Search results for ""MACMILLAN""

Winner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Literary FictionShortlisted for the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction and the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Science Fiction Book of the Year.2074. America's future is Civil War. Sarat's reality is survival. They took her father, they took her home, they told her lies . . . She didn't start this war, but she'll end it.Omar El Akkad’s powerful debut novel imagines a dystopian future: a second American Civil War, a devastating plague and one family caught deep in the middle. In American War, we’re asked to consider what might happen if America were to turn its most devastating policies and deadly weapons against itself.

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Celebrate the joy of books with the entertaining Charlie Cook's Favourite Book, from the unparalleled picture book partnership of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, creators of The Gruffalo.Charlie Cook is reading a book about a pirate captain, who is reading a book about Goldilocks, who is reading about a knight, who is reading about a frog . . .From kings and queens to aliens and ghosts, there's something for everyone in Charlie's amazing book of adventure! This hardback edition features the classic story plus extra content from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, making this the perfect gift.Enjoy more family favourite picture books from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler: The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo's Child and Room on the Broom.

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The Sunday Times Children's Book of the Year. Children's Book of the Week in both the Times and Guardian.The Misadventures of Frederick is a funny, joyful story about friendship and the delights of outdoor adventures (even for the accident-prone) – wonderfully written by the talented Ben Manley and beautifully illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark, creator of Plumdog and Blue Kangaroo.In a mansion surrounded by lakes and forests, Frederick is bored. He leads a very sheltered life: and when Emily invites him to play outside he has no choice but to refuse – what if he hurts himself? Much better to stay safely indoors. But Emily is not one to take no for an answer . . .A series of brilliantly funny and evocative letters between Frederick and Emily tell this unique story which weaves together the colourful, adventurous world of Emily with Frederick's drab life of boredom and safety.

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The Sunday Times No.1 BestsellerNothing Ventured is the first thrilling novel in the William Warwick series, by the master storyteller and bestselling author of the Clifton Chronicles and Kane and Abel, Jeffrey Archer.This is not a detective story, this is a story about a detective.William Warwick is eight when he decides to join the police force. Resolute in the face of his prominent QC father’s objections, William graduates in Art History from university and immediately enrols as a constable in the Metropolitan Police.Gaining insight from his first mentor, an experienced, world-weary constable, his keen mind quickly takes him into a role in Scotland Yard’s Art and Antiques unit and his first case: the recovery of a Rembrandt stolen from the Fitzmolean Museum.It will take skill and tenacity for William to solve the crime, and along the way he will encounter many who will change his life, from Miles Faulkner, a crooked art collector, and his influential lawyer – who bends the law to the point of breaking – to research assistant Beth Rainsford, a woman with secrets who he falls hopelessly in love with . . .William Warwick’s destiny is set, the only question is, how far will his ambition take him?Thrilling, absorbing and entertaining, Nothing Ventured introduces a character destined to become one of Archer's most enduring legacies.Continue the series with Hidden in Plain Sight and Turn a Blind Eye.'Fast-paced and thrilling, with his trademark plot twists and cliff-hangers' – Daily Mail

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The Camel Club by bestselling sensation David Baldacci is the exciting first instalment of a breathtaking series.The Camel Club: a group of conspiracy theorists led by the mysterious Oliver Stone, who camp outside the White House. Their goal – to expose corruption at the upper echelons of US government.The stakes are raised when the group witness the murder of an intelligence analyst. A murder the authorities seem intent on writing off as suicide. Looking at the case more closely provokes more questions than answers.Joining forces with Secret Service Agent Alex Ford, the Camel Club prepare to shine a spotlight on a conspiracy that reaches into the heart of Washington’s corridors of power. In doing so, Ford finds out that his worst nightmare is about to happen . . .The Camel Club is followed by The Collectors, Stone Cold, Divine Justice and Hell's Corner.

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Boy Meets Hamster is the uproariously funny, sweetly romantic debut novel from Birdie Milano. This is the perfect first summer romance – with a twist.Fourteen-year-old Dylan Kershaw's idea of a dream holiday includes at least three things: beaches to bask on, cosmopolitan culture, and a chance for romance (or at least his first kiss) with another boy. Unluckily for Dylan, his mum's treating the family to the least dreamy holiday ever: a £9.50 break at Starcross Sands, Cornwall's Crummiest Caravan Park.But Starcross Sands might not be so bad after all, especially if Dylan can win the heart of Jayden-Lee, the gorgeous boy in the caravan next-door. There's only one thing standing in true love’s way: the park's massive hamster mascot, Nibbles, who seems to have it in for both Dylan and his romantic chances. Dylan’s best friend, Kayla, claims that appearances can be deceptive: so is Jayden-Lee just as lovely beneath the surface, and what could be lurking under Nibbles' furry face?'It may be set on the caravan park from hell, but this beautiful LGBTQ+ read is positively heavenly' – Simon James Green, author of Noah Can't Even

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The first in Ken Follett's breathtaking Century Trilogy, Fall of Giants is a captivating novel that follows five families through the world-shaking dramas of the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for votes for women.A World in Chaos1911, a thirteen-year-old boy, Billy Williams, begins working down the mines as George V is crowned king. The escalating arms race between the empire nations will put not only the king but this young boy in grave danger.A Terrible WarBilly’s family is inextricably linked with the Fitzherberts, the aristocratic owners of the coal mine where he works. And when Maud Fitzherbert falls in love with Walter von Ulrich, a spy at the German embassy in London, their destiny also becomes entangled with that of Gus Dewar, an ambitious young aide to Woodrow Wilson, and two orphaned Russian brothers whose plan to emigrate to America falls foul of conscription, revolution and imminent war.A Revolution That Will Change EverythingWhen Russia convulses in bloody revolution and the Great War unfolds, the five families’ futures are entwined forever, love bringing them closer even as conflict takes them further apart. What seeds will be sown for further tragedy in the twentieth century and what role will each play in what is to come?Continue the captivating Century Trilogy with Winter of the World and Edge of Eternity.

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A Financial Times 'Best Thing I Read This Year' LONGLISTED FOR THE FT & MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDGoogle. Amazon. Facebook. The modern world is defined by vast digital monopolies turning ever-larger profits. Those of us who consume the content that feeds them are farmed for the purposes of being sold ever more products and advertising. Those that create the content – the artists, writers and musicians – are finding they can no longer survive in this unforgiving economic landscape. But it didn’t have to be this way. In Move Fast and Break Things, Jonathan Taplin offers a succinct and powerful history of how online life began to be shaped around the values of the entrepreneurs like Peter Thiel and Larry Page who founded these all-powerful companies. Their unprecedented growth came at the heavy cost of tolerating piracy of books, music and film, while at the same time promoting opaque business practices and subordinating the privacy of individual users to create the surveillance marketing monoculture in which we now live.It is the story of a massive reallocation of revenue in which $50 billion a year has moved from the creators and owners of content to the monopoly platforms. With this reallocation of money comes a shift in power. Google, Facebook and Amazon now enjoy political power on par with Big Oil and Big Pharma, which in part explains how such a tremendous shift in revenues from creators to platforms could have been achieved and why it has gone unchallenged for so long.And if you think that’s got nothing to do with you, their next move is to come after your jobs. Move Fast and Break Things is a call to arms, to say that is enough is enough and to demand that we do everything in our power to create a different future.

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Visit the farm in the brilliantly funny A Squash and a Squeeze, the first ever picture book written and illustrated by the unparalleled picture book partnership of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, creators of The Gruffalo.A little old lady lives all by herself in her house but she's not happy - it's just too small, even for one. Whatever can she do? The wise old man knows: bring in a flappy, scratchy, greedy, noisy crowd of farmyard animals. When she pushes them all out again, she'll be amazed at how big her house feels!This hardback edition features the classic story plus extra content from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, making this the perfect gift.Enjoy more family favourite picture books from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler: The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo's Child and Room on the Broom.

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Set in LA against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crash, this is the story of Rudy Reyes (a.k.a. Glasses), a gangster-turned-double-agent who wants out of the high-stakes high-risk life criminal life, and Ricky Mendoza, Junior (a.k.a. Ghost), a DEA safe-cracker with terminal cancer who's got nothing to lose. When Ghost goes rogue and steals thousands of dollars from a safe that belongs to an LA crime lord who happens to be Glasses' boss, he endangers a deal Glasses had with the DEA. As Ghost sets out to steal as much money as he can get his hands on - all with the plan to give it to those hit hardest by the crash - and the Mob gets ever closer to catching him, Glasses tries desperately to keep his plans on track.Fast-paced and gritty, Safe by Ryan Gattis is both a moving and human morality tale and an utterly immersive and heart-stoppingly suspenseful thriller.

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This is not just an important but an imperative project . . . Barabási is the person' Nassim Nicholas Taleb, bestselling author of The Black SwanThe ground-breaking international bestseller that reveals the indisputable scientific laws that can turn your achievements into success and how to use them to your own advantage.In The Formula, Albert-László Barabási, one of the world's leading experts on the science of networks, reveals the unspoken rules behind who truly gets ahead and why, and outlines the five laws that govern this phenomenon and how we can use them to our own advantage. Drawing on Big Data research that covers everyone from the ace fighter pilot The Red Baron to graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat; Miles Davis and his recording of 'Kind of Blue' to Marcel Duchamps and Tiger Woods, Barabasi, shows why success can come at any time, as long as we are persistent, why in successful teams one person gets the lion share of the credit and why the last interviewee almost always gets the job.Unveiling the scientific principles that drive success, and how to leverage them, Barabasi offers a new understanding of the very foundation of how people excel in today's society, and how to harness these principles for yourself.

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From the bestselling author of Presumed Innocent comes Testimony, Scott Turow’s most twist-filled thriller to date.Bill ten Boom has walked out on everything he thought was important to him: his career, his wife, even his country. Invited to become a prosecutor at The Hague’s International Criminal Court, it was a chance to start afresh.But when his first case is to examine the disappearance of four hundred Roma refugees – an apparent war crime left unsolved for ten years – it’s clear this new life won’t be an easy one . . .Whispered rumours have the perpetrators ranging from Serb paramilitaries to the U.S. Army, but there’s no hard evidence to hold either accountable, and only a single witness to say it happened at all. To get to the truth, Boom must question the integrity of every person linked to the case – from Layton Merriwell, a disgraced US Major General, to flirtatious barrister, Esma Czarni – as it soon becomes apparent that every party has a vested interest and no qualms in steering the investigation their way . . .

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Sisters of Gold is an emotional and heart-warming story with a richly imagined Birmingham setting, from Annie Murray, author of The Doorstep Child.Sisters Margaret and Annie lost their mother years ago, they long for her every day. Their protective and devout father keeps the girls close. But he can’t protect them all the time . . . When a scandal rocks this family unit to their core, the girls are forced to leave their home under a shadow of secrecy. The girls arrive in the Birmingham’s famous jewellery quarter one stifling August evening to stay with their uncle, goldsmith Ebenezer Watts. Annie takes up work at a nearby factory, but it’s not the work that interests her. Her kind and soft nature, means that her attention is drawn to the immediate need of her impoverished colleagues and the wretched lives they lead. Meanwhile, Ebenezer employs Margaret as a chain maker. When Margaret meets silversmith Philipp Tallis, she is drawn to him instantly. Margaret is forced closer to this mysterious man in the cramped workshop, as they create objects of beauty.But what is it the Sisters of Gold are hiding? Even though they’ve escaped their past once, it can’t stay hidden forever . . .

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Zoe Ball's BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick.Mesmerising and haunting, Emma Flint's Other Women is a devastating story of fantasy, obsession inspired by a murder that took place almost a hundred years ago.'A pitch-perfect historical mystery' – The Guardian'Bloody brilliant' – Dinah Jefferies, author of The Missing Sister'Compelling, twisty, and wonderfully suspenseful' – Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled GroundIt is 1923 and a country is in mourning. Thousands of husbands, fathers, sons and sweethearts were lost in the war, millions more returned home wounded and forever changed.Beatrice Cade is an orphan, unmarried and childless. After her brother's death, she decides to make a new life for herself. She takes a room in a Bloomsbury ladies’ club and a job in the City. But just when her new world is starting to take shape, a fleeting encounter threatens to ruin everything.Kate Ryan is an ordinary wife and mother. Since the end of the war, she has managed to build an enviable life with her husband and young daughter. From the outside, they seem like a normal, happy family. But when two policemen knock on Kate's door and jeopardize the facade Kate has created, she knows what she has to do to protect the people she loves. And suddenly, two women who never should have met are connected for ever . . .'Exquisite' - Will Dean, author of Dark Pines'This is a book that will stay with you' – Ann Cleeves, bestselling author of the Vera series'A thoroughly captivating and unsettling page-turner' – iNews

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From the author of the bestselling Luckiest Girl Alive comes Jessica Knoll’s thriller, The Favourite Sister, which follows a pair of competitive and uber-successful sisters whose secrets and lies result in murder. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty's Nine Perfect Strangers and Caroline Kepnes' You.Brett and Kelly Courtney are the shining jewels in a New York-based reality TV show called Goal Diggers. One of the most popular shows on American national television, its fiercely competitive cast of five self-made women are defined by their success, beauty and ruthless drive to reach the top by whatever means necessary. The Courtney sisters’ rivalry goes skin deep despite the blossoming business they have built together that helps disadvantaged women in Morocco. Harbouring bitter jealousies and dark secrets about their manufactured screen lives they’re joined by three other hyper-competitive women who all have their own agendas. And the latest season promises sparks to fly in the quest for even higher ratings.Vicious backstabbing, scathing social media attacks and finely-tuned scripting draw in the viewing public every week, all orchestrated by the show’s omnipotent producers. But even they don’t know that season four will end in murder . . .

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Constance in Peril is a brilliantly funny story from the creators of the critically acclaimed The Misadventures of Frederick, a Sunday Times Children's Book of the Year. Told with all Ben Manley's characteristic wit and genius for comic timing, with beautiful, atmospheric illustrations by Emma Chichester Clark adding to the fun.Edward’s favourite toy was a soft, old, cloth doll. Her name was Constance Hardpenny and she had led a tragic life.Having been rescued from a rubbish bin by a boy called Edward, Constance suffers a series of potentially catastrophic incidents. More suited to elegant tea parties in a bygone age, she nevertheless remains stoic throughout. From being forgotten and left out in the rain or trapped up a tree, even being caught between the jaws of the neighbour's dog, Constance is constantly finding herself in mortal danger. Although she’s luckily rescued each time by the watchful Grace, Edward’s loving older sister, it seems disaster is never far behind. Is Constance doomed to suffer a life of never-ending peril? Probably.

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'Here ends one of the finest achievements of recent crime fiction' - Sunday Telegraph'Outstanding' - The Times*Winner of the 2022 CWA Historical Dagger and Gold Dagger*Los Angeles. Christmas, 1967. A devil is loose in the City of Angels . . .A young nurse, Kerry Gaudet, travels to the City of Angels desperate to find her missing brother, fearing that something terrible has happened to him: a serial killer is terrorising the city, picking victims at random, and Kerry has precious few leads.Ida Young, recently retired Private Investigator, is dragged into helping the police when a young woman is discovered murdered in her motel room. Ida has never met the victim but her name has been found at the crime scene and the LAPD wants to know why . . .Meanwhile mob fixer Dante Sanfelippo has put his life savings into purchasing a winery in Napa Valley but first he must do one final favour for the Mob before leaving town: find a bail jumper before the bond money falls due, and time is fast running out.Ida’s friend, Louis Armstrong, flies into the city just as her investigations uncover mysterious clues to the killer’s identity. And Dante must tread a dangerous path to pay his dues, a path which will throw him headlong into a terrifying conspiracy and a secret that the conspirators will do anything to protect . . .Completing his American crime quartet, Ray Celestin's Sunset Swing is a stunning novel of conspiracy, murder and madness, an unforgettable portrait of a city on the edge.

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We all dream, and 98 per cent of us can recall our dreams the next morning. Even in today’s modern age, it is human nature to wonder what they mean. With incredible new discoveries and stunning science, Why We Dream will give you dramatic insight into yourself and your body. You’ll never think of dreams in the same way again . . .Groundbreaking science is putting dreams at the forefront of new research into sleep, memory, the concept of self and human socialization. Once a subject of the New Age and spiritualism, the science of dreams is revealed to have a crucial role in the biology and neuroscience of our waking lives. In Why We Dream, Alice Robb, a leading American science journalist, will take readers on a journey to uncover why we dream, why dreaming matters, and how we can improve our dream life – and why we should. Through her encounters with scientists at the cutting edge of dream research, she reveals how: - Dreams can be powerful tools to help us process the pain of a relationship break-up, the grief of losing a loved one and the trauma after a dramatic event - Nightmares may be our body’s warning system for physical and mental illness (including cancer, depression and Alzheimer’s) - Athletes can improve their performance by dreaming about competing - Drug addicts who dream about drug-taking can dramatically speed up their recovery from addiction. Robb also uncovers the fascinating science behind lucid dreaming – when we enter a dream state with control over our actions, creating a limitless playground for our fantasies. And as one of only ten per cent of people with the ability to lucid-dream, she is uniquely placed to teach us how to do it ourselves.

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Gold Winner of the Junior Design Awards Best Baby Books 0-2 Years.The Big Steps series is designed to help little ones cope with everyday experiences in their lives. In No More Nappies, meet Millie and Mo – two adorable toddlers who are ready to ditch their nappies and learn how to use the potty. Follow the ups and downs of their potty-training journey brought to life with fun flaps and mechanisms. Each page has really helpful potty-training tips for parents and carers that are endorsed by The Good Play Guide and leading Early Years Consultant, Dr Amanda Gummer. With delightful illustrations from Marion Cocklico, No More Nappies is a brilliant way to introduce potty-training in a fun and relatable way.For more toddler tips read I'm Not Sleepy: Helping Toddlers Go To Sleep and I'm Starting Nursery.

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In the summer we all fell in loveBy the winter we had fallen apartFor Quinn and her sister, Fern, and brother, Reed, summer means working as counselors at their family's summer camp: months of bonfires, bunks, and friendships made and broken. But last summer was different. Last summer they all fell in love with the same boy – Dylan, their best friend since forever, suddenly seen through new eyes. Six months later and everything has changed. The summer camp is empty and covered in snow, and Quinn, Fern and Reed aren't speaking to each other anymore. Something happened that summer that tore them apart, and their memories won't let them forgive.Wild Blue Wonder is the gorgeous, achingly beautiful novel from Carlie Sorosiak, author of If Birds Fly Back.

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Her Sister's Lie is a stunning psychological thriller from the bestselling author of The Bones of You, Debbie Howells.Two sisters. A terrible secret. The ultimate revenge. Hannah and her sister Nina were once close. But they’ve not been in touch for years when Hannah learns of her sister’s death. Now Hannah is left with the care of Nina’s teenage son Abe, and the memory of the appalling secret that drove the two sisters apart . . . Bringing Abe into her home, Hannah finds him a difficult houseguest. Sullen, rude and uncooperative, Hannah tries to be understanding – after all, he’s a grieving boy. But when sinister things begin to happen, Hannah is forced to confront the possibility that Abe might also be dangerous.How much does Abe know? And just how far is Hannah prepared to go to protect her secret?

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For many fans, David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust era remains the most extraordinarily creative period in his career. As a member of Bowie's legendary band at the time - The Spiders From Mars - Woody Woodmansey played drums on four seminal albums: The Man Who Sold The World, Hunky Dory, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars and Aladdin Sane. Woody's memoir, which he started work on in 2014, focuses on this key period and brings it to glorious life. With the confidence of youth, Woody always thought he'd be in a famous band but the nineteen-year-old rocker from Hull never expected to be thrust into London's burgeoning glam rock scene, and also into a bottle-green velvet suit and girl's shoes. Playing with Bowie took him on an eye-opening and transformative journey. In Spider From Mars he writes candidly about the characters who surrounded Bowie, recalling the album sessions as well as behind-the-scenes moments with one of the world's most iconic singers. The result is an insightful, funny, poignant memoir that lovingly evokes a seminal moment in music history and pays tribute to one of the most outstanding and innovative talents of our time.

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A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood. A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.Walk further into the deep dark wood, and discover what happens when a quick-witted mouse comes face to face with an owl, a snake . . . and a hungry Gruffalo!Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's The Gruffalo is an undisputed modern classic and has become a bestselling phenomenon across the world with over 13.5 million copies sold. This award-winning rhyming story of a mouse and a monster has found its way into the hearts and bedtimes of an entire generation of children and will undoubtedly continue to enchant children for years and years to come. No home should be without The Gruffalo! This handy board book format is perfect for younger readers. It features the classic story with a stunning redesigned cover and beautiful finish, making it a must-have for even the smallest Donaldson and Scheffler fans! Also available in board book format and with striking redesigned covers are: The Gruffalo's Child, Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale, The Smartest Giant in Town, Monkey Puzzle, Charlie Cook's Favourite Book, and A Squash and a Squeeze.

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Driven by curiosity and possibility, writer Bella Pollen has always maintained a double life, navigating between a fierce love of family and the yearning for escape until one day, a strange encounter changes everything . . .What does it take to work out who you really are and where you truly belong? From mafia-in-laws to fashion failures to neighbours from hell, Pollen’s search for answers is a dazzling and powerful odyssey through the conflicting desires and roles of women in today’s confusing world. Interwoven with passages of graphic art by award-winning illustrator Kate Boxer, Meet Me in the In-between is a renegade memoir that takes readers all over the world before bringing them back home again.

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'A must-read for all athletes, from the professional to the weekend warrior.'Wall Street JournalThe NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING account of the new frontier of sports recovery science, which shows what we should and shouldn't be doing between exercising to achieve maximum performance.All athletes, from Olympians to weekend warriors, must find the balance between training and recovery to maximize the benefits of workouts and reach optimal performance. For the longest time, coaches and training manuals have emphasized training above all else. However, science shows that recovery is a crucial component of exercise training and it may even be the most important one.Good to Go is the first definitive account of this new frontier in sports and exercise science. Christie Ashwanden takes you on a first-person tour through the science of exercise recovery, from ice baths and cryogenic freezing chambers to the science behind Usain Bolt’s love of chicken nuggets and Tom Brady’s recovery pyjamas.Full of eye-opening revelations, Aschwanden takes us on an invigorating journey through the science and potions of sports recovery and debunks the junk to give a clear picture of what we should actually be doing to achieve peak performance.

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Heart-poundingly suspenseful, Little Deaths, inspired by a true story, is a gripping novel about love, morality and obsession.It's the summer of 1965, and the streets of Queens, New York shimmer in a heatwave. One July morning, Ruth Malone wakes to find a bedroom window wide open and her two young children missing. After a desperate search, the police make a horrifying discovery.Noting Ruth's perfectly made-up face and provocative clothing, the empty liquor bottles and love letters that litter her apartment, the detectives leap to convenient conclusions, fuelled by neighbourhood gossip and speculation.Sent to cover the case on his first major assignment, tabloid reporter Pete Wonicke at first can't help but do the same. But the longer he spends watching Ruth, the more he learns about the darker workings of the police and the press. Soon, Pete begins to doubt everything he thought he knew.Ruth Malone is enthralling, challenging and secretive – is she really capable of murder?'A lightning fast, heart-pounding, psychologically resonant crime novel that effortlessly transcends genre.' – Jeffery Deaver, author of the Lincoln Rhyme series

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As Long As We Both Shall Live is JoAnn Chaney’s wicked, masterful examination of a marriage gone very wrong . . .‘My wife! I think she’s dead!’ Matt frantically calls to park rangers, explaining that he and his wife, Marie, were out hiking when she stumbled on a cliff edge and fell into the raging river below. They start a search but aren’t hopeful: no one could have survived that fall.It’s a tragic accident.But when police discover Matt’s first wife also died in suspicious circumstances – a fire in their family home – they have a lot more questions for him.Is Matt a grieving husband, or has he just killed his second wife? Detectives Loren and Spengler dig into the couple’s lives to see what they can unearth. And they find that love’s got teeth, it’s got claws, and once it hitches you to a person, it’s tough to rip yourself free.So what happens when you’re done making it work?

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Dark State is the second book in the thrilling Empire Games series – set in the same world as Charles Stross' The Merchant Princes series.In the near future, the collision of two nuclear superpowers – in two different timelines – is imminent. One America is experiencing its first technological revolution, whilst a parallel United States is a hi-tech police state. But both are poised to wreak destruction.In Miriam Burgeson’s America, internal politics are pulling the government apart. But if one of her agents secures a high-profile defection, civil war may be averted. Rita Douglas, rival US spy, arrives during this crisis. Her world is rocked when she realizes Miriam is her mother, who gave her up for adoption as a baby. But what impact will this have on the conflict?Then the US discovers another timeline, and the remains of an advanced society. Something annihilated that civilization – and Rita’s people are about to rouse it.

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An emotional journey portraying the multiple frustrations, pressures and hidden agonies of four women. City of Friends is the number one bestselling novel from the highly acclaimed author, Joanna Trollope.The day Stacey Grant loses her job feels like the last day of her life. Or at least, the only life she'd ever known. For who was she if not a City high-flyer, Senior Partner at one of the top private equity firms in London?As Stacey starts to reconcile her old life with the new – one without professional achievements or meetings, but instead, long days at home with her dog and ailing mother, waiting for her successful husband to come home – she at least has The Girls to fall back on. Beth, Melissa and Gaby. The girls, now women, had been best friends from the early days of university right through their working lives, and for all the happiness and heartbreaks in between.But these career women all have personal problems of their own, and when Stacey's redundancy forces a betrayal to emerge that was supposed to remain secret, their long cherished friendships will be pushed to their limits . . .'It's fiendishly well plotted and, with its glittering London settings, full of urban glamour' - Daily Mail

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'Nobody writes about family tensions better than Joanna Trollope' Good HousekeepingAn Unsuitable Match, by number one bestselling author Joanna Trollope, is an a uplifting story of love, family and second chances.‘Why on earth, after all you’ve been through, all you’ve survived, all you’ve achieved, why do you want to get married?’ Rose Woodrowe has just got engaged to Tyler Masson – a wonderful, sensitive man who is head-over-heels in love with her. The only problem? This isn’t the first time for either of them, and their five grown-up children have strong opinions on the matter . . . Like Rose’s daughter, Laura, who remembers her parents’ painful divorce and doesn’t want to see her mother hurt again. Or the twins, Emmy and Nat, who simply don’t trust the man their mother has fallen for. Then there’s Tyler’s children: Seth, too busy with his San Francisco sourdough bakery to get to know his father’s new partner; and Mallory, the aspiring actress, who is still wrestling with the issues of her own childhood. Who to listen to? Who to please? Rose and Tyler are determined to get it right this time, but in trying to make everyone happy, can they ever be happy themselves?

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'Brian Staveley’s storytelling gets more epic with every book, and The Empire’s Ruin takes it to a whole new level' – Pierce Brown, author of Red RisingThe Empire's Ruin is the first book in the epic fantasy Ashes of the Unhewn Throne trilogy by Brian Staveley. If you liked Game of Thrones, you'll love this.One soldier will bear the hopes of an empireThe Kettral were the glory and despair of the Annurian Empire – elite soldiers who rode war hawks into battle. Now the Kettral’s numbers have dwindled and the great empire is dying. Its grip is further weakened by the failure of the kenta gates, which granted instantaneous access to its vast lands.To restore the Kettral, one of its soldiers is given a mission. Gwenna Sharpe must voyage beyond the edge of the known world, to the mythical nesting grounds of the giant war hawks. The journey will take her through a land that warps and poisons all living things. Yet if she succeeds, she could return a champion, rebuild the Kettral to their former numbers – and help save the empire. The gates are also essential to the empire’s survival, and a monk turned con-artist may hold the key to unlocking them.What they discover will change them and the Annurian Empire forever – if they survive. For deep within the southern reaches of the land, a malevolent force is stirring . . .'Epic in every sense of the word' – Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld'An aching, bruised, white-knuckled symphony' – Max Gladstone, author of This Is How You Lose the Time War

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In the spring of 1939, with the Second World War looming, two determined twenty-four-year-olds, Heather Jenner and Mary Oliver, decided to open a marriage bureau. They found a tiny office on London's Bond Street and set about the delicate business of match-making. Drawing on the bureau's extensive archives, Penrose Halson - who many years later found herself the proprietor of the bureau - tells their story, and those of their clients. We meet a remarkable cross-section of British society in the 1940s: gents with a 'merry twinkle', potential fifth-columnists, nervous spinsters, isolated farmers seeking 'a nice quiet affekshunate girl' and girls looking 'exactly' like Greta Garbo and Vivien Leigh, all desperately longing to find 'The One'. And thanks to Heather and Mary, they almost always did just that.A riveting glimpse of life and love during and after the war, Marriages Are Made in Bond Street is a heart-warming, touching and thoroughly absorbing account of a world gone by.

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From the bestselling author of Sanctuary comes a gripping Orwellian vision of Britain, with a rebellious Hunger Games heart. Bright Ruin is the third and final title in Vic James’s electrifying Dark Gifts Trilogy, following Tarnished City.A shattered countryA world-changing magicMagically gifted aristocrats rule Britain, and the people must serve them. But rebellion now strikes at the heart of the old order. Abi has escaped public execution, thanks to an unexpected ally. Her brother Luke is on the run with Silyen Jardine, the most mysterious aristocrat of all. And as political and magical conflicts escalate, each must decide how far they’ll go for their beliefs. Dragons clash in the skies, as two powerful women duel for the soul of Britain. A symbol of government will blaze as it dies, and doors between worlds will open – and close forever. But the battle within human hearts will be the fiercest of all.

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We know that businesses and organisations expect people at all levels to show initiative and display good leadership qualities, but to put this into practice is easier said than done. This book will show you how you can become a better leader, whether you're already in charge of a large team, or you're paving the way for your future career.How to Be a Better Leader is designed to help you truly understand what it means to be a leader, as well as what good and bad leadership look like. Stefan Stern investigates the different ways in which men and women lead - and, crucially, how we can get nearer to genuine equality at work. He also highlights the language of leaders, and gives examples from around the world of different prominent leaders from business and politics, including Jeff Bezos, Indra Nooyi, Winston Churchill and Rosa Parks.

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Juniper, Jasper, and Lenny have been friends forever and co-own a vlog channel called WereVloggingHere. Their fans are huge "shippers" who believe that Juniper and Jasper are perfect for each other, and, despite warnings from friends and family, a simple Truth-or-Dare inspired kiss soon spirals out of control into a whole new world of making out and surprise kisses. Juniper and Jasper's relationship begins to shift. But as fan requests for different "Kiss Cam" segments keep pouring in, Juniper puts her worries aside and convinces herself that it doesn't mean anything. After all, it's just kissing . . . right?

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Set in the last years of Elizabeth I's reign, Winston Graham's The Grove of Eagles seamlessly blends historical fact and fiction in a rich tale full of unforgettable characters.In 1588 the Spanish Armada had been defeated in the English Channel and the whole of Elizabethan England was alert for the revenge that surely had to follow. On the Cornish coast, men like John Killigrew - in charge of the castle at Pendennis - were vital to the survival of the country, and on their backs rested the trust of those defending the nation. His eldest but base-born son, Maugan, emerges in the novel, through his loneliness and his love, as a touchingly honest and believable character who is, above all things, a man of his word.

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‘I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest . . . But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.’ Long Walk to FreedomIn 1994, Nelson Mandela became the first president of democratic South Africa. Five years later, he stood down. In that time, he and his government wrought the most extraordinary transformation, turning a nation riven by centuries of colonialism and apartheid into a fully functioning democracy in which all South Africa’s citizens, black and white, were equal before the law. Dare Not Linger is the story of Mandela’s presidential years, drawing heavily on the memoir he began to write as he prepared to finish his term of office, but was unable to finish. Now, the acclaimed South African writer, Mandla Langa, has completed the task using Mandela’s unfinished draft and a wealth of previously unseen archival material. With a prologue by Mandela's widow, Graça Machel, the result is a vivid and inspirational account that tells the extraordinary story of the transition from decades of apartheid rule and the challenges Mandela overcame to make a reality of his cherished vision for a liberated South Africa.

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'Brilliantly atmospheric . . . I loved it' Sabina Durrant, author of Lie With MeAnna's friends and family think she is living the perfect life under the Spanish sun. But the reality is anything but . . . Deserted by her boyrfiend and barely able to hold on to her dream house in the hills, the future she imagined has crashed around her ears. Instead, she's running a dingy bar surrounded by British expats as homesick and as stuck as she is. So when a local businessman offers to rent Anna's house, she hopes it will pave the way for her escape. But there is more to Simon than meets the eye, and when a body washes up on the beach in mysterious circumstances, Anna quickly realizes she may be the only one willing to unravel the truth - after all, she has nothing left to lose. Sizzling and atmospheric, Lottie Moggach's Under the Sun is an exhilarating novel about heartbreak, identity and finding a place to call home.

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Winner of the HWA Sharpe Gold Crown for Best Historical Novel.An international bestseller, To Die in Spring is a beautiful and devastating novel of a friendship tragically interrupted by war, by German author Ralf Rothmann.Walter Urban and Friedrich 'Fiete' Caroli work side by side as hands on a dairy farm in northern Germany. By 1945, it seems the War's worst atrocities are over. When they are forced to 'volunteer' for the SS, they find themselves embroiled in a conflict which is drawing to a desperate, bloody close. Walter is put to work as a driver for a supply unit of the Waffen-SS, while Fiete is sent to the front. When the senseless bloodshed leads Fiete to desert, only to be captured and sentenced to death, the friends are reunited under catastrophic circumstances.In a few days the war will be over, millions of innocents will be dead, and the survivors must find a way to live with its legacy.'To Die in Spring holds its own against Günter Grass and Erich Maria Remarque; it is an excellent work, and one deserving of its wide readership' – Guardian

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Was he thinking, do I have to be this kind of boy to survive? Is this what being a boy is?As a boy growing up on the south coast of England, Howard Cunnell's sense of self was dominated by his father's absence. Now, years later, he is a father, and his daughter is becoming his son.Starting with his own childhood in the Sussex beachlands, Howard tells the story of the years of self-destruction that defined his young adulthood and the escape he found in reading and the natural world. Still he felt compelled to destroy the relationships that mattered to him.Saved by love and responsibility, Cunnell charts his journey from anger to compassion, as his daughter Jay realizes he is a boy, and a son.Most of all, this is a story about love - its necessity and fragility, and its unequalled capacity to enable us to be who we are.Deeply thoughtful, searingly honest and exquisitely lyrical, Fathers & Sons is an exploration of fatherhood, masculinity, authenticity and family.

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Beautiful, kaleidoscopic . . . everyone should be watching Megan Bradbury from now on' Eimear McBride, Baileys Prize-winning author of A Girl Is a Half-formed ThingNew York: A city that inspires. A city that draws people in. A city where everyone is watching, waiting to see what will happen next. 1967. Robert Mapplethorpe knows he is an artist. From his childhood home in Queens he yearns for the heat and excitement of the city, the press of other people's bodies. He wants to be watched, he wants to be known. 1891. Walt Whitman has already found fame, and has settled into his own sort of old age. Still childlike, still passionate, he travels with his friend and biographer Bucke to the city he has always adored, the scene of his greatest triumphs and rejections.1922. Robert Moses is a man with a vision. Standing on the edge of Long Island he knows what it could become. Walking down a street in Brooklyn he sees its future. He is the man who will build modern New York.2013. Edmund White is back in New York. It's the city of his youth, of his life and loves. He remembers days of lazy pleasure, nights of ecstasy and euphoria. But years have gone by since then. Everyone is Watching is a novel about the men and women who have defined New York. Through the lives and perspectives of these great creators, artists and thinkers, and through other iconic works of art that capture its essence, New York itself solidifies. Complex, rich, sordid, tantalizing, it is constantly changing and evolving. Both intimate and epic in its sweep, Everyone is Watching is a love letter to New York and its people - past, present and future.

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‘I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest . . . But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.’ Long Walk to FreedomIn 1994, Nelson Mandela became the first president of democratic South Africa. Five years later, he stood down. In that time, he and his government wrought the most extraordinary transformation, turning a nation riven by centuries of colonialism and apartheid into a fully functioning democracy in which all South Africa’s citizens, black and white, were equal before the law. Dare Not Linger is the story of Mandela’s presidential years, drawing heavily on the memoir he began to write as he prepared to finish his term of office, but was unable to finish. Now, the acclaimed South African writer, Mandla Langa, has completed the task using Mandela’s unfinished draft and a wealth of previously unseen archival material. With a prologue by Mandela's widow, Graça Machel, the result is a vivid and inspirational account that tells the extraordinary story of the transition from decades of apartheid rule and the challenges Mandela overcame to make a reality of his cherished vision for a liberated South Africa.

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Meet heroic maid Pattern in The Last Duchess, the first Silver Service Mystery from Laura Powell, illustrated by Sarah Gibb. Pattern is only thirteen, but is already rising through the ranks at Mrs Minchin's Academy of Domestic Servitude and seems destined for a life below stairs. But fate intervenes when she is packed off to the small and secretive Duchy of Elffinberg, to serve as lady's maid to the recently orphaned Grand Duchess.Pattern's young new mistress is excitable and paranoid, yet despite their differences the two girls forge an unlikely friendship that quickly turns into a battle for survival. For picture-perfect Elffinberg hides an extremely dark and deadly secret . . .Armed only with her trusty sewing basket, a bottle of smelling salts and J. Bulcock's inestimable guide, The Duties of a Lady's Maid, Pattern will need all her wits and resourcefulness when dealing with above-stairs conspiracies and below-stairs intrigue. Darning stockings has never been so dangerous.

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Part manifesto, part how-to, Eat Sweat Play is a hugely inspirational call to arms for women to take back sport for themselves. Long-listed for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award.Sport's for everyone . . . isn't it?Society has led us to believe that women and sport don’t mix. But why? What happens to the young girls who dare to climb trees and cartwheel across playgrounds? In her exploration of major taboos, from sex to the gender pay gap, sports journalist Anna Kessel discovers how sport and exercise should play an integral role in every sphere of our modern lives.Covering a fascinating range of women, from Sporty Spice to mums who box and breastfeed, Eat Sweat Play reveals how women are finally reclaiming sport, and by extension their own bodies, for themselves – and how you can too.'Anna Kessel's book should inspire a whole generation of women. It ought to be on the school curriculum.' - Hadley Freeman'I’d go as far to say that this book was a life changer for my health and fitness.' - Estée Lalonde

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When Brian, Hannah, and twins Chris and Sam start their summer holidays, they know it's going to be the end of an era. The Misfits Club is disbanding and they still haven't managed to solve any real mysteries. But when they persuade new club member, Amelia, to go and investigate a spooky old house, they unexpectedly discover some stolen goods. Could this be The Misfits' chance for one last adventure as they try to track down the crooks behind the theft . . .?A funny, warm-hearted mystery adventure from Kieran Crowley, author of The Mighty Dynamo

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A remarkable, stirring novel, Birmingham Friends perfectly captures the complicated intimacy of female relationships.Anna has always been exceptionally close to her mother, Kate and as a child, was captivated by the stories her mother would tell of her childhood in Birmingham with her best friend, Olivia. Olivia and Kate seemed to have a magical friendship.But when Kate dies, she leaves her daughter a final story, one that this time tells the whole truth of her life with Olivia Kemp. As Anna reads, she is shocked to discover how little she really knew about the mother she felt so close to. With Kate's words of caution ringing in her head, she goes in search of the one woman who can answer urgent questions about her mother's life, and about her own . . .*Birmingham Friends was originally published as Kate and Olivia*

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Mini is small, and Hardly is smaller – and neither of them are happy about it in this gorgeously illustrated, heart-warming picture book about unicorns from Kate Greenaway Medal-winning Catherine Rayner.Mini and Hardly are fed up of being small. Being grown-up would be so much better! They could eat what they want, stay up all night, and go on adventures. So . . . why wait? But it’s not long before the two little unicorns find themselves on an adventure a little bigger than they'd bargained for. Perhaps being small isn't so bad – after all, it makes you perfect for the BIGGEST cuddles.

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Perfect for bedtime, Arlo The Lion Who Couldn't Sleep is a beautifully illustrated story with a gentle mindfulness message from award-wining author-illustrator Catherine Rayner.Shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal, it's especially helpful for little ones who have trouble going to sleep.Arlo the lion is exhausted. He just can't drop off, no matter what he tries. It's either too hot, or too cold; too loud or too quiet. But then he meets Owl. She can sleep through the day, which isn't easy when most other animals are awake! Will Arlo ever get any rest?Perhaps his new friend has some special tricks she can teach him to help him sleep . . .

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