Narrative theme: death, grief, loss

Book Synopsis''Dr Moore''s 1000-day-plus journey evocatively and beautifully describes the mental devastation that personal loss can leave in its wake and offers us the remarkable combination of expert commentary and an intensely personal captivating narrative.''- Peter Fonagy OBE, Professor of Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Head of Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, UCL''A book that appeals to different audiences. It will reach out to those who have lost loved ones and need the comfort and solace of knowing that they are not alone in their suffering.''- Luisa Stopa, Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of SouthamptonVanessa''s husband Paul dies suddenly and tragically on their regular Sunday morning swim. How will she cope with her dilapidated house, her teenage children, the patients who depend on her? Will therapy help? Why do mysterious white feathers start appearing in unexpected places?As a clinical psychologist, Van

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Book Synopsis''Astoundingly good. Brave, wickedly funny and profoundly affecting. Wow!'' Miranda Dickinson''An emotional punch-packer of a book. Be prepared for it to swallow you whole'' Milly Johnson''Abig-hearted, funny, hugely emotional and uplifting novel - I loved it!'' Rachael Lucas''Such a beautifully written book with characters that will linger in your head and heart'' Sarah J Naughton****You don''t need talent to join this group of actors. The ability to remember lines or stay awake throughout a performance is appreciated, but not essential. The only mandatory is a terminal diagnosis. But Adam Campbell is less than enthusiastic about this eccentric form of group therapy. He has under one year to live, and a heck of lot to get done. Like explaining mortality to his six-year-old daughter. And making amends with the woman who should haTrade ReviewAstoundingly good. Brave, wickedly funny and profoundly affecting. Wow! * Miranda Dickinson *A powerful and beautiful book about the resilience and fragility of life. It will wring out your heart. -- Milly JohnsonSuch a beautifully written book with characters that will linger in your head and heart -- Sarah J NaughtonA moving read * Bella *'I'm broken!! Completely and utterly broken!! Andy Jones what have you done to me?! The Last Act of Adam Campbell is a wonderful book and I loved every single page . . . I haven't been able to stop thinking about since I finished it and so it's one I know will be hard to beat when it comes to my favourite books of the year list at the end of 2020 . . . Very highly recommended by me! -- MyChestnutReadingTeww.wordpress.comThis book should come with a warning, a packet of tissues plus tea and chocolates to help you recover from the end of it . . . The Last Act of Adam Campbell' is a life affirming and tender story that highlights the fragility of life and the importance of making every second count. -- HandwrittenGirl.comYou will need a lot of tissues, as it is funny, sad and touching and really shows the strength of human spirit and how even when everything seems hopeless you can find hope as the group all do in The Rude Mechanicals. A great but heart-wrenching read. -- KarenReadsAndRecommends.wordpress.comOne of the most uplifting books I have read in a long time . . . We have a tendency to worry and fret about stupid things in this life that really don't matter. If nothing else, this book has given me the chance to change my priorities and focus more on the things that really matter. And for that, I wholeheartedly thank the author. -- NetGalley ReviewerWow if this book doesn't make you cry then I'm pretty sure nothing will . . . This book is sad and brutally honest but also filled with love and fun and a story of friendship that changes every single one of their lives for the better. The ending is heartbreaking but beautiful. -- NetGalley ReviewerDespite being an emotional mess at times, I cannot express how glad I am that I have read this book. I found it very cathartic and it made me feel very positive. -- NetGalley ReviewerThis beautifully written and heart-warming book is perfect for fans of Nick Hornby and David Nicholls. * BooksLifeEverything.blogspot.co.uk *This is an incredible novel and - if you're not scared to have your heart broken a little (or a lot) - you definitely shouldn't miss it * BookAfterBook.blogspot.com *Oh my, what a beautiful, moving book it is! Full of poignant moments to bring a lump to your throat, it's a story not only about death, but about life, love and everything in between. It's about grabbing hold of life with both hands, no matter how long or short that life may be . . . As difficult as some parts of this book was to read, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. As long as you go in prepared to have your heart broken, aware that it deals with the devastation that death and loss brings, I would say read and experience the beauty of this book for yourself. I know this is a story and characters that will stay with me for a long time to come. Andy Jones has written a moving, poignant and memorable book to be proud of. * CalTurnerReviews.wordpress.com *

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Book Synopsis'Smart, funny and beautifully written. Brodeur is a brilliant dissector of family relationships, a lyricist of the natural world, and an astute observer of our inner turmoils' MONICA ALI'Gorgeous, gripping, I couldn't put it down' RUTH OZEKI'Beautiful, lyrical and unvarnished, Adrienne Brodeur's Little Monsters delivers its powerful emotional punches so subtly that they sneak up on you and leave you floored' MIRANDA COWLEY HELLER, author of THE PAPER PALACEA riveting novel about Cape Cod, complicated families and long-buried secretsKen and Abby Gardner were raised in a remote home on Cape Cod. As adults, their relationship is strained, but their lives are still deeply intertwined. Ken is a successful businessman with political ambitions and a picture-perfect family, but when his wife walks in on him in an internet chatroom, she demands they go to therapy. Abby is a talented artist who depends on her brother's goodwill, in part because he owns the studio where she lives and works.Their father, Adam, a brilliant oceanographer, raised them as a single parent. As his seventieth birthday approaches and he begins to stare down his mortality, he comes off his bipolar disorder medication in order to make one last scienti?c breakthrough; he has secretly stopped taking his pills, which he knows will infuriate his children.Meanwhile, Abby and Ken are both harbouring secrets of their own, and there is a new person on the periphery of the family - Steph, who doesn't make her connection known.Set over one fraught summer, Little Monsters is an absorbing, sharply observed family story by a writer who knows Cape Cod inside and out - its Edenic lushness and its snakes.Trade ReviewGorgeous, gripping, I couldn't put it down. Adrienne Brodeur does family intrigue and dysfunction like no one else I know. In Little Monsters, she once again draws back the curtain on a world of seaside wealth and casual privilege, to reveal a family unravelled by the lies, rivalries, secrets, and silences that have bound it together -- Ruth OzekiBrodeur creates an evocative sense of place in a Cape Cod-set novel that's affecting and powerful * Observer *An utterly gripping, immersive story of one family's unravelling traumas and hopes. It will capture and hold you in its depths. Brodeur creates characters who are so real, so complex, I could almost touch them, feel them sitting beside me -- Christy Lefteri, author of The Beekeeper of AleppoA page-turner about the conspiracy of silence and corrosive nature of skeletons in the closet * Financial Times *Beautiful, lyrical and unvarnished, Adrienne Brodeur's Little Monsters delivers its powerful emotional punches so subtly that they sneak up on you and leave you floored -- Miranda Cowley Heller, New York Times bestselling author of The Paper Palace[An] engaging and neatly plotted novel. . . Little Monsters is so alluring, with its sense of looming familial implosion within a cultural implosion. . . Brodeur is very deliberately examining a small family horror story within a larger political context. * New York Times *Gorgeously told, with psychological nuance to spare, Adrienne Brodeur's latest fiction returns us to a world she knows by heart, wind-blown, wave-swept Cape Cod and the fraught, labyrinthine territory beneath the surface of family. This is the work of a seasoned and wonderfully wise storyteller. Brodeur is as masterfully attuned to the complex DNA of kindred secrets and high-risk loyalties as she is empathetic to the specifically tangled lives of the Gardner clan. We ultimately want for them what we want for ourselves, the freedom that comes with hard-won healing and truth telling, and the intimacy that waits if we're brave enough to look back down the loaded barrel of love -- Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and When the Stars Go DarkSmart, funny and beautifully written. Brodeur is a brilliant dissector of family relationships, a lyricist of the natural world, and an astute observer of our inner turmoils -- Monica AliWho understands complicated family dynamics better than Adrienne Brodeur? Little Monsters is a gripping portrait of how we carry the past into the present, and how the boundaries of kinship blur and change over time -- Mary Beth Keane, author of ASK AGAIN, YESWrenching, psychologically complex, and emotionally satisfying, Little Monsters is an immersive pleasure. This sprawling, big-hearted family saga is about the lies we tell each other and ourselves that enable us to maintain alliances-and what happens when we start telling the truth -- Christina Baker Kline, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan TrainIn Little Monsters, Adrienne Brodeur plunges into a multi-charactered family novel that is richly satisfying, like the best of meals, taking the reader into the heart of what Freud called 'the family romance,' with all its complexities, evasions, buried guilts, forbidden passions and sibling rivalry. As sharply observant about her characters as she is of the landscape and seascape of Cape Cod, where they live, her novel is that rarest of things: a truly great read -- Michael KordaA compelling family drama set on the beautiful Cape Cod * Good Housekeeping *A juicy portrait of a wealthy family on the brink of disaster. . . Little Monsters simmers with tension as secrets explode out into the open. . . Tensely constructed and absorbing. . . A consummate summer read, which somehow evokes smooth beach glass and hot pink sunsets with nary a mention of either * The Washington Post *Adrienne Brodeur knows her way around a family drama. . . Brodeur weaves a story dense with stinging secrets and simmering resentments, rooted in another context that she knows well: the manicured towns and wild fringes of Cape Cod. . . Set against the island’s rippling dune grasses and scrub pines, [the] narrative is as elegantly rendered as it is compulsively readable * Vogue *

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Book Synopsis* SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD 2021 *'If her moving, engrossing, elegantly written memoir does not win prizes, there really is no justice in the literary world.' Lucy Atkins, Sunday TimesAll happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.When Arifa Akbar discovered that her sister had fallen seriously ill, she assumed there would be a brief spell in hospital and then she'd be home. This was not to be. It was not until the day before she died that the family discovered she was suffering from tuberculosis. Consumed is a story of sisterhood, grief, the redemptive power of art and the strange mythologies that surround tuberculosis. It takes us from Keats's deathbed and the tubercular women of opera to the resurgence of TB in modern Britain today. Arifa travels to Rome to haunt the places Keats and her sister had explored, to her grandparent's house in Pakistan, to her sister's bedside at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead and back to a London of the seventies when her family first arrived, poor, homeless and hungry. Consumed is an eloquent and moving excavation of a family's secrets and a sister's detective story to understand her sibling.Trade ReviewBeguiling . . . The story and the writing have an unusual mystery about them, with striking imagery and a relatable insight into the darknesses and half-truths of family life . . . this one stands out for its eccentricity and elegiac splendour. -- Diana Evans, Guardian Summer Books[Consumed] is a tender memoir of sisterhood, of growing up in a low-income immigrant family in Primrose Hill in the 1970s and 1980s and, above all, of family dysfunction, mental illness, grief and survival . . . Akbar sews many disparate strands into a work of art. If her moving, engrossing, elegantly written memoir does not win prizes, there really is no justice in the literary world. -- Lucy Atkins * Sunday Times *An insightful and often lyrical study of sibling and the story of a troubled life cut short . . . as Fauzia immortalised her sister in art, [Akbar] has done the same, vividly and wonderfully, in prose. -- Fiona Sturges * Guardian *One of this year's must-read memoirs . . . A rich and beautiful story that will at times leave you weeping while simultaneously hugging Akbar's writing close. -- Francesca Brown * Stylist *'Consumed is Akbar's poised and scholarly memoir; her sister and their relationship is at its heart, skilfully woven together with a cultural history of the disease that killed her . . . A moving story of loss, grief and sisterhood. -- Francesca Carington * Tatler *Akbar explores complicated family dynamics with candour - never sentimentalising what was often a difficult relationship, nor smoothing over the ugly side of dying. -- Prospect, Best Books of the YearAn engrossing and moving book, both forensic and delicate in its dredging of complicated truths . . . I have rarely read a memoir with such a combination of powerful, tender feeling and cool-headed analysis. Rather like Fauzia's embroideries, the tapestry of sisterly passion and pain is worked here in precise, gleaming little stitches: a literary labour of love. -- Jenny McCartney * Mail on Sunday *Beautifully written, extremely moving -- Lucy Scholes,The White Review Books of the YearA beautifully written memoir with the ghost of Fauzia haunting every page. -- Shirley Whiteside * Herald *A meditation on memory and the arts, the book also explores Arifa's often fraught relationship with her sister, her grief, and the inherent subjectivity of memory . . . I was profoundly moved by this book, thinking of particular passages long after reading it. -- Rageshri Dhairyawan * The Lancet *While Akbar's meticulously written memoir is often heartbreaking - there are passages that will move you to tears - it is never maudlin . . . [It] stands as a testament to familial love precisely because she is brave enough to explore how it can be entangled with its opposite. -- Alex Peake-Tomkinson * Prospect *Compelling, searingly honest, so real that, at times, you feel the burn on the skin, but the teller never exploits these emotions. Akbar's artistic sensibility turns what could be a misery memoir into a literary tour de force. -- Yasmin Alibhai-BrownA brilliant book about loss and grief, about art and death, and, more importantly, about family and belonging. The strength of feeling is remarkable, but it's Arifa Akbar's writing that lifts it to an even higher plane of achievement. -- Anthony Quinn, author of Our Friends in BerlinI loved this haunting, beautiful exploration of sisterhood, love and loss. Consumed weaves together art history, medical mystery and grief memoir with enormous honesty and tenderness. -- Rachel Clarke, bestselling author of Dear Life and BreathtakingI'm bowled over. It's a searing, brilliant, dazzling memoir of sisterhood, mental illness, art and grief. Heartbreaking and beautiful. I can't recommend it highly enough. -- Christina Patterson

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Book SynopsisAn unexpected letter. An unlikely friendship. A chance to start again.Ever since she first picked up a violin, Hope Sullivan dreamed of going to music college, joining an orchestra and travelling the world with her best friend Janey. But when her parents were killed in a car accident on the way to one of her recitals, she gave it all up to look after her younger sister, Autumn. Ten years later, Janey is living their dream on her own, Autumn is flourishing as a doctor and Hope's life is smaller and less musical than ever.Arnold Quince had the happiest of lives - until he lost his beloved wife Marion. Once the life and soul of the village, he withdrew into his grief and pushed all his friends away. Now, five years on, he is sick, lonely and just counting down the years until he can be with Marion again.When Hope and Arnold are pushed into writing to one another, neither has any idea how much their life is about to change.********Readers love Juliet Ann Conlin!'The engaging characters that I've come to expect from this talented author. Highly recommend.' - 5 STARS'This book drew me in. Insightful and compelling.'- 5 STARS'A moving and gripping novel.' - 5 STARS'Beautifully written, heartwarming, heartbreaking and a great story' - 5 STARS'I didn't want this book to end' - 5 STARSTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR JULIET ANN CONLIN:Superb storytelling! Strongly drawn characters quickly demand attention, and empathy . . . compelling * Sarah Maine, bestselling author of The House Between Tides *I was absorbed * Paul French, author of The Lives Before Us *

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Book Synopsis'Both heartbreaking and heartwarming' - ***** Amazon reviewer'Emotional, charming and uplifting' -***** Amazon reviewerA message in a bottle. One summer. A family to reunite.Lou suffers from a rare type of dementia and dies in her fifties. She leaves behind a message in a bottle, charging her husband Joe with a challenging task: he has two months to reunite their patchwork family whose members have fallen out with each other.Luckily for him, Lou has thought of everything and helps him along with a list of family activities and recipes. Slowly but surely, they all find their way back to each other: Joe's son Cyrian and his two daughters Apple and Charlotte. Cyrian's second wife who can't stand Apple because she isn't her own. Joe's stunning daughter Sarah who has lost the love of her life and seeks solace in one-night stands.But Joe is running out of time. Will his efforts pay off before it is too late? And most importantly: what's in the mysterious letter?

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Book SynopsisHe loved her. He lost her. But he should never have written her off.'Birthday Girl is a real treat of a book, beautifully written and perfectly paced, slowly revealing secret after secret until you're not sure of anything anymore - only that you have to keep reading' - Elly Griffiths, author of The Ruth Galloway NovelsJonathan's wife disappeared more than twenty years ago. Now he's seeing her everywhere . . .New York in the 1990s - impoverished writer Jonathan Dainty takes his wife Maddie out to the beach for her birthday. Hours later he finds himself at the local police precinct trying to explain how on earth he let his wife get into a stranger's car, and allowed it to drive her away.More than twenty years later, Maddie is presumed dead and Jonathan has channelled his grief into a best-selling series of crime novels. As far as he can, he is living the perfect life.Then one day he catches a glimpse of his dead wife, moving through a throng of people. Is Maddie alive? Has she come back? And why does no one believe him? As Jonathan attempts to uncover the truth, it soon becomes clear that the people closest to him are hiding something, something that could change everything . . .The propulsive thriller from debut talent Niko Wolf, perfect for fans of Gone Girl and Blood OrangeTrade ReviewA sleek, suspenseful story with characters so real you could reach out and touch them and a deliciously sharp sting in its tail -- C.L. Pattison, author of The Guest BookBirthday Girl is dark and fiendishly compelling, slowly revealing secret after secret until you're not sure of anything anymore - only that you have to keep reading -- Elly Griffiths, author of The Ruth Galloway NovelsWhat a read! An absorbing and complex thriller that will keep you guessing until the last shocking reveal -- Sophie Flynn, author of All My LiesA wonderfully taut and tense exploration of success in the face of trauma, Birthday Girl is a hugely compelling and thoroughly twisted tale . Masterfully written, this novel will reel you in and hold you enthralled as the layers of story are revealed -- Sarah Bonner, author of Her Perfect TwinAn unusual plot line and a terrific ending mark Wolf out as one to watch for the future... Her psychological grasp of what drives Dainty and how he deals with his grief is particularly convincing * The Daily Mail *An utterly captivating, sinister tale * Woman's Own *This intricate mystery ticks along with the smooth precision of a Swiss watch [ . . . ] The truth in the twist will take your breath away * Peterborough Telegraph *Wolf is a screenwriter and the book has a tightly honed cinematic structure as it moves fluently between present and past * The Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis'A morbidly two-fisted tour de force ' Sunday TimesA firecracker of a novel by the Booker-shortlisted author of A Fraction of the Whole - a scathingly funny and affecting tale of life, death, love and the questionable existence of God. Angus Mooney is not happy - he's been murdered, cut off in the prime of his life. He feels humiliated - he's never even believed in an afterlife. (How wrong he'd been). He's confused - death has provided more questions than answers. And he desperately misses his audacious and fiery wife, Gracie, who's expecting their first child. The only upside is that Angus has found a way to see what his murderer is up to, and how Gracie is faring. The downside: Gracie and his murderer are getting uncomfortably close, and a worldwide pandemic means the afterlife is about to get very crowded . . .'What a joy to surrender oneself to a writer of such prodigious talent' Peter CareyTrade ReviewSteve Toltz's fabulously impressive third novel cannonballs straight into heady existential questions, magicking up a vision of human life at once generous and absurd while wearing its considerable ambition lightly . . . Toltz takes his time with each book and Here Goes Nothing is a funny, clever, entertaining argument in favour of cultivating the patience to get it right. -- Rob Doyle * Guardian *A morbidly two-fisted tour de force . . . energetically full of sardonic one-liners . . . it reeks of mortality, but it is thoroughly bracing. -- Phil Baker * Sunday Times *Savagely comic . . . Here Goes Nothing is a Jeremiad with jokes . . . But when the story focuses on the end of days on Earth, Toltz abandons existential standup for the detailed horror of what we all might have faced if Covid had triumphed. Wider questions persist about what it means to be alive. * Spectator *In his three books (alas, too few) Steve Toltz has shown that he is one of the funniest and most original writers at work today. -- Robbie Millen * The Times *Toltz refreshingly posits an afterlife without any religious scaffolding . . . He conjures up scenes few other novelists would dare to imagine, let alone write . . . In a book full of narrative tricks, Toltz saves the best, or strangest, for last. -- Suzi Feay * Financial Times *Steve Toltz's first two novels . . . were filled to the brim with exuberant sentences, dark jokes, large philosophical ideas and wildly imaginative, often lurid incidents . . . Now, with Here Goes Nothing he pulls off the same trick again . . . While Toltz obviously has a serious purpose - to rub our noses in what a mess we've collectively made of being alive - his usual high quotient of fizzing one-liners ensures that not many pages go by without at least one laugh -- James Walton * The Times *The greatest Mitteleuropean novelist ever to have come from Australia . . . Toltz's great skill is to make [his] monsters in a lunatic way loveable . . . I read the final pages through a veil of tears. Of course, the flipside to such remorseless, brilliantly withering contempt is sentimentality. It is perhaps the most difficult genre to do well, and Toltz does it humanely, compassionately and unforgettably. -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *Toltz is the king of pitch-black comedy and personal catastrophe . . . his new novel grapples with big existential questions but is also stuffed with zingers. If there's no cure for being alive, laughter is still the best medicine. -- Justine Jordan * Guardian *A wildly comic riff on love, mortality and metaphysics; an extended vision of the afterlife that resembles Dante on magic mushrooms . . . Thought-provoking, inventive and full of literary pyrotechnics, this remarkable novel is unlike anything you will read this year. -- Simon Humphreys * Mail on Sunday *Sizzles with black comedy and anarchic energy * Guardian, Hot New Books for the Summer *A moving meditation on all that is wrong with our world today . . . In its epic scope charting this life and beyond, Here Goes Nothing works as a smart social commentary on our fossil fuel-guzzling, warmongering, information-obsessed, pandemic-riddled world. It is a hugely timely book. -- Sarah Gilmartin * Irish Times *I honestly think you have to resort to the likes of Oscar Wilde to find so many maxims per minute in a narrative. The book is the ideal guide to living and dying and living again in this parlous age. * Steve Stern *Clever lines drop down on these pages like flowers thrown on a casket . . . [a] zany, increasingly dark comedy * Washington Post *Dark, twisted and hilarious . . . Toltz is smart, imaginative and funny, unafraid to lob a literary grenade into hard-held beliefs of humankind. He uses Here Goes Nothing as a jumping-off point to parody the perversity and stubbornness of human nature and to highlight our uneasy relationship with mortality. Think of it as a comic, modern-day Divine Comedy with more intercourse and fewer opportunities to reach Paradise. -- Connie Ogle * Star Tribune *A story about the afterlife is ambitious enough but to make this so effortlessly funny is quite an achievement. * Penelope Debelle, Herald Sun (Australia) *What should survive of our past when we can start again from scratch? What do the dead owe the living? The answers Toltz provides are provisional, bleak and often hilarious, but they are never superficial. Here Goes Nothing reads like late-phase Saul Bellow in that it is brilliantly febrile and argumentative, though pessimistic when it comes to the human condition. Yet the implications of its character's actions are at variance to the general melancholy, and gloriously so. -- Geordie Williamson * Australian *

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Book SynopsisTHE THRILLER THAT EVERYONE IS RAVING ABOUT THIS SUMMER'Absolutely show-stopping' JANICE HALLETT'Unputdownable' SOPHIE HANNAH'So intense! So gripping!' B.P. WALTER'A tour-de-force' CHRIS WHITAKER'Wow!' CHRISTINA DALCHER'Enthralling and incredibly clever' C.J. TUDOR'Blew my mind' JANE CORRY'A drop-the-book twist' TAMMY COHENYOU KNOW HOW THIS STORY BEGINS. Once upon a time, there was a writer named Fern. She was a bestseller. An award-winner. Loved by readers and critics alike. With her words, she changed the world.Until her story took a turn. Now Fern is a cleaner in a hospital. Condemned to anonymity. Because reading books is now a crime. Only, Fern doesn't plan on going down without a fight. She'll keep writing, no matter the consequences. She will make her voice heard. Because Fern's story is only beginning. BUT CAN YOU GUESS HOW IT WILL END?A white-knuckle ride of a thriller set in an all-too-believable near-future with a shocking twist, perfect for fans of Gillian McAllister and Catriona Ward.___________________READERS LOVE END OF STORY . . .'It's actually hard to find words for how brilliant End of Story is' NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 5*'What a fantastic book, I really didn't see the twist coming but oh my gosh!' NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 5*'Without question one of my books of the year' NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 5*'I'm a bit flabbergasted after reading this. It wasn't what I was expecting; it was so much more' NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 5*'Wow, what have I just read? I honestly could not put this book down, I read it in one sitting.' NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 5*Trade ReviewAs much a ride as a read, this tense, paranoid thriller expands into something absolutely show-stopping. End of Story is a rare find indeed! Louise Swanson takes every expectation and defies it - to tell a breath-taking tale of humanity and redemption. -- Janice HallettWow. Swanson gives us what few writers can- a thriller with heart. END OF STORY will undoubtedly be the hit of 2023! -- Christina DalcherA vast, playful, ingenious piece of literary legerdemain . . . It's a book as much about writing as about loss and hope . . . but Louise Swanson takes that idea to audacious extremes, finding real soul amongst the dream logic and textural trickery . . . Read it and make your own mind up, because the ride is certainly fun * SFX *An unforgettable tour-de-force. Imaginative, terrifying, beautiful. Do not miss this one -- Chris WhitakerAbsolutely enthralling, incredibly clever, brutal and heartbreaking. This deserves to be the book everyone is talking about in 2023. I loved it. -- C.J. TudorThis dystopia is as disturbing as it is fascinating -- Deirdre O'Brien * Best *This richly imagined dystopian novel is an unsettling read * Woman's Own *A compelling slice of chilling dystopia * Heat *Unsettling, twisty, emotional, and so expertly written that you live every dark, discomforting moment with its protagonist. Not just a highlight of March, expect this book to be a highlight of the year. -- CultureflyCompelling -- Crime MonthlyThis is a book about the importance of storytelling, and it's little bit magic, a little bit dark, and a lot emotional. I adored it -- Amanda ProwseInventive, original, moving. END OF STORY has a unique premise and a heart-wrenching drop-the-book twist. -- Tammy CohenThis beautifully-written book blew my mind. Takes 'What if' to a new level. -- Jane CorryA sensually startling dystopia . . . unsettling - in the best possible sense! - the novel had me hooked from start to finish. Wonderfully original. -- Susannah WiseHaunting, intriguing and dazzlingly original. This book will break your heart. -- Emma HaughtonShocking, powerful, topical, and utterly compelling. -- John MarrsA chilling and moving tale that will strike fear into the heart of every book lover. The ending blew me away. -- Mark EdwardsA shocking portrayal of a world undone. Swanson's writing is powerful and thought-provoking. A compelling read. -- Lauren NorthA compelling novel with an intriguing premise and a genuine didn't-see-it-coming twist. It made me think about how we tell stories, how we occupy them and how stories can ultimately change us. -- Araminta HallA propulsive and incredibly creepy dystopian premise - I was hooked from the outset, and every twist was perfectly executed. A fantastic thriller -- Heather DarwentAbsolutely engrossing from the first page, END OF STORY pulled me in and held me there like the best stories do. Utterly compelling, chilling, and heartbreaking, Louise Swanson has achieved something very rare and very special with this book, it'll stay with me for a long time. I loved it. -- Beth LewisA masterpiece of storytelling, with a plot that relentlessly draws you in, and then twists and evolves into something utterly unexpected. Wrapped in one of the most original and deeply-realised storylines I have read in a long time, this genre-blending book hits breathtaking new heights in contemporary fiction -- Philippa EastJust finished this and oh wow... I could not put it down! Intriguing, captivating and utterly heartbreaking - such a brilliant book. -- Susi HollidayEnd of Story is an infusion of dystopia and very real magic. It reaches straight for your heart, cast in a velvet glove and tears it out in an iron fist. Thunderous devastating. I loved every minute of it. -- Matt WesolowskiSimply devastatingly good - I may need some time to recover -- Claire AllanA story that shocks, enchants and terrifies, End of Story lures you in to its darkly captivating world then rips the rug out from under you and breaks your heart. Loved it. -- Eve SmithPowerful and thought-provoking and quite unlike anything I've read before. Louise Beech is a fearless writer -- Laura PearsonCompelling and engrossing dystopian fiction, with much food for thought -- S.E. LynesA terrifying portrait of a near future . . . Both thought-provoking and heartfelt, END OF STORY is a unique dystopian mystery about human connection amidst automation, renewal amidst defeat, and the power of writing -- Winnie M LiA beautifully written dystopian tale which had me enthralled from the start with its terrifying vision of a world without fiction. Hugely imaginative, original, and ultimately incredibly moving, End of Story is a wonderful book with a cast of fascinating characters. Loved it. -- Amanda JenningsA taut thriller with characters that are both heartbreakingly, and in some instances frighteningly real, and the twist at the end left me bereft, if not a little relieved. A remarkable, thought-provoking story that will stay with me for a long time. -- Eva JordanA bewitching and heartbreaking story about the power of fiction and redemption. Unlike anything else I've read - utterly breathtaking. -- Catherine CooperWill sear itself into your heart . . . A brilliant, original idea, powerfully executed and terrifyingly plausible. Prepare to be left speechless!

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Book Synopsis‘Strange, intense, brilliant’ S. J. Watson‘A witty, zappy fable ... Powerful’ GuardianDepression can be hell.Heartbroken and lonely, the narrator has made an attempt on his own life. Whether he meant to or not he can't say. But now he’s stuck in his own head, and time is running out.To save himself, he embarks on a journey across an imagined America, one haunted by his doomed relationship and the memory of a road trip that ended in tragedy.Help arrives in the guise of Jon Bon Jovi, rock star and childhood hero. An unlikely spirit guide, perhaps, but he's going to give it a shot...Trade Review 'A witty, zappy fable ... Powerful' Guardian 'A strange and rather lovely debut novel ... What begins as a witty, playful idea grows into a convincing and touching salutary tale of broken love' Big Issue

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Book SynopsisHeartwarming, poignant and funny, Live a Little is perfect for fans of Jill Mansell and Cathy Kelly. 'Deeply moving and couldn't stop reading'Susan Lewis, author of One Minute Later (on Before We Say Goodbye)'Gorgeous and Emotional'Fern Britton (on Before We Say Goodbye) Two Sisters. One road trip. What could possibly go wrong?Lottie has always followed the rules, her life is comfortable and she is - finally, finally - marrying her long-term, sensible, boyfriend Dean. Tina is carefree, wild and, maybe, just a little bit careless. She doesn't understand Lottie's obsession with settling down with 'dull Dean'. There's so much to explore in the world. The two sisters have drifted apart since the death of their older sister. Without her, Lottie and Tina realise how little they know each other. Desperate to remedy this, Tina convinces Lottie to set out on a road trip across the US, just the two of them. But Tina has one more surprise in mind to shake up Lottie's life - she must say yes to everything Tina suggests, no matter what . . .Trade ReviewI'm so glad I found it - I recommend it most highly * Being Anne Reading Book Blog, on Madeleine Reiss's previous work *This story was extremely heart-warming. There were interesting turns and revelations throughout the book. It had great pacing. I would highly recommend this book to fans of women's fiction! * Chick Lit Chickadees Book Blog, on Madeleine Reiss's previous work *This Last Kiss is a book about forgiveness, about first loves and true loves and of being able to find peace in things and move on. If you enjoyed reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, One Day by David Nicholls or One Summer Night by Emily Bold then I think you will enjoy This Last Kiss as it has the same emphasis of enjoying love and romance before it ultimately ends * That Thing She Reads Book Blog, on Madeleine Reiss's previous work *This book was really good but be warned......UGLY CRY!!! I was sobbing uncontrollably! But this book has more than the ugly cry... it had me laughing and feeling full of love before it ripped my heart out... * Steph and Chris Book Reviews, on Madeleine Reiss's previous work *An unexpected delight * Chick Lit Chickadees, on Madeleine Reiss's previous work *An emotional, romantic and gentle read about love and family; I'm glad I got the chance to be introduced to author Madeleine Reiss * A Spoonful of Happy Endings, on Madeleine Reiss's previous work *Any fairytale worth its salt has many dark moments as it does stolen kisses... * Jenny O’Brien blog, on Madeleine Reiss's previous work *It made me cry but it also left me feeling enriched by the whole reading experience. Just a gorgeous book! * My Chestnut Reading Tree, on Madeleine Reiss's previous work *Gorgeous and Emotional * Fern Britton, on Madeleine Reiss's previous work *I found it deeply moving and couldn't stop reading * Susan Lewis, on Madeleine Reiss's previous work *

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Book Synopsis'Family Lore is full of beautiful prose, even-handed magic and all the pains and triumphs of intergenerational bonds' KILEY REID, author of Such A Fun AgeThe Marte women are preparing for a gathering that will change their lives foreverFlor has a gift: she can predict, to the day, when someone will die. So when she decides to host her own living wake - bringing together her family and community to celebrate her long life - her sisters Matilde, Pastora and Camila are concerned. What has she foreseen?But Flor isn't the only one with a secret. Matilde has tried to hide the extent of her husband's infidelity for years, and now must confront the true state of her marriage. Pastora - always on a mission to solve her sisters' problems - needs to come to terms with her past. And Camila, the youngest sibling, has decided she no longer wants to be taken for granted. Alongside their struggles, the next generation of Marte women face their own tumult of family obligations, infertility, and heartache.Spanning the three days prior to the wake, Family Lore traces the intertwining stories of these sisters and cousins, mothers and daughters, aunts and nieces, to ask the ultimate question: what does it take to live a good life, for yourself and those you love?Trade ReviewAcevedo is a master of time. Family Lore is full of beautiful prose, even-handed magic and all the pains and triumphs of intergenerational bonds. Tender, moving and altogether lovely. Not one word is wasted here -- KILEY REID, author of SUCH A FUN AGEAn exuberant, polyphonic story of one family's reckoning with their past . . . Acevedo's background in spoken-word poetry shines through in the energy and lyricism of her prose . . . But the novel's greatest triumph is in the warmth of her portrayal of these women, their strength and stubbornness, and the inseparability of love and grief * * Observer * *There is potent magic in these pages, passed down through this lineage of powerful sisters who have captured my heart. How does Acevedo do it? Reading Family Lore is like an embrace, and I am filled with nostalgia for a family I have never had and could never have imagined -- RUTH OZEKI, author of THE BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESSAn expansive story that follows three generations of the Marte family . . . [Family Lore] mixes the old-timey lyricism typical of the genre with a plethora of twenty-first-century references . . . [Acevedo's] writing is undeniably beautiful, overflowing with original turns of phrase and polished prose * * Sunday Times * *A labyrinthine tale of sisterhood and the chaos of love . . . the depth, grace and nuance Acevedo gives her characters is palpable; her love for these women comes through with arresting clarity . . . Pearls of magic and wisdom, hard but not hardened, the story of the Marte sisters is a treasure to behold * * New York Times Book Review * *The women's stories intertwine, establishing a fully realised family portrait with all the quirks, resentments and secrets that characterise it * * Daily Mail * *Acevedo expertly maneuvers through the complex and singular stories of each of these women and all that unites them. It was a joy to experience each character's expressive and gripping story; to acknowledge their truths and to recognise some of the women in the lives of women around me. A remarkable accomplishment -- ABI DARÉ, author of THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICEAcevedo's treatment of magic as an everyday possibility is compelling but there is also magic in the wonder, surprise, frustrations, and joys the characters experience in their relationships with one another . . . her obsession with imagery, interiority and making every word count is what makes her descriptions and dialogue sing; her characters think and speak in voices that feel distinct and alive. * * TIME * *The most magnificent, intricate story of a family and a group of women . . . the perfect accompaniment for a long summer read. A magical, intergeneration story from an assured debut novelist . . . [a] beautiful book * * Glamour * *Flor is throwing herself a wake and reminding us that "even a long life is too short". So while we are here "let's eat, and dance, and be alive". Acevedo has written unforgettable characters who breathe new life into how we grieve, age, take care of each other. Family Lore is a big hearted novel, a wonderful debut! -- ANGIE CRUZ, author of DOMINICANA

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Book Synopsis'Prepare to ugly cry and snort laugh with abandon' - Heat'An emotional read with an OMG ending' - Jill MansellOne moment in time can change everything...The day Scarlett dies should have been one of the most important of her life. It doesn't feel fair that she'll never have the chance to fulfil her dreams - all because she stopped to help a stranger. And now, she's still ... here - wherever here is - watching the ripple effect of her death on those she loved the most.Evie cannot contemplate her life without Scarlett, and she certainly cannot forgive Nate, the man she blames for her best friend's death. But Nate keeps popping up when she least expects him to, catapulting Evie's life in directions she'd never let herself imagine possible. If you could go back, knowing everything that happens after, everything that happens because of one choice you made, would you change the course of history or would you do it all again?'A gorgeous love story with a twist' Veronica Henry'An unexpected ending that leaves you reeling' - Good HousekeepingTrade ReviewA thought-provoking and moving novel about loss, love, and the unique and life-affirming power of friendship. Poignant yet unwaveringly hopeful, One Moment is a fresh look at how grief can not only break us, but put us back together again. An unmissable debut. * Holly Miller *'Completely involving. An emotional read about love and trust, with an OMG ending -- Jill MansellA beautiful, bittersweet examination of friendship, love and grief, prepare to ugly cry and snort laugh with abandon * Heat *Wonderful * Marie Claire *This heart-wrenching tale is beautifully written * Sun *A beautifully written novel that captures the joy of a lifelong friendship and the horror of grief. Fans of JoJo Moyes will devour Becky Hunter's stunning tale * Sunday Express *A joy from start to finish -- Sheila O'Flanagan. No. 1 bestselling authorThis emotional read about friendship, love and loss is touching and relatable with an unexpected ending that leaves you reeling * Good Housekeeping *Full of heart and humour and the characters are all so well written * Prima *One Moment is so many things. A gorgeous love story with a twist, a tender portrait of the kind of friendship that transcends everything, and an exploration of the important things in life. It will make you question who you are, and what you want, and how to make the most of every opportunity and every relationship you have. Intimate, thoughtful, beautiful and deeply moving. Becky Hunter will steal your heart! -- Veronica HenryI adored this emotional debut from Becky Hunter. It's such a gorgeous tale of love and friendship, beautifully written and with characters you really believe in. * Georgina Moore, author of The Garnett Girls *An exquisitely written novel about grief, hope and the power of love. I loved every word. -- Cathy Bramley, Sunday Times bestselling authorBeautiful, hopeful, deeply emotional, incredibly wise and wonderfully romantic. One of those books I feel stronger for reading -- Cressida McLaughlinFantastic. Incredibly moving and very thoughtfully written -- Harriet TyceThis stunning debut explores grief, love and friendship in a beautiful and original way - a powerful read full of both moving and joyful moments * My Weekly *A story of friendship, loss and how one moment can change your whole life. A gorgeous debut. * Woman *Sharp, funny, tear-jerking, so assured and well observed. What a debut! -- Elizabeth BuchanA compelling read * Bella *A beautiful story about love and loss * Best *A warm and thoughtful novel that skewers friendship, loss and negotiating grief in a touching and relatable way. I was completely caught up in Evie and Scarlet's stories. -- Fanny BlakeA page-turner to grip you * Chat *Deeply moving ... truly packs an emotional punch. Heatwarming, witty and brilliantly written. * Press and Journal *A poignant, uplifting and life-affirming tale of friendship, love, grief and learning to let go. It'll have you welling up one moment and smiling the next. And by the end, your heart will feel a little fuller. * CultureFly *A hugely accomplished debut about dying, grief and loss, but also learning to live again. It's about love in all its forms, and, despite its subject matter, it manages to be uplifting and life-affirming. It's a story that will stay with me for a long time. -- Claire FrostSo moving and uplifting - I have no doubt that readers will fall in love -- Emylia HallAn engaging story about love, true friendship and sacrifice * Candis *A touching tale focusing on friendship, grief, and hope * That's Life *

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Book SynopsisOne year after the passing of their friend, two young musicians return to the summer home where they used to record with their trio DiSCONNECT. When discovering an unfinished song written by their departed friend, the two decide to work together to finish it. With different ideas on what being back together means, they both project their sadness onto each other. The creative process and their relationship is at stake as their grief looms underneath. DiSCONNECT is the debut graphic novel by Danish artist Magnus Merklin, blending traditional and digital techniques to explore grief, friendship, and creative healing.

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Book Synopsis‘Silky-smooth… stylish suspense, with a winsome hero and agreeable dollops of sex, gore and demented mayhem’Kirkus ReviewTrade Review‘Hollywood-slick and fast-moving… enjoy the ride’Los Angelese Daily News ‘A fast-moving, well-written mystery’Washington Times

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Book SynopsisPart thriller, part police procedural, Touch by Mark Sennen will take you deep into the madness of a serial killer's mind. Harry likes pretty things. He likes to look at them. Sometimes that isn't enough. He wants to get closer. Naughty Harry.Trade Review‘A nail-biting thriller that will keep your pulse racing all the way to the explosive climax’ Alex Kava ‘A fast-paced serial-killer chiller.’ (Alex Marwood, author of The Wicked Girls)

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Book Synopsis*The sparkling new novel from the million-copy bestselling author of THE MAID*Utterly delightful'' DAILY MAIL?Captivates from page one' JANICE HALLETT_________________________________________________________________DO NOT DISTURB. WHODUNNIT IN PROGRESS . . .Molly Gray wears her Head Maid badge proudly for every shift at the Regency Grand Hotel: plumping pillows, sweeping up secrets, silently restoring rooms to a state of perfection. But the hotel's reputation is sullied when a guest a famous mystery writer drops very dead on the tearoom floor.As suspicion swirls in the hotel corridors, it's clear there's grime lurking beneath the gilt. And Molly knows that she alone holds the key to the mystery. But unlocking it means thinking about the past, about a dusty old house, and everything else she's tidied away in her memory.Because Molly knew the dead guest once upon a time and she knows his secrets too . . ._________________________________________________________________Over a million rTrade Review‘Wise and winning and altogether wondrous . . . I was nearly hugging myself as I turned the pages of this splendid novel’ A J Finn ‘The Mystery Guest is a strong and stylish whodunnit that captivates from page one ’ Janice Hallett ‘This is cosy crime at its very best – utterly delightful’ Daily Mail ‘Polished to perfection!’ Shari Lapena ‘The fabulous Molly is back and shining as brightly as her silverware in another charming and compelling mystery’ Mark Billingham ‘A truly enthralling, majestic mystery. A series that both thrills and warms the heart. I can’t get enough of the wonderful Molly, and the brilliant Nita Prose’ Chris Whitaker ‘A flawless and brilliant read… pure thrill, intrigue, and entertainment’ Liz Nugent ‘Molly the maid is unique and pure delight. The Mystery Guest is a page turner and a joy’ Katie Fforde ‘A page-turning delight from start to finish. Once I checked into the Regency Grand I never wanted to leave’ Jenny Jackson ‘Nita Prose writes like no other – I loved this even more than her utterly delightful debut’ Ashley Audrain ‘From page turning suspense, to laugh-out-loud humour and moments that are deeply heartfelt, The Mystery Guest has it all! This book is a knockout’ Mary Kubica More praise for Nita Prose: ‘A smart, riveting, and deliciously refreshing debut’ Lisa Jewell ‘An escapist pleasure’ Sunday Times ‘Irresistible’ Sunday Telegraph ‘A gripping and heart-warming whodunnit’ Santa Montefiore ‘The most interesting (and endearing) main character in a long time’ Stephen King

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Book SynopsisNew York Times Book Review Editors'' Choice“A brilliant, honest, necessary book that exposes the intricacies of the human brain while showing us the way creativity and friendship can anchor us. This is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered if they see the world a little differently.” -Ada LimónA New Yorker cartoonist illustrates his lifelong struggle with OCD in cartoon vignettes frank and funnyJason Adam Katzenstein is just trying to live his life, but he keeps getting sidetracked by his over-active, anxious brain. Mundane events like shaking hands or sharing a drink snowball into absolute catastrophes. Jason has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a mental illness that compels him to perform rituals in order to protect himself from dangers that don’t really exist. He checks, washes, over-thinks, rinse, repeat. He does his best to hide his em

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Book SynopsisChris Ware lives in Oak Park, Chicago, Illinois. His books include Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth, which won the Guardian First Book Award in 2001, Building Stories and most recently Monograph, which is part memoir, part retrospective of his career to date. He has won countless awards for his work and has been the subject of several museum exhibitions and scholarly monographs. His work appears regularly in the New Yorker.Trade ReviewA bona fide masterpiece. * Strong Words *A mesmerising and heartbreaking tale of a heavily burdened and desperately unhappy individual, and the lasting influence of toxic family ties. * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisA beautiful graphic adaptation of George Orwell’s timeless and timely allegorical novel. “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” In 1945, George Orwell, called “the conscience of his generation,” created an enduring, devastating story of new tyranny replacing old, and power corrupting even the noblest of causes. Today it is all too clear that Orwell’s masterpiece is still fiercely relevant wherever cults of personality thrive, truths are twisted by those in power, and freedom is under attack. In this fully authorized edition, the artist Odyr translates the world and message of Animal Farm into a gorgeously imagined graphic novel. Old Major, Napoleon, Squealer, Snowball, Boxer, and all the creatures of Animal Farm come to life in this newly envisaged classic. From his individual brushstrokes to the freedom of his page design, Odyr’s adaptation seam

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWinner of a 2022 ALA Alex Award * Winner of the 2023 Cartoonist Studio Prize for Print Comics* One of The Washington Post's 10 Best Graphic Novels of 2022 * One of NYPL's Best Books of 2022 *One of Chicago Public Library's "Best of the Best 2022 Books" * A Publishers Weekly "Best Book of 2022" * One of LitHub's "Best Graphic Novels and Nonfiction of 2022" * One of ALA's "Best Graphic Novels for Adults" — "Punk is James Spooner’s salvation as he comes of age in a racist world, but punk culture is also a microcosm of that world. The path to reconciliation—with himself, his parents, his peers—is navigated with exquisite nuance and compassion. A beautifully drawn story." — Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home "A rewarding journey of identity, creativity and self-determination." — Washington Post “Deeply relatable...it is genuinely therapeutic to read about James Spooner’s experiences: being in proximity to white supremacy, the exceptions that are made in small town, USA, and how quickly violence can escalate. Man oh man. The High Desert hits so deep.” — Kimya Dawson, Moldy Peaches "Like most coming-of-age books, 'The High Desert' is the saga of a square peg. What differentiates Spooner’s memoir is its bold confrontation of race." — Los Angeles Times "James Spooner’s documentary AFRO-PUNK not only exposed racism in the punk scene, it inspired a movement that centered Black and Brown punks everywhere. In his new memoir, we learn about the major pitfalls and minor triumphs that put Spooner on the path to realize his dream of an all Black mosh pit. Beautifully written and illustrated The High Desert is a must-have for every music fan. After I finished reading it I kept wishing a second, third and fourth volume would magically appear so it didn’t have to end." — Kathleen Hanna, Bikini Kill & Le Tigre “James Spooner captures an often overlooked, West Coast slice of modern American culture and subculture. Misfits, nerds, social outcasts and rebels: Mr. Spooner has delivered a well needed roadmap for future generations of kids that don’t quite fit in, especially kids of color.” — Norwood, Fishbone “This beautifully paced graphic memoir illustrates the struggle and joy of finding self-acceptance and community on the fringes. It perfectly captures the innocence, camaraderie, and trauma of being a punk of color in the late eighties and early nineties. I couldn’t look away.” — MariNaomi, author and illustrator of Losing the Girl "Washington DC is a long way from Apple Valley and the circumstances of James’ introduction to the punk underground are vastly different than mine, but there’s something so recognizable in The High Desert that I felt like I was there. I suspect in a way we were all there at one time in our lives, navigating and negotiating as we figured out just who the fuck we were and who was with us. I loved this book." — Ian MacKaye, Minor Threat & Fugazi “In each panel of The High Desert, James Spooner delivers magic between his art and his words, mixing the intense passions of youth with the hindsight of the wise. Gorgeously drawn, brutally honest, and as emotionally raw as your favorite punk song.” — Dawnie Walton, author of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev “A coming of age tale of the very precarious faultlines of growing up an outsider amongst outsiders: The High Desert is an American tale of race, politics, counter-culture, and the tender and personal story of Black adolescence rarely told.” — Brontez Purnell, author of 100 Boyfriends "This reminds me of how punk can pull us out of a pit, give us legs to dance on, and words to scream with our dumb drunk beautiful friends. This already feels like a classic." — Ben Passmore, author of BTTM FDRS and Your Black Friend “[A] probing graphic memoir. . . . . Spooner is a discerning student of his own past and the movement he joined. . . .[An] eloquent latter-day rejoinder to Chuck Klosterman’s Fargo Rock City. A lively, inspirational tale that will point readers toward art, music, and resistance of their own.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Much like Ghost World, this grabbing, angsty coming-of-age tale offers a sidewalk view of a creative subculture. It’s also a poignant ode to the power of music to fill voids left by family and circumstance, with provocations thrumming on race and identity that sound out like a smashed guitar.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A masterful debut that's just as captivating as it is inspiring. Spooner paints a world that's irresistible and harrowing, and fills it with the kind of honesty that defines every great graphic memoir." — Ezra Claytan Daniels, author of BTTM FDRS "James Spooner’s The High Desert has all the marks of a classic Black punk coming-of-age story. What makes this graphic novel extra special is Spooner’s thoughtful observations about the ways that Black kids have to flatten themselves to feel safe in hostile white spaces. If you’ve ever had to fight to be yourself, this book is for you." — Chris L. Terry, author of Black Card and Zero Fade "The High Desert is a memoir for music lovers. Spooner brings readers along on the punk journey of his younger self, blazing lyrics across the pages; the larger the writing, the louder the volume." — departures.com "His freshly told and achingly vulnerable graphic memoir illustrates his adolescence as being an outcast many times over...Spooner’s narration is endearingly earnest and honest feeling, whether pining after the cool Goth girl at the video store or exulting in discovering countercultural meccas like the East Village and Venice Beach." — Star Tribune "I always love a good ‘punk kid coming of age’ tale and the 350+ pages of this kept me reading pretty much non-stop to the end." — Hanging Hex "Perfect for fans of music history, as well anyone who’s ever been looking for their place to fit in." — Book Riot "A must-read for fans of punk music." — "The Hub" at the Young Adult Library Services Association.

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Book SynopsisIn this modern reimagining of Anne of Green Gables, effervescent extrovert Dan Stewart-Álvarezis surprised to find home and community in rural Tennessee.Despite a life on the road with his free-spirited mother, fifteen-year-old Dan Stewart-Álvarez has always wanted to settle down. He just didn?t think it?d be like this: with his mother abandoning him in rural Tennessee with two strangers?his gentle grandmother and conservative, rough-around-the-edges grandfather. Here, he is forced to adjust to working the farm, entering high school, and hardest yet?reckoning with his queerness in a severe Southern Baptist community.But even as Dan grows closer to his mawmaw, befriends fellow outsiders at school, and tries to make a new life for himself in Green Gables, he has to discover whether he can contend with intolerance and adapt to change without losing himself in the process.From award-winning author Rey Terciero and Eisner Award nominee and illustrator Claudia Aguirre comes a new retelling of Anne of Green Gables about unconventional families, queer identity, and finding the meaning of home in the most unlikely of places.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisExplores what it means to be Jewish and what Israel means to the Jews. Combining his increasing disillusionment with Israel with an account of the Jewish people since biblical times, the author weaves a personal and historical odyssey of uncommon power. It is suitable for anyone interested in the past and future of the Jewish state.

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Book SynopsisThe Days Run Away Like Wild Horses is a book of poems written by Charles Bukowski for Jane, his first love. These poems explore a more emotional side to Charles Bukowski.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThe acclaimed graphic novel adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s groundbreaking dystopian novel, Parable of the Sower, is a don't-miss classic that resonates today more than ever.As The Washington Post noted: 'A 1993 dystopian novel imagined the world in 2024. It’s eerily accurate.'This Hugo Award Winner for Best Graphic Story or Comic is the follow-up to Kindred, a #1 New York Times bestseller. In this graphic-novel adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower by Damian Duffy and John Jennings, the award-winning team behind Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, the author portrays a searing vision of America’s future. In the year 2024, the country is marred by unattended environmental and economic crises that lead to social chaos. Lauren Olamina, a preacher’s daughter living in Los Angeles, is protected from danger by the walls of her gatedTrade Review“…the graphic novel is faithful to Butler, yet still fresh in its world building.” * USA Today *“…alarmingly prescient and relevant…This accessible adaptation is poised to introduce Butler’s dystopian tale to a new generation of readers.” * Publishers Weekly *“…Jennings’ work in the book is beyond stunning…” * The Beat *“The Parable of the Sower graphic novel… is as faithful an adaptation as you can get. Not only does it hit all the plot points, it perfectly portrays Butler’s balancing act in regard to how far society has fallen apart.” * Kirkus *“Duffy and Jennings have done justice to Butler’s work, losing none of the story’s richness and adding an exciting visual element that makes the reading experience even more visceral and engrossing.” * Foreword Reviews, STARRED review *“John Jennings’s work succeeds as sequential storytelling and approaches the level of iconography regularly.” * The Believer *“Jennings and Duffy are some of the most skilled and hardest working comics creators doing the work to radically transform and diversify the comics scene.” * Comicosity *“Jennings has captured [Butler’s] words with visual imagery in such an afrofuturistic, horror-esque way that the images jump off the page with every turn.” * Flickering Myth *

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