Narrative theme: coming of age

Book SynopsisTHE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING NOVELWINNER OF THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2024Dancing is the one thing that can solve Stephen''s problems.At Church with his family, the shimmer of Black hands raised in praise. With his band, making music speaking not just to their hardships, but their joys. Grooving with his best friend, so close their heads might touch. Dancing alone to his father''s records, uncovering parts of a man he has never truly known. His youth, shame and sacrifice.Stephen has only ever known himself in song. But what becomes of him when the music fades?Set over the course of three summers, from South London to Ghana and back again, SMALL WORLDS is a novel about the worlds we build for ourselves. The worlds we live, dance and love within. *****''Caleb Azumah Nelson''s stunning second novel confirms his status as a literary star'' Observer''Beautiful, unforgeTrade ReviewNelson writes about closeness, with family, with lovers, with art, as careful, essential labour -- Raven Leilani, author of LusterA mesmerising Peckham love story * i *An affecting meditation on the migrant experience * Guardian *Caleb Azumah Nelson's writing is touching, heartfelt, and musically rich -- Diana Evans

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Book Synopsis**A Sunday Times Paperback of the Year** **A Granta Best of Young British Novelist** **Winner of the Edge Hill Short Story Prize 2022** **Winner of the BBC National Short Story Award 2022** **Shortlisted for the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize 2023** SELECTED FOR STYLIST'S BOOKS YOU CAN'T MISS IN 2022 - 'A MUST READ' 'An exhilarating debut' GUARDIAN 'A fresh new voice in fiction, wry and sharp and raw' EMMA CLINE 'I still remember where I was when I first encountered a Saba Sams story' NICOLE FLATTERY 'I fell for this stunning collection with a rare, consuming passion' MEGAN NOLAN ____________________________________________________________ In ten dazzling stories, Saba Sams dives into the world of girlhood and immerses us in its contradictions and complexities: growing up too quickly, yet not quickly enough; taking possession of what one can, while being taken possession of; succumbing to societal pressure but also orchestrating that pressure. These young women are feral yet attentive, fierce yet vulnerable, exploited yet exploitative. Threading between clubs at closing time, pub toilets, drenched music festivals and beach holidays, these unforgettable short stories deftly chart the treacherous terrain of growing up – of intense friendships, of ambivalent mothers, of uneasily blended families, and of learning to truly live in your own body. With striking wit, originality and tenderness, Send Nudes celebrates the small victories in a world that tries to claim each young woman as its own. _____________________________________________________________________ 'A roiling, raw, gut-punch of a debut collection, best read in one sitting ... I sat motionless for about half an hour after reading them; I can't wait to see what she writes next' PANDORA SYKES 'A seriously impressive debut. Saba Sams digs into the chaos, euphoria and menace of sexual attraction, friendship and family with bravery and wit' CHRIS POWER CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE 2022 BY THE GUARDIAN, STYLIST, VOGUE, GLAMOUR, COSMOPOLITAN, EVENING STANDARD, IRISH INDEPENDENT, AnOTHER, FOYLES, BOOKSHOP.ORG Trade ReviewSaba Sams is a fresh new voice in fiction, wry and sharp and raw -- EMMA CLINESaba Sams is adept at wrongfooting our assumptions, creating a set of unique, multi-dimensional characters with rich internal lives -- ELIZABETH DAYSaba Sams’s unsettling, full-throated Send Nudes captures girls and young women on the brink of change * GUARDIAN, Best Fiction of 2022 *Ten startlingly original stories that … seem to come out of nowhere and clamp their jaws shut around you. Exploring the uneven, hazardous terrain between girlhood and womanhood, Sams expertly reveals its inherent contradictions – the rawness and intense vulnerability of teetering on the edge of something new coupled with the power and euphoria that come with self-discovery … Sams’ unflinching observation yet tender empathy for each of her characters sets her apart as a bold new talent * STYLIST, BOOK OF THE WEEK *The earthy resilience and joie de vivre of these stories make for an exhilarating debut ... Sams joins the ranks of writers such as Megan Nolan and Frances Leviston with these acute portraits of the fragile intimacies and euphoric moments snatched by a generation of women coming of age into a precarious future ... In spare, rhythmic sentences, this exhilarating collection captures the light and dark of negotiating relationships, solitude, sexuality and loss * GUARDIAN *An ode to the women you drunkenly befriend in club toilets, Send Nudes is an astonishing selection of short stories charting the ebb and flow of girlhood. Saba Sams' authoritative yet witty tone of voice shines through, rendering this one of the most exciting books to come out of 2022 * GLAMOUR, THE BEST BOOKS COMING OUT IN 2022 *Girlhood, womanhood and everything in between. Ten glorious stories – set in clubs at closing time, pub toilets, sweaty music festivals and hazy beach holidays – of young, feral women who are navigating the complexities of growing up, friendships and truly living in their own bodies * REFINERY29, The Ultimate Gen Z Book Guide For Surviving 2022 *A collection of short stories that speak to the female experiencer * COSMOPOLITAN, BEST BOOKS OF 2022 *In ten quickfire stories, Brighton-born Saba Sams conjures up the spaces between lovers, the visceral attraction and the damning rejection. Read in one sitting and you’ll be transported to moments in your past, to scenes you instantly recognise but may have deliberately forgotten; a must-read for 2022 * STYLIST, The fiction books you can’t miss in 2022 *A visceral and compulsive writer, Saba Sams’ ten short stories slalom through the pulsing veins of romance, rejection, and resistance to a world that attempts to box in every young woman. Painfully familiar feelings are dredged up, but it’s so utterly compelling it can be consumed in one sitting. I have fallen in love with Sams’ feral women, found in club toilets, on beach towels, in ferocious friendships, navigating tense family dynamics and body politics * AnOTHER, BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2022 *A razor-sharp debut * VOGUE, BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2022 *I still remember where I was when I first encountered a Saba Sams story. She is an instinctive storyteller attuned to the ordinary details that make up a life. A highly perceptive and intelligent writer -- NICOLE FLATTERYAcclaimed by Emma Cline, Nicole Flattery and Megan Nolan, this debut short story collection from 25-year-old British author Saba Sams announces the arrival of a striking new talent … Wry, visceral, astute, they capture the intensity of adolescent self-consciousness and fledgling experience * CULTURE WHISPER *If you’ve made it your 2022 mission to cut down on screen time, there’s no shortage of brilliant new fiction to scratch the escapist itch that social media has left. Send Nudes by Saba Sams is a collection of short stories perfect for those who are pressed for time (and attention span), all focused on the world of girlhood and growing up as a woman (fans include Emma Cline and Megan Nolan) * EVENING STANDARD, CLASS OF 2022 *Beautiful, compressed, fleeting -- SALLY ROONEY on 'Overnight'A roiling, raw, gut-punch of a debut collection, best read in one sitting. Sams conveys the suffocation of being and the longing to break free - from parents, partners, children, convention, your own self - in tender, spare prose. I sat motionless for about half an hour after reading them; I can't wait to see what she writes next. -- PANDORA SYKESSend Nudes is a seriously impressive debut. Saba Sams digs into the chaos, euphoria and menace of sexual attraction, friendship and family with bravery and wit. The balance her prose strikes between observation and empathy is remarkable, and its rhythms irresistible -- CHRIS POWERSaba Sams’ writing is dark and glittering. Her collection twists the world on its axis and filters it through an unsettling light. Her precise, wry sentences and sticky, uncompromising characters got beneath my skin -- JESSICA ANDREWSI really liked Saba Sams' spare, blunt style and her quirky take on adolescence and young womanhood. The stories covered such a wide range of moods and experiences and the various humiliations and disappointments were treated with a wonderfully clear and unsentimental eye ... I hope this collection brings her lots of new readers -- CLARE CHAMBERSUnfalteringly different, ensnaring, often frightening stories about characters caught between childhood and adulthood, who are feeling out their boundaries, desires and limits for the first time. Sams’ writing is intoxicating -- CLAIRE KOHDAIn Send Nudes Saba Sams provides an alluring glimpse into contemporary life by presenting familiar experiences in entirely new and electrifying prose -- ZEBA TALKHANITen short stories about the treacherous terrain of growing up, learning to live in your body, friendships, mothers and blended families introduce a promising debut author, whose work has appeared in The Stinging Fly * IRISH INDEPENDENT, HOTTEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR *

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Book SynopsisXuela Claudette Richardson is recalling the last seventy years of her life, and so she must begin with her birth, and the accompanying death of her mother.Xuela’s vivid, visceral recollections of the lonely, unsettled life that follows the trauma of her arrival include that of her distant father, who sends her away to another household at the earliest opportunity; of her passion for the stevedore Roland, who fulfils her sexually but not intellectually; and of her husband, who provides her with status and a wealthy lifestyle but whom she is incapable of loving.Poetic and disturbing, The Autobiography of My Mother is one of Kincaid’s most powerful statements of Afro-Caribbean women’s struggle for identity and independence, against a hostile backdrop of sexism and colonialism.Part of the Picador Collection, a new series showcasing the best of modern literature. Trade ReviewFierce, incantory. . . lyrical. . . powerful and disturbing -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *Kincaid, always an elegant stylist, makes this story of a simple woman extraordinary...filling her prose with rich, poetic detail. . . An unforgettable account of singular survival * San Francisco Chronicle Book Review *A book that comes both to haunt and to dazzle us . . . [Kincaid] writes like an angel: with enviable lucidity and precision and a lyric touch that frequently aspires to the condition of poetry * Boston Sunday Globe *What a writer – elegant, uncompromising, simultaneously direct and layered and complex. * Ali Smith *

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Book Synopsis*BY THE WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE*'Laxness at his best: a reminder of the mad hilarity of the Icelandic sensibility. An endearing and unforgettable voice' Nicholas ShakespeareAbandoned as a baby, Alfgrimur is content to spend his days as a fisherman living in the turf cottage outside Reykjavik with the elderly couple he calls grandmother and grandfather. There he shares the mid-loft with a motley bunch of eccentrics and philosophers who find refuge in the simple respect for their fellow men that is the ethos at the Brekkukot. But the narrow horizons of Alfgrimur's idyllic childhood are challenged when he starts school and meets Iceland's most famous singer, the mysterious Garoar Holm. Garoar encourages him to aim for the 'one true note', but how can he attain it without leaving behind the world that he loves?'It is a novel (a world) that transmits something of the wonder of life' Murray BailTrade ReviewLaxness is a poet who writes to the edge of the pages, a visionary who allows us a plot: he takes a Tolstoyan overview, he weaves in an Evelyn Waugh-like humour: it is not possible to be unimpressed * Daily Telegraph *This weird and wonderful novel, about the price you pay for 'the one true note', is Laxness at his best: a reminder of the mad hilarity of the Icelandic sensibility. An endearing and unforgettable voice * Nicholas Shakespeare *It is a novel (a world) that transmits something of the wonder of life, its strangeness, its goodness, ocassions for stubbornness, and the stoicism of people - people everywhere * Murray Bail *Laxness's view of a child's bounded universe has humour and a light touch * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisA Literary Hub Best Book of Year • A Crime Reads Best Debut of the Year • A Newsweek 25 Best Fall Books • A Philadelphia Inquirer 10 Big Books for the Fall • An O Magazine.com LGBTQ Books That Are Changing the Literary Landscape • An Electric Lit Most Anticipated Debut • A Paperback Paris Best New LGBTQ+ Books To Read This Year Selection • A Passport Best Book of the MonthThe Secret History meets Lie with Me in Micah Nemerever''s compulsively readable debut novel—a feverishly taut Hitchcockian story about two college students, each with his own troubled past, whose escalating obsession with one another leads to an act of unspeakable violence.When Paul enters university in early 1970s Pittsburgh, it’s with the hope of moving past the recent death of his father. Sensitive, insecure, and incomprehensible to his grieving family, Paul feels isolated and alone. When he meets the worldly Julian in his freshman ethics class, Paul is immediately drawn to his classmate’s effortless charm.Paul sees Julian as his sole intellectual equal—an ally against the conventional world he finds so suffocating. Paul will stop at nothing to prove himself worthy of their friendship, because with Julian life is more invigorating than Paul could ever have imagined. But as charismatic as he can choose to be, Julian is also volatile and capriciously cruel, and Paul becomes increasingly afraid that he can never live up to what Julian expects of him.As their friendship spirals into all-consuming intimacy, they each learn the lengths to which the other will go in order to stay together, their obsession ultimately hurtling them toward an act of irrevocable violence.Unfolding with a propulsive ferocity, These Violent Delights is an exquisitely plotted excavation of the depths of human desire and the darkness it can bring forth in us.

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Book Synopsis**As read on BBC Radio Four**Uplifting, joyous, hopeful - a novel about late love and second chances, shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and winner of the Paul Torday Memorial Prize'A moving tribute to friendship and love, to the courage of the ordinary, and to starting again' RACHEL JOYCE, author of Miss Benson's Beetle'Full of grace and humanity' Sunday Times________________________This story begins with a letterFrom a housewifeto the gentle curatorOf an extraordinary museumWhere lies peacefullyAn ancient exhibitThat holds the keyTo EverythingWe are.Meet Me at the Museum tells of a connection made across oceans and against all the odds. Through intimate stories of joy, despair, and discovery, two people are drawn inexorably towards each other, until a shattering revelation pushes their friendship to the very edge.This deeply affecting debut novel by seventy-three year-old Anne Youngson won the Paul Torday Memorial Prize and was dramatized on BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour*******************************'Tender, wise and moving, Meet Me at the Museum is a novel to cherish.' JOHN BOYNE'Insightful, emotionally acute and absorbing' DAILY EXPRESS'Beautiful and affecting' NINA STIBBEWhat readers are saying:'I loved this book. It was so different from anything else I have read'*****'I just loved this book and read it in one sitting. There were times when I felt like underlining the sentences that resonated with me'*****'I read this book one letter at a time, just to let the contents sink in. Tears came to my eyes'*****Trade ReviewExquisite. Its characters somehow resist following their story and reverse themselves into a new one. A beautiful lasting read. * JAMES HANNAH, author of THE A TO Z OF YOU AND ME *Insightful, emotionally acute and absorbing * Daily Express Literary highlights 2018 *A moving tribute to friendship and love, to the courage of the ordinary, and to starting again. * RACHEL JOYCE *‘Tender, wise and moving, Meet Me at the Museum is a novel to cherish.’ * JOHN BOYNE *Full of grace and humanity * Sunday Times *A thoughtful and gentle meditation on buried passions, regrets, love, grief and loneliness . . . Youngson’s debut offers hope for change in its tender exploration of what it means to have experienced a life well-lived. * Guardian *The loveliest short novel of late love you'll ever read. Whenever I talk about it, I simply cry with joy * JAMES HAWES *Quietly intriguing, beautifully observed, full of powerful emotions * RUTH HOGAN, Author of The Keeper of Lost Things *I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that makes you think and wonder and quietly hope. Loved it. * Tammy Cohen *A quirky, wise and tender novel. Proof that the richest fruits come on the edge of autumn * SARAH DUNANT *Warm-hearted, clear-minded, and unexpectedly spellbinding, Meet Me at the Museum is a novel to savour * ANNIE BARROWS, co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society *A beautiful, affecting novel of late love, by an extraordinary new writer * NINA STIBBE *Precise, clear, funny, poignant and truthful. This is a work of art, dear readers. Revel in its beauty * ADRIANI TRIGIANI *Intriguing and compelling, Meet Me at the Museum invites you into the meeting place between two people, imparting wisdom, thought, and endless charm. * JENNIFER RYAN, author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir *A correspondence that begins with a search for clarity becomes something much deeper and richer - both for the two main characters, and for the reader.Anne Youngson peels away the layers that prevent us from living the lives we ought to be leading, and her book is both tender and absorbing. * LISSA EVANS, author of Their Finest Hour and a Half *Intriguing, tender, unexpectedly moving * Woman and Home *Full of emotion, wisdom and honesty, the story envelops the reader in a celebration of true friendship and an appreciation of the opportunities that life can unexpectedly present. This book makes you realise that life is too short and that the future can be more hopeful than we anticipate.If you only read one book this year, read this. Highly recommended * Mature Times *An insightful and emotional debut … tenderly hints at second chances and rejuvenation * Sunday Express *Full of funny, wise perceptions. The author is 70. This lovely novel is her debut. When's the next? * Saga Magazine *Absolutely beautiful, about loss and the life choices we make -- Liz Hoggard * Daily Mail *I thought the author wrote the content of the letters absolutely beautifully, making the characters jump off the page. * The Writing Garnet *I love books like this, that you can immerse yourself in and enjoy as a treat – books that just hold you in their spell. * On The Shelf Book Blog *Tina and Anders will capture your heart and you will root for them all the way. A very accomplished debut by Anne Youngson. * Novel Deelights *There is a sensitivity and warmth throughout that I found utterly charming. * Reflections of a Reader *It was beautifully crafted and once I had the book open I didn't close it until I had read the last page. * Books And Me *This book touched me to the heart – quite beautiful and exceptionally moving, and one of the very best books I’ve read this year. * Being Anne *When the book finished, I felt an immense sadness that I had to say goodbye to these two people. * My Reading Corner *I loved the setting and the characters were great, it was a pleasure to read. * Donna's Book Blog *Few books ever have that much impact on me and I feel this is something that everyone needs to experience. * Book Lover Worm *A beautiful, lyrical love story, played out with words and paper. * My Weekly *

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Book SynopsisMARKUS ZUSAK is the bestselling author of six novels, including THE BOOK THIEF. His books have been translated into more than forty languages, to both popular and critical acclaim. He lives in Sydney with his wife and two children.Find Markus on his blog www.zusakbooks.comFacebook /markuszusakInstagram @markuszusak.Trade Review[Zusak] flings his readers straight into the deep end of his new vast, teeming novel . . . Warm and heartfelt . . . This is a tale of love, art and redemption; rowdy and joyous, with flashes of wit and insight, and ultimately moving. -- Kate Saunders * Times *If The Book Thief was a novel that allowed Death to steal the show... [its] brilliantly illuminated follow-up is affirmatively full of life. -- Alfred Hickling * Guardian *The wait is over. * New York Times *This vast novel is a feast of language and irony. There is sly wit on every page... it is hard not to fall a bit in love with it. -- Michael McGirr * Sydney Morning Herald *Bridge of Clay has been more than a decade in the making, and it shows: The characters are clearly loved, and the artistry of language will leave you gasping at times. * New York Times *Devastating, demanding and deeply moving, Bridge of Clay unspools like a kind of magic act in reverse -- Meghan Cox Gurdon * Wall Street Journal *Eleven years after his multi-million selling hit The Book Thief, Zusak has returned with this sweeping and compelling family tale... Give it your time and you'll be repaid with a moving and epic read. * Stylist *Bridge of Clay is one of those monumental books that can draw you across space and time into another family's experience in the most profound way. -- Ron Charles * Washington Post *Exquisitely written ... A sensitively rendered tale of loss, grief, and guilt's manifestations * Publisher's Weekly US *This book BLEW ME AWAY * Jodi Picoult *A captivating book with a mighty, fearless heart, Bridge of Clay is filled with characters to believe in and care about ... achingly moving, delightfully funny, and thoroughly uplifting. * M L STEDMAN, bestselling author of THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS *Unusual, boisterous and playful * Good Housekeeping *This epic family saga is a sweeping reflection on love and loss etched in vibrant writing, vivid characterisations and heartfelt emotion . . . A book to lose yourself in on long autumn nights. -- Charlotte Heathcote * Sunday Express *Markus Zusak crafts an unforgettable saga. * US Weekly *In a complex narrative that leaps through time and place and across oceans, Zusak paints a vivid portrait of the brothers trying to regain their balance by keeping their family’s story alive. * Time *If The Book Thief is his most famous book, Bridge of Clay is his magnum opus. -- Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore * Guardian *[A] journey in a unique circumnavigatory style, blending past and present until we reach its heart-wrenching conclusion… The prose sings with spunky originality. * Irish Independent *A sweeping story following the five Dunbar brothers through times of grief, love, and anger, Bridge of Clay is a time-jumping, dreamlike exploration of family. * Entertainment Weekly *

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Book SynopsisPages for You is story of the beginning, blossoming and falling apart of a delirious love affair, by Sylvia Brownrigg.‘A love letter written for a lost lover . . . mesmerizing’ – Helen Dunmore, The TimesWhen Flannery Jansen arrives at university, she is totally unprepared for an encounter that will rock her existence. But when she comes across Anne Arden in a local diner, Flannery falls dramatically and desperately in love.Flannery is quickly embarrassed in the face of the older woman’s poise and sophistication, and under the gaze of those impossible green eyes, but slowly their paths intertwine, and soon Flannery becomes Anne’s eager student in life and love.Trade ReviewA love letter written for a lost lover . . . mesmerizing -- Helen Dunmore * The Times *Candid, fresh and vivid * Sunday Telegraph *Bathed in a joyful, cloistered mood of sensual celebration * New York Times *Exuberant and wistful * TLS *Language is the real object of infatuation here . . . words are as seductive as bodies * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisThe consequence of one terrible night changes a group of young people's lives forever. Night Road is an unforgettable story from the internationally bestselling author of The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah.'Movingly written and plotted . . . you’ll keep turning the pages until the last racking sob' – Daily MailLexi and Mia are inseparable from the moment they start high school. Different in so many ways – Lexi is an orphan and lives with her aunt on a trailer park, while Mia is a golden girl blessed with a loving family, and a beautiful home. Yet they recognize something in each other which sets them apart from the crowd, and Mia comes to rely heavily on Lexi’s steadfast friendship.Mia’s beloved, and incredibly good-looking, twin brother Zach, finds life much less complicated than his sister. He'd always sailed through life easily achieving whatever he, and his family, wanted and expected Trade ReviewMovingly written and plotted with the heartless skill of a Greek tragedy, you’ll keep turning the pages until the last racking sob. * The Daily Mail *Hannah masterfully details the unraveling of a family. * People magazine *Hannah is superb at delving into the characters’ psyches and delineating nuances of feeling. * The Washington Post *A moving coming-of-age story. * Heat *Unforgettable. * Easy Living *A gripping, emotional read. * SHE magazine *Night Road is one special book that can transform the lives of readers by influencing how they think about certain important life issues . . . the entire range of human emotions are explored in this hopeful book about the triumphant power of the human spirit in the process of forgiveness. * New York Journal of Books *A rich, multilayered reading experience, and an easy recommendation for book clubs. * Library Journal (starred review) *A story of sibling love, friendship and loss. I cried a lot. * Look magazine *Night Road is like a guilty pleasure. It’s a more grown-up, present-day version of The O.C. and is about a group of young people, who’ve something terrible happening in their lives. The book is basically about the consequence of this one terrible night and how it changes their lives forever. * Saturday Magazine, Daily Express *One night can alter a lifetime and twins Mia and Zach and their friend Lexi discover how hearts can be broken, loyalties challenged and hopes dashed in the blink of an eye. * The Sun *A gripping tale of family, love, grief and forgiveness from New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah. * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisNight Train to Lisbon follows Raimund Gregorius, a 57-year-old Classics scholar, on a journey that takes him across Europe. Abandoning his job and his life and travelling with a dusty old book as his talisman, he heads for Lisbon in search of clues to the life of the book's Portuguese author, Amadeu de Prado. As he gets swept up in his quest, he finds that the journey is also one of self-discovery, as he reencounters all the decisions he has made - and not made - in his life, and faces the roads not travelled.Trade Review"* 'One reads this book almost breathlessly, can hardly put it down... A handbook for the soul, mind and heart.' Die Zeit (Germany) 'If you liked Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind, you'll love international bestseller, Night Train to Lisbon.' Image 'Night Train to Lisbon is a novel of ideas that reads like a thriller: an unsentimental journey that seems to transcend time and space. Every character, every scene, is evoked with an incomparable economy and a tragic nobility redolent of the mysterious hero, whom we only ever encounter through the eyes of others... Pascal Mercier now takes his rightful place among our finest European novelists.' Daniel Johnson, Sunday Telegraph 'A meditative novel that builds uncanny power...Night Train to Lisbon maintains a remarkable immediacy that makes for a rare reading pleasure.' Joseph Olshan, San Francisco Chronicle"

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Book SynopsisFollowing A Change in Climate', this brilliant novel from the double Man Booker prize-winning author of Wolf Hall' is a coming-of-age tale set in Seventies London.It is London, 1970. Carmel McBain, in her first term at university, has cut free of her childhood roots in the north. Among the gossiping, flirtatious girls of Tonbridge Hall, she begins her experiments in life and love. But the year turns. The mini-skirt falls out of style and an era of concealment begins. Carmel's world darkens, and tragedy waits in the wings.Trade Review‘The most powerful of her novels, a near-faultless masterpiece of pathos, observation and feeling … She writes like an angel.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘Hilary Mantel is a wonderfully unsurprised dissector of human motivation, and in An Experiment in Love she has written a bleak tale seamed with crackling wit.’ Helen Dunmore, Observer ‘Funny, tragic and wondefully perceptive, this is a book to be treasured, for the sheer quality of its writing and for its honesty.’ Independent ‘Mantel writes prose of imperturbable aplomp, crisp with irony and highlighted with deftly places, elegantly surprising images … she has a penchant for caustic, spiky heroines and a sardonic ear for dialogue.’ Sunday Times ‘My favourite novel of the year: An Experiment in Love is written with subtle perceptiveness, sharp wit and canny wisdom’ Margaret Forster, Independent ‘Cool unsentimental, and unassumingly authoritative.’ Anita Brookner, Spectator ‘The time is 1970, and it is wonderfully well evoked … The skill with which Mantel manages her time-shifts, the precision of her writing, the acuteness of her observations, the seriousness of her themes, and the way in which she weaves them into a coherant whole, make this an unusually satisfying novel.’ Allan Massie, Scotsman ‘An Experiment in Love has much to say about its turbulant era, and is replete with the atmosphere of the cusp, with the prospect of irreversible change … It is also a profoundly sad novel, to which Mantel’s liberal sense of comedy and dazzling acuity for metaphor add an almost excruciating flavour.’ Rachel Cusk, The Times

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Book SynopsisParis, 1959. As dusk settles over the immigrant quarter, 12-year-old Michel Marini - amateur photographer and compulsive reader - is drawn to the hum of the local bistro. From his usual position at the football table, he has a vantage point on a grown-up world - of rock 'n' roll and of the Algerian War. But as the sun sinks and the plastic players spin, Michel's concentration is not on the game, but on the huddle of men gathered in the shadows of a back room... Past the bar, behind a partly drawn curtain, a group of eastern European men gather, where under a cirrus of smoke and over the squares of chess boards, they tell of their lives before France - of lovers and wives, children and ambitions, all exiled behind the Iron Curtain. Listening to this band of survivors and raconteurs, Michel is introduced to a world beyond the boundaries of his childhood experience, a world of men made formidable in the face of history, ideas and politics: the world of the Incorrigible Optimists Club.Trade ReviewExtraordinary... The Incorrigible Optimists Club feels as if you are witnessing the birth of a true, great novelist * Lire *A debut, a door-stopper, a masterpiece * La Parisienne *Powerful, deep, sad and joyful... A debut novel of staggering mastery * L'Express *Masterful... By turns comical, sad and genuine. It captured our hearts. * L'Humanite *A magnificent generational portrait... A novel that occasionally makes you cry and often makes you laugh * Le Figaro *

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Book SynopsisHarper Lee was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. She attended Huntington College and studied law at the University of Alabama. She is the author of the acclaimed novels To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman, and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and numerous other literary awards and honours. She died on 19 February 2016.Trade ReviewLee explores with exuberant humourthe irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. * The Week *Someone rare has written this very fine novel, a writer with the liveliest sense of life and the warmest, most authentic humour. A touching book; and so funny, so likeable. * Truman Capote *There is humour as well as tragedy in this book, besides its faint note of hope for human nature; and it is delightfully written * Sunday Times *No one ever forgets this book * Independent *One of the best novels I remember ... uniquely unsentimental * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisFor fans of IN FIVE YEARS and THE SIGHT OF YOU comes a life-affirming story about a woman who lives every year of her life in the wrong orderTrade Review[A] clever debut * Starburst *This witty, fantastical exploration of life's inevitable changes is surprising and touching * Publishers Weekly *The author has faultless control over her complicated plot in this hugely enjoyable book and makes excellent use of the possibilities of its key concept * Morning Star *Something truly lovely * Sci-Fi Now *Must Read * Daily Express *An enjoyable read! * SFX *By turns tragic and triumphant, heartbreakingly poignant and joyful, this is ultimately an uplifting and redemptive read * The Guardian *

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Book SynopsisAmong Dostoevsky’s later novels, The Adolescent occupies a very special place: published three years after The Devils and five years before his final masterpiece, The Karamazov Brothers, the novel charts the story of nineteen-year-old Arkady – the illegitimate son of the landowner Versilov and the maid Sofia Andreyevna – as he struggles to find his place in society and “become a Rothschild” against the background of 1870s Russia, a nation still tethered to its old systems and values but shaken up by the new ideological currents of socialism and nihilism. Both a Bildungsroman and a novel of ideas, dealing with themes such as the relationship between fathers and sons and the role of money in modern society, The Adolescent – here presented in a brand-new translation by Dora O’Brien – shows Dostoevsky at his finest as a social commentator and observer of the workings of a young man’s mind.Trade ReviewThe Adolescent really is an unjustly neglected book. As a study of the coming of age of a confused young man, it couldn’t be bettered for capturing his mindset; and as the saga of a truly dysfunctional Russian family it can’t be faulted. * Shiny New Books *

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Book SynopsisWinner of a 2015 Gourmand Cookbook Award For FictionShortlisted for the 2015 ABIA Matt Richell Award for New WriterChristmas Livingstone has formulated ten top rules for happiness that she lives by: Nurturing the senses every day, doing what she loves, sharing joy... but the most important for her rules is absolutely no romantic relationships!Her life is good as the owner of the enchantingly seductive shop, The Chocolate Apothecary. In her shop she can explore the potential medicinal uses of chocolate that make people happy. Her friends surround her and her role as a fairy godmother to her community allows her to share her joy. What she doesn't need is a handsome botany ace who knows everything about cacao to walk into her life...Or does she...The Chocolate Apothecary is a glorious novel of a strong creative woman discovering that you can't always play life by the rules.Trade ReviewI loved it - a perfect blend of sweet and spice. * Jenny Colgan on The Tea Chest *You will want to move into the wonderful world of Josephine Moon's The Tea Chest - it is so self-assured, so beautifully written, so evocative with its sense of place and smell. Really glorious on every level. And what a cracking story. * Cathy Kelly on The Tea Chest *It's feel-good commercial fiction with a lot of sensual description and a happy ending. * Sydney Morning Herald *

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Book SynopsisDonna Tartt's huge selling second novel, follow up to the worldwide bestseller The Secret HistoryTrade Review‘In a literary age of diet and dearth, Tartt invites us to feast ... the opening tragedy strikes a note of rich, flamboyant Southern Gothic that resonates throughout' * Independent *‘You will rarely have read better ... Because of Tartt's mastery of suspense, this book will grip readers all the way through to its bitter end' * Guardian *‘Tartt's grip on this billowing plot is glue-like and her ability to evoke the Deep South of last century exceptional ... excellent, enthralling' * Marie Claire, Book of the Month *‘Destined to become a special kind of classic - a book that precocious young readers pluck from their parents' shelves and devour with surreptitious eagerness, thrilled to discover a writer who seems at once to read their minds and to offer up the sweet-and-sour fruits of exotic, forbidden knowledge' * New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisIn Egypt, Nuri, a teenage boy, falls in love with Mona - the woman his father will marry. Consumed with longing, Nuri wants to get his father out of the way - to take his place in Mona''s heart. But when his father disappears, Nuri regrets what he wished for. Alone, he and Mona search desperately for the man they both love. Only for Nuri to discover a silence he cannot break and unimaginable secrets his father never wanted him to know.Hisham Matar''s new novel My Friends is available for pre-order now!Trade ReviewA fable of loss, and an often troubling meditation on fathers and sons. Matar is writing from the heart * Observer *This beautiful, subtle novel, like the lives of its characters, repays many readings -- Helen Dunmore * The Times *Hisham Matar is a master of the evocative; he creates his effects, on the page and on our nervous system with the fewest and most telling words. I was spellbound * Ahdaf Soueif *I was moved and very impressed -- Roddy DoyleEach time I had to put it down I couldn't wait to get back to it -- Michael FraynHaunting in every sense. An absorbing novel that finds its eloquence in what is left unsaid and its most vivid imagery in what has been lost, possibly for ever * Sunday Times *Matar suffuses Nuri's education in love and loss with an erotic frisson and fragile grace that lend the book an inner radiance * Independent *Submerged grief gives this fine novel the mythic inexorability of Greek tragedy * Economist *Sensually written, there is an extravagant feel even to the simplest sentence. From start to finish that exquisitely profound quality of uncertainty is the most wrenching aspect of all * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisFrederica Potter arrives at Cambridge University greedy for knowledge, sex and love. It isn't long before she becomes infatuated with a mysterious and controlling poet. Back in Yorkshire, her sister Stephanie abandons academia and is confronted with the boredom and frustrations of motherhood. Meanwhile, their younger brother Marcus begins to recover from a nervous breakdown. Each sibling is desperate to shape their own future, but a horrifying event will soon change their lives forever.Trade ReviewMarvellous... A major novel, inspiring laughter and tears -- Iris MurdochGlorious… Frederica is a magnificent creation; awkward, fierce, intellectually voracious and sexually inexperienced -- Francesca Segal, author of The Awkward AgeAffords enormous and continuous pleasure -- Anita BrooknerByatt is a wonderful writer, constantly engaging wherever she takes us * The Times *

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Book Synopsis''If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you''ll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don''t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.''The first of J. D. Salinger''s four books to be published, The Catcher in the Rye is one of the most widely read and beloved of all contemporary American novels.''The handbook of the adolescent heart'' The New YorkerTrade ReviewI liked it very much indeed, more than anything for a long time. -- Samuel Beckett

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Book SynopsisIn 1978, Haruki Murakami was 29 and running a jazz bar in downtown Tokyo. One April day, the impulse to write a novel came to him suddenly while watching a baseball game. That first novel, Hear the Wind Sing, won a new writers' award and was published the following year. More followed, including A Wild Sheep Chase and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, but it was Norwegian Wood, published in 1987, which turned Murakami from a writer into a phenomenon. His books became bestsellers, were translated into many languages, including English, and the door was thrown wide open to Murakami's unique and addictive fictional universe.Murakami writes with admirable discipline, producing ten pages a day, after which he runs ten kilometres (he began long-distance running in 1982 and has participated in numerous marathons and races), works on translations, and then reads, listens to records and cooks. His passions colour his non-fiction output, from What I Talk About When I Talk About Running to Absolutely On Music, and they also seep into his novels and short stories, providing quotidian moments in his otherwise freewheeling flights of imaginative inquiry. In works such as The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, 1Q84 and Men Without Women, his distinctive blend of the mysterious and the everyday, of melancholy and humour, continues to enchant readers, ensuring Murakami's place as one of the world's most acclaimed and well-loved writers.Trade ReviewNorwegian Wood is Japan's The Catcher in the Rye * Daily Telegraph *Everyone who reads Norwegian Wood runs out to buy copies for friends and lovers... Drawing on Fitzgerald, Capote, Chandler and the Japanese tradition, his books are at once disarmingly direct and slyly, charmingly evasive. They are playful and melancholy; full of wrong turns and red herrings, corridors that lead nowhere and - above all - girls who disappear * Guardian *A masterly novel. . . . Norwegian Wood bears the unmistakable marks of Murakami's hand * The New York Times Book Review *This book is undeniably hip, full of student uprisings, free love, booze and 1960s pop, it's also genuinely emotionally engaging, and describes the highs of adolescence as well as the lows * Independent on Sunday *Catches the absorption and giddy rush of adolescent love... It is also, for all the tragic momentum and the apparently kamikaze consciousness of many of its characters, often funny and quirkily observed. Quietly compulsive and finally moving * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book Synopsis A disturbing and powerful psychological thriller about a girl who must piece together the mystery of her kidnapping Trade Review“Unflinchingly honest and brilliantly conceived. This book will haunt you” Lauren Myracle, New York Times Bestselling author of Shine and Bliss

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Book Synopsis''A wonderful bitter-sweet book, written with disarming simplicity'' Esther Freud''It was as if a curtain had fallen, hiding everything I had ever known,'' says Anna Morgan, eighteen years old and catapulted to England from the West Indies after the death of her beloved father. Working as a chorus girl, Anna drifts into the demi-monde of Edwardian London. But there, dismayed by the unfamiliar cold and greyness, she is absolutely alone and unconsciously floating from innocence to harsh experience. Her childish dreams have been replaced by harsh reality. Voyage in the Dark was first published in 1934, but it could have been written today. It is the story of an unhappy love affair, a portrait of a hypocritical society, and an exploration of exile and breakdown; all written in Jean Rhys''s hauntingly simple and beautiful style.Trade ReviewPrescient and technically astonishing -- Geoff Dyer * GQ *The kind of book you want to stand up and applaud -- Caryl PhillipsEvery so often someone comes along whose prose style is so alert and fresh, so remote from the mainstream idiom of English social fiction that is seems miraculous that they should be able to write like that and be British too. Jean Rhys is such a writer -- Jonathan Raban[Jean Rhys's novels] have the quality of the best books by seeming to have written themselves, and reading them one flinches at truth after truth -- Howard Moss * The New Yorker *

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Book SynopsisAmory Blaine, intent on rebelling against his staid, Midwestern upbringing, longs to acquire the patina of Eastern sophistication. In his quest for sexual and intellectual enlightenment, he progresses through a series of relationships, until he is cast out into the real world.

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Book SynopsisSelection Day is a captivating, witty novel by the Man Booker Prize winning author of The White Tiger, Aravind Adiga.'The most exciting novelist writing in English today' A. N. WilsonOne of the New York Times “100 Notable Books of 2017"Manjunath Kumar is fourteen. He knows he is good at cricket - if not as good as his elder brother Radha. He knows that he fears and resents his domineering and cricket-obsessed father, admires his brilliantly talented sibling and is fascinated by the world of CSI and by curious and interesting scientific facts. But there are many things, about himself and about the world, that he doesn't know . . . Sometimes it seems as though everyone around him has a clear idea of who Manju should be, except Manju himself.When Manju begins to get to know Radha's great rival, a boy as privileged and confident as Manju is not, everything in Manju's world begins to change and he is faced with decisions that will challenge both his sense of self and of the world around him . . .Trade ReviewSelection Day is at its heart an engrossing and nuanced coming-of-age-novel . . . intriguing and subtly developed . . . [Adiga] has succeeded in composing a powerful individual story that, at the same time, does justice to life's (and India's) great indeterminacies. * Sunday Times *[A] finely told, often moving, and intelligent novel . . . Adiga's novel takes in class, religion and sexuality - all issues that disrupt the dream of a sport that cares for nothing but talent and temperament. Because Adiga is a novelist, and one who has grown in his art since his Booker prizewinning debut, The White Tiger, he knows how to talk about all these matters through his characters and their compelling stories. -- Kamila Shamsie * Guardian *[Adiga] has always been drawn to that gap between the glitter and gleam of India Shining and the violence, inequality and social misery that give a partial lie to the nation's desire to rebrand itself . . . [he] has written another snarling, witty state-of-the-nation address about a country in thrall to values that 19th-century moralists would have damned as "not cricket". * Observer *Top-rate fiction from a young master . . . Gripping. * Times *Selection Day is a captivating and sensitive coming-of-age story . . . Adiga's characters are getting more complex with each book, and this complexity makes his indictment of the contemporary world all the more urgent and convincing. -- Hirsh Sawhney * TLS *Nobody can write with such dark wit about the story the social tumult of contemporary India like Aravind Adiga, who won the Booker prize for his 2008 debut, The White Tiger . . . Four years on, his characters' voices still jump off the page. * GQ *What makes Selection Day special beyond its journalistic achievements is its sure sense of the eroticism of the locker room. Stripped of his cricketing whites and chest guard, the sportsman is at risk of exposing his heart . . . Never predictable, never simple and never consoling. * Literary Review *[Selection Day] brings Mumbai to life . . . Adiga handles painful subjects - abuse, violence, corruption - with sensitivity and dazzling flashes of black humour. * Daily Telegraph *Adiga's novels . . . get better and better . . . The social, economic, and environmental preoccupations readers have come to expect of him take [Selection Day] to another level of enlightenment * Sydney Morning Herald *A well-observed, compulsively readable story of adolescence and ambition, fathers and sons and India today. * Tatler *Aravind Adiga’s enthrallingSelection Day studies, with universalizing insight, two brothers from Mumbai consecrated to cricket at psychic cost -- Paul Binding * Times Literary Supplement *Ambitious, original and morally serious . . . a moving, unsettling and absorbing story of aspiration and its discontents in contemporary urban India . . . Much more than just a cricket book, Selection Day is one of the finest novels written about the game, combining astute judgements with accounts of individual innings marked by an unobtrusive lyricism . . . Adiga has often been compared, most notably with Last Man in Tower, to Charles Dickens, but Selection Day is reminiscent of a very different Victorian novelist: Thomas Hardy . . . there is never any doubt of its tragic resolution; yet it loses none of its emotional force . . . Selection Day is written at an angle to conventional realism; Adiga does not construct the illusion that we see this world through the eyes of his characters. We see it through the author's eyes, and what emerges most powerfully, as with Hardy, is the author's own personality: the force of his humanity and his social and political vision . . . In the quarter-century since liberalisation, urban India has seen more social and economic change and upheaval than in entire centuries. To a remarkable and depressing extent, Indian fiction in English has failed to reckon with this change. For the third book running, Adiga rises to the challenge with a novel of ambition, originality, moral seriousness and sociological insight. To use an analogy appropriate to a novel about batsmanship: where so many of his peers are content to safely nudge ones and twos, Adiga remains willing to take risks in the pursuit of fours and sixes. * The Hindu *Enthralling . . . studies, with universalizing insight, two brothers from Mumbai consecrated to cricket at psychic cost * Times Literary Supplement *I also enjoyed and admired Aravind Adiga’s funny and touching Selection Day in which cricketing prodigies in Mumbai face googlies from both bowlers and life -- Peter Parker * Spectator *The best novel I read this year . . . In its primal triangle of rival brothers and a maniacal father, hell-bent on success in cricket in India, Adiga grips the passions while painting an extraordinary panorama of contemporary sports, greed, celebrity, and mundanity. As a literary master, Adiga has only advanced in his art since his Booker Prize-winning The White Tiger. -- Mark Greif * Atlantic *Supplies further proof that [Adiga's] Booker Prize . . . was no fluke. He is not merely a confident storyteller but also a thinker, a skeptic, a wily entertainer, a thorn in the side of orthodoxy and cant . . . What this novel offers is the sound of a serious and nervy writer working at near the top of his form. Like a star cricket batter, Mr. Adiga stands and delivers, as if for days. -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *Adiga’s wit and raw sympathy will carry uninitiated readers beyond their ignorance of cricket . . . Adiga’s paragraphs bounce along like a ball hit hard down a dirt street . . . Adiga’s voice is so exuberant, his plotting so jaunty, that the sadness of this story feels as though it is accumulating just outside our peripheral vision -- Ron Charles * Washington Post *A master class in integrating character . . . Peppered with dashes of humor, this dark and unflinching story is an unqualified triumph. * Booklist (starred review) *

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Book Synopsis''Sometimes I feel that I am destined always to be offstage whenever the main action occurs. That God has made me the victim of some cosmic practical joke, by assigning me little more than a walk-on part in my own life . . .''Coming of age in 1970s'' Birmingham, teenager Benjamin Trotter is about to discover the agonies and ecstasies of growing up. Whether it is first love or last rites, IRA bombs or industrial strife, prog versus punk rock, expectations of bad poetry or an unexpected life-changing experience involving lost swimming trunks, The Rotters'' Club is a heartfelt and hilarious portrait of a particular time and place featuring characters recognisable the world over . . .''Very funny, a compulsive and gripping read'' The Times ''Hugely entertaining'' The Observer ''A book to cherish, a book to reread, a book to buy for all your friends'' Independent on SundayWritten with his signature wit, Jonathan Coe''s unmissable new novel, The Proof of My Innocence is available now!Trade ReviewOne of those sweeping, ambitious yet hugely readable, moving and richly comic novels that you find all too rarely in English fiction ... a masterpiece * Daily Telegraph *Very funny ... a compulsive and gripping read. Coe has achieved that rare feat: a novel stuffed with characters you really care for * The Times *A book to cherish, a book to reread, a book to buy for all your friends * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisThe Advocate’s Best Gay Novel of 2019 A New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice O, The Oprah Magazine’s Best LGBTQ Books That''ll Change the Literary Landscape in 2019 The Wall Street Journal’s Ten Books You’ll Want to Read this Spring Out''s Best Queer Books of April 2019 TheSkimm’s LGBTQ+ books to celebrate Pride “Stunning and heart-gripping.” —André Aciman, author of Call Me By Your Name The award-winning, bestselling French novel by Philippe Besson—“the French Brokeback Mountain” (Elle)—about an affair between two teenage boys in 1984 France, translated with subtle beauty and haunting lyricism by the iconic and internationally acclaimed actress/writer Molly Ringwald. We drive at high speed along back roads, through woods, vineyards, a

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Book SynopsisBut for the darkest individuals, there is no redemption: you come back as a kehok, a monster, and are doomed to be a kehok for the rest of time.Unless you can win the Races. After a celebrated career as an elite kehok rider, Tamra became a professional trainer.Trade Review"Durst imbues a thrill-filled story about monster racing with impressive thematic depth and a refreshing spectrum of female characters […] Durst consistently defies expectations in both plot and characterization while exploring sophisticated themes of found family, integrity, and morality. This excellent epic fantasy will appeal to adult fans of Tamora Pierce and Megan Whalen Turner." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “National Velvet with monsters and a big helping of palace intrigue, Race the Sands is monstrous (literally), heartwarming, and empowering in equal measure. An incredibly fun and inspiring read.” — Katherine Arden, New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and The Nightingale “Sarah Beth Durst is one of the most prolific authors I know, yet each of her beautiful stories is infused with exciting action and fully rounded characters whose struggles are both relatable and fantastical. Race the Sands is a fast-paced adventure that will have you falling in love with its heroines and the monsters they ride.” — Peter V. Brett, New York Times bestselling author of The Demon Cycle? "RACE THE SANDS is not only a blistering rush through a brilliantly credible and original fantasy landscape, it's the story of resolve, family, and personal destiny we all need. Highly recommended." — Julie E. Czerneda, author of THE GOSSAMER MAGE "Race The Sands is a rousing standalone fantasy adventure....If you're in the mood for monsters or racing or a primarily female cast surviving against all odds, Race The Sands delivers on all counts, in one delightful package that doesn't require a series commitment!" — Fantasy Book Critic "Durst’s latest delivers the same sweeping prose and lush worldbuilding as her “Renthia” series, with strong female protagonists and lively supporting characters. This compelling fantasy will please fans and engage new readers." — Library Journal

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Book Synopsis''Vivid, bawdy and bitter'' THE TIMES ''A first-rate first novel . . . pungent, raunchy dialogue . . . passages of fine understated wit'' IVAN GOLD, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW Pat Barker''s first novel shows the women of Union Street, young and old, meeting the harsh challeges of poverty and survival in a precarious world.There''s Kelly, at eleven, neglected and independent, dealing with a squalid rape; Dinah, knocking on sixty and still on the game; Joanne, not yet twenty, not yet married and already pregnant. Old Alice is welcoming her impending death whilst Muriel helplessly watches the decline of her stoical husband.And linking them all, watching over them all, mother to half the street, is fiery, indomitable Iris.Trade ReviewVivid, bawdy and bitter * The Times *They are gritty ... but it is not a cheap grit, rather one that has been ground out, grain by grain, in order to give a realistic picture of life as it was - and remains today for many in forgotten pockets up and down the country -- Belinda Webb * Guardian *A first-rate first novel . . . pungent, raunchy dialogue . . . passages of fine understated wit -- Ivan Gold * New York Times Book Review *The novel's point is life, and how rich and hard it is, and the different ways people have of toughing it through the pain without being crushed -- Meredith Tax * The Village Voice *Vivid, bawdy and bitter * The Times 'Barker's talent for gently sifting through the hidden depths of the human psyche is awesome’ *Nova

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Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR BBC ONE DRAMA STARRING HAYLEY ATWELL AND MATTHEW MACFADYENIn spring of 1905 in England, a brief romance between Helen Schlegel and Paul Wilcox ends badly, their two very different families are brought into collision. The liberal, intellectual Schlegels, who had hoped never to see the capitalist, pragmatic Wilcoxes again, learn that Paul''s family are moving from their country estate - Howards End - to a flat just across the road.As the lives of the Schlegels and the Wilcoxes become increasingly entangled, Helen befriends Leonard Bast, a man of lower social status. His presence further inflames the families'' political and cultural differences, which are brought to a head in a fatal confrontation at Howards End.Considered by some to be E. M. Forster''s finest work Howard''s End blends humour and lyricism in this classic exploration of British class and character.

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Book SynopsisIn one of his most energetic and enjoyable novels, Charles Dickens tells the life story of David Copperfield, from his birth in Suffolk, through the various struggles of his childhood, to his successful career as a novelist. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful hardbacks make perfect gifts for book lovers, or wonderful additions to your own collection.Dickens' early scenes are particularly masterful, depicting the world as seen from the perspective of a fatherless small boy. David's idyllic life with his mother is ruined when she marries again, this time to a domineering and cruel man. David Copperfield is partly modelled on Dickens' own experiences, and one of the great joys of the book lies in its outlandish cast of characters, including the glamorous Steerforth, the cheerful, verbose Mr Micawber, the villainous Uriah Heep, and David's eccentric aunt, Betsey Trotwood. Dickens described it as his 'favourite child' among his novels – and it is easy to see why.This edition is complete and unabridged, and features the original illustrations by H. K. 'Phiz' Browne, with an afterword by Sam Gilpin.

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Book SynopsisA tense, evocative, portrait of love and deceit set during one long hot summer in France, The Greengage Summer is a hauntingly beautiful coming-of-age story by from Rumer Godden, the author of Black Narcissus, now a major BBC drama series.When their mother is suddenly taken ill on holiday, five siblings are left to fend for themselves at the elegant, faded hotel, Les Oeillets. Under the increasingly jealous gaze of the glamorous patronne, Mademoiselle Zizi, the children gravitate towards her mysterious and charming lover, Eliot, for comfort. And, amongst the gnarled trees of the old orchards, thirteen-year-old Cecil watches from the sidelines as her achingly beautiful sister, Joss, is drawn into the heart of a toxic affair.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.

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Book SynopsisLiz Moore is the author of the acclaimed novels Heft, recently optioned as a feature film, and The Unseen World, which was optioned for television. A winner of the 2014 Rome Prize in Literature, she lives in Philadelphia.Trade ReviewIn sparse, urgent prose, Liz Moore delivers a staggeringly beautiful meditation on love, legacy, and the emotional necessities that make life worth living. That lump in your throat? You won’t quite know how it got there?nor believe how long it will stick around once the final page is turned. * Tea Obreht, author of The Tiger's Wife *I was so thoroughly engaged with The Unseen World. What a wonderful, fulfilling, riveting read, alive with complex characters, a thrilling story, wit, and, above all, a deep sense of compassion. * Jami Attenberg, author of Saint Mazie *Fiercely intelligent....Moore evocatively renders the remoteness of even our closest loved ones * New York Times Book Review *A cerebral, page-turning thriller … an elegant and ethereal novel about identity and the dawn of artificial intelligence, and a convincing interior portrait of a young woman. * Washington Post *[A] captivating page-turner … a wry, gentle coming-of-age story and an intriguing glimpse into the development of artificial intelligence and virtual reality … It is also an incisive, insightful, and compassionate examination of the complexities of family and identity * Boston Globe *I absolutely love this wise, compassionate novel that challenges our definitions of family, of intelligence, and of love. Equal parts cerebral and heartbreaking, The Unseen World is utterly compelling, and its heroine Ada Sibelius is irresistible in all her thorny vulnerability. Liz Moore has given us a masterful version of our own modern condition, and I cannot wait to place this book in the hands of my most ardent reader friends. * Robin Black, author of Life Drawing *Smart and touching * Good Housekeeping *A striking examination of family, memory, and technology… Mysteries build, and Moore’s gift for storytelling excels. This is a smart, emotionally powerful literary page-turner. * Publishers Weekly *Intelligent and brilliantly absorbing... Filled with achingly memorable scenes and beautifully nuanced writing, Moore's latest is a stunner in its precise take on identity and the compromises even the most righteous among us must make to survive life's challenges with grace. * Booklist *Moore creates a continually compelling drama ... She is masterful at evoking powerful personal connections as well as the intellectual excitement of the dawning computer era. * BBC Culture *

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Book SynopsisLOUSIA MAY ALCOTT was born in Pennsylvania, in 1832, the second of four daughters. After a period of serving as an army nurse, she published HOSPITAL SKETCHES in 1863, followed by Gothic Romances and lurid thrillers. In 1868-9 she published LITTLE WOMEN, which proved so popular that it was followed by two sequels and several other novels. She died in 1888.Trade Review"The American female myth."—Madelon Bedell

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Book Synopsis2018 NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION''S 5 UNDER 35 HONOREEA fevered, lyrical debut about two young women drawn into an ever-intensifying friendship set against the stark, haunted landscape of the Sonoran desert and the ecstatic frenzy of New York City.Ahlam, the daughter of a Palestinian refugee and his Israeli wife, grows up in the arid lands of desert suburbia outside of Phoenix. In a stark landscape where coyotes prowl and mysterious lights occasionally pass through the nighttime sky, Ahlam’s imagination reigns. She battles chronic fever dreams and isolation. When she meets her tempestuous counterpart Laura, the two fall into infatuated partnership, experimenting with drugs and sex and boys, and watching helplessly as a series of mysterious deaths claim high school classmates.The girls flee their pasts for New York City, but as their emotional bond heightens, the intensity of their lives becomes unbearable. In search of love, ecstasy, oblivion, and belonging, Ahlam and Laura’s drive to outrun the ghosts of home threatens to undo them altogether.

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Book SynopsisBream Gives Me Hiccups: And Other Stories is the whip-smart fiction debut of Academy Award-nominated actor and star of The Social Network, Jesse Eisenberg. Known for his iconic film roles but also for his regular pieces in the New Yorker and his two critically acclaimed plays, Eisenberg is an emerging voice in fiction.Taking its title from a group of stories that begin the book, Bream Gives Me Hiccups moves from contemporary L.A. to the dormrooms of an American college to ancient Pompeii, throwing the reader into a universe of social misfits, reimagined scenes from history, and ridiculous overreactions.United by Eisenberg's gift for humour and character, and grouped into chapters that each open with an illustration by award-winning cartoonist Jean Jullien, the witty pieces collected in Bream Gives Me Hiccups explore what it means to navigate the modern world, and mark the arrival of a fantastically funny, self-ironic, witty and original voice.Trade ReviewThis book is so good, I read it in one gulp. Densely clustered brilliance from a consistent over-achiever, it's funny, precise and tender. * Richard Ayoade *These short stories are all wonderfully original... funny and heartbreaking - sometimes in the same sentence... Terrific. * The Times *This collection is sharp, funny and also nerdy... Measured, cute and winning. Eisenberg navigates the insanities of modern life with self-deprecation and perfectly pitched irony. * Daily Mail *A sharp, witty collection of short stories about people who are disconnected from society... An acerbic 21st-century sketch show. * Financial Times *Satirical, compassionate - and full of shrinks. * Guardian *Witty... undeniably smart and fun. * Heat *His debut collection of stories blends playfulness with whimsy. * Observer *Eisenberg's humour is knowing, sardonic, wisecracking. * The Daily Telegraph *A witty writer. * Grazia *He sure can act, and boy, can he write... Well observed, friskily written and a hoot. * Tatler *Eisenberg continues to deliver both considered humour and intelligent, conversational prose... a charming and clever collection. * Independent *The latest literary star in the making is The Social Network's Jesse Eisenberg. * New York Observer *Tell your "Social Network!" The actor is writing a book. Move over, James Franco - Jesse Eisenberg is the newest young thespian to enter the writing ring. * USA Today *Eisenberg is truly a talented writer. Hilarious and poignant. * Entertainment Weekly *It is when he writes more and jokes less that Eisenberg's prose really sings, leading you to hope he takes the plunge and writes a proper novel soon. But his thoroughly enjoyable debut will more than do for now. * Esquire *Brilliantly witty, deeply intelligent, and just plain hilarious... -- Sherman AlexieA remarkable book by an immensely talented writer. -- Andy BorowitzJesse Eisenberg writes with formidable intellect and verbal dexterity... You'll want to give his debut collection 2000 out of 2000 stars. -- Teddy WayneI've been a fan of Jesse Eisenberg's plays for years and his prose is just as winning... Hilarious, poignant and at times so self-deprecating it makes me want to give Jesse a hug. He's taken decades of neurosis and spun it into comedy gold. -- Simon RichJesse Eisenberg is a deeply original comic voice. These stories are about the funniness, sadness, and strangeness of everyday life and they really made me laugh. * Roz Chast *Jesse Eisenberg's hysterical and exciting stories... Capture the ridiculous, inappropriate and tender relationships between single mothers and their children with an honesty that will bring tears of laughter to your eyes. * Heather O'Neill *Eisenberg has a great command of language... Skilfully plotted and both funny and moving. * Jewish Chronicle *Eisenberg writes with lancing wit about social misfits who are, perhaps, less insane than the worlds around them. * Sydney Morning Herald *Enter Mr. Eisenberg, whose same jittery on-screen energy seeps into the pages of this book. * The Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisA devastating story of love, loss and one woman''s terrible choice between duty and personal freedom. Fall in love with Brooklyn ahead of its bestselling follow-up, Long Island.It is Ireland in the early 1950s and for Eilis Lacey, as for so many young Irish girls, opportunities are scarce. So when her sister arranges for her to emigrate to New York, Eilis knows she must go, leaving behind her family and her home for the first time.Arriving in a crowded lodging house in Brooklyn, Eilis can only be reminded of what she has sacrificed. She is far from home - and homesick. And just as she takes tentative steps towards friendship, and perhaps something more, Eilis receives news which sends her back to Ireland.There she will be confronted by a terrible dilemma - a devastating choice between duty and one great love.***''With this elating and humane novel, Colm Tóibín has produced a masterwork'' Sunday Times''Unforgettable'' Spectator''The most compelling and moving portrait of a young woman I have read in a long time'' Zoë Heller, Guardian''Magnificent'' Sunday TelegraphThe book that inspired the major motion picture starring Saoirse Ronan.Trade ReviewWith this elating and humane novel, Colm Tóibín has produced a masterwork * Sunday Times *The most compelling and moving portrait of a young woman I have read in a long time -- Zoë Heller * Guardian, Books of the Year *A work of such skill, understatement and sly jewelled merriment could haunt your life -- Ali Smith * TLS, Books of the Year *Suffused with humane depth, funny, affecting, deftly plotted ... a novel of magnificent accomplishment -- Peter Kemp * Sunday Times, Novel of the Year *Brooklyn moved me more than any other book this year -- Nicholas Hytner * Observer, Books of the Year *A beautifully crafted work that transformed ordinary lives into something extraordinary * Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year *No book this year gave me greater pleasure -- Nell Freudenberger * Financial Times *Not a sentence or a thought out of place. It takes over as his finest ficiton to date * Irish Times *Remarkable freshness and immediacy ... with a lovely comedic lightness * Daily Mail *A lovely, thoughtful book ... alive with authentic detail, moved along by the ripples of affection and doubt that shape any life: a novel that offers the reader serious pleasure * Daily Telegraph *Tremendously moving and powerful * New Statesman *Full of sly fun, lovely comic observation and an almost tangible pleasure in storytelling * Observer *Refreshingly authentic . . . Eilis is so vivid it's difficult to believe she did not actually exist * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis‘Page-turning… reveals the wars waged every day between girls and their images in mirrors’ E. Lockhart, author of WE WERE LIARS Prettiest or ugliest, once you're on the list, you'll never be the same. It happens every September – the list is posted all over school. Two girls are picked from each year. One is named the prettiest, one the ugliest. The girls who are picked become the centre of attention. The girls who aren't are quickly forgotten. Through the eyes of eight very different girls, THE LIST captures the high school experience with all the struggles of identity, self-esteem, and judgements. Whether they’re on the list or not, things will never be the same. What readers are saying about THE LIST ‘THIS BOOK MADE ME FEEL ALL THE THINGS…Raw and heartwrenching and authentic. I really feel like this is a book that any young girl struggling with her looks should read.’ ‘I was awed at how Siobhan Vivian was able to weave this intricate story that involves some pretty harsh realities with a right amount of levity to keep me captivated.’ ‘The storyline that the author has flawlessly created and that gripped me throughout.’Trade Review ‘Vivian explodes the beauty myth in a page-turning whodunit that reveals the wars waged every day between girls and their images in mirrors.’ —E. Lockhart, author of WE WERE LIARS. ‘Siobhan Vivian is funny and sharp, and she nails the little details and big truths that matter.’ —Maureen Johnson, Queen of Teen 2012. Offering a well-differentiated cast of complex characters and a thoughtful focus on femininity, sisterhood, relationships, eating disorders, and what it means to be singled out, Vivian proves that beauty and ugliness aren't always a matter of appearance.” – PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review ‘Smart, snappy writing.’ – NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

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Book SynopsisNew York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder brings her Chronicles of Ixia series to its exhilarating conclusion. Despite the odds, Yelena and Valek have forged an irrevocable bond—and a family—that transcends borders. Now, when their two homelands stand on the brink of war, they must fight with magic and cunning to thwart an Ixian plot to invade Sitia. Yelena seeks to break the hold of the insidious Theobroma that destroys a person's resistance to magical persuasion. But the Cartel is determined to keep influential citizens and Sitian diplomats in thrall—and Yelena at bay. With every bounty hunter after her, Yelena is forced to make a dangerous deal. With might and magic, Valek peels back the layers of betrayal surrounding the Commander. At its rotten core lies a powerful magician…and his latest discovery. The fate of all rests upon two unlikely weapons. One may turn the tide. The other could spell the end of everything.Trade Review ‘…a compelling new fantasy series.’ Rhianna Pratchett, SFX Magazine on Poison Study ‘the story… is peopled by convincing and well realised characters. Verdict: 9/10.’ Total SciFi on Fire Study

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Book SynopsisA diary for her innermost thoughts, a china ornament, a ten-shilling note, and a roll of flame-coloured silk for her first evening dress: these are the gifts Olivia Curtis receives for her seventeenth birthday. She anticipates her first dance, the greatest yet most terrifying event of her restricted social life, with tremulous uncertainty and excitement. For her pretty, charming elder sister Kate, the dance is certain to be a triumph, but what will it be for shy, awkward Olivia? Exploring the daydreams and miseries attendant upon even the most innocent of social events, Rosamond Lehmann perfectly captures the emotions of a girl standing poised on the threshold of womanhood.Trade ReviewEvery emotional ripple is beautifully observed: the hideous anticipation, the agony of the empty dance card, the brief flutters of hope as various men take her for a turn around the dance floor, the many small disappointments that follow and the sudden vivid need to escape from the crowd, to flee, to breathe * Guardian *Lehmann legitimised a type of writing that took on deep personal themes -- English PENA novelist in the grand tradition, and, more than this, an innovator, the first writer to filter her stories through a woman's feelings and perceptions -- Anita BrooknerLehmann has always written brilliantly of women in love, of mothers, of daughters, of suffering -- Margaret DrabbleNo English writer has told of the pains of women in love more truly or more movingly than Rosamond Lehmann -- Marghanita LaskiA novelist in the grand tradition, and, more than this, an innovator, the first writer to filter her stories through a woman's feelings and perceptions * Anita Brookner *Lehmann has always written brilliantly of women in love, of mothers, of daughters, of suffering * Margaret Drabble *No English writer has told of the pains of women in love more truly or more movingly than Rosamond Lehmann * Marghanita Laski *

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Book Synopsis''ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANTLY INVENTIVE WRITERS OF THIS, OR ANY, COUNTRY'' INDEPENDENTShortlisted for the Costa Novel Award and longlisted for the Booker Prize''Gorgeous''DAILY MAIL''Uproariously funny''EVENING STANDARD''Spellbinding''TATLER''Brilliant''NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW''Luminously beautiful''THE TIMESThe Sunday Times bestselling fourth novel from the critically acclaimed author of Ghostwritten and Cloud AtlasJanuary, 1982. Thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor - covert stammerer and reluctant poet - anticipates a stultifying year in his backwater English village. But he hasn''t reckoned with bullies, simmering family discord, the Falklands War, a threatened gypsy invasion and those mysterious entities known as girls. Charting thirteen months in the black hole between childhood and adolescence, this is a captivating novel, wry, painful and vibrant with the stuff of life.PRAISE FOR DAVID MITCHELL''A thrilling and gifted writer''FINANCIAL TIMES''Dizzyingly, dazzlingly good''DAILY MAIL''Mitchell is, clearly, a genius''NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW''An author of extraordinary ambition and skill''INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY''A superb storyteller''THE NEW YORKERTrade ReviewBlack Swan Green's 'I love 1982' nostalgia is a glassy, pitch-perfect, mock-innocent surface through which something rotten might appear -- Ali Smith * Sunday Telegraph *The everyday details of Jason's life are lyrically transformed by the power of Mitchell's prose, which is beguiling, funny, beautifully poetic and always keenly observed. Black Swan Green is just gorgeous * Daily Mail *Mitchell has written another complex novel, in which multiple themes run like streams of extra data beneath every incident, and understanding comes by the process of reading into a satisfying tangle of metaphor and reference. It is the best kind of contemporary fiction -- M. John Harrison * Times Literary Supplement *Hugely touching and enjoyable * Observer *A delight to read from beginning to end * Sunday Express *Luminously beautiful . . . It celebrates the liberating power of language while reviewing without bitterness or resentment the role that inarticulacy, shyness, even bullying, might play in shaping the future career of a writer -- Ruth Scurr * The Times *Spry, disconcerting and moving. It is also extremely funny even - or especially - at the blackest of moments * Observer *A pitch-perfect study of a time and a place * Sunday Telegraph *David Mitchell's beautiful novel of growing up and learning to accept the fragility of the world shows he can do subtle, slow and moving every bit as well as he did dazzling and mind-boggling in the past works -- Kazuo Ishiguro * Guardian *What is so impressive about Black Swan Green . . . is how entirely the formal artifice accommodates a naturalistic, and a thoroughly felt, story about human beings. Black Swan Green is, as its protagonist would put it, ace -- Sam Leith * Literary Review *All the drama and inadvertent comedy of the onset of adolescence are brilliantly laid bare . . . a deceptively easy read, at times uproariously funny * Evening Standard *Playful and inventive, Mitchell stretches language and ideas with exuberant abandon . . . he inhabits the mind of his troubled teenager with spellbinding conviction * Tatler *A very fine and tightly structured novel . . . Mitchell pulls off a beautifully ironic piece of ventriloquism; the narrator's voice is pitched perfectly and entirely credibly, the dialogue never falters -- William Wall * Irish Times *Intricate and beautiful * Time Out *Alternately nostalgic, funny and heartbreaking . . . Mitchell has a perfect ear for that most calamitous year, the first of the teens, when we come face-to-face with the volatile nature of life * Washington Post *Brilliant . . . In Jason, Mitchell creates an evocative yet authentically adolescent voice, an achievement even more impressive than the ventriloquism of his earlier books * New York Times Book Review *In Black Swan Green the most prodigiously daring and imaginative writer in Britain brings his formidable gifts very close to home . . . he makes the well-worn coming-of-age novel feel vivid and uncomfortable and new . . . he's as vital - as shouting and original and central - a voice as the contemporary novel has to offer. He's shown us dazzling power before; here he wins us with vulnerability -- Pico Iyer * Time *A terrific evocation of a particular time and place and the traumas of a particular age group . . . an oddly beautiful slice of complex life * Herald *Touching and funny . . . a book that brilliantly captures the awkward intensity of adolescence * Sunday Times *The family life of the Taylors is achingly plausible, the characters fully drawn, and Mitchell is adept at revealing appalling pettiness as a signifier of larger issues. This is a book about finding strength in unknown places * Sydney Morning Herald *One of the most endearing, smart, and funny young narrators ever to rise up from the pages of a novel . . . The always fresh and brilliant writing will carry readers back to their own childhoods . . . enchanting * Boston Globe *This book is so entertainingly strange, so packed with activity, adventures, and diverting banter, that you only realize as the extraordinary novel concludes that the timid boy has grown before your eyes into a capable young man * Entertainment Weekly *

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Book Synopsis'Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.' A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the thirties. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much. To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming-of-age story, an anti-racist novel, a historical drama of the Great Depression and a sublime example of the Southern writing tradition. Out now as an unabridged audiobook, narrated by Sissy Spacek.Trade ReviewLee explores with exuberant humourthe irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. * The Week *Someone rare has written this very fine novel, a writer with the liveliest sense of life and the warmest, most authentic humour. A touching book; and so funny, so likeable * Truman Capote *There is humour as well as tragedy in this book, besides its faint note of hope for human nature; and it is delightfully written in the now familiar Southern tradition * Sunday Times *Her book is lifted...into the rare company of those that linger in the memory... * Bookman *Unbelievably, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, has never been properly available in Britain until now - but Harper Lee's wonderful novel, first published in 1960, has been worth the wait. Sissy Spacek brings all the characters to life as young Scout Finch watches her lawyer father, Atticus, do battle for the life of a black man who's been accused of the rape of a white girl in a Deep South town steeped in ignorant prejudice. Set in the 1930s, this is a tale that will never age... -- Kati Nicholl * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2014 DEBUT CATEGORY - KITCHIES PRIZELONGLISTED FOR THE 2013 IMPAC DUBLIN LITERARY AWARDSA New York Times bestseller, Mr Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore is an entirely charming and lovable first novel of mysterious books and dusty bookshops; it is a witty and delightful love-letter to both the old book world and the new.Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a Web-design drone and serendipity coupled with sheer curiosity has landed him a new job working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. And it doesn't take long for Clay to realize that the quiet, dusty book emporium is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few fanatically committed customers, but they never seem to actually buy anything, instead they simply borrow impossibly obscure volumes perched on dangerously high shelves, all according to some elaborate arrangement with the eccentric proprietor. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he has plugged in his laptop, roped in his friends (and a cute girl who works for Google) and embarked on a high-tech analysis of the customers' behaviour. What they discover is an ancient secret that can only be solved by modern means, and a global-conspiracy guarded by Mr. Penumbra himself... who has mysteriously disappeared.Trade ReviewThe story is gripping, the characters are terrific and the writing is clever and funny. As intelligent as it is enjoyable * Daily Mail *It's a proper novel. By which I mean, not that it has pages you actually turn - that is optional with novels nowadays - but pages that you actually want to turn, which is getting rarer and rarer.... Charming, gently comedic, sweetly nerdy and enthusiastic about media both old and new * Irish Times *Rollicking... an ode to the beauty of dead-tree books * New York Times *Delightful... Smart, hip and witty * Washington Post *The pages swell with Mr Sloan's nerdy affection and youthful enthusiasm for both tangible books and new media... A clever and whimsical tale with a big heart * The Economist *

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Book SynopsisTaut, brooding and densely atmospheric, these stories show us the ways in which murder can arise out of boredom, perversity can result from adolescent curiosity, and sheer evil might be the solution to unbearable loneliness.Trade ReviewMarks the debut of a talented and genuinely imaginative writer * New Statesman *As promising a first collection of stories as I have ever come across * Vogue *Ian McEwan writes to shock and succeeds... It is a tour-de-force of concision, and funny, too, in a deadpan manner * Times Literary Supplement *And now for a brand new writer of formidable talent, Ian McEwan who is 27. His stories First Love, Last Rites…are the most devastating debut I have seen for a long time * Daily Mail *A brilliant debut by the most promising writer around * Observer Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisThe first in The Rotters'' Club series, bestselling author Jonathan Coe''s iconic tale of Benjamin Trotter is a hilarious, heartfelt celebration of the joys and agonies of growing up WINNER OF THE EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZE __________ Birmingham, England, c. 1973: industrial strikes, bad pop music, first love, corrosive class warfare, detention, IRA bombings. Four friends: a class clown who stoops very low for a laugh; a confused artist enthralled by rock; an earnest radical with socialist leanings; and a quiet dreamer obsessed with poetry, God, and the prettiest girl in school. Unforgettably funny and painfully honest, The Rotters'' Club is perfect for readers of Nick Hornby and William Boyd - or anyone who ever experience adolescence the hard way! THE STORY CONTINUES IN THE CLOSED CIRCLE AND MIDDLE ENGLAND. __________ ''One of those sweeping, ambitious yet hugely readable, mo

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Book SynopsisThe bestselling book behind the Oscar-winning film SLUMDOG MILLLIONAIRE directed by Danny Boyle''An absorbing and richly entertaining read'' TimesFormer tiffinboy Ram Mohammad Thomas has just got twelve questions correct on a TV quiz-show to win a cool one billion rupees. But he is brutally slung in prison on suspicion of cheating. Because how can a kid from the slums know who Shakespeare was, unless he is cheating?In the order of the questions on the show, Ram tells us which incredible adventures in his life on the streets gave him the answers. From orphanages to brothels, gangsters to beggar-masters, and into the homes of Bollywood''s rich and famous, Ram''s story is brimming with the chaotic comedy, heart-stopping tragedy and joyousness of modern India.''Popular fiction at its best and brightest'' Guardian''Colourful'' Sunday Telegraph''Poignant, funny, rich'' MEG ROSOFF, besTrade ReviewThis brilliant story, as colossal, vibrant and chaotic as India itself... is not to be missed * Observer *Poignant, funny, rich... with an utterly orignal and brilliant structure at its heart -- Meg Rosoff, author of HOW I LIVE NOWMingling broad humour with incisive social comment, Q&A is absorbing and richly entertaining reading * The Times *This lively picaresque novel has an original and telling premise... a colourful portrait of Indian society is painted with remarkable lightness and wit * Sunday Telegraph *A hugely successful mixture of satire and intrigue * Independent on Sunday *Swarup is an accomplished storyteller * Daily Mail *An engaging and surprisingly informative read * Telegraph *This novel is part homage to the larger-than-life Bollywood film industry, and the characters and story are so engaging that you really have to read on to find out how it all comes together in the end * Derby Evening Telegraph *One of the most delightful reads i've enjoyed in years * Shashi Tharoor *Q&A is popular fiction at its best and brightest. The prose is efficient and the characters are briskly drawn in strong, sharp colours. Swarup clearly understands his job. As an exercise in genre, the novel is a triumph and that was before the movie-makers got to work -- Robert McCrum * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis''I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep. My name is Kvothe.You may have heard of me''So begins the tale of Kvothe - currently known as Kote, the unassuming innkeepter - from his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, through his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-riddled city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a difficult and dangerous school of magic. In these pages you will come to know Kvothe the notorious magician, the accomplished thief, the masterful musician, the dragon-slayer, the legend-hunter, the lover, the thief and the infamous assassin.The Name ofTrade ReviewThe best epic fantasy I read last year...He's bloody good, this Rothfuss guy -- George R R MartinPatrick Rothfuss' debut is set in an unnamed but fully realised fantasy world, and his characters are detailed and convincing. * WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY *Patrick Rothfuss has real talent, and his tale of Kvothe is deep and intricate and wondrous -- Terry BrooksThis is a magnificent book -- Anne McCaffreyThe Name of the Wind has everything: magic and mysteries and ancient evil, but it's also humorous and terrifying and completely believable -- Tad WilliamsAs absorbing on a second reading as it is on the first, this is the type of assured, rich first novel most writers can only dream of producing * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *It is a rare and great pleasure to find a fantasist writing ... with true music in the words -- Ursula K Le GuinThe characters are real and the magic is true -- robin Hobb, New York Times-bestselling author of Assassin’s ApprenticeMasterful ... There is a beauty to Pat's writing that defies description -- Brandon Sanderson, New York Times-bestselling author of Mistborn[Makes] you think he's inventing the genre, instead of reinventing it -- Lev Grossman, New York Times-bestselling author of The MagiciansHail Patrick Rothfuss! A new giant is striding the land -- Robert J. Sawyer, award-winning author of WakeI was reminded of Ursula K. Le Guin, George R. R. Martin, and J. R. R. Tolkein, but never felt that Rothfuss was imitating anyone * THE TIMES *This fast-moving, vivid, and unpretentious debut roots its coming-of-age fantasy in convincing mythology * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY *This breathtakingly epic story is heartrending in its intimacy and masterful in its narrative essence * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY starred review *Reminiscent in scope of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series ... this masterpiece of storytelling will appeal to lovers of fantasy on a grand scale * LIBRARY JOURNAL (starred) *Shelve The Name of the Wind beside The Lord of the Rings...and look forward to the day when it's mentioned in the same breath, perhaps as first among equals * The A.V. Club *"Patrick Rothfuss' debut is set in an unnamed but fully realised fantasy world, and his characters are detailed and convincing." * WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY *

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 1962 National Book Award and one of Time magazine's 100 Best English-Language Novels, Walker Percy's debut The Moviegoer is an American masterpiece and a classic of Southern literature. Insightful, romantic, and humorous, it is the story of a young man's search for meaning amid a shallow consumerist landscape. Binx Bolling, a young New Orleans stockbroker, fills his days with movies and casual sex. His life offers him nothing worth retaining; what he treasures are scenes from The Third Man or Stagecoach, not the personal experiences he knows other people hold dear. On the cusp of turning thirty, however, something changes: At Mardi Gras, he embarks on a quest for some form of authentic experience. The consequences of Binx's quest, on both himself and his unstable cousin Kate, prove outrageous, absurd, moving, and indelible.Featuring an afterword by Paul Elie, this new edition of The Moviegoer cements Walker Perc

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