Narrative theme: politics / economics
Pan Macmillan The Trial
Book SynopsisIn Kafka's powerful and disturbing novel, an innocent man is arrested and repeatedly interrogated for a crime that is never ever explained. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library, a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold-foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is translated from German by Douglas Scott and Chris Waller, and features an afterword by David Stuart Davies.On the morning of his thirtieth birthday, a young bank official named Joseph K is arrested although he has done nothing wrong and is never told what he’s been charged with. The Trial is the chronicle of his fight to prove his innocence, of his struggles and encounters with the invisible Law and the untouchable Court where he must make regular visits. It is an account, ultimately, of state-induced self-destruction presenting in a nightmarish scenario the persecution of the outsider and the incomprehensible machinations of the state. Using the power of simple, straightforward language Kafka draws the reader into this bleak and frightening world so that we too experience the fears, uncertainties and tragedy of Joseph K.Trade ReviewThe Dante of the twentieth century -- W. H. AudenNo other voice has borne truer witness to the dark of our times -- George Steiner
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd The Castle
Book SynopsisFeatures K., the unwanted Land Surveyor who is never to be admitted to the Castle nor accepted in the village, and yet cannot go home. As he encounters dualities of certainty and doubt, hope and fear, and reason and nonsense, K.'s struggles in the labyrinthine world where he finds himself seem to reveals a truth about the nature of existence.Trade Review"The new Schocken edition of The Castle represents a major and long-awaited event in English-language publishing. It is a wonderful piece of news for all Kafka readers who, for more than half a century, have had to rely on flawed, superannuated editions. Mark Harman is to be commended for his success in capturing the fresh, fluid, almost breathless style of Kafka's original manuscript, which leaves the reader hanging in mid-sentence." --Mark M. Anderson, Columbia University"The Castle, published here for the first time in 1930, was the first Kafka to arrive in America. After the war, Hannah Arendt remarked that The Castle might finally be comprehensible to the generation of the forties, who had had the occasion to watch their world become Kafkaesque. What will the generation of the nineties make of The Castle, now that its full message has arrived? Here is the masterpiece behind the masterpiece."--Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, Haverford College"Sparkles with comedy, with zest, and with a fresh visual power, which in the Muir translation were indistinct or lost. This is not just a new, brilliantly insightful, sensitive, and stylish translation, it is a new Castle, and it is a pleasure to read."--Christopher Middleton, University of Texas at Austin"This is the closest to Kafka's original novel and intention that any translation could get, and what is more, it is eminently readable. With this exceptional translation, the time for a new Kafka in English has finally come." --Egon Schwartz, Washington University, St. Louis
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Middle England
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE THE COSTA NOVEL AWARD 2019''The book everyone is talking about'' The Times ''A comedy for our times'' Guardian __________________ The country is changing and, up and down the land, cracks are appearing - within families and between generations. In the Midlands Benjamin Trotter is trying to help his aged father navigate a Britain that seems to have forgotten he exists, whilst in London his friend Doug doesn''t understand why his teenage daughter is eternally enraged. Meanwhile, newlyweds Sophie and Ian can find nothing to agree on except the fact that their marriage is on the rocks . . .A hilarious follow-up to The Rotters'' Club and Closed Circle, Jonathan Coe captures the state of our nation once again! __________________ ''Coe''s back with a bang. Middle England is the novel about Brexit we need'' Daily Telegraph ''A pertinent, entertaining study of a nation in crisis'' Financial Times, Books of the Year ''Very funny. Coe - a writer of uncommon decency - reminds us that the way out of this mess is through moderation, through compromise, through that age-old English ability to laugh at ourselves'' ObserverWritten with his signature wit, Jonathan Coe''s unmissable new novel, The Proof of My Innocence is available now!Trade ReviewBrilliantly funny . . . a compelling state of the nation novel, full of light and shade, which vividly charts modern Britain's tragicomic slide * Economist *Expansive and often very funny . . . Coe - a writer of uncommon decency - reminds us that the way out of this mess is through moderation, through compromise, through that age-old English ability to laugh at ourselves * Observer *A pertinent, entertaining study of a nation in crisis -- 'Books of the Year' * Financial Times *His affectionately witty attitude to our human foibles is always uplifting . . . Superb * The Times *In Middle England, Coe shows an understanding of this country that goes beyond what most cabinet ministers can muster . . . he subtly builds a picture that exposes the cracks in society . . . he is a master of satire but pokes fun subtly, without ever being cruel, biting or blatant . . . his light, funny writing makes you feel better * Evening Standard *Tackling his characters' opposing points of view, he draws a portrait of a recognisable Britain baffled by its loss of industry and jobs, and of everyday people shocked by a rise of acceptable racism and xenophobia. It's also very, very funny * Stylist *Millions of words have been and will be written on Brexit but few will get to the heart of why it is happening as incisively as Middle England -- John Boyne * Irish Times * This is a picture of England that comes from a place of compassion and understanding * inews *Coe is as funny and tender as ever, restoring some humanity to the tumultuous societal backdrop * Grazia *Middle England combines top-class soap opera storytelling with melancholy insight into what it means to be English * Metro *Middle England takes all that is memorable and moving about Coe's body of work and throws it at the present emergency -- Alex Clark * TLS *Sparkled with all the acuity of his best novels . . . Uproarious and always on-the-money -- Books of the Year * Evening Standard *Very funny . . . Exceptionally good . . . Delightful -- BBC Radio 4 * Saturday Review *Brilliant -- Nicola SturgeonMiddle England is a full-blooded state of the nation novel, and it brings us bang up-to-date * Sunday Times *Coe is an extraordinarily deft plotter . . . he tackles big ambitious themes, in this case the effect of politics on people's lives, and political opinions on personal relations * Mail on Sunday *The beauty of Jonathan Coe's new novel, Middle England, is the way it tracks the seemingly unconnected moments that brought Britain to its knees - and with devastating delicacy, too -- Eva Wiseman * Observer * The great chronicler of Englishness * Independent *A copper bottomed masterpiece -- Barney NorrisCoe's comic critique of a divided country dazzles . . . properly laugh-out-loud funny . . . it is also incisive and brilliant about our divided country and the deep chasms revealed by the vote to leave. Do not miss * The Bookseller *The first great Brexit novel -- Sathnam SangheraThis book is sublimely good. State of the (Brexit) nation novel to end them all, but also funny, tender, generous, so human and intelligent about age and love as well as politics -- India KnightJonathan Coe's Middle England is brilliantly insightful on the times we are living in -- Mishal Husain, Books of the Year * Big Issue *Let me add to the chorus of praise for Jonathan Coe's new book Middle England. Easily my favourite of his since What a Carve Up! Which did for Thatcherism what Middle England does for Brexit -- John CraceAn astute, enlightened and enlightening journey into the heart of our current national identity crisis. Both moving and funny. As we'd expect from Coe -- Ben EltonFrom post-industrial Birmingham to the London riots and the current political gridlock, it takes in family, literature and love in a comedy for our times * Guardian *Coe can make you smile, sigh, laugh; he has abundant sympathy for his characters * Scotsman *This book is sublimely good. State of the (Brexit) nation novel to end them all, but also funny, tender, generous, so human and intelligent about age and love as well as politics -- India Knight
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Long Shadows: From the number one bestselling
Book Synopsis'Baldacci is the master' Jeffery ArcherAs darkness falls, evil comes to light...Memory man FBI agent, Amos Decker, returns in this action-packed thriller to investigate the mysterious and brutal murder of a federal judge and her bodyguard at her home in an exclusive, gated community in Florida from international bestselling author David Baldacci.Things are changing for Decker. He’s in crisis following the suicide of a close friend and receipt of a letter concerning a personal issue which could change his life forever. Together with the prospect of working with a new partner, Frederica White, Amos knows that this case will take all of his special skills to solve.Judge Julia Cummins seemingly had no enemies, and there was no forced entry to her property. Close friends and neighbours in the community apparently heard nothing, and Cummins’ distraught ex-husband, Barry, and teenage son, Tyler, both have strong alibis. Decker must first find the answer to why the judge felt the need for a bodyguard, and the meaning behind the strange calling card left by the killer.Someone has decided it’s payback time.***********KILLER TWISTS. HEROES TO BELIEVE IN. TRUST BALDACCI.‘One of the world’s thriller masters’ Daily Mail‘Baldacci is still peerless’ Sunday Times‘One of the all-time best thriller authors’ Lisa Gardner, author of FIND HER‘Baldacci delivers, every time!’ Lisa Scottoline‘A master storyteller.’ Associated Press‘Baldacci cuts everyone’s grass – Grisham’s, Ludlum’s, even Patricia Cornwell’s – and more than gets away with it’ PeopleTrade ReviewSinewy, and written with Baldacci’s consummate skill, this is a thriller from the top drawer -- Daily Mail on Walk the WireDavid Baldacci is one of the all-time best thriller authors -- Lisa GardnerA riveting brain-teaser as well as serving up vivid action scenes -- Sunday Times on Daylight
£8.99
Penguin Books Ltd After Midnight
Book SynopsisDepicting a young woman''s life in Nazi Germany, a masterpiece from the author of Child of All Nations''I cannot think of anything else that conjures up so powerfully the atmosphere of a nation turned insane'' Sunday TelegraphNineteen-year-old Sanna just wants to drink her beer in peace, but that''s difficult when Hitler has come to town and his motorcade is blocking the streets of Frankfurt. What''s more, her best friend Gerti is in love with a Jewish boy, her brother writes books that have been blacklisted and her own aunt may denounce her to the authorities at any moment, as Germany teeters on the edge of the abyss. Written after she had fled the Nazi regime, Irmgard Keun''s masterly novel captures the feverish hysteria and horror of the era with devastating perceptiveness and humour.Translated by Anthea BellTrade ReviewI cannot think of anything else that conjures up so powerfully the atmosphere of a nation turned insane * Sunday Telegraph *Acerbically observed by this youthful, clever, undeceived eye....Crystalline yet acid * Jewish Chronicle *Explosive ... Reading After Midnight today [still] feels dangerous. I kept turning to the copyright page, unable to believe that such a sexually and politically frank book could have been published in 1937 Germany ... After Midnight haunts far beyond its final page * NPR *Brief, important and haunting -- Penelope Lively
£8.54
Vintage Publishing Glory: LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR
Book Synopsis**LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2023****SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2022**Discover an exhilarating novel about power and corruption set in a nation trapped in a cycle as old as time.'A masterpiece for our times. Gripping and exhilarating' Observer 'Uplifting and original' StylistThis is the story of a country on the brink of revolution.It's the story of Destiny, who returns home to witness the uprising.It's a story for all of us, and a reminder that history can be changed in the blink of an eye.'A novel with heart and energy' Daily Telegraph'Bulawayo is really out-Orwelling Orwell. This is a satire with sharper teeth, angrier, and also very, very funny' New York Times Book Review** SHORTLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2023****SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 VISIONARY ARTS AWARDS**Trade ReviewAllegory, satire and fairytale rolled into one mighty punch * Guardian *Brave, and moving -- Stuart Kelly * Scotsman *Vital and universal -- Hepzibah Anderson * Observer *Few writers can engineer a sentence like NoViolet Bulawayo * Irish Times *Bulawayo is really out-Orwelling Orwell. This is a satire with sharper teeth, angrier, and also very, very funny * New York Times Book Review *
£9.49
EduCart Notes from the Underground
Book Synopsis
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers M
Book SynopsisTHE PHENOMENAL INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERAn anti-fascist history lesson disguised as a novel'New York TimesExtraordinary'TLSA masterpiece' Roberto SavianoA startling look into the fascist mindset, a portrait of unrelenting determination, and an impeccable work of historical fiction. M tells the story of the rise of fascism from within the mind of its founder. A gripping and masterful exposé, it explores Benito Mussolini's rise to power and a movement that, amidst a failing democracy, came to shape the world.Panoptic and polyphonic, Scurati's book gives us the experiences of the fearful and the feared, the rhetoric of both the revolutionaries and the reactionaries an immense mosaic' Lucy Hughes-Hallett, New StatesmanAn indisputable literary achievement Italo Calvino would have loved it' El PaìsTrade Review‘An anti-fascist history lesson disguised as a novel’ New York Times ‘A masterful historical account, an extraordinary and stimulating book. A portrait of Benito Mussolini all the more accurate and powerful as it is factual and rigorous. An audacious, fluid, dazzling production. A brilliant story’Le Figaro ‘An indisputable literary achievement. Scurati carefully examines history, with an experienced prose rich in literary allusions. Like Yourcenar, Gore Vidal, Sebald, Echenoz or Fences. Italo Calvino would have loved it’El Paìs ‘Resembles a political thriller … surprisingly modern. A must read’ Die Zeit ‘The novel Italy has been waiting for. A masterpiece.’ Roberto Saviano ‘Panoptic and polyphonic, Scurati’s book gives us the experiences of the fearful and the feared, the rhetoric of both the revolutionaries and the reactionaries … a multitude of short fragments that collectively add up to an immense mosaic’ Lucy Hughes-Hallett, New Statesman
£11.69
Transworld Publishers Ltd Boudica Dreaming The Hound
Book SynopsisManda Scott is a veterinary surgeon, writer and climber. Born and educated in Scotland, she now lives in Suffolk with two horses, two lurchers and too many cats.Manda Scott first made her name as a crime writer. Her début novel, Hen's Teeth, was shortlisted for the Orange Prize. Her subsequent novels are Night Mares, Stronger than Death and No Good Deed, for which she was hailed as 'one of Britain's most important crime writers'.Dreaming the Eagle and Dreaming the Bull, the first and second books in the Boudica series, are also published by Bantam Books and the fourth book, Dreaming the Serpent Spear, by Bantam Press.For more information on Manda Scott and her books, visit her website at wwww.mandascott.co.ukTrade ReviewBreathtaking work that's likely to be remembered for years to come * Focus *This mesmerising story creates a living past of battle feats, betrayals, heartbreaking loyalties and cruelties * Norfolk Journal *A meticulously detailed book with a fascinating plot * The Good Book Guide *Full of imaginative invention, adventure and compelling descriptive prose, reminiscent of Dorothy Dunnett's writing. The best book I have read in a long time * Woman’s Weekly *Manda Scott writes with rich imagination and brilliantly reconstructs history before your eyes * Cambridge Journal *
£11.69
Canongate Books Young Blood 1 A Maggie Wise mystery
Book SynopsisIntroducing former cop turned radio presenter Maggie Wise in the first of a brilliant new mystery series.Dr Oscar LeBlanc is close to a medical breakthrough to cure dementia and other degenerative diseases . . . but in order to succeed he needs to illegally obtain plasma from prepubescent children. He believes the ends justify the means and two young girls are abducted.The disappearance of the girls causes a lockdown of the area and, when one of the girls'' parents proves uncooperative with the police, former homicide cop turned radio presenter Maggie Wise offers to help. Maggie quickly forms a connection with the family just as the girls are recovered.LeBlanc is immediately suspected, but after he is questioned he''s found dead from an apparent suicide. However, the circumstances are suspicious and Maggie finds herself conflicted when the family become the prime suspects.
£19.94
Vintage Publishing DemonsA Novel in Three Parts
Book Synopsis''The most innovative and challenging writer of fiction in his generation in Russia'' Guardian Based on a real-life crime which horrified Russia in 1869, Dostoevsky intended his novel to castigate the fanaticism of his country''s new political reformers, particularly those known as Nihilists. Blackly funny, grotesque and shocking, Demons is a disturbing portrait of five young men saturated in ideology and bent on destruction, and a compelling study of terrorism.''Marvellous...a fluid and well-paced translation'' ObserverTrade ReviewVolokhonsky's and Pevear's translation brings to the surface all of Dostoevsky's subtle linguistic and nationalist humour, and the copious notes are indispensable for making one's way through the thicket of 19th-century Russian politics * Kirkus Reviews *An outstanding achievement * John Bayley *As close to Dostoevsky's Russian as is possible in English * Chicago Tribune *Required reading for anyone who wants to understand the mind of the terrorist * Sunday Times *Marvellous...fluid and well-paced translation * Observer *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd What a Carve Up
Book SynopsisThe hilarious 1980s political satire by Jonathan Coe, published as a Penguin Essential for the first time.It is the 1980s and the Winshaw family are getting richer and crueller by the year: Newspaper-columnist Hilary gets thousands for telling it like it isn''t; Henry''s turning hospitals into car parks; Roddy''s selling art in return for sex; down on the farm Dorothy''s squeezing every last pound from her livestock; Thomas is making a killing on the stock exchange; and Mark is selling arms to dictators.But once their hapless biographer Michael Owen starts investigating the family''s trail of greed, corruption and immoral doings, the time growing ripe for the Winshaws to receive their comeuppance. . . This wickedly funny take on life under the Thatcher government was the winner of the 1995 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize''A sustained feat of humour, suspense and polemic, full of twists and ironies'' Hilary Mantel, Sunday Times''A riveting social satire on the chattering and all-powerful upper classes'' Time Out''Big, hilarious, intricate, furious, moving'' GuardianWritten with his signature wit, Jonathan Coe''s unmissable new novel, The Proof of My Innocence is available now!
£8.99
Atlantic Books When the Doves Disappeared
Book Synopsis1941: In Communist-ruled, war-ravaged Estonia, two men are fleeing from the Red Army - Roland, a fiercely principled freedom fighter, and his slippery cousin Edgar. When the Germans arrive, Roland goes into hiding; Edgar abandons his unhappy wife, Juudit, and takes on a new identity as a loyal supporter of the Nazi regime... 1963: Estonia is again under Communist control, independence even further out of reach behind the Iron Curtain. Edgar is now a Soviet apparatchik, desperate to hide the secrets of his past life and stay close to those in power. But his fate remains entangled with Roland's, and with Juudit, who may hold the key to uncovering the truth... In a masterfully told story that moves between the tumult of these two brutally repressive eras - a story of surveillance, deception, passion, and betrayal - Sofi Oksanen brings to life both the frailty, and the resilience, of humanity under the shadow of tyranny.Trade ReviewA powerful, angry work * Mail on Sunday *Superb... Over it hangs a Graham Greene-like atmosphere of human wretchedness and compromised political faith * Sunday Telegraph, ***** *A thrilling page-turner but equally a shattering family drama and an unsparing deconstruction of history... Oksanen is a serious novelist in all ways * Independent *Betrayal, secrecy and memory are the haunting themes of Oksanen's accomplished novel... Her insights and intuition mean that she is fast becoming one of the foremost voices in the ex-communist world * The Economist *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Autumn of the Patriarch
Book SynopsisGabriel García Márquez, winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize for Literature and author of One Hundred Years of Solitude, explores the loneliness of power in Autumn of the Patriarch.''Over the weekend the vultures got into the presidential palace by pecking through the screens on the balcony windows and the flapping of their wings stirred up the stagnant time inside''As the citizens of an unnamed Caribbean nation creep through dusty corridors in search of their tyrannical leader, they cannot comprehend that the frail and withered man lying dead on the floor can be the self-styled General of the Universe. Their arrogant, manically violent leader, known for serving up traitors to dinner guests and drowning young children at sea, can surely not die the humiliating death of a mere mortal?Tracing the demands of a man whose egocentric excesses mask the loneliness of isolation and whose lies have become so ingrained that they are indistinguishable fromTrade ReviewIt asks to be read more than twice, and the rewards are dazzling * Observer *Delights with its quirky humanity and black humour and impresses by its total originality * Vogue *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Book SynopsisIn a vase in a closet, a couple of years after his father died in 9/11, nine-year-old Oskar discovers a key... The key belonged to his father, he's sure of that. But which of New York's 162 million locks does it open?
£9.99
John Murray Press A Cursed Place: A page-turning thriller of the
Book Synopsis*ONE OF 40 BOOKS FOR SUMMER* 'gripping'- iNews'A panoramic thriller ...chockful of vivid characters.' - THE SUNDAY TIMES'An intriguing, timely and unsettling new thriller' - SAM BOURNE'Exhilarating and beautiful' - AMOL RAJAN'Catapults you from first word to last... pacy, sinister and timely read.' - ALAN JUDD'Another page-turner from a writer who can take you into gripping worlds, real and virtual.' MISHAL HUSAIN 'A terrific thriller - vivid, quick-witted and dynamic, crackling with energy, dread and rage as it crosses continents and digs down into the human heart.' - NICCI GERRARD 'The dark world of private cyber-surveillance crackles off the page - full of jeopardy and suspense.' - ALLAN LITTLE 'A vividly written thriller of ruthless tech entrepreneurs exploiting their surveillance powers and morally compromised journalists feeling their way in the dark towards the truth.' - RORY CELLAN-JONES'Carver is a marvellous creation.' - MIKE RIPLEY, SHOTS MAGKNOWLEDGE IS POWER. AND THEY KNOW EVERYTHING.The tech company Public Square believes in 'doing well by doing good'. It's built a multi-billion dollar business on this philosophy and by getting to know what people want. They know a lot. But who else can access all that information and what are they planning to do with it?Reporter William Carver is an analogue man in a digital world. He isn't the most tech-savvy reporter, he's definitely old school, but he needs to learn fast - the people he cares most about are in harm's way.From the Chilean mines where they dig for raw materials that enable the tech revolution, to the streets of Hong Kong where anti-government protesters are fighting against the Chinese State, to the shiny research laboratories of Silicon Valley where personal data is being mined everyday - A Cursed Place is a gripping thriller set against the global forces that shape our times.'A true page turner - highly recommended'. TORTOISETrade Review*Praise for A Cursed Place* A panoramic thriller that shuttles with aplomb between four continents... chockful of vivid characters -- JOHN DUGDALE * The Sunday Times *Whether in rioting Hong Kong, or a doomed Chilean mining town, or a sinister data-mining outfit in Silicon Valley, or the shabbiness of London's Elephant & Castle, Peter Hanington sustains a narrative drive that catapults you from first word to last. Just make sure you don't miss the scenery on the way - seeing from the inside how the BBC works and how news is made leaves you feeling that W1A may not be entirely caricature. A good, pacy, sinister and timely read. -- ALAN JUDD * author of A Fine Madness *Peter Hanington draws you into the dark world of private cyber-surveillance, and the menace of the world he conjures - the world we all now live in - crackles off the page. His characters are beautifully drawn and so convincing that I found myself shouting "Get out of there now!" The writing is taut - not a wasted word - and the story is fast-paced, moving and twisting and quickening to a conclusion that is full of jeopardy and suspense. And when it ends, it doesn't end: it leaves you wanting the next chapter. -- ALLAN LITTLEA Cursed Place is an exhilarating and beautiful novel that answers the most pressing question of our time: how to reconcile new technology with timeless human needs. It is written with such verve and precision, and its plot emerges with such terrifying force, that I enjoyed it even when the message it conveyed terrified me. Its characters will, I think, become literary legends. I have gotten to know William Carver quite well. He feels achingly familiar from my newspaper days. I don't always like him. But I do always admire him: especially that itchy yearning to hold mighty powers to account, and to discover the truth behind their dissembling. Peter Hanington's remarkable achievement is to have told a story which is as important as it is unputdownable. Anyone vaguely interested in the survival of our species ought to read this book - and will be thrilled they did so. -- AMOL RAJANHanington's third thriller featuring veteran BBC reporter, William Carver, is a true page-turner, combining the author's insights and expertise as a distinguished foreign correspondent with a pace that keeps the reader guessing and embroiled in a plot that sweeps us from Peckham, via Hong Kong and Chile, to the Big Tech citadels of Silicon Valley...highly recommended. * Tortoise *Another page-turner from a writer who can take you into gripping worlds, real and virtual. -- MISHAL HUSAINAn intriguing, timely and unsettling new thriller. -- SAM BOURNE (JONATHAN FREEDLAND)A Cursed Place is a fast-paced and vividly written thriller. It takes the reader on a journey from the dark heart of Silicon Valley via a Chilean mining town and Hong Kong street protests and into the bowels of New Broadcasting House, in a dystopian tale of ruthless tech entrepreneurs exploiting their surveillance powers and morally compromised journalists feeling their way in the dark towards the truth. -- RORY CELLAN-JONESAstute, pacy and possibly too true for its own good. -- GILLIAN REYNOLDSCarver is a marvellous creation, just the sort of tough-as-old-boots hero we need in a world run by algorithms. -- MIKE RIPLEY * Shots Mag *A Cursed Place will have readers cancelling meetings and postponing dinner plans so as to read just one more page, just one more chapter. This beautifully-written thriller tells a story centred not around spies or mobsters but the state of frontline journalism in the era of big tech. More widely it grapples with the possibility of resisting the total-surveillance society we are almost definitely otherwise hurtling towards. -- SEB EMINA * The Happy Reader *Exciting, addictive & just plain brilliant; a timely political thriller with that authentic insider's view shining through in the gripping plot, spot-on characters, & sharp dialogue. A must-read for 2021. -- CAROLINE SKANNE * editor of the journal of the British Haiku Society *A gripping... thriller that spins from Hong Kong protests to Silicon Valley surveillance in a heartbeat. * i Magazine *Gorgeous... blocks out the world when my brain [wants] superb distraction * Fi Glover **Praise for A Dying Breed*A former stalwart on the Today programme, Hanington is as good on BBC politics as he is on the UK's ambiguous role east of Suez, and excels, too, at character portraits of figures such as the British ambassador. There are nods to John le Carré, but his impressive debut is its own thing, with three radio men (including the Radio 4 breakfast show's dissolute editor) at its centre, not spooks or civil servants. * The Sunday Times (Thriller of the Month) *A tremendous novel - shot-through with great authenticity and insider knowledge - wholly compelling and shrewdly wise. -- WILLIAM BOYDAn impressive debut by Peter Hanington... The multilayered plot, set in Afghanistan and BBC headquarters, moves excitingly and entertainingly but also raises serious current issues about dodgy political and commercial interference with the search for truth by journalists...The subplots and secondary characters are admirable. Hanington has true talent. * The Times *A Dying Breed is an enthralling page-turner, and, as befits an author steeped in newsgathering, there's a real sense of authority and authenticity at work in this quality thriller. -- MICHAEL PALINIt is a fine thriller: pacy without being frenetic, complex without being convoluted, innovative but without abandoning all of the satisfying clichés and conventions o the genre. Hannington seems to have an innate sense of how and when to push the plot along, while still giving us enough time to savour the characterisation and locations (Hong Kong, in particular). * Michael Duggan *
£15.29
Atlantic Books The Silence Project: The gripping and original
Book SynopsisThe gripping story of what it's like to be the daughter of a woman who changed the world - perfect for fans of The Power and VoxA BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK AND KINDLE NO. 1 BESTSELLER 'Engrossing and original. The Silence Project will get people talking' Bernardine Evaristo Mother. Martyr. Murderer. On Emilia Morris's thirteenth birthday, her mother Rachel moves into a tent at the bottom of their garden. From that day on, she never says another word.Inspired by Rachel's example, other women join her and together they build the Community. Eight years later, Rachel and thousands of her followers shock the world as they silence themselves forever.In the aftermath of what comes to be known as the Event, the Community's global influence quickly grows. As a result, the whole world has an opinion about Rachel - whether they see her as a callous monster or a heroic martyr - but Emilia has never voiced hers publicly. Until now. Readers can't stop shouting about The Silence Project: 'A true masterpiece' ***** 'One hell of a book!' ***** 'Had me hooked' ***** 'Red-hot' ***** 'I don't think I've ever read a book as quickly' ***** 'Gave me the shivers' *****Trade ReviewAn utterly compelling page-turner, you'll keep thinking about this novel long after you've put it down. * Glamour *A page-turner * Scotland on Sunday *Carole Hailey has conjured a gripping tale of transformation; its protagonist's clear-eyed, arresting voice is impossible to ignore. This striking debut grounds itself in a world we recognize in order to invite us to imagine both darkness - and hope. The Silence Project marks the arrival of a sophisticated and compelling new voice. -- Erica WagnerTotally unique, gripping, compelling and immersive -- Nell Hudson, author of Just For Today'Multilayered and philosophical ... grippingly compulsive ... reminiscent of writers such as Margaret Atwood, Naomi Alderman and Miriam Toews ... inventive and original * Nation Cymru *A slow burn that leads up to an incendiary conclusion. It holds a mirror up to our cultural compulsion to have a take on every tragedy that passes our screens, and the way that movements can spiral out of control. But it's also a deep dive into the divide between a mother and a daughter, and the struggle to understand who your parents are outside their identity as your parents. * Readers Digest *Compulsive reading ... so timely in its considerations of the ownership of narrative and truth -- Jane Fraser, author of AdventA big novel, a story for our age that asks the central question: how to save an endangered world when there can no longer be heroes? Love and power burn through The Silence Project. A terrifying and beautiful coming of age story. What an achievement! -- Isabelle Dupuy author of Living the DreamReaders who enjoyed The Power or The Handmaid's Tale will be absorbed by the novel's exploration of dystopian themese -- The School LibrarianA gripping, intelligent, multi-layered triumph -- Andy Charman, author of Crow CourtA ferociously smart page turner, exploring how idealism curdles into fanaticism, silence into violence. Brilliantly original and inventive. -- Alan Bilton, author of The Known and Unknown SeaArresting ... pins down the zeigeist as if with a rivet gun and is so good on the subject of cults that it might well become the focus one. Bravo. -- Jon GowerCaptivating ... a nimble and fascinating page-turner * Buzz *A remarkable novel ... illustrates the evil that lies in the heart of men's (and women's) hearts when they decide their way is the only way * Meath Chronicle *
£8.54
Rebellion Publishing Ltd. Saint Death's Daughter: 2023 World Fantasy Award
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2023 WORLD FANTASY AWAY FOR BEST NOVELNothing complicates life like Death.Lanie Stones, the daughter of crown-appointed killers, was born with a gift for necromancy—and a literal allergy to violence. For her own safety, she was raised in isolation in a crumbling mansion by the family’s mouldering revenant.When Lanie’s parents are murdered, she and her psychotic sister Nita must settle their extensive debts or lose their ancestral home. When Liriat’s ruler, too, is murdered, it throws the whole nation’s future into doubt.Hunted by Liriat’s enemies, terrorised by family ghosts and tortured by a forbidden love for a childhood friend, Lanie will need more than luck to get through the next few months—but when the goddess of Death is on your side, anything is possible.Trade Review“Wildly inventive.”—Buzzfeed * Buzzfeed *“Cooney’s prose is beautiful and intricate and glowing.”—The Colorado Sun * The Colorado Sun *“Every character arrives in a burst: fully-realized, always finding their mark, dripping with detail and a fire in their heart.”—Tor.com“Saint Death’s Daughter exemplifies what fantasy can do in the best of ways.”—Strange Horizons“Grisly, dark, lovely, funny, heartfelt.”—Kirkus, starred review“I can usually predict story beats long before they happen but the author managed to surprise me with the depth and complexity of the characters, especially the antagonists.” -- The Southern Bookseller Review“Strange and magical adventures in a colorful world where most people are gender fluid, the gods are strange and death is not an ending.” -- Thornwell Books“This is the weirdest book I have read in a long time – and yet it’s weirdness is charming. Somewhat reminiscent of What We Do in the Shadows or The Addams Family.” -- Booknest“The novel complicates and recomplicates, always to its benefit. There’s a puppy! And there is suspense, and twists, and a satisfying resolution that gives no one all they want.” -- Black Gate“I don’t want to tell you much about this book. I want you to experience it the way I did; a cake whose every layer is more delicious than the last; a gemstone that always has another glittering facet when you turn it over in your hands; a gift that never stops giving. This is a book you should go into unprepared – and unarmed.” -- Every Book a Doorway“The broad aesthetic here is ‘whimsical gothic’: early chapters have a real Ghormengast-y vibe, which Cooney balances with a story that builds increasing nuance. Saint Death’s Daughter has gone straight to the favourites list, and I can’t wait to see where the adventures of Lanie take her.” -- Nerds of a Feather“A beautiful, stunning work of literature, more art than words, and something that I recommend everyone reads.” -- Just Geeking By“Lanie’s journey from a young woman to adulthood is compelling; the rise of her necromantic power and how she learns to wield it is enthralling. The world the author has built around Lanie is intricate and beautifully realised. It is a story that rewards the time invested in it.” -- British Fantasy Society“I’ve never met a book that is so completely sure of itself. Cooney could have gone off on any tangent and I would have completely believed it. I loved Saint Death’s Daughter for its complexities and characters and chaos and I think this will remain one of my top reads of the year.” -- FanFiAddict
£9.49
Atlantic Books Purge
Book SynopsisDeep in an Estonian forest, two women, one young, one old, are hiding.Zara is a prostitute and a murderer, on the run from brutal captors - men who know how to punish a woman. Aliide offers refuge but not safety: she has her own criminal secrets - traitorous crimes of passion and revenge committed long ago, during the country's brutal Soviet years.Both women have survived lives of abuse. But this time their survival depends on revealing the one thing history has taught them to keep safely hidden: the truth.A haunting, intimate and gripping story of suspicion, betrayal and retribution against a backdrop of Soviet oppression and European war.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Remembrance Sunday
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE KERRY GROUP IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD 2024''A quiet work of art that explores the complexity of trauma in the wake of the Enniskellen bombing. McKeon's writing is sensitive, elusive and philosophical, and pursues an elusive truth at the heart of the Troubles.' PAUL LYNCH ''Exceptional ... The imaginative storytelling and fine prose of Remembrance Sunday puts McKeon in the big leagues'' Irish Times''A supreme storyteller'' Sunday Times''If you enjoy Colum McCann''s work, this novel is for you'' Irish Independent''Impressive ... A poignant, delicately composed novel that doesn''t stint on the wreckage of violence'' Daily Mail ''Beautifully written'' Sunday IndependentChinatown, New York. After a chance encounter with an old friend, Simon Hanlon, an Irish architect, experiences a seizure, his first in almost tTrade ReviewMcKeon’s writing is sensitive, elusive and philosophical, and pursues an elusive truth at the heart of the Troubles.’ -- Paul Lynch * Sunday Independent *Deeply felt and delicate, Remembrance Sunday is a timely evocation of the havoc the Troubles wreaked, not just on the street, but on the soul -- Claire KilroyMcKeon animates a story out of the North's recent history with much skill and empathy. Complicating the commonplace, attempting to make sense of the senseless, the novel is an impressive and moving act of imagination and remembrance -- Nick LairdA stunning achievement. I was completely gripped by it and awed at the sublime skill and beauty of its execution. Darragh has created a work of art of immediate relevance and enduring importance -- Donal RyanA beautifully wrought, startlingly perceptive, stealthily gripping novel about the pain of understanding ourselves and the agony of trying to understand history. It moves masterfully between the forensic and the lyrical, the meditative and the dramatic, the personal and the political -- Kevin Power'Darragh McKeon's Remembrance Sunday is a quiet work of art that explores the complexity of trauma in the wake of the Enniskellen bombing. McKeon's writing is sensitive, elusive and philosophical, and pursues an elusive truth at the heart of the Troubles.' -- Paul Lynch * Sunday Independent *Beautifully written -- Malachi O'Doherty * Belfast Telegraph *'Thought-provoking ... strong second novel' -- Bert Wright * Business Post *'A poignant, delicately composed novel that doesn't stint on the wreckage of violence.' * Irish Daily Mail *McKeon ... is a writer to watch. He conveys how people who cause harm can sometimes be victims, in their own way, and that takes skill. If you enjoy Colum Mcann's work, this novel is for you.' -- Martina Devlin * Irish Independent *'... beautifully written, placed in those grey shadows between right and wrong and profound, terrible loss.' -- Anne Cunningham * Sunday Independent *A beautifully crafted story about the legacy of trauma -- Sarah Gilmartin * The Irish Times *A supreme storyteller -- Robert Collins * The Sunday Times Ireland *
£17.09
Cornerstone The Grace Year
Book Synopsis'. . . seethes with love and brutality, violence and hope . . . a remarkable and timely story of the bonds between women' Sabaa Tahir'An incredibly important and empowering read' Natasha Ngan_____________________________________________THE RESISTANCE STARTS HERE.No one speaks of the grace year.It's forbidden.We're told we have the power to lure grown men from their beds, make boys lose their minds, and drive the wives mad with jealousy. That's why we're banished for our sixteenth year, to release our magic into the wild before we're allowed to return to civilisation.But I don't feel powerful.I don't feel magical.Tierney James lives in an isolated village where girls are banished at sixteen to the northern forest to brave the wilderness - and each other - for a year. They must rid themselves of their dangerous magic before returning purified and ready to marry - if they're lucky.It is forbidden to speak of the grace year, but even so every girl knows that the coming year will change them - if they survive it...A critically acclaimed page-turning feminist dystopia about a young woman trapped in an oppressive society, fighting to take control of her own life.'Beautiful, devastating, and deeply moving' Samira Ahmed, New York Times bestselling author of Internment and Love, Hate & Other Filters'A visceral, darkly haunting fever dream of a novel . . . I couldn't stop reading' Libba Bray, New York Times bestselling author of The Diviners and A Great and Terrible BeautyTrade ReviewPart coming-of-age tale, part adventure story; this is not a cry against oppression - it's a bold, beautiful howl. * Heat Magazine *An incredibly important and empowering read * Natasha Ngan, New York Times bestselling author of Girls of Paper and Fire *A crazy mash-up of Vox, The Hunger Games, Lord Of The Flies and The Handmaid’s Tale. * Daily Mail *A must-read for fans of The Handmaid's Tale and The Power * Bustle *Harrowing and absolutely riveting, an insidious journey from reason to madness that manages to completely refresh the concept of the patriarchal dystopia, with a beautifully realised ending. * Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of THE HAZEL WOOD *
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton Skylark: THE COMPELLING NOVEL OF LOVE, BETRAYAL
Book Synopsis'O'Keeffe brings the world Skylark inhabits to vibrant life, painting the passions of her activists so vividly that the reader - and Dan himself - are drawn into their desire to change the world.' - Observer 'Alice O'Keeffe deftly renders the shocking truth of the spy cops scandal into a moving tale of love, identity and betrayal. Essential reading.' - Jake ArnottTheir ideals brought them together, but how closely should you follow your heart?It's the mid-90s, and rebellion is in the air.Skylark is an activist, a raver, a tree-dweller, a world-changer.Handsome, dependable Dan appears on the scene, offering her the security she has never had. When they fall in love, she shows him a new way to live; he will never be the same.But Dan has a secret, which Skylark must never, ever know.A secret so powerful that its fault-lines run from their ordinary council flat right up to the highest echelons of the state.Their story is the story of Britain's undercover police.As Skylark comes to doubt not only Dan's commitment to their shared ideals, but his very identity, she finds herself asking: can you ever really know the person you love?
£9.49
Vintage Publishing Secret Lives & Other Stories
Book Synopsis'One of the greatest writers of our time' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Ngugi wa Thiong'o is renowned for his political novels and plays, yet he honed his craft as a short story writer. First published in 1975, Secret Lives and Other Stories brings together a range of Ngugi's political short stories.From tales of the meeting between magic and superstition, to stories about the modernising forces of colonialism, and the pervasive threat of nature, this collection celebrates the storytelling might of one of Africa's best-loved writers.Trade ReviewA tremendous writer... It's hard to doubt the power of the written word when you hear the story of Ngugi wa Thiong’o * Guardian *One of Kenya's greatest storytellers * Financial Times *A visionary writer * Daily Telegraph *In his crowded career and eventful life, Ngugi has enacted, for all to see, the paradigmatic trials and quandaries of a contemporary African writer, caught in sometimes implacable political, social, racial and linguistic currents * New Yorker *
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers To Kill the President The most explosive thriller
Book SynopsisMaggie Costello uncovers an assassination plot to kill the tyrannical new president.A blockbuster thriller from No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sam Bourne.The unthinkable has happenedThe United States has elected a volatile demagogue as president, backed by his ruthless chief strategist, Crawford Mac' McNamara.When a war of words with the North Korean regime spirals out of control and the President comes perilously close to launching a nuclear attack, it''s clear someone has to act, or the world will be reduced to ashes.Soon Maggie Costello, a seasoned Washington operator and stubbornly principled, discovers an inside plot to kill the President and faces the ultimate moral dilemma. Should she save the President and leave the free world at the mercy of an increasingly crazed would-be tyrant or commit treason against her Commander in Chief and risk plunging the country into a civil war?Trade Review‘A cracking read’ Piers Morgan ‘Couldn’t be more relevant if it tried. Bloody terrifying’ The Pool ‘Ingenious … page-turning … drawing on The Day of the Jackal, Julius Caesar and perhaps Dr Strangelove … few novels have been as urgently topical’ Sunday Times 'A pacy, engaging and morally serious thriller that offers no easy answers on the limits of loyalty and dissent within a democracy’ Guardian ‘A Day of the Jackal for these dizzying times’ Ian Rankin ‘This blockbuster thriller from number one bestselling author Sam Bourne is a real page-turner’ Express & Star ‘Fast-paced and exciting, it is perfect holiday reading … all-too plausible’ New Statesman ‘Read this book’ Jeffrey Archer ‘Blisteringly brilliant’ Rachel Johnson ‘A barnstorming read’ Raymond Khoury ‘A right rollicking holiday read’ David Baddiel ‘Tired of alternative facts? Try Sam Bourne’s alternative fiction. To Kill the President is a dazzling thriller’ Charles Cumming 'Brilliantly convincing' David Hare ‘It's a gripping thriller, a brilliant satire and – I fear – a prescient warning’ Tim Shipman, Political Editor of the Sunday Times ‘A thrilling, breathless page-turner: House of Cards meets Dr. Strangelove’ Matt Frei ‘If you like the sinister intrigue of House of Cards mixed with the epic calamity of Homeland, you're going to love Sam Bourne's thrilling new book’ Eli Attie, Writer/Producer, The West Wing
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Number 11
Book SynopsisThis is a novel about the hundreds of tiny connections between the public and private worlds and how they affect us all.It''s about the legacy of war and the end of innocence.It''s about how comedy and politics are battling it out and comedy might have won.It''s about how 140 characters can make fools of us all.It''s about living in a city where bankers need cinemas in their basements and others need food banks down the street.It is Jonathan Coe doing what he does best - showing us how we live now.''Coe is among the handful of novelists who can tell us something about the temper of our times'' ObserverWritten with his signature wit, Jonathan Coe''s unmissable new novel, The Proof of My Innocence, is available to order now!Trade ReviewCoe is back doing what he does best. Number 11 is a baroquely plotted, densely allusive, heart-on-his-sleeve, state-of-the-nation satire, an angry and exuberant book....Coe is not just back, but back on top form * Sunday Times *You can't stop reading....I was haunted for days * The Independent *Coe's prose is always a delight...hugely enjoyable * Daily Mail *Jonathan Coe has established himself as one of the most entertaining chroniclers of our times. . . He has an enviable lightness of touch and is brilliant at portraying the lunacy of our time, when bankers need iceberg houses and their neighbours need food banks. He is often satirical, always compassionate. * Tatler *He brings us the usual high quotient of jokes, emotional engagement with the characters and commitment to old-school storytelling, complete with narrative twists and thrilling set pieces * The Daily Telegraph *An incredibly Dickensian novel...it articulates all kinds of themes that will make the reader feel very angry...I enjoyed it hugely and read it pretty much in a single sitting. Whenever there was an interruption I felt really angry and you can't really ask more from a novel than that...Really satisfying -- Tom Holland, BBC Radio 4Jonathan Coe rips into modern celebrity culture and the decadent lives of the super-rich in hs latest satire * Good Housekeeping *A restlessness would overtake me when I was separated from the book -- Kit Davis, BBC Radio 4No modern novelist is better at charting the precariousness of middle-class life * The Observer *Coe creeps up stealthily, delivering a book bursting with narrative coups and delicious ironies. Presenting a picture of an ailing country close to collapse, despite the apparent health suggested by its millionaires' mansions and its confidently callous politicians, the book scares rather than laughs us into calling for reform * Literary Review *Coe intriguingly depicts the social grievances of modern Britain * Metro *My first Jonathan Coe book but it won't be the last...gloriously insane...It takes you into another space and time....Very beautiful -- Kerry Shale, BBC Radio 4It's dispiriting that, for a country that prides itself on its sense of humour, Coe has not been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.....Read Number 11 to see what an odd country Britain has become * T2 *[Coe] has a fine ear for dialogue and mastery of comic plot: this is first-class entertainment * Evening Standard *The country needs Number 11....[Coe's] take-down of modern Britain proves he's still the UK's premiere national lampoon * Stylist *Number 11 is undoubtedly a political novel. It is also an interrogation of the purposes and efficacy of humour in exposing society's ills * Guardian *A richly enjoyable, densely textured and thought-provoking entertainment, Number 11 might not feature in many Kensington mansions, Swiss bolt-holes or private jets this winter. But perhaps it should' * Financial Times *What Victorians called "a condition of England" novel...This sequel is a very good book indeed - let's hope that Coe goes for a trilogy * The Times *Richly textured * Esquire *Undoubtedly a political novel. It is also an interrogation of the purposes and efficacy of humour in exposing society's ills * Guardian *[A] state-of-the-nation address * Independent on Sunday *Jonathan Coe has taken aim at the absurdity of modern life * Sport *
£9.49
Atlantic Books No Land to Light On: Longlisted for the 2022
Book SynopsisLonglisted for the 2022 Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize'Tense, lyrical, intelligent' - The Big Issue'A heart-wrenching human story' - SagaExit West meets An American Marriage in this breathtaking and evocative novel about a young Syrian couple in the throes of new love, on the cusp of their bright future...when a travel ban rips them apart on the eve of their son's birth.Boston, 2017: When Hadi returns to his heavily pregnant partner Sama after a trip to Jordan to bury his father, he is stopped at border control - a hostile new immigration law has just been enacted - while she awaits him on the other side. Worlds apart, suspended between hope and disillusion as hours become days become weeks, Sama and Hadi yearn for a way back to each other, and to the life they'd dreamed up together. But does that life exist any more, or was it only an illusion? Achingly intimate yet poignantly universal, No Land to Light On is the story of a family caught up in forces beyond their control, fighting for the freedom and home they found in one another.Trade ReviewZgheib writes so lyrically about rootlessness, separation and a fierce longing for home that it makes the tragedy of war that much easier to bear. Sama and Hadi will always hold a special place in my heart. -- ALKA JOSHI, author of The Henna Artist and The Secret Keeper of JaipurA masterful story of tragedy and redemption, an entire history told through the prism of a single Syrian couple, beginning and ending with love. -- HALA ALYAN, award-winning author of Salt Houses and The Arsonists' CityThrough a heart-wrenching human story runs a narrative about avian migration, the urge to take flight felt even by a caged bird - but all birds of passage need land to light on. -- Rose Shepherd * Saga Magazine *In elegant prose, Zgheib skillfully mingles her protagonists' memories with a nail-biting account of their 2017 ordeal to craft a narrative rich in metaphors and complex, believable characters. -- Washington Post * Washington Post *[in] glittering language that brings emotional resonance to the effects of monstrous policies [...] The separation comes in like thunder to break a happy story apart. Zgheib's poetic language serves her well in conveying that story. But much of its power lies also in the playful way Sama and Hadi experience new love, the sense of open possibility that immigration can still represent. This happiness is embedded within her story of suffering - and vice versa. -- Lorraine Berry * L.A. Times *Zgheib has created a tense, moving novel about the meaning of home, the risks of exile, the power of nations, and the power of love. * Kirkus *Her devastating second novel, No Land to Light On, is an illuminating, intimate look at the Syrian refugee crisis and the immigrant experience in America during the Trump administration [...] Zgheib offers nuanced insights into the complex psychology of and challenges faced by displaced people, and effectively makes the consequences of anti-immigrant sentiments and policies feel personal to all readers.Written in soul-searing prose, No Land to Light On is an essential, compassionate story that reinstates a sense of humanity for the countless people affected by U.S. travel bans. * BookPage *a graceful tale of imperiled lovers -- Kirkus * Kirkus *If you can handle suspense and heartache then add this one to your list. -- Elizabeth Walsh * Muse *An ongoing travel ban threatens every hope [Hadi and Sumi] ever shared, and through a chronicle of their torn-up plans, Zgheib deftly addresses pertinent issues of identity, homeland, exile and loss. This is a tense, lyrical, intelligent novel. -- Jane Graham * The Big Issue *
£8.54
Mike Smith The Eradicator
Book Synopsis
£7.49
Pan Macmillan The Providence of Fire
Book Synopsis'Will keep you turning the pages late at night' - Pierce Brown on The Emperor's BladesWar is coming, secrets multiply and betrayal waits in the wings . . .The Empire's ruling family must be vigilant, as the conspiracy against them deepens. Having discovered her father's assassin, Adare flees the Dawn Palace in search of allies. But few trust her, until she seems marked by the people's goddess in an ordeal of flame.As Adare struggles to unite Annur, unrest breeds rival armies - then barbarian hordes threaten to invade. And unknown to Adare, her brother Valyn has fallen in with forces mustering at the empire's borders. The terrible choices facing each of them could make war between them inevitable.Fighting his own battles is their brother Kaden, rightful heir to the throne, who has infiltrated the Annurian capital with two strange companions. While imperial forces prepare to defend a far disTrade ReviewA complex and fast-moving fantasy set in a world where treachery and intrigue are everywhere -- L. E. Modesitt, Jr. on The Emperor's BladesA richly imagined world and vibrant characters . . . an exhilarating adventure -- Elspeth Cooper on The Emperor's BladesThe Emperor's Blades is a promising start to a new voice in fantasy . . . a fantastic and compelling fantasy world -- Io9 on The Emperor's BladesI was hooked from the first page -- TheBookPlank on The Emperor's BladesFollowing in the footsteps of George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie and the like . . . Brutal, intriguing and continuing to head toward exciting events and places unknown -- Kirkus ReviewsI loved every second of it . . . As more and more people discover what a talent Staveley has for creating a full, immersive, magical and exciting world, with characters to match, his popularity will soar -- FantasyFactionDon't wait until HBO or some film producer pick up the rights before you read this - it's that good . . . Superbly written, sublimely enchanting, utterly engrossing -- TheBookGeekI just loved this book, couldn't put it down. This incredible sequel to The Emperor's Blades was everything I hoped for . . . As a reader, you just can't ask for more than that * Bibliosanctum.com *With The Providence of Fire he proves once again that he is the next big Epic Fantasy writer. There are some big names out there, George R. R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson and Steven Erikson to name a few, but they have to be careful. Brian Staveley might knock them of their place. And I do mean this . . . Get started on this amazing series! -- TheBookPlankIf you haven't read Staveley yet, then you are missing out. This is a must read series . . . The Providence of Fire builds brilliantly on the foundations laid by The Emperor's Blades -- TheCivilianReaderThis. Book. Does. Not. Stop . . . it very hard to put down, and to me that is a huge indicator of a great read . . . The end of this book will leave you wanting to grab for the next one immediately, but it's so good, I don't recommend putting off reading it either. Just go read it -- TheTenaciousReaderIn a stunning follow-up to The Emperor's Blades, Brian Staveley builds upon the character-driven adventure of the first book, expanding the history, mythology, and world-building to suitably epic proportions. More than that, The Providence of Fire reveals the treachery of the first book to be merely the opening gambit in a complex, wide-ranging game of conquest and rebellion . . . Most definitely recommended -- BeautyinRuinsUnexpected plot twists, fascinating characters, brilliant writing . . . It feels like a cross between Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy and Daniel Abraham's Dagger and the Coin series -- TheSciFiFanLetterSheer quality . . . just keeps giving the reader more and more -- FalcataTimes
£10.44
Pan Macmillan The Emperors Blades
Book SynopsisWinner of the 2015 David Gemmell Award for Best Fantasy Debut.An explosive fantasy debut, The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley is a fast-paced, thrilling epic. If you like Joe Abercrombie and George R. R. Martin, you'll love this.'Will keep you turning the pages late at night' - Pierce Brown, Sunday Times bestselling author of Red RisingThe circle is closing. The stakes are high. And old truths will live again . . .The Emperor has been murdered, leaving the Annurian Empire in turmoil. Now his progeny must prepare to unmask a conspiracy. His son Valyn, training for the empire's deadliest fighting force, hears the news an ocean away. And after several 'accidents' and a dying soldier's warning, he realizes his life is also in danger. Yet before Valyn can act, he must survive the mercenaries' brutal final initiation. The Emperor's daughter, MiTrade ReviewAn enchanting union of old and new, Staveley's debut will keep you turning pages late into the night -- Pierce BrownA vividly imagined story of conspiracy and empire -- Col BuchananA richly imagined world and vibrant characters . . . an exhilarating adventure -- Elspeth CooperA complex and fast-moving fantasy set in a world where treachery and intrigue are everywhere, accomplished through ferocious brutality, subtle intrigues, and everything in between -- L. E. Modesitt, Jr.Well-written and fat with promise, and we look forward to book two -- SFXHe's constructed a fantastic and compelling fantasy world and has started an interesting story that rests on the strengths of its characters. He's proven to be an excellent author, and he's set up a compelling narrative -- Io9Brian Staveley does true justice to the term fantasy with his The Emperor's Blades . . . It has everything that you seek when you read an epic fantasy story, from great, relatable characters all throughout the solid storyline, interesting environments and a lot of pretty darn cool action! -- TheBookPlankIf you love traditional epic fantasy, but would like to see a more updated version, then The Emperor's Blades is a book you'll want to read -- AFantasticalLibrarianA blistering narrative and keen sense of both action and wonder . . . Brian Stavely is one to watch and if you enjoy epic fantasy I think that The Emperor's Blades is definitely worth checking out -- KingoftheNerdsVery readable, hard to put down, and flat-out entertaining -- NethspaceAn amazing debut . . . Highly recommended -- SpeculativeBookReviewReally great writing, tight world building, and complex characters. Truly, the author is on to something special with this series and I can't wait for it to continue -- AgelessPagesReviewsThis was a book that reminded me, in different ways . . . of Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss. It managed to feel fresh and original, yet familiar at the same time . . . This is epic fantasy for a new generation, gritty and grim at times, but never losing sight of the awe and the wonder -- BeautyinRuinsThis book made my heart happy. If you like fantasy it will probably make yours happy as well -- BetweenthePagesA well-imagined tale rife with violence and Machiavellian scheming that hits all the right notes -- FantasySmorgasbordI cannot wait to read the sequel . . . Fans of epic fantasy novels featuring conspiracies and fighting for the throne will enjoy reading it -- BookwormDreams
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd The Queen and I
Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR TV ADAPTATION STARRING DAVID WALLIAMS & SAMANTHA BONDThe Queen and I is a hilarious satire on modern Britain and an exploration of what it really means to be human, by the bestselling author of the Adrian Mole series.____________The Royals, they''re just like us . . . THE MONARCHY HAS BEEN DISMANTLEDWhen a Republican party wins the General Election, their first act in power is to strip the royal family of their assets and titles and send them to live on a housing estate in the Midlands. Exchanging Buckingham Palace for a two-bedroomed semi in Hell Close (as the locals dub it), caviar for boiled eggs, servants for a social worker named Trish, the Queen and her family learn what it means to be poor among the great unwashed. But is their breeding sufficient to allow them to rise above their changed circumstance or deep down are they really just like everyone else?____________''No other author could imagine this so graphically, demolish the institution so wittily and yet leave the family with its human dignity intact'' The Times''Absorbing, entertaining . . . the funniest thing in print since Adrian Mole'' Daily Telegraph''Kept me rolling about until the last page'' Daily MailTrade ReviewNo other author could imagine this so graphically, demolish the institution so wittily and yet leave the family with its human dignity intact * The Times *Kept me rolling about until the last page * Daily Mail *Laugh-out-loud funny * Sunday Telegraph *
£9.49
Atlantic Books Led by Donkeys: How four friends with a ladder
Book SynopsisThe official account - complete with full-colour illustrations - of how four ordinary people managed to expose the government's hypocrisies through a nationwide guerrilla advertising campaign.Seeking to highlight the hypocrisy of our politicians on Brexit four friends armed with nothing more than ladders, roller brushes and a treasure trove of damning statements from our leaders slapped up the politicians' biggest lies on billboards around the country.This guerrilla operation wasn't easy, but it wasn't long before the British public enabled them to take things into their own hands - and the rest is history. Leave the EU or remain? An apparently simple question divided the nation in historic fashion. Many of us believed the words of these politicians. By putting up their quotes as billboards, self-styled 'Led By Donkeys' had clear intentions - to compare the promises that have been made across the years with the damning reality.
£9.50
Pan Macmillan The Mimic Men
Book SynopsisV. S. Naipaul was born in Trinidad in 1932. He came to England on a scholarship in 1950. He spent four years at University College, Oxford, and began to write, in London, in 1954. He pursued no other profession.His novels include A House for Mr Biswas, The Mimic Men, Guerrillas, A Bend in the River, and The Enigma of Arrival. In 1971 he was awarded the Booker Prize for In a Free State. His works of nonfiction, equally acclaimed, include Among the Believers, Beyond Belief, The Masque of Africa, and a trio of books about India: An Area of Darkness, India: A Wounded Civilization and India: A Million Mutinies Now.In 1990, V. S. Naipaul received a knighthood for services to literature; in 1993, he was the first recipient of the David Cohen British Literature Prize. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. He lived with his wife Nadira and cat Augustus in Wiltshire, and died in 20Trade ReviewAmbitious and successful . . . Extremely perceptive. * The Times *The sweep of Naipaul’s imagination, the fictional frame that expresses it, are in my view without equal today. -- Elizabeth Hardwick * New York Times Book Review *A Tolstoyan spirit . . . The so-called Third World has produced no more brilliant literary artist. -- John Updike * New Yorker *
£9.49
Alma Books Ltd The Mother
Book SynopsisInspired by real events and centring on the figure of Pelageya Vlasova – the mother of the title – and her son Pavel, Gorky’s masterpiece describes the brutal life of ordinary Russian factory workers in the years leading to the 1905 Revolution and explores the rise of the proletariat, the role of women in society and the lower classes’ struggle for self-affirmation. A book of the utmost importance, in the words of Lenin, and a landmark in Russian literature, The Mother – here presented in a brilliant new version by Hugh Aplin, the first English translation in almost a century – will enchant modern readers both for its historical significance and its intrinsic value as a work of art.Trade Review“Rereading The Mother in Hugh Aplin’s new translation, I found it surprisingly topical.” – The Spectator
£9.49
Orenda Books Off-Target: The captivating, disturbing new
Book SynopsisWhen a one-night stand leads to a long-desired pregnancy, Susan will do anything to ensure her husband won’t find out … including the unthinkable. But when something horrendous is unleashed around the globe, her secret isn’t the only thing that is no longer safe…‘The first half is a high-concept thriller; the second edges into science fiction as a generation of genetically optimised children respond to the social pressures they are under … an astute, well-researched and convincing novel of ideas’ The Times'If you could create a "perfect" baby through genetic engineering, would you? A disturbing and interesting thriller, perfect for book club discussions' Nina Pottell, Prima‘A fantastic exploration of the ethics and allure of genetic engineering woven into a captivating, thought-provoking thriller. Provocative, pacy and scarily all-too-possible’ Philippa East––––––––––––An unthinkable decisionA deadly mistakeIn an all-too-possible near future, when genetic engineering has become the norm for humans, not just crops, parents are prepared to take incalculable risks to ensure that their babies are perfect … altering genes that may cause illness, and more…Susan has been trying for a baby for years, and when an impulsive one-night stand makes her dream come true, she’ll do anything to keep her daughter and ensure her husband doesn’t find out … including the unthinkable. She believes her secret is safe. For now.But as governments embark on a perilous genetic arms race and children around the globe start experiencing a host of distressing symptoms – even taking their own lives – something truly horrendous is unleashed. Because those children have only one thing in common, and people are starting to ask questions…Bestselling author of The Waiting Rooms, Eve Smith returns with an authentic, startlingly thought-provoking, disturbing blockbuster of a thriller that provides a chilling glimpse of a future that’s just one modification away…_____________‘An effective thriller that will keep you hooked to the very end … more than that, it’s a nuanced, believable examination of how human genetic engineering might play out...’ SFX Magazine ‘A brilliantly chilling work of speculative fiction – a disturbing but all-too-possible vision of the near future, where each of us gets to play God. Superb!’ Guy Morpuss‘Sharp, intelligent, frightening and original’ NB Magazine‘An eerily prophetic near-future viewed through a compassionately anchoring lens ... As tempting and tantalising a read as the vision of the future it presents’ SciFi Now‘This is what speculative fiction should be – plausible, pacy, and with a story that packs real emotional punch’ Louise Mumford‘When a writer’s work is compared to Michael Crichton’s, there’s reason to sit up and pay attention … a cautionary tale that’s full of thrills’ LoveReading ‘With jaw-dropping twists, high stakes and so much heart, this is a book that everyone will be talking about’ Awais Khan‘Fast-paced, emotional, disturbing. Lovers of cleverly plotted speculative fiction should jump on this’ Catherine McCarthy‘Eve Smith has done it again! A brilliant read’ J.M. Hewitt‘One of the most exciting writers around … master of the high-concept thriller’ Chris McDonald‘Eve Smith has crafted a world that feels not only lived-in, but utterly plausible’ Russel McLean‘Captivating’ Professor Joanna Verran‘Eve Smith is becoming the Jodi Picoult of speculative medical thrillers’ The Reading ClosetPraise for The Waiting Rooms*****‘Combines the excitement of a medical thriller à la Michael Crichton with sensitive characterisation and social insight in a timely debut novel all the more remarkable for being conceived and written before the current pandemic’ Guardian‘STUNNING and terrifying … The Waiting Rooms wrenches your heart in every way possible’ Miranda Dickinson‘Chillingly close to reality, this gripping thriller brims with authenticity … a captivating, accomplished and timely debut from an author to watch’ Adam Hamdy‘Engrossing and eye-opening, with heart-stopping plot twists … a stunning medical thriller set in a terrifying possible future’ Foreword Reviews For fans of Emily St John Mandel, Robin Cook, Tess Gerritsen and Louise Dought
£8.54
Vintage Publishing The Presidents Last Love
Book Synopsis''A bittersweet work, tough and touching at the same time. Kurkov''s style is spare and effective, drawing us with deceptive ease into a dense, complex world full of wonderful characters'' Michael PalinA sharp, engaging satire that delves into Ukraine''s history.Moscow, 2013. Bunin, the Ukrainian President, has joined other heads of state in an open air swimming pool to drink vodka and celebrate with Putin. During his rise to power Bunin has juggled with formidable and eccentric political and personal challenges. His troubles with his family and his women combine with his difficulties with corrupt businessmen and demanding international allies, but it is his recent heart transplant that worries him most. Since the operation he has started to develop freckles, and his heart donor''s mysterious widow seems to have moved in with him... Spanning forty years, The President''s Last Love is a hilarious satire on love, lies and life before and afTrade ReviewA bittersweet work, tough and touching at the same time. Kurkov's style is spare and effective, drawing us with deceptive ease into a dense, complex world full of wonderful characters -- Michael PalinInventive, funny and worryingly prophetic -- Tibor Fischer * Guardian *Kurkov is a fine satirist and a real, blackly comic find * Observer *Kurkov sports a double whammy: the fiercest of political intelligences married to a truly surrealistic mindset ... This is an ambitious, multi-layered political black comedy * Independent *Kurkov's eye for the absurdities of Ukrainian life is as sharp as ever * Sunday Telegraph *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Salt Eaters Penguin Modern Classics
Book Synopsis''A book full of marvels'' New YorkerThe American Deep South, in the 1970s. Velma Henry, once a formidable political activist, has grown weary and disillusioned with the fight for civil rights. She wants to end it all. But then she finds herself in the hands of a Black faith community, and the fabled healer Minnie Ransom. As she works through the rage and fear of her traumatic past, Velma finds herself changing, becoming whole and, maybe, free. The Salt Eaters is a boldly optimistic, profound exploration of memory, the self, power and Black health as liberation.''A hymn to individual courage'' The Times Literary Supplement''Her characters inhabit the nonlinear, sacred space and sacred time of traditional African religion'' The New York Times Book ReviewTrade ReviewA long, rich dream -- Anne TylerA hymn to individual courage, a sombre message of hope * Times Literary Supplement *A book full of marvels * New Yorker *Daringly brilliant -- Gloria HullToni Cade Bambara's writing is so great it lifts you off the ground * New Statesman *Nobody writes with her breathtaking humour, empathy, ferocity, and surrealness ... her observation and humanity are timeless. As a reader, I release myself into Ms. Toni's sure and steady hands, knowing every part of me will be illuminated by her gaze -- Adjoa Andoh * Glamour *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Grand Union
Book SynopsisA treasure trove of outstanding stories from ''the best writer of our generation'' (Gary Shteyngart) - the perfect gift for the Zadie Smith fan in your life''She''s already one of our best novelists and essayists, this reminds us that her short stories are right up there too'' Observer''Sexy and hilarious. There is no moment in Grand Union when we are not entertained, or doubt that we are in the company of one of our best contemporary writers'' Guardian''Brilliant. Another slam dunk. Street life, patois, music, food, clothes, hair: Smith has her finger on the pulse of life and the utter weirdness of whatever has just become normal. This is a book of and for the times, sobering in its clarity but bracingly witty and clever'' Evening Standard''Smith''s dialogue crackles with mordant wit. This dazzling collection of stories will leave you with plenty to think about'' IndependentInterleaving ten completely new and unpublished Trade ReviewShe's a genius . . . It's bliss -- Dolly AldertonSexy and hilarious . . . There is no moment in Grand Union when we are not entertained,or doubt that we are in the company of one of our best contemporary writers. * Guardian *Smart and bewitching, the modern world is refracted in ways that are both playful and rigorous, formally experimental and socially aware... Smith exercises her range without losing her wry, slightly cynical humour. Readers of all tastes will find something memorable in this collection * Publisher's Weekly *She's already one of our best novelists and essayists, this reminds us that her short stories are right up there too * Observer *Bewitching * Publisher's Weekly *The stories in Grand Union address both eternal existential queries and decidedly contemporary concerns. * FT *this is a book of and for the times, sobering in its clarity but bracingly witty and clever * Evening Standard *Smith's dialogue crackles with mordant wit . . . this dazzling collection of stories will leave you with plenty to think about. * Independent *Each story is a new surprise of literary genius that takes the reader on a short journey away from reality . . . A must-read for literary lovers everywhere * Vanity Fair *In these short stories she is miles and miles ahead, moving the finish line ever further as we are dazzled, knocked sideways by her craft . . . We see a master at work, exercising her vast talent with joy and vigour, reimagining old paradigms whilst maintaining the warmth and authenticity of her inimitable voice. For a writer who has seemingly done everything, it seems that Smith is just beginning * The Arts Desk *Grand Union seduces with language, acute observation, humour and the warmth of Smith's humanity. It's a startling, energising collection fom a writer unafraid to take risks * i *An exuberant volume that's bracing, thoughtful and frequently very funny * Mail on Sunday *Tremendous comic writing and snappy dialogue * Literary Review *Smith offers sharp social commentary in this wry collection of stories that takes on the complications of the modern world * Psychologies *Tackles subjects including cancel culture, desire and race with Smith's trademark insight and lightness of touch * Stylist *
£9.49
Faber & Faber The Republic of False Truths
Book Synopsis''Glorious'' Observer''Amazing'' André Aciman''Masterly'' Sunday Times''Blistering'' Financial TimesGeneral Alwany is a pious man who loves his family. He also tortures and kills enemies of the state.Under the regime of Hosni Mubarak, Egypt is gripped by cronyism, religious hypocrisy, and the oppressive military. Now, however, the regime faces its greatest crisis. The idealistic young from different backgrounds - engineers, teachers, medical students, and among them the general's daughter - have come together to challenge the status quo.Euphoria mounts as Mubarak is toppled and love blossoms across class divides, but can it last?Rooted in first-hand experience, this searing account of the short-lived 2011 Egyptian revolution blends knockabout satire with real polemical anger.' Daily Mail A powerful book in the vein of a great Russian or South American social novel . . Trade Review'A masterly panorama of doomed revolution, Aswany's novel puts him in the company of writers such as Joseph Conrad or Mario Vargas Llosa as an outstanding fictional confronter of authoritarianism and its entrenched evils.' - Sunday Times'Exile has only whetted the blade of [Aswany's] satire . . a glorious, humane novel that chronicles the failure of a revolution and its personal cost without ever quite extinguishing hope of a better future.' - Observer'Rooted in first-hand experience, this searing account of the short-lived 2011 Egyptian revolution blends knockabout satire with real polemical anger.' - Daily Mail'A blistering, bold dissection of a failed revolution, and of the disenchantment and dissent that inevitably follow.' - Financial Times'An amazing portrait of fanaticism and cynicism among Egyptian powermongers.' - Andre Aciman, Guardian'An engaging, provocative and, ultimately, frustrating tour of the revolution, from its gestation to its bloody aftermath.' - The Economist'A powerful book in the vein of a great Russian or South American social novel . . . Al Aswanyis a writer of great talent, a rare man whose courage is not merely literary.' - Le Figaro'One of our greatest contemporary writers or, even better, the Pharaoh of the literary arts . . . A wonderful novel . . . Breathtaking . . . The Republic of False Truths is also a novel of ferocious comedy and dissent; Al Aswany attacks the hypocrisy of power, politics, and every aspect of religion, including its relationship to sexuality.' - France Culture'Brave, sobering, provocative, and thoroughly absorbing.' - Booklist'In telling the story of the Egyptian revolution of 2011 through the viewpoint of a variety of Cairenes both for and against, Alaa Al Aswany holds out the slender straw of hope against the slashing shears of repression. ' - Spectator'Exhilarating in its storytelling and devastating in its societal critique . . . an evocative and informed account of an important moment in Egyptian society.' - Irish Times
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Anatomy of a Moment
Book Synopsis_______________Richly imagined, suspenseful and surprisingly poignant ... a reminder of how Spanish history might have taken a dramatically different turn'' - Financial TimesPersuasive, brilliant and absorbing'' - Economist''Cercas is a master storyteller'' - Independent_______________A suspenseful, dramatic novel by the author of Soldiers of Salamis, translated from the Spanish by Anne McLeanIn February 1981, just as Spain was finally leaving Franco''s dictatorship and during the first democratic vote in parliament for a new prime minister, Colonel Tejero and a band of right-wing soldiers burst into the Spanish parliament and began firing shots. Only three members of Congress defied the incursion and did not dive for cover: Adolfo Suarez, the then-outgoing prime minister, who had steered the country away from the Franco era; Guttierez Mellado, a conservative general who had loyally served democracy; and SantiTrade Review‘A brilliant reconfiguring of a key event in contemporary European history. Audacious and wholly fascinating' * William Boyd *‘Persuasive, brilliant and absorbing' * Economist *‘Richly imagined, suspenseful and surprisingly poignant ... a reminder of how Spanish history might have taken a dramatically different turn that evening thirty years ago' * Financial Times *‘An almost Shakespearean account of soldiers, politicians, mixed motives and the lust for power' * Anne Chisholm, Sunday Telegraph *Cercas is a master storyteller * Independent *A mesmerising achievement * Literary Review *Cercas forces us to abandon the fiction, the legend of the coup, and look at the pictures and story anew in all their complexity * Michael Eaude, Independent *Always a nimble dancer on the edge of history and fiction, the Spanish writer returns with a closely researched but always dramatic account of the failed coup in 1981 that almost vanquished his country's fragile post-Franco democracy * Boyd Tonkin, Independent *
£14.24
Little, Brown Book Group Sexy But Psycho
Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Angry, opinionated, mouthy, aggressive, hysterical, mad, disordered, crazy, psycho, delusional, borderline, hormonal . . . Women have long been pathologized, locked up and medicated for not conforming to whichever norms or stereotypes are expected of them in that time and space. Sexy But Psycho is a challenging and uncomfortable book which seeks to explore the way professionals and society at large pathologize and sexualise women and girls. Utilising decades of research, real case studies and new data from her own work, Dr Taylor''s book will critically analyse the way we label women with personality disorders. Why are women and girls pathologized for being angry about oppression and abuse? How have so many women been duped into believing that they are mentally ill, for having normal and natural reactions to their experiences? Sexy But Psycho argues that there is a specific purpose to convincing women and girls Trade ReviewDr Taylor's fierce polemic shows how professionals can pathologise and sexualise women and girls and how misogynistic the medical model can be . . . interesting [with] moments of brilliance . . . * Irish Independent *Fierce and fearless. * Irish Examiner *The topics touched on in Sexy But Psycho are wide-ranging, but, for me, the most important message from the book is the vital importance of listening carefully to what women have to say. * Independent *
£10.44
Pan Macmillan The Tempest
Book SynopsisThe Tempest is Shakespeare's masterpiece of magical effects, redemptive romance, poetry and politics. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition features illustrations by renowned artist Sir John Gilbert and an introduction by actor, writer and director Simon Callow.Prospero has long been exiled from Italy and banished to a remote island with his daughter Miranda. He uses his magical powers to conjure up a fearsome storm, and his enemies, including his treacherous broth Antonio, are shipwrecked. There follows a play filled with murderous plots, drunken confusion, love and redemption. And along the way, the reader discovers an unmistakable message that this is Shakespeare’s own farewell to the stage.Trade ReviewShakespeare’s voice rings down the ages, and, as with innumerable other human matters, we would do well to listen to it * Independent *A magical tale of finding love and getting drunk on a tropical island * Time Out *When I read Shakespeare I am struck with wonder that such trivial people should muse and thunder in such lovely language -- D. H. LawrenceThe remarkable thing about Shakespeare is that he is really very good -- Robert Graves
£9.99
Pan Macmillan Long Shadows: From the Sunday Times number one
Book SynopsisMemory man FBI agent, Amos Decker, returns in this action-packed thriller to investigate the mysterious and brutal murder of a federal judge and her bodyguard at her home in an exclusive, gated community in Florida from international bestselling author David Baldacci.Things are changing for Decker. He’s in crisis following the suicide of a close friend and receipt of a letter concerning a personal issue which could change his life forever. Together with the prospect of working with a new partner, Frederica White, Amos knows that this case will take all of his special skills to solve.As darkness falls, evil comes to light . . .Judge Julia Cummins seemingly had no enemies, and there was no forced entry to her property. Close friends and neighbours in the community apparently heard nothing, and Cummins’ distraught ex-husband, Barry, and teenage son, Tyler, both have strong alibis. Decker must first find the answer to why the judge felt the need for a bodyguard, and the meaning behind the strange calling card left by the killer.Someone has decided it’s payback time.Long Shadows is the seventh Amos Decker thriller. Jump in here, or start the series with Memory Man.Killer twists. Heroes to believe in. Trust Baldacci.Trade ReviewSinewy, and written with Baldacci’s consummate skill, this is a thriller from the top drawer -- Daily Mail on Walk the WireDavid Baldacci is one of the all-time best thriller authors -- Lisa Gardner, author of One Step Too Far and Before She DisappearedA riveting brain-teaser as well as serving up vivid action scenes -- Sunday Times on Daylight
£18.70
Pan Macmillan Disorientation
Book Synopsis'The funniest, most poignant novel of the year' - VogueFor fans of Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang, Disorientation is an uproarious and big-hearted satire – alive with sharp edges, immense warmth, and a cast of unforgettable characters – that asks: who gets to tell our stories? Ingrid Yang is desperate to finish her PhD dissertation on the much-lauded poet Xiao-Wen Chou and never read about ‘Chinese-y’ things again, when she accidentally stumbles upon a strange note in the Chou archives that she thinks may be her ticket out of academic hell.But Ingrid has no idea that the note will lead to an explosive secret, upending her entire life and the lives of those around her. Her clumsy exploits to discover the truth set off a rollercoaster of mishaps and misadventures, from campus protests and over-the-counter drug hallucinations, to book burnings and a movement that stinks of Yellow Peril propaganda. In the aftermath, she’ll have to question everything, from her relationship with her fiancé to the kind of person she dares to be.'The funniest novel I’ve read all year' - Aravind Adiga, author of The White Tiger'Fearless' - Observer'Elaine Hsieh Chou's pen is a scalpel' - Raven Leilani, author of LusterTrade ReviewThe funniest, most poignant novel of the year * Vogue *Funny, fearless . . . acutely inspects the power of the white gaze, academic imperialism, peer rivalry and self-hate * Observer *A rollicking, whip-smart ride through the hallowed halls of academia * Harpers Bazaar *Witty, knowing and funny . . . If Donna Tartt set the bar for the noirish campus novel, Elaine Hsieh Chou is setting a new bar for sharp, sideways takes on academia * Evening Standard *Chou’s pen is a scalpel. Disorientation addresses the private absurdities the soul must endure to get free, from tokenism, the quiet exploitation of well-meaning institutions, and the bondage that is self-imposed. Chou does it with wit and verve, and no one is spared. -- Raven Leilani, author of LusterThe funniest novel I’ve read all year . . . Uproarious . . . packed full of sly truths about race, love, and life in general—all of which you’re going to miss, because you’ll be laughing so hard * Aravind Adiga *Funny and insightful, with plenty to say about art, identity, Orientalism and the politics of academia . . . entertaining, rising to a delightful climax * New York Times Book Review *An irreverent campus satire that skewers white sclerotic academia, creepy Asian fetishists and twee boba tea liberalism . . . Helmed by a memorable screwball protagonist, the novel is both a joyous and sharply-drawn caper -- Cathy Park HongAs the best comedy does, Disorientation manages to highlight uncomfortable truths, capture grey areas and hard lines, and resist sliding into easy binaries of heroes and villains * Vanity Fair *Disorientation does what great comedies and satires are supposed to do: make you laugh while forcing you to ponder the uncomfortable implications of every punchline * Washington Post *Captivating, irresistible, and intensely readable, and what we ultimately come to literature to find . . . a unique, propelling story * Chicago Review of Books *A deeply smart, satirical novel that takes a critical look at racism in academia * Buzzfeed *A multivalent pleasure, a deeply original debut novel that reinvents the campus novel satire as an Asian American literary studies whodunnit . . . Wickedly funny and knowing, Chou’s dagger wit is sure-eyed -- Alexander Chee, author of How to Write an Autobiographical NovelA searing literary satire of campus politics * Entertainment Weekly *A fresh, hilarious and thoughtful satire that'll make you think about cultural identity in a whole new way * Good Housekeeping *Searing satire . . . Chou details her protagonist’s struggles with dry humour and wit * Time *So many stifle-a-strangled-laugh lines . . . A send-up of the polite, cardigan-draped white supremacy of liberal arts colleges * Glamour *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Anam
Book Synopsis‘A profound meditation on forgiveness and forgetting . . . Dao’s extraordinary debut novel combines fiction and history to chronicle his Vietnamese grandparents’ traumatic life.’ – The ObserverMoving from 1930s Hanoi through wars and displacements to Saigon, Paris, Melbourne and Cambridge, a deeply moving novel of memory and inheritance, colonialism and belonging, exile and home.Born to a Vietnamese family based in Melbourne, the narrator is haunted by the story of his grandfather whose ten-year imprisonment by the Communist government in Vietnam’s notorious Chi Hoa prison looms large over his own place in the world and his choice to become a human rights lawyer. As he oscillates between identities of his Australian upbringing and his Vietnamese heritage, it is the death of his grandfather in a Parisian suburb and the birth of his daughter that crystallize the strands of thought that have shaped his life.André Dao’s Anam blends fiction and essay, theory and everyday life to imagine that which has been repressed, left out, and forgotten by archives and by families. As the grandson sifts through letters, photographs, government documents and memories, he has his own family to think about: a partner and an infant daughter. Is there a way to remember the past that creates a future for them as well? Or does coming home always involve a certain amount of forgetting?Trade ReviewThis impressive novel illuminates lives that rarely come to the attention of readers. Braiding fiction, essay, family stories and history, the result is a profoundly moving remembrance of things past as well as an invitation to look to the future. There is kindness and insight on every page. -- Michelle de Kretser, author of Questions of TravelAndre Dao’s Anam . . . confirms his status as a young writer to watch . . . Blending fiction and essay, Anam is about a grandson trying to learn his family story and explores ideas of home, exile and identity. * Sydney Morning Herald *Riveting, wise, transporting, Anam turns its back on the memory industrial complex and keeps the past unassimilable, both dangerous and fragile. -- Maria Tumarkin, author of AxiomaticAnam is a beautiful book. I loved its hypnotic rhythms, its restlessness, the way memories, dreams and ideas, like waves, kept riding in over the top of one another, undoing and complicating everything. It is the work of a soulful and scrupulous mind. -- Miles AllisonDao has a mesmeric and unique style that is both brave and profound, a style that captures the voices of those that may not always have had one… A magnificent debut. * The Australian *André Dao’s ambitious debut… offers something defiant and distinct, unsentimental yet tender... Nothing in Australian literature has challenged me in a way that feels so profoundly personal. * The Saturday Paper *Anam gently pulls us into a deepening flow of memory… untangling the endlessly knotted problems of memory, inheritance and home… Anam is a rigorous and generous book, which will sit with you well after reading. * Melbourne Age *Uncompromising and honest, Anam is a brilliant book of immense scope…. Original and convincing... in terms of thematic, linguistic, and cultural scope, Anam is a fine example of what a global novel should be like. It beautifully connects East and West; Europe and Australasia; Oceania and the Middle East. * The Conversation *
£15.29
Vintage Publishing The Cockroach
Book SynopsisKafka meets The Thick Of It in a bitingly funny new political satire from Ian McEwanThat morning, Jim Sams, clever but by no means profound, woke from uneasy dreams to find himself transformed into a gigantic creature.Jim Sams has undergone a metamorphosis. In his previous life he was ignored or loathed, but in his new incarnation he is the most powerful man in Britain – and it is his mission to carry out the will of the people. Nothing must get in his way: not the opposition, nor the dissenters within his own party. Not even the rules of parliamentary democracy.With trademark intelligence, insight and scabrous humour, Ian McEwan pays tribute to Franz Kafka’s most famous work to engage with a world turned on its head.Trade ReviewA comic triumph… How do you make a show of people who are doing such a fabulous job of making a show of themselves? McEwan manages to do so with great style and comic panache. -- Fintan O'Toole * Observer, Book of the Day *The Cockroach is a satirical novella for our times, sharply observed and often very funny… an entertaining read, confronting the reality of Britain today. * Eastern Daily Press, *Book of the Week* *The latest instalment in his [McEwan’s] imaginative scrambling of English social history and of reality… [McEwan] finds room, amid all the Hansard send-ups and diplomatic silliness, to allude to more troubling physical-philosophical quandaries, while positing an alternative history of economic thought that culminates in a wayward version of our present. -- Leo Robson * New Statesman *Brexit has such a camp, knowing, performative quality that it is almost impossible to inflate it any further… McEwan manages to do so with great style and comic panache… very funny… McEwan’s comic parable at least provides some relief from a political farce that has long gone beyond a joke. -- Fintan O'Toole * Observer *A well-constructed novella by a master of the art. -- Stephen Bush * Big Issue *
£8.54
Vintage Publishing The Shadows of Men: ‘An unmissable series’ The
Book Synopsis*Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month***A 'Book of the Year' pick in The Times**'An engaging, evocative thriller that captures the heat of Indian nights and heady days of a bygone era, without being sentimental or simplistic' Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal'Abir Mukherjee is doing something uniquely different in the crime genre...breathtaking' PETER MAY, Sunday Times bestsellerCalcutta, 1923. When a Hindu theologian is found murdered in his home, the city is on the brink of all-out religious war. Can officers of the Imperial Police Force, Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee track down those responsible in time to stop a bloodbath?Set at a time of heightened political tension, beginning in atmospheric Calcutta and taking the detectives all the way to bustling Bombay, the latest instalment in this 'unmissable' (The Times) series presents Wyndham and Banerjee with an unprecedented challenge. Will this be the case that finally drives them apart?'The Shadows of Men finds the always reliable Crime Writers' Association Dagger Award-winner Abir Mukherjee on fine form' Financial Times______________PRAISE FOR THE WYNDHAM AND BANERJEE SERIES'An exceptional historical crime novel' C.J. Sansom'A thought-provoking rollercoaster' Ian Rankin'Cracking... A journey into the dark underbelly of the British Raj' Daily ExpressTrade ReviewCaptivating, moving and exciting, it's historical fiction at its finest * Sunday Express *Another compelling, thoughtful and atmospheric episode in this fine series * Mail on Sunday *Abir Mukherjee is doing something uniquely different in the crime genre. His evocation of 1920s India under British occupation is breathtaking. He takes you there with luscious strokes of his pen and a dry wit, keeping you on the edge of your seat as he spins his tale. * Peter May, Sunday Times bestselling author *I loved the slick dovetailing of the dual narrative and the sharp, humorous writing...An engaging, evocative thriller that captures the heat of Indian nights and heady days of a bygone era, without being sentimental or simplistic. For me, the murder mystery and historical elements were perfectly woven together. * Janice Hallett, author of Sunday Times bestseller The Appeal on The Shadows of Men *Abir Mukherjee's terrific crime novels are set in India in the 1920s. The Shadows of Men is vivid and brutal * Sunday Times, Crime Book of the Month *
£9.49
Jacaranda Books Art Music Ltd Pleasantview
Book SynopsisWinner of the 2022 OCM Bocas Prize for Fiction.Shortlisted for the Society of Authors' McKitterick Prize 2022.Finalist of the 2022 Firecracker Award in Fiction.Coconut trees. Carnival. Rum and coke. To many outsiders, these and other sunny images are all they know about life in the Caribbean. However, if you want to learn how the locals truly live and experience the dark and often harrowing truths that lurk behind the idyllic imagery of Caribbean culture, then come visit the town of Pleasantview.Come during election season, and see how one candidate sets out to slaughter endangered turtles - just for fun. Or come on the day the other candidate beats his "outside-woman," so badly she ends up losing their baby. Then come on the night of the political rally, where this grieving woman exacts a very public revenge. Stay a while, and see how this single event has a trajectory far beyond the lives of the immediate actors, with often tragic and heartbreaking consequences.Written in a remarkable combination of Standard English and Trinidad Creole, Pleasantview showcases the entrenched political, racial, and class dichotomies of life in Trinidad: the generosity (yet cruelty) of the average Trini; the sense of optimism (and yet, despair) which permeates everyday interaction; and the musicality of Caribbean creole (kriol) expression that masks an ingrained and frequently violent patriarchy.Merging the vibrancy and darkness of recent Caribbean writers such as Ingrid Persaud and Claire Adam with the linguistic experimentation of Marlon James's A Brief History of Seven Killings, Pleasantview is a landmark work in international fiction.Trade ReviewCeleste Mohammed forces you to travel with her characters. You see their lives and their world as they do, on foot. You walk in her characters' shoes. Mohammed is a skillful storyteller, so the journey educates and exhilarates you, Mohammed invents a clear, crackling town/district, Pleasantview, a bustling, hustling side of Trinidad, where few of us have ever been, or will ever go. Pleasantview forces us to look at how we behave when uncontained, when unconstrained, when our lack of morality unmoors us. * A.J. Verdelle, author of The Good Negress *These stories are full of unexpected twists and connections and infused with humor. They herald the arrival of an intriguing new voice. * Ingrid Persaud *Pungent and searing, this is a refreshing portrait of island life told in stories that are crafted with candor and movement. Bursting with wisdom and humanity, it's hard to believe that this book is Mohammed's debut. * Candice Iloh *The residents of the fictional Trinidadian town of Pleasantview are divided by mistrust and racial and ethnic tension, but they are forever bound to each other by their shared histories and secrets. From Omar who is forced to confront his boss's corruption, to Miss Ivy in her employer's hand-me-down fur coat outside the police station, Mohammed's characters demand to be acknowledged. In this beautifully written debut, Mohammed gives voice to the silenced and the overlooked. Pleasantview sizzles with originality and heart and introduces a fearless new writer. * Hester Kaplan, author of Unravished *Pleasantview offers the reader a sharp and fearless view of the dark underbelly of life in Trinidad, filled with unforgettable characters that we meet in do-or-die situations. Marked by male violence, political underhandedness, and economic desperation, Pleasantview also demonstrates Mohammed's remarkable range as a writer as she moves seamlessly from callousness to tenderness, humor to sorrow, lyricism to minimalism in a work that lingers in the reader's mind long after the final page. This is a thrilling debut. * Laurie Foos, author of Ex Utero and The Blue Girl *As James Joyce did for Dublin, Celeste Mohammed holds up a polished mirror to the inhabitants of the fictitious Trinidadian town of Pleasantview and dares the reader to take an unflinching look at a multi-ethnic society that is vibrant and joyous but riddled with corruption and the exploitation of women, the young, and the vulnerable. Mohammed's writing is smart, funny, and enlivened by everyday Trinidadian vernacular, creating rich and lively portraits of a range of Trini characters. A formidable debut, Pleasantview's razor-sharp observations of misogyny and the abuse of power are leavened by humor and a pitch-perfect ear for the language of human foibles. * Tony Eprile, author of The Persistence of Memory *In one of Chekhov's stories, a character says that every happy man should have someone who taps at his door with a little hammer, reminding him that there are unhappy people in the world. Reading Celeste Mohammed's novel-in-stories makes me think of that magical little tap-except that the door opens not to a vision of unhappiness, but to a world crammed with life that you never knew existed. * Claire Adam, author of The Golden Child *The residents of Pleasantview come to vivid light in this extraordinary debut from Celeste Mohammed. Each slice of life in this Trinidadian village cuts clean to the bone, revealing how people are both complicated and complicit in the way we break each other's hearts and bodies. From the riveting opening to the aching end, Mohammed's gift for giving voice to each character is glorious. * Tracey Baptiste *
£15.29
Transworld Publishers Ltd From a Low and Quiet Sea: From the Number 1
Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Man Booker Prize 2018Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2018'An engrossing, unpredictable, beautifully crafted novel' RODDY DOYLEFarouk's country has been torn apart by war.Lampy's heart has been laid waste by Chloe.John's past torments him as he nears his end.The refugee. The dreamer. The penitent. From war-torn Syria to small-town Ireland, three men, scarred by all they have loved and lost, are searching for some version of home. Each is drawn towards a powerful reckoning, one that will bring them together in the most unexpected of ways._________'A thing of such beauty and compassion, a reminder of what the very finest sentences can do to shatter and then reassemble our hearts' KAMILA SHAMSIE'I struggle to think of a writer who has been so prolific and consistent in quality as Ryan ... Brutally honest, moving and often hilarious' GUARDIAN'Donal Ryan has not only bounded over a wall into new territory, but built himself a castle there . . . This is a superb novel.' JOHN BOYNE'Beautiful and affecting' DAVID NICHOLLS'Donal Ryan writes characters so well that as a reader you think 'I've met that man', or 'I know that woman.' But as a writer you simply wonder 'how does he do it?' From a Low and Quiet Sea is brutal and beautiful, carefully crafted portraits, deep and real, tied together, fashioned by a true artist. I absolutely loved it.' KIT DE WAALTrade ReviewA thing of such beauty and compassion, a reminder of what the very finest sentences can do to shatter and then reassemble our hearts * Kamila Shamsie *Beautiful and affecting * David Nicholls *I struggle to think of a writer who has been so prolific and consistent in quality as Ryan . . . Brutally honest, moving and often hilarious * Guardian *An engrossing, unpredictable, beautifully crafted novel; Donal Ryan is giving us characters - their angles and their language - that we haven’t seen in Irish literature before. -- RODDY DOYLEDonal Ryan has not only bounded over a wall into new territory, but built himself a castle there . . . This is a superb novel. -- JOHN BOYNEFrom a Low and Quiet Sea is not only very cleverly constructed, but deeply moving too. I loved it. * Louis de Bernières *Donal Ryan writes characters so well that as a reader you think ‘I’ve met that man’, or ‘I know that woman.’ But as a writer you simply wonder ‘how does he do it?’ From a Low and Quiet Sea is brutal and beautiful, carefully crafted portraits, deep and real, tied together, fashioned by a true artist. I absolutely loved it. -- KIT DE WAALThemes of kindness and humanity are the binding thread…and Ryan writes of them with characteristic warmth and insight. * Sunday Times *The book has stayed with me -- Jonathan Franzen * Guardian, Best Books of 2018 *It’s a beautiful, luminous kind of piece - full of mystery, compassion, woven with such skill; heartbreaking and restorative. I will carry these splintered men around with me for a long time, along with the women who have loved them. -- RACHEL JOYCEFrom a Low and Quiet Sea is beautifully written, compassionate and almost unbearably moving. I loved it. I would struggle to think of any other Irish author working today who writes with as much compassion as Donal Ryan. -- LOUISE O'NEILLDonal Ryan writes with such sharp observation and humanity, that he makes us sit up and wonder at the tiny quiet internal lives of strangers. His writing is a wonderful gift to all of us. From a Low and Quiet Sea is another short and perfect novel to be inhaled in one heart-lurching gulp. -- LIZ NUGENTRyan is not the first Irish writer indebted to Joyce, but his work reminds me of something Sylvia Beach said about Joyce: “He told me that he had never met a bore.”…Wonderful * Irish Times *Deft and devastating…this book is both hard-hitting and uplifting: it serves as an indictment of the care industry, but also as a tribute to the way that humans care for one another. * The Observer *The denouement, which comes in breathless bursts, is devastating. From a Low and Quiet Sea leaves you with that sense of discombobulating enlightenment that so often characterises the quiet epiphanies of great short stories. * Sunday Times *A masterly portrait . . . the confidence with which Ryan dons the clothing of another culture marks a departure for his writing . . . a successor to John McGahern . . . It is exciting to see his subject matter move beyond his country’s borders, with the prospect of more of this to come.’ * The Spectator *Haunting ... utterly persuasive -- Joseph O'Connor * Irish Times, Books of the Year *The lives and stories, loves and tragedies, animating From a Low and Quiet Sea are wonderfully individual and finely alive. This is a brief book: yet one that lingers long in the reader’s mind. * New Statesman *As moving as anything written about Syria * Mail on Sunday *It is vomit-inducing, it’s so good. * Kit de Waal, Observer *
£8.54
