Search results for ""Little, Brown Book Group""

Once, Theodora was little more than a slave, the daughter of a bear-keeper, running barefoot through the streets of Constantinople. Now she is Theoudoron, 'the Gift of God', Empress of Byzantine Rome and the most powerful woman in the world. 'Hard-nosed, cruel, imaginative, kind, frustrated, generous, ruthless: Theodora is, in Duffy's hands, a richly paradoxical character from whom the light of life shines brightly' GUARDIANIn Stella Duffy's compelling new novel, the beguiling and extraordinary Empress Theodora emerges from the shadow of history into brilliant light. Clever, courageous and ruthless when betrayed, Theodora rules alongside her husband, the Emperor Justinian - a true love match in a world of political marriages. But while wars rage on the borders of the Empire, Theodora discovers that the greatest danger to her reign - and her life - lies much closer to home. 'Highly enjoyable' SUNDAY TIMES'A writer who never lets you down' ALI SMITH

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Louise, an American innocent, takes up a scholarship in the south of France in winter 1961 and promptly falls for Wally, a gregarious Algerian worker in flight from brutal colonial war. He teaches her about life and love in a chilly furnished room, against a background of French pop music that makes it all seem easy. But families and history reassert their claim and the inevitable separation leaves lasting wounds. Forty years later, finally 'old enough to understand how young I was back then' Louise enlists the help of another Algerian exile in an attempt to make amends. To Algeria with Love is a lucid, witty novel about the personal and the political, about love and home and about the cruel and merciful law of unintended consequences.

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'I was so absorbed by her writing it was unreal . . . I find myself hungry to find the next morsel of who Jenny was and what her life was like' EMILIA CLARKE (on Why Didn't You Just Do What You Were Told?)What does Jenny Diski know about animals? She's really not sure. She remembers the animal books she read in her childhood; the cartoons she watched; the meals she ate; the strays she found; the animals who have lived and still live with her. She examines human beings, too, and the way in which we have looked at, studied, treated and written about the non-human creatures with whom we share the planet. Subtle, intelligent and brilliantly observed, What I Don't Know About Animals is an engaging look at what it means to be human - and what it means to be animal.

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The battle of Ganymede taught Jason Wander about the devastation of war. After seeing the deaths of his troops as well as his lover, this battle-scarred soldier is ready for peace.At twenty-five, General Jason Wander has fought and won man's only alien conflict. Now, after long years in space, he's coming home ... but to what? Earth's desperate nations, impoverished by war damage and military spending, are slashing defence budgets. There's just one problem with this new worldwide policy: the first alien invasion was merely Plan A.Suddenly, the real assault begins: Earth is attached by a vast armada of city-sized warships. To block their invasion, mankind has only one surviving craft and a single guerrilla strike force: a suicide squad led by Jason Wander.

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On the outer fringes of civilization, a lone military force struggles to keep the peace in a volatile star system. With no incoming communications from the Confederation Empire as guidance, only the Legion can stop a grasping tyrant from expanding his territories ...The dual system of Larix and Kura is controlled by dictator and self-styled Protector Alena Redruth, and he now has his eye on the Cumbre system. His spies monitor the Legion's activities, but information can flow both ways ... Legion Intelligence Officer Njangu Yoshitaro will pose as Redruth's agent and infiltrate the upper echelons of the dual system's government. It is a corrupt hierarchy comprised of petty autocrats vying for control. Njangu can use these shifting loyalties to his advantage - unless the dictator discovers his identity first ...

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Retelling the most spectacular cock-ups in military history, this graphic account has a great deal to say about the psychology of military incompetence and the reasons even the most well-oiled military machines inflict disaster upon themselves. Beginning in AD9 with the massacre of Varus and his legions in the Black Forest all the way up to present day conflict in Afghanistan it analyses why things go wrong on the battlefield and who is to blame.

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Sam Taylor knows he should be content with his life; with a high-flying career in the city and a beautiful fiancée, his lot is better than most. But he can't help but feel something is missing.When Sam meets enigmatic American Kay at a Cotswolds wedding as he holds out his umbrella for her in the pouring rain, he believes he has found someone who completes him. Throwing caution to the wind, Sam decides to risk everything and pursue Kay across the Atlantic to her native New York and the home she shares with her husband, Chris. Nicholas Hogg's novel is a taut and highly charged story of passion and adultery.Set against the backdrop of the financial crisis, The Hummingbird and the Bear follows a powerful and illicit love from England to New York, from the known to the unknown. Both shocking and delightful, it confirms Hogg's position among the finest of today's young writers.Praise for his previois novel Show Me the Sky:"An assured and gripping debut." BBC Radio 3."Hogg performs a full range of literary circus feats... leading his reader on an exotic journey." Adelaide Advertiser. Like a four-part harmony, Hogg balances these voices, strengthening the book's message of staying true to one's roots. Sunday Herald"His subtle and clever novel weaves together five different narrative strands... plotted so artfully." The Big Issue.

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On March 11, 2003, in Brownsville, Texas - one of America's poorest cities - John Allen Rubio and Angela Camacho murdered their three young children. The apartment building in which the brutal crimes took place was already rundown, and in their aftermath a consensus developed in the community that it should be destroyed. It was a place, neighbours felt, that was plagued by spiritual cancer.In 2008, journalist Laura Tillman covered the story for The Brownsville Herald. The questions it raised haunted her, particularly one asked by the sole member of the city's Heritage Council to oppose demolition: is there any such thing as an evil building? Her investigation took her far beyond that question, revealing the nature of the toll that the crime exacted on a city already wracked with poverty. It sprawled into a six-year inquiry into the larger significance of such acts, ones so difficult to imagine or explain that their perpetrators are often dismissed as monsters alien to humanity.With meticulous attention and stunning compassion, Tillman surveyed those surrounding the crimes, speaking with the lawyers who tried the case, the family's neighbours and relatives and teachers, even one of the murderers: John Allen Rubio himself, whom she corresponded with for years and ultimately met in person. The result is a brilliant exploration of some of our age's most important social issues, from poverty to mental illness to the death penalty, and a beautiful, profound meditation on the truly human forces that drive them. It is disturbing, insightful, and mesmerizing in equal measure.

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What's ILL in one place can be WACK in another, or the same word can actually have TOTES different meanings. It's CRAY CRAY! From KEWL girls hitting on HENCH boys to wannabe gangstas hangin' with their DOGGS in the ENDZ, teen slang can leave NOOBS CONFUZZLED. If you want to appear DOPE or just want to know WTF is going on, How to Talk Teen is the ultimate guide!Bugly : Short for butt ugly; exceeded on the ugly ranking by dugly and fugly. Pfun: More than mere fun. This is pure fun. Rando: A random person who appears at parties but who no one seems to know, let alone invited.Hiberdating: Disappearing from view because you're spending almost all your time with your new boyfriend/girlfriend.Nodel: Someone who thinks they look like a model . . . but nobody else does.Rentsy: Acting like parents, i.e. acting responsibly or demonstrating a nauseating taste in music. Mis-wave: To wave back at someone you think is waving at you, but who was actually waving to someone else.Ugly radius: The distance from you that someone stops looking attractive.Hot mess: Someone attractive who looks cool and in control, but who's an emotional train wreck. Lipsin: Kissing energetically - but less aggressively than a full-on snog.Selfie claw: Your contorted hand as you simultaneously hold your phone and take the photo.Air Five: High-five greeting to someone from across a room.Endz: The street where you live or the immediate neighbourhood. Pit stick: Underarm antiperspirant/deodorant.Top bantz: Particularly insightful or mocking banter. Hashtag Douchebag: A moron who uses hashtags excessively in anything they type in an attempt to be witty

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Putting the stress back into colouring books, this is your chance to colour outside of the lines, to rip, rend, tear and destroy, scribble, deface or obliterate the images. Dump on your distress! Take out your frustrations on the page!Evil Editor ILYA I. KILLYA has assembled a crack team of top professional cartoonists and illustrators to 'toon up your terrors, throw out your troubles and definitively trash your traumas.Fill in these visual fillips, images of stress - distressed bods, stressful situations, the daily tripe that messes with your melons - and end it, any way you care to, however you dare to: Get creative, be artistic, play anarchic. Feel free to go as twisted or rude as you like!HELLO, KILL YOUPet hates, bugbears, bastard bloody botheration! Stressy folks, hateful objects, hate figures - from traffic wardens to politicians, forever pissing on your chips - Big Blue Blistering Barnacles! 'Unexpected item in the bagging area.' ARRGGH! Second-hand smoke? Or is it the self-righteous anti-smoking lobby? GRRR! The missed bus, the long queue, the computer forever crashing . . .break Murphy's Law, scratch crap's eyes out. F*CK OFF CANCER!Accentuate the positive, obliterate the negative. DON'T MESS WITH MISTER IN-BETWEEN!

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A story that brings tears to your eyes, in more ways than one. It touches you so much you it makes you want to cross your legs in sympathy - Nev Fountain, writer at Dead Ringers, author of PainkillerRob Wells has spent much of his adult life coping with chronic pain of different kinds - an embarrassing bowel problem in his early 20s, recurring testicular pain in his late 20s and 30s, and back problems requiring spinal surgery in his early 40s. Consistent through these experiences has been a feeling of being passed from pillar to post by the medical community, seemingly at a loss to explain the cause of these issues, or to find a lasting solution for them. This hilarious and brutally frank graphic memoir tells Rob's story, taking us through emergency surgery for a misdiagnosed twisted testicle, the extremes of weight loss and weight gain, the insides of far too many public toilets, and having to resort to walking with a cane. As Rob's back, sack and crack all became causes for concern so too did his brain, as his recurring problems unsurprisingly left him with depression and agoraphobia.This is the warm and witty story of a man's battle with his own body, and with the medical industry that couldn't quite appreciate the problem. For anyone who has ever felt let down by their doctors, or who has suffered with chronic pain that shows no sign of subsiding, Rob Wells bravely invites you to really get to grips with his balls.

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In this practical, readable and entertaining book, Caroline Spencer and Lesley Harris bring a new slant to a well-explored subject and propose significant shifts in an owner's understanding of why their puppy behaves as he does and what makes him tick.Like children, dogs are born without behavioural issues; it is what happens in the early weeks of life, and the way in which his new owner nurtures, guides and educates him that will enable him to become a well-balanced adult - or not.Drawing on a combined 40 years of experience, the authors will help you in your initial choice of a puppy. When you take him into your home, it will show you how to interpret natural canine communication and play, and how to use these signals to educate and guide your puppy in a positive way. The confidence he gains in you, the parent, will help him through sometimes difficult and confusing situations, to become a happy, trustworthy, and trusting friend for life.

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'Fans of Alexander McCall Smith will love Scotty Elliott's Sibanda series. . . Sunday Times When a gruesomely vulture-mutilated corpse is found in the Park near Thunduluka Lodge, DI Jabulani Sibanda - a hard-boiled, bush-loving, instinctive crime fighter - is on the case. With Sibanda are his sidekicks: Sergeant Ncube, an overweight, digestively challenged, severally married angler and mechanical genius, and Miss Daisy, an ancient, truculent and eccentric Land Rover that is the bane of Sibanda's life and the love of Ncube's. Sibanda and Ncube pursue the investigation in the African bush following the mysterious clues they found at the crime scene: tyre tracks, a knife inscribed with the letter 'B', and a sliver of blue metallic car paint...Praise for Sibanda and the Rainbird: 'Fans of Alexander McCall Smith will love Scotty Elliott's Sibanda series . . . They have the same dry humour and warmth as the No1 Ladies' Detective Agency stories, the same palpable affection for the people and the landscape, and detectives who solve crimes more by hunch and legwork than with forensics and technology' Sunday Times (SA)'Her plot keeps readers guessing right to the end, when the monster meets a truly satisfying fate . . . Elliott's skill as a writer lies in her ability to create and flesh out characters that are so lifelike, they thrum in your head for days after finishing her books' Business Live'Will have you hooked' The Gremlin

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'Every new Agatha Raisin escapade is a total joy' ASHLEY JENSEN'No wonder she's been crowned Queen of Cosy Crime' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'A Beaton novel is like The Archers on speed' DAILY MAIL 'The detective novels of M C Beaton have reached cult status' THE TIMES 'Irresistible, unputdownable, a joy' ANNE ROBINSONAgatha Raisin returns for her 30th adventure . . . _____________When private detective Agatha Raisin comes across a severed leg in a roadside hedge, it looks like she is about to become involved in a particularly gruesome murder. Looks, however, can be deceiving, as Agatha discovers when she is employed to investigate a case of industrial espionage at a factory where nothing is quite what it seems.The factory mystery soon turns to murder and a bad-tempered donkey turns Agatha into a national celebrity, before bringing her ridicule and shame. To add to her woes, Agatha finds herself grappling with growing feelings for her friend and occasional lover, Sir Charles Fraith. Then, as a possible solution to the factory murder unfolds, her own life is thrown into deadly peril. Will Agatha get her man at last? Or will the killer get her first? _____________Praise for M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series 'The detective novels of M C Beaton, a master of outrageous black comedy, have reached cult status' The Times'A Beaton novel is like The Archers on speed' Daily Mail'Agatha is like Miss Marple with a drinking problem, a pack-a-day habit and major man lust. In fact, I think she could be living my dream life' Entertainment Weekly'Agatha Raisin is sharp, witty, hugely intelligent, unfailingly entertaining. . . M C Beaton has created a new national treasure... the stories zing along and are irresistible, unputdownable, a joy. If you buy one book a year, let it be this. Agatha Raisin is The Strongest Link' Anne Robinson'M. C. Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem' Publishers Weekly'Being a cranky, middle-aged female myself, I found Agatha charming!' Amazon customer review'[Agatha] is a glorious cross between Miss Marple, Auntie Mame, and Lucille Ball, with a tad of pit bull tossed in. She's wonderful' St. Petersburg Times'Anyone interested in . . . intelligent, amusing reading will want to make the acquaintance of Mrs. Agatha Raisin' Atlanta Journal-Constitution'Few things in life are more satisfying than to discover a brand-new Agatha Raisin mystery' Tampa Tribune-Times'Beaton has a winner in the irrepressible, romance-hungry Agatha' Chicago Sun-Times

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'Every new Agatha Raisin escapade is a total joy' ASHLEY JENSEN'No wonder she's been crowned Queen of Cosy Crime' MAIL ON SUNDAY'A Beaton novel is like The Archers on speed' DAILY MAIL'The detective novels of M C Beaton have reached cult status' THE TIMESPrivate Detective Agatha Raisin immerses herself in the glittering lifestyle of the fabulously wealthy when Sir Charles Fraith is accused of murder - and Agatha is named as his accomplice! A high-society wedding, a glitzy masked ball, and an introduction to the world of international show-jumping where the riders are glamorous, the horses are beautiful, and intrigue runs deep, leave Agatha with a list of suspects as long as a stallion's tail. Sinister evidence then emerges that appears to seal Sir Charles's fate and Agatha must uncover the truth before a net of skulduggery closes around him and he loses his ancestral home, his entire estate, and his freedom. And if events weren't complicated enough... Agatha's ex-husband James Lacey is back in Carsely and back in Agatha's heart...Praise for M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries:'Irresistible, unputdownable, a joy' Anne Robinson'Full of perfectly pitched interest, intrigue, and charm' Lee Child'Agatha is like Miss Marple with a drinking problem, a pack-a-day habit and major man lust. In fact, I think she could be living my dream life' Entertainment Weekly'M. C. Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem' Publishers Weekly'[Agatha] is a glorious cross between Miss Marple, Auntie Mame, and Lucille Ball . . . She's wonderful' St. Petersburg Times'Few things in life are more satisfying than to discover a brand-new Agatha Raisin mystery' Tampa Tribune-Times'Beaton has a winner in the irrepressible, romance-hungry Agatha' Chicago Sun-Times

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'A deliciously light and amusing soufflé of a book' Irish Independent Lena Szarka, a Hungarian cleaner, dusts off her detective skills when a masterpiece is stolen from a gallery she cleans with her cousin Sarika. But when Sarika goes missing too, accusations start to fly. Convinced her cousin is innocent, Lena sweeps her way through the secrets of the London art scene. With the evidence mounting against Sarika and the police on her trail, Lena needs to track down the missing painting if she is to clear her cousin. Embroiling herself in the sketchy world of thwarted talents, unpaid debts and elegant fraudsters, Lena finds that there's more to this gallery than meets the eye.What did other readers have to say about A Clean Canvas?'Witty and warm but with an unsentimental core of steel in its chronicling of London's guest-workers, this looks set to become a highly popular series' Morning Star'Formidable and funny' Sunday Independent'Terrific and heartwarming; a charming debut' Daisy Waugh'A warmly-crafted crime debut, perfect for our multicultural age' Vaseem Khan'I loved In Strangers' Houses - poignant, funny and races effortlessly along. Lena is a wonderfully unusual heroine and I can't wait for her next adventure' Elodie Harper'Lena's tenacity and common sense illuminate this engaging story' Daily Mail'Beautiful writing, a fine debut' The Sun'A deliciously light and amusing souffle of a book, the second in a series that is bound to run and run' Irish Independent

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'Haunting, atmospheric and gripping' John Connolly, New York Times best-selling author'A beguiling heroine - clever, sympathetic and bearing a weight of guilt' The Times'An atmospheric tour de force' Irish TimesAccident or murder? A perfect day hides the perfect crime . . . Summer has arrived in Inishowen and solicitor Ben O'Keeffe is greatly tempted by a job offer she's received from a law firm in America. Yet before making any life-changing decisions there is her friend Leah's wedding to attend at the newly restored Greysbridge Hotel, with its private beach and beautiful pier. It's the perfect location, everyone agrees, but the festivities are brutally cut short when a young American, a visitor also staying at the hotel, drowns in full view of the wedding guests. And when a second death is discovered the same evening, Ben finds herself embroiled in a real country house murder mystery, where all the guests are suspects . . .Praise for Andrea Carter'The climax of the novel, with Ben and Molloy stranded on Inishathair in the storm, is an atmospheric tour de force' Irish Times'I adored this traditional crime novel; it's modern day Agatha Christie with Ben as Miss Marple' Irish Examiner'Atmospheric and vivid' Irish Times'The colourful cast of characters may be fictional, but the landscapes, towns and villages are instantly recognisable' Irish Daily Mail'. . . filled with well-drawn and engaging characters, lyrical descriptions of the stunning scenery, and intriguing mysteries to be unravelled . . . hugely enjoyable . . .' Irish Independent'A modern day Agatha Christie . . . it builds to a crescendo in a dramatic and highly satisfying close' Books Ireland Magazine'A proper old-fashioned crime novel in the best sense of the word' Jane Casey

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'A brilliant take on the modern game - Robbie tells it like it is' Rio FerdinandRobbie Savage is one of Britain's most recognisable football pundits. Incisive, forthright and bold, Savage never holds back where the beautiful game is concerned.No Premier League footballer has ever divided opinion quite like Robbie Savage. Mr Marmite, as he was often known (among other things), rampaged his way through almost 350 games in the Premier League and along the way picked up more yellow cards than Gary Lineker has crisps and more enemies than Joey Barton and Neil Warnock put together.In his explosive new book, I'll Tell You What..., Savage lifts the lid on all aspects of the modern game. Managers, players, the Premiership, the European game, the FA Cup, kids' football, and pushy football parents are just a few of the topics that Savage takes on in his inimitable provocative style.Robbie tells us why:* Brian Clough, not Sir Alex Ferguson, is the best Manager the world has ever known· * As a player, he would have complimented any one of Jose Mourinho's teams· · * Vanity should not be confused with 'Good Grooming'· * You simply can't knock on Mark Hughes' door and invite him for a game of golf - even if he invites you· * Drinking wine does not win you football matches· Coaching badges are ridiculous· * He could never become a manager. Or could he?· * Football is easy· * Good manners should come before diamond earrings· * The League Cup has the edge over the FA CupRobbie Savage's straight-talking common sense is only the start of it. I'll Tell You What is a modern-day guide to life, and should be read by anyone who has an interest in anything at all, especially football. Few may actually agree with him, but everyone listens.

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One of Irish Times' Best Crime Novels of 2017!Dublin, September 1940. An IRA attempt to capture the British diplomatic bag on its way from Ireland to England leaves a Guard dead on the streets of Dublin. Two days later a pitched battle between warring gangs erupts at one of Ireland's biggest race meetings. In the Irish countryside, the cremated bodies of a family of four are found in their burned-out house. Connections between these events become clear to Detective Inspector Stefan Gillespie when he is dispatched to investigate the four dead bodies - or is he there to cover something up? He is soon treading on the toes of Ireland's burgeoning Intelligence industry - Irish, British and German, all playing against each other, all watching each other, all plagued by rogue operators they can't control. Meanwhile certainty grows that Hitler is about to invade England, with Ireland in the firing line. And then Stefan is asked to go to Berlin on a sensitive mission the Irish government doesn't want anyone to know about. The journey will take him not only to Berlin and the heart of the war, but to a murder that touches the city's small Irish community and opens a window on to the heart of Europe's darkness...Praise for Michael Russell:'Atmospheric thriller' Sunday Times'Michael Russell is a master at building tension. This is a thriller to keep you guessing and gasping' Daily Mail'Complex but compelling . . . utterly vivid and convincing . . . Michael Russell's style is a pleasure: easy, fluent, clear, always calm and never over-heated' Independent on Sunday'A superb, atmospheric thriller . . . A page turner of high quality, populated by a marvellous set of fictional characters, interwoven cleverly with real characters of the era. Highly recommended' Irish Independent

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Telegraph letter writers, that most astute body of political commentators, are probably not alone in thinking that politics has taken some strange turns in recent years. The first coalition government since 1945 has led the country from the subprime to the ridiculous, lumbering from Leveson to Libya, riots to referendums, pasty-gate to pleb-gate, Brooks to Bercow, the Bullingdon Club to the Big Society.Five years is a long time in politics. Fortunately for us, it has also been a most fertile period for the Telegraph's legion of witty and erudite letter writers, who have their own therapeutic way of dealing with the pain. An institution in their own right, theirs is a welcome voice of sanity in a world in which the lunatics appear finally to have taken over the asylum.

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She's practically perfect in every way! After being nearly killed by both a hired hit man and her former secretary, Agatha Raisin could use some low-key cases. So when Robert Smedley walks through the door of her detective agency, determined to prove that his wife is cheating on him, Raisin Investigations immediately offers to help. Unfortunately for Agatha, Mabel Smedley appears to be the perfect wife: young, pretty, and a regular volunteer at church. But just as Agatha is ready to give up, Smedley is poisoned with weed killer, leaving Mabel, the prime suspect, to inherit a fortune. With no one left to pay her, Agatha has to drop the investigation ...that is, until her old friend Sir Charles Fraith turns up again to rekindle her curiosity in the case. Praise for the Agatha Raisin series: 'Sharp, witty, hugely intelligent, unfailingly entertaining, delightfully intolerant and oh so magnificently non-PC, M.C. Beaton has created a national treasure' Anne Robinson 'M.C. Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem' Publishers Weekly 'The Miss Marple-like Raisin is a refreshing, sensible, wonderfully eccentric, thoroughly likeable heroine' Booklist

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There may be trouble ahead ...so will Agatha face the music? Can the feisty Agatha cut it as a private investigator? She soon learns that running her own detective agency in the Cotswolds is not quite like starring in a Raymond Chandler movie. But then walks in wealthy divorcee Catherine Laggat-Brown, and Agatha is given her first real case. Death threats, blackmail and physical attack soon follow, and once again Agatha is off scouring the countryside for clues and showing friends and enemies alike what Raisin Investigations can do! Praise for the Agatha Raisin series: 'A potent cocktail of satire, mystery and adventure that will leave you wanting more' Myshelf.com 'Sharp, witty, hugely intelligent, unfailingly entertaining, delightfully intolerant and oh so magnificently non-PC, M.C. Beaton has created a national treasure' Anne Robinson 'M.C. Beaton's imperfect heroine is an absolute gem' Publishers Weekly 'The Miss Marple-like Raisin is a refreshing, sensible, wonderfully eccentric, thoroughly likeable heroine.' Booklist

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Everyone has heard the songs from The Sound of Music by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The stage show was a roaring success in New York and London, and the much-loved feature film, directed by Hollywood veteran Robert Wise, continues to be a staple of television schedules 50 years after its release in 1965. In this fascinating and wide-ranging book, Paul Simpson explores the incredible story of the Von Trapp family and their escape from the Third Reich in all its incarnations, from real-life adventure, to book, to stage, to award-winning film to cultural phenomenon. He discusses the stage show, the many differences that were incorporated into the fictionalisation of the tale, and how that story was brought to the screen. He also looks at the numerous other ways in which the Von Trapp’s story has been told, including the two West German movies from the 1950s and the extensive forty-part Japanese anime series from the 1990s, to explain why the story of the Von Trapp family has appealed to so many generations.Praise for A Brief Guide to Stephen King:'The best book about King and his work I have ever read' Books Monthly

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1960 in America and thirteen-year-old Sophie is frustrated. Her mother has sent her to spend summer with Grandmama on their family’s old estate in the sweltering bayous of southern Louisiana. Once a grand plantation, a hive of activity, it is now ramshackle, run down and all-but abandoned.Bored, lonely and far too hot, Sophie starts exploring. When she discovers an overgrown maze, she makes her way inside, and lost among its pathways she finds a magical creature who promises her the adventure of a lifetime . . .Sophie is transported a hundred years into the past to the Oak River plantation in its heyday. Her own ancestors mistake her for a slave girl and set her to work alongside the hundreds of other slaves who tend to the fields, the house, and the white family’s every whim. As the reality of slave life becomes horribly clear, Sophie starts to wonder how long she’ll survive; and how – or if – she will ever get back home.Both exciting and truly heart-breaking, The Freedom Maze is a very special novel about slavery, survival and the many paths to freedom.

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In an elite New England college, Professor Steven Brookman embarks upon a careless affair with a brilliant but reckless student, Maud Stack. She is a young woman whose passions are not easily contained or curtailed, and is known as something of a firebrand on campus. As the stakes of their relationship prove higher than either one could have anticipated, their union seems destined to yield tragic and far-reaching consequences.

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Set over the last half of the twentieth century, Onward Toward What We’re Going Toward is the epic story of the decline and fall of an American family.Postwar newlyweds Chic and Diane Waldbeeser are determined to carve out a life for themselves and their son, Lomax, in Middleville, Illinois. But when ten-year-old Loxax dies, Chic and Diane take refuge in religion, haiku poetry, doll collecting, food and bowling as they try to make sense of their overwhelming grief and guilt.Meanwhile Chic’s older brother, Buddy, struggles to make a life with his exotic, naïve wife Lijy – who is hiding a devastating secret of her own – while attempting to introduce the residents of Middleville to vegetarianism and Ayurveda. (An unusual endeavour in mid-century Middle America.)Onward Toward What We’re Going Toward is a bittersweet paean to failed lives and missed opportunities, and a deeply heartfelt and gloriously funny dissection of the American Dream.

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Sydney Strauss is obsessed with food.Not just with eating it – though she loves that too – but with writing about it as an aspiring cookery reporter. But food journalism jobs are more coveted than cupcakes, and so Sydney is stuck working for one of TV’s biggest egomaniacs – until she’s left scrambling for shifts at the local farmers’ market.Selling muffins at the Wild Yeast Bakery is hardly going to make her the next Nigella. But soon Sydney is writing the market’s weekly newsletter, and her quirky stories gain attention from a prominent food columnist. After years of being left on the shelf, she’s even dating again. And then Sydney gets a shot atthe story, one that could either make her career or burn it to a cinder – along with her relationship and her reputation…

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Good luck in the year ahead. You're all going to need it.Horrorscopes* will tell you everything you need to know about what will happen to you in the year ahead, and we can reveal now, it's not all good news. In fact, none of it is. The moral? Blame it on the planets - let's face it, Saturn's a bastard.This hilarious, tongue-in-cheek and detailed weekly guide to next year is interspersed with celebrity readings - find out what will be the hardest challenge David Cameron will face next year (hint: it involves Game of Thrones) and what embarrassing social faux pas will befall Harry Styles - and is packed full of other fun extras, including when to play and not play Monopoly (not June) and those all-important lottery numbers.There's something for member of all signs of the Zodiac and beyond in this rude, witty and bang-up-to-date handbook which is a must-read if you want to know what will happen to you in the year ahead (just don't set your expectations too high).*Disclaimer: Despite astrology being a 100% accurate science, we cannot be held responsible for any personal action or decisions made using our advice as a guide.

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An all-encompassing, chronological guide to football's World Cup, one of the world's few truly international events, in good time for the June 2014 kick-off in Rio de Janeiro. From its beginnings in 1930 to the modern all-singing, all-dancing self-styled ‘greatest show on Earth’, every tournament is covered with features on major stars and great games, as well as stories about some less celebrated names and quirky stats and intriguing essays. Holt's focus is very much on what takes place on the field, rather than how football is a mirror for economic corruption, or how a nation's style of play represents a profound statement about its people, or how a passion for football can lift underpaid, socially marginalised people out of poverty. From the best World Cups, in 1958 and 1970, to the worst, in 1962 and 2010, he looks behind the facts and the technical observations to the stories: the mysterious sins of omission; critical injuries to key players; and coaching U-turns. He explains how England's World Cup achievements under Sven-Göran Eriksson, far from being a national disgrace, were actually quite impressive, and looks at why Alf Ramsey didn't take Bobby Charlton off in 1970, but this is no parochial, jingoistic account. The book also asks why Brazil did not contribute in 1966, despite having won the previous two tournaments and going on to win the next one? Why the greatest players of their day did not always shine at the World Cup – George Best and Alfredo Di Stefano, for example, never even made it to the Finals. Why did Johann Cruyff not go to the 1978 World Cup? And why did one of Germany's greatest players never play in the World Cup?There are lots of tables, some filled with obvious, but necessary information, but others with more quirky observations. Alongside accounts of epic games, there are also brief biographies of all the great heroes of the World Cup.

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What's wrong with Europe?Ignoring the fact that the EU is a grotesque, officious money sucking totalitarian machine that devours national sovereignty and pukes out unwanted, unwelcome and intrusive legislation, there's a whole variety of other reasons including:Shops that open at 10am and close at 4pm - with a two-hour lunch break in between.Oompah bands.Restaurant staff with the manners of a gibbon and the sense of urgency of a sloth.Parisians.Police forces who are the bastard offspring of the Gestapo and the Stasi.The whole concept of 'mañana.'National costumes that are as preposterous as they are pointless. Polish spelling.Drivers who view speed limits as targets rather than warnings.Yodelling.Bouzouki music. Street signs that are a homage to small typography rather than an actual guide to your location.Donkey abuse.Women who act under the misguided idea that armpit hair is remotely sexy.The 24hr clock.Using a comma as a decimal point.Father Abraham and the Smurfs.Eurodisco.Eurozone.Eurotrash.Eurovision.Anything else preceded by the word 'Euro' (apart from Euro sceptic).The Cheeky Girls. This is less of a guidebook and more of a warning...

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Around the world it is estimated that 130 million bicycles are sold every year, making the trusty bike our favourite mode of transport whether we are commuting to work or cycling for pleasure. Bikes come in all shapes and sizes, from the most basic, least expensive models to the most sophisticated sports cycles that can cost as much as a family car. But whether it was bought cheaply or cost a packet, people form a bond with their bikes that becomes a true affair of the heart. Donato Cinicolo has sought out and photographed scores of bicycle lovers including the naturist stuntman who rides a ladies' racer dressed in nothing but fluorescent yellow shorts; the retired postman who rides a retired GPO delivery bike; the old lady who carries her enormous cat in the basket on her handlebars; and the penny farthing fan. From racing geeks to affectionate collectors, every one of Donato's pictures tells a story and, of course, every devoted bike rider has a story to tell.

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Deep down, we're just like animals. Some of us are selfish like apes. Some are chaotic like ants. . . And somehow the two clash and coalesce in 'antagonistic harmony'. A fascinating look at the evolutionary psychology, instincts and tactics of the workplace.My Manager & Other Animals examines the evolutionary psychology of work, focusing on the office, workshop, corporation or government department, and the complex and fascinating evolutionary tactics that have developed to deal with working life.37 years ago Richard Dawkins wrote The Selfish Gene and it didn't take long for the business community to latch on to the 'selfish' part and adopt it as an industry standard. After all, it fitted in with the notion that, since we are all descended from apes, we should be like them: selfish, aggressive and competitive. More recently, astounding discoveries in human and animal behaviour (particularly ants) have shown that, in all animals, cooperation and altruism is more common than we think and more useful than we could imagine. It seems we contain an inner ape and an inner ant. How confusing; they seem like opposites, because co-operation means helping others, competition means swatting them. What are we, ape or ant? This book shows that ant and ape are both important. Co-operation without leadership is random, leadership without co-operation is slavery. The result of these two colliding is the mad mad mad world of work and life, lovingly described in the book.

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Fifty Shelves of Grey - a brilliantly funny collection of all your favourite books, artfully condensed and erotically remastered, packaged into one volume, and ergonomically designed to be easily read with one hand. From literary masterpieces - Jane Eyre turns the tables on Mr Rochester; to modern classics - Philip Marlowe is a dick of a different kind in The Big Sleep, via recipes - Nigella Lawson treats herself to some afternoon delight; and self-help - the Fear gets well and truly Felt, and we Do It Anyway; this collection has something for every reader and every kink. So whip off your glasses, let your hair down and unleash your inner hot librarian.'By far the best Fifty Shades spin-off we've read so far.'GQ'Vanessa Parody - the author who has achieved the unique feat of writing a Fifty Shades of Grey spin-off worth reading.'The Independent 'Move over Fifty Shades of Grey. Last night saw the launch of its new rival Fifty Shelves of Grey by the elusive author Vanessa Parody.'Evening Standard

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This special collectors' edition features books sixteen to eighteen in one fabulous volume.In ASTERIX IN SWITZERLAND, a poisoning means Asterix and Obelix must go to Helvetia for an antidote. Can they overcome cuckoo hourglasses, yodelling and holes in the cheese?A housing estate lies at the heart of Caesar's new plan to crush the Gauls in THE MANSIONS OF THE GODS. Will the villagers be tempted by the chance to make money when the Roman tenants move in?In ASTERIX AND THE LAUREL WREATH, Chief Vitalstatistix wants a stew seasoned with Caesar's laurel wreath. Asterix and Obelix must fetch the wreath, but will their plan end in disaster or their own Roman triumph?There is no better way to enjoy the antics of our indomitable hero and his friends.

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KAREN PIRIE RETURNS IN 2023. A MASTERFUL THRILLER BY THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER VAL MCDERMIDPRE-ORDER THIS HEART-POUNDING NEW NOVEL IN THE KAREN PIRIE SERIES, NOW A MAJOR ITV SERIES STARRING LAUREN LYLE__________Edinburgh, haunted by the ghosts of its many writers, is also the cold case beat of DCI Karen Pirie. So she shouldn't be surprised when an author's manuscript appears to be a blueprint for an actual crime. Karen can't ignore the plot's chilling similarities to the unsolved case of an Edinburgh University student who vanished from her own doorstep. The manuscript seems to be the key to unlocking what happened to Lara Hardie, but there's a problem: the author died before he finished it. As Karen digs deeper, she uncovers a spiralling game of betrayal and revenge, where lies are indistinguishable from the truth and with more than one unexpected twist . . . The Queen of Crime Val McDermid is at the top of her game in her most gripping and fiendishly clever case yet.Praise for Val McDermid'McDermid is at her considerable best' GUARDIAN'Irresistible' PATRICIA CORNWELL'A brilliant novel by a supremo of the genre' PETER JAMES'Outstanding' SPECTATOR'Another masterpiece' DAVID BALDACCI'Sensational. One of Britain's most accomplished writers' SUNDAY EXPRESS

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In Asterix and the Chariot Race, Senator Lactus Bifidus announces a special one-off chariot race, to defend his name and prove Rome's greatness. Julius Caesar insists a Roman must win, or Bifidus will pay. Open to anyone from the known world, competitors arrive from far and wide, including Asterix and Obelix. With Bifidus secretly scheming, who will win this almighty chariot race?In Asterix and the Chieftain's Daughter, Adrenalin, the rebellious daughter of the great Gaulish chieftain Vercingétorix, arrives at their village, and Asterix and Obelix are tasked with protecting her from the Romans chasing her. This is easier said than done though, as Adrenalin is desperate to escape! Follow our favourite heroes as they try and reach Adrenalin before the Romans do.In Asterix and the Griffin, Asterix and Obelix set out on their 39th adventure on a long journey in search of a strange and terrifying creature. Half-eagle, half-lion, and idolised and feared by ancient peoples, this creature is the griffin.

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'A deft and clever retelling full of intrigue, rage and pathos' JENNIFER SAINT, author of Ariadne'An intelligent, highly crafted and necessary book' CLAIRE NORTH, author of Ithaca'Urgent and furious' ROSIE ANDREWS, author of The Leviathan ___________________In Athens, crowds flock to witness the most shocking trial of the ancient world. The royal family is mired in scandal. Phaedra, young bride of King Theseus, has accused her stepson, Hippolytus of rape.He's a prince, a talented horseman, a promising noble with his whole life ahead of him. She's a young and neglected wife, the youngest in a long line of Cretan women with less than savoury reputations.The men of Athens must determine the truth. Who is guilty, and who is innocent?But the women know truth is a slippery thing. After all, this is the age of heroes and the age of monsters. There are two sides to every story, and theirs has gone unheard.Until now.___________________'Audacious and spirited' SARAH BURTON, author of The Strange Adventures of H'A timely and labyrinthian retelling of the trial of Phaedra: breaking down the old walls and illuminating the true monsters.' CARI THOMAS author of Threadneedle'The Heroines subverts the most enduring myth of all. That women are to blame.' JOANNE BURN, author of The Hemlock Cure'A mesmerizing read' ELIZABETH LEE, author of Cunning Women'Fiercely compelling' CAROLINE LEA, author of The Glass Woman'A stunning debut . . . vibrant characters, dark twists, a shimmering brilliant read.' CARLY REAGON, author of The Toll House'Beautifully told and utterly gripping . . . The Heroines compellingly asks us to consider how our understanding is influenced by who is telling the story, and why.' CAILEAN STEED, author of Home

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THE FIRST NEW SERIES FROM #1 BESTSELLER MARK BILLINGHAM IN 20 YEARS.'Readers rejoice! A captivating new series from Mark Billingham, the very best in the business' --- RICHARD OSMANMeet Detective Miller: unique, unconventional, and criminally underestimated... He's a detective, a dancer, he has no respect for authority ­- and he's the best hope Blackpool has for keeping criminals off the streets. Meet Detective Declan Miller.A double murder in a seaside hotel sees a grieving Miller return to work to solve what appears to be a case of mistaken identity. Just why were two completely unconnected men taken out?Despite a somewhat dubious relationship with both reality and his new partner, can the eccentric, offbeat Miller find answers where his colleagues have found only an impossible puzzle?'Funny, moving, and full of surprises . . . an absolute treat' --- MICK HERRON'Billingham blends caustic humour, raw emotion and rollercoaster thrills. His new series is bursting with wit, charm and intriguing, complex characters' --- JANICE HALLETT

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THE REESE WITHERSPOON OCTOBER BOOK CLUB PICK'Governments are right to fear words. They can change hearts and topple tyrannies....It's impossible not to be moved by Margaret Miu's courage, or to applaud her craftiness...And Bird is a brave and believable character, who gives us a relatable portal into a world that seems more like our own every day' Stephen King, New York Times'As lyrical as it is chilling, as astonishing as it is empathic, Our Missing Hearts arguably achieves literary perfection' Booklist (starred review)From the #1 bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere, a deeply heart-wrenching novel about the unbreakable love between a mother and child in a society consumed by fear.Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in Harvard's library. He knows not to ask too many questions, stand out too much, stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve 'American culture' in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic - including the work of Bird's mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old.Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn't know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn't wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is drawn into a quest to find her. His journey will take him through the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change.Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can turn a blind eye to the most searing injustice. It's a story about the power - and limitations - of art to create change in the world, the lessons and legacies we pass onto our children, and how any of us can survive a broken world with our hearts intact.

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The fascinating and unknown story of the Tour de France's ever-changing relationship with money and power - and the enigmatic family behind it all.It started with a cash drop by an English spy in occupied Paris in 1944. Reserved for Resistance groups during the war, the money reached Émilien Amaury, an advertising executive, who was tasked to help France return to a free press once liberated. He soon launched a newspaper empire that - unbeknown to him - would own the rights to run what would become one of the greatest sporting events in history.Le Tour, once a struggling commercial phenomenon, began to rise in popularity across much of western Europe in the glum years after the Second World War, lifting the mood of the hungry and despondent French. But with the increased interest in the event, exacerbated by the creation of television and the internet, came several cultural threats to national heritage. Multiple attempts to wrest power and profits from the latest generation of the Amaury family - who still own the race and take tens of millions of euros home in dividends - have followed, but not without a fight.Fast-paced and fastidiously researched, Le Fric illustrates how moments off the bike at the Tour de France are every bit as gripping as the battle for the yellow jersey.

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From the acclaimed author of Darktown comes the most visionary crime novel since Minority Report.'It's rare to find a thriller with such a fantastic and original concept. I was gripped' --- Anthony HorowitzIn a world where a global event has blinded every person on the planet, one detective seeks a murderer who should not, cannot, exist.Seven years ago, everyone in the world went blind in a matter of months. Technology helped people adjust to the new normal, creating a device that approximates vision, downloading visual data directly to people's brains. But what happens when someone finds a way to manipulate it and change what people see?Homicide detective Mark Owens has been on the force since before The Blinding. When a scientist is murdered, and the only witness insists the killer was blacked out of her vision, Owens doesn't believe her - until a similar murder happens in front of him. With suspects ranging from tech billionaires to anti-modernity cultists, Owens must conduct an investigation in which he can't even trust his own eyes...PRAISE FOR THOMAS MULLEN'Terrific entertainment' - Stephen King'Superb' - Ken Follett'Magnificent and shocking' - Sunday Times'Written with a ferocious passion that'll knock the wind out of you' - New York Times'Fascinating, grim and unsettling' - Guardian'A terrific story' - The Times'From the very first page of Darktown, I was stunned, mesmerized' - Attica Locke

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The latest instalment from always funny, sometimes bizarre humourist David Sedaris. Praise for Theft By FindingThe writing here is funnier, (even) sharper . . . There isn't a dull word among these pages (India Knight Sunday Times)Could there be a more delightful American import than the memoirist David Sedaris? Not since the peanut butter and jelly sandwich have we inherited something so sweet and comforting yet so wickedly naughty (The Times)This first of two volumes of his copious diaries takes us from 1977 to 2002, and sees him grow from a despondent21-year-old in menial jobs into the man recognised as possibly the best humorist of the 2000s(Daily Telegraph, Best Books Under the Sun, Summer 2017)So often Sedaris's phrasing is beautiful in its piquancy and minimalism...His life is extraordinary in so many ways - the drug addiction, the eccentric family, the crazy jobs, the fame, the globetrotting - but one of the more unlikely achievements here is in making it all seem quite ordinary. Ultimately, his masterstroke is in acting as a bystander in his own story (Book of the Day, Guardian)He is the American Alan Bennett - or would be, if Bennett had a history of serious substance abuse and a higher tolerance for sick humour (Times Literary Supplement)He makes me laugh so much. In an era when US satire is outpacing our own he's a sharp, humane and hilarious voice that never fails to make you smile - and sometimes weep. Apparently effortless humour is difficult, and precious. He's the real thing (James Naughtie Radio Times)A deadpan, darkly comical portrait of the American underbelly . . . Sedaris shares something of [Alan] Bennett's detached curiosity, and they both have a thirst for amusement (Craig Brown Mail on Sunday)It's like gossiping with an old friend - if that friend were a rather sexy American Alan Bennett with lots of good drug stories (Melissa Katsoulis The Times)Cool, very funnv, sardonic, yet open . . . there is an echo of Truman Capote or Tennessee Williams - with extra quirk. Or even Lewis Carroll . . . one of the biggest comedy writers of his generation (Peter Bradshaw Spectator)Just as in his essays and stories, the young Sedaris is both scandalising and scandalised, surprisingly profound, and very, very funny . . . Sedaris fans will not be surprised to know that he can do darkness and profundity as well as humour. Theft by Finding is full of all three, but what makes it so good is Sedaris's gift for sidling up them all from the least expected angle (Daily Telegraph)

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What could be a more tempting Christmas gift than a compendium of David Sedaris's best stories, selected by the author himself? From a spectacular career spanning almost three decades, these stories have become modern classics and are now for the first time collected in one volume.For more than twenty-five years, David Sedaris has been carving out a unique literary space, virtually creating his own genre. A Sedaris story may seem confessional, but is also highly attuned to the world outside. It opens our eyes to what is at absurd and moving about our daily existence. And it is almost impossible to read without laughing. Now, for the first time collected in one volume, the author brings us his funniest and most memorable work. In these stories, Sedaris shops for rare taxidermy, hitchhikes with a lady quadriplegic, and spits a lozenge into a fellow traveler's lap. He drowns a mouse in a bucket, struggles to say 'give it to me' in five languages and hand-feeds a carnivorous bird.But if all you expect to find in Sedaris's work is the deft and sharply observed comedy for which he became renowned, you may be surprised to discover that his words bring more warmth than mockery, more fellow-feeling than derision. Nowhere is this clearer than in his writing about his loved ones. In these pages, Sedaris explores falling in love and staying together, recognizing his own aging not in the mirror but in the faces of his siblings, losing one parent and coming to terms - at long last - with the other.Taken together, the stories in The Best of Me reveal the wonder and delight Sedaris takes in the surprises life brings him. No experience, he sees, is quite as he expected - it's often harder, more fraught and certainly weirder - but sometimes it is also much richer and more wonderful.Full of joy, generosity, and the incisive humor that has led David Sedaris to be called 'the funniest man alive' (Time Out New York), The Best of Me spans a career spent watching and learning and laughing - quite often at himself - and invites readers deep into the world of one of the most brilliant and original writers of our time.

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In the stunning retrospective Scarfe, which expands on 2005's Drawing Blood in every way, Gerald Scarfe's work is presented as no book has presented it before. This fully illustrated, 576-page volume reveals the truth of sixty years of politics and culture, packed with images that have defined not only one artist's career, but also twentieth and twenty-first century British life. A showcase of Scarfe's glittering career in design, reportage and showbusiness, Scarfe presents drawings, sculptures and photographs alongside witty and poignant captions and stories. Scarfe's muses: Thatcher, Clinton, Blair, May and Trump, as well as many other titanic figures of our times are all here, revealed as they really are by Scarfe's cutting pen. Carefully curated by the artist himself, this monumental book is the definitive guide to the career of a national treasure.

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What makes an ordinary but highly educated Englishman, with no previous military training, decide to travel and fight in one of the most brutal conflicts on the planet?Desert Sniper is an extraordinary, true account of one man's journey from well-meaning volunteer to battle-scarred combat sniper, placing himself daily in the line of fire to fight one of the greatest evils of this new century. Ed Nash has travelled across the globe, and is working with refugees in Burma, when he first becomes aware of the terrible atrocities being committed under ISIS's newly established 'Caliphate', covering vast tracts of Iraq and Syria. In June 2015, he chooses to undertake the hazardous journey, via Northern Iraq, to Syria, to join ill-equipped and poorly trained but battle-hardened Kurdish forces as they attempt to halt Daesh's relentless advance. Nash is an articulate, insightful and refreshingly honest companion as he unpacks the shifting complexities of the political and military situation in which he finds himself. As one of a motley band of foreign volunteer fighters - veterans of other conflicts, adventurers and misfits, from many different countries - we follow him through his rudimentary training and early combat operations as he and his companions slowly gain the trust and respect of their Kurdish colleagues.Nash shows us the realities of the war on the ground in Syria in fascinating detail; the privations of the ordinary Kurdish soldiers, the terrible price paid by civilians caught in the cross-fire, the ever-present danger of lethal suicide bombers and occasional moments of striking beauty in amongst the carnage. A modern classic in the making, Desert Sniper will prove to be one of the most unforgettable accounts to emerge from the war against ISIS.

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There's no right way to keep a diary, but if there's an entertaining way, David Sedaris seems to have mastered it. If it's navel-gazing you're after, you've come to the wrong place; ditto treacly self-examination. Rather, his observations turn outward: a fight between two men on a bus, a fight between two men on the street, pedestrians being whacked over the head or gathering to watch as a man considers jumping to his death. There's a dirty joke shared at a book signing, then a dirtier one told at a dinner party-lots of jokes here. Plenty of laughs.These diaries remind you that you once really hated George W. Bush, and that not too long ago, Donald Trump was a harmless laughingstock, at least on French TV. Time marches on, and Sedaris, at his desk or on planes, in fine hotel dining rooms and odd Japanese inns, records it. The entries here reflect an ever-changing background-new administrations, new restrictions on speech and conduct. What you can say at the start of the book, you can't by the end. At its best, A Carnival of Snackery is a sort of sampler: the bitter and the sweet. Some entries are just what you wanted. Others you might want to spit discreetly into a napkin.Praise for Theft by Finding, the first volume of David Sedaris's diaries'The writing here is funnier, (even) sharper . . . There isn't a dull word among these pages' India Knight, Sunday Times'Could there be a more delightful American import than the memoirist David Sedaris? Not since the peanut butter and jelly sandwich have we inherited something so sweet and comforting yet so wickedly naughty' The Times

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The Royal College of Physicians celebrates its 500th anniversary in 2018, and to observe this landmark is publishing this series of ten books. Each of the books focuses on fifty themed elements that have contributed to making the RCP what it is today, together adding up to 500 reflections on 500 years. Some of the people, ideas, objects and manuscripts featured are directly connected to the College, while others have had an influence that can still be felt in its work.Written exactly fifty years after the opening of the building in 1964, this first book in the series, Anatomy of a Building, is a meditation on the architecture of the college, focusing particularly on its current home, a Grade 1 listed building, designed by Denys Lasdun.

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When Donna Langford receives a very recent photo of her ex-husband in the post, she gets the shock of her life. Because she's just spent ten years in prison for organising his murder. When her daughter goes missing, Donna believes there can only be one man responsible and hires Anna Carpenter, a determined young private investigator, to find him.DI Tom Thorne worked on the Alan Langford case, so when Carpenter brings the photo to him, he refuses to believe that the man whose body was found in a burned-out car ten years before can still be alive. But when a prison inmate that he and Anna interview is viciously murdered, Thorne starts to understand that Langford is not only alive, but ready to get rid of anyone who could threaten his comfortable new life in Spain...

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