Satire & Humour Books

Book SynopsisA minor masterpiece. I laughed so much I fell from my armchair' Time OutThe Discworld is very much like our own if our own were to consist of a flat planet balanced on the back of four elephants which stand on the back of a giant turtle, that is . . .''Anything you do in the past changes the future. The tiniest little actions have huge consequences. You might tread on an ant now and it might entirely prevent someone from being born in the future.''The Discworld''s most inept wizard has found himself on the Discworld's last continent, a completely separate creation.It''s hot. It''s dry . . . very dry. There was this thing once called The Wet, which no one believes in. Practically everything that''s not poisonous is venomous. But it''s the best bloody place in the world, all right?And in a few days, it will be except . . . Who is this hero striding across the red desert? Champion sheep shearer, horse rider, road wTrade Review'Pratchett's humour takes logic past the point of absurdity and round again, but it is his unexpected insights into the human morality that make the Discworld series stand out' * Times Literary Supplement *A cross between Tolkien and a gentler, more benign Tom Sharpe. * Sunday Telegraph *Delightful...gleeful and downright mischevious. The pleasures on the page are so quirkily seductive. Puts one in mind of one of the greatest comic writers of them all PG Wodehouse' * Sunday Telegraph *A minor masterpiece. I laughed somuch I fell from my armchair' * Time Out *The humour sparkles as brightly as ever' * The Times *

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Book SynopsisNew York Times bestseller!Now a major Sky/HBO TV seriesFrom the bestselling author of The Leftovers and Little Children comes a penetrating and hilarious new novel about sex, love, and identity on the frontlines of America''s culture wars.Eve Fletcher is trying to figure out what comes next. A forty-six-year-old divorcee whose beloved only child has just left for college, Eve is struggling to adjust to her empty nest when one night her phone lights up with a text message. Sent from an anonymous number, the mysterious sender tells Eve, U R my MILF! Over the months that follow, that message comes to obsess Eve. While leading her all-too-placid life-serving as Executive Director of the local senior center by day and taking a community college course on Gender and Society at night-Eve can''t curtail her own interest in a porn website called MILFateria.com, which features the erotic exploits of ordinary, middle-aged women likeTrade ReviewA provocative comedy of sexual politics, with heart and bite * Sunday Mirror *A wry, spiky examination of how the internet is reshaping sexuality * Mail on Sunday *[Perrotta is] the American Nick Hornby * Independent *[A] comical but compassionate exploration of the contemporary sexual landscape . . . As a man writing about a woman's sexuality, Perrotta has been careful to avoid lapses that might seem prurient or salacious . . . He seems motivated by a genuine curiosity about shifting social attitudes and the impact of technology on people's lives. * The Herald *

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Book Synopsis''All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others''When the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master Mr Jones and take over the farm themselves, they imagine it is the beginning of a life of freedom and equality. But gradually a cunning, ruthless élite among them, masterminded by the pigs Napoleon and Snowball, starts to take control. Soon the other animals discover that they are not all as equal as they thought, and find themselves hopelessly ensnared as one form of tyranny is replaced with another. The Penguin English Library - collectable general readers'' editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century to the end of the Second World War.

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Book Synopsis''Very dark and very funny'' Jo Brand''Utterly compelling'' Jojo Moyes''Totally compulsive reading'' Jenny ColganJean Collins had two daughters. But she only loved one of them.She knew it was wrong, but she just couldn''t help herself. Jess was a little sweetheart, everyone said so. Anne was awkward and serious and not much fun, to be frank. But now the years have passed. Jess is missing - run off long ago, no one knows where or why. So when Jean is left in a coma after a road accident, it''s Anne who travels back up north to sit at her mother''s bedside. And she wonders - why did Jean dash out into the road without looking? What distracted her? And why was she carrying a box of vanilla slices, the cream cakes she only ever bought for extra special occasions? Meanwhile there are secrets waiting for Anne and Jean, back at the old family home. Secrets that were buried a long time ago . . .Trade ReviewOf course it's funny, but it's also dark, honest and totally compulsive reading * Jenny Colgan *Very dark and very funny. I had it glued to my face until I'd finished it * Jo Brand *Utterly compelling, brave, angry and melancholy all at once . . . I want to read her others now * Jojo Moyes *

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Book Synopsis'An unremitting powerhouse of a novel that marks the arrival of a major new talent. Trainspotting is a loosely knotted string of jagged, dislocated tales that lay bare the hearts of darkness of the junkies, wide-boys and psychos who ride in the down escalator of opportunity in the nation's capital.Trade ReviewAbhorrently dark and raw to the core, Trainspotting is an insight into one of life’s many ugly personalities — addiction and the accompanying domino effect of grim inevitabilities… Irvine Welsh’s novel will always be a cult classic. -- Tori Chalmers * Culture Trip *Welsh’s skill as a storyteller is undeniable, bringing both wit and compassion to a grim subject matter. If you liked Danny Boyle’s film adaptation, you’ll love the original. -- Maddy Searle * i *

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Book SynopsisOne of BBC's 100 Novels That Shaped Our World.Virginia Woolf’s wildly imaginative, comic novel was inspired by the life of her lover, Vita Sackville West. 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 original illustrations and with an introduction by the academic and novelist, Professor Susan Sellers.Orlando is a young Elizabethan nobleman whose wealth and status afford him an extravagant lifestyle. Appointed ambassador in Constantinople, he wakes one morning to find he is a woman. Unperturbed by such a dramatic transformation, and losing none of his flamboyance and ambition, the newly female Orlando charges through life and English history so that by the end of this extraordinary biography she is a modern, 1920s woman.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1921, this volume collects some of the most comical stories Kipling published throughout his writing career. These tales derive their humour from absurd situations – a drunken Irish soldier waking up to find himself worshipped as a god in the Indian holy city of Benares, a monkey let loose in an English village – and from lampooning the attitudes and discourses of the time. While presenting many aspects which will be familiar to Kipling readers – rollicking adventures, exotic locales and an interest in the animal world – these Humorous Tales explore the more light-hearted and amusing side to the great master’s work.Trade Review[Kipling] is still an author who can inspire passionate disagreement … as the age of the European empires recedes, he is recognised as an incomparable, if controversial, interpreter of how empire was experienced. That, and an increasing recognition of his extraordinary narrative gifts, make him a force to be reckoned with. -- Douglas KerrTable of ContentsContains: The Legend of Mirth, The Taking of Lungtungpen, Moti Guj Mutineer, The Rout of the White Hussars, The First Sailor, Judson and the Empire, Namgay Doola, My Sunday at Home, Pig, Alnaschar and the Oxen, The Bull That Thought, A Flight of Fact, Private Learoyd's Story, The Finances of the Gods, Prologue to the Master Cook's Tale, His Gift, The Press, The Village That Voted the Earth Was Flat, The Puzzler (Poem), The Puzzler (Tale), The Incarnation of Krishna Mulvaney, Gallio's Song, Little Foxes, My Lord the Elephant, Brugglesmith, The Sending of Dana Da, The Fabulists, The Vortex, The Song of Seven Cities, The Necessitarian.

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Book Synopsis''[Gervase Phinn is] a worthy successor to James Herriott, and every bit as endearing.'' - bestselling author Alan Titchmarsh''It''s a small village is Barton-in-the-Dale, Mrs Stirling,'' said the shopkeeper. ''You ought to know that by now. Nothing can be kept secret for too long. News travels fast.''In the little village of Barton-in-the-Dale, long-hidden secrets are bubbling to the surface. Ashley Underwood and Emmet O''Malley are set to tie the knot, when a revelation from the handsome Irishman''s past returns to haunt him. The town''s resident nosey-parker discovers some juicy gossip about the primary school''s dishy new staff-member, and head teacher Elisabeth Stirling has a very special secret of her own.As the wedding day draws closer, brewing secrets threaten to boil over. But along with the skeletons tumbling out of the closet comes plenty of laughter, drama, friendship and love. One thing''s for sure: for some, life in Barton-in-theTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR GERVASE PHINN:Packed with delightful and authentic characters, juicy gossip, precarious romance and good old-fashioned village drama, this is a warm-hearted and hilarious account of a struggling school in a small community. * Good Book Guide *A worthy successor to James Herriot, and every bit as endearing. * Alan Titchmarsh *Written with all the humour and warmth one has come to expect from this master storyteller. * Countryman *As Yorkshire's favourite school inspector turns to fiction you can enjoy memorable characters and turns of phrase. * Choice *When Gervase Phinn receives his peerage for services to good-heartedness, this will be the motto on his coat of arms: "Ex silvis sed non supra montem." . . . This entertaining and moving homework earns a good few merit marks. Gervase Phinn is not going downhill yet, by a long chalk on a blackboard. * Independent *

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Book SynopsisSaki’s Cats rounds up the tales about cats, big and small, by the undisputed master of the short story. ‘Tobermory’, one of Saki’s most famous pieces, demonstrates the danger that would ensue from granting cats the power of speech – animals have long lurked unseen, eavesdropping, in the background. The tom in ‘The Philanthropist and the Happy Cat’ is the only one to enjoy his meal, as is the leopard in ‘The Guests’. In ‘The Penance’ and ‘Mrs Packletide’s Tiger’, hunters who put cats in their sights are humiliated and blackmailed. ‘The Achievement of the Cat’ considers how cats have come to be served by the human race. In addition to the short stories about cats, Saki’s Cats also collects Saki’s juvenile letters to his sister Ethel about the tiger cub he adopted while living in Burma. The feisty felines of these tales are the only clear winners, and, with a characteristic smirk and dash of his pen, it is Edwardian Society that Saki sends slinking off, tail between its legs.Trade Review'His stories and novels appear as delightful and [...] sophisticated as they did when he first published them.' (Noel Coward)Table of Contents'Saki's Tiger', 'Tobermory', 'The Philanthropist and the Happy Cat', 'The Penance', 'The Guests', 'Mrs Packletide's Tiger', 'The Achievement of the Cat', Note on the Text, Notes, A Brief Biographical Note on Saki

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Book Synopsis'A new Simon Brett is an event for mystery fans' P. D. James 'Murder most enjoyable' Colin Dexter The latest hair-raising adventure featuring the aristocratic brother and sister sleuthing duo! Praise for Simon Brett 'One of British crime's most assured craftsmen . . . Crime writing just like in the good old days, and perfect entertainment' Guardian 'Few crime writers are so enchantingly gifted' Sunday Times 'Simon Brett writes stunning detective stories. I would recommend them to anyone' Jilly Cooper

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Book Synopsis“SPRAWL in fact does not sprawl at all; rather, it radiates with control and fresh, strange reflection.” —Bookforum“Reads as if Gertrude Stein channeled Alice B. Toklas writing an Arcades Project set in contemporary suburbia.” —The BelieverWhen Danielle Dutton’s SPRAWL first broke upon the world in 2010, critics likened it to collage, a poetics of the suburbs, a literal unpacking of et cetera. This updated edition, with a new afterword by Renee Gladman, reopens the space of SPRAWL’s “fierce, careful composition”—as Bookforum wrote—“which changes the ordinary into the wonderful and odd.”Today I fell asleep in the tall grass near the old train station. It was a complete picture. A fashionable park. Yet the picture had its sordid and selfish aspect. I can’t seem to say what I mean, Mrs. Barbauld, but with some urgency I mean to inform you what a triumph the big city has become. I am a secular individual but even I can feel the shift in the horizon utterly alien to the constitution of things, the habitual. Sincerely, etc. I move in shade on the edge of a parking lot under walnut trees in the early morning around the edge of a curve in an accidental manner. I walk the sidewalk and ripple the surface of it. From this condition I have a view of the world.Danielle Dutton is the author of Margaret the First, SPRAWL, and Attempts at a Life. Her writing has also appeared or is forthcoming in The Paris Review, Harper’s, The White Review, Fence, BOMB, and others. She is on the faculty of the writing program at Washington University in St. Louis and is co-founder and editor of the feminist press Dorothy, a publishing project.Trade Review"Danielle Dutton's SPRAWL reads as if Gertrude Stein channeled Alice B. Toklas writing an Arcades Project set in contemporary suburbia."—The Believer"Borrowing techniques from both fiction, poetry, and visual art (particularly photography), the book not only infuses each object . . . with a Vermeeresque glow but arranges it into part of a verbal still life. The result? A fresh take on suburbia, one of reverence and skepticism. The beauty of SPRAWL resides in its fierce, careful composition, which changes the ordinary into the wonderful and odd. SPRAWL in fact does not sprawl at all; rather, it radiates with control and fresh, strange reflection."—Bookforum"In the long line of novels about the vapidity of suburbia, Dutton has a narrator who may be one of the most likable. Aloof and hilarious, she dissects their lives with the casualness of a cynical scientist."—TimeOut Chicago"This experimental novel is best read in a single sitting and, like the photographs that inspired it, can be viewed in any number of ways, with a different effect each time."—Publishers Weekly"SPRAWL feels like walking around the neighborhood at night, spying through lit living room windows . . . Dutton makes the domestic feel forbidden with how lusciously she renders each scene."—Nathan Scott McNamara, Lithub"Dutton is not the first writer to explore the paradoxical nature of contemporary suburbia . . . yet Dutton has found her own perspective on the subject, and a formal balance between experiment and simplicity, critique and appreciation. Yes, SPRAWL heaps volumes of satire on suburbia. Here, however, suburbia is in on the joke, and returns our gaze."—Erin Becker, Make Magazine"At the heart of Danielle Dutton's SPRAWL is a lavish, endless list of domestic objects: water pitchers, sweaters, cakes on cake stands, petunias in a terra-cotta pot. Borrowing techniques from both fiction, poetry, and visual art (particularly photography), the book not only infuses each object, be it a juice glass or a paper napkin, with a Vermeeresque glow but arranges it into part of a verbal still life. The result? A fresh take on suburbia, one of reverence and skepticism."—Leigh Newman, Bookforum"Danielle Dutton's unnamed narrator stalks through yards, streets, and her own house with such sharp perception that everything she encounters—cake trays, the doorbell'ring, a dead body—becomes an object in her vast and impeccable still-life. Dutton's sentences are as taut and controlled as her narrator's mind, and a hint at what compels both ('I locate my body by grounding it against the bodies of others') betrays a fierce and feral searching. SPRAWL makes suburban landscapes thrilling again." —The Believer Book Award, Editors' Shortlist"Dutton's unnamed housewife roams sidewalks and manicured lawns like one of Benjamin's flaneurs, reminiscent of the contemporary urban walkers of Renee Gladman's stories or Gail Scott's My Paris. But this novel is like other works, and it is not—it is both unabashedly voracious in terms of literary sources and an extraordinarily original text."—Believer Magazine"In this reissue by Wave Books, poet and fiction writer Danielle Dutton observes the suburban. She walks along sprawling suburbs and considers the eeriness of its normalcy, the stillness of its imagination, with wry graceful attention."—Largehearted Boy"Imagine literally unpacking et cetera. This is what Dutton's experimental novel, SPRAWL, aspires to do. SPRAWL is a double entendre—written in single sentences with no paragraph breaks whatsoever, its prose affects a sprawling internal monologue of a female protagonist; the title also locates the novel in the suburbs, which, like et cetera, could go on forever. . . . It is an original approach to a conventional subject, a challenge to the basic ingredients of novels (setting, character development, point of view), and a reinvestigation of Victorian fascination with the inner lives of distraught, socially confined women. Dutton's rendition, because of its strict commitment to continuous run-on feels strange and new, even while echoing Molly Bloom's exasperated soliloquy at the end of Joyce's Ulysses.” —Cora Fisher, The Rumpus"It'a cousin of Woolf's stream of consciousness, focused almost entirely outward, and constructs, in the mundane setting of an unnamed suburb, a world of unexpected intensity. . . . One of the novel's many successes is that its narrator never succumbs to the malaise baked into the trope of the suburban housewife. Although she is often affectless, she is always keenly aware of her project. . . . This novel is a captivating exercise of language as a medium, a still life in just over a hundred pages."—Lauren Kane, Paris Review"Sprawl is not an essay but feels like essay—spreading out one’s thinking on the page, on many pages, to feel the accumulation of thought, motion of consciousness, its emotional mixtures and fresh perceptions, how it knows and un-knows at once, at twice, at thrice, O the rise and fall of one’s thoughts speeding towards the slow, slow drip, into blank page spaces. I’m talking about the variety of human consciousness, cogitation as action, contradictory thought tissues as plot with emotional, dramatic, and thematic resonances. On the page of essay, we encounter not ourselves but a voluminous representation of something like ourselves that makes us feel visible to ourselves and to others and connected to something totally other that may or may not be sentient. It’s wanting to not be left behind. Our ancestors we never knew who suffered and who felt pleasure, alone and with others. Of course we are left behind, but in the moment of composition—and perhaps replicated when we read the work of others—we feel something other, the touch of another. Thank you, Ms. Dutton, for making this book, Sprawl. I am alone but not feeling lonely."Jay Ponteri, Essay Daily

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"It takes a certain amount of guts and wild abandon to recast a Shakespeare comedy as a hard-boiled detective story, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s master satirist Moore, whose gift for funny business apparently knows no bounds. . . . A welcome return of a fan-favorite character in a romp of a tale that will delight not only mystery buffs but also fantasy fanatics, and, of course, Bard lovers." — Booklist (starred review) "Moore’s trademark humor is on full display with his cast of strangely lovable characters. This is Shakespeare with an edge and will not only appeal to Moore’s fans but garner new ones." — Library Journal (starred review) "Nobody writes mystery novels quite like Christopher Moore . . . . As hilarious as A Midsummer Night’s Dream is to begin with, Moore adds a contemporary dose of sly humor that I think would impress the Bard." — Bookpage (starred review) “Buckle in for Shakespeare for Squirrels, an uproarious take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream—transformed into a murder mystery. . . A funny, fast-paced, and wild read.” — Huffington Post "Christopher Moore has written a wonderful diversion for hard times. Even Shakespeare would have appreciated the jokes." — Wall Street Journal "A hilariously noir tale of love, magic and murder." — USA Today “Manic parodist Moore…returns with a rare gift for Shakespeare fans who think A Midsummer Night’s Dream would be perfect if only it were a little more madcap. . . . A kicky, kinky, wildly inventive 21st century mashup with franker language and a higher body count than Hamlet.” — Kirkus Reviews “This cheeky homage will please lovers of Shakespeare and camp.” — Publishers Weekly

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Book Synopsis'When Tom Holt's on form, the world seems a much cheerier place' - SFX'Frantically wacky and wilfully confusing ... gratifyingly clever and very amusing' - MAIL ON SUNDAYOnce upon a time (or last Thursday, as it's known in this matrix) everything was fine: Humpty Dumpty sat on his wall, Jack and Jill went about their lawful business, the Big Bad Wolf did what big bad wolves do, and the wicked queen plotted murder most foul.But the humans hacked, cried havoc, shut down the wicked queen's system (mirrors 3.1) and corrupted her database - and suddenly everything was not fine at all. But at least we know that they'll all live happily ever after. Don't we?Computers and fairy tales collide to hilarious effect in the latest sparkling cocktail of mayhem, wit and wonder from the master of comic fantasy.Books by Tom Holt: Walled Orchard Series Goatsong The Walled Orchard J.W. Wells & Co. Series The Portable Door In Your Dreams Earth, Air, Fire and Custard You Don't Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps The Better Mousetrap May Contain Traces of Magic Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages YouSpace Series Doughnut When It's A Jar The Outsorcerer's Apprentice The Good, the Bad and the Smug Novels Expecting Someone Taller Who's Afraid of Beowulf Flying Dutch Ye Gods! Overtime Here Comes the Sun Grailblazers Faust Among Equals Odds and Gods Djinn Rummy My Hero Paint your Dragon Open Sesame Wish you Were Here Alexander at World's End Only Human Snow White and the Seven Samurai Olympiad Valhalla Nothing But Blue Skies Falling SidewaysLittle PeopleSong for NeroMeadowlandBarkingBlonde BombshellThe Management Style of the Supreme BeingsAn Orc on the Wild SideTrade ReviewUniquely twisted ... cracking gags * Rob Grant, THE GUARDIAN *Frantically wacky and wilfully confusing ... gratifyingly clever and very amusing * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Frothy, fast and funny * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY *Dazzling * TIME OUT *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review'One of the best and one of the funniest English authors alive' * Independent *'He is a moralist, a philosopher and a humanist whose infectious fun completely engulfs you... the Dickens of the twentieth century' * Mail on Sunday *'Other writers are mining the rich seam of comic fantasy that Pratchett first unearthed, but what keeps Pratchett on top is - quite literally - the way he tells them.' * The Times *

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Book SynopsisIt's a new year, and the anime for All About My Little Sister is steadily proceeding. But when the news is leaked early, how will GF Bunko recover-and who will take the fall...?!

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Book SynopsisIn Burmese Days, George Orwell, one of the most famous writers in the English language, draws on his own experience of living and working in Burma to write an unflinching novel about the dark side of imperialism. 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 an introduction by journalist and writer David Eimer.John Flory is a disillusioned timber merchant based in the remote town of Kyauktada in 1920s Burma. Whilst his English peers gather night after night to drink and gossip in their exclusive club, Flory has embraced local life – his best friend is Dr Veraswami and his mistress is Ma Hla May. The slow, sticky, hot days are interrupted by the arrival of the young and beautiful Elizabeth. And when the club is forced to elect a non-white member, Flory is caught up in an increasingly hostile and dangerous feud.Trade ReviewA scathing portrait of the imperious attitudes of the British. * New York Times *Of all the fictions about colonial rule – A Passage to India, The Raj Quartet, Out of Africa – Burmese Days is the angriest, rawest, most scathing and least sentimental. * The Times *A scathing indictment of imperialism, exposing the dark face of British rule in the subcontinent. * Hindu *Orwell draws on his own experience and what’s so striking is how the uncomfortable echoes of that time still reverberate today among some expatriate circles in the region . . . A vaguely Austen feel permeates the romantic subplot; the ending is devastating. * Travelfish *Orwell can write . . . in Burmese Days he has written a malodorous, realistic novel of the white man in the east, as he really is. * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book Synopsis ''Is This It? is a future classic'' DAISY BUCHANAN ''I wolfed it down in two days because I was totally hooked'' HELLY ACTON ''The thirty-something heroine we all need'' FREYA SAMPSON________________________-Employed (you have frequent nightmares about your job)-Single and fabulous (swiping Tinder in your pyjamas while your best friend shops for engagement rings)-Thriving (surviving)Ivy and Mia have been best friends since the fun, messy, hungover years of their twenties.Ten years later, Mia has it all - the man, the house, the career. Ivy is skint, single, and scared that she isn''t a ''hot mess'' any more - she''s a walking disaster.But one night, Ivy switches her phone off, peels last night''s drunken pizza off the sofa, and makes a list. A list that changes everything . . .The new Ivy has a proper job. She goes on fancy dateTrade ReviewI ABSOLUTELY BLOODY LOVED IS THIS IT? Ivy is pretty much my favourite character to spend time with and I adored following her as she stepped into her own. Hannah writes with heart cut with a sharp, dark humour that had me snorting with laughter. Hannah crafts characters with such life that at times I forgot I was reading at all. Needless to say, I'd share a bottle of wine with Ivy in a heartbeat. -- Abigail Mann, author of The Lonely FajitaHannah is a truly gifted comic writer with a great talent for guiding readers through the dark and finding the light. Uncompromising, funny and genuinely moving - it really captures what it's like to be a young woman now, but I'm confident that this is a future classic. -- DAISY BUCHANAN, author of InsatiableIvy [is] my personal hero and new fictional BFF. Sharp, funny, steamy and fast - it has everything I could ever want in a rom com -- HELLY ACTON, author of The ShelfIncredibly relatable, so horribly funny and clever, and just so good in all kinds of ways. I'm telling everyone I know to preorder! -- LUCY VINE, author of What Fresh Hell Is This?I absolutely devoured this book! Ivy is such a relatable character. It's funny, it's sharp, and it's an absolute must read for this summer! -- HOLLY MCCULLOCH, author of The Mix-UpFabulously funny with well-drawn characters and a protagonist who has you rooting for her throughout -- Gillian Harvey, author of Everything is Fine and this year's Perfect on PaperFunny, flawed and achingly relatable, Ivy Edwards is the thirty-something heroine we all need. Tovey's writing is exquisite and I laughed till I cried -- FREYA SAMPSON, author of The Last LibraryA true breath of fresh air: uplifting, relatable, inspiring, and laugh-out-loud funny -- JACK JORDAN, author of Anything For Her

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Book Synopsis From an 'astonishing' writer (Toni Morrison), the savagely funny story of a couple who unexpectedly come into some money in a wealth-obsessed America deranged by Mammon. A bag of money drops out of the sky, literally, into the path of a cash-starved citizen named Graveyard. He carries it home to his wife, Ambience, and they embark on the adventure of their lives, finally able to have everything they've always thought they deserved: cars, guns, games, jewels, clothes—and of course sex, travel, and time with friends and family. There is no limit except their imagination and the hours in the day, and even those seem to be subject to their control. Of course, the owner of the bag is searching for it, and will do whatever is necessary to get it back. And, of course, these new riches change everything—and nothing at all. Darkly hilarious, Processed Cheese is both satire and serious as death. It's a road novel, a

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Book SynopsisComplete and unabridged.One of BBC's 100 Novels That Shaped Our World.Dickens exposes the corrupting power of money in his last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend, with its expansive cast of characters and interweaving plots.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 has an afterword by Lucinda Dickens Hawksley and original illustrations by Marcus Stone.John Harmon made his fortune collecting ‘dust’. On his death his estranged son is due to inherit his wealth on the condition that he marry Bella Wilfer, a young woman who he has never even met. But when his son is presumed dead, John’s riches pass to his servants Mr. and Mrs. Boffin and they in turn take Bella into their own home. They hire a secretive young man, John Rokesmith, to be Mr. Boffin’s secretary – but what is this man’s real identity and what is his interest in Bella?Trade ReviewI find it irresistible: the autumn evening closing in, the crazy little boat afloat on the filthy Thames, the strong young woman plying the oars and a ragged, grizzled man, her father, busying himself with something towed in the water behind them. You are some way into the narrative before it dawns on you that it is a drowned body. -- Shirley Hughes * Independent *Dickens's last completed novel is a marvel of play-acting and posturing, of taking on roles through delusion, calculation and ambition -- Philip Hensher * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisWinner, IPPY Award for Best First Book - Fiction and Margaret and John Savage First Book Award for FictionRunner-up, Leacock Medal for HumourShortlisted, Jim Connors Dartmouth Book Award and Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Literary FictionLong-Shortlisted, 2020 Relit Award (Novel Category)When Stacey Fortune is diagnosed with three highly unpredictable — and inoperable — brain tumours, she abandons the crumbling glamour of her life in Toronto for her mother Effie's scruffy trailer in rural Cape Breton. Back home, she's known as Crow, and everybody suspects that her family is cursed.With her future all but sealed, Crow decides to go down in a blaze of unforgettable glory by writing a memoir that will raise eyebrows and drop jaws. She'll dig up "the dirt" on her family tree, including the supposed curse, and uncover the truth about her mysterious father, who disappeared a month before she was born.But first, Crow must contend with an eclectic assortment of characters, including her gossipy Aunt Peggy, hedonistic party-pal Char, homebound best friend Allie, and high-school flame Willy. She'll also have to figure out how to live with her mother and how to muddle through the unsettling visual disturbances that are becoming more and more vivid each day.Witty, energetic, and crackling with sharp Cape Breton humour, Crow is a story of big twists, big personalities, big drama, and even bigger heart.Trade Review"Crow delighted me and amazed me the further I read, with its freshness, its daring, its refusal to conform (and the projectile vomiting)." * Pickle Me This *"Tender, raw, and compassionate, Crow tackles the life-changing events thrown at her and muscles them down to her control, leaving readers breathless in the face of her honesty and hard-earned truths." -- Donna Morrissey"Amy Spurway comes out swinging with this raw, unflinching, and emotionally urgent debut novel. Be forewarned, Crow is as empowering and comic as it is unsettling and disarming. I love it." -- Joel Thomas Hynes"I think Crow is great. It depicts a side of Cape Breton populated by characters that are flawed and achingly real. It's poignant and funny." -- Lesley Crewe"Engaging, relentlessly entertaining and written with enormous passion and great wit. Crow is a notable debut, and Amy Spurway is a writer worth watching." -- Ian Colford * The Fiddlehead *

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Book SynopsisFamily begins with a capital eff.I'm wondering how many more f*cking phases' I have to endure before my children become civilised and functioning members of society? It seems like people have been telling me it's just a phase!' for the last fifteen bloody years. Not sleeping through the night is just a phase.' Potty training and the associated accidents is just a phase'. The tantrums of the terrible twos are just a phase'. The picky eating, the back chat, the obsessions. The toddler refusals to nap, the teenage inability to leave their beds before 1pm without a rocket being put up their arse. The endless singing of Frozen songs, the dabbing, the weeks where apparently making them wear pants was akin to child torture. All just phases!' When do the phases' end though? WHEN?Mummy dreams of a quirky rural cottage with roses around the door and chatty chickens in the garden. Life, as ever, is not going quite as she planned. Paxo, Oxo and Bisto turn out to be highly rambunctious, rather thanTrade Review“God, she’s funny” – Jilly Cooper “Honest and very funny – it’s a tale that mums will identify with” – The Sun “Sims’s latest offering is a hilarious follow-up to her bestselling debut… you’d be forgiven for thinking the blogger behind Peter and Jane couldn’t pull it off twice – but she has” – The Sunday Post “Witty, relevant and bitingly sarcastic… Gill Sims nails the aspects of modern family life that drive us crazy – but which also make us who we are” – Sunday Express Magazine “Many mums will identify with Ellen” – Love It! Magazine

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Book SynopsisIn Raymond Chandler's favourite novel, Mr Bowling buys the newspapers only to find out what the latest is on the murders he''s just committedMr Bowling is getting away with murder. On each occasion he buys a newspaper to see whether anyone suspects him. But there is a war on, and the clues he leaves are going unnoticed. Which is a shame, because Mr Bowling is not a conventional serial killer: he wants to get caught so that his torment can end. How many more newspapers must he buy before the police finally catch up with him?Donald Henderson was an actor and playwright who had also written novels as D. H. Landels, but with little success. While working for the BBC in London during the Second World War, his fortunes finally changed with Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper, a darkly satirical portrayal of a murderer that was to be promoted enthusiastically by Raymond Chandler as his favourite detective novel. But even the author of The Big Sleep could not save it from oblivion: it has remained outTrade Review‘I think it's one of the most fascinating books written in the last ten years. Everyone who read it in my limited circle agrees with me.’ RAYMOND CHANDLER ‘There is an element of psychological fantasy in this novel. Mr Henderson pursues a grim little theme with lively perception and ingenuity. His manner is brief, deliberately undertoned, and for the most part curiously effective. There is acute observation in the portrait of Mr Bowling.’ TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT ‘This tragedy of a madman is told with great simplicity, and is very much helped by the realism of its details. All the events take place in the duller London suburbs which are beautifully observed.’ DAILY EXPRESS ‘Henderson has written about Mr Bowling so well and so clearly that I feel like I have met him; he follows him with the affectionate care with which H.G. Wells followed Kipps. Indeed, there is in places a touch of Wells’s genius; he writes with great skill and his dialogue is vivid.’ RAYMOND POSTGATE in TIME & TIDE ‘Top marks go to Donald Henderson whose Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper gives us real hope of a literary discovery. This is a brilliant study in the macabre of a man who – almost it seems because he can’t help it – nonchalantly commits murders. A really fine thriller.’ SUNDAY GRAPHIC

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Book SynopsisThe hilarious second novel, and Sunday Times No 1 Bestseller, from author of the smash hit Why Mummy Drinks.Monday, 25 JulyThe first day of the holidays. I suppose it could've been worse. I brightly announced that perhaps it might be a lovely idea to go to a stately home and learn about some history. As soon as we got there I remembered why I don't use the flipping National Trust membership because National Trust properties are full of very precious and breakable items, and very precious and breakable items don't really mix with children, especially not small boys. Where I had envisaged childish faces glowing with wonder as they took in the treasures of our nation's illustrious past, we instead had me shouting Don't touch, DON'T TOUCH, FFS DON'T TOUCH! while stoutly shod pensioners tutted disapprovingly and drafted angry letters to the Daily Mail in their heads.How many more days of the holiday are there?Welcome to Mummy's worldThe Boy Child Peter is connected to his iPad by an umbiliTrade Review“God, she’s funny” – Jilly Cooper “Full of laugh-out-loud moments, it’s a must-read” – Hello Magazine “Honest and very funny – it’s a tale that mums will identify with” – The Sun “Reading Why Mummy Swears will be to some mummies just like having that 5pm snifter – it makes you feel that little bit better.” – Private Eye “Sim’s latest offering is a hilarious follow-up to her bestselling debut… you’d be forgiven for thinking the blogger behind Peter and Jane couldn’t pull it off twice – but she has” – The Sunday Post

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Book SynopsisA major TV series starring Olivia Cooke, Simon Russell Beale and Micheal Palin.Brilliant anti-heroine Becky Sharp will do anything to climb to society’s loftiest heights and couldn’t be more different from her rich, sweet-natured schoolmate, Amelia Sedley. Their parallel lives are marked by love, lust, marriage, fortune and loss, in all their different guises, as they navigate the corrupt circus of upper-class Regency England. Hailed as a literary masterpiece upon first publication, William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair has never waned in popularity and remains a highly entertaining satire of early nineteenth-century high society. This gorgeous edition includes an afterword by the prizewinning author and critic, Henry Hitchings. Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector’s Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector’s Library are books to love and treasure.

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Book Synopsis“Like Richard Russo’s Straight Man this book has a lot to say about the humanities in American colleges and universities…. Very funny and also moving.” —Tom Perrotta, New York PostA BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR and Boston Globe Finally a novel that puts the pissed back into epistolary. Jason Fitger is a beleaguered professor of creative writing and literature at Payne University, a small and not very distinguished liberal arts college in the midwest. His department is facing draconian cuts and squalid quarters, while one floor above them the Economics Department is getting lavishly remodeled offices. His once-promising writing career is in the doldrums, as is his romantic life, in part as the result of his unwise use of his private affairs for his novels. His star (he thinks) student can't catch a break with his brilliant (he thinks) work Accountant in a Bordello, based on Melville

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Book SynopsisThe wonderful new novel from Chrissie Manby, perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Trisha Ashley and The Great British Bake Off.Trade ReviewI've been a fan of Manby's writing for years and thoroughly enjoyed this * Daily Mail *A lovely book which brought a tear to my eye in places -- BroadbeansbooksHeartwarming... truly funny * The Bookbag *Chrissie Manby has cooked up a fine tale...the food is so lovingly described that I felt that I could cook the dishes mentioned -- Cultural WednesdayThis really is such a fabulous read. I dare you not to try and laugh, as I for one couldn't control it! Funny, heart-warming and engaging, The Worst Case Scenario Cookery Club is this year's must-read -- By the Letter Book ReviewsThe perfect place to find a recipe for happiness. I adored this hilarious book... [it's] the perfect laugh-out-loud romantic paperback comedy -- I Read NovelsWhat a wonderfully lighthearted and uplifting novel -- Bloglovin'I loved everything about this book, it has a little romance, a little mystery, and great insights into family dynamics but most of all it's hilarious. It's Chrissie Manby at her absolute best and is the funniest book I've read all year' -- That Thing She ReadsAn absolute joy to read...a gentle romantic comedy that ticks all of the right boxes. I highly recommend this book when you need a little pick me up. It's a lovely read. -- Brew and Book Reviews'[This novel] was funny and emotional, it was heartwarming, it was so genuine and realistic and it is a MUST READ this autumn. Highly recommended!' -- On My Bookshelf

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Book SynopsisJane Austen's wickedly satirical final novel, and the inspiration for a major motion picture starring Dakota Johnson, Henry Golding and Richard E. Grant.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful hardbacks make perfect gifts for book lovers, or wonderful additions to your own collection. Gorgeously illustrated by the celebrated Hugh Thomson, this edition also includes an afterword by author and critic Henry Hitchings.Persuasion follows the story of Anne Elliott who, as a teenager, was engaged to a seemingly ideal man, Frederick Wentworth. But after being persuaded by her friend Lady Russell that he is too poor to be a suitable match, Anne ends their engagement. When they are reacquainted eight years later, their circumstances are transformed: Frederick is returning triumphantly from the Napoleonic War, while Anne's fortunes are floundering. Will their past regrets prevent them from finding future happiness?Trade ReviewPersuasion seems to be the Jane Austen novel that has most touched our readers’ hearts -- Sam Jordison * Guardian *Persuasion is Austen’s most mature and melancholic novel, a frost-tipped exploration of the meaning of love and a quietly savage critique of Regency England’s obsessions with money and class -- Claire Allfree * Telegraph *

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