Search results for ""hodder stoughton""

OUT NOW: the new book from the bestselling authors and hosts of the wildy popular 'The Skeptics Guide to the Universe'__________Our predictions of the future are a wild fantasy, inextricably linked to our present hopes and fears, biases and ignorance. Whether they be the outlandish leaps predicted in the 1920s, like multi-purpose utility belts with climate control capabilities and planes the size of luxury cruise ships, or the forecasts of the '60s, which didn't anticipate the sexual revolution or women's liberation, the path to the present is littered with failed predictions and incorrect estimations.The best we can do is try to absorb from futurism's checkered past, perhaps learning to do a little better.In The Skeptics' Guide To The Future, Steven Novella and his co-authors build upon the work of futurists of the past by examining what they got right, what they got wrong, and how they came to those conclusions. By exploring the pitfalls of each era, they give their own speculations about the distant future, transformed by unbelievable technology ranging from genetic manipulation to artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Applying their trademark skepticism, they carefully extrapolate upon each scientific development, leaving no stone unturned as they lay out a vision for the future of tomorrow.__________

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I AM A WEAPON. USE ME.'FERAL AND TENDER' CHLOE GONGTHE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A fierce, sapphic fantasy about a witch whose mission to assassinate the prince she's betrothed to is compromised by the discovery of a deadly plague - and the beautiful princess intent on stopping it.After years of bloodshed, Ranka's coven has one last mission for her: travel to the human kingdom, marry the prince, and kill him. Easy enough. Except the prince is gentle and kind. And it is his sister, Aramis - wickedly smart and infuriatingly beautiful - who seems to be the real threat. When witches start dying from a mysterious, magical plague, Ranka and Aramis are forced together in a desperate hunt for a cure. Soon, Ranka will have to choose between the witches who raised her, and the princess she may be falling for . . .PRAISE FOR THE ONES WE BURN 'One of the freshest YA fantasies I've read in years' Natasha Ngan'Romantic, brutal, and hopeful' Hannah Whitten'I love this book. Rebecca Mix is a writer to watch' Adrienne Tooley'As beautiful as it is fierce' Adalyn Grace

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'READ IMMEDIATELY' Claudia Winkleman'Hilarious. The season's must have' Minnie Driver'An addictive, glorious romp' Clare Pooley'Lifts the lid on the mad world of fashion' Anya HindmarchMeet Frankie Marks: the last person you would expect to work in fashion.Frankie is desperate for a job. Any job. So when she lands a role at the prestigious GGC agency, she's thrilled. She'll be assisting on the publicity for luxury, super-expensive fashion brands and big high street names. Frankie doesn't know the first thing about designers or dress sizes, but how hard can it be?Her family, friends and long-suffering boyfriend don't think Frankie will last five minutes and she's determined to prove them wrong, no matter what it takes.But first, she needs to learn the difference between velour and velvet . . .A brilliantly witty and laugh-out-loud look behind the scenes of the glitz and glamour of the fashion world, written by a true industry insider. Fans of The Devil Wears Prada and Crazy Rich Asians will be hooked from the very first page.Readers love Don't Believe the Hype:'Deliciously addictive' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'Hilarious' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'Laugh-out-loud funny' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'Extremely entertaining' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review'Juicy' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

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The realms are dying, and only the heirs can save the city - but at what cost.The Four Realms - Life, Death, Light, and Darkness - all converge on the city of dusk. For each realm there is a god, and for each god there is an heir. But the gods have withdrawn their favour from the once vibrant and thriving city. And without it, all the realms are dying. Unwilling to stand by and watch the destruction, the four heirs-Risha, a necromancer struggling to keep the peace; Angelica, an elementalist with her eyes set on the throne; Taesia, a shadow-wielding rogue with rebellion in her heart; and Nik, a soldier who struggles to see the light- will sacrifice everything to save the city. But their defiance will cost them dearly.'For Sim's most devoted fans' - Publishers Weekly'A lot to love' - Kirkus Reviews

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This bumper collection of the funniest anecdotes, jokes and stories from cricket's best-loved personalities proves that cricket is a funny game - even when rain stops play!In this updated and expanded edition, you can read not only the most popular stories by five of the game's all-time great characters - Richie Benaud, Dickie Bird, Henry Blofeld, Brian Johnston and Fred Trueman - but also the humour of famous cricketers such as Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff, Justin Langer, Shane Warne, and modern players including Jimmy Anderson, Joe Root and Ben Stokes.Here are dozens of hilarious anecdotes from around the world about the legendary cricketers Geoffrey Boycott, Donald Bradman, Michael Holding, Sachin Tendulkar and many others - not to mention broadcasting gaffes and giggles, sledging, short-sighted umpires and the phantom sock snipper in the England dressing-room!

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'A page-turning retelling . . . so interesting and thought-provoking' JENNIFER SAINT'A fresh and original take on the myth of Perseus . . . I was gripped by the human drama at the novel's heart' ELODIE HARPER*****Perfect for fans of Jennifer Saint, Elodie Harper and Natalie Haynes, author of Daughters of Sparta Claire Heywood returns with an imaginative reinterpretation of the myth of the great hero Perseus, bringing to life the voices of three women who are side-lined in the traditional version, and whose stories reveal a man who might not, in fact, be a hero at all. His mother Banished from her homeland thanks to a prophecy foretelling that her unborn child will one day cause the death of her father, Danae finds herself stranded, pregnant, and alone. Forging a new life for herself and for her young son Perseus will be the hardest thing she's ever done.His trophy As a member of a reclusive band of women who live deep in the woods, known as the Gorgons, Medusa has eschewed all contact with the outside world. That is, until the day she finds an injured boy named Perseus in the forest. His wife When a harsh sandstorm threatens to destroy her nomadic desert tribe's way of life, Andromeda knows that a sacrifice will be required to appease the gods and end the storm. But when a forceful young Perseus interferes, Andromeda's life is set on an entirely new path. As Perseus becomes increasingly obsessed with the promise of his own destiny, his heroic journey casts a shadow of violence and destruction across all three women's lives. But even as he tries to silence them, the women may find that reclaiming their voices is their only hope for lifting themselves into a better future.*****Readers LOVE The Shadow of Perseus:'I absolutely adored this book, I devoured it.' *****'I think it's absolutely brilliant! It's bold and brave, and beautiful in parts . . . and also a little bit gut-wrenching in others.' *****'I loved the more human take on the Greek myth. The book is a real page turner.' *****'This was such a compelling and wonderful read! I genuinely loved every minute of this book and cannot recommend it highly enough!' *****'A beautifully written, unique, approach to the myth of Perseus. Just gripping' *****'A masterful voice in the popular new wave of feminist reworkings of Greek mythology . . . A must-read for fans of Madeline Miller and Natalie Haynes' *****'As someone who loves Greek Mythology retellings i absolutely loved reading this book' *****'The story of each woman is empowering, courageous and such a delight to read. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and will be going back to read the authors other works as well as any future reads' *****

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James and Paul, also known as the Twochubbycubs (triple Sunday Times Bestsellers mind you, no less), are finally back with their latest serving of flavoursome and filling recipes that are designed with one thing in mind: to give you delicious slimming dinners, lovely lunches and bangin' breakfasts without ever feeling like you're on a diet.Having lost over TEN STONE each, the Cubs know the importance of not only losing the weight but also keeping it off. There's no magical mystery: it's about enjoying your food and your meals being something you look forward to, not endure in the name of 'healthy eating'. As a result, every single meal in Full On Flavour might be low-calorie, but you're guaranteed wonderfully tasty meals that leave you satisfied. Not the best cook? Don't worry: nor are they by their own admission - so every meal is simple to prepare. Cooking for the family? No need to prepare your own 'special' food, these are meals for everyone to enjoy. Complex ingredients that you'll only use once? Not in this book - the Cubs are too tight for that malarkey. Like all the previous books, there is one key ingredient running all the way through: humour. The world of dieting and healthy eating can be a grey, boring affair, but not here - each recipe is prefaced by a little sprinkling of the frivolity that they're known for. On top of that, there's a guide to exercise and calorie counting if you're just getting started.With over 15,000 5* reviews of their previous books and hundreds of thousands of copies sold, you're in safe hands with the Cubs! Recipes include:Cheese 'n' onion French toast / Bacon and potato soup / Onion bhaji curry / Veggie cheats lasagne / Spring roll in a bowl / Pizza-stuffed meatloaf / Chocolate lava cakesFULL-ON FLAVOUR will become your absolute go-to for easy, daily cooking inspiration!

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King and Chizmar join forces again with a powerful stand-alone novel that is also the final chapter in the Gwendy trilogy.When Gwendy Peterson was twelve, a stranger named Richard Farris gave her a mysterious box for safekeeping. It offered treats and vintage coins, but it was dangerous. Pushing any of its seven coloured buttons promised death and destruction.Years later, the button box re-entered Gwendy's life. A successful novelist and a rising political star, she was once more forced to deal with the temptations that the box represented - an amazing sense of wellbeing, balanced by a terrifyingly dark urge towards disaster.With the passing of time, the box has grown ever stronger and evil forces are striving to possess it. Once again, it is up to Gwendy Peterson, now a United States Senator battling the early symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease, to keep it from them. At all costs. But where can you hide something from such powerful entities?Gwendy's Final Task is a wildly suspenseful and at the same time deeply moving novel in which 'horror giants' (Publishers Weekly) Stephen King and Richard Chizmar take us on a journey from Castle Rock to another famous cursed Maine city to the MF-1 space station, where Gwendy must execute a secret mission to save the world. And, maybe, all worlds.

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Book 18 in the acclaimed and number one-bestselling Three Pines series featuring the beloved Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.It's spring and Three Pines is re-emerging after the harsh winter. But not everything buried should come alive again. Not everything lying dormant should return. But something has. As the villagers prepare for a special celebration, Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir find themselves increasingly worried. A young man and woman have reappeared in the Sûreté du Québec investigators' lives after many years. The two were young children when their troubled mother was murdered, leaving them damaged, shattered. Now they've arrived in the village of Three Pines. But to what end? Gamache and Beauvoir's memories of that tragic case, the one that first brought them together, come rushing back. Did their mother's murder hurt them beyond repair? Have those terrible wounds, buried for decades, festered and are now about to erupt? As Chief Inspector Gamache works to uncover answers, his alarm grows when a letter written by a long dead stone mason is discovered. In it the man describes his terror when bricking up an attic room somewhere in the village. Every word of the 150-year-old letter is filled with dread. When the room is found, the villagers decide to open it up. As the bricks are removed, Gamache, Beauvoir and the villagers discover a world of curiosities. But the head of homicide soon realizes there's more in that room than meets the eye. There are puzzles within puzzles, and hidden messages warning of mayhem and revenge. In unsealing that room, an old enemy is released into their world. Into their lives. And into the very heart of Armand Gamache's home.PRAISE FOR LOUISE PENNY AND THE INSPECTOR GAMACHE SERIES:'Enthralling ... With beautifully drawn characters, this is crime writing of the highest order' DAILY MAIL'A satisfying and multi-layered mystery, in Penny's excellent series' IRISH INDEPENDENT'Louise Penny is on peak form ... a grown-up, timely thriller that considers the nature of cowardice ... merges the personal and professional life of her detective with equal skill and wit' THE TIMES'A great sense of place and characterisation ... very much a book that will make you think' SHOTS 'Louise Penny is one of the greatest crime writers of our times' DENISE MINA 'Gamache has become to Canada what Hercule Poirot is to Belgium' THE NEW YORK TIMES 'Louise Penny twists and turns the plot expertly tripping the reader up just at the moment you think you might have solved the mystery' DAILY EXPRESS 'The series is deep and grand and altogether extraordinary . . . Miraculous' WASHINGTON POST 'No one does atmospheric quite like Louise Penny' ELLY GRIFFITHS

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"The book is a sensory feast, teeming with vivid detail: the smells of rain-soaked dirt and magnolia blossoms, the flavors of blistered corn and caramelized orange peel, the chill of a walk-in refrigerator." New York Times"Yerba Buena is at turns decadent and spare, intimate and elusive, as balanced, fragrant, and masterfully crafted as a fine cocktail in the hands of someone mysterious and beautiful. This book is a precious thing." - Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of One Last StopWhen Sara Foster runs away from home at sixteen, she leaves behind not only the losses that have shattered her world but the girl she once was, capable of trust and intimacy. Years later, in Los Angeles, she is a sought-after bartender, renowned as much for her brilliant cocktails as for the mystery that clings to her. Across the city, Emilie Dubois is in a holding pattern. In her seventh year and fifth major as an undergraduate, she yearns for the beauty and community her Creole grandparents cultivated but is unable to commit. On a whim, she takes a job arranging flowers at the glamorous restaurant Yerba Buena and embarks on an affair with the married owner.When Sara catches sight of Emilie one morning at Yerba Buena, their connection is immediate. But the damage both women carry, and the choices they have made, will pull them apart again and again. At once exquisite and expansive, astonishing in its humanity and heart, Yerba Buena is a love story about two women finding their way in the world.

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Two emperors - one must fallMarcus Aquila and his patron Rutlius Scaurus have fought a superior enemy force to a standstill in Thracia, gaining the favour of the gods but paying a grievous cost in their family's blood.Battle-weary and mourning their losses, they are tasked with rooting out a spy ring operating in the lands into which their imperial master Severus's armies are advancing.Hunting down informers operating under the skilled and ruthless command of their sworn enemy Sartorius, spymaster to the usurper Niger, will not be easy. But the potential to turn his intelligence network, and thereby deceive and distract the enemy, might land a war-winning blow on the army of the east. The quest to find and subvert their foes' informers will place the two friends at great risk, with torture and death the price of any mistake. While success will put them in the front rank of a bitter battle against battle hardened legions, hungry for revenge, in a bloody struggle to determine the fate of Asia's loyalty. And Scaurus is a man with a powerful threat still hanging over him, a curse imploring the gods to fell him at the very moment of his greatest victory.'A master of the genre' The Times

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In OSCAR WILDE AND THE DEAD MAN'S SMILE, the third in Gyles Brandreth's acclaimed Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries series featuring Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle, Oscar risks his life to solve a series of deadly murders in bohemian Paris...'Intelligent, amusing and entertaining' Alexander McCall Smith Paris, 1883. Oscar Wilde, aged twenty-seven, has come to the city of decadence to discover its charms, to rekindle his friendship with the divine Sarah Bernhardt and to collaborate with France's most celebrated actor-manager, Edmond La Grange. Oscar discovers dark secrets lying at the heart of the La Grange company, and is confronted by murders both foul and bizarre. To solve the crimes, to unravel the mystery, Oscar risks his life - and his reputation - embarking on a dangerous adventure that takes him from bohemian night clubs to an asylum for the insane, from a duel in the Buttes de Chaumont to the gates of Reading Gaol.

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NED BEAUMAN HAS BEEN NAMED AS ONE OF GRANTA MAGAZINE'S BEST OF YOUNG BRITISH NOVELISTS 2013LONGLISTED FOR THE 2012 MAN BOOKER PRIZEAN OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEARA DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEARAN EVENING STANDARD BOOK OF THE YEARThe fantastically inventive, ingenious and hilarious second novel from Ned Beauman, author of the acclaimed and prizewinning BOXER, BEETLE.HISTORY HAPPENED WHILE YOU WERE HUNGOVERWhen you haven't had sex in a long time, it feels like the worst thing that could ever happen to anyone.If you're living in Germany in the 1930s, it probably isn't.But that's no consolation to Egon Loeser, whose carnal misfortunes will push him from the experimental theatres of Berlin to the absinthe bars of Paris to the physics laboratories of Los Angeles, trying all the while to solve two mysteries: whether it was really a deal with Satan that claimed the life of his hero, the great Renaissance stage designer Adriano Lavicini; and why a handsome, clever, charming, modest guy like him can't, just once in a while, get himself laid.From the author of the acclaimed BOXER, BEETLE comes a historical novel that doesn't know what year it is; a noir novel that turns all the lights on; a romance novel that arrives drunk to dinner; a science fiction novel that can't remember what 'isotope' means; a stunningly inventive, exceptionally funny, dangerously unsteady and (largely) coherent novel about sex, violence, space, time, and how the best way to deal with history is to ignore it.LET'S HOPE THE PARTY WAS WORTH IT

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My Whispering Angels is the extraordinary story of an ordinary Irish wife and mother blessed with an incredible gift.Francesca faced the dawn of the new millennium debilitated by ill-health and despair, without any hope or faith in her future. This was until the loving angels and spirits that she remembered watching over her as a young girl returned to save her in adulthood.We are taken on a wondrous journey of self-discovery as Francesca describes how her angels helped her to recover from her illness and led her to a profound spiritual healing. The angels taught her how to use her gift to help others and to use her insight to guide them to lives enriched with hope and purpose.Francesca's remarkable story is a testament to the transformations that can occur if you open your eyes and your heart to hope.

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If we could turn back the clock psychologically, could we also turn it back physically?For more than thirty years, award-winning psychologist Ellen Langer has studied this provocative question, and now, in Counterclockwise, she presents a conclusive answer: opening our minds to what's possible, instead of clinging to notions about what's not, can lead to better health - at any age.Drawing on landmark work in the field and her own body of colourful and highly original experiments, Langer shows that the magic of rejuvenation and ongoing good health lies in being aware of the ways we mindlessly react to social and cultural cues.With only subtle shifts in our thinking, our language, and in our expectations, she tells us that we can begin to change the ingrained behaviour that sap health, optimism, and vitality from our lives.Immensely readable and truly fascinating, Counterclockwise offers a transformative and bold new paradigm: the psychology of possibility. A hopeful and groundbreaking book by an author who has changed how people all over the world think and feel. Counterclockwise is sure to become a standard source on new-century science and healing.

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Shortly after 12.30pm on 2 November 2007, Italian police were called to the Perugia home of 21-year-old British student Meredith Kercher. They found her body on the floor under a beige quilt. Her throat had been cut.Four days later, the prosecutor jailed Meredith's flatmate American student Amanda Knox, and Raffaele Sollecito, her Italian boyfriend. He also jailed Rudy Guede, an Ivory Coast drifter. Four years later Knox and Sollecito were acquitted amid chaotic scenes in front of the world's media.Uniquely based on four years of reporting and access to the complete case files, Death In Perugia takes readers on a riveting journey behind the scenes of the investigation, as John Follain shares the drama of the trials and appeal hearings he lived through. Including exclusive interviews with Meredith's friends and other key sources, Death in Perugia reveals how the Italian dream turned into a nightmare.

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A gripping read on the real story of Rose West who, together with her husband Fred West, became Britain's biggest and most notorious murderers.***As seen on the Channel 5 documentary Making a Monster***Although it's hard to believe now, Rose West was an exceptionally beautiful little girl with long, glossy dark hair and big brown eyes. Looking at photos of young Rosie as a child, it is almost impossible to comprehend that she would grow up to become one of Britain's most notorious female murderers. But Rose's early life made her the perfect partner for Fred West, and the two committed a string of murders in Gloucester throughout the seventies and eighties. Her part in the killings is very different to that which many people believe even today.What happened to that little girl to make her capable of such violence? Or was there something wrong - a predisposition to cruelty - which she was born with?Crime writer Jane Carter Woodrow goes back to the start of Rose's life to piece together what it was that turned her into a monster. In doing so, she presents us with a profile of the young Rose West and a fascinating insight into the mind of a killer.ROSE is a gripping read which sheds light for the first time on the real story of Rose West - taking the reader on a journey from her childhood through to her becoming the country's biggest and most infamous female sexual predator and serial killer.

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Now with a stunning new cover look, King's 'propulsively intriguing . . . staggeringly addictive' (USA Today) No. 1 bestseller, that inspired the hit television series, centres on a small town suddenly cut off from the rest of the world.Time isn't just running short. It's running out.On a beautiful autumn day, a small New England town is suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into the dome and rain down flaming wreckage. A gardener's hand is severed as it descends. Cars explode on impact. Families are separated and panic mounts.No one can fathom what the barrier is, where it came from, or when - and if - it will go away.Now, a few intrepid citizens, led by an Iraq War veteran turned short-order cook, face down a ruthless politician dead set on seizing the reins of power in the town. But their main adversary is the dome itself . . .

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'There are some stories that require as much courage to write as they do art. Peter Ho Davies's achingly honest, searingly comic portrait of fatherhood is just such a story . . . The world needs more stories like this one, more of this kind of courage, more of this kind of love.' - Sigrid Nunez, National Book Award-winning author of The FriendWhen does sorrow turn to shame? When does love become labour? When does chance become choice? And when does fact become fiction?A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself traces the complex consequences of one of the most personal yet public, intimate yet political, experiences a family can have: to have a child, and conversely, the decision not to have a child. A woman's first pregnancy is interrupted by test results at once catastrophic and uncertain, leaving her and her husband, a writer, reeling. A second pregnancy ends in a fraught birth, a beloved child, the purgatory of further tests - and questions that reverberate down the years.This spare, supple narrative chronicles the flux of parenthood, marriage, and the day-to-day practice of loving someone. As challenging as it is vulnerable, as furious as it is tender, as touching as it is darkly comic, Peter Ho Davies's new novel is an unprecedented depiction of fatherhood.

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If you're looking for a gripping new crime series, you'll love Aline Templeton. Featuring DI Marjory Fleming - 'Big Marge' - and set in Galloway. If you enjoy novels by Ann Cleeves, Faith Martin, Val McDermid and LJ Ross, try Cradle to Grave.'The crime czar of the Scottish small town!' Val McDermidAccused of murdering the baby in her care, seemingly cold and measured nanny Lisa Stewart maintains her innocence. But when she changes her name and tries to run away, the terrifying threats always find her. Is she an innocent victim of public anger? Or a calculating murderer on the run? DI Marjory Fleming, battling with troubles of her own, must find out.Reader reviews:'Another beautifully constructed crime story in the delightful and addictive DI Marjory Fleming series''One of the most gripping books I have read in a long time''Templeton is an excellent writer who deserves a much wider audience'

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'That night I lay in my new bed and the pain came. I thought about Irene. I would find her again. I had to.'Alan and Irene first met in a cold, regimented children's home when he was seven and she was nine. Both had lost their mothers when they were very young. When a car drew up outside the Home, Alan was staring out of the window, and when he saw the little girl step out onto the pavement, he knew, in that instant, that she was someone special. Over the next year the children were inseparable. But close friendships weren't encouraged and when theirs was discovered Alan was sent away without any explanation and no goodbye. He disappeared abruptly from Irene's life.Not Without You contains painful memories of loneliness, cruelty and a total lack of empathy with what it means to be young. But in this astonishing story, two children demonstrate the ultimate truth: that love will always find a way.

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Bestselling author, Cesar Millan, takes his principles of dog psychology a step further, showing you how to develop the calm-assertive energy of a successful pack leader and use it to improve your dog's life - and your own.Filled with practical tips and techniques as well as success stories from his fans, clients (including the Grogan family), and his popular television show Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, Cesar helps you understand and read your dog's energy as well as your own so that you can move beyond just correcting behavioural issues and take your connection with your dog to the next level.The principles of calm-assertive energy will help you become a better pack leader in every area of your life, improving your relationships with friends, family and co-workers. In addition, Cesar addresses several important issues for the first time, including what you need to know about the major dog behaviour tools available and the difference between 'personality' and 'instability'.What emerges from BE THE PACK LEADER are both happier dogs and happier, more centred owners.

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The seventh book in the phenomenally successful Thursday Next series by Number One bestselling author Jasper Fforde. 'Fans of the late Douglas Adams, or, even, Monty Python, will feel at home with Fforde' - HeraldThe BookWorld's leading enforcement officer Thursday Next is four months into an enforced semi-retirement following an assassination attempt. She returns home to Swindon for what you'd expect to be a time of recuperation. If only life were that simple. Thursday is faced with an array of family problems - son Friday's lack of focus since his career in the Chronoguard was relegated to a might-have-been, daughter Tuesday's difficulty perfecting the Anti-Smote shield needed to thwart an angry Deity's promise to wipe Swindon off the face of the earth, and Jenny, who doesn't exist. And that's not all. With Goliath attempting to replace Thursday at every opportunity with synthetic Thursdays, the prediction that Friday's Destiny-Aware colleagues will die in mysterious circumstances, and a looming meteorite that could destroy all human life on earth, Thursday's retirement is going to be anything but easy . . .

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Life didn't stop in the Avenue because the war had started . . .Berni Carver joins up with the Commandos with his twin brother hoping they will serve out the war together. Archie Carver is determined to end the war richer than when it started. Elaine Fraser seizes her opportunity to live a little now her husband is out of the way. War has broken out and the blitz will soon change everything in the Avenue. Many men have gone off to fight but others stay behind with less honourable intentions . . .

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font size="+1">'Nothing gets me to a bookstore faster than Eloisa James' Julia Quinn, bestselling author of Bridgertons The fourth book in the New York Times bestselling Desperate Duchesses series, perfect for fans of Julia Quinn's Bridgertons and Eloisa's Wildes of Lindow Castle'Choc-full of romantic heroes romantic heroes that would give Darcy a run for his money.' Carole MatthewsFor the Duke of Cosway, it was a marriage of convenience. For his bride, it was anything but... Isidore has waited for many long, frustrating years for her mysterious husband to return from exploring the world. They were married by proxy when she was just a child, but now she's fully grown and yearns for nothing more than for her duke to return. Until he does come back. And he is not what she expected. At all. Cosway refuses to conform to any of society's norms: he won't powder his hair, has little regard for cravats, and seems frighteningly keen on running around the countryside in nothing but short trousers. But - more shocking than any other revelation - he reveals that he is a virgin. While Cosway begins to discover that there may be more adventures in marriage than in all of the rest of the world, Isadore will learn whether her duke was truly worth waiting for...

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A funny and enchanting romcom from the author of CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY-SOMETHING F##K UP!If only you knew then what you know now . . .***Imagine if you could go back ten years and meet your younger self. What advice would you give . . . wear sun cream? Stay away from those PVC trousers? He's the one - don't let him go?For Charlotte Merryweather, there's no need to imagine. She's about to find out for real.Alexandra Potter's deliciously funny and enchanting romantic comedy looks at life, love and what might happen if you could turn back time.

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Would you like to 'speak' to your baby? Are you worried about abnormal bad behaviour? Or surprised by how different your toddler's temperament is to your own? Most of the everyday conflicts that plague families stem simply from a communication gap between parent and child. Famous for her life-changing system of 'baby language', in Child Sense Priscilla Dunstan extends her focus to the first 5 years of life, revealing how best to interpret your child's behaviour and maximise their potential for success and happiness in life.With hands-on experience as a mum, as well as 8 years of practical one-on-one work as a family therapist, Priscilla's revolutionary insight is to identify that each of us is born with one dominant sense mode - seeing, hearing, touching, or tasting and smelling. And that this exercises a profound influence on the way we experience the world and communicate our needs to those around us. Whether you have a visual child, who is always concerned with how things look, or a tactile child, who is physical and practical and responds best to clear, direct suggestions, Priscilla offers invaluable advice about everything from toilet training to temper tantrums, from sleepless nights to problem eating. And she has a repertoire of tips and techniques to help you interpret your little one's behaviour, and adapt your parenting style to suit their temperament. With real-life case studies, checklists and personality quizzes, Child Sense reveals how learning one thing about your child could change both your lives.

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In 1915, two spirited Australian sisters join the war effort as nurses, escaping the confines of their father's dairy farm and carrying a guilty secret with them. Used to tending the sick as they are, nothing could have prepared them for what they confront, first in the Dardanelles, then on the Western Front. Yet they find courage in the face of extreme danger and become the friends they never were before. And eventually they meet the kind of men worth giving up their precious independence for - if only they all survive.At once epic in scope and extraordinarily intimate, The Daughters of Mars brings the First World War to vivid life from an unusual perspective. Profoundly moving, it pays tribute to the men and women who voluntarily risked their lives for peace.

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We live in an age of waffle, mumbo-jumbo and bad thinking. We're forever being fed dodgy information by so-called experts, scientists, opinion-makers, politicians, journalists and jumped-up little graduates. Their combined bad thinking includes: *the idea that no one should win in running races at school, in case the losers get upset*the idea that owning a house in France is a decent way to spend your money *the idea that we should all talk about our feelings and that would make things better*speed cameras*mineral water*hummus*and the fact that everyone reckons they've got asthma. Why do we believe this nonsense? Because, as a nation we've forgotten the basic elements of common sense. Thank God then for Al Murray. Together with the collecting thoughts of hia locals, he's here to put good old-fashioned British common sense back where it belongs.

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The third Kathryn Dance novel from Number One bestseller Jeffery Deaver.Kayleigh Towne is a beautiful and successful singer-songwriter, and Edwin Sharp is her biggest fan. When she replies to one of his fan letters with 'XO', Edwin is convinced she loves him, and that her latest hit song 'Your Shadow' was written for him. Nothing Kayleigh or her lawyers can say persuades him otherwise.Then the singer gets an anonymous phone call; it's the first verse of 'Your Shadow' playing. Soon after, one of the crew is horribly murdered. Kayleigh's friend Kathryn Dance, a special agent with the California Bureau of Investigation, knows that stalking crimes are not one-off occurrences, and, sure enough, more verses of the song are played as warnings of death to follow. With a little help from forensic criminalist Lincoln Rhyme, Dance must use her kinesic and investigative skills in an attempt to find the killer before more people die.Deaver has written the actual song, 'Your Shadow'. Readers are able to download it from www.jefferydeaver.com.

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A fifteen-year-old boy firebombs a building as he listens to Vivaldi's Winter Concerto splicing behind a red hot R 'n' B track. A veteran musician is found dead in an alley with the pulse of an old time reggae classic playing in his pocket. Rap sensation Lord Tribulation discovers his new found stardom threatened when he finds himself in the middle of both incidents.His music is accused of inciting the firebombing, and the dead musician is his father. With the beat of the media and government blasting down his neck, LT's search for the truth about his father's death takes him back to an old flame, and on a retro trail to 1976. A time when music was politics and politics was music. A time when the heat-drenched streets of Notting Hill burst into open rebellion. A time that, as LT gets closer to the truth, could lead straight to his own murder . . .An exciting, must-read, atmosphere-drenched novel set against the world of rap and East London.

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'First of all, let's get one thing straight. Your Italy and out Italia are not the same thing. Italy is a soft drug peddled in predictable packages such as hills in the sunset, olive groves, white wine and raven haired girls. Italia, on the other hand, is a maze. It's alluring but complicated. In Italia you can go round and round in circles for years. Which of course, is great fun.' Beppe Severgnini was The Economist's Italian correspondent for ten years. A huge Anglophile as well as an astute observer of his countrymen, he's the perfect companion for this hilarious tour of modern Italy that takes you behind the seductive face it puts on for visitors - la bella figura - and uncovers the far more complex, paradoxical true self. Alongside the historic cities and glorious countryside, there'll be stops at the places where the Italians reveal themselves in all their authentic, maddening glory: the airport, the motorway and the living room. Ten days, thirty places. From north to south, from food to politics, from saintliness to sexuality. This witty and beguiling examination will help you understand why Italy, as Beppe says, 'can have you fuming and then purring in the space of a hundred metres or ten minutes.'

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When Sam Richardson returns in 1946 from the 'Forgotten War' in Burma to Wigton in Cumbria, he finds the town little changed. But the war has changed him, broadening his horizons as well as leaving him with traumatic memories. In addition, his six-year-old son now barely remembers him, and his wife has gained a sense of independence from her wartime jobs. As all three strive to adjust, the bonds of loyalty and love are stretched to breaking point in this taut, and profoundly moving novel.

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PERFECT FOR FANS OF SUSIE STEINER Someone is dead because of Jamie. Yesterday they were alive. Jamie Worth is a newly qualified as a firearms officer and is called to a domestic disturbance. Events get out of hand, and he shoots and kills a teenaged girl who appears to have been unarmed. Already wracked with guilt, he is horrified when, with the media baying for blood, he is accused of murder. How can a police officer survive in prison when he suddenly finds himself on the wrong side of the law? And how can his wife Cath and ex Anna come to terms with what has happened? From the author of THE TWILIGHT TIME, AFTER THE FIRE is a chilling glimpse of the flipside of life as a law enforcer, written in 'stiletto-sharp prose' (The Herald) by one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction. Praise for Karen Campbell 'Gritty as all hell, shot through with black humour and with enough pace and atmosphere to give the likes of Denise Mina a run for their money. All this and the chutzpah to create a seedy and unpleasant superintendent named Rankin!' font size="+1">Mark Billingham 'The plot is wonderful, the characterisation of a family in crisis is both sharp and sympathetic, and the author does not shy away from examining the less palatable aspects of relations between the police and the public' Guardian 'I loved it . . . Anna is a great, original character and Karen Campbell has a great way with images' Kate Atkinson 'Karen Campbell deserves to be admitted to membership of what's becoming a very large club - Scottish crime writers of excellence . . . As to be expected from a former police officer, Campbell portrays her milieu with harsh authenticity, and Anna Cameron is wholly believable in her unheroic role. Glasgow and its citizens are described with vivid passion' The Times

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In his final instalment in his autobiographical trilogy, Robert Douglas takes us through the sixties and into the eighties with his memories of life as a prison officer, and, at the end of his career, as an electricity chargehand driving around the Yorkshire Dales. He tells us of his prison experiences, with anecdotes about many of the most famous criminals in British history - the Krays, the Richardsons, the Great Train Robbers, Soviet spies and many more.Told in the same endearing and fascinating voice that readers of LAST SONG OF THE NIGHT TRAM and SOMEWHERE TO LAY MY HEAD first fell in love with, this volume continues the story of Robert's remarkable journey of self-education, introducing us to larger-than-life characters on both sides of the bars, and evoking a strong sense of social change as Britain emerged from the post-War gloom into the bright lights of the Beatles years.

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Recognised as 'The first truly definitive English-language study of this myth-laden subject and a pleasure to read' (Sunday Times) COSA NOSTRA is the compelling story of the Sicilian mafia, the world's most famous, most secretive and most misunderstood criminal fraternity.The mafia has been given many names since it was founded one hundred and forty years ago: the Sect, the Brotherhood, the Honoured Society, and now Cosa Nostra. Yet as times have changed, the mafia's subtle and bloody methods have remained the same. Now, for the first time, COSA NOSTRA reconstructs the complete history of the Sicilian mafia from its origins to the present day, from the lemon groves and sulphur mines of Sicily, to the streets of Manhattan.Described by Andrew Marr as 'Monumental and gripping' COSA NOSTRA is a history rich in atmosphere with the narrative pace of the best detective fiction, and hailed in Italy as the best book ever written about the mafia.

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Consuelo is sixteen, heavily pregnant and married to an unemployed gangster. The last thing she needs is a negligent doctor.When she is rushed into the Friendship private hospital, the staff are reluctant to treat her. Fortunately she has Vic Warshawski, family friend and ex-lawyer, with her.But Consuelo and her baby are the tragic victims of a system so corrupt that it pays her husband to keep quiet. Anyone who can discover anything about the unorthodox dealings of the Friendship is in danger. And Vic's investigations are just about to begin . . .

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Clarissa was born into wealth and privilege, as a child, shooting and hunting were the norm and pigeons were flown in from Cairo for supper. Her mother was an Australian heiress, her father was a brilliant surgeon to the Royal family. But he was also a tyrannical and violent drunk who used to beat her and force her to eat carrots with slugs still clinging to them. Clarissa was determined and clever, though, and her ambition led her to a career in the law. At the age of 21, she was the youngest ever woman to be called to the Bar.Disaster struck when her adored mother died suddenly. It was to lead to a mind-numbing decade of wild over-indulgence. Rich from her inheritance, in the end Clarissa partied away her entire fortune. It was a long, hard road to recovery along which Clarissa finally faced her demons and turned to the one thing that had always brought her joy - cooking. Now at last she has found success, sobriety and peace.With the stark honesty and the brilliant wit we love her for, Clarissa recounts the tale of a life lived to extremes. A vivid and funny story, it is as moving as it is a cracking good read.

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Meeting an anonymous client on a sizzling summer night is asking for trouble. Especially when the client lies and tells V.I. Warshawski he's the prominent banker John Thayer, looking for his son's missing girlfriend. But V.I. soon discovers the real John Thayer's son - and he's dead.As V.I. begins to question her mysterious client's motives, she sinks deeper into Chicago's darker side: a world of gangsters, insurance fraud and contract killings. And while she must concentrate on saving the life of someone she has never met, it becomes clear that she is in danger of losing her own.

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'Like Salvador Dali's confessions, only far funnier and more self-deprecating, Dandy in the Underworld entertains as much as it revolts, is as tender as it is shocking, and as genuine as it is false.' IndependentSure to shock and surprise, Sebastian Horsley recounts his life story with excruciating self-knowledge and a savage wit.'One of the funniest, strangest and most revolting memoirs ever written.' Sunday TimesGrowing up at High Hall, in Hull, with his alcoholic mother, who regularly attempted suicide, his stepfather, a cult member dressed in orange, and his father, a crippled millionaire, Sebastian Horsley couldn't wait to leave home. Searching for happiness, meaning and a good outfit he embarked on a doomed career as a punk guitarist, had a stormy relationship with a notorious Scottish gangster, enjoyed a wildly successful period as a stock-market entrepeneur and experienced a near fatal stint as a shark-hunter. Sebastian charts his years as a dandy, an artist, a male escort and a brothel connoisseur. There are the love affairs, with Rachel 1 and Rachel 2, and a harrowing descent into heroin and crack addiction. Dandy in the Underworld evokes his desperate attempts to get clean, culminating in his crucifixion in the Philippines.

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It is 1942. The theatres of war are North Africa and Italy. All eyes follow the front, but behind the scenes a messier war continues, an improvised game of snatched triumphs, terrible mistakes and terrifying uncertainty.Cabaret singer by night, spy by day, Richard risks his life to help British servicemen escape occupied France and get back to England. Rose leads a group of dancers with mixed morals high-kicking to entertain the troops as Hitler's bombers roar in the skies above. Then she is given orders to join the forces in the field, destination unknown.Meanwhile a phantom pianist, who has lost the love of his life, is following Montys soldiers across the African desert, mocking the enemies guns by playing Beethoven between the lines.

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The eighth book in the bestselling Dan 'Spider' Shepherd series. Kidnapping is one of the cruellest crimes - lives are put at risk for cold, hard cash. But when Somali pirates seize the crew of a yacht off the coast of Africa, they bite off more than they can chew.One of the hostages has friends in high places and Spider Shepherd is put on the case. He goes deep undercover in an audacious plan to bring an end to the pirate gang's reign of terror.But as Shepherd closes in on his quarry he realises that there's much more at stake than the lives of the hostages and that the pirates are involved in a terrorist plot that will strike at the heart of London.

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By the 1700s, the Aborigine people have lived in harmony with the land in Australia for sixty thousand years. But now, ghost-ships are arriving, their very existence is threatened by a terrifying white invasion.When Jonathan Cadwallader leaves Cornwall to sail on the Endeavour, he leaves behind his sweetheart, Susan Penhalligan . . . That is, until an act of brutality reunites them in the raw and unforgiving penal colony of New South Wales.Billy Penhalligan has survived transportation and clings to the promise of a new beginning. But there will be more suffering before he or his fellow convicts can regard Australia as home . . . .A sweeping tale of discovery, love and hardship in the sixteenth century which will bring emergent Australia and all its inhabitants - new and old - to life.

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A spellbinding story of a young French prince and a Cornish girl caught up in the intrigue of the 10th Century English Court. '[Anya Seton] brought history so vividly to life' (Philippa Gregory)Merewyn has grown up in savage 10th Century Cornwall; a lonely girl, sustained by stubborn courage and pride in her descent from the great King Arthur. Rumon, a young French prince, has always dreamed of finding the idyllic island of hearsay and legend, Avalon. He gladly leaves his home in Provence but his hopes are dashed when his ship is wrecked off the Cornish coast. Rumon and Merewyn meet and from that hour their lives are intertwined. They make their way to the court of King Edgar and his beautiful young queen. At first they are dazzled but there is evil lurking in the corridors of power . . .Stretching from France to the eastern shores of America to the plains of Greenland, the journeys of Rumon and Merewyn make for an unforgettable saga.

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The doctor is back again and on the wards! Now in his third year as junior doctor, Max looks and sounds the part. But this time around, things are not at all as he expected ...The junior doctor ... back on the wards. After a year on the streets treating outreach patients, Max Pemberton is back in the relative comfort of hospital. This time running between elderly care and the dementia clinic to A&E and outpatients. No longer inexperienced (Max and his doctor friends can now tell when someone is actually dead), they are on the front line of patient care for better or worse. In the midst of an NHS still under threat (some things never change) there are committed and caring doctors, big issues, hope, frustration, huge societal changes affecting the entire health system as well as the general drama of everyday life in a big hospital, from biscuit wars to resus. It's not like television, this is real - there are no easy answers - but The Doctor Will See You Now will give you hope that there are enough good doctors asking the questions.

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A hilarious, irresistible romcom from the author of CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY-SOMETHING F##K UP!What would you do if your boyfriend proposed?- Say yes and throw your arms around him?- Text everyone with your good news?- Take out a subscription to Brides magazine?Delilah does none of the above. Instead, she packs her bags and heads to London in search of a new life - and a new man. Only she meets two: Charlie, the sexy media mogul, and Sam, best friend and confidante.Everything seems perfect. Thrown into a whirlwind of glamorous parties, five-star restaurants and designer penthouses, Delilah couldn't be happier. After all, it's a million miles away from her old life. And her old self. Which is exactly what she wanted. . . . Isn't it?Alexandra Potter's hilarious first novel is an enchanting and irresistible story about finding yourself, following your dreams, and how it's not unusual to fall in love.

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When the victim of a violent gang rape accuses five premier sportsmen of the attack, she has no idea that her suffering has only just begun . . .It's a scandal that rocks a nation of sports fans. But, in spite of a huge amount of evidence, no one seems to believe her.So when Dr Anya Crichton, a forensic expert in sexual assault, is asked to become involved by the team managers, she simply can't say no.But as she investigates further, Anya realises that the scandals, violence and abuses run much deeper, and much further into the past than she could ever have imagined.And it's down to her to find out exactly who's responsible. Before it happens again.

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'One of the bad girls of gritty crime' Daily Mirror It begins on a winter afternoon, when schoolgirl Nicky Day runs from a gang of bullies. Then her little brother starts the fire. But the nightmare that is engulfing Sue and Terry Day is only beginning . . .A single mother who left a six-year-old on his own while she went clubbing on a Friday night. An absent father with a hot teenaged girlfriend who didn't seem to care who was minding his former family. The police, the neighbours, the friends, the lovers turn accusing eyes on them both. Suspicious voices ask whether Nicky has run away; whether the fire is really an accident.And meanwhile, time is running out for Nicky. 'A cracking read that will chill you to the bone' Sun on Two-Faced'Mandasue has played a real blinder with this fantastic novel' Martina Cole on Forget-Me-Not

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