Search results for ""author ????? ??? ???? ??????""

The bestselling classic from a 'magnificent story-teller' (Independent on Sunday). Journey to the glittering seventeenth-century court, and witness the rise and fall of young, charming Robert Merivel...When a twist of fate delivers an ambitious young medical student to the court of King Charles II, he is suddenly thrust into a vibrant world of luxury and opulence. Blessed with a quick wit and sparkling charm, Robert Merivel rises quickly, soon finding favour with the King, and privileged with a position as ‘paper groom’ to the youngest of the King’s mistresses. But by falling in love with her, Merivel transgresses the one rule that will cast him out from his new-found paradise…'For a vivid – and funny – fictional re-creation of the era, Tremain’s Restoration is hard to beat.' The TimesRose Tremain has sold over one million copies of her books.

Read more less

FROM THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF WORLD WAR Z'TRUE TERROR' Guardian 'NAIL CHOMPING SUSPENSE' Total Film ______________________________________As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier's eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now.But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town's bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing - and too earth-shattering in its implications - to be forgotten.In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate's extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the beasts behind it, once thought legendary but now known to be terrifyingly real.Kate's is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity's defiance in the face of a terrible predator's gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death.Yet it is also far more than that.Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us - and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity.Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it - and like none you've ever read before.______________________________________'Unputdownable' John Marrs, bestselling author of The One'A bloody good read' Andrew Hunter-Murray, bestselling author of The Last Day'A masterful blend of laugh-out-loud social satire and stuff-your-fist-in-your-mouth horror. One elevates the other, making the book, and its message, all the more relevant.' David Sedaris 'For any fan of Bigfoot or cryptozoology, it's a referential treat.' Guardian 'Dark, gripping and visceral, Devolution is a unique journey into terror.' Waterstones 'Another triumph from Max Brooks! . . . I can't wait until he turns every monster from childhood into an intelligent, entertaining page-turner' Stephen Chbosky, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Imaginary Friend and The Perks of Being a Wallflower 'Drawing you in with likeable characters in a real-world situation, then smashing your trust to pieces like a giant ape crushing a skull with his bare hands. Devolution will make you think twice about booking that remote weekend getaway in the woods.' Sci-Fi Now, 5* review 'Max Brooks has written the next great epistolary novel. Devolution is phenomenal' Josh Malerman, New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box 'One of the greatest horror novels I've ever read. The characters soar, the ideas sing, and it's all going to scare the living daylights out of you' Blake Crouch, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter 'Grisly page-turner . . . Brooks' eye for rich characterisation, pointed social commentary and nail-chomping suspense is as sharp as ever' Total Film 'Delightful . . . A tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy' Kirkus Reviews (starred review) 'Timely, terrifying, and utterly terrific.' SFX Magazine *****

Read more less

'A book to cancel plans for' BELLA'An ode to sisterhood and sexuality... Utterly refreshing' HEAT'Daisy Buchanan writes about all the chaos and conflict of being a young woman' RedThis good girl is naked on the internet...By day, Frankie lives an ordinary life: doting daughter, supportive sister, adoring aunt and (mostly) capable colleague. The only trouble is that she also feels invisible.So by night, Frankie creates her alter ego, uploading risque photos to a small community of online fans. She becomes sexy, confident and, most importantly, anonymous.That is, until Frankie's two worlds collide and she finds herself thrust into the limelight, along with her secret.Overnight, she becomes both a feminist icon and a target; wanted and worthless; powerful and petrified. Suddenly all eyes are on her....but is she ready to bare it all?Limelight is a funny, touching and provocative tale of sisterhood, sexuality and self-esteem. What would you gain - and lose - by being yourself, instead of who everyone wants you to be?'Daisy Buchanan has that special something that makes a wonderful popular fiction writer - acute observational skills, huge empathy and a perfect balance of light and shade.' Marian Keyes, author of Again, Rachel'Buchanan works through big themes of power, sexuality, friendship and purpose with truly interesting and recognisable characters' Stylist'Daisy Buchanan brings characters to life like no other writer' Lucy Vine, author of Seven Exes

Read more less

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SNAP'Bauer's great gift is her ability to surprise the reader' Daily TelegraphTHE QUESTION IS: WHO IS HUNTING WHO?In a small village where no stranger goes unnoticed, a local woman has been murdered in her bed.This is PC Jonas Holly's first murder investigation. But he is distracted by anonymous messages that seem to come from the killer . . .Is Jonas going to be able to solve the crime, whilst being taunted by a psychopath?___'Impressively original and convincing'Sophie HannahReaders are gripped by Darkside:'A captivating read which I couldn't put down' *****'Brilliant, clever, crime fiction' *****'Gripping and entertaining' *****

Read more less

The new novel from the bestselling author of The Idiot follows one young woman's quest for self-knowledge, as she travels abroad and tests the limits of her newfound adulthood. 'Elif Batuman is the queen of the campus novel... Enchanting' Sunday TimesSELIN IS THE LUCKIEST PERSON IN HER FAMILY:The only one who was born in America and got to go to Harvard. Now it's her second year, and Selin knows she has to make it count. The first order of business: to figure out the meaning of everything that happened over the summer...On the plus side, her life feels like the plot of an exciting novel. On the other hand, why do so many novels have crazy, abandoned women in them? And how does one live a life as interesting as a novel - a life worthy of becoming a novel - without turning into a crazy, abandoned woman oneself?'Stupendous... Hilarious... Batuman is a genius' Vogue'This novel wins you over in a million micro-observations' New York Times'Searingly smart' Evening Standard

Read more less

From Silvia Moreno-Garcia, the New York Times bestselling author of MEXICAN GOTHIC, comes UNTAMED SHORE, a dark cocktail mixing a nuanced coming-of-age story with a classical noir. 'Brutality takes on an almost divine quality' LA Review of BooksBaja California, 1979: Viridiana spends her days under the harsh sun, watching the fishermen pulling in their nets and the dead sharks piled beside the seashore. Her head is filled with dreams of romance, travel and of a future beyond this drab town where her only option is to marry and have children.When a wealthy American writer arrives with his wife and brother-in-law, Viridiana jumps at the offer of a job as his assistant, and she's soon entangled in the glamorous foreigners' lives. They offer excitement, and perhaps an escape from her humdrum life. When one of them dies, eager to protect her new friends, Viridiana lies - but soon enough, someone's asking questions. It's not long before Viridiana has some of her own questions about the identities of her new acquaintances.Sharks may be dangerous, but there are worse predators nearby, ready to devour a naïve young woman unwittingly entangled in a web of deceit.

Read more less

An exploration of the darker corners of ancient Rome to spotlight the strange sorcery of anonymous literature.From Banksy to Elena Ferrante to the unattributed parchments of ancient Rome, art without clear authorship fascinates and even offends us. Classical scholarship tends to treat this anonymity as a problem or game—a defect to be repaired or mystery to be solved. Author Unknown is the first book to consider anonymity as a site of literary interest rather than a gap that needs filling. We can tether each work to an identity, or we can stand back and ask how the absence of a name affects the meaning and experience of literature.Tom Geue turns to antiquity to show what the suppression or loss of a name can do for literature. Anonymity supported the illusion of Augustus’s sprawling puppet mastery (Res Gestae), controlled and destroyed the victims of a curse (Ovid’s Ibis), and created out of whole cloth a poetic persona and career (Phaedrus’s Fables). To assume these texts are missing something is to dismiss a source of their power and presume that ancient authors were as hungry for fame as today’s.In this original look at Latin literature, Geue asks us to work with anonymity rather than against it and to appreciate the continuing power of anonymity in our own time.

Read more less

The No.1 Sunday Times bestseller from the author of A Little Life.To Paradise is a bold, brilliant novel spanning three centuries and three different versions of the elusive idea of utopia; driven by Hanya Yanagihara’s understanding of our desire to protect those we love – lovers, children, friends, family and even our fellow citizens – and the pain that ensues when we cannot.In an alternate version of 1893 America, New York is part of the Free States, where people may live and love as they please (or so it seems).In a 1993 Manhattan besieged by the AIDS epidemic, a young Hawaiian man lives with his much older, wealthier partner, hiding his troubled childhood and the fate of his father.In 2093, in a world torn apart by plagues and governed by totalitarian rule, a powerful scientist’s damaged granddaughter tries to navigate life without him – and solve the mystery of her husband’s disappearance.What unites these characters, and these Americas, are their reckonings with the qualities that make us human – fear, love, shame, loneliness – and the longing to find a place in an earthly paradise.'I’m not sure I’ve ever missed the world of a book as much' - Observer‘Not only rare . . . revolutionary’ - Michael Cunningham‘Prepare to weep in public and be utterly transformed’ - Stylist

Read more less

If you want to survive in this world, there's one thing you should value above all else: LOYALTY.Dara Tailor has had to grow up fast. With a mother addicted to cocaine, Dara must look after her seven younger siblings, until social services split them up for ever.Grace Perry has led a sheltered life. Until her widowed mother is attacked and left for dead and Grace is taken into care.At Holly Brookes Children's Home, the two girls unite in the face of horrific abuse and form an unbreakable bond of loyalty.But when their loyalty is tested can they rely on each other to do the right thing?Friendship - it's all about trust.Don't miss the explosive new novel from the queen of crime Martina Cole.'She's a total one-off' Guardian'The stuff of legend . . . utterly compelling' Mirror'Superstar crime writer' This Morning'The undisputed Queen of crime writing' Erwin James'Her gripping plots pack a mean emotional punch' Mail on Sunday'One of the best fiction authors around . . . spectacular' Closer'Dark and dangerous' Sunday MirrorDue to health reasons, Martina Cole has chosen to collaborate with writer Jacqui Rose to finish her upcoming novel Loyalty.

Read more less

In a shattered and devastated universe, the crew of the Starship Voyager reunite under a new Captain to spearhead a vital mission.

Read more less

David Loades is Professor Emeritus at the University of Wales, and Associate of the Centre for Early Modern History at the University of Oxford and Honorary Research Professor at the University of Sheffield. A leading authority on Tudor England, he is also a well known and popular writer on its key personalities and events. He has a particular interest in the Tudor navy and has written on several of the period's monarchs and statesmen. Recent books include Henry VIII: Court, Church and Conflict and Princes of Wales; Royal heirs in waiting, both for The National Archives, as well as The Life and Career of William Paulet ( 2008) and (with Eamon Duffy) The Church of Mary Tudor (2006).

Read more less

Paul Murray's Skippy Dies is a tragicomic masterpiece about a Dublin boarding schoolLONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2010Ruprecht Van Doren is an overweight genius whose hobbies include very difficult maths and the Search of Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. Daniel 'Skippy' Juster is his roommate. In the grand old Dublin institution that is Seabrook College for Boys, nobody pays either of them much attention. But when Skippy falls for Lori, the frisbee-playing siren from the girls' school next door, suddenly all kinds of people take an interest - including Carl, part-time drug-dealer and official school psychopath. . .A tragic comedy of epic sweep and dimension, Skippy Dies scours the corners of the human heart and wrings every drop of pathos, humour and hopelessness out of life, love, Robert Graves, mermaids, M-theory, and everything in between.'That rare thing, a comic epic. . . Murray is a brilliant comic writer, but also humane and touching, and he captures the misery and elation, joy and anxiety of teenage life' David Nicholls, Guardian'Novels rarely come as funny and as moving as this utterly brilliant exploration of teenhood and the anticlimax of becoming an adult . . . one of the finest comic novels written anywhere' Eileen Battersby, Irish Times'I loved Skippy Dies . . . three novels fused into one ignited tragicomic tour de force' Ali Smith, Times Literary Supplement Books of the Year'An unforgettably exuberant saga set in an Irish boys' school. The insulting repartee is Shakespearean, the minor characters hilarious, and Murray captures the fleeting joys and lasting sorrows of adolescence perfectly' Emma Donoghue, Daily Telegraph'A triumph . . . brimful of wit and narrative energy' Sunday Times'The sprawling brilliance of Paul Murray's darkly comic second novel works on many different levels . . . When you finish the last page, you may be tempted to start all over again' Metro

Read more less

'Jane Casey's police procedurals go from strength to strength!' Sunday Times'If you have not read Jane Casey, start immediately' Marian Keyes'The most dangerously addictive series in crime fiction. . .' Erin Kelly_______________Jenny Shephard is twelve years old and missing.Her teacher, Sarah Finch, knows better than most that the chances of finding her alive are diminishing every day.As a little girl Sarah's older brother went out to play and never come home. The strain of not knowing what happened to him tore her family apart.When Sarah finds Jenny's body, beaten and abandoned in the woods near her home, she is drawn into the heart of the investigation and a media storm.Her presence at the scene arouses suspicions. But it is not just the police that are watching her...

Read more less

PRE-ORDER PRECIPICE, THE THRILLING NEW NOVEL FROM ROBERT HARRIS, NOW - PUBLISHING AUGUST 2024NOW A LANDMARK SKY MINI-SERIES STARRING JOSH HARTNETT'Could scarcely be more of the moment' THE TIMES'Harris is a master of pace and entertainment' OBSERVERNothing spreads like fear . . .In the secretive inner circle of the ultra-rich, Alex Hoffmann is a legend.He has developed an algorithm for playing the financial markets that generates billions of pounds - and feeds on panic.When one day his system is threatened by a terrifying intruder who breaches the elaborate security of his lakeside home, his life becomes a waking nightmare of violence and paranoia.But who is trying to destroy him? And is it already too late?'There are moments when this book feels so up to date it could have been written next week . . . spookily exciting' EXPRESS'The Fear Index is a frightening book, of course, as, with its title, it intends. Harris has an excellent sense of pace' TELEGRAPH

Read more less

When a firebomb attack at a Brighton travellers' site kills women and children, Chief Superintendent Jo Howe has strong reason to believe the new, dubiously elected, far-right council leader is behind the murders. Against the direct orders of her chief constable, Jo digs deeper into the killings. She uncovers a criminal ring of human trafficking and euthanasia all leading to a devastating plot which threatens thousands of lives and from which the murderous politician looks sure to walk away scot-free.

Read more less

When novelist Sophie Carr rescues a man from a group of paparazzi, she finds that her new neighbour is ageing pop star Jez Winter. She has loved his music for years and knows he has had a tough time lately, with a violent intruder and then a car accident putting his ability to play music at risk. Life's not been easy for Sophie either, losing her husband just as she was taking off as a novelist and having her hands full with her children. While Jez and Sophie's families continue to complicate their lives, Sophie also has a secret to hide. One that makes her very wary of getting involved with Jez .

Read more less

Molly Peel feels trapped by her family: her ex-husband Craig cannot seem to abandon his controlling ways despite abandoning her for a younger woman, her lazy son Brian has long been taking advantage of her generosity, and her selfish daughter Rachel is embarrassed by her. When she is blamed for ruining Rachel's wedding in circumstances beyond her control, Molly decides enough is enough and makes a clean break to Wiltshire to begin a new life. However, the persistent interference of her ex presents difficulties. Can Molly find the courage to stand up for herself and finally move on?

Read more less

Now that Nell's three sons are in work, she's ready to build a new life for herself. She's been left a house in England by an elderly aunt and decides to leave Australia for a while. But her house on Peppercorn Street isn't fit to live in and Nell is happy to sell it and allow a builder to create Cinnamon Gardens. Her elderly neighbour Winifred however wants to stay in the only home she's ever known. Violence escalates as someone tries to frighten the old lady into selling, and to make matters worse, her young friend Janey is being stalked. Can Nell build a new life with a new love? Will she find out why her parents quarrelled with their relatives? And, more importantly, what can she and her new friends do to help each other stay safe?

Read more less

***As dramatised on BBC Radio Four***SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZETHE SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA RICHARD AND JUDY PICK'Written with a wisdom and skill that few authors attain in a lifetime' SUNDAY TIMESStill in her teenage years, Nazneen finds herself in an arranged marriage with a disappointed older man. Away from her Bangladeshi village, home is now a cramped flat in a high-rise block in London's East End. Nazneen knows not a word of English, and is forced to depend on her husband.Confined in her tiny flat, Nazneen sews furiously for a living, shut away with her buttons and linings - until the radical Karim steps unexpectedly into her life. On a background of racial conflict and tension, they embark on a love affair that forces Nazneen finally to take control of her fate.A GRANTA BEST OF BRITISH YOUNG NOVELISTSHORTLISTED FOR THE GUARDIAN FIRST BOOK AWARD'A brilliant evocation of sensuality' DAILY TELEGRAPH'A novel that will last' GUARDIAN'Highly evolved and accomplished' OBSERVERReader's love for BRICK LANE:'Memorable and gripping' *****'The kind of book that changes your perception of the world' *****'This has become a classic and i can see why'*****'Funny, sharp and very touching' *****

Read more less

'Rose Tremain does not disappoint. As always her writing has a delicious, crunchy precision.' ObserverA wise and witty look at the contemporary migrant experience.Lev is on his way from Eastern Europe to Britain, seeking work. Behind him loom the figures of his dead wife, his beloved young daughter and his outrageous friend Rudi who - dreaming of the wealthy West - lives largely for his battered Chevrolet. Ahead of Lev lies the deep strangeness of the British: their hostile streets, their clannish pubs, their obsession with celebrity. London holds out the alluring possibility of friendship, sex, money and a new career and, if Lev is lucky, a new sense of belonging...'A novel of urgent humanity' Sunday Telegraph

Read more less

A story of survival set in 600 AD Ireland; a parable of patriarchy, destruction and religion at sea, by Emma Donoghue, the bestselling author of Room.'Everything a novel should be: compassionate, unpredictable, and questioning. Haven is Donoghue at her strange, unsettling best.' - Maggie O'Farrell, author of HamnetIn seventh-century Ireland, a priest has a dream telling him to leave the sinful world behind. Taking two monks with him, he travels down the Shannon in search of an isolated spot on which to found a new place of worship. Drifting out into the Atlantic, the three men find an impossibly steep, bare island inhabited by tens of thousands of birds, and claim it for God. But in such a place, far from all other humanity, what will survival mean?‘Haven is a beautiful, bold blaze of a book’ – Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry‘Beautiful and timely’ - Sarah Moss, author of Summerwater‘Sinister, heart-wrenching and beautifully written’ – The Times‘Combines pressure-cooker intensity and radical isolation, to stunning effect’ – Margaret Atwood via Twitter‘Book of the Year’ pick in The Irish Times, The Guardian, The Irish Post, RTÉ and The Times.

Read more less

A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis. Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast - again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold an historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange - again . . . Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It's clear from the way he tracks Misery's every movement that he doesn't trust her. If only he knew how right he was . . . Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she's ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what's hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory . . . alone with the wolf. Praise for The Love Hypothesis 'Contemporary romance's unicorn: the elusive marriage of deeply brainy and delightfully escapist.' Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners 'Funny, sexy and smart.' Mariana Zapata, New York Times bestselling author 'I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended!' Jessica Clare, New York Times bestselling author 'Pure slow-burning gold with lots of chemistry.' Popsugar 'A beautifully written romantic comedy with a heroine you will instantly fall in love with.' Elizabeth Everett, author of A Lady's Formula for Love

Read more less

The hugely anticipated novel from the internationally bestselling author of The Pull of the Stars and Room'Beautiful and timely' - Sarah Moss, author of Summerwater'Combines pressure-cooker intensity and radical isolation, to stunning effect.' – Margaret Atwood via TwitterThree men vow to leave the world behind them and start anew . . . In seventh-century Ireland, a scholar and priest called Artt has a dream telling him to leave the sinful world behind. Taking two monks – young Trian and old Cormac – he travels down the river Shannon in search of an isolated spot on which to found a monastery. Drifting out into the Atlantic, the three men find an impossibly steep, bare island inhabited by tens of thousands of birds, and claim it for God. Their extraordinary landing spot is now known as Skellig Michael. But in such a place, far from all other humanity, what will survival mean?Haunting, moving and vividly told, Haven displays Emma Donoghue’s trademark world-building and psychological intensity – but this tale is like nothing she has ever written before . . .Pre-order Learned by Heart, the dazzling new love story from Emma Donoghue.

Read more less

A rich and complex story full of warmth, humour and unforgettable women. A deeply moving novel about family, memory, lies and secrets, perfect for fans of Marian Keyes and Jenny Eclair. As a child, Maggie Faraday grew up in a lively, unconventional household in Tasmania, with her young mother, four very different aunts and eccentric grandfather. With her mother often away, all four aunts took turns looking after her – until, just weeks before Maggie's sixth birthday – a shocking event changed everything.Twenty years on, Maggie is living alone in New York City when a surprise visit from her grandfather brings a revelation and a proposition to reunite the family. As the Faradays gather in Ireland, Maggie begins to realise that the women she thought she knew so intimately all have something to hide...If you loved Those Faraday Girls, don't miss Monica McInerney's The Godmothers, out now. ___________Praise for Monica McInerney: 'Monica McInerney is at the very top of her game . . . If you've yet to read her books, treat yourselves IMMEDIATELY!' Patricia Scanlan, bestselling author of A Time For Friends'You'll be laughing out loud one minute and crying the next' Cosmopolitan'Heart-warming . . . A lovely read' Hello! Magazine'McInerney is a must-read author for women's fiction fans around the world' Huffington Post'The sort of feel-good read you long to get back to' Hilary Boyd, bestselling author of Thursdays In The Park'Exploring universal family issues of loss, rivalry, ageing and grief, this is a warm, witty and moving novel' Woman's Day'McInerney's bewitching multigenerational saga lavishly and lovingly explores the resiliency and fragility of family bonds' Booklist'A world of family, love, warmth and heartbreaking secrets that will sweep you up . . . Superb' Books of all Kinds'You'll be laughing in one breath, crying in the next . . . If you haven't discovered McInerney yet, now is the time to do so' Better Reading

Read more less

From the bestselling author of STILL LIFE*As featured on BBC Radio 4's A Good Read*This is almost a love story. But it's not as simple as that.It begins with two boys, Ellis and Michael,who are inseparable.And the boys become men, and then Annie walks into their lives, and it changes nothing and everything. 'Packs an enormous punch' Independent'Exquisite. I haven't been so moved and so in love with a book and its characters for a very long time'Joanna Cannon'This book is why I read' Nina Pottell, Prima'Ephemeral yet powerful... Every fleeting moment is worth repeating, again and again' Stylist

Read more less

'THE MOST IMPORTANT LIVING RUSSIAN WRITER' New Yorker MY HEAD SPINS. I'M LYING IN A BED. WHERE AM I? WHO AM I? A man wakes up in hospital. He has no idea who he is or how he came to be there. The doctor tells him his name, but he doesn't remember it. He remembers nothing. As memories slowly resurface, he begins to build a picture of his former life. Russia in the early twentieth century, the turbulence of the revolution, the aftermath. But how can this be possible when the pills beside his bed are dated 1999? In the deft hands of Eugene Vodolazkin, author of the multi award-winning Laurus, The Aviator paints a vivid, panoramic picture of life in Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century, richly evoking the sights, sounds and political turmoil of those days. Reminiscent of the great works of Russian literature, and shortlisted for the Russian Booker Prize, it cements Vodolazkin's position as the rising star of Russia's literary scene.

Read more less

Discover this bestselling classic from the author of The Gustav Sonata, charting Robert Merivel’s rise and fall through glittering seventeenth-century society. When a twist of fate delivers an ambitious young medical student to the court of King Charles II, he is suddenly thrust into a vibrant world of luxury and opulence. Blessed with a quick wit and sparkling charm, Robert Merivel rises quickly, soon finding favour with the King, and privileged with a position as ‘paper groom’ to the youngest of the King’s mistresses.But by falling in love with her, Merivel transgresses the one rule that will cast him out from his new-found paradise…‘A most beautiful and original novel’ Independent‘Triumphant’ Sunday Telegraph‘Dazzling’ New York Review of Books *Rose Tremain has sold over ONE MILLION books. Enter her vivid historical world*

Read more less

For Rousseau, "consecrating one's life to the truth" (his personal credo) meant publicly taking responsibility for what one published and only publishing what would be of public benefit. Christopher Kelly argues that this commitment is central to understanding the relationship between Rousseau's writings and his political philosophy. Unlike many other writers of his day, Rousseau refused to publish anonymously, even though he risked persecution for his writings. But Rousseau felt that authors must be self-restrained, as well as bold, and must carefully consider the potential political effects of what they might publish: sometimes seeking the good conflicts with writing the truth. Kelly shows how this understanding of public authorship played a crucial role in Rousseau's conception - and practice - of citizenship and political action. "Rousseau as Author" should be a ground-breaking book not just for Rousseau scholars, but for anyone studying Enlightenment ideas about authorship and responsibility.

Read more less

St Trinians and Lauren St John collide in this hilarious and thrilling bestselling adventure from Natasha Farrant!When Alice Mistlethwaite is shipped off to boarding school in Scotland it's nothing like she imagines. Run by the mysterious Major, there are no punishments and the students are more likely to be taught about body painting or extreme survival than maths or English!Then Alice's dad goes missing and she must run away to find him. Can she persuade her new friends to help?So begins an epic quest across wild Scottish highlands and islands, where friendships will be made and broken, lies will be untangled and the children will face danger and excitement at every turn . . .Both hilarious and heartfelt, this is the classic adventure story brought bang up to date, and told in Natasha's inimitable voice.'Thrilling adventure.' The Times'This wise and touching novel has originality and a fresh voice.' Sunday Times'A gripping adventure . . . I stayed up all night reading it!' Emma Carroll, author of Letters from the Lighthouse

Read more less

The works of four major fifteenth-century writers re-examined, showing their innovative reconceptualization of Middle English authorship and the manuscript book. Thomas Hoccleve, Margery Kempe, John Audelay and Charles d'Orléans present themselves as the makers not only of their texts, but also of the books that transmitted their writing. This new study argues that they elaborated a "self-publishing pose" with the aim of regaining their audiences' confidence in the face of the compromised social, physical and material conditions they inhabited. Dr Critten shows that while the strategies of self-presentation that these authors develop draw on trends in contemporary literature and book history (such as the proliferation of the "go, litel bok" motif and the increasing popularity of the single-author codex), their approach to writing differs fundamentally from that pursued by their immediate predecessors, Chaucer and Gower, and by their most prominent peer, Lydgate. Rather, in their unusual insistence on their co-identity with their manuscripts, they demonstrate a new awareness of the socially instrumental potential of Middle English writing. RORY G. CRITTEN is a Maître d'enseignement et de recherche (lecturer) in the English Department at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

Read more less

From Silvia Moreno-Garcia, the New York Times bestselling author of MEXICAN GOTHIC, comes UNTAMED SHORE, a dark cocktail mixing a nuanced coming-of-age story with a classical noir. 'Brutality takes on an almost divine quality' LA Review of BooksBaja California, 1979: Viridiana spends her days under the harsh sun, watching the fishermen pulling in their nets and the dead sharks piled beside the seashore. Her head is filled with dreams of romance, travel and of a future beyond this drab town where her only option is to marry and have children.When a wealthy American writer arrives with his wife and brother-in-law, Viridiana jumps at the offer of a job as his assistant, and she's soon entangled in the glamorous foreigners' lives. They offer excitement, and perhaps an escape from her humdrum life. When one of them dies, eager to protect her new friends, Viridiana lies - but soon enough, someone's asking questions. It's not long before Viridiana has some of her own questions about the identities of her new acquaintances.Sharks may be dangerous, but there are worse predators nearby, ready to devour a naïve young woman unwittingly entangled in a web of deceit.

Read more less

Richmal Crompton, Author of Just William: A Literary Life celebrates the first two William books, Just William (1922) and More William (1922). As well as a study of her famous character William Brown, this book is an introduction to Richmal Crompton’s less well-known fiction and a story about her writing life. Her multifaceted identity—her deep knowledge of Classical Greek and Latin literature and languages, her life as a disabled writer, and her writing about domestic violence and disability—played a role in her literary persona. Jane McVeigh moves beyond Richmal Crompton’s impact on children’s literature and offers an appraisal of all her writing including her novels and short fiction, her media profile on radio and TV, her impact on her readers—both adults and children—and her international success. Particularly, McVeigh considers Crompton in the context of twentieth century woman writers and the development of crossover fiction for dual audiences. The book argues that as a woman writer pigeon-holed as a writer for children, Crompton’s other novels and short stories have been side-lined and overlooked. More than a century after the first book collection of Crompton’s William stories was published, this biography places Richmal Crompton among other twentieth century women writers.

Read more less

Horror has a new name: Daphne. A brutal, enigmatic woman stalks a girls high school basketball team in a reimagining of the slasher genre by the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box.It's Kit Lamb's last summer with her high school basketball team, before college and the rest of her life begins.The night before the big game, her teammate tells a ghost story about a girl from their school named Daphne. Some say she was murdered, others that she died by her own hand.But some say that Daphne was - or is - a murderer herself. That she appears anytime someone thinks about her - to kill again.As her teammates vanish, one by one, Kit must find the truth behind the legend. Or the summer of a lifetime will become the last summer of her life...Mixing a nostalgic coming-of-age story and an instantly iconic female villain with an innovative new vision of classic horror, this is an unforgettable thriller as only Josh Malerman could imagine it.

Read more less

'It's always been difficult to get published. But up till the last couple of decades, if you managed to get published, you were sure of some sales, or at least that your publisher would work hard to get them with a reasonable prospect of results. It's a different world now. With electronic point of sale, print on demand, internet bookselling, new delivery formats like e-readers, several hundred thousand new titles in English coming out every year, a lot of what was said 6 years ago or even 6 months ago is now out of date. A few years ago when we started O Books I began writing down notes for new authors, based on questions they kept asking. It soon turned into a 100 page document. One of the authors it was a particular joy to work with was Tim Ward. We thought it would be helpful for others to share our thoughts, coming as they do from both sides of the fence'.'But there are titles around on every conceivable aspect of publishing and marketing books, from how to improve your style to increasing your sales through Amazon, finding the motivation to keep going or appearing on "Oprah". Why did we think another book would be helpful? Most focus either from the self-publishing end, from the viewpoint of an author who doesn't have a publisher, or from the perspective of mainstream publishers/publicists used to dealing with $50,000-plus publicity budgets. In our business we deal with the middle ground, where most real-life authors are and most potential ones hope to be'.'A company recently tracked the sales of 1.2 million books in the US, and the results were: 950,000 of these sold fewer than 100 copies; another 200,000 sold fewer than 1,000 copies; 25,000 sold more than 5,000 copies; less than 500 sold more than 100,000 copies; and, 10 titles sold more than 1,000,000 copies. The average sale was 500 copies. If your aim is to get above the average, or to reach it (because that includes J K Rowling etc.), to the level of 1000, on to 10,000 and up to 100,000 copies, this is the book for you. If you've already sold that many, you don't need this'.

Read more less

'A wickedly funny, clever, but also tender and lyrical novel about Britain and Britishness and what we have become' RACHEL JOYCEIn Bournville, a placid suburb of Birmingham, sits a famous chocolate factory. For eleven-year-old Mary and her family in 1945, it's the centre of the world. The reason their streets smell faintly of chocolate, the place where most of their friends and neighbours have worked for decades. Mary will go on to live through the Coronation and the World Cup final, royal weddings and royal funerals, Brexit and Covid-19. She'll have children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Parts of the chocolate factory will be transformed into a theme park, as modern life and the city crowd in on their peaceful enclave.As we travel through seventy-five years of social change, from James Bond to Princess Diana, and from wartime nostalgia to the World Wide Web, one pressing question starts to emerge: will these changing times bring Mary's family - and their country - closer together, or leave them more adrift and divided than ever before?*****'A beautiful, and often very funny, tribute to an underexamined place and also a truly moving story of how a country discovered tolerance' Sathnam Sanghera, bestselling author of Empireland'A hugely impressive state-of-the-nation tale' Observer'This charming read is as warming, rich and comforting as a mug of hot chocolate' The Times

Read more less

This volume offers the first comprehensive analysis in English of all the writings of Julian (r. AD 361-363), the last pagan emperor of Rome, noted for his frontal and self-conscious challenge to Christianity. This book also contains treatments of Julian's laws, inscriptions, coinage, as well as his artistic programme. Across nineteen papers, international specialists in the field of Late Antique Studies offer original interpretations of an extraordinary figure: emperor and philosopher, soldier and accomplished writer. Julian, his life and writings, are here considered as parts of the tumult in politics, culture and religion during the Fourth Century AD. New light is shed on Julian's distinctive literary style and imperial agenda. This volume also includes an up-to-date, consolidated bibliography.

Read more less

"Adam had no clue what adventure awaits him after losing his ball! In fact, he could not guess because you will write this story's ending. It is left to yourself to choose the course of events and determine Adams fate. Will you let him meet a Robot, or a Bunny? Are you going to make him a Spy or a Theatrical Star? Enjoy altering your choices and read a different story with every pick!"

Read more less

The story of a life. The story of the year.'Lessons shows [McEwan] at the very peak of his powers. He has written his masterpiece' Daily TelegraphWhen the world is still counting the cost of the Second World War and the Iron Curtain has descended, young Roland Baines's life is turned upside down. Stranded at boarding school, his vulnerability attracts his piano teacher, Miriam Cornell, leaving scars as well as a memory of love that will never fade.Twenty-five years later Roland's wife mysteriously vanishes, and he is left alone with their baby son. Her disappearance sparks of journey of discovery that will continue for decades, as Roland confronts the reality of his rootless existence and attempts to embrace the uncertainty - and freedom - of his future.'Ian McEwan is a masterful storyteller' Elif Shafak'A beautiful book about love, loss and regret' Observer'Luminous, beautifully written... about lives imperfectly lived' Vogue'A whole, unruly life between the covers of a single book: a literary feat' Spectator'A tour de force... A single life is silhouetted against global happenings' Sunday Times* A Book of the Year for The Times, Sunday Times, Financial Times, Spectator, New Statesman, Washington Post, Vogue and New Yorker *

Read more less