Satirical fiction and parodies

626 products


  • Identity Crisis

    Transworld Publishers Ltd Identity Crisis

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisWhy are we all so hostile? So quick to take offence? Truly we are living in the age of outrage. A series of apparently random murders draws amiable, old-school Detective Mick Matlock into a world of sex, politics, reality TV and a bewildering kaleidoscope of opposing identity groups. Lost in a blizzard of hashtags, his already complex investigation is further impeded by the fact that he simply doesn't get' a single thing about anything anymore.Meanwhile, each day another public figure confesses to having misspoken' and prostrates themselves before the judgement of Twitter. Begging for forgiveness, assuring the public that is not who I am.But if nobody is who they are anymore - then who the f##k are we?Ben Elton returns with a blistering satire of the world as it fractures around us. Get ready for a roller-coaster thriller, where nothing - and no one - is off limits.

    Out of stock

    £7.99

  • The Snow Ball The Dazzling Cult Classic Faber

    Faber & Faber The Snow Ball The Dazzling Cult Classic Faber

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhen Anna is kissed by a mysterious stranger at a NYE masquerade ball, a dance of seduction begins.''So original and refreshing.'' Hilary Mantel''Brilliantly seductive ... A witty, sexy, sophisticated treat.'' Sarah Waters''Superb ... Sheer artistic insolence.'' Iris Murdoch''A great novel ... A swirling, sumptuous, sensual feast.'' GuardianLondon, New Year''s Eve. Snow falls on a Georgian mansion, vibrating with the festivities of a masquerade ball within. Middle-aged divorcee Anna stands alone - until the clock chimes midnight and a mysterious figure kisses her on the mouth. Thus begins a dance of seduction charged by clandestine romances swirling around them, whipping the ball into an frenzy of operatic proportions - until the night climaxes, revealing unease beneath the glitter ... A scandalous sensation in 1964, Brigid Brophy''s The Snow Ball is ripe to seduce a new generation o

    7 in stock

    £9.49

  • Don Quijote de la Mancha  Don Quijote of La

    Penguin Young Readers Don Quijote de la Mancha Don Quijote of La

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    10 in stock

    £15.30

  • The Cockroach

    Random House USA Inc The Cockroach

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    10 in stock

    £12.75

  • For You and Only You

    Random House USA Inc For You and Only You

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisNew York Times bestselling author Caroline Kepnes, whose acclaimed YOU series inspired the hit show on Netflix, follows “addictively charming antihero” (The Washington Post) Joe Goldberg to the hallowed halls of Harvard, where he leaves crimson in his wake. “Twisted . . . delightfully creepy.”—Rolling StoneJoe Goldberg is ready for a change. Instead of selling books, he’s writing them. And he’s off to a good start. Glenn Shoddy, an acclaimed literary author, recognizes Joe’s genius and invites him to join a tight-knit writing fellowship at Harvard. Finally, Joe will be in a place where talent matters more than pedigree . . . where intellect is the great equalizer and anything is possible. Even happy endings. Or so he thinks, until he meets his already-published, already-distinguished peers, who all seem to be cut from the same elitist cloth.Thank

    Out of stock

    £23.80

  • Disorientation

    Penguin Putnam Inc Disorientation

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE SELECTION * A MALALA BOOK CLUB PICK * AN INDIE NEXT PICK * A FAVORITE BOOK OF 2022 BY NPR AND BOOK RIOT * A MUST-READ MARCH 2022 BOOK BY TIME, VANITY FAIR, EW AND THE CHICAGO REVIEW OF BOOKS * A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2022 BY GOODREADS, NYLON, BUZZFEED AND MOREA Taiwanese American woman’s coming-of-consciousness ignites eye-opening revelations and chaos on a college campus in this outrageously hilarious and startlingly tender debut novel.Twenty-nine-year-old PhD student Ingrid Yang is desperate to finish her dissertation on the late canonical poet Xiao-Wen Chou and never read about “Chinese-y” things again. But after years of grueling research, all she has to show for her efforts are a junk food addiction and stomach pain. When she accidentally stumbles upon a curious note in the Chou archives one afternoon, it looks like her ticket out of academic hell.   But Ingrid’s in much deeper th

    3 in stock

    £15.20

  • Search

    Penguin Putnam Inc Search

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisFrom critically acclaimed, award-winning author Michelle Huneven, a sharp and funny novel of a congregational search committee, told as a memoir with recipes Dana Potowski is a restaurant critic and food writer and a longtime member of a progressive Unitarian Universalist congregation in Southern California. Under pressure to find her next book idea, she’s asked to join the church search committee for a new minister and agrees, resolving to secretly pen a memoir, with recipes, about the experience. That memoir, Search, follows the travails of the committee and their candidates—and becomes its own media sensation.Dana had good material to work with: the committee is a wide-ranging mix of Unitarian Universalist congregants, and their candidates range from a baker and microbrew master/pastor to a reverend who identifies as both a witch and an environmental warrior. Although she may have been ambivalent about joining the committee, Dana f

    10 in stock

    £15.30

  • Trio

    Random House USA Inc Trio

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisIt’s summer 1968, and the world is reeling from war and assassinations, protests and riots. In a sunny British seaside town, a producer, a novelist, and an actress are enduring their own more private crises on the set of a disaster-plagued movie. All are leading secret lives—one is in the closet; another is an alcoholic; and the third is sleeping with her costar—and as the shoot zigs and zags, these layers of secrets become increasingly more untenable. Pressures build inexorably—and that’s before the FBI and CIA get involved. Someone is going to crack—or maybe they all will. By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Trio is an enthralling novel that asks the vital questions: What makes life worth living? And what do you do if you find it isn’t?

    10 in stock

    £14.45

  • The Last Catastrophe

    Random House USA Inc The Last Catastrophe

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisA hopeful, speculative short story collection about how humanity grapples in a world transformed by climate change.“Climate fiction does not owe readers hope, but through humor and humanity Hyde manages to present a harsh reality without descending into despair, offering a space for mourning and for reimagining life in a permanently changed world. Each of the 15 stories is swiftly paced and engaging, rich with detail, highlighting and celebrating nature as it borders on the unnatural.” —The New York Times Book ReviewA vast caravan of RVs roams the United States. A girl grows a unicorn horn, complicating her small-town friendships and big city ambitions. A young lady on a spaceship bonds with her AI warden while trying to avoid an arranged marriage. In Allegra Hyde’s universe nothing is as it seems, yet the challenges encountered in these pages mirror those we face in our modern age. Spanning the length of our very solar syste

    10 in stock

    £14.45

  • Our Hospital

    Penguin Putnam Inc Our Hospital

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisIn this sequel to The House of God and Man's 4th Best Hospital, Dr. Roy Basch returns to his economically depressed hometown in upstate New York to help the struggling hospital battle the COVID-19 pandemic and the money-driven bureaucracy.After the tragic climax of Man's 4th Best Hospital, four doctors have left practicing medicine. But with COVID-19 sweeping the country, they come together to help the small town of Columbia, New York. The doctors and nurses are buckling as they battle both a raging pandemic and the financial woes facing small hospitals everywhere. But no matter what's happening in the world, babies are born, people fall in love, and doctors will do anything to save their patients.Our Hospital reveals the daily struggle of fighting a pandemic and its personal impact on healthcare workers young and old, who are terrified, exhausted...and determined, somehow, to prevail.

    Out of stock

    £23.20

  • Mount Chicago

    Random House USA Inc Mount Chicago

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    10 in stock

    £16.00

  • Native Tongue

    Penguin Random House LLC Native Tongue

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis'Ruthlessly wicked...Wonderful...His best book yet.'ATLANTA JOURNAL & CONSTITUTIONWhen the precious clue-tongued mango voles at the Amazing Kingdom of Thrills on North Key Largo are stolen by heartless, ruthless thugs, Joe Winder wants to uncover why, and find the voles. Joe is lately a PR man for the Amazing Kingdom theme park, but now that the voles are gone, Winder is dragged along in their wake through a series of weird and lethal events that begin with the sleazy real-estate agent/villain Francis X. Kingsbury and can end only one way....

    10 in stock

    £14.45

  • For You and Only You

    Diversified Publishing For You and Only You

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisNew York Times bestselling author Caroline Kepnes, whose acclaimed YOU series inspired the hit show on Netflix, follows “addictively charming antihero” (The Washington Post) Joe Goldberg to the hallowed halls of Harvard, where he leaves crimson in his wake. “Twisted . . . delightfully creepy.”—Rolling StoneJoe Goldberg is ready for a change. Instead of selling books, he’s writing them. And he’s off to a good start. Glenn Shoddy, an acclaimed literary author, recognizes Joe’s genius and invites him to join a tight-knit writing fellowship at Harvard. Finally, Joe will be in a place where talent matters more than pedigree . . . where intellect is the great equalizer and anything is possible. Even happy endings. Or so he thinks, until he meets his already-published, already-distinguished peers, who all seem to be cut from the same elitist cloth.Thank

    Out of stock

    £27.00

  • Marching with April

    Michael Walmer Marching with April

    5 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    5 in stock

    £12.30

  • Welcome to Ord City

    Adrian Deans Welcome to Ord City

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £13.59

  • The Ladybird Book of Mindfulness

    Penguin Books Ltd The Ladybird Book of Mindfulness

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisToo little or too much company can be stressful. By discovering all about Mindfulness, you can get away from it all by hiding out in the comfort of your own head . . .''Valentine became a Buddhist because he was interested in dharma.Dharma is a word for cosmic law and order.Valentine is sad. He thought dharma was a type of curry.''__________''Alison has been staring at this beautiful tree for five hours.She was meant to be in the office. Tomorrow she will be fired.In this way, mindfulness will have solved her work-related stress.''__________This delightful book is the latest in the series of Ladybird books which have been specially planned to help grown-ups with the world about them. The large clear script, the careful choice of words, the frequent repetition and the thoughtful matching of text with pictures all enable grown-ups to think they have taught themselves to cope. Featuring original Ladybird artwork alongside brilliantly funny, brand new text. ''Hilarious'' StylistExplore other essential life companions in the Ladybird Books of The Shed, The Meeting, The New You, and more.

    4 in stock

    £9.45

  • On Politics and Stuff

    Hachette Australia On Politics and Stuff

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis book is quite possibly the most comprehensive book on Australian politics ever written. That''s right, it covers BOTH houses of parliament.We''ll take you inside the halls of power. And if we can''t actually get inside because of security, we''ll do some very fun speculating on what might be in there.One thing we know for sure is that this book is unputdownable. Something went wrong with the printing and it''s all sticky.

    15 in stock

    £10.44

  • To Be or Not to Be A ChooseablePath Adventure

    Penguin Putnam Inc To Be or Not to Be A ChooseablePath Adventure

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisFrom the bestelling author of Romeo and/or Juliet and How to Invent Everything, the greatest work in English literature, now in the greatest format of English literature: a chooseable-path adventure!   When Shakespeare wrote Hamlet he gave the world just one possible storyline, drawn from a constellation of billions of alternate narratives.  And now you can correct that horrible mistake! Play as Hamlet and avenge your father's death—with ruthless efficiency this time. Play as Ophelia and change the world with your scientific brilliance. Play as Hamlet's father and die on the first page, then investigate your own murder… as a ghost! Featuring over 100 different endings, each illustrated by today's greatest artists, incredible side quests, fun puzzles, and a book-within-a-book instead of a play-within-a-play, To Be or Not To Be offers up new surprises and secrets every time you read it.You deci

    Out of stock

    £18.40

  • A Terrible Country

    Penguin Putnam Inc A Terrible Country

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    10 in stock

    £15.30

  • Nothing the Same Everything Haunted

    Vintage Canada Nothing the Same Everything Haunted

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisA middle-aged Jewish man who fantasizes about being a cowboy goes on an eccentric quest across Europe after the 1941 Nazi invasion of Lithuania in this wild and witty yet heartrending novel from the bestselling author of Yiddish for Pirates, shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize.Motl is middle-aged, poor, nerdy, Jewish and in desperate need of a shave. Since having his balls shot cleanly off as a youth in WWI, he''s lived a quiet life at home in Vilnius with his shrewd and shrewish mom, Gitl, losing himself in the masculine fantasy world of cowboy novels by writers like Karl May--novels equally loved by Hitler, whose troops have just invaded Lithuania and are out to exterminate people like Motl. In his dreams, Motl is a fast-talking, rugged, expert gunslinger capable of dealing with the Nazi threat. But only in his dreams.As friends and neighbours are killed around them, Motl and Gitl escape from Vilnius, saving their own skins. But they immediately

    10 in stock

    £13.60

  • Busters Diaries as Told to Roy Hattersley With a

    Little, Brown Book Group Busters Diaries as Told to Roy Hattersley With a

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisBUSTER''S DIARIES - offer a unique floor-level insight into the aromatic world of the man-owning dog. Buster stepped into the limelight in April 1996 after an incident with a goose in St James''s Park, a goose which happened to belong to the Queen. Pursued by the press ever since, he has sought solace in writing. He details the absurdities of his life with The Man, who clearly wants to be a dog, but lacks the necessary qualities. The blood of the tundra wolves roars through Buster''s veins and demands he hold strong views on the role and status of the fin-de-siecle dog. BUSTER''S DIARIES expose the truth about such man-made fallacies as diet, discipline and exercise. They also extol the joys of human-ownership and are written with the wit and style that is expected of his amanuensis.Trade ReviewUn-put-downable, highly amusing...A perfect Christmas present * DOG WORLD *A must read for every dog owner * Sunday Tribune IRELAND *When Buster the cross-bred Staffordshire Bull Terrier was attacked by a goose belonging to the Queen, his resulting act of self-defence (from which the bird never recovered) was so widely misreported in the press that Buster became an instant celebrity. One court appearance and a £75 fine later, Roy Hattersley and his companion were consigned to the criminal ranks. But that was not the end of the matter, as journalists pursued the pair through the parks of London. Determined to put his side of the story forward, Buster decided at last to put paw to paper and his Diaries, as told to Roy Hattersley are the result. * From his lowly beginnings as a street pup and rescue dog, Buster charts his heady rise to the sophistication of SW1. Hotels, living with The Man and mealtimes that She dictates are only a few of the obstacles Buster has to negotiate. But negotiate them he *LUCIE NAYLOR, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW

    2 in stock

    £10.44

  • The Murdstone Trilogy

    Candlewick Press,U.S. The Murdstone Trilogy

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    10 in stock

    £16.14

  • McClelland & Stewart Inc. Up and Down

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe author of the Stephen Leacock Medal-winning The Best Laid Plans brings his trademark humour and sharp storytelling to a new novel set in the high-stakes world of a global public relations agency. On his first day at Turner King, David Stewart quickly realizes that the world of international PR (affectionately, perhaps ironically, known as the dark side) is a far cry from his previous job on Parliament Hill. For one, he missed the office memo on the all-black dress code; for another, there are enough acronyms and jargon to make his head spin. Before he even has time to find the washroom, David is assigned a major project: devise a campaign to revitalize North America's interest in the space program - maybe even show NASA's pollsters that watching a shuttle launch is more appealing than going out for lunch with friends. The pressure is on, and before long, David finds himself suggesting the most out-of-this-world idea imaginable: a Citizen Astronaut lott

    10 in stock

    £15.30

  • Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press Heart Sutra

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis

    Out of stock

    £18.99

  • The Room

    Hogarth Press The Room

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis“The daily grind got you down? Escape into this Swedish dark comedy about a scaldingly contemptuous office drone who discovers a secret room in his workplace.”—O: The Oprah Magazine The inspiration for the upcoming feature film Corner Office, starring Jon Hamm Björn is a compulsive, meticulous bureaucrat who discovers a secret room at the government office where he works—a secret room that no one else in his office will acknowledge. When Björn is in his room, what his co-workers see is him standing by the wall and staring off into space looking dazed, relaxed, and decidedly creepy. Björn’s bizarre behavior eventually leads his co-workers to try and have him fired, but Björn will turn the tables on them with help from his secret room.Debut author Jonas Karlsson doesn’t leave a word out of place in this brilliant, bizarre, delightful take on how far we will go—in a world rule

    10 in stock

    £10.24

  • Bennington Girls Are Easy

    Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group Bennington Girls Are Easy

    10 in stock

    10 in stock

    £11.90

  • Sociable

    Random House USA Inc Sociable

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis“Extremely funny.” --The Washington Post Elinor Tomlinson moved to New York armed with a journalism degree and a dream. Instead, she’s working as a nanny and sleeping on a foam pad in a weird apartment. So when Elinor is offered a job at Journalism.ly, the digital media brainchild of a Silicon Valley celebrity, she jumps at the chance. There, Elinor discovers her true gift: she has a preternatural ability for writing sharable content. But as she experiences professional success, the rest of her life falters: her boyfriend dumps her, two male colleagues insist on “mentoring” her, and a piece she writes about her personal life lands her on local television. As Elinor grapples with the bewildering etiquette of online dating, the preening male ego, and the capricious nature of Internet fame, she faces a new challenge—how to reconcile her internal self with the world of thoughts and feelings online.

    Out of stock

    £14.40

  • The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins

    Random House USA Inc The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisWhen Lucy Brennan, a Miami Beach personal-fitness trainer, disarms an apparently crazed gunman, the police and the breaking-news cameras are not far behind. Within hours, Lucy becomes a hero. The solitary eye-witness, the depressed and overweight Lena Sorenson, thrilled by Lucy's heroism and decisiveness, becomes obsessed with the trainer and enrolls as a client at her Bodysculpt gym. It quickly becomes clear that Lena is more interested in Lucy's body than her own, and a budding fatal attraction takes hold. However, it's when Lucy imprisons Lena, and can't stop thinking about the sex lives of Siamese twins, that the real problems start. In Lucy and Lena, Irvine Welsh has created two of his most memorable female protagonists, and one of the most bizarre, sadomasochistic folie à deux in contemporary fiction. The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins taps into two great obsessions of our time--how we look and where we live--and tells a story so subversive and dark it blacks out the Florida sun.

    Out of stock

    £13.60

  • The Solitary Twin

    New Directions Publishing Corporation The Solitary Twin

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisHarry Mathews’s last novel is one of his most accessible—and perhaps one of his bestTrade Review"The Solitary Twin is the perfect endnote for Harry Mathews and a superb point of entry for new readers, encapsulating his lifelong commitment to formal invention while simply being an excellent novel in its own right." -- J.W. McCormack - BOMB Magazine"An imagination and an ingenuity that are often just astonishing." -- Harper's"An imagination and an ingenuity that are often just astonishing." -- Harper's"A fascinating, discursive swan song that celebrates the power of stories." -- Tyler Malone - La Times"As the novel circles closer to the grand reveal promised by its title, Mathews toys with the reader’s 'desire to resolve the irresolute, to conclude the incomplete, to have the crooked made straight.' The result is an undeniably clever parting shot from one of contemporary literature’s most playfully challenging writers." -- Publishers Weekly"One of the most remarkable prose stylists presently writing in English." -- San Francisco Chronicle"Posthumous books almost always feel half-formed, coincidental, unpublished for a reason....The Solitary Twin, however, may well be the last great surprise Mathews pulled out of his deep bag of tricks. It is funny, perplexing, consistent and unusual, with all the characteristic Mathews obsessions. It may also be one of the best places to start enjoying his work." -- The New York Times Book Review"Comic extravaganza that plays mockingly with every device of fiction." -- Washington Post Book World"Like Roubaud and Perec, Mathews engineers a funhouse labyrinth in which guise disfigures guise and the logic that reigns is that of representation." -- Village Voice"Comic extravaganza that plays mockingly with every device of fiction." -- Washington Post Book World

    10 in stock

    £12.99

  • Lake Success

    Random House USA Inc Lake Success

    10 in stock

    Book Synopsis“Spectacular.”—NPR • “Uproariously funny.”—The Boston Globe • “An artistic triumph.”—San Francisco Chronicle • “A novel in which comedy and pathos are exquisitely balanced.”—The Washington Post • “Shteyngart’s best book.”—The Seattle Times The bestselling author of Super Sad True Love Story returns with a biting, brilliant, emotionally resonant novel very much of our times.NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE AND MAUREEN CORRIGAN, NPR’S FRESH AIR AND NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • NPR • The Washington Post • O: The Oprah Magazine • Mother Jones • Glamour &bul

    10 in stock

    £14.80

  • Who Is Rich

    Random House USA Inc Who Is Rich

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis

    Out of stock

    £12.44

  • CivilWarLand in Bad Decline

    Random House USA Inc CivilWarLand in Bad Decline

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisSince its publication in 1996, George Saunders’s debut collection has grown in esteem from a cherished cult classic to a masterpiece of the form, inspiring an entire generation of writers along the way. In six stories and a novella, Saunders hatches an unforgettable cast of characters, each struggling to survive in an increasingly haywire world. With a new introduction by Joshua Ferris and a new author’s note by Saunders himself, this edition is essential reading for those seeking to discover or revisit a virtuosic, disturbingly prescient voice.   Praise for George Saunders and CivilWarLand in Bad Decline   “It’s no exaggeration to say that short story master George Saunders helped change the trajectory of American fiction.”—The Wall Street Journal   “Saunders’s satiric vision of America is dark and demented; it’s also ferocious and very funny.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times   “George Saunders is a writer of arresting brilliance and originality, with a sure sense of his material and apparently inexhaustible resources of voice. [CivilWarLand in Bad Decline] is scary, hilarious, and unforgettable.”—Tobias Wolff   “Saunders makes the all-but-impossible look effortless.”—Jonathan Franzen   “Not since Twain has America produced a satirist this funny.”—Zadie Smith   “An astoundingly tuned voice—graceful, dark, authentic, and funny—telling just the kinds of stories we need to get us through these times.”—Thomas Pynchon

    Out of stock

    £13.60

  • Dragons

    Boydell Press Dragons

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisDragons: what they are, where they originate, their impact on the future of man - and what to do if one lands on your roof. Pre-medieval dragons are a staple of Western culture, familiar through bestiaries, folklore and the framework of meaning provided by the church. Dragons of the Modern Infestation, however, must be known through a scientific term: verminology. The purpose of this monograph is to make available to the general public the fruits of verminological research which began shortly after the first modern sightings, in the hope of fostering a better understanding of the risks inherent in dragon/human contact, and a deeper appreciation of the beauty and complexity of these beasts. The book introduces their basic anatomy, habits, recreation, preferences in food, and their legendary lust for treasure; it covers their mating rituals and their care for their young, and, importantly, the Mime, the means by which the dragons pursue their prey and invade even the most densely populated cities. Dragon language is discussed, and the controversial possibility of dragon/human communication. Dragons draws freely from the work of the major verminologists, such as Philomel St James and Philip Marsden; excerpts from their private papers, field notes and journals give the reader the sense of what it is like to study dragons at firsthand. This is the first edition in the United Kingdom; it includes an updated preface and several new photographs, as well as the charts, graphs, maps, and bibliographic detail that made the 1980 edition the standard reference for the Modern Infestation. PAMELA WHARTON BLANPIED has been watching dragons since the first incidents of the Modern Infestation occurred, and has an unrivalled knowledge of the scientific literature on the subject. She is now recognised as the leading authority in this field.Trade Review`Aircraft flying over the poles are occasionally accompanied by dragons, much as ships are followed by dolphins in the open sea'.Odd details gleam up from the text -A wonderful description of a group of dragons crooning their heads off then gloating over their skill: ``They were enormously pleased with themselves afterwards, brushing by one another, snorting and steaming, and beating the ground with their rear feet -'' * VILLAGE VOICE *Table of ContentsPart 1 A short history of the Modern Infestation and the development of verminology: the beginning of the Modern Infestation; Stewart Island and the Green Wilderness Report; military response to dragon raids; the disaster; dragon studies - the first phase; the hoard of the Worm of Nagata; hoard fever; revenge, the Official Toleration Act, and the consequences for verminology; Marsden on Ascension Island; modern verminology; the ominous implications of recent verminographical research. Part 2 Anatomical and behavioural characteristics: physical description; the mime; metabolism; body temperature; respiration; feeding; language; wandering - observation; wandering - recreation; wandering - the arts, knotting, and the chant of hoarding; mating; incubation and the hatch; the cache; the cache - infancy; retirement and the survival of females after reproduction; the cache - the young kit; Froedlich's experience with the roils at Taitao; longevity. Part 3 Excerpts from the papers of Marta Froedlich and Philip Marsden: Froedlich's sketchbook; Froedlich's diary - Marsden and St James come to Cananeia; three letters from Marsden to Sean Jones, introducing Vlad.

    1 in stock

    £19.99

  • The Very Nice Box

    Oldcastle Books Ltd The Very Nice Box

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn offbeat, wryly funny debut that follows eccentric product engineer Ava as she becomes drawn to her startlingly charismatic new boss - who seems determined to get close to her at all costs......Trade ReviewRed flags spur thriller-like suspense while incisive observations on corporate life's cult-like nature sharpen the satire in this pleasingly idiosyncratic office romcom * Observer *Laugh-out-loud funny... This unusual satire about office culture has humour and heart * Good Housekeeping *A slick comedy-drama thriller * Sainsbury's Magazine (Book Club Choice) *Serves up romance and thrills whilst exploring toxic masculinity, grief and friendship. Full of wit, this is one you'll want to immediately add to the bedside table to-be-read pile * Diva *Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman are linguistic magicians, and their sparkling debut manages to expose the hollowness of well-being jargon while exploring, with tender care and precision, how we dare to move on after unspeakable loss * New York Times Book Review *

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Fifth Elephant

    Transworld Publishers Ltd The Fifth Elephant

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisA beautiful hardback edition of the classic Discworld novelThey say that diplomacy is a gentle art. A few days ago Sam Vimes was a copper – an important copper, true – chief of police – but still, at his core, a policeman. But today he is an ambassador - to the mysterious, fat-rich country of Uberwald.Trade ReviewPrecisely balanced...excellent set pieces...a cracking comic thriller—The Times

    15 in stock

    £14.39

  • The Truth

    Transworld Publishers Ltd The Truth

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisWilliam must cope with the traditional perils of a journalist's life - people who want him dead, a recovering vampire with a suicidal fascination for flash photography, and, the man who keeps begging him to publish pictures of his humorously shaped potatoes. William just wants to get at THE TRUTH. Unfortunately, everyone else wants to get him.Trade Review'Pratchett has found his owm way of turning lead into gold, and by that I don't just mean that he's written 25 bestsellers in 17 years, but that every one he has written is a treasure'—Helen Falconer, Guardian'Fluent, intricately plotted and sometimes very funny'—James Delingpole, Daily Telegraph'He would be amusing in any form, and his spectacular inventiveness makes the Discworld series one of the perennial joys of modern fiction'—Mail on Sunday'Pratchett fans are in for a treat with his 25th Discworld novel'—Maggie Pringle, Daily Express'THE TRUTH is an unmitigated delight and very, very funny...The pace is compelling but he never lets his tale descend into simple farce'—Peter Ingham, The Times

    15 in stock

    £15.29

  • Going Postal

    Transworld Publishers Ltd Going Postal

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisTerry Pratchett was the acclaimed creator of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983. In all, he was the author of over fifty bestselling books which have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood for services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any. www.terrypratchettbooks.comTrade Review'His world, increasingly subtle and thoughtful, has become as allegorical and satirical as a painting by Bosch ... Pratchett's joy in his creations, in jokes, puns, the idea of letters and language itself makes GOING POSTAL one of the best expressions of his unstoppable flow of comic invention.' * The Times *'Like many of Pratchett's best comic novels, it is a book about redemption ... There's a moral toughness here, which is one of the reasons why Pratchett is never merely frivolous.' * Time Out *'With all the puns, strange names and quick-fire jokes about captive letters demanding to be delivered, it's easy to miss how cross about injustice Terry Pratchett can be. This darkness and concrete morality sets his work apart from imitators of his English Absurd school of comic fantasy.' * Guardian *'Terry Pratchett is one of the great makers of what Auden called 'secondary worlds'. His inventiveness - with people with plots, with things - is seemingly inexhaustible ... Pratchett can make you giggle helplessly and then grin grimly at the sharpness of his wit. Twelve-year old boys love him, but he himself is grown up. He knows that terrible things exist and happen, and he invents a benign otherworld in which we can face them, and laugh.' * A.S. Byatt, DAILY MAIL *'Pratchett ... is the missing link between Douglas Adams and J.K. Rowling. To non-initiates his work is gobbledygook, but dig deeper and you find the wit and imaginationthat have gained him a fanatical readership - among them is A.S. Byatt.' * FT MAGAZINE *

    15 in stock

    £13.49

  • Snuff

    Transworld Publishers Ltd Snuff

    14 in stock

    Book SynopsisIt is a truth universally acknowledged that a policeman taking a holiday would barely have had time to open his suitcase before he finds his first corpse.And Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is on holiday in the pleasant and innocent countryside, but not for him a mere body in the wardrobe.Trade Review[Discworld is] Warm, silly, compulsively readable, fantastically inventive, surprisingly serious exploration in story form of just about any aspect of our world... Where other writers are delighted if they come up with just a handful of comic figures with self-sustaining life in them - Don Quixote and Sancho, the three men in the boat, Pooh and Piglet and Eeyore - Pratchettt breeds them by the score...There's never been anything quite like it -- Francis Spufford * Evening Standard *Pratchett is a master storyteller. He is endlessly inventive... a master of complex jokes, good bad jokes, good dreadful jokes and a kind of insidious wisdom about human nature... I read his books at a gallop and then reread them every time I am ill or exhausted -- A. S. Byatt * Guardian *To keep it fresh into the 39th volume of a series deserves a knighthood... Snuff is entertaining, with all Pratchett's genius on display. He still makes you care about his creations and, amid all the funnies, he can turn on the pathos * Sunday Express *[Pratchett] is now so good at skewering the banalities and injustices of our world through his fantasy creation balanced on the back of a giant turtle that he could probably do it in his sleep... As effortlessly, generously funny as only Pratchett can be, Snuff doesn't stint on laying bare the darker side of life either. A worthy addition to the Discworld canon * Sunday Times *Is there any sign of a falling-off in Sir Terry's extraordinary abilities? No. Not one. This is another brilliant, bravura command performance of comic fantasy. Terry Pratchett with Alzheimer's is still up there with PG Wodehouse. Amazing. Wonderful. Fantastic -- Harry Ritchie * Daily Mail *

    14 in stock

    £13.49

  • Entering Fire

    City Lights Books Entering Fire

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis

    Out of stock

    £12.34

  • Chin Music Press School Board

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisTucker Davis, an eccentric teenager, runs against an energy executive for a school board seat in Houston in 1999.

    Out of stock

    £10.99

  • Beyond Apollo

    Raw Dog Screaming Press Beyond Apollo

    15 in stock

    15 in stock

    £13.99

  • The Snowden Avalanche

    Three Graces Press LLC The Snowden Avalanche

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £19.00

  • How I Won A Nobel Prize

    Pan Macmillan How I Won A Nobel Prize

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisJulius Taranto's writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, Chronicle of Higher Education, and phoebe. He attended Yale Law School and Pomona College. He lives in New York.Trade ReviewTaranto’s hilarious, provocative debut novel, is at once bracingly contemporary and reassuringly familiar . . . The novel’s peculiar genius lies in how you’re never entirely sure where Taranto’s sympathies lie. * The Times *A punchy and very funny campus novel which manages to satirise the culture wars without ever making too clear which side of the cancel-culture v anti-woke divide the author stands on * Nicola Sturgeon *A hit, a very palpable hit * The Spectator *Outstanding * The Wall Street Journal *Razor sharp . . . bracingly clever . . . a viciously funny page-turner with plenty of surprises up its sleeve * Vogue *A gleefully irreverent satire of so-called cancel culture, virtue signaling, and early-21st-century hypocrisy. * The Atlantic *Witty and provocative . . . Taranto understands the appeal of bad-man geniuses, and he understands their dangers, too. -- Vox, 'Best Books of 2023'Very funny. Very good -- B.J. NovakWith How I Won A Nobel Prize Julius Taranto achieves the near-impossible: a literary comedy about cancel culture that is neither priggish nor self-satisfiedly transgressive, less about culture wars than the neverending battle of being human. A novel of ideas in the tradition of Norman Rush's Mating, How I Won A Nobel Prize is one of the best new novels I've read in years. -- Tara Isabella Burton, author of Social CreatureA wildly original debut . . . Can a high-powered male lawyer write a propulsive, smart, funny novel about science, cancel culture, and #MeToo with a female protagonist? Absolutely. It’s exactly what Julius Taranto has done in his debut, How I Won A Nobel Prize. * Publishers Weekly *A high-wire act, balancing savvy political satire with brilliant character development and prose that sings and guffaws with nuance * Shelf Awareness *Julius Taranto does an incredible job crafting an ambitious and nuanced narrative abut "cancel culture" that'll keep you laughing from start to finish. * Coveteur *

    15 in stock

    £15.29

  • How I Won A Nobel Prize

    Pan Macmillan How I Won A Nobel Prize

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisJulius Taranto's writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, Chronicle of Higher Education, and Phoebe. He attended Yale Law School and Pomona College. He lives in New York.Trade ReviewTaranto’s hilarious, provocative debut novel, is at once bracingly contemporary and reassuringly familiar . . . The novel’s peculiar genius lies in how you’re never entirely sure where Taranto’s sympathies lie. * The Times *A punchy and very funny campus novel which manages to satirise the culture wars without ever making too clear which side of the cancel-culture v anti-woke divide the author stands on * Nicola Sturgeon *A hit, a very palpable hit * The Spectator *Outstanding * The Wall Street Journal *Razor sharp . . . bracingly clever . . . a viciously funny page-turner with plenty of surprises up its sleeve * Vogue *A gleefully irreverent satire of so-called cancel culture, virtue signaling, and early-21st-century hypocrisy. * The Atlantic *Witty and provocative . . . Taranto understands the appeal of bad-man geniuses, and he understands their dangers, too. -- Vox, 'Best Books of 2023'Very funny. Very good -- B.J. NovakWith How I Won A Nobel Prize Julius Taranto achieves the near-impossible: a literary comedy about cancel culture that is neither priggish nor self-satisfiedly transgressive, less about culture wars than the neverending battle of being human. A novel of ideas in the tradition of Norman Rush's Mating, How I Won A Nobel Prize is one of the best new novels I've read in years. -- Tara Isabella Burton, author of Social CreatureA wildly original debut . . . Can a high-powered male lawyer write a propulsive, smart, funny novel about science, cancel culture, and #MeToo with a female protagonist? Absolutely. It’s exactly what Julius Taranto has done in his debut, How I Won A Nobel Prize. * Publishers Weekly *A high-wire act, balancing savvy political satire with brilliant character development and prose that sings and guffaws with nuance * Shelf Awareness *Julius Taranto does an incredible job crafting an ambitious and nuanced narrative abut "cancel culture" that'll keep you laughing from start to finish. * Coveteur *

    Out of stock

    £13.49

  • Emma

    Pan Macmillan Emma

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisJane Austen was born in 1775 in rural Hampshire, the daughter of an affluent village rector who encouraged her in her artistic pursuits. In novels such as Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma she developed her subtle analysis of contemporary life through depictions of the middle classes in small towns. Her sharp wit and incisive portraits of ordinary people have given her novels enduring popularity. She died in 1817.

    10 in stock

    £9.49

  • Sense and Sensibility

    Pan Macmillan Sense and Sensibility

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisA special edition of Jane Austen’s elegant novel of family, society and manners with illustrations by Hugh Thomson and bonus material by Jane Austen expert Sophie Reynolds.

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Glow

    Headline Publishing Group The Glow

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis''Jane Austen on steroids. It''s that sharp, that wicked, that laceratingly true'' Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours''Intoxicating . . . A wellness tonic for people who like to make fun of the wellness industry'' Leigh Stein, author of Self Care____________Jane Dorner has two modes:PR Jane is twenty-five, breezy, clever in a non-threatening way and eager to sell you a feminist vibrator.Actual Jane is twenty-nine, drifting through mediocre workdays and lackluster dates while paralysed by her crushing mountain of overdue bills. Enter the impossibly gorgeous Cass, whom Jane discovers scrolling through Instagram - the guru of a ''wellness retreat'' based out of a ramshackle country house that may or may not be giving off cult vibes. Suddenly Jane realises she might have found the one ladder she can climb.But inner peace and glowing skin will always come at a price...Trade ReviewJessie Gaynor's wildly funny, laser-eyed novel is Jane Austen on steroids. It's that sharp, that wicked, that laceratingly true -- Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize?winning author of The HoursFunny and satirical, Gaynor totally nails self-care as a personality type * Grazia *Wryly funny . . . Jessie Gaynor's fabulous debut novel, The Glow, is a deft sendup of wellness culture that delves a few levels deeper * New York Times *Jessie Gaynor's plot is breezy and hilarious, but where she really shines is the character of Jane herself, a self-centered and image-obsessed nightmare whose observations about NYC Millennial culture made me LOL more than once. You'll never look at wellness PR pitches the same way again once you've heard Jane's commentary on the entire endeavour * Glamour, The Best Books of 2023 *A welcome dose of satire for anyone who's been duped by yoni eggs, vagina scented candles or TikTok tarot readers * i-D *The Glow is the first truly dead-on satire of wellness culture, understanding it as not just a consumer trend, but a way of thinking and speaking. With terrifying wit, Jessie Gaynor shreds the overrated virtues of prosperity and healthy moisture barriers, and extols the underrated virtues of irony and sanity -- Tony Tulathimutte, author of Private CitizensDeliciously tart, fizzy, and absolutely intoxicating, The Glow is like a slim can of hard kombucha: a wellness tonic for people who like to make fun of the wellness industry -- Leigh Stein, author of Self CareGaynor's sharpened blades are out for the wellness industry and its cult-like devotion to personal brands, but The Glow is more than just incisive observation and pitch-perfect satire. There's a deep well of human ambition and desire at the root of this story, not to mention a sharp plot that bounds ahead with the assurance of the best thrillers. Gaynor builds layer on layer of mystery out of everyday human yearning, creating a whole that's deeply satisfying and always surprising * CrimeReads *Jessie Gaynor's writing is wickedly funny and sly in its observations, pairing human truths with a setting that can only belong to our present moment. The Glow manages to be both savvy in its sendup of the social-media-influencing world and empathic in its portrayal of the millions who flock to it. I tore through the book in a state of pure delight, pining to return to it whenever trivialities like 'work' or 'sleep' so rudely interrupted -- Julia Pierpont, author of Among the Ten Thousand ThingsSparkling like dewy skin and laugh-out-loud funny, The Glow announces Jessie Gaynor as a compelling new novelist -- Anna Dorn, author of ExaltedRazor-sharp satire * Irish Examiner *Hilariously deadpan * SHEmazing *Hilarious and razor sharp about the aspects of the wellness industry that aren't all that well, this satire could kill "Eat, Pray, Love" on sight * Woo *

    1 in stock

    £19.00

  • The Grub Hunter

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Grub Hunter

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisTrade ReviewBy turns funny and moving, [The Grub Hunter] captures the absurdity of modern life under the intrusive eye of a repressive regime. * Guardian *[Elsir is] a giant among Arabic fiction writers. * Daily News Egypt *

    Out of stock

    £15.29

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