Narrative theme: coming of age

Book SynopsisAn Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestseller. From New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde comes a gripping and emotional novel about friendship, motherhood, and the journey toward finding a place to call home. Brooke is a divorced single mom, financially strapped, living with her mother, and holding tight to the one thing that matters most: her two-year-old daughter, Etta. Then, in a matter of seconds, Brooke’s life is shattered when she’s carjacked. Helpless and terrified, all Brooke can do is watch as Etta, still strapped in her seat, disappears into the Los Angeles night. Miles away, Etta is found by Molly, a homeless teen who is all too used to darkness. Thrown away by her parents, and with a future as stable as the wooden crate she calls home, Molly survives day to day by her wits. As unpredictable as her life is, she’s stunned to find Etta, abandoned and alone. Shielding the little girl from more than the elements, Molly must put herself in harm’s way to protect a child as lost as she is. Out of one terrible moment, Brooke’s and Molly’s desperate paths converge and an unlikely friendship across generations and circumstances is formed. With it, Brooke and Molly will come to discover that what’s lost—and what’s found—can change in a heartbeat.Trade Review“A warm and clear-eyed look at what it means to be lost—and found. Fans of Hannah Beckerman and Meg Donohue will adore Brave Girl, Quiet Girl.” —Booklist “Gripping, emotional, fast-paced and fresh, Catherine Ryan Hyde’s latest novel is definitely one to read and share.” —Bookreporter

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Book SynopsisIt’s time everyone knew the truth, and what better way to announce you’re getting married (and gay) than on your family WhatsApp group? Amar can’t wait to tell everyone his wonderful news: he’s found The One, and he’s getting married. But it turns out announcing his engagement on a group chat might not have been the best way to let his strict Muslim Bangladeshi family know that his happy-ever-after partner is a man—and a white man at that. Amar expected a reaction from his four siblings, but his bombshell sends shockwaves throughout the community and begins to fracture their family unit, already fragile from the death of their mother. Suddenly Amar is questioning everything he once believed in: his faith, his culture, his family, his mother’s love—and even his relationship with Joshua. Amar was sure he knew what love meant, but was he just plain wrong? He’s never thought of his relationship with Joshua as a love story—they just fit together, like two halves of a whole. But if they can reconcile their differences with Amar’s culture, could there be hope for his relationship with his family too? And could this whole disaster turn into a love story after all?Trade Review“This Way Out explores the vastness and intricacy of intercultural relationships alongside religious and spiritual reconnection, mental health, and masculinity in South Asian, Muslim, and LGBTQIA+ cultures, and the power of inclusion and a found family amid love, loss, growth, and change.” —Booklist “A beautiful journey” —The New Arab “Adored reading This Way Out—deeply-felt and thought-provoking in equal measure…It’s so fresh and original, I pretty much inhaled it.” —Angela Chadwick “It’s fascinating, absorbing, and vital!” —Matt Cain, author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistlex and Becoming Ted “A total treat! This Way Out…is absolutely lovely. I loved its portrayal of the family you are born into and the family you make along the way. It was funny and sad and poignant and heartfelt…highly recommended.” —Bethany Clift, author of Last One at the Party and Love and Other Human Errors

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Book SynopsisIn this breezy novel from the author of Somebody That I Used to Know, one Iowa farm girl—a dead ringer for a global pop star—gets an unlikely shot at stardom. Will she choose fame…or the family farm? Red Morgan is fresh out of high school. With signature red curls and a remarkable singing voice, the bubbly teenager is a devoted daughter and big sister. The world should be her oyster. But Red already knows exactly where her future lies: the family farm in Orange City, Iowa. Zay-Zay Waters is at the top of her game. The Brooklyn-born singer has it all—talent, fame, even a smokin’ hot boyfriend. But life in the limelight isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when a video of Red singing in the mud—looking and sounding exactly like Zay-Zay herself—goes viral, the pop star begins to hatch a plan. Red is the key to Zay-Zay’s scheme. With much-needed money on the line, Red agrees to step into Zay-Zay’s famous shoes for one week. But when planned appearances start to go off script, Red may be in over her head. Can she really pull it off?Trade Review“An amiable fish-out-of-water story that engagingly explores the pitfalls of fame and celebrates young love.” —Kirkus Reviews “Davis, who is also an actor, believably depicts the sometimes outlandish realities of the lifestyles of the rich and famous in this Prince and the Pauper take.” —Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisAll she wants is to be her best self. Is she ready? Absolutely. Does she know what to expect? Absolutely not. Anita is over her life in New York: her dead-end job, tiny studio apartment, self-obsessed friends, and overbearing mom. So she moves west to Los Angeles in search of a new career, enlightenment, and that nebulous target…wellness. She discovers an elite workout class called The Goddess Effect, run by a lifestyle guru named Venus who’s the very definition of #goals. One look at her Lululemon-clad acolytes sweating out their demons while dripping with confidence and Anita’s all in. When one of the class regulars takes Anita under her wing, Anita’s sure she’s found her people. But Anita’s not so smitten that she doesn’t wonder about a few things: an inexplicable invitation to a Goddess Effect retreat, a strange tradition of secret sharing, and whispers about “enhancements” that only Venus can provide. Anita is awakening to a terrifying epiphany: The Goddess Effect isn’t quite what it seems, and it may turn her world—and that of everyone around her—upside down.Trade Review“Mocking the wellness industry can seem like picking off low-hanging fruit, but Marikar elevates her story with wry humor and compassion.” —The Washington Post “Marikar successfully provides larger-than-life caricatures of wellness industry denizens and LA residents at large as well as an outrageous mystery waiting to be exposed.” —Kirkus Reviews “This is a funny and fresh coming-of-age tale. Recommended for readers of Elin Hilderbrand or Jennifer Weiner.” —Library Journal “The frothy exterior of Marikar’s debut hides a sharp bite that readers who enjoyed Leigh Stein’s Self Care will appreciate.” —Booklist “The Goddess Effect is a fall-on-the-floor funny, fresh, and modern take on one woman’s journey to hell and back—and by ‘hell and back,’ I mean a three-month stay in Los Angeles. Here, the devil smells of Santal 33, has hair that cascades in beachy waves, and wears this season’s Rick Owens. Our charming tour guide of Hades on the 405 is Anita Kathlikar, the hilarious love child of Bridget Jones and Lucille Ball who I didn’t know I needed but ended up loving more than I can tell you. Sheila Yasmin Marikar is a pitch-perfect comic genius who delivers a sparkling miracle of a book that left me asking: What exactly is my soul’s highest purpose and what exactly is the best Instagram filter for this picture of my power greens smoothie and collagen toast?” —Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians and Sex and Vanity “Fresh, bitingly modern, and laugh-out-loud funny, The Goddess Effect is more than a page-turner—it’s also razor-sharp commentary on the cult of wellness. I can’t wait to read more from this talented debut author.” —Andrea Bartz, bestselling author of We Were Never Here “Sheila Yasmin Marikar’s writing is prismatic…She had me laughing in one breath, cringing in the next, only to turn on a dime and knock the wind out of me with her honesty. The Goddess Effect skillfully sends up our current obsession with image, tech, and wellness, but at its heart is a timeless human truth: there’s nothing we won’t do to belong.” —Megan Angelo, author of Followers “Sheila Yasmin Marikar’s novel is a witty and compelling exploration of growth, identity, and power. The Goddess Effect is impossible to put down. Readers everywhere will root for Anita on her journey full of self-discovery and surprises. Told with a rare blend of humor and insight, this delicious story will captivate readers from beginning to end!” —Saumya Dave, author of What a Happy Family “I finished The Goddess Effect in a single sitting. Sheila Yasmin Marikar’s assured voice and incisive observations had me laughing out loud one moment and covering my mouth in shock the next. A stellar debut with the perfect number of twists, turns, and Lululemon references.” —Colleen McKeegan, author of The Wild One “Snappy, voyeuristic, and upsettingly relevant, The Goddess Effect takes us on a heart-pumping romp through the ‘cult’ of contemporary wellness. Either ironically or sincerely, if you’ve ever opted to add CBD to your oat milk latte, moon bathed a crystal, dropped $110 on a pair of yoga pants, cried under the mood lighting of a fauxspirational fitness class, or made any other questionable life decision in pursuit of self-actualization and belonging, you will feel both riveted and attacked by this incisive, page-turning tale.” —Amanda Montell, author of Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism and Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language “As a New Yorker who once moved to Los Angeles in search of herself, I know Anita’s inner struggle and yearn to prove something (anything?) all too well. Full of laughable bits on the LA erewhon-fueled lifestyle we all love to hate, this story will make you cringe, laugh, and most of all relate.” —Arianna Margulis, author of But Like Maybe Don’t?

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Book SynopsisA Novel of Redemption from Addiction and a Broken Family “A Clean Heart picks at the knot of addiction and recovery insistently and with a wholesomeness intriguingly at odds with its subject. I enjoyed this book.” –Thomas Beller, author of The Sleep-Over Artist Carter Kirchner struggles to stay sane and sober as a counselor at Six West, an adolescent drug treatment center run by Sister Mary Xavier, a hard-drinking nun with an MBA. The young Kirchner is caught between Sister Mary’s plan to rescue the center by reforming a hard-case kid and the dysfunctional staff’s clumsy plan to intervene on their boss’s drinking. Meanwhile, Carter’s mother―who never forgave him for giving up a promising hockey career to treat his own addiction―lands in the hospital with an advanced case of cirrhosis. Before Carter can help the young addict commissioned to his care or safely navigate the staff’s dysfunctional intervention effort, he must rescue himself from his family’s broken past. A Clean Heart is a novel by John Rosengren, a writer and recent nominee for a Pulitzer Prize who knows the territory of addiction. He went through treatment at age 17 and has been clean and sober since 1981. He also worked in adolescent treatment centers when he was younger. John Rosengren’s articles have appeared in more than 100 publications, including The Atlantic, New Yorker, Reader’s Digest, Sports Illustrated, and Utne Reader. If you are a fan of the 2018 films Ben is Back or David Sheff’s Beautiful Boy or have read addiction memoirs such as If You Love Me or We All Fall Down, you will love reading John Rosengren’s A Clean Heart.

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Book SynopsisAn orphaned boy raised by a survivalist wends his way into the real world in an emotional novel about hope, fears, and found family by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde. Out there is chaos, the collapse of society, and so much to be afraid of. All that matters is freedom. That’s what Remy Blake has been taught by his survivalist father. Raised off the grid in the middle of nowhere, his own survival skills not yet honed, Remy is days shy of his eighth birthday when his father unexpectedly dies. As seasons pass, supplies run out, and fending for himself grows more desperate, Remy sets out on foot, unprepared for the great unknown of civilization. He is found—near feral, silent, and terrified—in the small rural town of Blaire. To Anne, a nurturing mother of two adopted teenagers who’s still dealing with her own childhood rejections, Remy is not a lost cause. Just a challenging one. As Remy cautiously adapts to his new foster home, his family wants nothing more than to reassure him that he can trust the world. But to do so, they must first reexamine how much they trust the world themselves, and how much they should. As Remy’s journey into the real world begins, figuring out how to navigate it becomes a path they will have to learn to walk together.Trade Review“Prolific author [Catherine Ryan] Hyde applies her heartwarming style to the dynamic between a foster parent and child, highlighting the power of therapy and the reliability of inner strength.” —Booklist “The story is beautifully conceived and executed and incredibly touching. As with all of Hyde's characters, we really come to empathize with Remy and Anne.” —Bookreporter Previous Praise for Catherine Ryan Hyde “Fans of Catherine Ryan Hyde will adore her new novel…No one in this story is perfect. But despite our flaws, we are all worthy of love and able to share our love, just as Stewie so beautifully demonstrates.” —Bookreporter on Dreaming of Flight “A heartwarming story spanning decades of shared trials and personal growth.” —Booklist on My Name is Anton “There is a little bit of magic in every [Catherine Ryan Hyde] book…Perceptive, heartfelt, and enlightening.” —Novelgossip on Heaven Adjacent “Fans of Homer H. Hickam Jr.’s Rocket Boys, Andrew J. Graff’s Raft of Stars, and Hyde’s substantial backlist will savor this heart-opening and meticulously researched coming-of-age tale.” —Booklist on Boy Underground “A story about good people doing their best to survive, combined with a message that will cause readers to close the book feeling a bit more hopeful about humanity.” —Kirkus Reviews on Take Me with You “Multilayered and heartwarming.” —Booklist on Seven Perfect Things “A deftly crafted novel with an underlying message about the power of simple kindness…a thoroughly engaging read from first page to last.” —Midwest Book Review on Have You Seen Luis Velez? “Hyde is a master at mining the emotional depths of her characters and bringing them out the other side.” —New York Journal of Books on Just After Midnight

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Book SynopsisA poignant story about hopes, dreams, and how far one man’s talent takes him before he realizes it’s about what you do—and how you do it. Frank Ryder is unstoppable on the baseball field—his pitches arrive faster than a batter can swing, giving his opponents no chance. He’s being heralded as a game-changing pitcher. But within the maelstrom of press, adulation, and wild speculation, Frank is a man alone. Haunted by a tragic incident from years past, he yearns to be the best but cannot reconcile the guilt he carries with the man everyone believes him to be. Frank’s path to redemption leads him on a journey back to where his life changed forever, to visit his family, his high school coach, and his brother. Through reconnection and reconciliation with those also deeply affected by the devastating event of Frank’s youth, he finds peace and his place in the world both in and outside the game. The Fireballer is a lyrical, moving story of undeniable talent and the life-changing power of forgiveness and a subtly romantic ode to America’s favorite pastime.Trade Review“Readers looking for sports fiction heavy on the baseball will enjoy this book.” —Library Journal “Like the game of baseball, the great American pastime, there is much to love in The Fireballer by Mark Stevens…a book to enjoy like it was the seventh game of the World Series and your team won.” —New York Journal of Books “Fleet and fun, The Fireballer will appeal to fans of The Natural and Robert Coover’s The Universal Baseball Association. Frank Ryder is a classic American hero—the phenom who has to overcome his own terrible past. Mark Stevens has done the impossible: He actually had me rooting for the Orioles.” —Stewart O’Nan, coauthor of Faithful and author of Ocean State “Seldom do I read a book that knocks my socks off the way The Fireballer did. This is a feel-good baseball story with a hold on the vernacular, the heart, the soul, the big picture, and the subtleties of America’s favorite summer pastime. The characters are beautifully etched, and pitcher Frank Ryder may be the most likeable hero since Gary Cooper gave life to Lou Gehrig on the big screen. I guarantee that you don’t have to be a baseball fan to be swept up by this moving tale. With a full heart, I recommend—no, insist—that you read The Fireballer.” —William Kent Krueger, author of Fox Creek and This Tender Land “Mark Stevens’s The Fireballer is a timeless baseball story told with a love of the game and fast-moving prose that will leave you cheering and crying at the same time. Frank Ryder is the most appealing of heroes, taciturn and loyal, talented and haunted—truly haunted—and with a fastball that will change the game. With its authentic baseball scenes and its rich heart, The Fireballer is a novel that rests comfortably with other classics of the game.” —William Lashner, author of The Barkeep “The Fireballer is not just a great baseball yarn that any fan of the game will enjoy—it is also a richly-layered exploration of character, regret, and redemption.” —Lou Berney, author of November Road and The Long and Faraway Gone “The old game of baseball keeps coming up with new stories about the next twist or turn in the sport. In The Fireballer, Mark Stevens has invented a startling ‘What if?’ that stretches the limits of the game. More than a baseball book, the novel is a journey through the mind and heart of a gifted, but tragic, athlete who finds a road to redemption.” —Stephen Singular, New York Times bestselling author “The Fireballer is a compelling story that I found hard to put down, rich with authentic baseball details and full of heart. Mark Stevens hits it out of the park with this intricate and moving tale of redemption.” —Robert Bailey, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Golfer’s Carol “Mark Stevens has crafted a powerful, heartfelt story—with a memorable baseball backdrop—that carves out a place alongside classics like The Art of Fielding and The Natural. Stevens knows the game—but it’s his deft narrative and characters that help this book truly sing. I couldn’t put it down.” —Alex Segura, bestselling author of Secret Identity “You don’t have to know baseball to love The Fireballer. At the center of this big-hearted book is Frank Ryder, a star pitcher tormented by a mistake in his past. Readers root for Frank not for his fastball, but because his redemption delivers us all.” —Stephanie Kane, award-winning mystery writer and author of True Crime Redux “Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie…and heart. Pitcher phenom Frank Ryder’s heart is bigger than the game—as is his grief—and his fastball has the potential to transform or destroy both. As Mark Stevens divulges Ryder’s temptations and talent alongside the complexities of the sport, readers will find themselves captivated by a world-class athlete’s regrets and life choices in The Fireballer.” —Janet Fogg, award-winning author of Soliloquy and coauthor of the best seller Fogg in the Cockpit “The Fireballer goes straight into my pantheon of great baseball writing, alongside The Brothers K (David James Duncan), The Art of Fielding (Chad Harbach), You Gotta Have Wa (Robert Whiting), and the many treasures by Roger Angell. Mark Stevens’s ability to get ‘inside baseball’—while telling a moving human story—is both astounding and worthy of readers of all interests and tastes.” —John Galligan, author of the Bad Axe County series “In The Fireballer, Mark Stevens may have invented a new subgenre: the emotional thriller. As Frank Ryder journeys to the source of both his phenomenal talent and his psychic pain, I couldn’t stop turning pages. And when he earns his redemption? Reader, I cried. Love, loss, and ultimate triumph—this book delivers at 110 miles per hour.” —Keir Graff, author of The Three Mrs. Wrights (writing with Linda Joffe Hull as Linda Keir) “Brimming with humanity, The Fireballer is a richly imagined tale of the modern American pastime with a heart as big as center field. Pure storytelling genius.” — Scott Graham, winner of the National Outdoor Book Award and author of Saguaro Sanction “The Fireballer is about a baseball pitcher, sure. The way The Natural is about a bat and Shoeless Joe is about a corn field. But this many-layered tale deeply considers hope, fear, love, grief, and change, all through the prism of our beautiful national pastime. The writing is heartfelt and gorgeous. The Fireballer struck me out.” —Richard Cass, author of the Elder Darrow Jazz Mysteries and The Last Altruist “This is a great American novel that is about so much more than the great American pastime.” —Wendy J. Fox, author of If the Ice Had Held and What If We Were Somewhere Else “The Fireballer isn’t just about baseball. It’s about life and loss and what love can do. Mark Stevens shows not only a deep understanding of the game but of human frailty and grace as well. This book is a true triumph.” —Claire Booth, award-winning journalist and critically acclaimed author of the Hank Worth mysteries “With baseball as the backdrop, The Fireballer is a rich story that will have you rooting for Frank Ryder as he struggles with imprinted tragedies of his past. Don’t be dissuaded if you’re not a fan of baseball. The enjoyment of this novel comes from the talent of Mark Stevens and his craft of characters with depth and heart. The emotion is palpable and the story moving.” —Wendy Terrien, award-winning author of The Rampart Guards “The Fireballer is more than a story of a freakishly talented baseball pitcher. It’s the story of a good man trapped in an industry that both reveres and despises his abilities, and disregards the emotional toll the game takes. While reading The Fireballer I could see the players scattered in the field, smell the beer and hot dogs at the stadium, and feel the whoosh of Frank Ryder’s fastball zooming past the batter. A truly great sports novel.” —Stephanie Gayle, author of Idyll Threats “In fresh, evocative prose, Stevens spins a tale about a phenom baseball pitcher that transcends the genre of ‘sports fiction.’ Compelling and humane. Highly recommended.” —Karen Odden, USA Today bestselling author of the Inspector Corravan Mysteries

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Book Synopsis“Amy Lea’s Woke Up Like This reminded me that the exciting and complicated feelings of our teenage years never truly fade away. The book perfectly captures high school nostalgia . . . It’s a feel-good story for the young and young at heart.” —Mindy Kaling For two high school seniors, it’s seventeen going on thirty—overnight—in a magical romantic comedy about growing up too fast and living in the moment. Planning the perfect prom is one last “to do” on ultra-organized Charlotte Wu’s high school bucket list. So far, so good, if not for a decorating accident that sends Charlotte crash-landing off a ladder, face-first into her obnoxiously ripped archnemesis J. T. Renner. Worse? When Charlotte wakes up, she finds herself in an unfamiliar bed at thirty years old, with her bearded fiancé, Renner, by her side. Either they’ve lost their minds or they’ve been drop-kicked into adulthood, forever trapped in the thirty-year-old bodies of their future selves. With each other as their only constant, Charlotte and Renner discover all that’s changed in the time they’ve missed. Charlotte also learns there’s more to Renner than irritating-jock charm, and that reaching the next milestone isn’t as important as what happens in between. Navigating a series of adventures and a confounding new normal, Charlotte and Renner will do whatever it takes to find a way back to seventeen. But when—and if—they do, what then?Trade Review“Lea creates a story that is part 13 Going on 30, part To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (both referenced in the pop-culture savvy text), and 100% swoony fun… A fun, nostalgic story that’s perfect for anyone who wants to take a trip down Memory Lane.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Lea has a sure hand with the slow-burning enemies-to-lovers relationship between her leads, making their path toward each other both entertaining and endearing. Romance fans will eat this up.” —Publishers Weekly “A fun, easily sharable, widely appealing romance that will have a big audience…” —Booklist “Amy Lea’s Woke Up Like This reminded me that the exciting and complicated feelings of our teenage years never truly fade away. The book perfectly captures high school nostalgia…It’s a feel-good story for the young and young at heart.” —Mindy Kaling “Woke Up Like This is witty, earnest, charming, and intensely seventeen. It perfectly captures the highs and lows of being on the brink of big life changes and the thrill of first love (and first hate).” —Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis “Woke Up Like This charmed me from page one and I never wanted it to end! Perfect for fans of Kasie West and Jenny Han, this book is guaranteed to suck you in and force you to read it in one sitting. Ten out of ten would recommend!” —Lynn Painter, New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies

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Book SynopsisFour women investigating the haunting murder of their friend discover more than they ever imagined in a terrifying novel about good and evil, love and death, and the spaces between. Five years after Sofia Lyon disappeared, her remains are found stuffed into the hollow of a tree bursting through the floorboards of an abandoned house in the woods. The women who loved her flock home to the North Carolina hills to face their grief. Frankie, Sofia’s twin, is in furious mourning. Poppy is heartbroken. Cass has never felt more homesick. And Marya knows something the rest of them don’t. Determined to find Sofia’s murderer, they share more than a need to see justice done for their friend. Each woman is haunted, bound to the next by something both cruel and kind, and now stalked by a shadowy presence they’ve yet to understand. Only to question, and to fear. As Sofia’s secrets unravel, so do those of the woods, and the women soon realize that Sofia might not be who they thought she was at all. And that whoever—or whatever—killed her is coming after them.Trade Review“With stunning prose, Pearson draws readers into the lives of her characters and weaves a horror-esque fantasy tale.” —Library Journal “The two story lines wind and twist and eventually connect in this leisurely paced, lyrically written paean to the power of friendship and chosen family.” —Booklist “We Ate the Dark is a gripping tale of friendship and grief and the real and imagined ghosts from the past that come to haunt us. Deliciously queer and wildly Southern, this book had me turning pages fast, lost in its poetic language, immersed in the lush landscape, holding my breath in anticipation. Mallory Pearson has written a stunning debut filled with sentences that continued to surprise me with their beauty and generosity until the very last page.” —Genevieve Hudson, author of Boys of Alabama and Pretend We Live Here “Written with gorgeous, hypnotic prose, We Ate the Dark is a piece of uncategorizable beauty and a masterclass in suspense: a ghost story inside a mystery inside a story of queer love, friendship, and family. Pearson has added to the queer horror canon with a deeply felt, deeply human masterpiece about grief, magic, connection, and all the things that keep us coming back to one another. Spooky, tender, and heartbreaking, it’ll have you turning the pages like an incantation.” —Marisa Crane, author of I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself

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Book SynopsisIs it harder to keep a secret when the world is watching – or to tell the truth when no-one is listening? Belle Simon was just 12 years old when she was one of six girls plucked from obscurity to star in reality TV sensation The Real Deal. Under the wing of dazzling star Donna Mayfair, she and the other five girls were meant to become world-famous actresses, singers and dancers. But at 26, Belle is trying to live anonymously, away from being loved or loathed. The public eye has never fully shut, however, and when a producer offers Belle a big paycheck to join a reunion special for The Real Deal, she finds it hard to say no. If people are going to talk about that shocking final episode anyway, maybe this is an unexpected opportunity. Everyone watching thinks they know what happened, but only Belle knows what really occurred away from the cameras and outside the editing room. Is she ready to go back and confront her past? And will anyone believe her if she reveals the truth?

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Book SynopsisLa Bouillie de la Comtesse Berthe est un conte du petit peuple écrit par Alexandre Dumas, le célèbre auteur des Trois Mousquetaires et du Comte de Monte-Cristo. Sur les rives du Rhin médiéval, vivait jadis une femme au grand coeur, charitable, une personne aimable, compatissante, déterminée et noble : la comtesse Berthe. Celle-ci instaura une tradition plutôt inhabituelle, une fête annuelle qui devait se tenir le premier mai de chaque année, la bouillie de la comtesse Berthe. " Je dois d'abord vous dire qu'il y avait autrefois en Allemagne une race de bons petits esprits, malheureusement disparus depuis, dont le plus grand mesurait à peine six pouces. On les appelait les Cobolds. " La Bouillie de la Comtesse Berthe est une perle rare du passé remise au goût du jour par cette nouvelle édition dans l'intérêt mais aussi pour l'amusement des lecteurs, petits et grands, où qu'ils se trouvent sur la planète Terre.

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Book SynopsisAfter a hunting trip one fall, a family in the far reaches of so-called Canada's north return to nothing but an empty space where their home once stood. Finding themselves suddenly homeless, they have no choice but to assimilate into settler-colonial society in a mining town that has encroached on their freedom.An intergenerational coming-of-age novel, This House Is Not a Home follows K????, a Dene man who grew up entirely on the land before being taken to residential school. When he finally returns home, he struggles to connect with his family: his younger brother whom he has never met, his mother because he has lost his language, and an absent father whose disappearance he is too afraid to question.The third book from acclaimed Dene, Cree and Metis writer Katłįà, This House Is Not a Home is a fictional story based on true events. Visceral and embodied, heartbreaking and spirited, this book presents a clear trajectory of how settlers dispossessed Indigenous Peoples of their land - and how Indigenous communities, with dignity and resilience, continue to live and honour their culture, values, inherent knowledge systems, and Indigenous rights towards re-establishing sovereignty. Fierce and unflinching, this story is a call for land back.

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Book Synopsis'Tender, beautiful and bold. A very special novel.' LIZZIE HUXLEY-JONES, author of Make You Mine This Christmas'Fun, fresh and clever . . . a huge treat for all fans of Jane Eyre.' KATIE LUMSDEN, author of The Secrets of Hartwood Hall'A sublime and tenderly written novel.' BEA FITZGERALD, author of Girl, Goddess, QueenAll Brontë Ellis has ever known is life at St. Mary's all-boys boarding school, where he lingered first as a student and then as a teaching assistant. So when a chance to forge a new life in Cambridge presents itself, he seizes it with both hands. Arriving at Greenwood Manor as the new live-in tutor, Bron finds himself welcomed by all - the gregarious Mr Edwards, his precocious pupil Ada . . . except for Darcy, the elusive and tempestuous eldest son. Despite the rumours about him, Bron cannot help feeling drawn to the one person who seems determined to avoid him.When tragedy strikes the house, Bron begins to sense dark secrets smouldering beneath Greenwood Manor's surface. Soon he's not sure what to believe, or whether he even has a future at Greenwood. Only Darcy holds the key, if he can be persuaded to reveal his heart to Bron . . .'A love letter to the period drama, and one I could not put down.' WILLIAM HUSSEY, author of Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts'Clever and beautifully written, I loved this.' EMMA CARROLL, author of The Week at World's EndTrade ReviewTender, beautiful and bold. A deeply nostalgic modern classic with a bibliophile, genderqueer Jane Eyre protagonist. Brilliant queer anachronism and deep longing blended with Castle's prose and storytelling prowess make for a very special novel. * Lizzie Huxley-Jones, author of Make You Mine This Christmas *Fun, fresh and clever. A fantastic coming of age story, and a huge treat for all fans of Jane Eyre. * Katie Lumsden, author of The Secrets of Hartwood Hall *A love letter to the period drama, and one I could not put down. * William Hussey, author of Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts *The Manor House Governess is a sublime and tenderly written novel that is at once an interrogation of and love letter to the literary classics. I am so happy this book exists. * Bea Fitzgerald, author of Girl, Goddess, Queen *A brilliantly queer take on the Victorian governess archetype. Conceptually clever & beautifully written, I loved this homage to Jane Eyre & Jane Austen. * Emma Carroll, author of The Week at World's End *In turns spooky, funny, and romantic, C. A. Castle's debut novel is sure to be a hit with readers across genres and generations. * Mackenzi Lee, Stonewall Honor and New York Times-bestselling author of The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue *C.A. Castle's The Manor House Governess weaves past and present together to create a queer story of love and intrigue that feels thrillingly new and boldly relevant. * Abdi Nazemian, author of Stonewall Honor book Like a Love Story and Only This Beautiful Moment *Atmospheric and emotional, this is a mystery that feels at once timeless and totally modern. This slow-burner will keep you guessing until the final pages. An assured debut. * Justin Myers, author of The Last Romeo, The Fake-Up and The Magnificent Sons *Brimming with lush prose and multi-dimensional characters, The Manor House Governess is a reimagining unlike any other. A modern classic about identity, love, and boldly walking one's own path. * Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care *

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Book Synopsis'This wove a spell on me' – Marian Keyes 'F***ing brilliant' – Daisy May Cooper ___________Meet Gosia.She's a sensitive soul with a filthy mind and problems with intimacy.Between shifts in a well-lit budget supermarket and nights in a badly lit Zone 3 flatshare, she spends hours inside her own head. That is, until a chance encounter snaps her out of her reverie.Propelled into a series of mediocre jobs, lousy dates and even worse sex, the prickly yet warm-hearted Gosia begins her excavation of the 'perfect' life so many dream of.After all, could there be more to it than she imagined?Raw, funny, mean and moving, Odd Hours is a razor-sharp social comedy about human connection, unexpected happiness, and the many forms of love. ___________'A hymn to normality and an absolute joy to read' – Sarah May 'Compelling, surprising, funny' – Kate Sawyer 'Bas writes so well about that state of being young and trying so hard to make connections' – Marianne Levy 'Dark, sharply funny and utterly rewarding ... Reminded me of the brilliant books by Kirsty Capes ... Highly recommended' – Liz HyderTrade Review'Dark, sharply funny and utterly rewarding ... Reminded me of the brilliant books by Kirsty Capes ... Highly recommended' -- Liz Hyder'This enigmatic and idiosyncratic gem is eccentric, quirky and utterly original' -- Kevin O'Sullivan (Irish Examiner Book of 2022)'Bas writes so well about that state of being young and trying so hard to make connections' -- Marianne Levy'Odd Hours is a brilliant satire on the struggles of life in the zero-hours sector ... An auspicious debut' -- Paul Mendez

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Book Synopsis'A legendary writer entirely on his own account' Observer 'Stunningly good' Guardian Gloria Goltz's intellectual ambitions are derailed when she meets Leonard at college. Self-taught, blue-collar, possessor of an aggressive intelligence, Leonard claims to hold the key to unlocking her potential. After making her pregnant, he disappears. Her son Corey grows up without a father, looking for a male role model ­- and restless, dreaming of a great adventure. Instead, when Corey is fifteen, Gloria is diagnosed with motor neuron disease, and his estranged father - this man of domineering charisma and dubious moral character - returns. Determined to be his mother's hero at any cost, Corey begins shouldering responsibility for her expensive medical care, pushing himself to his physical and emotional limits as her disease progresses. And as Leonard's influence over son and mother grows, Corey must dismantle the myth of his father's genius and confront the evil that lurks beneath it. Atticus Lish won a Pen/Faulkner award for his debut Preparation for the Next Life, a novel 'described as the finest and most unsentimental love story of the new decade' in The New York Times. His second novel confirms Lish as a beguiling storyteller and a prose stylist of extraordinary emotional reach and beauty.Trade ReviewLike an American cousin of Shuggie Bain ... Heavyweight prose and highminded commitment * Daily Mail *Stunningly good * Guardian *Visceral and Ingenious * Financial Times *Lish keeps you nothing but rapt by his last-gasp gear change... in years to come he'll be spoken of as a legendary writer entirely on his own account. * Observer *Praise for Preparation for the Next Life -- :A stunning, brilliant novel ... Every word, every encounter, rings true -- 'Pick of the Week' * Observer *Extraordinary ... "Make it new" was Ezra Pound's exhortation ... Lish does exactly that ... astonishing ... nothing less than a triumph, worthy of every heroic adjective a critic could throw. It is a reminder, plain and simple, of what fiction is for * FT *Impressive ... Charged with breathless momentum ... substantial and beguiling * Guardian *A complex exploration of masculinity, veering from the fierce, destructive aggression of Corey's encounters with his father to the tender, attentive dedication he displays toward his mother. Lish writes with unhurried precision, avoiding sentimentality yet generating enormous emotional resonance -- New YorkerThis behemoth of a novel packs an emotional punch that will send you reeling...a disturbing and compelling picture of lives in the margins * Mail on Sunday *Into the field of post-9/11 literature wades America's latest literary darling, Atticus Lish...Lish was awarded the PEN/Faulkner award for this book. Those who have read it will agree with the decision * The Times *Extraordinarily powerful ... Lish's remarkable debut fuses raw realism with narrative poetry to memorable effect * Sunday Times *Devastatingly good. My heart was a different size by the time I finished: swollen from the terrible beating it took, but also, I think, permanently augmented -- Ned Beauman, author of The Teleportation AccidentMagnificent ... one of the best recent novels I have read about work as it exists for millions of people ... attests to a more profound and intimate knowledge of how life functions on the margins * New Statesman *Punches its way, bare-knuckled, through every millennial New York novel centring around middle-class intellectual characters ... kicking typical tales of artsy, east-coast intelligentsia romance into a dumpster. But its real target, sought out with a heat-seeking precision, is far weightier, and that is America itself * Observer *Here is a raw first novel with a low center of gravity. Set in Queens, it dilates upon blinkered lives, scummy apartments, dismal food and bad options. At its heart is a love story between a Chinese immigrant and a veteran of the Iraq war. Mr. Lish's narrative is intense, moving and somehow necessary -- Dwight Garner, '2014 Books of the Year' * The New York Times *Astonishing, gorgeous ... It is hard to imagine a more daunting task for a novelist than to say something new about 9/11. Preparation for the Next Life is dizzying in its ambition and exhilarating in its triumph -- Clancy Martin * New York Review of Books *A stunning debut novel ... Lish's prose is at once raw and disciplined, and every word feels necessary * Publishers Weekly *A tour de force of urban naturalism ... a love story that's as bold and urgent as any you'll read this year -- Sam Sacks * Wall Street Journal *A significant contribution ... striking ... [Lish] isn't catching a mood but building a world ... we look to long novels for richness, not perfection, for power, not precision, so we should savour Lish's audacity and open heart, his refusal to coddle or console * Daily Telegraph *Lish's prose is superlucid, propulsive but always beautifully controlled, authoritative yet selfless, wrought with an exactitude that is the toughest but deepest kind of compassion a book can have -- Colin BarrettA remarkable portrait of a sensitive boy forced into a life of hardness and violence . . . a superbly original talent -- Wall Street JournalWhat a strange genius, this author, of a novel full of such tenderness and violence. The portrait is heartbreaking -- Christian Lorentzen * Harper's *

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Book SynopsisA brilliant psychological thriller by bestselling author J.A. Baker...After spending her childhood in care, Eva is desperate to find her birth parents and to get some closure on her difficult past. And so she finishes her relationship with boyfriend Gareth, leaves her home in London, and heads to Whitby in search of the family she has never known.But Eva’s close friend, Celia is worried. Eva has stopped answering her calls and when Celia travels to London to speak to her she realises Eva has moved without telling anyone. Both women have been badly damaged by their childhoods, and Celia makes the decision to follow Eva to Whitby, concerned that Eva is unravelling....Gareth, furious that Eva ended things the way she did also decides to go in search of his missing girlfriend. But it is the start of a lethal situation.But who exactly is Eva and why is Celia so concerned about her friend?Some relationships are toxic. Others are deadly.**Perfect for fans of Sue Watson, Valerie Keogh and K.L. Slater.What people are saying about J.A. Baker...**'Superbly written with a cast of crazy characters who will make you look differently at your co-workers from now on.’ Bestselling author Valerie Keogh'Fast-paced, riveting thriller. Gripped until the last page!' Bestselling author Diana Wilkinson'I read this story in a single day. Once you begin, it's difficult to put it down. 5 stars from me!' Bestselling author L.H. Stacey'A twisty, creepy story, expertly told. Perfect for reading on dark winter evenings…with the doors double-locked and bolted. Highly recommended!' Bestselling author Amanda JamesPlease note this book was previously published as Finding Eva

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Book SynopsisWhen Deshawn hears news of his uncle's death, his riotous big-city life in San Francisco is abruptly put on hold while he travels back to his Alabama hometown for the funeral. While there, he's hit by flashbacks of growing up queer and black in the '80s South, of a youth filled with strong women, bewildered boys, and messed up queers. Wading through prickly reminders of his childhood, of sweltering Sundays, church, family, and the men he once knew, Deshawn reconnects with his old self and the ghosts of his past. A raw, dirty, hilarious, and heart-breaking novel about the experiences that shape us, Since I Laid My Burden Down asks the intimate question: who deserves love?Trade Review"This is the book you fall asleep reading and wake up excited to get back to. A Cult Masterpiece with so many memorable characters and phrases you'll want to grab strangers and read paragraphs to them." - Kathleen Hanna "Brontez Purnell is foul-mouthed and evil. Be warned: this book will make you cackle out loud like you've got the Devil inside you then it will break your heart. Be careful where you read it. BUT DO READ IT." - Justin Vivian Bond "Since I Laid My Burden Down has a fearless (sometimes reckless) humor as Brontez Purnell interrogates what it means to be black, male, queer; a son, an uncle, a lover; Southern, punk, and human. An emotional tightrope walk of a book and an important American story rarely, if ever, told." - Michelle Tea, author of Black Wave "More layered insight than the page count should allow." --MTV News "A complex... look at one man's experience of being black, queer, smart, soft, tough, artistic, and constantly in motion between rural and urban cultures." - Kirkus Reviews "Performance artist Purnell beautifully captures a personality through introspection and memory in this slim novel. . . . a compelling portrait of a particular disaffected kind of gay youth caught between religion, culture, and desire." - Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEARA BBC TWO BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK 1628. Embarking on a journey in search of her father, a young girl called Mayken boards the Batavia, the most impressive sea vessel of the age. During the long voyage, this curious and resourceful child must find her place in the ship's busy world, and she soon uncovers shadowy secrets above and below deck. As tensions spiral, the fate of the ship and all on board becomes increasingly uncertain.1989. Gil, a boy mourning the death of his mother, is placed in the care of his irritable and reclusive grandfather. Their home is a shack on a tiny fishing island off the Australian coast, notable only for its reefs and wrecked boats. This is no place for a child struggling with a dark past and Gil's actions soon get him noticed by the wrong people.The Night Ship is an enthralling tale of human brutality, providence and friendship, and of two children, hundreds of years apart, whose fates are inextricably bound together.Trade ReviewLyrical, haunting, a beautiful and elegant fictional interpretation of history, I loved it -- KATE MOSSEMajestic . . . Kidd packs the story with superb characters, high emotion and drama . . . this gripping story ebbs and bobs with surprises from Kidd's sparkling imagination * * Independent * *The ambition and execution of [Jess Kidd's] new book The Night Ship is breathtaking! Sweet and grim, epic and domestic - I loved it . . . readers are in for a treat -- GRAHAM NORTON[A] consistently gripping and impressively constructed novel . . . Kidd builds an immersive visual and olfactory world of the 17th century ship . . . since her first novel Himself [Kidd] has displayed a voracious talent for storytelling . . . [a] marvellous, spirited novel * * Financial Times * *Jess Kidd's extraordinary evocation of a place gruesome with ghosts and the stranglehold of the past is nothing short of brilliant. I loved it -- HANNAH KENTGripping . . . The Night Ship is immersive, vivid and immediate, teeming with sensory detail that could only have come from extensive and diligent research and told in beautifully assured prose * * Irish Times * *Fabulous . . . Beautifully pitched, and told in the present tense, there's a wonderful immediacy to the children's stories as they cope with the harsh reality of their worlds but yearn for the magical and mystical, in this briny, beguiling book * * Daily Mail * *Kidd's writing is beautiful, a seemingly effortless layering of small details to create a vivid sense of place and geography . . . wonderful . . . memorable * * Sunday Independent * *I absolutely loved it . . . Fantastic -- STEPHEN MANGANCompelling . . . [Possesses] great energy and originality * * Sunday Times, Historical Fiction Book of the Month * *

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SHORTLISTED FOR 2003 THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE Shortlisted for the Dublin IMPAC Award 2003 'Dangor's writing, and the world he creates with it, exude a vibrant physicality... Dangor's vivid prose, narrative fluency and facility for literary experiment make Bitter Fruit a considerable achievement.'-- Shomit Dutta, Daily Telegraph The last time Silas Ali encountered the Lieutenant, Silas was locked in the back of a police van and the Lieutenant was conducting a vicious assault on Lydia, his wife.When Silas sees him again, by chance, twenty years later, crimes from the past erupt into the present, splintering the Ali's fragile family life. Bitter Fruitis the story of Silas and Lydia, their parents, friends and colleagues, as their lives take off in unexpected directions and relationships fracture under the weight of history.It is also the story of their son Mickey, a student and sexual adventurer, with an enquiring mind and a strong will.An unforgettably fine novel about a brittle family in a dysfunctional society.

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Book SynopsisA Radio 4 Book at Bedtime'The hottest young writer in US fiction' -- GuardianWhen Clarissa Iverton was fourteen years old, her mother disappeared leaving Clarissa to be raised by her father. Upon his death, Clarissa, now twenty-eight, discovers he wasn't her father at all. Abandoning her fiancé, Clarissa travels from New York to Helsinki, and then north of the Arctic Circle - to Lapland. There, under the northern lights, Clarissa not only unearths her family's secrets, but also the truth about herself.Trade ReviewVida's prose has the purity of the Lapland winter that it describes... the writing possesses the clarity of church bells or winter light. -- Neel Mukherjee * The Times *Beautifully written... The writing is deceptively light: you can skip through it, happily enjoying its spare, humorous style, but there are subtleties that call for slow reading... then the book really takes off, growing darker and deeper. -- Jonathan Gibbs * Daily Telegraph *Graceful and inventive. -- Peter Carty * Independent *The whole book [has] peculiarly biting charm, a narrative that manages to be both eerily surreal and fundamentally credible. -- Madison Smartt Bell * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisBasil and Josephine charts the coming of age of two privileged youths from quiet Midwestern towns, Basil Duke Lee and Josephine Perry - based on Fitzgerald himself and a combination of his first love Ginevra King and his wife Zelda. As one struggles to gain the acceptance of his peers and becomes consumed by ambition, the other finds herself obsessed by teenage crushes and has to confront the pitfalls of popularity. Written for the Saturday Evening Post while the author was working on Tender Is the Night, these stories form a realistic and entertaining portrait of two young adults in the 1910s, fascinating both for the autobiographical insights they provide and the timeless satire that Fitzgerald's fiction has become synonymous with.Trade ReviewHe was better than he knew, for in fact and in the literary sense he invented a generation. * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisThe story of young Henry, who struggles to fulfil his ambitions to become a successful painter and is torn between the gentle Anna and the proud and sensual Judith, is one of the most outstanding and personal Bildungsroman writ¬ten in the German language. Composed between 1846 and 1855, Keller’s poetic, semi-autobiographical novel draws on the author’s own youth, artistic studies and development as a man, as well as providing a comprehensive portrait of his country and his times. Green Henry is one of the most important novels in European literature, and undoubtedly the greatest work of fiction by a Swiss writer.

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Book SynopsisA pair of novellas, set over two pivotal summers in the lives of two young men from Belfast, recall the constraints of the place where they were born and the times in which they are living. Summer on the RoadIt's 1980 and in the last summer before his A levels Mark lands a job he didn't even know he had applied for, sweeping streets for Belfast City Council. Called binman' by his schoolfriends, snooty' by his workmates, he can't imagine anything less like a holiday. Day by day, though, navigating bomb scares, punishing hangovers, broken television sets and a loving but chaotic home life, he begins to glimpse a path all his own, even if he can't see yet where exactly it is going to lead. Last Summer of the Shangri-LasThree years earlier Gem has driven his mother to the brink. She packs him off to stay with his aunt in New York during the infernal heat of the summer of 1977. It's the summer too of disco, of punk, the summer of Sam, and Elvis dead on the bathroom floor. For Gem though it will forever after be the summer he met Vivien as rooted in the city as he is adrift; the summer he stumbled on Mary, Liz and Margie, three-quarters of the greatest New York group of all (and they'd fight anyone who said otherwise); the summer he learned how to go home. Capturing the innocence of adolescent boys, their passion, confusion and yearning, Two Summers is for anyone who has ever been young.

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Book SynopsisThe bestselling debut novel from YouTube sensation Oli WhiteTrade ReviewLove, family, cyberbullying, and illness...amazing...may remind readers of novels by John Green * Orlando Sentinel *Best New Book of July * B&N Teen Blog *Amazon reader reviews'This book is amazing! I couldn't put it down, I had to keep reading!''I love the book. Good job Oli'.'Really recommended 10/10''A really enjoyable read''Absolutely love this book' * : *

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Book SynopsisThe highly acclaimed novel and sequel to Temples of Delight by bestselling and much-loved novelist Barbara TrapidoTrade ReviewBarbara Trapido couldn’t write a boring sentence if she tried -- FAY WELDONRavishing * SUNDAY TIMES *A brilliant book -- MARY WESLEY * DAILY MAIL *She wraps up all the golden threads with dazzling wit ... Think Measure for Measure here and a touch of The Tempest there ... Trapido's pen drips with sensuousness and sexuality * THE TIMES *She is simply dynamite … There are no apparent bounds to Trapido’s skill, her inventiveness and her knowledge of the endlessly surprising and devious ways in which people deal with each other -- PHILIP HENSHER * GUARDIAN *Juggling by Barbara Trapido is, I think, already well known but it should be even more so. It has the best piece of Shakespeare criticism in it I’ve ever read -- KATHERINE RUNDELL * GUARDIAN *A joy to read … Supremely skilful * OBSERVER *A work of enormous charm, highly entertaining and told with a deft touch, which handles serious matters lightly and treats light ones with proper respect * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *A brilliant performance; it is also a magically enjoyable book to read … she understand her characters and cares about them and makes you care too * SPECTATOR *She weaves a cat’s cradle of wit and erudition around her high-stepping characters, take breath-taking risks and triumphs against all the odds * INDEPENDENT *A brilliant performance … A magically enjoyable book * SPECTATOR *

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Book SynopsisA hilarious tale of divorce and dating from the No.1 bestselling author of The Christmas Invitation. Perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Carole Matthews First comes marriage. Then comes divorce. Then it’s every woman for herself… When Charlie’s husband Matt tells her that he wants a divorce she has to start from scratch. Suddenly single, broke and approaching forty, she is forced to return to her childhood home in the Yorkshire moors. Living with her father and eccentric siblings could be considered a challenge, but soon Charlie finds her new life somewhat refreshing. Now that she’s single she’s got no need to dye her roots nor to be the perfect wife and she can return to her first love – painting. But just as she begins to feel settled, handsome, bad-tempered actor Mace North moves in down the road and starts mixing things up for Charlie in more ways than one… Praise for Trisha Ashley: ‘One of the best writers around!’ Katie Fforde ‘Full of down-to-earth humour’ Sophie Kinsella ‘A warm-hearted and comforting read. Trisha at her best’ Carole Matthews ‘An absolute delight. Every Woman for Herself is a laugh-out-loud read that leaves you feeling pleased with the world’ Take a BreakTrade ReviewPraise for Trisha Ashley: ‘One of the best writers around!’ Katie Fforde ‘Full of down-to-earth humour’ Sophie Kinsella ‘A warm-hearted and comforting read. Trisha at her best’ Carole Matthews

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Book Synopsis1880s Sudan. When Akuany and her brother are orphaned in a village raid, they are taken in by Yaseen, a young merchant whose vow to care for them will tether him to Akuany throughout their lives. As revolution brews, Sudan begins to prise itself from its Ottoman rulers, and everyone must choose sides.Yaseen feels beholden to stand against the self-proclaimed Mahdi, a decision that threatens to splinter his family. Meanwhile, Akuany grows into womanhood and travels alone across the fractured country, sold and traded from house to house, with only Yaseen as her intermittent lifeline. Their struggle will mirror the increasingly bloody struggle for Sudan itself: for freedom, safety and the possibility of love.River Spirit is a powerful tale of corruption and unshakeable devotion to a cause, to one's faith and to the people who become family.Trade Review‘A novel of extraordinary sympathy and insight … a wonderful achievement.’ Abdulrazak Gurnah, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 'River Spirit had me gripped from the first page. This is real history, imagined in splendid detail – a story of ordinary people caught in extraordinary times. River Spirit is a triumph of storytelling.’ Aminatta Forna ‘Aboulela’s writing soars. She joins writers like Maaza Mengiste, Namwali Serpell and Ayesha Haruna Atta in excavating history, breathing life into it and presenting it in a new light. It is so far my best read this year.’ Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi ‘In rich, evocative detail, Aboulela captures one of the most important moments in Sudanese history. You must read this.’ Dolen Perkins-Valdez ‘Leila Aboulela weaves together strands of Sudan’s history in this fascinating and unforgettable tale. Aboulela uses elegant and poetic prose to create a masterpiece. This is a story that demands to be read.’ Goretti Kyomuhendo ‘Painted with the words of an artist, this novel is a historical portrait of freedom. Aboulela skilfully draws the uncertain colours of what freedom means to different individuals in a Mahdist Sudan to the last full stop.' Zukiswa WannerCaptivating … Through a compelling chorus of voices … Aboulela unspools the fraught story of Sudan, as freedom and faith do battle.' * Daily Mail *‘Dazzling … A love story that endures’ * New York Times *

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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 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 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 SynopsisA brilliant and thought-provoking novel about family, loyalty and betrayalOnce I'd been Daddy's favourite. Before something terrible happened.Violet Rue is the baby of the seven Kerrigan children and adores her big brothers. What's more, she knows that a family protects its own. To go outside the family to betray the family is unforgiveable. So when she overhears a conversation not meant for her ears and discovers that her brothers have committed a heinous crime, she is torn between her loyalty to her family and her sense of justice. The decision she takes will change her life for ever.Exploring racism, misogyny, community, family, loyalty, sexuality and identity, this is a dark story with a tense and propulsive atmosphere Joyce Carol Oates at her very best.Trade Review‘Simply the most consistently inventive, brilliant, curious and creative writer going’ Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl 'I stand in awe before such an unresting hunger for the literary endeavour' Rose Tremain ‘My Life as a Rat is Oates at her best – a powerful, uncompromising story that explores racism, misogyny and recent American history’ Kate Saunders, The Times ‘Sexism, rape, racism. Murder, sadism – fans will savour this stew of typical Oatsian nasties, in which 12-year old Violet is cruelly exiled from her family … the odyssey her psyche endures is served well by Oates’s juttery, rough-edged prose’ Mail on Sunday ‘Oates’s novel adroitly touches on race, loyalty, misogyny, and class inequality while also telling a moving story with a winning narrator. This book should please her fans and win her new ones’ Publishers Weekly ‘Oates’s prose contains a deep-felt rawness which hovers between hope, despair and love’ Guardian

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Book Synopsis“Amy Lea’s Woke Up Like This reminded me that the exciting and complicated feelings of our teenage years never truly fade away. The book perfectly captures high school nostalgia . . . It’s a feel-good story for the young and young at heart.” —Mindy Kaling For two high school seniors, it’s seventeen going on thirty—overnight—in a magical romantic comedy about growing up too fast and living in the moment. Planning the perfect prom is one last “to do” on ultra-organized Charlotte Wu’s high school bucket list. So far, so good, if not for a decorating accident that sends Charlotte crash-landing off a ladder, face-first into her obnoxiously ripped archnemesis J. T. Renner. Worse? When Charlotte wakes up, she finds herself in an unfamiliar bed at thirty years old, with her bearded fiancé, Renner, by her side. Either they’ve lost their minds or they’ve been drop-kicked into adulthood, forever trapped in the thirty-year-old bodies of their future selves. With each other as their only constant, Charlotte and Renner discover all that’s changed in the time they’ve missed. Charlotte also learns there’s more to Renner than irritating-jock charm, and that reaching the next milestone isn’t as important as what happens in between. Navigating a series of adventures and a confounding new normal, Charlotte and Renner will do whatever it takes to find a way back to seventeen. But when—and if—they do, what then?Trade Review“Lea creates a story that is part 13 Going on 30, part To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (both referenced in the pop-culture savvy text), and 100% swoony fun… A fun, nostalgic story that’s perfect for anyone who wants to take a trip down Memory Lane.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Lea has a sure hand with the slow-burning enemies-to-lovers relationship between her leads, making their path toward each other both entertaining and endearing. Romance fans will eat this up.” —Publishers Weekly “A fun, easily sharable, widely appealing romance that will have a big audience…” —Booklist “Amy Lea’s Woke Up Like This reminded me that the exciting and complicated feelings of our teenage years never truly fade away. The book perfectly captures high school nostalgia…It’s a feel-good story for the young and young at heart.” —Mindy Kaling “Woke Up Like This is witty, earnest, charming, and intensely seventeen. It perfectly captures the highs and lows of being on the brink of big life changes and the thrill of first love (and first hate).” —Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis “Woke Up Like This charmed me from page one and I never wanted it to end! Perfect for fans of Kasie West and Jenny Han, this book is guaranteed to suck you in and force you to read it in one sitting. Ten out of ten would recommend!” —Lynn Painter, New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a work essential to a complete understanding of the Modernist movement. The Norton Critical Edition presents Joyce’s novel impeccably edited by Hans Walter Gabler and a series of background and critical essays astutely chosen by John Paul Riquelme. It will enhance any high school, college, or graduate course in which it is taught." -- Michael Patrick Gillespie, Florida International University

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip.'An orphan destined for a life of misery and poverty, Pip does not have much in the way of expectations. Only when he begins to visit a rich old woman, Miss Havisham, does he begin to hope for better. When Pip discovers that he has inherited a large sum of money on the condition that he move to London to live the life of a gentleman, Pip takes his chance to leave behind the world he knows and embark upon a new adventure.An illuminating tale of intrigue, fortune and unattainable love, Great Expectations has a cast of memorable characters, and is one of Dickens' most enduring and popular novels.

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Book SynopsisHow can you forge your own path in times of war, uncertainty and hardship?Meg longs for marriage; Amy wants to be a painter; Beth is content to stay at home; while Jo wants adventure and a life without limits. Four decidedly different sisters, growing up during the American Civil War, each facing their own unique challenge.Little Women tells the story of the March sisters. Through parties, travel, illness, arguments, dinners, love affairs and ice skating escapades, we follow these unforgettable women as they come of age.First published over 150 years ago, Little Women is a quintessential American classic which has become a stage and screen favourite ever since, capturing the hearts of millions of readers across the world.

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Book SynopsisCecilia Knapp is a great writer. I love her' KAE TEMPESTUnmissable' STYLISTA really gripping read' TIMES RADIOLittle Boxes is a powerful, vivid and enchanting debut' SALENA GODDENCecilia Knapp is a rare, rare talent. The sort of writer you get excited to have found and then look forward to devouring more of their work. This book in particular is a work of craft, heart and beauty and I envy new readers their first opportunity to meet these characters and spend time in this world' KERRY HUDSONStunning Knapp, a spectacularly talented writer, observes her characters past and present, their inside and out, in forensic detail' DAILY MAILA story of sacrifice, violence and growing up different told against the heat and claustrophobia of a seaside city in summer.After Matthew's grandfather dies suddenly, four friends struggle to face the trauma of their pasts in the wake of this fresh tragedy. Leah and Jay, a couple since their school days, find their relationship tested, while Nathan deals wiTrade Review‘Cecilia Knapp is a great writer. I love her’ Kae Tempest ‘Cecilia Knapp is a rare, rare talent. The sort of writer you get excited to have found and then look forward to devouring more of their work. This book in particular is a work of craft, heart and beauty and I envy new readers their first opportunity to meet these characters and spend time in this world’ Kerry Hudson ‘Little Boxes is a powerful, vivid and enchanting debut’ Salena Godden ‘Unmissable’ Stylist

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Book SynopsisOne of the most exciting writers working in Ireland today' SALLY ROONEY, author of Normal PeopleTerrific' RODDY DOYLE, author of LoveTruly brilliant' MEGAN NOLAN, author of Acts of DesperationOn an island off Ireland's west coast strange things are afoot: two teenage boys set fires while their worlds fall apart, a couple drive out to the hills in a last-ditch effort to save their marriage, a widow seeks a stranger's help to bury her grief and a horse crashes a house party. Adrift in the treacherous waters of small-town boredom, the residents reach out with love and cruelty, desperation and hope, in their pursuit of connection.Pure Gold is a bitterly funny, surprising and profoundly moving short story collection that crackles with the thrilling energy of a bold new literary voice, John Patrick McHugh.Full of stylish brio' Colin Barrett, author of Young SkinsHilarious, shocking, and disturbingly well-observed' Vanity FairSearing John Patrick McHugh joins an illustrious generation of talTrade Review‘This astonishing collection of stories draws the reader into a world at once familiar and deliciously strange … John Patrick McHugh is one of the most exciting writers working in Ireland today’ Sally Rooney, author of Normal People ‘A remarkable, rare and truly brilliant collection’ Megan Nolan, author of Acts of Desperation ‘Ireland produces writers the way some countries produce footballers, and the latest is John Patrick McHugh’ Sunday Times ‘This is a terrific collection. The stories are dark, funny, honest and engrossing’ Roddy Doyle, author of Love ‘Refreshing and ambitious … stories full of heart and balls and mischief’ Lisa McInerney, author of The Blood Miracles ‘McHugh’s stories are full of stylish brio, headlong with energy, and pulse with real feeling and depth. He is a young writer forging a fresh and intense new path through the landscape of Irish letters’ Colin Barrett, author of Young Skins ‘McHugh writes very tenderly about people, and very vibrantly about place. Pure Gold describes the dull lives of a splendid island, in prose that is always splendid and never dull’ Sara Baume, author of A Line Made By Walking ‘Sharp, savage, feral stories. Pure Gold is utterly engrossing and unafraid. From the broken world of masculinity and prejudice, John Patrick McHugh has wrought a precious, beautiful alchemy’ Sean Hewitt, author of Tongues of Fire ‘Emotionally intelligent and savagely funny … Pure Gold is a striking literary debut’ Nicole Flattery, author of Show Them A Good Time ‘John Patrick McHugh is a wildly ambitious craftsman, and such a thrilling writer of sentences’ Danny Denton, author of The Earlie King & the Kid in Yellow

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Book SynopsisFrom the internationally bestselling author of The Secret Orphan comes her brand new unputdownable historical fiction novel!A journey into war, but not one she'll take aloneOrphan Kitty Pattison is young, naïve and ready to do her bit for the war effort when she volunteers with the Red Cross and pledges to help those most in need. It's one of the most nerve-wracking moments of her life, but then she meets fellow volunteers Joan Norfolk and Trixie Dunn, and a bond of friendship is forged in the fire of life on the wards during the Blitz.Days are spent nursing injured soldiers back to life and nights are spent anticipating bombs falling from the sky and then trawling through the wreckage to save who she can, but the light and laughter she finds with Jo and Trix see Kitty through the darkest hours.And when Kitty starts growing closer to handsome Canadian doctor Michael McCarthy, it's her friends who help her to find the courage to realise that no matter what has happened or what is to comTrade ReviewReaders LOVE The Secret Orphan: ‘Keeps you wanting to read into the small hours’ Lisa, Goodreads ‘The best and most beautiful book I've read in a long time’ Brid, Netgalley ‘Simply amazing’ Rikki-Doodlebug's Book Reviews ‘Captivated from beginning to end’ Jessyca, Goodreads ‘A gripping, page turner set in WWI … Loved it’ Amanda, Netgalley ‘A real page turner … You will find yourself in England during the war with a story that will stay with you’ Lou, Goodreads ‘A stunning novel and one that should be recommended’ Postcard Reviews ‘A must read for WWII historical fiction fans’ Lizbeth, Goodreads ‘One of my new favourite novels … I love everything about this story’ Ashley Murphy Reads ‘The depiction of wartime life in the Coventry bombings and on a Cornish farm were realistic and compelling’ Vivien Brown ‘A story that I will remember for a long time to come’ Shirley, Goodreads Reviewer ‘Loved every minute of this hard to put down book … highly recommend putting this on your reading list – especially if you love historical fiction and WWII’ Roxane, Goodreads ‘A must-read for anyone who loves historical fiction (especially World War II fiction) or romance’ Kindred Connection Reviews

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Book Synopsis?A powerful story of family and connection that is just as fun as it is heartbreaking. I didn?t want the story to end.??Jill Santopolo,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Light We LostandEverything AfterFollowing her acclaimed debut novel, You and Me and Us, Alison Hammer offers a deeply moving story of family and identity. When a DNA test reveals a long-buried secret, a woman must look to the past to understand her mother and herself.When Paige Meyer gets an email from a DNA testing website announcing that her father is a man she never met, she is convinced there must be a mistake. But as she digs deeper into her mother?s past and her own feelings of being the odd child out growing up, Paige begins to question everything she thought she knew. Could this be why Paige never felt like she fit in her family, and why her mother always seemed to keep her at an arm?s length? And what does it mean for Paige?s memories of her father, a man she idolized and whose death she is still grieving? Back in 1975, Betsy Kaplan, Paige?s mom, is a straightlaced sophomore at the University of Kansas. When her sweet but boring boyfriend disappoints her, Betsy decides she wants more out of life, and is tired of playing it safe. Enter Andy Abrams, the golden boy on campus with a potentially devastating secret. After their night together has unexpected consequences, Betsy is determined to bury the truth and rebuild a stable life for her unborn child, whatever the cost. When Paige can?t get answers from her mother, she goes looking for the only other person who was there that night. The more she learns about what happened, the more she sees her unflappable, distant mother as a real person faced with an impossible choice. But will it be enough to mend their broken relationship? Told in dual timelines, Little Pieces of Me examines identity and how the way we define ourselves changes (or not) through our life experiences.Trade Review“A powerful story of family and connection that is just as fun as it is heartbreaking. I didn’t want the story to end.” — Jill Santopolo, New York Times bestselling author of The Light We Lost and Everything After "Kudos to Alison Hammer! LITTLE PIECES OF ME is a lovingly crafted modern family saga spanning decades and circumstances. It illuminates the question of family in a timely and thoughtful manner that’s perfect for book clubs. The intense and heartfelt story will make you think hard and hug your loved ones harder." — Amy Sue Nathan, bestselling author of The Last Bathing Beauty "Hammer’s second novel (after You and Me and Us) explores the true meaning of family in a timely, thought-provoking story of identity and self-discovery." — Library Journal (starred review) "A gorgeous, heartbreaking-yet-hopeful story about identity, truth, and most importantly, that tender—and sometimes tense—tightrope that connects mothers and daughters. Alison Hammer has that rare gift of writing true-to-life characters that feel like good friends, and I can't wait to see what she writes next." — Colleen Oakley, USA Today bestselling author of You Were There Too Hammer’s latest, Little Pieces of Me, an intricately woven tale told from a mother and her daughter’s perspective of their family’s hidden secrets. Hammer delves in deep, examining how we define ourselves – and how far we would go to learn untold truths. Readers will relish the complex characters and the captivating plot. Most of all, the powerful emotional tension is guaranteed to keep you turning pages well past your bed-time. — Lisa Barr, award-winning author of The Unbreakables "In Little Pieces of Me, Hammer expertly weaves past and present, capturing the threads that bind one family. A story of hidden truths, identity, and parent-child relationships, readers will be drawn to these memorable characters and their journey toward understanding. Be prepared to laugh and cry along the way. Brava, Alison Hammer for another fabulous read." — Rochelle Weinstein, USA Today Bestselling Author

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Book SynopsisIt is there, in a foreign city, under strained circumstances, that they will get to know each other and connect for the first time.A beautiful, gritty, and charming port city where French old-world charm meets modern bohemia, father and son stroll the streets sharing strained small talk.Trade Review"Reading this wondrous book is like wandering the streets of a bewitching foreign city, highly attuned to its pleasures and tensions, thrilled by its freedom and possibility. I was deeply moved by its tenderness, its honesty, and, most of all, by the unlikely journey father and son take to discover each other as if for the first time. Carofiglio is a master of voice and atmosphere, which gives this elegiac novel its satisfying and emotional punch." — Christopher Castellani, author of Leading Men “[A] poignant and moving father/son story…. Antonio’s catalog of intimate experiences, whether painful, pleasurable, or bittersweet, make for an enchanting coming-of-age tale.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Their primary task is simple: Don’t fall asleep. Instead they walk and they talk—about love, about mathematics (Dad’s specialty), about food, about philosophy, about life.... subtle precision informs every page, as does a deceptive simplicity laden with all that happens when you’re not paying attention....The title comes from a quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald: 'In a real dark night of the soul it is always three o’clock in the morning.' Here those dark nights arrive with shimmering, unforced beauty, filling the pages with jagged moonlight like the finest neorealist film. A journey by foot: crisp, lean, yet quietly mournful." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Antonio tells the story in his own unadorned first-person voice from his perspective as a 51-year-old adult, a fact that adds wisdom to this absorbing novel of filial bonding.” — Booklist "A compelling, compact story...Gianrico Carofiglio’s Three O’Clock in the Morning is profound in its simple delivery." — New York Journal of Books "This offbeat, nostalgic work reminds us of the things that are most important in life." — BookBrowser “This is a wonderful book.” — Antonio D’Orrico, La Lettura “A coming-of-age journey that is as rational as it is touching, and that builds up some crucial symbolisms in the reflections of a beautiful dryness.” — Leonetta Bentivoglio, la Repubblica “It’s not a crime story but the suspense is still there, in Gianrico Carofiglio’s coming-of-age novel.” — Alberto Riva, il Venerdì di Repubblica “One of those novels for which you feel sorry in the last pages, when reading slows down to ward off the final word.” — Il fatto quotidiano "Three O’Clock in the Morning is a tender, heady and heartwarming tale where the strained conversation of a father and son transforms into a lifetime bond." — Seattle Times

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Compulsive, propulsive, and every bit as juicy as its Instagram account." — Jenny Mollen, New York Times bestselling author of City of Likes "Dazzling, propulsive, and delightfully juicy, Anon Pls. is the digital age’s love letter to The Devil Wears Prada. Sexy, suspenseful, and so good you won’t want to put it down—not even to check on the latest stories in Deuxmoi’s feed. What an incredible debut." — Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners "A sharp page-turner that’s utterly of-the-moment but also a timeless story of love and self-discovery. Anon Pls is so much fun to read you won’t check your phone even once!" — Jamie Brenner, bestselling author of Blush and Gilt “Anon Pls. has better gossip than Gossip Girl. It's a wild romp through the assistant trenches, a glitzy peek at the lives of the rich and famous, and a page-turning tale about what happens when one impulsive decision spirals out of control.” — Hannah Orenstein, author of Meant to Be Mine "The novel does a good job of exploring the motivations and land mines that come with running an account as popular as Deuxmoi. While holding A-list celebrities accountable is fulfilling, it’s a great power that comes with great responsibility." — NPR, Books We Love “This new novel is a juicy rendering of the life of an assistant to a high-profile celeb stylist who decides to channel her workplace rage into something very closely resembling the real life Deuxmoi.” — The Hollywood Reporter "While we still don't know who the mysterious person behind it the iconic DexuMoi account is, we still can't help but get excited for this wild tale." — Cosmopolitan "A spectacularly spicy read." — Popsugar “From its creator comes a fun debut novel that promises to be… everything you might expect from DeuxMoi... Basically, if you love Gossip Girl, this one’s for you.” — Literary Hub “For deuxmoi fans, this novel will be a solid extension of the brand's coming-of-age story, and they'll especially enjoy the inside jokes and liberal quotes from the real-life account, which helps create the tantalizing-yet-relatable tone. For nonfans, this autofiction is reminiscent of other of-the-moment bad-boss books like Leigh Stein's Self Care. A candid, unexpected critique of celebrity, hanger-on, and enabler culture.” — Kirkus Reviews “Written by the brains behind the real @Deuxmoi, this roman à clef and debut novel has an addictive story and strong Devil Wears Prada (2003) vibes...Peppered with news clippings, Instagram posts, and a whole bunch of brand-name dropping, Anon Pls. will appeal to readers looking for a dishy, juicy ride.” — Booklist

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Book SynopsisCharting loss, love, and the difficult art of growing up, these stories unfurl with wicked humour and insight. a boy whose dreams foretell implacable tragedies is sent to 'Sleepaway Camp for Disordered Dreamers' (Cabin 1, Narcoleptics;Trade ReviewHer debut collection paints a refreshingly surreal vision of small-town life... Selected by Granta as one of America's best young novelists, Russell is an intuitive writer with a gift for arresting prose * Independent *An exuberant collection; each story bursts forth from the pages with a cacophony of imagery that sweeps up the reader * The Times *Outrageously imaginative and profoundly funny... surreal... impressive in many ways... Her imagination is agile, like the body of a champion gymnast, and she lets it dance... Does anyone over here write like this, with such freedom, such vivacity? A wild and brilliant first book * Irish Times *Arcane, magical tales of adolescent transformation... reminiscent of Angela Carter but wonderfully confident and refreshing in its own right * Guardian *Delights in the quirky...truly magical and creepy settings * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis''Stunningly sensual and visceral'' NEW YORK TIMES''Smart, beautiful . . . paints a lyrical picture'' STYLIST''Groff is a sensuous writer'' GUARDIANIn the fields of western New York State in the 1970s, on the grounds of a decaying mansion called Arcadia House, a few dozen idealists set out to live off the land. Abe and Hannah''s only child, Bit, is born into the commune soon after its creation. He grows up there, becoming deeply attached to its way of life and everyone within it, in particular the beautiful but troubled Helle. While the commune rises and falls, Bit, too, ages and changes. But when it''s time to find a way to live in the world beyond Arcadia, will he be able to let go of the past to forge a new start?''An exquisite tale of idealism and disintegration . . . Utterly absorbing'' MARIE CLAIRE''Intricately wrought . . . A powerful pean to the human desire to make the right sort of place live'' SUNTrade ReviewPowerful and affecting…Captures a five-year-old’s consciousness with rare, almost mystical intensity, this is a vivid, original and generous-hearted book. * Daily Mail *An exquisite tale of idealism and disintegration…Utterly absorbing. * Marie Claire *Richly peopled and ambitious and oh, so lovely, Lauren Groff's Arcadia is one of the most moving and satisfying novels I've read in a long time. It's not possible to write any better without showing off.The raw beauty of Ms. Groff’s prose is one of the best things about Arcadia ... stunningly sensual and visceral in describing behaviour straight out of a time capsule… extraordinarily rich imagination, she writes about this life as if she has known it. * New York Times *Groff is a sensuous writer. * Guardian *Intricately wrought ... A powerful paean to the human desire to make the right sort of place to live. * Sunday Telegraph *Smart, beautiful, rooted in an earthy and glorious location ... Groff’s beautifully written Arcadia paints a lyrical picture ... You fall in love with Arcadia’s protagonist, Bit, and find yourself transported to a different time, place and lifestyle. * Stylist 5 stars *Arcadia, her second novel, cements all of Groff’s promise, and then some…Deft-structural and convincing authorial control…Wonderful stuff. * Mirror, Book of the Week *With Arcadia, Groff has woven her own tale, in eloquent prose that’s rich in sense of place and depth of feeling * Independent on Sunday *The novel’s greatest strength is its vision of the violent fecundity of nature…Groff excels in writing with a kind of fairy-tale lucidity…The book’s structure and imagery are full of delightful intricacies and cruel ironies. * Times Literary Supplement *One of our most talented writers, and Arcadia one of the most revelatory, magical and ambitious novels I've read in years.

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Book SynopsisPetterson''s debut novel, published in English for the first time.Twelve-year-old Arvid and his family are on holiday, staying with his grandparents on the coast of Denmark. Dimly aware of the tension building between his mother and grandmother, Arvid is on the cusp of becoming a teenager: feeling awkward in his own skin, but adamant that he can take care of himself.As Arvid cycles down to the beach with its view of the lighthouse, he meets Mogens, an older boy who lives nearby, and together they set out to find fresh experiences in this strange new world. Echoland is a breathtaking read, capturing the unique drift of childhood summers, filled with unarticulated anxiety.Trade ReviewA compelling mix of fable with the day-to-day account of a working-class boy… It is hard to think of a novel that so precisely and vividly conveys the pain and disorientation of puberty -- John Burnside * Guardian *Is there a living writer better at conveying the disconcerting relationship between time and memory?... There is pleasure, too, in watching Petterson shift through the gears from pleasure to unease in one of those gloriously sinuous sentences that have become something of a trademark -- Adrian Turpin * Financial Times *Petterson is remarkably gifted -- James Wood * New Yorker *It packs a powerful punch… A clear-cut jewel of nameless dread and nagging anxiety: Scandinavian gloom par excellence. -- Andrew Van Loon * Sunday Telegraph *His eerily terse prose luxuriates in the hazy strangeness of the Danish landscape and is particularly brilliant at nailing adolescence as an inchoate, restless state in which life is felt much more fiercely than it is understood. -- Claire Allfree * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisIt is the height of summer. After she is expelled from boarding school, Anna Severell returns to the strict, orderly house of her father, a celebrated novelist. The family is soon joined by Oliver Canning, a talented young academic who urges her to take control of her future. As autumn begins and Anna enters university, the pair grow closer. A single mistake, however, could put her newfound independence at riskTrade Review"A.S.Byatt's first novel, written in her early twenties, is simultaneously a rehearsal of the themes of her later fiction and a major work in its own right. Her concern with precise nuances of thought and feeling and their representation in prose is almost unparalleled in contemporary writing. The Shadow of the Sun is a tremendous achievement" -- DJ Taylor "In her very first novel, The Shadow of the Sun, A.S. Byatt showed herself to be that rarity, and English writer unafraid of the novel of ideas. Yet she is also the most sensuous of novelists - fictions made flesh are her passion" -- Christopher Hope "Byatt is a wonderful writer, constantly engaging wherever she takes us" The Times

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Book SynopsisCharles Webb was born in 1939 in San Francisco. He was educated at Williams College, Massachusetts, where he graduated in American history and literature. The Graduate was his first novel, and was made in to a hugely successful film. His other novels include Love, Roger, The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker (also filmed), The Abolitionist of Clark Gable Place and Elsinor.

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Book SynopsisThe Haunted Life is the coming-of-age story of Peter Martin, a college track star determined to idle away what he knows will be one of his last innocent summers in his tranquil New England home town. But with the war escalating in Europe and his two closest friends both plotting their escapes, he realizes how sheltered his upbringing has been. As he surveys the competing influences of his youth, he struggles to determine what might lead to an intellectually authentic life. The Haunted Life is ultimately a meditation on intellectual truth, male friendship and the desire for movement - all themes that would dominate Kerouac''s later work.

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