Search results for ""orion""

A beautiful girl goes missing, and Wycliffe must untangle a mystery to solve a murder . . .A beautiful schoolgirl goes missing from a Cornish village on the day she has told her boyfriend and sister she is pregnant. The possibility that she has been raped or murdered - or both - grows with every passing hour, and Chief Superintendent Wycliffe is brought in on the case.The investigation reveals a complex network of family relationships and rivalries centred on the girl; and then Wycliffe finds a body - but not the one he expects. Have there been two murders? And if so, are they connected?Wycliffe digs deeper, and soon realises that just beneath the normal, day-to-day surface of the community lies a web of hatred and resentment - a web he will have to untangle if he is to find the key to the mystery . . .

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A riotous semi-historical romp through 17th century France in the company of Julie D'Aubigny, Mademoiselle Maupin, swordswoman, opera singer, duellist, lover of men and women, and servant of the devil.

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Jean le Flambeur is out of prison, but still not free. To pay his debts he has to break into the mind of a living god. But when the stakes are revealed, Jean has to decide how far he is willing to go to get the job done.The sequel to Hannu Rajaniemi's extraordinary debut novel is set to build on the extravagant promise of one of the most exciting new voices to come out of the genre this century.

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One of the great classics of modern horror, set in a small New York town and filled with creeping dread.'The terror just mounts and mounts' Stephen KingIt began shortly after the party at which one of their members, Edward Wanderley, had died - or was killed. The Chowder Society, who for years had met in customary evening dress with the object of telling each other tales of every kind, now found themselves drawn towards the supernatural. It was some sort of solace for Edward's loss. They began to tell ghost stories, extraordinary ghost stories ... ghost stories that did not always stop when the teller finished speaking ... Then came the dreams, shared simultaneously by the Chowder Society members, forecasting horrors the four ageing men can scarcely bring themselves to discuss. And now they are about to learn what happens to those who believe they can bury the past - and get away with murder.Readers can't stop turning Ghost Story's pages:'A real haunting good read, the story drives you crazy in places' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Intelligent and ambitious . . . one of the best horror novels of the 20th century . . . the terror, sometimes expected, often unexpected, is measured out in precise and exact quantities' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'This beautifully written story of evil in a small town has a lot in common with Stephen King's IT . . . The stories of these men, the stories about the relatives of these men, and the stories about the town itself, wind around and through each other' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Probably the scariest book I ever read' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Loved this book! The setting, the characters, the atmosphere, the small town... some really creepy scenes. All of it just worked for me' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'This is actually one of the "scariest" books I've read so far as atmosphere and actual emotional scare goes' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Fantastic book if you like to be scared. Straub is a master of this genre' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'This is a book that combines the chill of the New York winter with the arthritic helplessness of old man nightmares . . . If you want to read some of the best writing that horror has to offer, read Ghost Story' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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Thousands of years ago the elves were enslaved by the Wytch Lords. Murdered in their thousands, worked to death in slave gangs and divided against themselves, the wounds inflicted by man run deep - and elves have very long memories. Two of them - Auum and Takaar - led the rise against their enslavers, and united their people against men in order to free their nation. Now Calaius is at peace ... but that doesn't mean their nation is safe.Men need their help.The Wytch Lords have rallied, men's magic has grown more powerful, and their politics have become altogether more dangerous. Especially now: one of the mages has created a spell, called Dawnthief, which has the potential to destroy all living things on the planet. All four magical colleges are fighting to seize it and, in the background, the Wytch Lords have schemes of their own. Schemes which involve crushing the elven nation for good. Whoever seizes the spell, it places the elves in tremendous danger. But can Auum and Takaar overcome their differences and work together to save Calaius? And even if they can, is it not already too late ... ?Find out more on his website, www.jamesbarclay.com, or you can follow @barculator on Twitter.

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Jerry Cornelius is an English assassin, physicist, rock star, and messiah to the Age of Science. Written between 1965 and 1967, this sequence of four novels relating Cornelius's adventures has been credited with inspiring dozens of writers and artists to rethink the genre of science fiction. Set in a shifting, fluid version of the counter-culture 1960s, these books were among the most prominent 'New Wave' SF books. Jerry Cornelius is one of the most remarkable and distinctive characters in Moorcock's work, and his time-travelling, trippy and bizarre adventures are must-reads.Contains THE FINAL PROGRAMME, A CURE FOR CANCER, THE ENGLISH ASSASSIN and THE CONDITION OF MUZAK.

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Horror stories, science fiction, detective stories and satirical sketches -the variety of Poe will chill and delightLocked doors, sealed cavities, bricked-up alcoves and premature burial close in on Poe's narrators as they , like their victims, are cut off from light, air and human society. Partly, Poe's stories resonate as the disordered chambers' of the narrators' minds but also they suggest archetypal, if extreme psychological states.yet Poe was an incurable hoaxer, and in telling some wonderful short stories he also told some excessively tall tales.The most comprehensive paperback edition available, introduction, selected criticism chronology of Poe's life and times.

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The story behind life in a world-renown Michelin-starred restaurant.Tom Sellers is a luminary of the British culinary scene. His Restaurant Story opened its doors in April 2013; its innovative literary-inspired menu, taking diners on ''a personal journey through food'', has won him huge critical and public acclaim. Story was awarded its first Michelin star just five months after opening. This stunning book will be your chance to enter the visionary mind of one of the most original chefs of our time, and discover the truth behind the tales of his brilliant food.

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1000-PIECE PUZZLE – The perfect gift for fans of James Joyce, Ulysses and Irish literaturePIECE TOGETHER THE STORY – This detailed illustration of Joyce''s Dublin is packed with real people and fictional characters to seek and findINCLUDES A PULL-OUT POSTER – Discover more about the people and characters in the jigsaw and get a quick run-down of all the action in Ulysses by Joyce scholar Professor Joseph BrookerTravel back to 16 June 1904 and join Stephen Dedalus and Buck Mulligan in their Martello tower, Blazes Boylan jingling along in his carriage, Molly Bloom in her chamber and a host of other iconic Dubliners. Whether you''ve got a well-thumbed copy of Finnegans Wake or you''ve never read a word of Joyce, you''ll delight in following Bloom on his odyssey through ''dear dirty Dublin''. There''s never been an easier way to piece together a story!

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1000-PIECE PUZZLE: Piece together the world of James Bond in this exciting jigsaw inspired by the iconic films. The perfect challenge for dedicated James Bond fans, lovers of cinema - or anyone who enjoys a good puzzle.FIND THE CHARACTERS: Featuring a cast of original Bonds, villains and supporting characters to spot as you race through shuttle launches and underwater lairs to island retreats and casinos.INCLUDES A PULL-OUT POSTER: With information about the featured characters, gadgets, locations and scenes on an illustrated poster bursting with 007 facts.SCREEN-FREE FUN: From one of the world's leading publishers of books and gifts on the creative arts. Laurence King works with the world's best illustrators, designers, artists and photographers to create beautiful books and gifts which are acclaimed for their inventiveness, beautiful design and authoritative texts.SUBSTANTIAL JIGSAW: Completed

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FUN FOR BOND FANS OF ALL AGES – the whole family will love this high-stakes game featuring 64 characters, gadgets and locations from all the James Bond movies PLAY AND LEARN – this board game comes with a leaflet packed with 007 trivia. Learn about Bond''s most memorable nemeses, Q''s craziest gadgets and more! GREAT GIFT – perfect for dedicated James Bond fans, lovers of cinema and families who enjoy spending quality time together SOMETHING TO TREASURE – this is a quality product made to last, with photography from the Bond archives and sleek and stylish packaging EXPLORE THE ENTIRE SERIES – this game is part of the bestselling bingo series, a collection of games for nature lovers and enthusiastic board gamers. Other games in the series include Bug Bingo, Cat Bingo, Dog Bingo, Monkey Bingo, Ocean Bingo and Royal BingoThe name''s Bond. James Bond.Grab Q''s gadgets, buckle up in the Aston Martin DB

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What could be more commonplace than grass, or a world covered over all its surface with a wind-whipped ocean of grass? But the planet Grass conceals horrifying secrets within its endless pastures. And as an incurable plague attacks all inhabited planets but this one, the prairie-like Grass begins to reveal these secrets - and nothing will ever be the same again ...

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Covering the greatest three centuries of Turkish history, this book tells the story of the Ottoman Empire's growth into a vast Middle Eastern Power.Born as a military frontier principality at the turn of the Fourteenth century, Turkey developed into the dominant force in Anatolia and the Balkans, growing to become the most powerful Islamic state after 1517 when it incorporated the old Arab lands. This distinctively Eastern culture, with all its detail and intricacies, is explored here by a pre-eminent scholar of Turkish history. He gives a striking picture of the prominence of religion and warfare in everyday life as well as the traditions of statecraft, administration, social values, financial and land policies. The definitive account, this is an indispensable companion to anyone with an interest in Islam, Turkey and the Balkans.

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Set in Derry, Northern Ireland in the 1990s, Derry Girls is a candid, one-of-a-kind comedy about what it's like to be a teenage girl living amongst conflict.It's a time of armed police in armoured Land Rovers and British Army check points. But it's also the time of Murder She Wrote, The Cranberries, Salt-N-Pepa, Doc Martens and The X Files. And while The Troubles may hang over her hometown, Erin has troubles of her own, like the fact that the boy she's in love with (actually in LOVE with) doesn't know she exists. Or that her Ma and Aunt Sarah make her include her weirdo cousin Orla in everything she does. Or that head teacher Sister Michael refuses to acknowledge Erin as a literary genius. Not to mention the fact that her second best friend has ALMOST had sex, whereas Erin's never even kissed anyone yet. These are Erin's Troubles.Described by the Guardian as 'daft, profane and absolutely brilliant', by the New Statesman as 'pitch-perfect' and by i-D as 'the greatest show on British (and Irish) TV', Derry Girls has dazzled audiences, with Channel 4's biggest UK comedy launch since 2004 and the biggest television series in Northern Ireland since modern records began.Now, alongside the third series, comes the first official tie-in. With Erin's inner take on everything that has happened so far, this book will both dive deeper into the events we have seen unfold on the screen and unveil brand new stories. Complete with newspaper clippings, doodles, school reports, handwritten notes, and much much more, Erin's Diary is a must-have for fans.

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Tarot For All Ages is one of the first tarot decks aimed at a younger audience.Tarot for all Ages contains 78 cards that work as a fully functional tarot deck, plus a booklet which explains the spiritual and intuitive power of the cards to help you conduct your own readings.Tarot is not just for grown-ups!Tarot cards have had a number of uses historically, including for card games, but today they are primarily used for seeking answers to questions, often as a quest for divine guidance or inspiration. Readers of all experience levels can experience the cards' answer being given in an uncanny way, revealing something hidden but recognisable in a situation or thought process. Therein lies the significance of the Major (22) and Minor (56) Arcana cards, unearthing "secrets" buried in the deeper realms of consciousness and experience.UNIQUE: This tarot card deck is perfect for a younger or beginner audience to tarot readings. (Ages 11+)BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED: 78 inspiringly illustrated cards and a spined summary booklet.FUN & COLOURFUL: Feast your eyes on the intricate details and design of each card. The child-friendly illustrations by the creative director of Illustoria magazine, Elizabeth Haidle.HIGHEST QUALITY: Includes a full colour booklet (with spine) explaining the cards and simple instructions for beginners on creating your own readingsGIFTS: If you're looking for the perfect gift for a beginner or inquisitive younger audience, the Tarot For All Ages is the ultimate gift for birthdays, Christmas and tarot lovers!

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This accessible and expertly written introduction and overview of Tracey Emin's life offers a completely up-to-date view on the work of one of the most important and respected artists working today.From some of her previously unpublished early works from the 1980s, through the period of the 'Young British Artists' when she first found international fame, and up to her very latest works - many also published here for the first time - The Guardian's art critic Jonathan Jones brings together Tracey Emin's complete career into one concise and essential volume.

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Put your pop knowledge to the test with the NME Music Quiz Book. Rediscover your favourite music and memories, from punk to EDM, the Rolling Stones to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, pop videos to iconic festival headliners, with questions crossing multiple genres and decades. Sourced directly from the NME archive for added authority, the quizzes are supplemented with exclusive quotes and facts from the original magazine. With around 1,000 questions spanning the 66 years of the cult magazine, this book is perfect for music aficionados of all ages.

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Telling yourself you have all the time, all the resources and all the money in the world just kills creativity. Designer and advertiser Ralph Burkhardt has put together this inspirational pocket book, with a proven method that can help you tap into your creative potential and, above all, get results. Replete with quotes, checklists, cool illustrations and encouraging words, this little book packs a punch, revealing the simplest and most effective way to tap into your creative genius.

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Pick a subject card, add a technique card and reinvent the world with your imagination. These 80 cards are all you need for hours of creative drawing fun. Just grab a pencil and paper, and a dinosaur, and an alien, and a tiger...

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Take an inspiring walk with legendary photographer Daido Moriyama while he explains his groundbreaking approach to street photography. For over half a century, Moriyama has provided a distinct vision of Japan and its people. Here he offers a unique opportunity for fans to learn about his methods, the cameras he uses, and the journeys he takes with a camera.

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An authoritative and comprehensive survey of the life and work of the visionary and influential painter Philip Guston.Driven and consumed by art, Philip Guston painted and drew compulsively. This book takes the reader from his early social realist murals and easel paintings of the 1930s and 1940s, to the Abstract Expressionist works of the 1950s and early 1960s, and finally to the powerful new language of figurative painting, which he developed in the late 1960s and 1970s. Drawing on more than thirty years of his own research, the critic and curator, Robert Storr, maps Guston's entire career in one definitive volume, providing a substantial, accessible and revealing analysis of his work.With more than 850 images, the book illustrates Guston's key works and includes many unpublished paintings and drawings. An extensive chronology, illustrated with photographs, letters, articles, publications and other ephemera drawn from the artist's archives and other sources, contextualizes Guston's life and provides in-depth coverage of his life at home, his work in the studio, his relationship with fellow artists and his many exhibitions.Guston was able to speak about art with unrivalled passion and fluency. In celebration of this, the book features Guston's own thoughts on his drawings and his great heroes of the Italian Renaissance.

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The perfect companion to Read This if You Want to Be Great at Drawing, Artists and Illustrators BOOK OF THE MONTH. The latest in the best-selling series, Use This if You Want to Be Great at Drawing is a playful introduction to contemporary drawing styles, techniques and ideas. Inspired by modern masters, this sketchbook features thought-provoking prompts and eye-popping illustrations to sharpen your skills and unlock the outer limits of your imagination. Divided into sections covering essential aspects of drawing such as tone, composition and humour. Use This if You Want to Be Great at Drawing will build your confidence, so you can perfect your drawing technique. Use This if You Want to Be Great at Drawing is part of the internationally-bestselling ‘Read This’ series, which has sold over half-a-million books worldwide and has been translated into over 20 languages. Coming soon: Read This if You Want to Be Great at Drawing People by Selwyn Leamy (September 2019) More titles in the ‘Read This’ series: Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll (9781780673356) Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs of People by Henry Carroll (9781780676241) Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs of Places by Henry Carroll (9781780679051) Use This if You Want to Take Great Photographs: A Photo Journal by Henry Carroll (9781780678887) Read This if You Want to Be Great at Drawing by Selwyn Leamy (9781786270542) Read This if You Want to Be a Great Writer by Ross Raisin (9781786271976) Read This if You Want to Be Instagram Famous edited by Henry Carroll (9781780679679)

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This beautifully illustrated deck of playing cards is perfect for round after round of gin or Gin Rummy – or any other card game. Featuring illustrations of 40 gins from around the world, plus 12 gin-based cocktails, the deck is accompanied by a booklet giving detailed background to the world's favourite juniper-based spirit, the 40 gins themselves and recipes for all the cocktails. Perfect for a hand of cards or a handy refresher on how to mix a Tom Collins or Twisted Gin Fizz.

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Ever dreamed of having your very own garden retreat? Off-the-shelf sheds aren’t always the answer – the cheap ones are badly made and freezing cold, and the better quality ones are really expensive. But what if you could build your own shed from scratch? How to Build a Shed is the ultimate practical guide. With its clear, easy-to-follow instructions, expert advice and specially commissioned illustrations, you’ll be able to source the materials, choose the right tools and build your dream shed on a budget – even if you’ve never used a hammer.

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Match the dogs and puppies of 25 breeds from around the world in this beautifully illustrated memory game. To play, simply place the cards face down and see if you can remember where the dog and its puppy are located. Collect more pairs than your opponent to win! With all kinds of breeds included – from Siberian Huskies to Pugs and Dachshunds to Dalmatians – this fun and educational game will appeal to dog lovers everywhere.

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Who is the most outrageous – Lady Bunny or Divine? Who is the funniest – Coco Peru or Lily Savage? Enter the world of huge hair, sparkling make-up, glitter galore, fake eyelashes and … the fine art of the tuck and tape, with Game of Queens! Pitch queen against queen from across the carnival court of drag, from the female impersonators who pioneered drag performance in the 1970s up to the superstars of the scene today.

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Learn the language of flowers in this blossoming memory game. Match flowers to their uses and meanings, and collect the most pairs to win. From lillies at funerals, to 'flower power' carnations – this fun game is an ideal gift for nature lovers. Pair up the flowers with their typical uses and meanings in this beautiful and simple memory game. To play, place the cards face down and see if you can remember where the matching pairs are located. Collect more pairs than your opponent to win! With all kinds of flowers included – from marigolds in Mexican Day of the Dead displays to Japan's cherry blossom season, and from Van Gogh's Sunflowers to the first flower germinated in space – this fun and educational game is an ideal gift for nature lovers everywhere.

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Fire your imagination with these fun storytelling cards. Reviving the Victorian craze for ‘myrioramas’, the 20 picture cards can be placed in any order to create seamless scenes. Almost infinite combinations of cards provide endless storyscaping possibilities. Traverse an enchanted landscape as you build a perpetual panorama inhabited by fire-breathing dragons, magical unicorns and sinister shadow figures. With many games to play and millions of stories to tell, each turn of the card is a new adventure. Where will the story take you? There are over two quintillion storyscaping possibilities, and you can build a seamless panoramas stretching up to 170cm!

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Antoni Gaudí has a reputation as monastic, mad and hermetic. But the architect of many of the buildings that define Barcelona’s cityscape was no mad eccentric. He was a genius inspired by his faith in nature and the divine. Picking up the same strands of eclecticism and art nouveau current in fin de siècle European architecture, he transformed them into an idiom unique to himself and Barcelona to create a series of buildings as revolutionary in their engineering as they were astonishing for their spaces. For Gaudí his work was his life, and this book reveals the exuberant world and groundbreaking work of this unique figure in the history of modern architecture.

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Following the success of Archidoodle, this new title focuses on the city. Filled with an array of beautiful and fun drawings, it poses 75 architectural challenges for the user: from building an underground community or designing your own imaginary city to creating a new park for New York, plus many more. Aimed at anyone who loves drawing buildings and cities, it encourages users to imagine their own creative solutions by sketching, drawing and painting in the pages of the book. In so doing, they will learn about a whole range of significant issues, such as the importance of transport, lighting and green spaces, the history of urban design and planning, and the use of monuments and symbols. The book also includes numerous examples of works and ideas by major architects to draw inspiration from and will appeal to everyone from children to students and professional architects.

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This new book of fully peelable stickers, compiled by the Stickerbomb team, brings together the best skateboard stickers – both classic and new – from the 1970s to today. From Jim Philip’s legendary drawings for Santa Cruz, to the innovative, graphic-led creations from Girl and Alien Workshop, Stickerbomb Skate illustrates the central role that stickers have played in skate culture. Including five legendary skate brands – Alien Workshop, REAL, Toy Machine, Girl and Santa Cruz – and featuring interviews with key illustrators and artists; including Philips, Ed Templeton and Mike Hill; this is an indispensable collection for any skate obsessive.

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'A SUPERB ACHIEVEMENT' IAN MCEWAN* * * * *What is it like to be a brain surgeon?How does it feel to hold someone's life in your hands, to cut through the stuff that creates thought, feeling and reason?How do you live with the consequences when it all goes wrong?DO NO HARM offers an unforgettable insight into the highs and lows of a life dedicated to operating on the human brain, in all its exquisite complexity. With astonishing candour and compassion, Henry Marsh reveals the exhilarating drama of surgery, the chaos and confusion of a busy modern hospital, and above all the need for hope when faced with life's most agonising decisions.* * * * *Winner:PEN Ackerley Prize South Bank Sky Arts Award for LiteratureShortlisted:Costa Biography AwardDuff Cooper PrizeWellcome Book PrizeGuardian First Book AwardSlightly Foxed Best First Biography PrizeLonglisted:Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction

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The first single-volume biography of Berlin, one of the world's great cities - told via twenty-one portraits, from medieval times to the twenty-first century.A city devastated by Allied bombs, divided by a Wall, then reunited and reborn, Berlin today resonates with the echo of lives lived, dreams realised and evils executed. No other city has repeatedly been so powerful and fallen so low. And few other cities have been so shaped and defined by individual imaginations.Through vivid portraits spanning five centuries, Rory MacLean reveals the varied and rich history of Berlin, from its brightest to its darkest moments. We encounter an ambitious prostitute refashioning herself as a princess, a Scottish mercenary fighting for the Prussian Army, Marlene Dietrich flaunting her sexuality and Hitler fantasising about the mega-city Germania. The result is a uniquely imaginative biography of one of the world's most volatile yet creative cities.

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Translated by Anton Hur'Violets lavishes attention on the kind of person who often slips through the cracks, unseen or ignored. There is a beauty and a bravery in speaking for small lives' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Harmless Like YouSouth Korea, 1970. San is a lonely child, ostracised from her community. She soon finds a friend in a girl called Namae, until one afternoon changes everything. Following a moment of intimacy in a minari field, Namae violently rejects San, setting her on a troubling path.We next meet San, aged twenty-two, when she happens upon a job at a flower shop in Seoul's bustling city centre. Over the course of one hazy, volatile summer, San is introduced to a curious cast of characters - the mute shop owner, a brash co-worker, kind farmers and aggressive customers - and, fuelled by a quiet desperation to jump-start her life, she plunges headfirst into obsession with a passing magazine photographer. Throughout it all, San's moment with Namae continues to linger in the back of her mind.A story of thwarted desire, misogyny and erasure, Violets reveals the high stakes involved in one woman's desperate search for both autonomy and attachment in an unforgiving society.

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I took off my wedding ring - a gold band with half a line of 'Morning Song' by Sylvia Plath etched inside - and for weeks afterwards, my thumb would involuntarily reach across my palm for the warm bright circle that had gone. I didn't throw the ring into the long grass, like women do in the movies, but a feeling began bubbling up nevertheless, from my stomach to my throat: it could fling my arms out. I was free.A few years into her marriage and feeling societal pressure to surrender to domesticity, Joanna Biggs found herself longing for a different kind of existence. Was this all there was? She divorced without knowing what would come next.Newly untethered, Joanna returned to the free-spirited writers of her youth and was soon reading in a fever - desperately searching for evidence of lives that looked more like her own, for the messiness and freedom, for a possible blueprint for intellectual fulfillment.In A Life of One's Own, Mary Wollstonecraft, George Eliot, Zora Neale Hurston, Virginia Woolf, Simone de Beauvoir, Sylvia Plath, Toni Morrison, and Elena Ferrante are all taken down from their pedestals, their work and lives seen in a new light. Joanna wanted to learn more about the conditions these women needed to write their best work, and how they addressed the questions she herself was struggling with: Is domesticity a trap? Is life worth living if you have lost faith in the traditional goals of a woman? Why is it so important for women to read one another?This is a radical and intimate examination of the unconventional paths these women took - their pursuits and achievements but also their disappointments and hardships. And in exploring the things that gave their lives the most meaning, we find fuel for our own singular intellectual paths.

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From the author of the 'great' (Dolly Alderton), 'terrific' (Zadie Smith) The New Me, comes a subversive, hilarious portrait of two colleagues, each more like the other than they would care to admit.'Wretchedly riveting' Jia Tolentino, New Yorker'Butler is an essential contemporary voice' Literary Hub'A master of writing about work and its discontents' The MillionsMegan is only twenty-four but her life feels like a dead end. Working as a gastroenterologist's receptionist and resenting the success and happiness of her friends, the only thing that makes her feel better is obsessively critiquing the behaviour of her colleague, Jillian. A grotesquely optimistic thirty-five-year-old single mother, Jillian's chirpy positivity obscures her mounting struggles - until her downfall is precipitated by the purchase of a dog . . .'Outrageous and amusing ... reads like rubbernecking or a junk-food binge, compelling a horrified fascination and bleak laughter' Kirkus'The funniest book I've read in a long time, but also one of the most important ones' The Rumpus

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Jennie Churchill was said to have had two hundred lovers, three of whom she married. But her love for her son Winston never wavered. Jennie Churchill is an intimate picture of her glittering but ultimately tragic life, and the powerful mutual infatuation between her and her son. Anyone who wants to understand Winston must start here, with this revelatory interpretation. Anne Sebba has gained unprecedented access to private family correspondence, newly discovered archival material and interviews with Jennie's two surviving granddaughters. She draws a vivid and frank portrait of her subject, repositioning Jennie as a woman who refused to be cowed by her era's customary repression of women.

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FROM THE CREATOR OF DOWNTON ABBEY and THE GILDED AGE'A modern classic that will fill any Downton-shaped hole' Daily Express It is the evening of 15 June 1815, and the Duchess of Richmond has thrown a magnificent ball in Brussels for the Duke of Wellington. The guests include James and Anne Trenchard - who have made their money in trade - along with their beautiful daughter Sophia.When the Trenchards move into the fashionable new area of Belgravia some twenty-five years later, they are surrounded by some of London society's most influential families. But something happened that night of the ball, so long ago, that threatens their new status. Because behind Belgravia's magnificent doors is a world of secrets, gossip and intrigue. 'Stunning' Mail on Sunday'Written with brio, the novel races along with all the page-turning suspense of a thriller' Woman & Home'A jolly romp about Fellowes's favourite subject, class' Sunday Times'Immersive and intriguing' Stylist

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From its earliest origins to the present day, this award-winning, beautifully written book describes the endlessly changing character of Britain's countryside.'A classic' Richard MabeyExploring the natural and man-made features of the land - fields, highways, hedgerows, fens, marshes, rivers, heaths, coasts, woods and wood pastures - he shows conclusively and unforgettably how they have developed over the centuries. In doing so, he covers a wealth of related subjects to provide a fascinating account of the sometimes subtle and sometimes radical ways in which people, fauna, flora, climate, soils and other physical conditions have played their part in the shaping of the countryside.'One thing is certain: no one would be wise to write further on our natural history, or to make films about it, without thinking very hard about what is contained in these authoritative pages' COUNTRY LIFE

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LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2020 THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'A literary love child of Jonathan Franzen and Anne Tyler ... outstanding and highly enjoyable' Observer 'As good as Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections or Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad; it is almost impossible to believe that it is a debut. The Most Fun We Ever Had is as good as books come' Telegraph'I loved this book' Bryony Gordon'The perfect, engrossing holiday read' RED MEET THE SORENSON FAMILY MARILYN has somehow fallen into motherhood and spent four decades married to DAVID, who's pretty certain he loves her more than anyone has ever loved another person. WENDY, their eldest, a cause for concern, soothes herself with drink after being widowed young, while VIOLET, lawyer-turned-stay-at-home-mother, is disturbed by the reappearance of a son placed for adoption fifteen years earlier. LIZA, a professor, is pregnant with a baby she's not sure she wants by a man she's not sure she loves and GRACE, their dawdling youngest daughter, lives a lie that no one in her family suspects. 'A gripping and poignant ode to a messy, loving family in all its glory' Madeline Miller'A moving, immersive, often very funny study of family and sisterhood' Sunday Times 'Like Meg Wolitzer. A forensic dissection of family past and present, I loved it. If you like reading about relationships, this one is for you.' Pandora Sykes

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'I am fully in awe of Dolan's talent' DOUGLAS STUART'A dazzling follow-up to Exciting Times' KATHERINE HEINY'Beautiful' PANDORA SYKESMeet the wedding party:THE BRIDE AND GROOMCeline and Luke are meant to get married and live happily ever after. But Celine's more interested in playing the piano, and Luke's a serial cheater.THE BRIDESMAIDPhoebe, Celine's sister, is meant to finish college and get a real job. Instead she pulls pints, lives with six flatmates, and has no long-term aspirations beyond smoking her millionth cigarette.THE BEST MANArchie, Luke's best friend and ex-boyfriend, is meant to move up the corporate ladder and on from Luke. Yet he stands where he is, admiring the view.THE GUESTVivian, Luke's other best friend and other ex, was meant to put up with Luke's bullshit when they dated. But she didn't. And now she is contented, methodically observing her friends like ants.As the wedding approaches and these five lives intersect, each character will find themselves looking for a path to their happily ever after - but does it lie at the end of an aisle?

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'Lively' THE TIMES'Engrossing' THE SPECTATOR'Stunning' WOMAN & HOME'Marvellous' BBC HISTORY MAGAZINEThrough ancient art, evocative myth, intriguing archaeological discoveries and philosophical explorations, Bettany Hughes takes us on a voyage of discovery to reveal the truth behind Venus, and why this immortal goddess is so much more than nudity, romance and sex. It is both the remarkable story of one of antiquity's most potent forces, and the story of human desire - how it transforms who we are and how we behave.

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In the Shadow of the Empress is the sweeping family saga of beautiful Maria Theresa, the only woman to inherit and rule the vast Habsburg empire in her own name, and three of her remarkable daughters: lovely, talented Maria Christina, governor general of the Austrian Netherlands; spirited Maria Carolina, the resolute queen of Naples; and the youngest, Marie Antoinette, the glamorous, tragic queen of France, perhaps the most famous princess in history. Unfolding against an irresistible backdrop of courts from Vienna to Versailles, this epic history of Maria Theresa and her daughters is a tour de force of desire, adventure, ambition, treachery, sorrow and glory.

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The Romanovs were the most successful dynasty of modern times, ruling a sixth of the world's surface. How did one family turn a war-ruined principality into the world's greatest empire? And how did they lose it all?This is the intimate story of twenty tsars and tsarinas, some touched by genius, some by madness, but all inspired by holy autocracy and imperial ambition. Montefiore's gripping chronicle reveals their secret world of unlimited power and ruthless empire-building, overshadowed by palace conspiracy, family rivalries, sexual decadence and wild extravagance, and peopled by a cast of adventurers, courtesans, revolutionaries and poets. Written with dazzling literary flair, drawing on new archival research, THE ROMANOVS is at once an enthralling chronicle of triumph and tragedy, love and death, a universal study of power, and an essential portrait of the empire that still defines Russia today.

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The intimate biography of the charismatic Tour de France winner Marco Pantani, now updated to include the 2014 and 2015 investigation into Pantani's death.National Sporting Club Book of the YearShortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 'An exhaustively detailed and beautiful book . . . a fitting, ambivalent tribute - to the man, and to the dark heart of the sport he loved' IndependentOn Valentine's day 2004, Marco Pantani was found dead in a cheap hotel. It defied belief: Pantani, having won the rare double of the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in 1998, was regarded as the only cyclist capable of challenging Lance Armstrong's dominance. Only later did it emerge that Pantani had been addicted to cocaine since 1999.Drawing on his personal encounters with Pantani, as well as exclusive access to his psychoanalysts, and interviews with his family and friends, Matt Rendell has produced the definitive account of an iconic sporting figure.

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The opponents have doubled your contract and you have to decide how best to play the hand. Are you aiming to make your doubled contract? Is there a possibility of doubled overtricks? These are attractive objectives, but often they are not realistic.Should you accept that you will not make your contract and limit your losses as best you can? Obviously it is better to go one down than three or four down and it is important not to panic just because of the double. If you have sacrificed against the opponents' game or slam, which would have made, it is vital that your loss does not exceed the value of their contract.This quiz book contains problems taken from major national and international championships. In most cases you have the opportunity to outperform the actual declarers. No matter how you do, seeing the logic and technique behind the right play will no doubt improve your own standard.

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Winner of BEST HORROR NOVEL (August Derleth Award) at British Fantasy Awards 2016She comes in the night. She looks into your eyes. One by one, she has taken us all.For generations they have died young, and now fifteen-year-old Iris and her father are the last of the Villarca line. Confined to their lonely mansion on Dartmoor, they suffer their disease in isolation. But Iris breaks her promise to hide from the world and dares to fall in love.It is only then that they understand the true horror of the Villarca curse, the curse of the bone-white woman who visits in the night, leaving death in her wake.'With a ghostly face at the window, inexplicable events and a sense of menace hanging over every page, this is one chilling gothic novel' Daily Mail

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An instant New York Times bestseller! Nothing compares to the physical chemistry between an immortal and his life mate-or to the spellbinding thrills in a new Argeneau novel by New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands . . .A simple promise to protect her friend's infant son has turned Allie Chambers' existence upside down. Caring for-and feeding-an orphaned vampire baby has been tricky enough. But as little Liam grows, so does his appetite. He needs more blood than she can personally supply. And when her attempts to steal from a blood bank go awry, Allie wakes up surrounded by doctors, cops . . . and the gorgeous, mesmerising Magnus, who she can neither trust nor resist.Magnus never expected to find his life mate breaking into a blood bank. Clearly, Allie is already entwined with his world-in deeper, more dangerous ways than she realises. A band of vicious rogue immortals is in pursuit, and Magnus' first task is to keep her safe. His second: to awaken her to mind-blowing pleasure, and hope she'll accept the life, and the passion, that only he can offer.

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