Narrative theme: coming of age

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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Book SynopsisA timeless American novel about an immigrant girl growing up on the Lower East Side who dares to challenge her Orthodox Jewish family?s narrow conceptions of a woman?s place in the world, featuring a new foreword by the author of the New York Times bestseller Unorthodox?the basis for the hit Netflix series?and cover art by New Yorker cartoonist Liana FinckA Penguin ClassicThe youngest of four daughters in a family that left Poland in the 1920s for the crowded tenements of New York City?s Lower East Side, Sara Smolinsky has seen her sisters resign themselves, under their rabbi father?s iron fist, to loveless marriages and empty futures. They are ?bread givers,? working to feed the family while their father studies the Torah?according to which, as their father reminds them, a woman without her father or husband is ?less than nothing.? But Sara hungers for more. In defiance of her father, she breaks free, escaping home to see what the American dream holds for her in this poignant coming-of-age tale and striking portrait of feminist rebellion.For more than seventy-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 2,000 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Trade ReviewBread Givers enables us to see our life more clearly, to test its values, to reckon up what it is that our aims and achievements may mean. It has a raw, uncontrollable poetry * New York Times *A fine novel ... Yezierska's sense of vernacular is wonderful * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book Synopsis''Written with a rare intensity of both intelligence and feeling. . . a superbly realistic evocation of the journeys (both dark and comical) of the human heart'' Salman Rushdie, ObserverIn My Secret History, award-winning writer Paul Theroux offers the reader an exciting insight into the double-life of Andre Parent in six compelling snapshots. ''Nothing on the shelf has quite prepared the reader of My Secret History. . . Parent saunters into the book aged fifteen, shouldering a .22 Mossberg rifle as earlier, more innocent American heroes used to tote a fishing pole. In his pocket is a paperback translation of Dante''s Inferno. . . he is a creature of naked and unquenchable ego, greedy for sex, money, experience, another life'' Jonathan Raban, Observer''Theroux''s best creation, a character who is honest enough to know that he wants it both ways: to be the lover and also the solitary observer who betrays his loves by t

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Book Synopsis''Billy Gray was my best friend and I fell in love with his mother.''Alexander Cleave, an actor who thinks his best days are behind him, remembers his first unlikely affair as a teenage boy in a small town in 1950s Ireland: the illicit meetings in a rundown cottage outside town; assignations in the back of his lover''s car on sunny mornings and rain-soaked afternoons. And with these early memories comes something sharper and much darker - the more recent recollection of the actor''s own daughter''s suicide ten years before. Ancient Light is the story of a life rendered brilliantly vivid: the obsession and selfishness of young love and the terrifying shock of grief. It is a dazzling novel, funny, utterly pleasurable and devastatingly moving in the same moment.''Illuminating, funny, devastating. A meditation of breathtaking beauty and profundity on love and loss and death'' Financial Times''Banville perfectly captures the Trade ReviewGlittering visual evocation, expressed in a tone at once fresh and wistfully ironic ... a world at once random, dreamlike and deeply experienced * The Sunday Times *4 STARS. Banville proves here over and over that one can write with the true texture if erotic memory without resorting to titillation. He deserves to outsell Fifty Shades of Grey tenfold. * Sunday Express *4 STARS. Prose that lingers on every last physical and psychological detail. * Metro *Banville does regretful roues better than almost anyone ... His use of language can also be startlingly brilliant ... Terrific ... full of sadness and yearning. * Sunday Telegraph *This dazzling novel captures a long-lost adolescent world of passion and desire. * Independent *... ravishingly written and scrupulously observed * Irish Times *The Booker prize winning author - widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in English today - has produced what many already consider a literary masterpiece. * Sunday Independent *We now want them [novels] to provoke, cajole, edify, entertain, puzzle, divert, clarify and console. Banville's new novel does all these things and much more besides. * Irish Independent *Banville, with his forensic sensory memory, his great gift for textural (and textual) precision, his ability to inhabit not just a room, as a writer, but also the full weight of a breathing body, is exactly in his element here. * Observer *A novel criss-crossed with ghost roads and dead-ends and peopled by shifty characters who seem provisional even to themselves. It is written in Baville's customary prose, rhythmic and allusive and dense with suggestive imagery, prose and deliberately slows you down and frequently wrongfoots you. * Guardian *A bittersweet rumination on first love ... The language soars, full of the beauty of nature and the sadness of loss * Marie Claire *Banville perfectly captures the spirit of adolescence, the body yearning for sexual experience, the mind blurring eroticism and emotion ... Banville is a Nabokovian artist, his prose so rich, poetic and packed with startling imagery that reading it is akin to gliding regally through a lake of praline: it's a slow, stately process, delicious and to be savoured ... This is a luminous breathtaking work * Independent on Sunday *Ancient Light also bears resemblance to Lolita that extend beyond the obvious hallmark ecstatic prose..different periods of his life blending into a single meditation of breathtaking beauty and profundity on love and loss and death, the final page of which brought tears. * The Financial Times *A beautifully written tale of youthful passion * Good Housekeeping *A novel about sexual awakening and the tricks that memory plays. Banville's lushly gorgeous prose enhances a mood of brooding passion in a place of secrets * The I *A sumptuous novel. Read it for the sentences and smarts, and for the copious sexy parts -- Richard Ford * Guardian, Books of the Year *Everything I want from a love story: sexy, convincing, baffling, funny, sad and unforgettable -- Juliet Nicholson * Evening Standard, "Books of the Year" *Banville's exquisitely written novel unravels the deceptions of memory with wit and pathos * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisTim Winton has published over twenty books for adults and children, and his work has been translated into many different languages. Since his first novel, An Open Swimmer, won the Australian/Vogel Award in 1981, he has won the Miles Franklin Award four times (for Shallows, Cloudstreet, Dirt Music and Breath) and twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize (for The Riders and Dirt Music). Active in the environmental movement, he is the Patron of the Australian Marine Conservation Society. He lives in Western Australia.Trade ReviewWinton’s writing is a heady blend of muscular description, deep sentiment and metaphysics. * Sunday Telegraph *His elegiac novels are uplifting and cathartic dissections of fractured men and women. * Independent *Winton has a fine ear for both intimate and monumental scales of drama. * Evening Standard *

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Book Synopsis''Beautifully written, mysterious and compelling'' Janet Fitch, bestselling author of White Oleander ''An addictive read you''ll finish within hours'' Stylist ''Vogel is a gleaming new talent'' Observer ''An alternative feminist love story for the modern age'' Big Issue''Refreshing'' Guardian ''Dreamy'' Oprah Magazine____________A raw, fresh, haunting, emotionally and sexually honest literary debut.When Echo''s father gets swept away by a freak current off the Los Angeles coast, she finds herself sinking into a complete state of paralysis. With no true friends and a troubled relationship with her mother, the failed young actress attempts to seek solace in the best way she knows: by losing herself in the lives of strangers. When, by chance, Echo meets a dominatrix called Orly, it finally feels like she might have found someone wTrade ReviewFormidable in its elegance and fierce in its simplicity, Saskia Vogel's writing leaves the reader stunned and moved and wanting more * Andrea Scrima, author of A Lesser Day *Beautifully written, mysterious and compelling * Janet Fitch *Permission excavates the uncertain landscape that lies just beneath the Hollywood dream factory we think we all know and against all odds finds something sacred there * Ryan Ruby, author of The Zero and the One *Vogel's writing is beauty in motion. From capturing a humiliating date with a predatory agent to what attracts people to BDSM, this is an addictive read you'll finish within hours * Stylist *A story about grief, loneliness and sadomasochism . . . it challenges any preconceptions you might have about BDSM in literature . . . Permission is sometimes a dark, even gruelling, read. But it possesses an unshowy beauty, too, suggesting Vogel is a gleaming new talent -- Arifa Akbar * Observer (New Review) *[Permission] delicately explores all the things that are part and parcel of our sexual lives: intimacy, community, desire, alienation, consent and power * HUCK Magazine *The debut literary novel from a journalist and translator, and it deals with sexual politics, power and consent in a subtle and convincing way . . . Vogel negotiates her story with a real sense of empathy and understanding for all her characters. In precise, elegant prose, she delivers an alternative feminist love story for the modern age * Big Issue *Vogel's portrayal of sexual kink is particularly refreshing: rather than pruriently gorging on catharsis, Permission foregrounds the emotional intimacy - built on constancy, trust and compassion - that can flourish in the most unconventional relationships * Guardian *This [is] dreamy, whip-smart first fiction * Oprah Magazine *Permission conveys [Echo's] preoccupation with desire through visceral prose that imbues everything - from the unstable California landscape to the banalities of affluent suburbia - with sensuality -- Natasha Young * The Believer *In Saskia Vogel's debut novel, Permission, desire is explored in its rich entirety and complexity, in its intersections with every day life, stress and lingering grief * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTIONSELECTED BY THE TELEGRAPH AS ONE OF THE FOUR BEST DEBUTS OF THE YEAR''A tense, yet tender portrait of a father and son trying to escape life on the margin. Determination and despair collide in this unforgettable debut, with an ending that broke my heart'' Douglas Stuart, Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie Bain''Extremely heartbreaking, I constantly had a pit in my stomach... My heart hurt so much...I loved it! The emotions and feelings in this story were just written so beautifully'' Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Evicted from their trailer on New Year''s Eve, Henry and his son, Junior, have been reduced to living out of a pick-up truck. Six months later, things are even more desperate. Henry, barely a year out of prison for selling drugs, is down to his last pocketful of cash, and little remains between him and the strTrade ReviewPhenomenal. Guanzon is an incredibly exciting new voice. . . . [Abundance] does one of the things I love about fiction, where it really allows you to walk in a character's shoes - books like this don't come around too often. * Guardian *[A] devastating portrayal of Henry's hard-scrabble life and desperate love for his son * Daily Mail *A tense, yet tender portrait of a father and son trying to escape life on the margin. Determination and despair collide in this unforgettable debut, with an ending that broke my heart. -- Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie BainExtremely heartbreaking, I constantly had a pit in my stomach... My heart hurt so much...I loved it! The emotions and feelings in this story were just written so beautifully. -- Goodreads Reviewer, five starred reviewI guarantee your heart will not leave your throat for one second reading this... Will haunt you long after you set the book down. -- Goodreads Reviewer, five starred reviewBroke my heart but I couldn't stop reading -- Goodreads Reviewer, five starred reviewGut-wrenching... Truly heartbreaking... Told with compassion and vivid detail... Feels tense right to the very end... Brilliant -- Goodreads ReviewerWill rip your heart out -- Goodreads Reviewer, five starred reviewExcellent... I read this book in one sitting. Poignant, thought provoking. Highly recommend. One of the best novels that I have ever read -- Goodreads Reviewer, five starred reviewWow, I really enjoyed this... I found myself gasping... If you're looking for a great story, and an incredible author to bring that story to life, look no further -- Reader review, five starredFull of beauty, honesty and unexpected grace -- Gary ShteyngartA quest, a page-turner, and above all a love story, Abundance lays bare one father's brutal, tender hustle to care for his son in a winner-take-all world -- Mia AlvarTender, anxious, angry, and beautiful -- Mark DotenThe reader aches for these characters... An example of how fiction can be more "real" than real life * Pioneer Press *An impressive debut * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTIONSELECTED BY THE TELEGRAPH AS ONE OF THE FOUR BEST DEBUTS OF THE YEAR''A tense, yet tender portrait of a father and son trying to escape life on the margin. Determination and despair collide in this unforgettable debut, with an ending that broke my heart'' Douglas Stuart, Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie BainEvicted from their trailer on New Year''s Eve, Henry and his son, Junior, have been reduced to living out of a pick-up truck. Six months later, things are even more desperate. Henry, barely a year out of prison for selling drugs, is down to his last pocketful of cash, and little remains between him and the street. But hope is on the horizon: today is Junior''s birthday, and Henry has a job interview tomorrow.To celebrate, Henry treats Junior to dinner at McDonald''s, followed by a night in a real bed at a discount hotel. For a moment, as Junior watcTrade ReviewPhenomenal. Guanzon is an incredibly exciting new voice. . . . [Abundance] does one of the things I love about fiction, where it really allows you to walk in a character's shoes - books like this don't come around too often. * Guardian *[A] devastating portrayal of Henry's hard-scrabble life and desperate love for his son * Daily Mail *A tense, yet tender portrait of a father and son trying to escape life on the margin. Determination and despair collide in this unforgettable debut, with an ending that broke my heart. -- Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie BainExtremely heartbreaking, I constantly had a pit in my stomach... My heart hurt so much...I loved it! The emotions and feelings in this story were just written so beautifully. -- Goodreads Reviewer, five starred reviewI guarantee your heart will not leave your throat for one second reading this... Will haunt you long after you set the book down. -- Goodreads Reviewer, five starred reviewBroke my heart but I couldn't stop reading -- Goodreads Reviewer, five starred reviewGut-wrenching... Truly heartbreaking... Told with compassion and vivid detail... Feels tense right to the very end... Brilliant -- Goodreads ReviewerWill rip your heart out -- Goodreads Reviewer, five starred reviewExcellent... I read this book in one sitting. Poignant, thought provoking. Highly recommend. One of the best novels that I have ever read -- Goodreads Reviewer, five starred reviewWow, I really enjoyed this... I found myself gasping... If you're looking for a great story, and an incredible author to bring that story to life, look no further -- Reader review, five starredFull of beauty, honesty and unexpected grace -- Gary ShteyngartA quest, a page-turner, and above all a love story, Abundance lays bare one father's brutal, tender hustle to care for his son in a winner-take-all world -- Mia AlvarTender, anxious, angry, and beautiful -- Mark DotenThe reader aches for these characters... An example of how fiction can be more "real" than real life * Pioneer Press *An impressive debut * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book Synopsis**Featured on BBC Radio 4 A Good Read**''Written with such love and heart. Sarah has done an exceptional job of marrying her trademark comedy with deep and raw emotion. I loved it!'' GIOVANNA FLETCHERFROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE UNMUMSY MUMBeth has never stuck at anything.She''s quit more jobs and relationships than she can remember and she still sleeps in her childhood bedroom. It''s not that she hasn''t tried to grow up, it''s just that so far, the only commitment she''s held down is Friday drinks at the village pub. Then, in the space of a morning, her world changes. An unspeakable tragedy turns Beth''s life upside down, and she finds herself guardian to her teenage niece and toddler nephew, catapulted into an unfamiliar world of bedtime stories, parents'' evenings and cuddly elephants. Having never been responsible for anyone - or anything - it''s noTrade ReviewHumour and heart are everywhere in this book, and I went from laughter to tears in the turn of a page. Wise, joyful and very, very funny - this is a book to devour, a book to share and a book to savour. I loved it * Katie Marsh, author of UNBREAK YOUR HEART *Stop EVERYTHING and read this! Funny, tender and beautifully observed. Loved, loved, LOVED it! * Cathy Bramley *Heartwarming and heartbreaking. Full of warmth and Turner's perceptive parenting humour. This is a book that will break your heart and make you fall in love all at once! * Katy Colins, author of THE BEST IS YET TO COME *What a fantastic read - it had me in tears! This book grabbed me by the heartstrings and didn't let go! It has it all - warmth, humour and brilliant observations on love, life and loss. An emotional rollercoaster of a read and one that is well worth taking! * Sarah Pearse, author of THE SANATORIUM *Stepping Up is a heart-blasting triumph of a novel - wise, witty and wonderfully human. * Isabelle Broom, author of THE GETAWAY *

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Book SynopsisThe second volume in Philip Pullman's incredible HIS DARK MATERIALStrilogy, in a stunning gift edition, to publish alongside themajor HBO/BBC TV series in autumn 2019.

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Book SynopsisThe first volume in Philip Pullman's groundbreaking His Dark Materials trilogy.

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Book SynopsisThe second volume in Philip Pullman's incredible HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy, in a stunning gift edition, to publish alongside the major HBO/BBC TV series in autumn 2019.

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Book SynopsisNow in a beautiful gift cloth edition, a masterpiece of postwar Japanese literatureTrade Review"What I despise about Dazai is that he exposes precisely those things in myself that I most want to hide." -- Yukio Mishima"From the point of view of wholesome common sense, Dazai’s writings may be regarded as the soliloquies of a deviant." -- Yasunari Kawabata"Dazai offers something permanent and beautiful." -- The New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2010 Penguin Prize for African Writing. In this coming-of-age novel, acclaimed author Ellen Banda-Aaku offers a profound exploration into the effects of stigma, class, and family dynamics in 1970s Zambia.''Everyone calls me Pumpkin. Firstly, because I was a fat, chubby-cheeked baby. And, secondly, because when Ma was pregnant with me, no matter how much pumpkin she ate, she just couldn''t get enough...''Pumpkin is a nine-year-old girl pulled between two vastly different worlds that of her father, the wealthy and power-hungry Joseph Sakavungo, and her mother, his unstable mistress.As Pumpkin attempts to come to terms with her own identity, will she be able to fashion a future for herself out of the torn patchwork of her life?Beautifully constructed, Banda-Aaku moulds a story that is heart-rending and bittersweet.

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Book SynopsisTHE STUNNING AND DEVASTATING LOVE STORY ABOUT HOPE, SACRIFICE AND BELONGING''A modern day Atonement meets David Nicholls. Beautifully written - I couldn''t put it down'' EMMA GANNON''Like if One Day had been written by Sally Rooney'' 5***** READER REVIEW''An intricate story of love . . . A beautiful piece of writing'' SUNDAY EXPRESS_______Do you remember your first love?Nick and Anna are young. They meet at a cinema, both working summer jobs. They''ve lived different lives. Carry secret hurts. But they''re drawn together by something neither understands.Fast forward and they''ve long ago gone their separate ways. Inhabiting different worlds. Shaped by the hurt they bear. Yet neither can quite forget the other.So when tragedy brings them back together, they find themselves asking . . .What if we took a chance on another life?_______''I was dTrade ReviewAn astounding debut about sibling grief, religion and sliding doors love -- Pandora SykesA modern day Atonement meets David Nicholls. Beautifully written - I couldn't put it down -- Emma GannonAbsolutely loved it - thought about it as I went to bed, as I was washing up -- Giovanna FletcherI loved it, so glad I read it. Beautifully written, made me think about love and breaking out into a world that is completely different -- Zoey LyonsReally enjoyed the double life aspect of the book. Really good on relationships -- Hugh DennisA stunning one-that-got-away romance, this is an intricate story of love entwined with loss that will tug on your heartstrings . . . A beautiful piece of writing * Sunday Express *Deep, rich, thoughtful. It reminded me of how I felt when I first read David Nicholls and Jodi Picoult. It's the Romeo and Juliet of our generation -- Gillian McAllisterI loved the brothers' relationship. Very moving. Fascinating -- Don WarringtonThis is a little bit Sliding Doors, a little bit One Day, a little bit will-they-won't-they - and you're desperate for a happy ending. Jodie Chapman does a brilliant job of describing what happens when life gets in the way of love. A really special book -- Sara CoxThis beautiful tale of love, loss and sacrifice will break your heart . . . With echoes of David Nicholls' One Day and Sally Rooney's novels, it perfectly captures the agony of falling in love and the razor-sharp reality of pain and loss * Daily Mail *Prepare for all the feels in this heart-breaking must-read * Sun *Very readable, very enjoyable. We loved it! -- Sara CoxThis love (in every sense of the word) story will speak to anyone who has felt an enduring, painful, yet wonderfully beautiful love. From first loves that never really leave you to difficult family dynamics we can spend our whole lives trying to cope with, Another Life is astounding * Inside Kent *It broke my heart to close the book on this romance . . . Chapman is a master at bringing her story to life on the page * Daily Record *Stunning. Written with such poignancy, full of nostalgia, unspoken longing and the agony of wrong turns -- Beth MorreyFans of David Nicholls will adore this complex love story * Prima *A complex, beautiful, multilayered debut exploring love in all its forms * Woman's Weekly *If you love sweet, sorrowful coming-of-age tales, you'll love this beautifully written debut * Heat *Beautiful. Finished with a lump in my throat. A never-ending daisy chain smoking summer of first love * Ericka Waller, 'Dog Days' *A beautifully written story of love in all its forms . . . The writing is stunning and intuitive, and the story is one I don't think I will forget * NB Magazine *Teeming with acute observations and wired with suspense, this novel explores how we are the architects of our own lives * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisThe compulsively readable novel about a young woman trying to succeed in Hollywood without selling her soul - perfect for fans of Sweetbitter, My Dark Vanessa and Exciting Times''Deliciously sharp, ridiculously funny, and surprisingly heartfelt'' COCO MELLORS''A blistering look at the hidden side of Hollywood'' GLAMOUR''Frank, funny and unputdownable'' CLAIRE MESSUD''Glittering. A funny, spiky, compulsive story about toxic workplaces'' EVENING STANDARD''A frank account of leaning in and its inherent filthiness'' RAVEN LEILANI________You knew Hollywood would be difficult.So when you land a job in television, you''re ready for anything: pulling all-nighters, leaning on your powerful mother''s contacts, keeping your boss happy whatever - and whoever - the cost.You thrive under pressure, and are determined to excel. But there''s a dark side to the inTrade ReviewGlittering. A funny, spiky compulsive story about toxic workplaces, lean-in culture and #MeToo * Evening Standard *A frank account of leaning in and its inherent filthiness. Kaplan captures the psychological, and at times literal, gymnastics required of striving women -- Raven Leilani, New York Times bestselling author of LusterReaders who were obsessed with My Dark Vanessa, this one is for you. A blistering look at the hidden side of Hollywood * Glamour, 'BEST NEW BOOKS' *Wholly engrossing and shrewdly observational . . . that rare kind of read that made me giggle just as much as it left me gutted -- Zakiya Dalila Harris, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Black GirlSharp, funny . . . The writing is fresh and stylish and the conversational tone helps the thought-provoking narrative zip along. I loved it * Daily Mail *Frank, funny and unputdownable . . . behind the glitter and the justice, everyone is tarnished and compromised - including even our narrator. Kaplan, with her sharp and nuanced eye, sees it all, and tells it brilliantly -- Claire Messud, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman UpstairsDeliciously sharp, ridiculously funny, and surprisingly heartfelt . . . I cannot wait to discuss it with everyone I know -- Coco Mellors, author of Cleopatra and FrankensteinBrilliantly deadpan and spiky in all the right ways. An accurate, darkly funny but also brutal portrayal of everyday workplace and world power dynamics. I couldn't put it down -- Emily Itami, Costa-shortlisted author of Fault LinesWith her sun-bleached Hollywood setting, Kaplan transports us to another world - one which is achingly familiar. A novel which makes us examine our own complicity, while also weaving in threads of tenderness, drive and office-based humour which at times feels delightfully absurd . . . I inhaled this book - and came up for air still reeling -- Katie Hale, author of My Name is MonsterAmbition bites back in Isabel Kaplan's Not Safe For Work, a novel that hits close to a few recent news events . . . So visceral is the narrator's voice that every time I opened the book felt like sliding into uncomfortable heels. Brave * New York Times *An intoxicating exploration of male-dominated workplaces . . . NSFW is gripping, with a lot to unpack, making it excellent book-club fodder * TIME, Best Books of July 2022 *An energetic page-turner with plenty of delicious insights into Hollywood . . . and countless witty, wry passages * Jewish Chronicle *

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Book SynopsisA story of the difficulties we face and the strength we find to overcome them, perfect for fans of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, and JUNO.''At last, a Kerouacian adventure for teenage girls'' INDEPENDENTWhen her parents unexpectedly divorce, Mim Malone is dragged from her beloved home in Ohio to the ''wastelands'' of Mississippi, where she lives in a haze of medication with her dad and new (almost certainly evil) stepmom.But when Mim learns her real mother is ill back home, she escapes her new life and embarks on a rescue mission aboard a Greyhound bus, meeting an assortment of quirky characters along the way. And when her thousand-mile journey takes a few turns she could never see coming, Mim must confront her own demons, redefining her notions of love, loyalty, and what it means to be sane...Praise for Mosquitoland:Trade Review[Mosquitoland] boasts a funny, gutsy, straight-talking heroine with a distinctive voice, whose company is a blast of fresh air * Daily Mail *[Mim's] endless wise-cracking (on a road trip by Greyhound bus to visit her sick mother) is a joy * Independent - Best YA novels of 2015 *Invigorating and humourous... At last a Kerouacian adventure for teenage girls * Independent *Fresh and often very endearing * Sunday Herald *At times heartwarming, heartbreaking and hilarious, but always maintaining a distinctly innocent brilliance * USA Today *There is no shortage of humor in Mim's musings, interspersed with tender scenes and a few heart-pounding surprises. Mim's triumphant evolution is well worth the journey * Publishers Weekly *[A] sparkling, startling, laugh-out-loud debut novel * Wall Street Journal *[A] captivating first novel... illuminating * Washington Post *A breath of fresh air... [a novel that] bucks the usual classifications and stands defiantly alone * Entertainment Weekly *Memorable * People *A stunning debut... mesmerizing * Kirkus Reviews *Mim is possibly one of the mostly lovable YA characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading... Definitely one of the best YA novels of 2015 * The Tattoed Book *

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Book SynopsisAn epic love story that spans twenty years and half the globe, from Puglia to a frozen cave in Iceland.Trade ReviewBig in theme, languid in pace and exquisite in execution... The plot is deftly handled, moving from a secretive steamy teenage romance in Speziale to a cave in Iceland - taking in fringe eco-activism and a doomed attempt to conceive a child along the way...The dreamy lyricism of the prose ("the foam-slick rocks, the silent sea, and, all around, the mercilessly bright night of the South")... Giordano's novel is a devastating marvel. -- Francesca Carrington * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *A highly enjoyable novel, convincingly and smoothly translated by Anne Milano Appel. Spanning twenty years and the anguished love affair between Teresa and Bern, some of it takes place in the dark recent days when Puglia's olive trees were attacked by a beetle that reduced the landscape to an apocalyptic vision of the planet's end. Giordano is especially good on the textures, smells, heat and colours of the Italian south, where almost the whole novel is set, the herbs that scent the air, the rocky terrain on which little grows. These stay long in the mind, as does the way he writes about the obsessiveness of love, the way it dominates and distorts and the self-delusions and fantasies it gives rise to. Puglia's scorched earth and, later in the novel, the craters and caverns of Iceland become metaphors for a plot that is both touching and sad, violent and uncomfortable. * TLS *Heaven And Earth is rooted so deep in idyllic Puglia that you can almost feel the red soil under your sandals * DAILY MAIL *Giordano is a fluid, expansive writer. The chapters flow effortlessly back and forth in time, pulling us deeper into the story of Teresa and Bern's great love. The landscape shimmers with their longing. "It all belonged to us," Bern says. "The trees and the stone walls. The heavens. Even the heavens belonged to us, Teresa." * NEW YORK TIMES *It's been too long since Italian author Paolo Giordano (who happens to have a PhD in particle physics) wrote a novel... Heaven and Earth is set in Puglia and focuses on four friends trying to grow up. It's a story that sprawls and stuns. * goop (Summer 2020 Reading List) *Raw and evocative, Giordano's Heaven and Earth is a breathtaking and poignant creation * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY *Reading this reminded me instantly of Ferrante's earthy, nostalgic prose. Vividly evoking the sights and sounds of Italy, this novel paints a rustic portrait of life in the vibrant Puglia. Giordano's novel is an evocative depiction of the complexities of adolescence, love and faith. * BOOK RIOT, Best Books of Summer 2020 *Ever since the publication of his debut novel The Solitude of Prime Numbers, Paolo Giordano has stood at the forefront of international literature. His new novel Heaven and Earth is a stunning achievement and confirms him as an electrifying presence in contemporary fiction. * André Aciman, Sunday Times bestselling author of CALL ME BY YOUR NAME and FIND ME *Perfect, moving, honest, brilliant, with characters who feel like old friends * Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of LESS *Heaven and Earth is the perfect novel - always interesting, beautifully but not ostentatiously written, peopled with unforgettable characters, a powerful love story, animated by ideas, visually stunning. Paolo Giordano is one of the handful of great writers working anywhere today. * Edmund White *This is at once a lush picture of growing up in the Italian countryside and a deeply affecting story of friendships under the strain of time and tragedy. Giordano's best book yet. * Dave Eggers, bestselling author of THE CIRCLE *An intense novel about passions and reasons, unbreakable bounds and reckless excursions. Giordano is a master storyteller. * Yiyun Li, author of WHERE REASONS END *Lush regional details, indelible characters, and a riveting story line ... Giordano's captivating tale is a magnificent testament to the lingering impact of a charged romance * PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY (USA) starred review *Magnificent, heart-wrenching, and utterly compelling. Heaven and Earth is the perfect novel. And I'm not saying this lightly. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. * Andrea Wulf, Costa-winning author of THE INVENTION OF NATURE *Heaven and Earth is not just a magnificent novel - it's an act of faith in literature and in the rousing power of storytelling, an ode to the unknowable mystery that is the human heart. Novels like this are a rare find: you won't be able to forget it. * Elena Varvello, bestselling author of CAN YOU HEAR ME? *A novel as ferocious as youth and as pure as a utopia. * Paolo Cognetti, award-winning author of THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS *A powerful tale of the bond between siblings and the tensions that underpin that relationship ... Evocatively written and sensitively translated, this powerful love story will carry you effortlessly from page to page * ITALIA magazine *PRAISE FOR PAOLO GIORDANO'Mesmerizing... Giordano works with piercing subtlety. An exquisite rendering of what one might call feelings at the subatomic level' New York Times on The Solitude of Prime Numbers 'Seductive and unnerving' Entertainment Weekly on The Solitude of Prime Numbers 'Elegant and fiercely intelligent... A singular love story' Elle on The Solitude of Prime Numbers'Tender, cruel, beautiful, heartless, a brilliant story of desire and youth and death... A modern classic' Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winner author of Less on The Human Body'A profound tale of family, crisis and the passage of time, Giordano's novel is a cherished read' Harper's Baazar on Like Family'Elegiac, tender and mournful' Wall Street Journal on Like Family

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Book SynopsisWITH AN INTRODUCTION BY PEDRO ALMODÓVAR The lives of trans Latinx come alive in this cocktail of bleakness and joy de vivre that depicts a community living on the wrong side of the American dream.Trade ReviewAn ode to New York City's queer and trans immigrant community... Ojeda, a Chilean American writer, brings sincerity and dark humor to tales of drug addiction, prison life at Rikers Island and a five-time beauty pageant winner, drawing from personal experience as a trans performer, sex worker and undocumented immigrant. * New York Times *Can't get enough of Pose? Then Las Biuty Queens will be your new fave read. Exploring the lives of the Latin American trans community, Biuty Queens effortlessly blends heart and humour while exploring life on the wrong side of the American dream. Ivan Monalisa Ojeda sparkles as one of 2021's boldest new writers. * Cosmopolitan, Best books to read in summer 2021 *Chilean American writer Ojeda dazzles and devastates in this rich collection about a group of trans Latinx immigrants as they try to make it in New York City. Stories of drug addiction and police brutality, street queens and beauty contests portray the danger, decadence, and joy in the characters' lives... Throughout, Ojeda proves to be a captivating presence on the page. * Publishers Weekly *These stories are about 'what it means to cross from one side to the other, what it means to get home in one piece...' A crystalline energy tears through these pages and insists we keep our eyes open. This is New York, full of beauty and pain-turn away at your own peril * Nick Flynn, author of Another Bullshit Night in Suck City *This story collection marks the arrival of a singular personality with a unique and quintessential American voice. You can't just read this book; you bathe in its grit, the resilience of its characters and, most of all, its beauty. What a stunning book * Jose Antonio Vargas, founder of Define American and author of Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen *Iván Monalisa Ojeda brings to life a breathtaking world of camaraderie, beautiful messiness, pain, and resilience in Las Biuty Queens. He/she offers us captivating snapshots of Latinx trans sex workers living, working, and loving in New York City, telling a story close to my heart: that of keeping one another alive, fed, bailed out, and in deliciously deviant company amidst the harshness of criminalization. This book is like the money a friend slips in your pocket when they know you can't make rent: a fortifying whisper to carry on, and carry each other with us * Tourmaline, filmmaker and activist *Vibrant, honest, and unfailingly engaging, the stories in this collection are a revelation and a source of great comfort. Ivan Monalisa Ojeda is a thrilling writer and a singular cultural observer * Rakesh Satyal, author of Blue Boy and No One Can Pronounce My Name *No one in Chile writes like Iván Monalisa Ojeda. No one has his/her ease, his/her boldness, his/her tenderness. The stories we find in Las Biuty Queens fiercely depict the life of an undocumented immigrant in New York. Here the glamor and lights coexist with misery and solitude. The American dream doesn't exist. We're left with the fragile voices of this book as they tell, in rabid Spanglish, the story of a nightmare as gorgeous as it is infinite. * Diego Zúñiga, award-winning author of Camanchaca *Monalisa is a legend. She lives in New York as an illegal and her stories are about dressed addicts. A powerful pen. He looks a lot like Lemebel, but he has his own voice. Her personality is even more edge, and she doesn't want to make the world a better place with literature. Of survive on an expensive and tough New York is what it's all about. It's like being in a permanent apocalypse. * Carlos Velázquez *Can't get enough of Pose? Then Las Biuty Queens will be your new fave read. Exploring the lives of the Latin American trans community, Biuty Queens effortlessly blends heart and humour while exploring life on the wrong side of the American dream. Ivan Monalisa Ojeda sparkles as one of 2021's boldest new writers. * COSMOPOLITAN *

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1977, Do What They Say or Else tells the story of a fifteen-year-old girl named Anne who lives with her working-class parents in a small town in Normandy, France.Trade Review“A powerful portrait of a searching adolescent.”—Publishers Weekly“In this, her second published novel, Annie Ernaux writes the psycho-biology of being fifteen years old with perfect recall. Do What They Say or Else conveys the cost of upward mobility and the desire to just throw it all away. Ernaux is in perfect control of her narrator’s wildness. The result is vivid and tough.”—Chris Kraus, author of After Kathy Acker: A Literary Biography“Annie Ernaux is often celebrated for her minimalist and documentary style. Yet this second novel, very funny at times, is narrated from the perspective of a teenage girl, with a vindictive and self-deprecating tone that ranges from the colloquial to the outright vulgar. This translation is a true tour de force!”—Bruno Thibault, author of Danièle Sallenave et le don des morts

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Book Synopsis'A glorious love story' – Sarah Winman, author of Still Life'Extraordinarily daring . . . a remarkable novel, an almost visionary celebration of the death-defying power of the women’s love' - Sunday Times, Book of the Year From the bestselling author of Burial Rites and The Good People, Devotion is a stunning story of girlhood and friendship, faith and suspicion, and the impossible lengths we go to for the ones we love.1836, Prussia. Hanne is nearly fifteen and the domestic world of womanhood is quickly closing in on her. A child of nature, she yearns instead for the rush of the river, the wind dancing around her. Hanne finds little comfort in the local girls and friendship doesn't come easily, until she meets Thea and she finds in her a kindred spirit and finally, acceptance.Hanne's family are Old Lutherans, and in her small village hushed worship is done secretly - this is a community under threat. But when they are granted safe passage to Australia, the community rejoices: at last a place they can pray without fear, a permanent home. Freedom.It's a promise of freedom that will have devastating consequences for Hanne and Thea, but, on that long and brutal journey, their bond proves too strong for even nature to break . . .'Exquisite . . . it's taken root in my heart' – Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies'So beautiful and so raw . . . Impossibly good' – Evie Wyld, author of The Bass RockTrade ReviewPiercingly beautiful . . . [Hanne and Thea's] story is an elegy, freighted with loss and longing * Guardian *Such a glorious love story. And the poetry of the landscape had, for me, a Whitmanesque sensibility. A mighty impassioned cry to love and the land -- Sarah Winman, author of Still LifeHannah Kent’s latest novel is stunning - full of magic and adventure. I fell in love with language again reading it. So beautiful and so raw. Devotion is impossibly good -- Evie Wyld, author of The Bass RockWith an extraordinarily daring twist halfway through its narrative Devotion is a remarkable novel, an almost visionary celebration of the death-defying power of the women’s love * Sunday Times, Historical Fiction Book of the Month *There’s a mesmerising, transcendent reverence for love and the land in Hannah Kent’s exquisitely-wrought novel . . . Passionate and poetic, Devotion is a slow burn of a novel, full of grace and emotional gravitas * Daily Mail *Devotion is rare and exquisite, both beautiful and muscular in its portrayal of love found and denied. It’s a story of love as a radical act, and a celebration of place and persistence. As we’ve come to expect from Kent, this is masterful storytelling with pull-no-punches stakes. It’s taken root in my heart -- Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The MerciesAbsolutely stunning. The writing, the characters and the twist were just perfect. Any Hannah Kent novel is guaranteed to be powerful, moving and so imaginative, but this was something else. It is a story that will stay with me. -- Elizabeth Macneal, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Doll Factory and Circus of WondersA superb novel. A fantastic merging of exquisite lyrical writing and page-turning adventure. Devotion had me constantly surprised, always entertained, and ultimately deeply moved: it deserves to be a glittering success. -- Emma Stonex, Sunday Times bestselling author of The LamplightersKent tells her heroine's burgeoning love story beautifully * The Times *[A] marvellous queer love story * InDaily *A tale of the refiguring might of faithful hearts; of love that sustains and love that ruins; of exile and dominion * Sydney Morning Herald *It is a love story, ardent and wholesome, and it drapes its reader in lush historical detail. Fans will find a lot to savour * Guardian Australia *A poetic story of friendship, nature and what it means to step into a new world - both physically and spiritually * Cosmopolitan *Devotion, is nothing short of divine. Kent uses prose like a magician might use a wand. I could say so much about the depth and scope of this novel, its raw, powerful connection to nature and human emotion, and it still wouldn’t do it justice. Simply put, this is a beautiful book. A liturgy of love, full of grace and wonder. -- Nydia Hetherington, author of A Girl Made of AirKent combines lyrical writing with a strong sense of place in this novel that takes us from a 19th-century Prussian village to the dusty plains of Australia * Good Housekeeping *One of my favourite reads of the year . . . While there is great sadness and hardship here, this surprising novel is ultimately about beauty, nature and an epic love. I adored it * ABC Arts *Draped in rich historical detail, Hannah Kent's luminous and poignant story explores kindred spirits and an epic search for freedom * Woman's Own *Devotion is utterly original. A glorious heartbreaking love story of infinite beauty -- Heather Rose, author of The Museum of Modern LoveA modern classic, on par with heart wrenching love stories such as Wuthering Heights and Pride And Prejudice. It tells the story of an achingly beautiful love and a brutal search for freedom . . . A moving tale with a breathtaking twist * The Herald *Exceptional . . . there are not many novelists writing today who can conjure a European past as vividly as Hannah Kent . . . she is a master at immersing the reader in a particular place and a particular period, specialising in stories of women on the margins trapped in close-knit communities and claustrophobic situations * New European *

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Book SynopsisGods, demons and dragons collide in one final epic battle in The Discord of Gods, the unmissable conclusion to A Chorus of Dragons by Jenn Lyons.One curse. One man. One destiny.Relos Var's plans to enslave the universe near completion. All that stands in his way is the demon Xaltorath – or so he believes. For Kihrin could still alter the course of this war, despite being caught between these two masterminds. Yet he’s playing the most dangerous of games, as he appears to assume his prophesied role: as a destroyer, the sun eater, a mindless, remorseless plague upon the land. All this, while still protecting his allies and those he loves.But even as Kihrin seeks an eleventh-hour reprieve for the universe, his body threatens to betray him. He's grappling with the aftereffects of a corrupted magical ritual, one that twisted both him and the last dragons. Worse, he’s now bound to the avatar of a star – a form that’s becoming catastrophically unstable. All of which means he's running out of time.After all, some stars fade . . . but others explode. The Discord of Gods is the fifth and final book in Jenn Lyons’ epic fantasy series A Chorus of Dragons, which starts with The Ruin of Kings.Praise for A Chorus of Gods:‘Everything epic fantasy should be: rich, cruel, gorgeous, brilliant, enthralling and deeply, deeply satisfying. I loved it’ – Lev Grossman, author of The Magicians ‘A fantastic page-turner’ – John Gwynne, author of A Time of Dread‘This is top-notch adventure fantasy’ – Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewTrade ReviewWhat an extraordinary book. The Ruin of Kings is everything epic fantasy should be: rich, cruel, gorgeous, brilliant, enthralling and deeply deeply satisfying. I loved it -- Lev Grossman on The Ruin of KingsA fantastic page-turner with a heady blend of great characters, fast-moving action and a fabulously inventive magic system . . . I loved it -- John Gwynne on The Ruin of KingsIt’s impossible not to be impressed with the ambition of it all, the sheer, effervescent joy Lyons takes in the scope of her project. Sometimes you just want a larger-than-life adventure story about thieves, wizards, assassins and kings -- New York Times on The Ruin of KingsLyons proves she is worthy of comparison to other masters of epic fantasy, such as Patrick Rothfuss, Stephen R. Donaldson and Melanie Rawn -- Booklist on The Name of All Things, starred reviewSimply put: this is top-notch adventure fantasy written for a twenty-first-century audience – highly recommended -- Kirkus on The Name of All Things, starred reviewLyons is creating a complex and wonderful series that will immerse and delight -- Library Journal on The Name of All Things

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Book SynopsisLARGE PRINT EDITION. What does it mean to live a life of completeness? And how far must one go to understand the pain of others? Is change truly possible? This is the story that proves that it is. In what could be described as equal parts self-help book and a novelistic guide to spiritual awakening, Siddhartha has been hailed as prolific and unlike any other. Growing up, Siddhartha never experienced true pain. He was sheltered, as many are, turning a blind eye when the hardships of daily life made itself visible to the peasantry around him. Awakening from a hazy reverie that has shielded Siddhartha from the inevitable, he vows to make a change. With the hope of finding a deeper and resounding life’s purpose, Siddhartha, a young man living in the ancient Indian kingdom of Kapilavastu, embarks on a journey of self-discovery and actualization. Accompanied by his best friend Govinda, the pair abandon the comfort of their old life by trading their material possessions for what they hope will be eternal enlightenment. Ridding themselves completely of the comforts of their previous life, the duo vow to a life of attempted purity. In a world where suffering is inevitable, Siddhartha hopes that by experiencing the pain so many face, only then will he find the true meaning of life. Siddhartha, written by German author Hermann Hesse in 1951, is a tale of self-discovery and spiritual awakening. The novel as a whole explores the totality of the human experience, of what it means to abandon the parameters of comfort and routine in search for a higher calling.

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Book SynopsisNow a major motion picture titled Blinded by the Light, directed by Gurinder Chadha, a charming memoir of growing up during the eighties as both a Pakistani Muslim and Bruce Springsteen fan 'Every detail rings so true ... Manzoor's warm, humane, unsensational voice ... makes you want to extend the hand of friendship to him' Sunday Telegraph 'A richly humane, smile-inducing memoir' Observer Sarfraz Manzoor was two years old when his family emigrated from Pakistan to join his father in Bury Park, Luton. His teenage years were a constant battle to reconcile being both British and Muslim. But when his best friend introduced him to Bruce Springsteen, his life changed for ever. In this affectionate and timely memoir, Manzoor retraces his journey from the frustrations of his childhood to his reaction to the tragedies of 9/11 and 7/7. Original, darkly tender and wryly amusing, this is an inspiring tribute to the power of music to transcend race and religion and a moving account of a relationship between father and son.Trade ReviewEvery detail rings so true ... Manzoor's warm, humane, unsensational voice ... makes you want to extend the hand of friendship to him * Sunday Telegraph *A beautiful and absorbing love letter to his family, his culture and his hero Bruce Springsteen * Rob Brydon *A small wonder - like some melancholy refit of Hanif Kureishi's The Buddha of Suburbia, where boredom replaces bohemia and real life is something only glimpsed in a Bruce Springsteen lyric * Mojo *Like Blake Morrison's And When Did You Last See Your Father? ... it's about trying to make sense of the rubble left behind by a father's death... A richly humane, smile-inducing memoir * Observer *While the book is many things - the impact of multi-culturalism, a coming-of-age story and a Nick Hornby-style documentation of musical obsession - it is Manzoor's relationship with his father that lies at its heart * Independent *Beautiful and moving ... A book to make you believe that we are all more alike than we know -- Tony Parsons

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Book SynopsisBrilliant, bold and thrilling, The Thousand Eyes by A. K. Larkwood is the epic fantasy sequel to The Unspoken Name.Could you sacrifice your dreams to escape a nightmare?Csorwe, Shuthmili and Tal survey abandoned Echentyr worlds to make a living. The empire’s ruins seem harmless but fascinating. Yet disaster strikes when they stumble upon ancient magic during a routine expedition. This revives a warrior who’d slept for an age, reigniting a conflict thousands of years old. And the soldier binds Csorwe to her cause.Shuthmili is desperate to protect the woman she loves. However, as events escalate, she’s torn. Can she help Csorwe by clinging to her own humanity or by embracing her eldritch powers?Tal heads home, but his peace is shattered when a magical catastrophe hits his city. The wizard Sethennai is missing and Tal can’t face seeking his former lover to ask for help. So, he flees – but there’s no escaping the future. For throughout the Echo Maze’s linked worlds, fragments of an undead goddess are waking. Soon all must choose a side.Praise for The Unspoken Name:‘An outstanding debut . . . unlike anything I’ve read before’ – Nicholas Eames‘Richly detailed, enthralling and extraordinary’ – Jenn Lyons‘Stylish, classy and timeless . . . I cannot recommend it enough’ – Tamsyn Muir‘An adventure I couldn’t put down’ – S. A. ChakrabortyTrade ReviewA fun, fresh new take on the traditional fantasy quest and an adventure I couldn't put down! -- S. A. Chakraborty on The Unspoken NameAn astounding debut, written with skill and stunning assurance . . . From its flawless first page to its bittersweet last, The Unspoken Name is unlike anything I’ve read before -- Nicholas Eames on The Unspoken NameThe Unspoken Name is the best kind of modern fantasy – it feels totally fresh, it's full of satisfyingly weird gods and frightening magic; plus it's stuffed with the sort of characters you'll either want to be friends with or run screaming from. I loved this book! -- Jen Williams on The Unspoken NameWhat a glorious book! Richly detailed, enthralling, and extraordinary, with brilliant nods to such luminaries as Ursula K. Le Guin and Diana Wynne Jones . . . Fabulous, in every meaning of the word -- Jenn Lyons on The Unspoken NameA.K. Larkwood’s The Unspoken Name is an epic fantasy in the vein of Le Guin’s magnificent Tombs of Atuan – if Arha the Eaten One got to grow up to be a swordswoman mercenary . . . The action is fast-paced and emotionally compelling; the magic is dangerous, beautiful and utterly compromising. I love this book so much -- Arkady Martine on The Unspoken Name

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Book SynopsisA story of hope, forgiveness and kindness, Lost Property reminds us to keep our loved ones (along with our bags and umbrellas) close...'An enthralling read, full of rich descriptions and characters you can't help but love' Hazel Prior, bestselling author of Away with the Penguins'A lovely novel about loss and reconnection...both satisfying and joyful' Lissa Evans----------------One lost purse. One lost woman.A chance encounter that changes everything.Dot Watson has lost her way. Wracked with guilt and struggling with grief, she has tucked herself away in the London Transport Lost Property office, finding solace in the process of cataloguing misplaced things. It's not glamorous or exciting, but it's solitary - just the way Dot likes it.That is, until elderly Mr Appleby walks through the door in search of his late wife's purse and Dot immediately feels a connection to him. Determined to help, she sets off on an extraordinary journey, one that could lead Dot to reclaim her life and find where she truly belongs...Perfect for fans of Matt Haig, Rachel Joyce and AJ Pearce, this is a moving and uplifting novel about finding your place in the world.Readers have fallen in love with Lost Property:***** 'A beautiful book and one of my best reads this year'***** 'An emotional journey that had me hooked'***** 'A wonderful, uplifting debut novel'***** 'Dot is an inspiration'***** 'Full of sorrow, love and a light humour'***** 'I am so pleased to have found Dot'Trade ReviewAn enthralling read, full of rich descriptions and characters you can't help but love * Hazel Prior, bestselling author of Away with the Penguins *A wonderfully rich, funny book. Shades of Eleanor Oliphant and Dear Mrs Bird, but also entirely its own. Dot is a treasure waiting to be found * Beth Morrey *A lovely novel about loss and reconnection...both satisfying and joyful * Lissa Evans *Emotionally rich and character-led, Lost Property is a sharply funny, wise and warming story * Anne Cater, The Daily Express *A deeply moving and richly detailed story that genuinely tugs at the heartstrings * CultureFly *A beautifully written book ... a truly uplifting read * NB Magazine *Filled with beautiful prose, this is a life-affirming novel * My Weekly *Gentle and warm * Magic Book Club *

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Book SynopsisTHE WORD-OF-MOUTH PHENOMENON THAT EVERYONE HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT:'Intelligent, moving and darkly comic . . . taking us deftly from serious explorations of trauma to riotously funny scenes of modern life' The Sunday Times'Haunting and hilarious' Daily Mail'A brilliant debut' Cariad Lloyd'Full of heart, wit and feeling' Caroline O'Donoghue'I loved it!' Lauren Bravo'Heartfelt, sharp-but-tender' Erin Kelly'I couldn't stop reading' Angela Scanlon'A glorious new talent has arrived' Emma Gannon'Raw and utterly brilliant' Otegha Uwagba'Absorbing and clever . . . I fell in love with Mathilda' Cathy Rentzenbrink'Will be read for years by any and all young women looking for a friend' Scarlett Curtis__________________________________ There is something wrong with Mathilda.She's still reeling from the blow of a gut-punch break up and grieving the death of a loved one. But that's not it. She's cried all her tears, mastered her crow pose and thrown out every last reminder of him. But that's not helping.Concerned that she isn't moving on, Mathilda's friends push her towards a series of increasingly unorthodox remedies. Until the seams of herself begin to come undone. Tender, unflinching and blisteringly funny, What a Shame glitters with rage and heartbreak, perfect for fans of Emma Jane Unsworth, Dolly Alderton and Holly Bourne.__________________________________'Ever-so-relatable' Cosmopolitan'Delightfully frank' The Skinny'A modern story of grief and loss' Refinery29'Dazzling . . . By turns funny, sharp, raw and overwhelming' Heat'Fizzes with energy, rage and love' Jessica Moor'A book that beautifully balances the light and the dark' Chloe Ashby'Dark, nuanced and provocative' Laura Jane Williams'An extraordinary novel that will stay with me for a long time' Laura KayTrade ReviewAn intelligent, moving and darkly comic debut, taking us deftly from serious explorations of trauma and consent to riotously funny scenes of modern life - it's like Fleabag with a sprinkling of the occult. * The Sunday Times *Tipped to be THE hit book of 2022 * Daily Mail *Affecting, clever and blisteringly humorous... a riveting read about heartbreak, female shame and self-acceptance -- Sarra Manning * Red Magazine *Hits the nail on the head . . . above all it's a really beautiful portrayal of female friendship. -- Laura Hackett * Times Radio *Dazzling . . . By turns funny, sharp, raw and overwhelming, this is one of those novels where you think you are exploring someone else's pain, only to realise you are actually exploring your own -- Read of the Week * Heat *Alternately haunting and hilarious . . . an original and zeitgeisty story about grief, friendship, secrets, shame and self-acceptance. * Daily Mail *It's LOL, ever-so-relatable and will also have you weeping into a snotty tissue. Love, love, love * Cosmopolitan *A modern story of grief and loss * Refinery29 *Bergstrom's prose, and especially the core dynamic of Mathilda and her friends (a coven of voice notes and anxious love) has a sweet verisimilitude that is delightfully frank, (re)inscribing warmth and intimacy for warmth and intimacy's sakes. And if it all seems a bit familiar - the millennial hodgepodge of tarot, bad dates, housemates and female trauma - well, maybe this is also the point. Maybe these stories are more common than we want to believe. * The Skinny *Absorbing and clever . . . I fell in love with Mathilda -- Cathy RentzenbrinkRaw and unexpected and weird and utterly brilliant -- Otegha UwagbaAs soon as I finished the final page of What a Shame a deep ache set in. Written by one of the cleverest and boldest writers I've ever read, it is a powerful, beautiful, fascinating novel that will be read for years by any and all young women looking for a friend. I already miss Mathilda. -- Scarlett CurtisComparisons to Sally Rooney are inevitable, but this heartfelt, sharp-yet-tender novel earns its own place in the spotlight -- Erin KellyWhat A Shame weaves eternal themes of grief and heartbreak against a modern canvas that is clear and recognisable. There's a piercing sense of what happens when your tragedy becomes your anecdote, and your anecdote becomes tiring to the people around you. Full of heart, wit and feeling, Bergstrom is a new voice but sure to be an enduring one. -- Caroline O'DonoghueA brilliant debut -- Cariad LloydRaw, poignant, haunting (and hilarious!)... In Mathilda, Bergstrom has created a clear-eyed heroine for a new generation. -- Sam BakerTruly captivating, blisteringly funny, so clever and perceptive and beautifully written. It made me want to voicenote all my friends immediately. I loved it! -- Lauren BravoA book that simultaneously punches you in the gut and makes you snort with laughter. It's beautifully raw in its delivery. A glorious new talent has arrived -- Emma GannonDark, nuanced and provocative, this is a sterling debut that fans of Caroline O'Donoghue, Holly Bourne and Emma Jane Unsworth are sure to love. Mathilda's chilling - but ultimately redemptive - story will stay with me. -- Laura Jane WilliamsRazor-sharp, compelling and darkly funny. An extraordinary novel that will stay with me for a long time. -- Laura KayWhat a Shame fizzes with energy, rage and love, burrowing deep into those experiences that define us at our core. Bergstrom writes with wit and wisdom, and Mathilda's voice is ever-incisive, fresh and compelling. -- Jessica MoorI fell hard for Mathilda and her tale of heartache, grief and acceptance. Like most of us, she's a bit weird and a bit wild, and you'll be so glad you met her. -- Laura PearsonA wry and zeitgeisty look at grief, heartbreak and the fix-you industry, What a Shame asks whether we can ever expect closure from our worst and most secret pain and fear. A must-read for anyone who has ever felt defined by a break-up. -- Harriet WalkerCrackles with wit and emotional insight . . . so good on tangled webs of feeling, the power of female friendships, and hope -- Emma HughesDark, complex and very funny. A dazzling debut about the power of self-belief, sisterhood and letting go -- Hannah ToveyA book that beautifully balances the light and the dark. I loved spending time with Mathilda, a heroine who's funny, wise, wonderfully weird and brave, and who feels like a friend. -- Chloë AshbyTender, searingly honest and widely vulnerable. I couldn't stop reading -- Angela ScanlonAn absolute corker - tender, sexy and weird. I can't wait to see what she writes next -- Michelle ThomasMy favourite kind of book: the kind that you can't help but race through, leaves you immediately devastated when you finish it and envious of everyone who has yet to read it. -- Dr SophA painfully exquisite book, by a unique talent that has single handedly rewritten the narrative of female shame -- Camilla PangAbigail Bergstrom's assured debut is a forensic excavation of the female psyche - on friendship, grief, and the secrets we keep to survive. -- Laura BaileyA beautiful, raw story of self-acceptance and shame that haunted me until I finished the last page. Reading Abigail's debut captured the pain and release that comes with laughing at a funeral. I swallowed the story in big gulps and will push it towards my friends. An ambitious, beautifully balanced novel that manages to strike laughter and heartache in equal measure. -- Abigail Mann[A] wry, poignant meditation on female shame, healing and friendship * Culture Whisperer *What a Shame is an absorbing experience; the story is strange yet brilliant . . . it's dark and raw and funny, with a woman on an emotionally engulfing journey at its centre . . . like Sorrow and Bliss on acid . . . A real gem. * Well Read with Anna Bonet *Abigail Bergstrom's darkly funny debut is a sharply observed account of a group of young women finding their way and discovering that they are more powerful than they imagined * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis'A subversive debut... Her spiky prose style provocatively undercuts received narratives about the "American dream" from the immigrant's perspective' Guardian'Unforgettable... Rarely does a book sharpen how you see the world around you, but American Fever does just that. It dazzled me on every page' Julie Buntin, author of Marlena*The winner of an Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature*On a year-long exchange programme in rural Oregon, sixteen-year-old Hira must swap Kashmiri chai for volleyball practice and understand why everyone around her seems to dislike Obama. An unforgettably witty narrator, Hira finds herself stuck between worlds. The experience is memorable for reasons both good and bad; a first kiss, new friends, racism, Islamophobia, homesickness. Along the way Hira starts to feel increasingly unwell until she begins coughing up blood, and receives a diagnosis of tuberculosis, pushing her into quarantine and turning her newly-established world upside down.'Marks the debut of a thrilling new global voice' Peter Ho Davies'Completely engrossing . . . Amna's prose moves along quickly and Hira's appraisal of the people and places she encounters is sharp and untarnished by tact' DawnTrade ReviewA subversive debut . . . It is the sharpness, and surprise . . . that makes Dur e Aziz Amna's coming-of-age, coming-to-America debut novel stand out . . . The highly quotable Hira is a force to be reckoned with. Her spiky prose style provocatively undercuts received narratives about the 'American dream' from the immigrant's perspective. -- Sana Goyal * Guardian *What comes sharply into focus in this beautifully written debut, is that we can never leave the past behind -- Jane Shilling * Daily Mail *American Fever is the unforgettable story of a teenage girl in a year of transformation. Dur e Aziz Amna navigates the choppy waters of adolescence with blistering insight and humour, and exquisitely captures the way we can long for home while yearning to escape it. Rarely does a book sharpen how you see the world around you, but American Fever does just that. It dazzled me on every page. * Julie Buntin, author of Marlena *"The one thing I shouldn't ever do was take an American's word on America." Good point: take Dur e Aziz Amna's word instead. In this sharply observed twist on the classic coming-to-America story, we find an America recognizable in all its generosity, cruelty, and sometimes-well-intentioned bumbling. And we find a brilliant exploration of the sacred, scary moment when a girl comes into the wider world. * Benjamin Moser, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of Sontag: Her Life and Work *Brave, tender-hearted, and painfully bittersweet, American Fever is a sharply observed debut that announces Dur e Aziz Amna as a brilliant new voice. * Fatima Farheen Mirza, author of A Place for Us *In American Fever, Dur e Aziz Amna gives us an unforgettable South Asian protagonist - clever, clear-spoken, equal parts brash and vulnerable - navigating the mores of illness, separation and small-town America. Charming, fearless and politically aware, American Fever is a novel that will stay with you for a long time. * Sarah Thankam Mathews *American Fever is an extraordinarily assured and gripping debut. The intelligence, humour and longing of Hira's voice, as she negotiates what it means to belong to a place, will certainly stay with me * Aysegül Savas *Hira's is a voice I won't soon forget; her biting intelligence, her irreverence, and her wit blazes through this riveting, brilliant novel which stuns in its insights, its sensitive understanding of the complexities of identity, of what home means, and what it means to exist within a globalized world. A searing debut. * Aamina Ahmad, author of The Return of Faraz Ali *A poetic, memorable novel. I loved it. Hira is a marvellous creation - American Fever marks the arrival of a hugely promising writer. * Mirza Waheed *A loving and unflinching exploration of home and homeland, the ways they make and unmake us, how they feed us and also eat away our insides. Amna's crystalline prose reflects and refracts, dazzles and captivates. * Nawaaz Ahmed, author of 'Radiant Fugitives', finalist for the PEN-Faulkner Award *American Fever is a fresh, fierce bildungsroman - a story of homesickness and adolescent ache, not to mention a biting meta-commentary on what we expect from immigrant narratives. It's a relief to witness America as Hira does, seeing it clearly as an absurd, flawed nation that is all too often, as Hira says, a concept on whose behalf immigrants are unreasonably asked to testify. * Sanjena Sathian, author of GOLD DIGGERS *American Fever is a beautifully written book . . . Hira [is] a narrator whose insight and skepticism is addictive . . . Excellent * Tribune Magazine *Hira is a compelling, emotionally astute narrator . . . Hira's freshness in the way she assesses the world and herself while skewering the inconsistencies of those around her makes for a layered read . . . Amna's debut novel showcases her adeptness in tackling some of the big migration questions of home and identity within the context of her insightful young protagonist's complex experiences * Booklist *This is a funny and affecting novel, understated but powerful, a wonderful new spin on the coming-of-age story. A smart, charming debut. * Kirkus Reviews *An utterly hypnotic, witty and brilliant novel about young Hira's journey across two oceans... Dur E Aziz Amna's virtuosic way with language kept me enthralled the whole way through. This book is a necessary next-leveling of diasporic consciousness, the unraveling of borders between homeland and newfound home that happens inside of us. * Tanaïs, author of IN SENSORIUM *American Fever is an exhilarating juxtaposition of discovery and nostalgia. With great humour and fine attentiveness, Dur e Aziz Amna captures the feverish excitement and confusion of America from the point of view of a young outsider, questioning our assumptions about relationships, politics, food, clothes, illness, grief and beyond. It's a fast-paced yet contemplative story of malaise and opportunity, intercultural (mis)understanding, and transgenerational debt. Every page is filled with the zest of life that makes you want more. * Kit Fan, author of DIAMOND HILL *Fierce, razor-sharp, poignant, and rendered with fiery wit and deep empathy for human foibles, American Fever is a powerful tale of exile, identity, and belonging in our complex world. * Vikram Paralkar, author of NIGHT THEATER *A gripping debut on a journey that so many young people embark on but very little is written about with such audacity, skill and compassion. The narrative toggle between teenage and adult Hira adds depth to an already evocative book. * Zeba Talkhani *Gorgeous... Amna is a bold storyteller skilled at blending character, plot, and the kind of existential crises that keep us up at night. Her debut novel, American Fever-as propulsive as it is lyrical, as hilarious as it is sobering-is, above all, an irresistible read from an impressive new literary voice. * Michigan Quarterly Review *Completely engrossing . . . Amna's prose moves along quickly and Hira's appraisal of the people and places she encounters is sharp and untarnished by tact. At times, her wit and judgement land like the crack of a whip and leave you both laughing and uncomfortable. -- Mariam Tareen * Dawn *When I finished reading the novel, I was filled with gratitude for finding this brilliant voice from our country at the start of her career . . . Dur e Aziz Amna is a writer that every Pakistani should be reading. * The News *Prose that dances with charge and potency . . . American Fever firmly puts Amna on the literary map as a sharp young voice to look out for. Its striking cast of characters, both Pakistani and American, stand out in their pugnacious individuality, and its potent themes are woven through the story with genuine subtlety -- Anandi Mishra * Los Angeles Review of Books *

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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 SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE RELIT 2022 NOVEL AWARDA joy ride set on a crash course with the past.Audrey Cole has always loved to drive. Anytime, anywhere, any car: a questionable rustbucket, a family sedan, the SUV she was paid to drive around the oil fields. From the second she learned to drive, she’s always found a way to hit the road.Years ago, when she abandoned her oil field job, she found herself chauffeuring around the Lever Men, a B-list band relegated to playing empty dive bars in far-flung towns. That’s how she found herself at the Crash Palace, an isolated lodge outside the big city where people pay to party in the wilderness.And now, one night, while her young daughter is asleep at home, Audrey is struck by that old urge and finds herself testing the doors of parked cars in her neighbourhood. Before she knows it, she’s headed north in the dead of winter to the now abandoned Crash Palace in a stolen car, unable to stop herself from confronting her pastThe Crash Palace is a funny, moving, and surprising novel by the author of the Amazon First Novel Award–nominated The Milk Chicken Bomb. Audrey is unlike any character you’ve met before, and you'll love being along for the ride.Trade Review"Wedderburn’s engaging tale will hot-wire readers’ brains, making Audrey’s wanderlust palpable and contagious." – Publishers Weekly, Starred Review"Wedderburn’s novel The Milk Chicken Bomb, received a nod for the Amazon First Novel Award and was longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin literary award; this second novel — featuring a memorable character named Audrey Cole who goes on a road trip to The Crash Palace, where people pay to party in the wilderness — promises to be just as quirky." – Toronto Star“Wedderburn’s prose has an alluringly musical style [...] Wedderburn leaves it up to us to devise our stories and figure out our own answers, adding to the book’s overall charm and mystique.” – Quill & Quire"The Crash Palace reads like a greatest hits album of Alberta in the 2000s." – Bruce Cinnamon, Alberta Views

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Book SynopsisWhen I was in eighth grade my sister helped kill another girl.For the Oliviera family - mum Carol, daughters Angel and Marie - autumn 2009 in the once-prosperous beach town of Ashaway, Rhode Island is the worst of times. Money is tight, Carol can't stay away from unsuitable men, Angel's world is shattered when she learns her long-time boyfriend Myles has been cheating on her with classmate Birdy, and Marie is left to fend for herself. As Angel and Birdy, both consumed by the intensity of their feelings for Myles, careen towards a collision both tragic and inevitable, the loyalties of Carol and Marie will be tested in ways they could never have foreseen.Stewart O'Nan's expert hand has crafted a crushing and propulsive novel about sisters, mothers and daughters, and the desperate ecstasies of love and the terrible things we do for it. Both swoony and haunting, Ocean State is a masterful work by one of the great storytellers of everyday American life.Trade ReviewA mesmerising human drama, beautifully observed and compellingly written. The central murder story reminded me of the sublime crime writing of Ruth Rendell, and the insight into the characters' lives is reminiscent of the best of Anne Tyler. In other words, there's so much about this novel that's remarkable, and I urge you to read it -- B. P. Walter, author of THE DINNER GUESTKeeps the reader glued...it's in the excavation of this extraordinary "whydunnit", rather than whodunnit, that O'Nan reveals the mess of inequality and lack of opportunity in contemporary America. * Sunday Independent *O'Nan is an enticing writer, a master of the illuminatingly mundane moments... O'Nan is subverting the thriller, borrowing its momentum to propel this bracing, chilling novel * New York Times *Beautifully rendered and heartbreaking...a Shakespearean tragedy told in spare, poetic, insightful prose * Publishers Weekly *Stewart O'Nan's haunting and fleet Ocean State tunnels deeply into the heady, hard lives of the vivid young women at its centre. Half-broken and full of longing, these women move us deeply. As the story hurtles toward an act of violence that feels both impossible and inexorable, we find ourselves wanting to stop and protect all of them. -- Megan AbbottStewart O'Nan is out to break your heart in the most beautiful way. He is writing with his full power unleashed. This book is a classic. -- Luis Alberto UrreaOne of Stewart O'Nan's many gifts is a keen and unflinching eye lit with an abiding compassion for his characters, all of which is on display in his mesmerizing new novel, Ocean State. Set in the forgotten streets of post-industrial, blue collar Rhode Island, this timely and gritty tale takes us deeply into the lives of girls and women who must navigate the kind of loss that can either break or strengthen the ties that bind us all. Ocean State is a gem glittering in the darkness. -- Andre Dubus IIIWhat O'Nan has done perhaps better than anybody else the past ten years is deliver the complexity, heartbreak and human drama of everyday people living everyday lives. -- Jonathan Evison

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Book SynopsisWildly kaleidoscopic and furiously cinematic, Home After Dark is a literary tour-de-force that renders the brutality of adolescence in the so-called nostalgic 1950s, evoking classics such as The Lord of the Flies. Thirteen-year-old Russell Pruitt, abandoned by his mother, follows his father to California in search of a dream. Forced to fend for himself, Russell struggles to survive in Marshfield, a dilapidated town haunted by a sadistic animal killer and a ring of malicious boys who bully Russell for being “queer”. Rescued from his booze-swilling father by Wen and Jian Mah, a Chinese immigrant couple who long for a child, Russell betrays them by running away with their restaurant’s proceeds. Told through thousands of spliced images, Home After Dark is a new form of literature, a shocking graphic interpretation of cinema verité.Trade Review"David Small’s tale of a sad, isolated teenager and his angry father is timely in the age of Donald Trump... All of the power of Home After Dark lies with his meticulous pen and waterproof ink drawings... Among his influences, besides the work of Egon Schiele, which he loved as a younger man, are directors such as Hitchcock, Polanski, Bergman and Antonioni, and his exquisite holding shots, stunning closeups and extended silent sequences do bring the movies immediately to mind; at times, you fancy you might almost hear the whirr of the projector." -- Rachel Cooke, Graphic Novel of the Month - The Observer"A master graphic storyteller who has certainly captured male adolescence in 1950s America. Having to think about dodging high school bullies every day sure resonated with me! And Russell’s sexual predicament was handled in a very original way." -- Robert Crumb"... [In] the profound and moving Home After Dark... Small subtly tackles unsubtle themes—gender roles, sexual awakening, immigration, racism—in spare prose and beautiful Hitchcockian-angled panels. Home After Dark is touching, heartbreaking and one of the more nuanced looks at male adolescence in American literature since Holden Caulfield was expelled from Pencey Prep." -- Times Literary Supplement"Small’s forte lies in the silent, cinematic montage, where each image echoes with Russell’s loneliness. It’s a hauntingly harsh coming-of-age tale." -- Siobhan Murphy - The Times"This is not a California – or a childhood – that anyone in their right mind would ever dream of... This book is utterly superb. Only a person with no feelings at all could fail to buy it." -- Strong Words"... Home After Dark is well crafted. Small is a talented cartoonist and the opening sequence particularly impressive as Russell stares at his reflection in a Christmas bauble, trying to recognise himself. And the dream sequence in which his desire for Kurt breaks through is as clever as it is truthful." -- The Scotsman"Set in America in the years after the Korean war it’s a coming-of-age story that takes in parental separation, bullying, and sexual awakening. Nothing new there, you might say, but Small’s vision of his protagonist Russell Pruitt is starkly told, dark in mood and action. The art is scratchy but the scratches cut deep." -- The Herald

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Book SynopsisJoanna, a retired Muay Thai champion, takes in a troubled foster teen and decides to train her, until the teen finds herself entangled with a dangerous group of criminals running underground fights and Joanna must return to the ring to save her... and keep their new family together.After the devastating loss of her Muay Thai championship title, Joanna decided to walk away from competition, start a family, and open her own gym. But her quiet life gets disrupted when an old friend asks her to temporarily foster a troubled teen. Just as Joanna believes she is starting to break through Mari's walls, a misunderstanding drives Mari to run away and join an underground fighting ring. Joanna vows to do anything to get Mari back, even if that means stepping back into the ring... When writing powerhouse Stephanie Phillips (Grim, Harley Quinn) and star newcomer Giulia Lalli join forces, it's sure to be a tag team you won't forget.

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