the voices of Danny Allen and James DeWitt. They were pitch-perfect and helped to create a pair of characters I was rooting for from the start and cheering for by the end. -- Ruth HoganBeautifully written, thought-provoking and completely charming. Mike does a wonderful job of tackling a tricky subject (ABI) with sensitivity, wit and humour. His story reminds us that the everyday things we take for granted without realising how precious they are, can be snatched away in an instant with catastrophic consequences. But I think the thing that struck me most about this book were the voices of Danny Allen and James DeWitt. They were pitch-perfect and helped to create a pair of characters I was rooting for from the start and cheering for by the end. -- Ruth HoganLoved this novel - insightful, moving and funny. Read it -- Freya NorthLoved this novel - insightful, moving and funny. Read it -- Freya NorthMike is always wise and wonderful, but this is a whole new departure for him - read it! -- Jenny ColganA very special book. A moving, thought-provoking storyline told with humour and insight. I loved the distinctive voices of James and Danny and really missed them when I finished it! -- Tracy ReesMike is always wise and wonderful, but this is a whole new departure for him - read it! -- Jenny ColganA very special book. A moving, thought-provoking storyline told with humour and insight. I loved the distinctive voices of James and Danny and really missed them when I finished it! -- Tracy ReesThe Man I Think I Know is gloriously good. Touching, uplifting, brave and funny, it's a story of life, second chances and daring to believe in better things. James and Danny's friendship is beautifully portrayed: I was rooting for them from the start and cheering them to the finish. I defy anyone not to fall in love with this book. Downright wonderful! -- Miranda DickinsonMike Gayle is the king of touching, human stories, and this big-hearted book is his best yet. 5* * Heat *The Man I Think I Know is gloriously good. Touching, uplifting, brave and funny, it's a story of life, second chances and daring to believe in better things. James and Danny's friendship is beautifully portrayed: I was rooting for them from the start and cheering them to the finish. I defy anyone not to fall in love with this book. Downright wonderful! -- Miranda DickinsonMike Gayle is the king of touching, human stories, and this big-hearted book is his best yet. 5* * Heat *Powerful * Hello magazine *You'll be both laughing and on the edge of tears with this brilliant read * Fabulous magazine *Powerful * Hello magazine *You'll be both laughing and on the edge of tears with this brilliant read * Fabulous magazine *That rarest of things; a moving, beautifully written novel about male friendship. The Man I Think I Know is a truthful, wise and wonderfully redemptive story about men stripped bare of the traditional ideals of masculinity - success, strength, power - learning to face up to the real world. I absolutely loved it. * Lisa Jewell *

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Book SynopsisAnd Just Like That... 25 Years of Sex and the CityTHE ORIGINAL BESTSELLING NOVELWildly funny, unexpectedly poignant, wickedly observant, SEX AND THE CITY blazes a glorious, drunken cocktail trail through New York, as Candace Bushnell, columnist and social critic par excellence, trips on her Manolo Blahnik kitten heels from the Baby Doll Lounge to the Bowery Bar. An Armistead Maupin for the real world, she has the gift of assembling a huge and irresistible cast of freaks and wonders, while remaining faithful to her hard core of friends and fans: those glamorous, rebellious, crazy single women, too close to forty, who are trying hard not to turn from the Audrey Hepburn of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY''S into the Glen Close of FATAL ATTRACTION, and are - still - looking for love.''Jane Austen with a martini'' Sunday Telegraph''The book that sparked a cultural phenomenon'' Oprah''Fascinating... hilariousTrade ReviewJane Austen with a martini * Sunday Telegraph *Hilarious... a compulsively readable book, served up in bite-sized chunks of irrepressible irreverence * Marie Claire *Fascinating... hilarious... welcome to the cruel planet that is Manhattan * Los Angeles Times *Bushnell is a deft writer, possessing a sly sense of humor and sharp insight into human behaviour * People *Bushnell's beat is that demi-monde of nightclubs, bars, restaurants and parties where the rich come into contact with the infamous, the famous with the wannabes and the publicity-hungry with the gossip-peddlers * Evening Standard *Intriguing and highly entertaining * Helen Fielding *The book that sparked a cultural phenomenon * Oprah *Bushnell is the modern flame carrier of an established literary tradition: that of American (usually New York) women writers depicting the rigid social and slackening sexual rules of a very particular American (and, again, usually New York) set through a mix of close personal knowledge and fiction... Compared with the hugely popular television series, the book is tough, unapologetic and jittery with anxiety... hilarious, hard-edged, delightful, harsh, elegant and fun * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThe third book in the multi-million copy bestselling No. 1 Ladies'' Detective Agency seriesThe one with the boy who might have been raised by lionsFacing financial trouble, the No. 1 Ladies'' Detective Agency is obliged to move into the same premises as Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. And on top of her domestic complications with her fiancé Mr J. L. B. Matekoni and his adopted children, Motholeli and Puso, Mma Ramotswe faces several challenging cases. These include some unattractive behaviour among the contestants in a beauty pageant, and the perplexing discovery of a boy running wild, who smells of lion...''Charming, delightful, feel-good stuff'' Daily Express''Unalloyed pleasure'' Sunday Telegraph''Charming'' Scotland on Sunday''One of the most entrancing treats of many a year'' Wall Street JournalTrade ReviewCharming, delightful, feel-good stuff * Daily Express *One of the most entrancing treats of many a year * Wall Street Journal *Unalloyed pleasure * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisOn a crowded bus at midday, the narrator observes one man accusing another of jostling him deliberately. When a seat is vacated, the first man takes it. Later, in another part of town, the man is spotted again, while being advised by a friend to have another button sewn onto his overcoat. Exercises in Style retells this apparently unremarkable tale ninety-nine times, employing a variety of styles, ranging from sonnet to cockney to mathematical formula. Too funny to be merely a pedantic thesis, this virtuoso set of themes and variations is a linguistic rustremover, a guide to literary forms and a demonstration of imagery and inventiveness.Trade ReviewWitty, playful, ingenious, it manages to transcend its own sophistication by a sort of verbal slapstick which Miss Wright translated into pure Groucho Marxism. * The Guardian * Midway between Lewis Carroll and Jacques Derrida, in a deliriously witty dimension of its own, lies Queneau's Exercises in Style... Barbara Wright's dazzling translation matches this oddball classic step by step, pun by pun. * The Independent * A pointless anecdote told in 99 different ways, or a work of genius in a brilliant translation by Barbara Wright. In fact it's both. Endlessly fascinating and very funny. -- Philip Pullman I've loved Exercises in Style for years. This translation is impeccable, extraordinary. -- Philip Pullman

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Book SynopsisWith the satirical eye of his science fiction author alter ego Kilgore Trout, the author of Slaughterhouse-Five delivers a classic of modern American literature.Eliot Rosewater, President of the fabulously rich Rosewater Foundation and volunteer firefighter, is tortured by an inheritance he doesn't feel that he deserves. After (unfortunately) developing a social conscience, he sets out on a drunken tour of America, unravelling a little more at every stop until his path crosses with the science-fiction writer Kilgore Trout. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is one of Kurt Vonnegut's funniest satires, about the pleasures, pains and perversions of people and money, the obsessions of a famous family and the collective madness of a nation.Trade ReviewVonnegut faces up to the less glamorous phenomenon of human mediocrity in this sharp, hilarious, boundlessly humane story. It taught me about compassion and a few things about writing good dialogue -- Michel Faber * Glasgow Herald *Rumbustious stuff... There may be greater novelists than Vonnegut, but there can be a few, if any, with as much good humour and generosity * Guardian *Filled with irony and black humour and a woozy bonhomie * Sunday Times *Wild hilarity * Sunday Telegraph *Extremely funny * Observer *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS' CLUB FIRST NOVEL AWARD'Divine . . . the smart, sexy read you need' Evening Standard'Startlingly impressive' Daily Mail'An electric new novel' GuardianExiled from his university position for an inexcusable blunder, art historian Don Lamb flees to London, a city alive with sex and creativity. There, over the course of a long, hot summer, as he is immersed in the anarchic art and gay scenes of the mid-90s, Don sees his carefully curated life irrevocably changed. But his epiphany is also a reckoning, as his unexamined past is revealed to him in a devastating new light.Intense and atmospheric, Tiepolo Blue traces Don's turbulent awakening, and his desperate flight from art into life.'Wildly enjoyable . . . A novel that combines formal elegance with gripping storytelling' Financial Times'Dizzying and exciting and unsettling, and beautifully told' Reverend Richard Coles, Daily MailTrade ReviewThis divine debut from art critic and academic James Cahill is the smart, sexy read you need in 2022. Expect to see it on prize lists as well as Instagram feeds. The novel's protagonist is Professor Don Lamb, a precocious but prematurely stuffy art historian and Cambridge don, who likes measuring the skies in the paintings of Venetian master Tiepolo. Lamb takes preternatural offence when a Tracey Emin-esque bed sculpture is installed outside his college lodgings, and departs to London in a sulk for a new museum gig. There awaits a new kind of awakening - and it's not just because the YBAs are taking off. Not only an addictive pageturner, Cahill's book taps into the tensions and suspicions between generations that feels incredibly relevant for our testy times. * Evening Standard *Bringing together the Italian masters and the Young British Artists, this is a debut that looks at art, power, academia, and the potential of the urban setting at the end of the 20th century. * Dazed.com *The story of Tiepolo Blue and its people have invaded my dreams...something in the way Cahill puts the reader in Don Lamb's shoes does (or has done in my case) extraordinary things. I blushed and howled warnings and wanted to slap, cajole, hug, disown, disavow and walk away from him. His life will look so squalid and pathetic from the outside, but Cahill takes us inside and we somehow respect and love him. This is the best novel I have read for ages. It is so beautifully written, not a false note in any sentence. Cahill's presentation of the agonising clash of aesthetics, of culture, of generations... it's just masterly. Don's disintegration is painful to read, but it all grips you like a thriller. My heart was constantly in my throat as I read... There is so much to enjoy, to contemplate, to wonder at, and to be lost in. -- Stephen FryThe spirit of E.M. Forster is alive and well in James Cahill. The same palpating of damaged moral tissue, the same psychological canniness, the same gently invoked erudition, the same exactitude and eloquence - except Cahill is able to explore forbidden themes that Forster feared to touch on except posthumously -- Edmund WhiteThis is a novel full of suspense and surprise. It made me laugh and brought back memories of a time in my own life. I missed the characters as soon as I'd finished. -- Sarah LucasI travelled on the exquisite vessel of James Cahill's prose, unable to disembark. The journey is sensual, treacherous and elegiac. The final landing, breath-taking. -- Maggi HamblingWow. It is magnificent. Simply magnificent...Tiepolo Blue really has blown me away: the gorgeous phrase-making; the sure-footed pacing; the (re-)immersion in a world I know, or knew, in a way that is both hard-edged with historical detail and almost hallucinatory...The last debut novel I read that had this much talent buzzing around inside it was Alan Hollinghurst's The Swimming-Pool Library. -- Robert Douglas - FairhurstImagine if Hollinghurst and Murdoch collaborated on a witty update of Death in Venice and you'll see the appeal of James Cahill's assured debut. -- Patrick GaleJames Cahill's first novel, drawn from close observation, tells a gripping tale of the worlds of traditional academia and art history pitted against those of contemporary art, each failing horribly to understand the other. As a result all becomes infused with satirical comedy and ghastly tragedy. -- Norman Rosenthal * Curator of the ‘Sensation’ exhibition in 1997; former Exhibitions Secretary at the Royal Academy *An absorbing coming-of-age story. * The Art Newspaper *The standout [recent novel about art] is James Cahill's Tiepolo Blue...Interrogating beauty and meaning in art, Tiepolo Blue rewards rereading. Pointing to masked, tricksy identities, clues glitter gem-like amid hallucinatory prose...a stylish tale of love and long-game revenge. * Royal Academy Magazine *The worlds of art, academia and queerness collide in James Cahill's debut book. * i-D *[An] arresting debut novel . . . a masterly attention to (especially visual) detail and an irresistibly propulsive, almost swaggering style . . . Cahill is by no means a polemical author, and the novel is all the better for it. Any authorial commentary is barely detectable above the crowd of vivid characters with which Cahill has populated his novel, for Tiepolo Blue is, at its heart, an astute character study. * Literary Review *Evocative and accurate... meticulous and atmospheric... delicious unease and pervasive threat give this assured first novel great singularity and a kind of gothic edge... an electric new novel written by an author skilled in the evocation of vertiginous, heightened emotion' * Michael Donkor, Guardian *One of the standout debut novels is James Cahill's Tiepolo Blue, a coming-of-age tale set in London in the 1990s that deftly explores what it is like to suffer a very public fall from grace * Independent *What starts off as a campus novel soon shades into something weirder and much more mesmerizing... The plot is propulsive, though the crafted ambience of unease simultaneously destabilizes the reader at every turn. The prose is fluid and precise but the tone equivocal, bathos merging into pathos, tragedy into farce and back again... It's a measure of Cahill's sleight of hand that he manages to inject his plot with such page-turning momentum. -- Lucasta Miller * TLS *Art, academia and abject self-denial combine in this startlingly impressive, 1990s-set debut...A heavily perfumed, sexually tender, psychologically acute novel... as full of light and colour as Tiepolo's incandescent skies. * Daily Mail *[A] simmering debut novel * Esquire.com *With touches of Alan Hollinghurst, the musings of the book's protagonist on the radical power of art to act as a catalyst for personal change make it an exhilarating, erudite read. * Vogue.com *A novel that combines formal elegance with gripping storytelling...wildly enjoyable...The combination of arty milieu and sexual stirrings may evoke Alan Hollinghurst, but Iris Murdoch is a more obvious point of comparison...Snobbish and incompetent, Don may be difficult to like, but his painful awakening is delicately rendered. * Financial Times *I love the punctured idealism, contained savagery and ever-lurking farce of campus novels, and there are some delicious new additions to the genre - perfect antidotes for the cold. James Cahill's Tiepolo Blue tells the tale of a fusty ferociously fusty art historian whose academic career is upended by a ferociously unbeautiful sculpture. * TLS *[An] old-fashioned ambitious novel about the wonders of art and the depths of the human heart, full of people and ideas * The Times *I just devoured Tiepolo Blue, I could not put it down. The longing, the beauty, the detail, the complexity, the art, the intellect and the emotion . . . What a triumph! -- Paul KindersleyAlready a compelling psychosexual story about beauty, desire and art, Tiepolo Blue is all the more interesting because it hits notes of such strangeness -- Lucy Scholes, Fiction Books of the Year * Prospect *Tiepolo Blue is about a buttoned-up art historian in Cambridge in 1994 who messes up and gets a job managing a London gallery just as the Young British Artists enter their glory. One of them initiates his unbuttoning which is dizzying and exciting and unsettling, and beautifully told -- Rev Richard Coles, Big writers on their best reads of 2022 * Daily Mail *Most giddying are the passages that evoke the slow-mo slide of Don's professional collapse . . . I shivered with awful delight -- Alex Diggins * Critic *

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Book SynopsisThe ultimate Christmas read. Terry Pratchett''s Hogswatch masterpiece that will leave you laughing out loud and help you understand what makes us uniquely human.''He is screamingly funny. He is wise. He has style'' Daily TelegraphIT''S THE NIGHT BEFORE HOGSWATCH AND IT''S TOO QUIET.Where is the big jolly fat man? Why is Death creeping down chimneys and trying to say Ho Ho Ho? The darkest night of the year is getting a lot darker...Susan the gothic governess has got to sort it out by morning, otherwise there won''t be a morning. Ever again...The 20th Discworld novel is a festive feast of darkness and Death (but with jolly robins and tinsel too).As they say: You''d better watch out...Readers reread Hogfather time and time again:''Hilariously entertaining . . . a high recommendation to new and old Pratchett fans. This one will definitely remain my beloved annual holiday read'' GoTrade ReviewA sequence of unalloyed delight. - GuardianHe is screamingly funny. He is wise. He has style. - Daily TelegraphHis spectacular inventiveness makes the Discworld series one of the perennial joys of modern fiction. - Mail on SundayPratchett has a subject and a style that is very much his own. - Sunday Times

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Book Synopsis''An intriguing satire on institutionalized religion corrupted by power . . .'' Independent''Deftly weaves themes of forgiveness, belief and spiritual regeneration'' The TimesIn the beginning was the Word.And the Word was: Hey, you!For Brutha the novice is the Chosen One. He wants peace and justice and brotherly love.He also wants the Inquisition to stop torturing him now, please . . .Readers adore Small Gods:''One of Pratchetts best works, retelling what has happened, happens, and will happen as soon as faith goes mad, uncontrolled, and vicious, tries to expand its sphere of influence and doesnt care about the foundations and rules, contradicting its own commandments'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''It makes you contemplate so many things. Beyond religion too. There were so many passages when I was musing It''s like this thought has sTrade ReviewA sequence of unalloyed delight - GuardianHe is screamingly funny. He is wise. He has style. - Daily TelegraphHis spectacular inventiveness makes the Discworld series one of the perennial joys of modern fiction. - Mail on SundayPratchett has a subject and a style that is very much his own. - Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisA hilarious take on the movie industry and all its foibles. Moving Pictures is filled to the brim with Sir Terry Pratchett''s signature wit and cutting humour''An enduring, endearing presence in comic literature'' GuardianThe alchemists of the Discworld have discovered the magic of the silver screen. But what is the dark secret of Holy Wood hill?It''s up to Victor Tugelbend (''Can''t sing. Can''t dance. Can handle a sword a little'') and Theda Withel (''I come from a little town you''ve probably never heard of'') to find out...MOVING PICTURES, THE TENTH DISCWORLD NOVEL IS A GLORIOUSLY FUNNY SAGA SET AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF A WORLD GONE MAD!Readers love Moving Pictures:''One of his funniest . . . Pratchett has fun making fun of greed and the allure of misguided hero worship'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''I burst out laughing several times while re

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Book SynopsisYou will fall for Noah and Lucy . . . this is one of those stories that will capture your attention and not let it go' Reader review ?????I couldn't get enough of this story' Reader review ?????I was hooked from page one. Following Noah and Lucy''s life over twenty years broke my heart, made me laugh and eventually had me swooning' Reader review ?????* * *A gorgeous, high-concept romcom about finding love and daring to take a chance. After all, it's all about timing. . .29th February 2000. Lucy's never met another leapling until she encounters Noah also spending his once-in-four-years birthday on a disappointing day trip to Calais. There's a spark that Lucy is sure Noah must feel too, and their friends insist they have amazing chemistry, but they're both with other people. It can never be more than platonic and that's OK.Over the next twenty years, they're at each other's side through all of life's big moments weddings, babies, new jobs, family illness but Lucy can never shake the feTrade Review'A great, heartwarming read' Fabulous 'This immersive romcom is just what you need on a cold winter's night' Chat 'A heartwarming read' That's Life

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Book SynopsisFrom New York Times bestseller and Hugo Award-winner John Scalzi, Agent to the Stars is a brilliantly witty first-contact story unlike any other.Showbiz is about to go interstellarAs an ambitious young agent, Thomas Stein knows all about the art of the deal, even if his actors aren’t quite A-list material. But he’s about to receive some out-of-this-world clients – literally. The space-faring Yherajk have come to Earth to talk interstellar peace. One problem: they’re also hideous, and smell like rotting fish.For Stein, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the hottest name in Hollywood. Or on the planet. Yet it’s one thing to land a client’s blockbuster film role – and quite another to negotiate for an entire alien race. He’ll need every ounce of his charm, wit and wiles. But even with these considerable talents, can he really give the Yherajk the makeover they need to shine on the world’s stage?Praise for John Scalzi:‘John Scalzi is the most entertaining, accessible writer working in SF today’ – Joe Hill‘Scalzi is one of the slickest writers that SF has ever produced’ – Wall Street Journal

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Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners.It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions. But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy. The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe. Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

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Book SynopsisTHE RACHEL INCIDENT - Caroline O''Donoghue''s bestselling new novel* - is out nowCharlie''s life isn''t going forward - so she''s decided to go back After a tough few years floundering around the British film industry and experimenting with amateur pornography, Charlie and her best friend Laura take a trip to her familial home on an island off the west coast of Ireland. Her father''s health is rapidly declining and this could be the last chance to connect with her roots. But events on the island cause Charlie to doubt her father''s childhood stories - and then there''s her complicated relationship with Laura. Pursuing the truth will shatter everything she thought knew - but is that what it takes to grow up?''A gorgeous exploration of the messy and fragile nature of friendship and all the many forms of love'' IRISH TIMES''A darkly humorous, keenly observed blend of millennial drift and murder mystery Trade ReviewScenes of a Graphic Nature has all the components of a perfect page-turner: beautiful prose, truthful characters, hilarious dialogue and an addictive plot. I loved it -- Dolly AldertonA dark yet joyous novel about family and friendship * Grazia *Wonderful!!! Scenes of a Graphic Nature had me GRIPPED. About friendship and failure, Ireland and England, love and guilt, cover-ups and brutal honesty. It's really, really, really, REALLY good -- Marian KeyesThe brilliant O'Donoghue's second novel is a moving and extremely funny look at family, roots and the myth of Irishness * i paper *It might be the best novel of 2020 * You Magazine, Irish Mail on Sunday *So dark and funny, bleak yet full of heart, touching on friendship and love and belonging ... you're in for a treat -- Ayisha MalikWitty, tender and insightful . . . O'Donoghue is a perceptive, clever writer * Guardian *A gorgeous exploration of the messy and fragile nature of friendship and all the many forms of love, as well as of the primal need we all have to belong * Irish Times *A darkly humorous, keenly observed blend of millennial drift and murder mystery from a razor-sharp writer -- Sara Manning * Red *Absolutely loved it. It's an absorbing blend of quarter-life crisis mixed with a bit of mystery * Irish Tatler *Scenes Of A Graphic Nature is a truly extraordinary novel - I inhaled it. It's thrillingly dark, but so moving and human - it's one of the most intelligent, well observed depictions of lust, loss, envy, betrayal, friendship and love that I've ever read. Charlie is so real, courageous, vulnerable, infuriating and adorable. The book itself mirrors Charlie's experience of Ireland - sometimes it's warm and joyous, sometimes it's hostile and terrifying, but even when you know you're in danger, you want to stay for longer and fall even deeper into the pages -- Daisy BuchananWith Scenes Of A Graphic Nature, Caroline O'Donoghue establishes herself as one of the most exciting young Irish writers on the literary scene. Her acerbic wit is matched by her sharp-eyed observations, resulting in a piece of fiction that is dark, gripping, and beautifully written -- Louise O'NeillI absolutely loved it. I felt so connected to the family. It took me on such a journey and I learnt so much; It made me really think about identity, who we are, and why we do what we do. Such a beautiful book, I can't stop thinking about it -- Emma GannonI was so hooked on this beautiful, funny story of homecoming and self-discovery I didn't want to put it down. The characters are wonderfully drawn and the sense of place is so compelling - it is a mystery, a fireside yarn. There is a little Maeve Binchy in there, a little Keyes, but Caroline has her own voice, and the edge to Charlie and Laura - their difficult, funny and recognisable relationship - is all her own -- Keith Stuart, author of The Boy Made of BlocksIn the inventive O'Donoghue's follow-up to Promising Young Women, she turns her tart tongue on friendship, exile and what it feels like to return to a place that no longer feels like home * i paper *Put this book somewhere safe, because it is set to be one of those you spend your life reading over and over - discovering new moments and new lessons each time. I've been a huge fan of Caroline O'Donoghue's writing for a long time and I think Scenes of a Graphic Nature - blisteringly funny and clever - is her best work yet. Raw, heartfelt and incredibly compelling, I can't recommend this enough -- Lucy Vine, bestselling author of Hot MessThe dark humour will have you guffawing into the pages * Cosmopolitan *Highly enjoyable: full of momentum and heart. O'Donoghue is a formidable talent * Sunday Business Post *[An] edgy and astute second novel . . . Caroline O'Donoghue is a master of the Technicolor character, fleshing out even the minor ones with brightness and wit . . . As ever, O'Donoghue is impressive on the complexities of being a young woman and delivers this insight with lively dialogue and a droll acuity that occasionally calls to mind the likes of Nora Ephron . . . O'Donoghue possesses an edginess and a wry sensibility that, despite the book's dark subject matter, ultimately translates into something zesty and companionable. Her easy curiosity about love, lust, loss and losing one's way will doubtless leave readers wanting more * Independent *At the heart of Caroline O'Donoghue's addictive second novel lies a simple and compelling question: can you ever outrun your past? . . . acute, clever and very funny -- Sarah Hughes * i paper *Examines self-mythology and long-repressed secrets * Stylist *A witty story of second-generation immigrants trying to belong, Scenes of a Graphic Nature grapples with love, friendship and identity -- Amber Connolly * Heat *Scenes of a Graphic Nature could have been a simpler novel. But, in its refusal to follow the expected trajectory of a prodigal return, it offers us intricate, layered humanity. Charlie Regan, in all her messy glory, is a protagonist we are willing to follow, from England to Ireland, from the past to present, and everything in between this world and the next * Lunate *Everything in Caroline O'Donoghue's new novel is messy - but in the best way. She covers important themes like family, friendship, nationality, history and health, weaving her narrator Charlie's sense of dislocation into a broader exploration of cultural identity . . . an intriguing read, raising questions about what stories should be told, when, and by whom -- Jemma Crew * Scotsman *

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Book Synopsis''[Gervase Phinn is] a worthy successor to James Herriot, and every bit as endearing.'' - bestselling author Alan Titchmarsh''A shining light in our dark days'' - 5 STAR reader reviewAfter an eventful start to his first ever teaching post in the sleepy village of Risingdale, Tom Dwyer is hoping for a bit of calm. Nursing a broken heart after a romantic disappointment, he just wants to keep his head down and get on with his job. But it is not to be. A beautiful London artist sets tongues wagging when she moves into the village, and her precocious yet frail son is in Tom''s class. On top of that, his colleague''s malicious ex-husband is back, determined to create mischief, and a tragedy on one of the winding country roads sends the village reeling. And all this alongside a class of children who still seem to know more about farming than fractions. With its colourful mix of characters both old and new and its many laugh-out-loud momentTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR GERVASE PHINN:Good old-fashioned yarn-spinning * The Bookbag *Packed with delightful and authentic characters, juicy gossip, precarious romance and good old-fashioned village drama, this is a warm-hearted and hilarious account of a struggling school in a small community. * Good Book Guide *As Yorkshire's favourite school inspector turns to fiction, you can enjoy memorable characters and turns of phrase. * Choice *Written with all the humour and warmth one has come to expect from this master storyteller. * Countryman *A worthy successor to James Herriot, and every bit as endearing. * Alan Titchmarsh *

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