Search results for ""MACMILLAN""

A fun-packed story about a very unusual bus – with lots of funny details for little readers to spot, and a BIG fold-out ending!Every day, the bus driver finishes his cup of tea, puts on his jacket and sets off on his route. Every day, the man with the big red tie gets on at the roundabout, the lady with the pram gets on at the library and the noisy children get on at Clover Drive. But what if one day the driver turned down a new and exciting road, and picked up new and exciting people? So many people that the bus simply wouldn't be big enough? Well, there would only be one solution . . .Join the exciting bus journey as it travels anywhere and everywhere, growing taller and taller with every adventure!

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Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, is a much-loved cult classic, that has spawned radio dramas, television, theatre and comic book adaptations across the globe.What do a dead cat, a computer whiz-kid, an Electric Monk who believes the world is pink, quantum mechanics, a Chronologist over two hundred years old, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (poet), and pizza have in common?Apparently not much; until Dirk Gently, self-styled private investigator, sets out to prove the fundamental interconnectedness of all things by solving a mysterious murder, assisting a mysterious professor, unravelling a mysterious mystery, and eating a lot of pizza – not to mention saving the entire human race from extinction along the way (at no extra charge). To find out more, read this book (better still, buy it then read it) – or contact Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. 'A thumping good detective-ghost-horror-who dunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy-epic' - Douglas Adams.Continue this surreal series with The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul and the unfinished The Salmon of Doubt.

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‘Steve Brusatte, the author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, brings mammals out from the shadow of their more showy predecessors in a beautifully written book that . . . makes the case for them as creatures who are just as engaging as dinosaurs.’ – The Sunday Times, ‘Best Books For Summer’'In this terrific new book, Steve Brusatte . . . brings well-known extinct species, the sabre-toothed tigers and the woolly mammoths, thrillingly back to life' – The TimesThe passing of the age of the dinosaurs allowed mammals to become ascendant. But mammals have a much deeper history. They – or, more precisely, we – originated around the same time as the dinosaurs, over 200 million years ago; mammal roots lie even further back, some 325 million years.Over these immense stretches of geological time, mammals developed their trademark features: hair, keen senses of smell and hearing, big brains and sharp intelligence, fast growth and warm-blooded metabolism, a distinctive line-up of teeth (canines, incisors, premolars, molars), mammary glands that mothers use to nourish their babies with milk, qualities that have underlain their success story.Out of this long and rich evolutionary history came the mammals of today, including our own species and our closest cousins. But today’s 6,000 mammal species - the egg-laying monotremes including the platypus, marsupials such as kangaroos and koalas that raise their tiny babies in pouches, and placentals like us, who give birth to well-developed young – are simply the few survivors of a once verdant family tree, which has been pruned both by time and mass extinctions.In The Rise and Reign of the Mammals, palaeontologist Steve Brusatte weaves together the history and evolution of our mammal forebears with stories of the scientists whose fieldwork and discoveries underlie our knowledge, both of iconic mammals like the mammoths and sabre-toothed tigers of which we have all heard, and of fascinating species that few of us are aware of.For what we see today is but a very limited range of the mammals that have existed; in this fascinating and ground-breaking book, Steve Brusatte tells their – and our – story.

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'A cracking story told at breakneck speed' – Scotland on SundayThe Killing Tide by Lin Anderson sees forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod investigating a mysterious abandoned ship which has swept ashore in the Orkney Isles.After a fierce storm hits Scotland, a mysterious cargo ship is discovered in the Orkney Isles. Boarding the vessel uncovers three bodies, recently deceased and in violent circumstances. Forensic scientist Dr Rhona MacLeod’s study of the crime scene suggests that a sinister game was being played on board, but who were the hunters? And who the hunted?Meanwhile in Glasgow DS Michael McNab is called to a horrific incident where a young woman has been set on fire. Or did she spark the flames herself? As evidence arises that connects the two cases, the team grow increasingly concerned that the truth of what happened on the ship and in Glasgow hints at a wider conspiracy that stretches down to London and beyond to a global stage. Orcadian Ava Clouston, renowned investigative journalist, believes so and sets out to prove it, putting herself in grave danger.When the Met Police challenge Police Scotland’s jurisdiction, it becomes obvious that there are ruthless individuals who are willing to do whatever it takes to protect government interests. Which could lead to even more deaths on Scottish soil . . .

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An insightful look at the science behind love, Attached offers you a road map for building stronger, more fulfilling connections.'A groundbreaking book that redefines what it means to be in a relationship.' – John Gray, PhD., bestselling author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from VenusIs there a science to love? In this groundbreaking book, psychiatrist and neuroscientist Amir Levine and psychologist Rachel S. F. Heller reveal how an understanding of attachment theory – the most advanced relationship science in existence today – can help us find and sustain love.Pioneered by psychologist John Bowlby in the 1950s, the field of attachment explains that each of us behaves in relationships in one of three distinct ways:Anxious people are often preoccupied with their relationships and tend to worry about their partner’s ability to love them back.Avoidant people equate intimacy with a loss of independence and constantly try to minimize closeness.Secure people feel comfortable with intimacy and are usually warm and loving.With fascinating psychological insight, quizzes and case studies, Dr Amir Levine and Rachel Heller help you understand the three attachment styles, identify your own and recognize the styles of others so that you can find compatible partners or improve your existing relationship.

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Susan Dennard’s New York Times bestselling fantasy series continues – with the story of Iseult, the Threadwitch.War has come to the Witchlands . . . and nothing will be the same again.Iseult has found her heartsister Safi at last, but their reunion is brief. For Iseult to stay alive, she must flee Cartorra while Safi remains. And though Iseult has plans to save her friend, they will require her to summon magic more dangerous than anything she has ever faced before.Meanwhile, the Bloodwitch Aeduan is beset by forces he cannot understand. And Vivia – rightful queen of Nubrevna –finds herself without a crown or home.As villains from legend reawaken across the Witchlands, only the mythical Cahr Awen can stop the gathering war. Iseult could embrace this power and heal the land, but first she must choose on which side of the shadows her destiny will lie.Witchshadow is the fourth book in the Witchlands series by bestselling author Susan Dennard.‘Truthwitch by Susan Dennard is like a cake stuffed full of your favourite fantasy treats . . . this book will delight you’ – Robin Hobb, author of Assassin’s Apprentice

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Magic and (mis)adventures abound in Max and the Midknights, a hilarious illustrated novel from the New York Times bestselling creator of the Big Nate series, Lincoln Peirce.'Max is epic fun!' – Jeff Kinney, bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.'Fantastic! I loved it!' – Dav Pilkey, bestselling author of the Dog Man series.Join Max's quest to become a knight in this laugh-out-loud New York Times bestselling adventure!Max wants to be a knight – too bad that dream is about as likely as finding a friendly dragon. But when Max's uncle Budrick is kidnapped by the cruel King Gastley, Max has to act . . . and fast! Joined by a band of brave adventurers – the Midknights – Max sets out on a thrilling quest: to save uncle Budrick and restore the realm of Byjovia to its former glory!With his trademark comic book-style illustrations, Lincoln Peirce brings epic adventure, riotous fun and medieval silliness in the series which continues with Battle of the Bodkins.

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The Sunday Times Bestseller and insipration behind David Mitchell's Unruly'Entertaining and informative . . . Delightful' IndependentThere are many reasons to be fascinated by Germany: forests, architecture and fairy tales, not to mention its history and inhabitants’ penchant for very peculiar food. Our distant and often maligned cousin, this is a place in which innumerable strange characters have held power, in which a chaotic jigsaw of borders have moved about seemingly at random, and which at the dark heart of the 20th century fell into the hands of truly terrible forces. And now Simon Winder is here to tell us everything else there is to know about this mesmerizing, tortured and endlessly fascinating country.Germania is also a personal guide to the Germany that Simon Winder loves. In this startlingly vibrant account, Winder describes Germany’s past afresh, starting with the shaggy world of the ancient forests, all the way up to the present day – and in doing so, he sees and begins to understand a country much like our own: Protestant, aggressive and committed to betterment. Joining Danubia and Lotharingia in Winder’s endlessly fascinating retelling of European history, Germania is a brilliant, vivid and enthusiastic insight to the hidden wonders of Germany

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A chilling ritual is being acted out by a sadistic killer in Dark Flight, the fourth novel in Lin Anderson's forensic crime series featuring Rhona MacLeod.Six-year-old Stephen Devlin has vanished, his mother and grandmother horrifically murdered. At the scene of the devastating crime, forensic scientist Rhona Macleod finds a chilling African talisman, made from the bones of a child. Working with DS Michael McNab, Rhona joins a task force that has been formed in a desperate attempt to track down the missing child before it’s too late. As the case builds momentum, it becomes clear the killer’s motive was linked to the fact that the boy and his mother had recently returned from Nigeria.When further victims are found, Rhona realizes she must decipher the talisman’s meaning if they are to have any hope of finding Stephen before he becomes the next link in the killer’s chain . . . Dark Flight is the fourth book in the Rhona MacLeod series by Lin Anderson.

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An uplifting true story from foster carer and Sunday Times bestselling author, Angela Hart.Why has no one given Jasmine the safety and care she desperately needs? Angela is determined to find a solution.Jasmine is a little girl with a difficult upbringing whose current foster carers have refused to keep her on as they can no longer handle her behaviour. Social Services place her with specialist foster carer Angela Hart. Angela does her best to provide a secure environment for Jasmine in the hope that she can begin to move on, but it proves challenging as Jasmine often breaks out in bursts of anger and sometimes physical violence. Can Angela show Jasmine what safety looks like? And can she help Jasmine's beloved grandparents – who have been campaigning to become her full-time guardians – persuade social services that they are best placed to look after this troubled little girl?The Girl with the Saddest Secret is the eighth book from well-loved foster carer Angela Hart. A true story that shares the tale of one of the many children she has fostered over the years. Angela's stories show the difference that quiet care, a watchful eye and sympathetic ear can make to those children whose upbringing has been less fortunate than others.

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Sometimes I am Worried helps young children to start managing their emotions. They can lift the flaps, slide the tabs and turn the wheel to explore what a worry is, why they might worry and how they can stop their worries from becoming too big.With delightful illustrations from Marie Paruit on every page, this is the perfect book for parents and carers to share with young children who may be anxious about something and to develop their emotional intelligence. Explanations, hints and tips from Early Years expert Dr Janet Rose will provide parents with all the extra guidance they need.The Little Big Feelings series has been endorsed and recommended by Dr Amanda Gummer’s Good Play Guide.Learn more about sharing emotions in the Little Big Feelings series: I Like to be Kind and Sometimes I am Angry.

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A celebration of love from the author and illustrator of Goth Girl, Ottoline and the Cloud Horse Chronicles, Poems to Fall in Love With sees Chris Riddell select and illustrate his very favourite classic and modern poems about love – gorgeously presented in this giftable hardback.This beautifully illustrated collection explores love in all its guises, from silent admiration through passion to tearful resignation. These poems speak of the universal experiences of the heart and are brought to life with Chris's exquisite, intricate artwork.This perfect gift, this book features famous poems, old and new, and a few surprises. Classic verses sit alongside the modern to create the ultimate collection. Includes poems from Neil Gaiman, Nikita Gill, Carol Ann Duffy, E. E. Cummings, Shakespeare, Leonard Cohen, Derek Walcott, Hollie McNish, Kae Tempest, John Betjeman and Roger McGough and many more.Enjoy more poetry with Chris's Poems to Live Your Life By, one of the Bookseller's best poetry books of the last twenty-five years.

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A whip-smart observation of the passions and tragedies behind daily life, Eva Ibbotson's Madensky Square is a classic snapshot of Viennese life before WWI, with a new introduction from Laura Wood.Susanna Weber's dress shop stands in the picturesque Madensky Square, a quiet little world of its own, nestled in the heart of glittering pre-war Vienna.As the winter of 1910 unfurls into spring, Susanna starts a journal about life in the Square, about the buildings and their colourful inhabitants. There's Frau Schumacher, with six daughters and a baby on the way, Professor Starsky and his menagerie of sickly reptiles, an aging bookseller, a teenaged Anarchist, and little Sigi – an orphaned child prodigy forced to play the piano all day, every day. And then there's her dear friend Alice, the only person who has noticed the heartbreak that hides beneath Susanna's brisk kindness and brilliant talent . . . Discover more of Eva Ibbotson's sweeping historical romances in Magic Flutes, The Morning Gift, The Secret Countess, A Song for Summer and A Company of Swans, all with brand new introductions.

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Is this the right book for you? Take the ANNOYING TEST and find out!1) Do you ask 'Are we there yet?' over and over on long car trips?2) Do you like to drive people mad by copying everything they say and do?3) Do you hog the shower and use up all the hot water?4) Do you enjoy asking silly questions that have no real answers?5) Do you swing on the washing line whenever you get the chance?SCORE: One point for each yes answer.3-5 You are a practical joking genius. You will love this book.1-2 You are a good practical joker. You will love this book.0 You are not a practical joker. You will love this book.Just Annoying is the second book in this hilarious series of stories about the world's most annoying practical joker – from the creators of the bestselling Treehouse series, Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton.

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Morris Gleitzman's classic stories Blabber Mouth and Sticky Beak are now together in one volume, with with a fantastically hilarious cover look from Sarah Horne!Rowena Batts is always in trouble. It probably has something to do with her quick temper – stuffing a frog into bully-boy Darryn Peck's mouth wasn't the best idea in the world. Neither was stealing his crazy cockatoo . . . But Rowena has a bigger problem. Her dad. Somehow she has to tell him that his revolting shirts and his horrific habit of bursting into song in public are even more disastrous than she is. And it's not easy talking your way out of trouble when you were born unable to speak.Rowena and her dad rock from one batty but bittersweet scenario to the next, across two stories in one book!

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Read the hilarious rom-com that inspired the hit new sitcom Not Dead Yet starring Gina Rogriguez (Jane the Virgin), Hannah Simone (New Girl) and Lauren Ash (Superstore). As recommended on Davina McCall's Making the Cut podcast, and perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton, Ruth Jones and Marian Keyes.'The new Bridget Jones' – Celia Walden, Telegraph'Say hello to a book that will have you laughing with every page, whether you're 20, 40 or 80' – HeatA novel for any woman who wonders how the hell she got here, and why life isn't quite how she imagined it was going to be. And who is desperately trying to figure it all out when everyone around them is making gluten-free brownies.Meet Nell. Her life is a mess.In a world of perfect Instagram lives, she feels like a disaster. But when she starts a secret podcast and forms an unlikely friendship with Cricket, an eighty-something widow, things begin to change. Because Nell is determined. This time next year things will be very different. But first, she has a confession . . .Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter will make you laugh, and it might even make you cry. Above all, it will remind you that you're not on your own – we're all in this together.'Brilliant! Laughing out loud' – Emma Gannon, podcaster (Ctrl Alt Delete) and author of Olive'Funny but layered, light-hearted but surprisingly deep' – Red

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The Thirteenth Fairy is the first title in Never After, an exciting contemporary fantasy adventure series for readers of 9 to 11 by Melissa de la Cruz, the bestselling author of Disney's Descendants series. Perfect for fans of Disney's Twisted Tales.Nothing exciting ever happens in Filomena Jefferson-Cho’s small town. Until the day Jack Stalker, one of the heroes from her all-time favourite books, the Never After series, turns up. She must be dreaming! But Jack insists that he’s real, the stories are real, and she must come with him at once. Filomena is thrust into a world of fairies, sorcerers, dragons and slayers, where an evil queen is determined to wipe out the fairy tribes. To save the kingdom, Filomena and her new friends must find the truth behind the tale of the Thirteenth Fairy before it’s too late.

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‘So vivid and true . . . Lampedusa is a beautiful novel, lyrical and wise. Reading it made me feel both melancholy and uplifted.’ David Gilmour, Financial Times ‘Brimming with wise and lyrical insights that make it a worthy heir to its mighty predecessor.’ New York Times In the Sicily of the 1950s, still haunted by memories of Fascism and the war, the last Prince of Lampedusa, Giuseppe Tomasi, struggles to complete his only novel, The Leopard. Tomasi is a veteran of the previous war, while his wife Alessandra is living in exile after her native Latvia is absorbed into the Soviet Union. The childless couple are survivors of a vanishing world of European aristocracy, living in the present, yet nostalgic for the decadent past. Diagnosed with advanced emphysema and with a profound awareness of his doomed lineage, the prince begins working on a novel. When The Leopard is posthumously published, it is to much acclaim; it will come to be considered the greatest Italian novel of the century. Achingly haunting, Lampedusa tells the story of a man’s awakening to the possibilities of life as he nears its end. ‘In subtle and intelligent prose, Price invites us into the mind of a man striving to make sense of memory and mortality.’ Sunday Times SHORTLISTED FOR THE GILLER PRIZE

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Winner of the Booker PrizeWinner of 'Book of the Year' and 'Debut of the Year' at the British Book AwardsThe Million-Copy Bestseller'An amazingly intimate, compassionate, gripping portrait of addiction, courage and love.' – The judges of the Booker Prize'Douglas Stuart has written a first novel of rare and lasting beauty.' – ObserverIt is 1981. Glasgow is dying and good families must grift to survive. Agnes Bain has always expected more from life, dreaming of greater things. But Agnes is abandoned by her philandering husband, and as she descends deeper into drink, the children try their best to save her, yet one by one they must abandon her to save themselves.It is her son Shuggie who holds out hope the longest. Shuggie is different, he is clearly no’ right. But Shuggie believes that if he tries his hardest, he can be normal like the other boys and help his mother escape this hopeless place.Shuggie Bain lays bare the ruthlessness of poverty, the limits of love, and the hollowness of pride. For readers of A Little Life and Angela's Ashes, it is a heartbreaking novel by a brilliant writer with a powerful and important story to tell.'A heartbreaking novel' – The Times'Tender and unsentimental . . . The Billy Elliot-ish character of Shuggie . . . leaps off the page.' – Daily Mail

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Former Secret Service Agents turned private investigators, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, return in their most surprising, personal and dangerous case to date. King and Maxwell is the explosive finale to David Baldacci's phenomenal series.A family tragedy.Teenager Tyler Wingo learns the awful news that his father, a soldier, was killed in action in Afghanistan. But then Tyler receives an email from his father . . . after his supposed death.An investigation like no other.Tyler hires former Secret Service agents King and Maxwell to solve the mystery. The pair soon realize that they’ve stumbled on to something bigger and more treacherous than anyone could have imagined.Hunt for the truth.Could Tyler’s father really be alive? Was his mission all that it seemed? Has Tyler’s life been a lie, and could he be the next target?Determined to help and protect Tyler at any cost, King and Maxwell embark on a perilous journey, putting their lives at risk in their most dangerous case of all.

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The Times top ten bestsellerGranta Best of Young British Novelists 2023Scots Book o the Year 2021Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award & Betty Trask Award 2021‘Trainspotting for a new generation’ – Independent‘An instant Scottish classic’ – The Skinny2005. Glasgow is named Europe’s Murder Capital, driven by a violent territorial gang and knife culture. In the housing schemes of adjacent Lanarkshire, Scotland’s former industrial heartland, wee boys become postcode warriors.2004. Azzy Williams joins the Young Team [YTP]. A brutal gang conflict with their deadly rivals, the Young Toi [YTB] begins.2012. Azzy dreams of another life. He faces his toughest fight of all – the fight for a different future.Expect Buckfast. Expect bravado. Expect street philosophy. Expect rave culture. Expect anxiety. Expect addiction. Expect a serious facial injury every six hours. Expect murder.Hope for a way out.Inspired by the experiences of its author, Graeme Armstrong, The Young Team is an energetic novel, full of the loyalty, laughs, mischief, boredom, violence and threat of life on these streets. It looks beyond the tabloid stereotypes to tell a powerful story about the realities of life for young people in Britain today.‘A swaggering, incendiary debut’ – Guardian‘Dialect that fizzes off the page’ – Observer‘One of the most admired young voices in British fiction’ – The Times

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Lift the flaps and join in the fun with Rod Campbell's classic, Dear Zoo, with bright, bold artwork and a whole host of favourite animals.'I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet . . .'Young children will love lifting the flaps to discover the animals the zoo has sent – a monkey, a lion and even an elephant! But will they ever manage to send the perfect pet?Rod Campbell's classic lift-the-flap book has been a firm favourite with toddlers and parents alike ever since it was first published in 1982 – no child's bookcase is complete without a well-worn copy of Dear Zoo!Little animal lovers will also enjoy Rod Campbell's Look After Us, a lift-the-flap animal book for toddlers with a positive message about conservation.

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The Patchwork Girls by Elaine Everest is a moving story about the ties of friends and family, set during the turbulence of the Second World War.1939. After the sudden and tragic loss of her husband, Helen is returning home to her mother’s house in Biggin Hill, Kent – the one place she vowed she’d never go back to again.Alone and not knowing where to turn, Helen finds herself joining the local women’s sewing circle despite being hopeless with a needle and thread. These resourceful women can not only make do and mend clothes, quilts and woolly hats, but their friendship mends something deeper in Helen too. Lizzie is a natural leader, always ready to lend a helping hand or a listening ear. Effie has uprooted her life from London to keep her two little girls away from the bombing raids, and the sewing circle is a welcome distraction from worries about how to keep a roof over their heads and about her husband too, now serving in active duty overseas.When the reason for Helen's husband's death comes to light, her world is turned upside down yet again. The investigating officer on the case, Richard, will leave no stone unturned, but it’s not long before his interest in Helen goes beyond the professional. As she pieces together old fabrics into a beautiful quilt, will Helen patch up the rifts in her own life?

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Wild and Crazy Guys is the larger-than-life story of the much-loved Hollywood comedy stars that ruled the 1980s. This paperback edition features never-seen-before bonus material. As well as delving behind the scenes of classic movies such as Ghostbusters, Beverly Hills Cop, The Blues Brothers, Trading Places and dozens more, it chronicles the off-screen, larger-than-life antics of John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, John Candy et al. It’s got drugs, sex, punch-ups, webbed toes and Bill Murray being pushed into a swimming pool by Hunter S Thompson, while tied to a lawn chair. It’s akin to Peter Biskind’s Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, following the key players through their highs and lows, and their often turbulent relationships with each other. Nick de Semlyen has interviewed many of the key directors such as Walter Hill, John Landis and Carl Reiner, as well as the comedians themselves. Taking you on a trip through the tumultuous ’80s, Wild And Crazy Guys explores the friendships, feuds, triumphs and disasters experienced by these iconic funnymen. Based on candid interviews from the stars themselves, as well as those who entered their orbit, it reveals the hidden history behind the most fertile period ever for screen comedy.

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Sweeping across countries, class and music, Eva Ibboton's classic historical romance, Magic Flutes, is a richly imagined tale of intrigue and identity, with a new introduction from Harriet Evans.In the spring of 1922, young Austrian Princess Theresa-Maria – known to her ancient aunts as 'Putzerl' – abandons her crumbling castle and her royal duties. Disguising herself simply as Tessa, she enrolls as under wardrobe mistress of the International Opera Company and soon loses herself in the intoxicating world of the Viennese opera.But when Guy Farne, an Englishman looking to impress his new fiance, arrives in Austria and employs the Company to perform at his newly purchased Austrian estate, he finds himself fascinated by the under wardrobe mistress, and Tessa finds it increasingly difficult to keep her two lives separate . . .'I have binged on Eva Ibbotson . . . her elegantly written, witty and well-observed fables' Nigella Lawson, The TimesRediscover Eva Ibbotson, award-winning author of Journey to the River Sea, in her sweeping historical romances, including The Morning Gift, A Song For Summer, The Secret Countess (originally published as A Countess Below Stairs), Madensky Square and A Company of Swans. Magic Flutes was originally published as The Reluctant Heiress.

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Stolen cakes, major explosions and an unforgettable cast of characters – dive into The Orphans of St Halibut's, a hilarious caper from debut author Sophie Wills and million-copy bestselling illustrator, David Tazzyman. Perfect for fans of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket.Life has been perfect ever since the orphans of St Halibut's buried their matron – don't look like that, it was an accident! Tig, Stef, Herc, and Pamela the goat just have to make sure nobody finds out they're on their own.Discovering that an Inspector is on his way, they'll need to convince him that everything is peachy or they'll be sent to the Mending House – where badly behaved orphans go, never to return. But the Inspector is not quite what he seems and things very quickly go from bad to spectacularly out of hand . . .Can these crafty kids outsmart the adults and save their home? 'This book reminded me of an old fashioned film caper – a little like St Trinians meets Oliver with a twist of Matilda thrown in' Year 6 Teacher and Parent‘I would recommend this book to people that like spooky, funny and adventurous stories’ Reader, aged 8

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'Addictive' Amazon reviewer'Impossible to put down' Amazon reviewer'Twists and turns galore' Amazon reviewerFrom the internationally bestselling authors of The Wife Between Us comes this electrifying psychological thriller about truth, lies and deadly obsession . . . When Jessica signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money and leave. But as the questions grow more and more invasive, she begins to feel as though they know what she’s thinking . . . and what she’s hiding.As Jessica's paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what is real in her life, and what is one of Dr Shields’s manipulative experiments. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.Here's what readers are saying:'This is a smart, chilling and suspenseful novel that doesn’t let you off the hook until the very last page''A great read that has me looking over my shoulder and questioning my daily choices and interactions''Deceit, jealousy, obsession, paranoia - An Anonymous Girl has this in bucket loads'Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s previous books include The Wife Between Us and An Anonymous Girl.

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Little ones will love joining in with all the farmyard fun!A crowing cockerel, a mooing cow and a quacking duck are just some of the animals making a racket down on Noisy Farm! With ten sounds to press, lots to spot and count and a rhyming story to share.The Noisy Farm Book is a gorgeous gift book young children will return to time and time again, with fantastic illustrations by the award-winning Axel Scheffler.Discover more noisy animal adventures from the illustrator of The Gruffalo, with The Noisy Jungle Book.

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Stories From Moominvalley is a beautiful collection of three classic Moomin stories, based on Tove Jansson’s original works.Join Moomintroll, his charming family and his eclectic band of friends on a series of adventures in a picturesque land where anything can happen: a father can be washed away in a flood, electric Hattifatteners can appear on a desert island, and a hat with magical powers can transform a house into a jungle! Moomin lovers of all ages will delight at the stunning artwork that accompanies the lively, witty writing, and become fully immersed in the beautiful Moominvalley.Sensitively adapted for a younger audience by Alex Haridi and Cecilia Davidsson, Stories From Moominvalley is both perfect as a gift and is a must-have for fans of Tove Jansson’s enchanting world.

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Andrea Lawlor’s debut novel offers a speculative history of early 90s identity politics during the heyday of ACT UP and Queer Nation.'One of the most exciting - and one of the most fun - novels of the decade.' - Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to YouIt’s 1993 and Paul Polydoris tends bar at the only gay club in a university town thrumming with politics and partying. He studies queer theory, has a lesbian best friend, makes zines, and is a flâneur with a rich dating life. But Paul’s also got a secret: he’s a shapeshifter. Oscillating wildly from Riot Grrrl to leather cub, Women’s Studies major to trade, Paul transforms his body at will in a series of adventures that take him from Iowa City to Boystown to Provincetown and finally to San Francisco – a journey through the deep queer archives of struggle and pleasure.Paul Takes the Form of A Mortal Girl is a riotous, razor-sharp bildungsroman whose hero/ine wends his way through a world gutted by loss, pulsing with music, and opening into an array of intimacy and connections.-----------------------------------'Playful, sexy, smart' - Carmen Maria Machado'Evocative and urgent . . . and very funny' – Observer'"90s punk Orlando”. . . a pretty wild ride' – Dazed & Confused'Sexy, outrageous, completely compulsive' – Daisy Johnson

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This laugh-out-loud story is about a bold and imaginative Mouse who is accused of being an elephant by a gecko. Despite having a pointy nose and flappy ears, Mouse is definitely not an elephant – but could Mouse be an owl, a sheep, a yak, or a cow? Mouse persuades the others that it's what is on the inside that counts - and maybe Mouse is actually a Moose?With vibrant and characterful illustrations this hilarious follow on to the acclaimed I AM A TIGER introduces a new range of animals for the feisty Mouse to bamboozle.

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Join Baby Bear as he makes friends with an owl and has a picnic on the moon in this board book edition of Whatever Next!, a beautiful story of innocence and imagination, full of the characteristic warmth and humour of Jill Murphy, author of Peace at Last and The Worst Witch.The moon and back before bath time? Whatever next!Baby Bear wants to go on one more adventure before bed – a quick trip to the moon. Mrs Bear isn't pleased, and anyway, she says, Baby Bear doesn't have a rocket. Luckily, there's one under the stairs . . .

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Brutally honest and fearless, Poverty Safari is an unforgettable insight into modern Britain, and will change how you think about poverty.The Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller.Winner of the Orwell Prize.Named the most 'Rebellious Read of the 21st Century' in a Scottish Book Trust poll.Darren McGarvey has experienced poverty and its devastating effects first-hand. He knows why people from deprived communities all around Britain feel angry and unheard. And he wants to explain . . .So he invites you to come on a safari of sorts. But not the kind where the wildlife is surveyed from a safe distance. This book takes you inside the experience of poverty to show how the pressures really feel and how hard their legacy is to overcome.Arguing that both the political left and right misunderstand poverty as it is actually lived, McGarvey sets out what everybody – including himself – could do to change things.'Another cry of anger from a working class that feels the pain of a rotten, failing system. Its value lies in the strength it will add to the movement for change.' - Ken Loach, director of Kes

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‘This strange story of love and loneliness, which explores how we all long to belong, is simply wonderful.’ Daily Mail When, in 1859, George Hills is pulled from the wreck of the steamship Admella, he carries with him the uneasy memory of a fellow survivor. Someone else – or something else – kept him warm as he lay dying, half-submerged in the freezing Southern Ocean, kept him bound to life. As George adapts to his life back on land, he can’t quite escape the feeling that he wasn’t alone when he emerged from the ocean that day, that a familiar presence has been watching him ever since. What the creature might want from him – his life? His first-born? Simply to return to its home? – will pursue him, and call him back to the water, where it all began.‘[A] singular novel . . . [From the Wreck] movingly explores themes of loss, loneliness and guilt.’ Guardian ‘An absorbing, disturbing read, full of deep currents and lurking fears.’ Adrian Tchaikovsky, Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author of The Children of Time

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Set in an era of superstition and hysteria, and inspired by the true events of a doomed summer, The Dance Tree is a story of family secrets, forbidden love, and women pushed to the edge. The gripping, historical novel from Kiran Millwood Hargrave, as seen on BBC Two's Between the Covers.‘Brilliant’ – Marian Keyes‘I absolutely loved this book’ – Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den Strasbourg, 1518. In the midst of a blisteringly hot summer, a lone woman begins to dance in the city square. She dances for days without pause, and as she is joined by hundreds of others, the authorities declare an emergency: musicians will be brought in to play the Devil out of these women.Beyond the city, pregnant Lisbet tends the bees that are her livelihood. And then, as the dancing plague gathers momentum, Lisbet’s sister-in-law Nethe returns from seven years’ penance in the mountains for a crime no one will name.As the city buckles under the beat of a thousand feet, Lisbet finds herself thrust into a dangerous web of deceit and clandestine passion, but she is dancing to a dangerous tune . . .Shortlisted for the HWA Gold Crown‘Intriguing, haunting, beautiful’ – Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne‘Extraordinary, enthralling’ – Sunday Times

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With lots to see in Busy Beach, young children can have fun as they take a trip to the seaside, pulling and turning the tabs! Enjoy playing with a beach ball, building a towering sandcastle and buying a tasty ice-cream cone! Little ones will love playing with this bright and colourful board book with gentle rhyming text and wonderful illustrations by Jo Byatt. Busy Beach has been endorsed and recommended by Dr Amanda Gummer's Good Play Guide.Discover more adventures in the Busy Book series: Busy Holiday, Busy Zoo, and Busy Park.

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Zero Day is the explosive first instalment in David Baldacci's thrilling John Puller series.Distinguished as a top investigator in the US government, John Puller is called in to conduct an enquiry into the brutal murders of a family in a remote area of West Virginia. It soon becomes clear that the case has wider implications and as the body count rises he teams up with local homicide detective Samantha Cole. As the web of deceit is revealed, it quickly becomes apparent that there's much more to this case than they had first thought. It is an investigation where nothing is as it seems, and nothing can be taken at face value.When Puller and Cole discover a dangerous situation in the making, Puller finds he must turn to the one person who can help avert certain catastrophe. A person he has known all his life.In a breathtaking rollercoaster race against time, Cole fears for the community in which she was raised, and Puller knows he has to overcome the enemies of his country to avoid far reaching disaster.But in the end, you can't kill what you can't see is coming . . .Continue this fast-paced, breathtaking series with The Forgotten.

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DISCOVER THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES FROM THE GLOBAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE SHADOWHUNTER CHRONICLES!Two outcasts find themselves at the centre of world-altering change in Sword Catcher, the start of a riveting epic fantasy series from the internationally bestselling author of The Shadowhunter Chronicles.'Everything I look for in fantasy' - George R. R. Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Game of Thrones-----One was raised to rule. One was trained to die. Welcome to the Chronicles of Castellane.In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, a young orphan named Kel is stolen from his old life to enter a new one of luxury and peril. He’s to become Prince Conor Aurelian’s body-double, shielding the Prince from all dangers. As his ‘Sword Catcher,’ he and Conor become close as brothers – yet Kel lives for one purpose: to die for Conor.Lin Caster is an Ashkar physician, part of a community ostracised for its rare magical abilities. But events pull her and Kel together and into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King who rules Castellane’s criminal underworld.Together, they’ll discover an extraordinary conspiracy. But can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war and the world into chaos?Lose yourself in a vibrant world of power, intrigue and magic in this spellbinding epic from an internationally bestselling sensation.

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Return to the world of the Invisible Library for Irene's most perilous mission yet . . . Librarian Spy Irene is heading into danger. Not for the first time, but could this be her last? She’s tasked with a terrifyingly dangerous solo mission to eliminate an old enemy, which must be kept secret at all costs. But even more troubling news emerges. Multiple worlds are disappearing – and the Library may have something to do with it.Determined to uncover the truth behind the vanished worlds, Irene and her friends must descend into the unplumbed depths of the Library. And what they find will change everything they know. This may be Irene’s most dangerous assignment of her hazardous career.The Untold Story is the unputdownable eighth book in the Invisible Library fantasy series by Genevieve Cogman. Genevieve is also the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Scarlet - which reimagines the tale of the Scarlet Pimpernel, but with vampires, mages and magic. . . Praise for the series: ‘I absolutely loved this’ – N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Season‘Irene is a great heroine: fiery, resourceful and no one’s fool’ – Guardian‘Brilliant and so much fun. Skullduggery, Librarians and dragons – Cogman keeps upping the ante on this delightful series!’ – Charles Stross, author of the Merchant Princes series

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In this bookish fantasy adventure, a Librarian spy must fall in with a villainous group to achieve her goals. Imagine Ocean’s Eleven meets James Bond with a pinch of magic. The Secret Chapter is the sixth novel in Genevieve Cogman’s Invisible Library series.Irene and Kai have to team up with an unlikely band of misfits to pull off an amazing art heist. Or they must risk the wrath of a dangerous villain, in his secret island lair. . .As Irene tries to manage a fraught Fae–dragon truce and her overbearing parents, she’s given a hot new mission. The world where she grew up is in danger and only one book can save it.This is held by Mr Nemo, secretive Fae villain and antique dealer, so Irene and Kai travel to his Caribbean retreat to strike a deal. But in return for the book, they must steal a painting from twenty-first-century Vienna. They’ll join a team of dragons, Fae gamblers and thieves, so their greatest challenge may be one another. And some will kill to protect this painting, which hides an extraordinary secret from a past age.Genevieve is also the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Scarlet - which reimagines the tale of the Scarlet Pimpernel, but with vampires, mages and magic. . .

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Welcome to a world in the shadow of our own, a fairy-tale land where the dangers are real . . . In this second book in the Omte Origins trilogy, Amanda Hocking creates a new adventure in her much-loved Trylle universe.Will she finally discover her true home?In the beautiful city of Merellä, Ulla, Pan and Eliana made an incredible discovery. Determined to learn more, they embark on a quest that takes them across the world, to find an ancient city that may hold the key to Ulla's heritage. But powerful enemies are close behind – and they're catching up fast.While Ulla and Pan race to unlock the past, they discover an earth-shattering secret. This will challenge everything they thought they knew about the troll world. And Eliana must make a difficult choice, with far-reaching consequences. As their enemies draw closer, even the strongest bonds of friendship will be tested. But will they break at last?'Addictive' - Guardian on the Trylle trilogy'Drew me in and kept me hooked' - Sunday Express on the Trylle trilogyThe Morning Flower is the second book in the Omte Odyssey by Amanda Hocking.

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Peter James is a UK number one bestselling author, best known for writing crime and thriller novels, and the creator of the much-loved Detective Superintendent Roy Grace. Globally, his books have been translated into thirty-seven languages.Synonymous with plot-twisting page-turners, Peter has garnered an army of loyal fans throughout his storytelling career which also included stints writing for TV and producing films. He has won over forty awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award, Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger and a BAFTA nomination for The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons for which he was an Executive Producer. Many of Peter's novels have been adapted for film, TV and stage.

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When Crab finds a new shell, he doesn’t want to share it with anyone – especially not a blobby purple anemone and a tickly bristleworm. But life in the rock pool proves tougher than Crab thinks and he soon finds he needs his new housemates. Sharing a Shell is a charming underwater tale of friendship and fun from the stellar picture book partnership of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks, creators of What the Ladybird Heard. With brilliant rhythmic verse, bright and distinctive illustrations this is a firm favourite with children and parents alike.Enjoy all the stories from Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks: Sharing a Shell, The Princess and the Wizard, The Rhyming Rabbit, The Singing Mermaid, Sugarlump and the Unicorn, Princess Mirror-Belle and the Dragon Pox, What the Ladybird Heard, What the Ladybird Heard Next, What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday and The Girl, the Bear and the Magic Shoes.

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After a decade of making documentaries about offbeat characters on the fringes of US society, Louis had the urge to return to America and track down the people who most fascinated him. It would be a reunion tour, but this time without the cameras and the sense of performance being filmed inevitably brings. It would allow him to get closer to people, to discover what really motivated them and what had happened to the assorted dreamers, outlaws and eccentrics since he last saw them.On a journey that took him from the porn sets of Los Angeles to the gangsta rappers of Memphis, from a convention of UFO contactees in Arizona to Northern Idaho for a festive get-together of neo-Nazis, he asked what 'weird people' have to tell us about our own secret natures. Had he learned anything about himself by being among them? Do we choose our beliefs or do our beliefs choose us?Louis Theroux's first book is a hilarious, thought-provoking and at times surreal voyage into the heart of weirdness.

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'A master of suspense' – Sunday TimesWhen Inspector Gunnar Barbarotti returns to work after a personal tragedy, his boss hands him a cold case to ease him back in. But the case doesn't stay cold for long . . . The Axe Woman is the fifth Inspector Barbarotti novel from bestselling author Håkan Nesser.Five years previously, Arnold Morinder simply vanished. His partner claimed he had travelled abroad, never to return. But Arnold’s partner was Ellen Bjarnebo: one of Sweden’s most notorious killers, having served over ten years in prison for killing her first husband and dismembering his body with an axe. And when Barbarotti seeks to re-interview Ellen, she is nowhere to be found . . .With neither a body nor a prime suspect, Barbarotti must use all the ingenuity at his disposal. And as the cold case begins to thaw and he finally begins to make progress, he realizes that nothing about Ellen Bjarnebo can be taken for granted . . .

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Europe where the sun dares scarce appear For freezing meteors and congealed cold.' - Christopher Marlowe In this innovative and compelling work of environmental history, Philipp Blom chronicles the great climate crisis of the 1600s, a crisis that would transform the entire social and political fabric of Europe. While hints of a crisis appeared as early as the 1570s, by the end of the sixteenth century the temperature plummeted so drastically that Mediterranean harbours were covered with ice, birds literally dropped out of the sky, and ‘frost fairs’ were erected on a frozen Thames – with kiosks, taverns, and even brothels that become a semi-permanent part of the city. Recounting the deep legacy and sweeping consequences of this ‘Little Ice Age’, acclaimed historian Philipp Blom reveals how the European landscape had ineradicably changed by the mid-seventeenth century. While apocalyptic weather patterns destroyed entire harvests and incited mass migrations, Blom brilliantly shows how they also gave rise to the growth of European cities, the appearance of early capitalism, and the vigorous stirrings of the Enlightenment. A sweeping examination of how a society responds to profound and unexpected change, Nature’s Mutiny will transform the way we think about climate change in the twenty-first century and beyond.

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Meet Detective Matthew Venn. From Ann Cleeves, the Sunday Times bestselling creator of Vera and Shetland, The Long Call is the No.1 bestselling first novel in the Two Rivers series.Now a major ITV series, The Long Call, starring Ben Aldridge.In North Devon, where the rivers Taw and Torridge converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his father's funeral takes place. The day Matthew turned his back on the strict evangelical community in which he grew up, he lost his family too.Now he's back, not just to mourn his father at a distance, but to take charge of his first major case in the Two Rivers region; a complex place not quite as idyllic as tourists suppose.A body has been found on the beach near to Matthew's new home: a man with the tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.Finding the killer is Venn’s only focus, and his team’s investigation will take him straight back into the community he left behind, and the deadly secrets that lurk there.'A stunning debut for Cleeves’ latest crimefighter' – David Baldacci, author of The 6:20 ManThe Long Call is the first entry in the Two Rivers series. Continue the mysteries with The Heron's Cry.

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