Search results for ""author f"

One Good Thing is the heartwarming, hilarious alternative love story, from the internationally bestselling author of Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up, Alexandra Potter'A joyful, wholly unpredictable love story' - Woman's OwnIn life, nothing is certain. Just when you think you have it all figured out, something can happen to change the course of everything . . .Liv Brooks is still in shock. Newly-divorced and facing an uncertain future, she impulsively swaps her London Life for the sweeping hills of the Yorkshire Dales, determined to make a fresh start. But fresh starts are harder than they look and feeling lost and lonely she decides to adopt Harry, an old dog from the local shelter, to keep her company.But Liv soon discovers she isn’t the only one in need of a new beginning. On their daily walks around the village, they meet Valentine, an old man who suffers from loneliness who sits by the window and Stanley, a little boy who is scared of everyone, hides behind the garden gate and Maya, a teenager who is angry at everyone and everything. But slowly things start to change . . .Utterly relatable, hilarious and heart-breakingly honest, this is a novel about friendship, finding happiness and living the life unexpected. And how when everything falls apart, all you need is one good thing to turn your life around and make it worth living again.

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One Good Thing is the heartwarming, hilarious alternative love story, from the internationally bestselling author of Confessions of a Forty-Something F##k Up, Alexandra PotterIn life, nothing is certain. Just when you think you have it all figured out, something can happen to change the course of everything . . .Liv Brooks is still in shock. Newly-divorced and facing an uncertain future, she impulsively swaps her London Life for the sweeping hills of the Yorkshire Dales, determined to make a fresh start. But fresh starts are harder than they look and, feeling lost and lonely, she decides to adopt Harry, an old dog from the local shelter, to keep her company.But Liv soon discovers she isn’t the only one in need of a new beginning. On their daily walks around the village, they meet Valentine, an old man who suffers from loneliness who sits by the window and Stanley, a little boy who is scared of everyone, hides behind the garden gate and Maya, a teenager who is angry at everyone and everything. But slowly things start to change . . .Utterly relatable, hilarious and heart-breakingly honest, this is a novel about friendship, finding happiness and living the life unexpected. And how, when everything falls apart, all you need is one good thing to turn your life around – and make it worth living again.Praise for Alexandra Potter:'The new Bridget Jones' – Celia Walden, Telegraph'A funny, feisty tale' – Mike Gayle, author of Half a World Away'Pacy, absorbing, witty and tender' – Karen Swan, author of The Last Summer

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Until the posthumous publication of the Millennium Trilogy, Stieg Larsson was probably best known for his commitment to left-wing causes, and his tireless work as an anti-fascist activist. Horrified by the rise of far-right extremism in Sweden, he threw himself into monitoring and exposing these often shadowy and violent groups and gained an international reputation for the depth of his achievements and knowledge. However his work carried substantial risks and he and his partner Eva Gabrielsson lived in constant fear for their lives. Jan Erik-Pettersson shows how Stieg's activism and energetic championing of social justice and women's rights characterised his life, as well as demonstrating how these concerns animated his huge-selling Millennium Trilogy, in particular the unforgettable character of Lisbeth Salander. He also persuasively establishes Stieg's place within the explosion of Scandinavian crime with which his novels are so closely associated, showing that in many ways his fiction stands somewhat apart from the work of other authors in this tradition. In Stieg: From Activist to Author, Jan Erik-Pettersson portrays a man willing to put his life at risk in order to fight for the things in which he believed, and an author whose inimitable work was energized by the causes to which he was so strongly committed.

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A hilarious, escapist romcom from the author of CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY-SOMETHING F##K UP!Love is the greatest mystery of all . . .Meet Ruby Miller: a writer who makes happy-ever-afters happen. Until she discovers her fiancé is a lying cheat, and loses her faith in love. When her sister invites her on a beach holiday to Goa to forget about him, Ruby jumps on a plane . . . and headfirst into an extraordinary adventure.Stolen bags, a runaway sister and a handsome American stranger sweep Ruby into a magical mystery tour across India. Amid fortresses and fortune tellers, and a whirlwind of weddings, she uncovers fascinating stories of love, lost and found.But as the mysteries deepen, secrets are revealed that turn Ruby's life upside down. And what started as a journey to find her sister, becomes a journey to find herself - and love - again.

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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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Author visits are a great way to teach children about the writing process and the pleasures of literacy. However, the planning and coordinating necessary for a successful author visit can often seem overwhelming. Drawing on over 20 years of experience, the author has written a charming and accessible guide to author visits. This book is built on James' tried and true techniques for planning an author event that is both fun and enriching. It is packed with quotes from many familiar and award winning authors that offer invaluable insight into what they consider the most successful methods for encouraging interaction between the children and the author. Including many interesting anecdotes as well as easy to use worksheets, Author Day Adventures is as enjoyable to read as it is fun to implement. This book is the ideal guide for any teacher, administrator, librarian or volunteer in charge of planning author visits and is appropriate for any institution concerned with promoting children's literacy.

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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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Readers, literary critics, and theorists alike have long demonstrated an abiding fascination with the author, both as a real person—an artist and creator—and as a theoretical concept that shapes the way we read literary works. Whether anonymous, pseudonymous, or trending on social media, authors continue to be an object of critical and readerly interest. Yet theories surrounding authorship have yet to be satisfactorily updated to register the changes wrought on the literary sphere by the advent of the digital age, the recent turn to autofiction, and the current literary climate more generally. In Reading the Contemporary Author the contributors look back on the long history of theorizing the author and offer innovative new approaches for understanding this elusive figure. Mapping the contours of the vast territory that is contemporary authorship, this collection investigates authorship in the context of narrative genres ranging from memoir and autobiographically informed texts to biofiction and novels featuring novelist narrators and characters. Bringing together the perspectives of leading scholars in narratology, cultural theory, literary criticism, stylistics, comparative literature, and autobiography studies, Reading the Contemporary Author demonstrates that a variety of interdisciplinary viewpoints and critical stances are necessary to capture the multifaceted nature of contemporary authorship.

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A transformative portrait of Churchill, whose love of history, theater, and reading was inextricably linked to his life as a statesman This strikingly original book introduces a Winston Churchill we have not known before. Award-winning author Jonathan Rose explores in tandem Churchill’s careers as statesman and author, revealing the profound influence of literature and theater on Churchill’s personal, carefully composed grand story and on the decisions he made throughout his political life. Rose provides in this expansive literary biography an analysis of Churchill’s writings and their reception (he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953 and was a best-selling author), and a chronicle of his dealings with publishers, editors, literary agents, and censors. The book also identifies an array of authors who shaped Churchill’s own writings and politics: George Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells, Margaret Mitchell, George Orwell, Oscar Wilde, and many more. Rose investigates the effect of Churchill’s passion for theater on his approach to reportage, memoirs, and historical works. Perhaps most remarkably, Rose reveals the unmistakable influence of Churchill’s reading on every important episode of his public life, including his championship of social reform, plans for the Gallipoli invasion, command during the Blitz, crusade for Zionism, and efforts to prevent a nuclear arms race. In a fascinating conclusion, Rose traces the significance of Churchill’s writings to later generations of politicians, among them President John F. Kennedy as he struggled to extricate the U.S. from the Cuban Missile Crisis.

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A hilarious, escapist romcom from the author of CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY-SOMETHING F##K UP!What do you when your boyfriend tells you he wants space? You give him six thousand miles of it . . .Frankie's life is falling apart. In less than a week she's gone from having everything - a great job, lovely flat and a gorgeous boyfriend, Hugh - to having nothing at all.Devastated, dumped and on the dole, she packs her bags and flies to Los Angeles to stay with an old friend. Her goal? To sort out her life and get over Hugh. Falling head over heels for an American photographer called Reilly is not part of the plan - and neither is running away to Las Vegas . . . Then Hugh resurfaces, claiming he wants her back. Who will Frankie choose? And is it really true that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas?

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A hilarious, escapist romcom from the author of CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY-SOMETHING F##K UP!What is the worst thing that could happen to you on Valentine's Day? - Getting stood up by your boyfriend?- Having to spend the evening alone? - Being drenched by an idiot driving a sportscar? When all three happen to Juliet on the same night, she reckons her love life can't get any worse. But it's about to get a lot more complicated . . .Because the identity of the driver of the sportscar is revealed to be her arch business rival, Sykes. She knows she should stay away . . . except it's not that easy. Handsome, sexy and utterly glamorous, Sykes is determined to sweep Juliet off her feet - and away from her boyfriend, Will.But is it worth risking everything for? Are she and Sykes really destined to be star-crossed lovers? Or is Romeo waiting for her a little closer to home?CALLING ROMEO is Alexandra Potter's delightful romantic comedy about passion, honesty and how the path to true love never did run smooth . . .

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Ammianus Marcellinus composed a history of the Roman empire from 96 AD to 378 AD, focusing on the mid-fourth century during which he served in the army. His experience as a soldier during this period provides crucial realia of warfare, while his knowledge of literature, especially the genre of historiography, enabled him to imbue his narrative with literary flair. This book explores the tension between Ammianus’ roles as soldier and author, examining how his military experience affected his history, and conversely how his knowledge of literature affected his descriptions of the Roman army.

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A magical, escapist romcom from the author of CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY-SOMETHING F##K UP!'Witty and eternally romantic' Lucy DillonHow far would you go for love?When new boyfriend Jack stands her up at the airport, Ruby Miller dries her tears, jumps on the Eurostar and heads to Paris. She thinks she's going there to visit an old friend and have a total break from romance - but the City of Love has other ideas . . .A locked apartment where time has stood still, a bundle of long-lost love letters and a flirtatious French lawyer sweep Ruby into a mystery that spans seventy years. Who is the author of the letters? Why did the owner of the apartment close up the shutters and flee Paris before the war, never to return? And what secret was she hiding?As the mystery deepens, Ruby turns love detective - but it's not long before the ghosts of the past throw her own love affair into jeopardy.From the bestselling author of ME AND MR DARCY, this magical romantic comedy is for every girl who has ever dreamed of the glittering lights of Paris, and of a love that last a lifetime . . .

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A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from the author of CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY-SOMETHING F##K UP!Heather Hamilton is always wishing for things. Not just big stuff - like world peace or for a date with Brad Pitt - but little, everyday wishes, made without thinking. With her luck, she knows they'll never come true . . .Until one day she happens across a lucky charm. Suddenly, the bad hair days stop; a handsome stranger answers her ad for a housemate; and she starts seeing James - The Perfect Man, who sends her flowers, excels in the bedroom, and isn't afraid to say 'I love you' . . .But are these wishes-come-true a blessing - or a curse? And is there such a thing as too much foreplay?

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The highly anticipated, unforgettable new story from the internationally bestselling, multi-award-winning author of WONDER.'Thrillingly told . . . Palacio is a fantastic writer' The Times'Perfection . . . A beautiful, funny, heart-twisting wonder of a book . . . A brilliant story of love and courage' Wall Street JournalWhen Silas Bird wakes in the dead of night, he watches powerlessly as three strangers take his father away. Silas is left shaken, scared and alone, except for the presence of his companion, Mittenwool . . . who happens to be a ghost.But then a mysterious pony shows up at his door, and Silas knows what he has to do.So begins a perilous journey to find his father - a journey that will connect him with his past, his future, and the unknowable world around him.PONY is a breathtaking and powerful read, perfect for fans of Michael Morpurgo and Hannah Gold and destined to become a future classic.

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'Echo is a compulsive page turner mixing supernatural survival horror and pulp adventure' Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts'Hallucinatory, eerie and terrifying' Catriona Ward, author of The Last House on Needless Street'Echo is a haunting contribution to the literature of folk horror' Ramsey Campbell'The most frightening opening scene ever written' The GuardianIt's One Thing to Lose Your LifeIt's Another to Lose Your Soul Travel journalist and mountaineer Nick Grevers awakes from a coma to find that his climbing buddy, Augustin, is missing and presumed dead. Nick's own injuries are as extensive as they are horrifying. His face wrapped in bandages and unable to speak, Nick claims amnesia - but he remembers everything. He remembers how he and Augustin were mysteriously drawn to the Maudit, a remote and scarcely documented peak in the Swiss Alps. He remembers an ominous sense that they were not alone. He remembers something waiting for them . . . Sam Avery wants to be glad that Nick is alive and coming home, but the accident has stirred up memories that Sam thought were long buried. Soon he realizes that it isn't just the trauma of the accident that haunts Nick. Something has awakened inside of him, something that endangers the lives of everyone around him . . .'This is totally, brilliantly original'Stephen King, on HEX 'Creepy and girpping and original' George R. R. Martin on HEX 'Reminiscent of vintage Stephen King' John Connolly on HEX 'The next genre superstar' Paul Cornell

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'Echo is a compulsive page turner mixing supernatural survival horror and pulp adventure' Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts'Hallucinatory, eerie and terrifying' Catriona Ward, author of The Last House on Needless Street'Echo is a haunting contribution to the literature of folk horror' Ramsey Campbell'The most frightening opening scene ever written' The Guardian It's One Thing to Lose Your LifeIt's Another to Lose Your SoulWhen climber Nick Grevers is brought down from the mountains after a terrible accident he has lost his looks, his hopes and his climbing companion. His account of what happened on the forbidden peak of the Maudit is garbled, almost hallucinogenic. Soon it becomes apparent more than his shattered body has returned: those that treat his disfigured face begin experiencing extraordinary and disturbing psychic events that suggest that Nick has unleashed some ancient and primal menace on his ill-fated expedition.Nick's partner Sam Avery has a terrible choice to make. He fell in love with Nick's youth, vitality and beauty. Now these are gone and all that is left is a haunted mummy-worse, a glimpse beneath the bandages can literally send a person insane.Sam must decide: either to flee to America, or to take Nick on a journey back to the mountains, the very source of the curse, the little Alpine Village of Grimnetz, its soul-possesed Birds of Death and it legends of human sacrifice and, ultimately, its haunted mountain, the Maudit. Dutch writer Thomas Olde Heuvelt is a Hugo Award Winner and has been hailed as the future of speculative fiction in Europe. His work combines a unique blend of popular culture and fairy-tale myth that is utterly unique. Echo follows his sensational debut English language novel, HEX.

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'Echo is a compulsive page turner mixing supernatural survival horror and pulp adventure' Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts'Hallucinatory, eerie and terrifying' Catriona Ward, author of The Last House on Needless Street'Echo is a haunting contribution to the literature of folk horror' Ramsey Campbell'The most frightening opening scene ever written' The Guardian It's One Thing to Lose Your LifeIt's Another to Lose Your SoulWhen climber Nick Grevers is brought down from the mountains after a terrible accident he has lost his looks, his hopes and his climbing companion. His account of what happened on the forbidden peak of the Maudit is garbled, almost hallucinogenic. Soon it becomes apparent more than his shattered body has returned: those that treat his disfigured face begin experiencing extraordinary and disturbing psychic events that suggest that Nick has unleashed some ancient and primal menace on his ill-fated expedition.Nick's partner Sam Avery has a terrible choice to make. He fell in love with Nick's youth, vitality and beauty. Now these are gone and all that is left is a haunted mummy-worse, a glimpse beneath the bandages can literally send a person insane.Sam must decide: either to flee to America, or to take Nick on a journey back to the mountains, the very source of the curse, the little Alpine Village of Grimnetz, its soul-possesed Birds of Death and it legends of human sacrifice and, ultimately, its haunted mountain, the Maudit. Dutch writer Thomas Olde Heuvelt is a Hugo Award Winner and has been hailed as the future of speculative fiction in Europe. His work combines a unique blend of popular culture and fairy-tale myth that is utterly unique. Echo follows his sensational debut English language novel, HEX.

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A GRANTA BEST OF YOUNG BRITISH NOVELIST 2023'Hallucinogenic, electric and sharp.' JESSICA ANDREWS'Will make most readers howl with laughter and/or shut their eyes in horror.' GUARDIAN**Pre-order Eliza Clark's next novel, PENANCE, now**Irina is in a rut. She obsessively takes explicit photographs of average-looking men she scouts from the streets of Newcastle while her dead-end bar job slips away; she's more interested in drugs, alcohol, and extreme cinema. When she's offered an exhibition at a fashionable London gallery which promises to revive her career in the art world, it should feel like an escape. But the news triggers a self-destructive tailspin, drawing in her obsessive best friend and a shy young man from her local supermarket who has attracted her attention . . .BOY PARTS is the incendiary debut novel from Eliza Clark, a pitch-black comedy both shocking and hilarious, fearlessly exploring the taboos of sexuality and gender roles in the twenty-first century.'Smart, stylish, and very funny.' LARA WILLIAMS'Boundaries are for breaking and if anyone can crash through and reinterpret the fear of our time, Eliza Clark can.' MSLEXIA'A carnival funhouse ride: terrifying, feverish, hilarious.' JULIA ARMFIELDWHAT READERS ARE SAYING:'A dark, funny, nasty book. Brilliantly written, annoyingly good.' 5* reader review'I am obsessed.' 5* reader review'Both shocking and darkly funny, this razor-sharp debut is unlike anything I've read before.' 5* reader review'I loved this, properly loved it!!' 5* reader review'Left me both in awe and totally disturbed. Wow.' 5* reader review

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'A glorious love story' – Sarah Winman, author of Still LifeLonglisted for the Dublin Literary AwardA stunning story about the impossible lengths we go to for the ones we love, with a breathtaking twist, from the bestselling author of Burial Rites, Hannah Kent.Hanne and Thea’s friendship is a miracle. Before, Hanne always felt apart from the local girls, but with Thea it all came easy. Suddenly she could imagine a future for herself, a happy one, by Thea’s side.But when their tight-knit community embarks on a long and brutal journey to Australia, in search of new freedoms on old land, Hanne and Thea’s bond must find a way to survive the most impossible devastation.Will their love prove too strong for even Nature to break?'Extraordinarily daring . . . a remarkable novel, an almost visionary celebration of the death-defying power of the women’s love' - Sunday Times, Historical Fiction Book of the Month'Exquisite . . . it's taken root in my heart' – Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies'So beautiful and so raw . . . Devotion is impossibly good' – Evie Wyld, author of The Bass Rock

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A hilarious, escapist romcom from the author of CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY-SOMETHING F##K UP!Every girl is looking for her Mr Darcy. Imagine if you found the real one. After a string of nightmare relationships, Emily Albright has decided she's had it with modern-day men. She'd rather pour herself a glass of wine, curl up with Pride and Prejudice, and step into a time where men were dashing, devoted and honourable, and strode across fields in breeches, their damp shirts clinging to their chests . . . When she decides to book a coach tour of Jane Austen country, she quickly realises she won't find her dream man here - just a coach full of pensioners and one particularly aggravating (if handsome) journalist, Spike. That's until she enters a room and finds herself face-to-face with none other than Darcy himself. And every woman's fantasy suddenly becomes one woman's reality. . .Alexandra Potter makes dreams come true in this fun, feel-good fairy-tale about life, love and dating literature's most eligible bachelor!

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THE ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER BY THE NOBEL PRIZE WINNING AUTHOR.'A masterpiece' - The Times'The Arab Tolstoy' - Simon Sebag Montefiore'Shamelessly entertaining' - Guardian'Luminous' - New York TimesA sweeping and evocative portrait of both a family and a country struggling to move toward independence in a society that has resisted change for centuries. Set against the backdrop of Britain's occupation of Egypt immediately after World War I, Palace Walk introduces us to the Al Jawad family.Ahmad, a middle-class shopkeeper runs his household strictly according to the Qur'an while at night he explores the pleasures of Cairo. A tyrant at home, Ahmad forces his gentle, oppressed wife and two daughters to live cloistered lives behind the house's latticed windows, while his three very different sons live in fear of his harsh will.The first book of the classic Cairo Trilogy, the greatest and best loved work by the 20th century's most important Arab novelist.

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A laugh-out-loud, magical romcom from the author of CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY-SOMETHING F##K UP!After a bad break up, doesn't every girl wish for the same things? * For her ex-boyfriend to stay single forever.* Or maybe emigrate to a remote, uninhabited island?* Better still - that she'd never met him in the first place!But what if one of those wishes came true?Tess is heartbroken when Seb breaks up with her and can't help blaming herself. If only she'd done things differently. If only she could make right all her regrets. Drunk and upset on New Year's Eve, she wishes she'd never met him . . .But when she wakes up to discover this dream has come true, Tess realises she has a chance. To do it all over again. And to get it right this time.From the bestselling author of ME AND MR DARCY, this heartwarming love story is for every girl who has loved, lost and dreamt of getting her man back.

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'Remarkable' Chika Unigwe, author of On Black Sisters' Street A stunning novel about a childhood friendship rocked by hidden secrets, from a star of Ghanaian writing Growing up in the same Ghanaian town, Selasi and Akorfa are more than just cousins – they're best friends. The girls share everything: whispered late-night conversations, dreams for the future, secrets. But as they enter their teens, Selasi begins to change, building a wall around herself designed to keep everyone away. Soon, Akorfa no longer recognises her sullen, withdrawn cousin. It will take many years for their paths to cross again. Their lives may have drifted in different directions, but Selasi and Akorfa haven't forgotten the closeness they once shared. Akorfa now works in international development as she navigates the challenges of life as a Black woman and mother in the US; Selasi is a successful restaurateur running the hottest spot in Accra. And when an incident at her restaurant puts Selasi in danger, the women must overcome their differences and face the truth of what happened all those years ago, even if others would prefer them to remain silent. Nightbloom is an irresistible story about female friendship, about the relationships that shape us and the people we never quite leave behind. 'I was hooked on Peace's writing! I found Nightbloom a blistering story, written with razor sharp precision.' Huma Qureshi, author of Things We Do Not Tell the People We Love

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'Remarkable' Chika Unigwe, author of On Black Sisters' Street A stunning novel about a childhood friendship rocked by hidden secrets, from a star of Ghanaian writing Growing up in the same Ghanaian town, Selasi and Akorfa are more than just cousins – they're best friends. The girls share everything: whispered late-night conversations, dreams for the future, secrets. But as they enter their teens, Selasi begins to change, building a wall around herself designed to keep everyone away. Soon, Akorfa no longer recognises her sullen, withdrawn cousin. It will take many years for their paths to cross again. Their lives may have drifted in different directions, but Selasi and Akorfa haven't forgotten the closeness they once shared. Akorfa now works in international development as she navigates the challenges of life as a Black woman and mother in the US; Selasi is a successful restaurateur running the hottest spot in Accra. And when an incident at her restaurant puts Selasi in danger, the women must overcome their differences and face the truth of what happened all those years ago, even if others would prefer them to remain silent. Nightbloom is an irresistible story about female friendship, about the relationships that shape us and the people we never quite leave behind. 'I was hooked on Peace's writing! I found Nightbloom a blistering story, written with razor sharp precision.' Huma Qureshi, author of Things We Do Not Tell the People We Love

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Praise for Percival Everett: “. . . Artful and literate, Everett explores the philosophical, the metaphysical, the physical and the psychological boundaries of human life . . .” —Terry D’Auray “. . . Everett achieves a primal sense of dislocation, forcing us to question how we determine the limits of the human . . . ” —Sven Birkets, The New York Times “. . . The audacious, uncategorizable Everett. He mixes genre and tone with absolute abandon, never does the same song twice. Brilliant . . .” —The Boston Globe “. . . An author who dances with language as effortlessly as Fred Astaire.” —Daniel Quinn, author of Ishmael

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It's world history. But not as we know it.c.1000AD: Erik the Red's daughter heads south from Greenland1492: Columbus does not discover America1531: the Incas invade EuropeFreydis is the leader of a band of Viking warriors who get as far as Panama. Nobody knows what became of them. Five hundred years later, Christopher Columbus is sailing for the Americas, dreaming of gold and conquest. Even when captured, his faith in his mission is unshaken. Thirty years after that, Atahualpa, the last Inca emperor, arrives in a Europe ready for revolution. Fortunately, he has a recent guidebook to acquiring power - Machiavelli's The Prince. So, the stage is set for a Europe ruled by Incas and, when the Aztecs arrive on the scene, for a great war that will change history forever.'Binet's best book yet: the work of a major writer just hitting his stride. A delightful counterfactual novel' ***** - Daily Telegraph

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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

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The recent fiction of Spanish America has been widely acclaimed for its experimental and revolutionary qualities. In Reclaiming the Author, Lucille Kerr studies the sources of power of this newly emergent literature in her detailed examination of the critical concept of "the author." Kerr considers how Spanish American narratives raise questions about authorial identity and activity through the different figures of the author they propose. These author-figures, she maintains, both complement and contradict notions of authority that exist outside of the world of fiction.By focusing on works by well-known Spanish American authors—Cortazar, Donoso, Fuentes, Poniatowska, Puig, and Vargas Llosa—Kerr shows how the Spanish Americans have formed a radical poetics of the author. Her readings demonstrate how exemplary Spanish American texts, such as Rayuela, Terra nostra, and El hablador, call into question the author as a unitary or uniform, and therefore unproblematical, figure. Individually and together, Kerr's readings reclaim "the author" as a complex critical concept encompassing diverse, conflicting, even competitive roles.

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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

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THE ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER FROM THE NOBEL PRIZE WINNING AUTHOR.'A masterpiece' - The Times'Shamelessly entertaining' - GuardianThe sensual and provocative second book in the classic Cairo Trilogy, Palace Of Desire follows the Al Jawad family into the awakening world of the 1920's and the sometimes violent clash between Islamic ideals, personal dreams and modern realities.Having given up his vices after his son's death, ageing patriarch Al-Sayyid Ahmad pursues a bewitching lute-player - only for her to marry his eldest son. His rebellious children struggle to move beyond his domination as they test the loosening reins of societal and parental control. And Ahmad's youngest son, in an unforgettable portrayal of unrequited love, falls for the sophisticated daughter of a rich Europeanised family.A vivid portrait of a family and a country in a time of upheaval, the Cairo Trilogy is the greatest and best loved work by the 20th century's most important Arab novelist.

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Shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year award'I loved this... Magda is a real stand-out character for me in books I've read recently, I can't quite stop thinking about her' Jane Garvey, BBC Woman's Hour 'Brilliant... A truly convincing state-of-the-nation novel' Daily Mail 'Packs a powerful punch and makes you smile while breaking your heart'Woman's Weekly 'Fierce and compassionate'Mail on Sunday 'Conran's work is subtle and complex: there is no one right story about the Empire. Instead we are offered multiple views, ironies and contradictions that only one of most talented, tender writers in Wales could portray'New Welsh Review 'Fierce, compassionate, angry, but above all, heart-breakingly real. I was drawn in from the very first page'Claire Fuller, author of Bitter Orange 'An Indian household can no more be governed peacefully without dignity and prestige, than an Indian Empire' The Complete Indian Housekeeper and Cook, Flora Annie Steel & Grace Gardiner Magda is a former scientist with a bad temper and a sharp tongue, now living alone in a huge house by the sea. Confined to a wheelchair, her once spotless home crumbling around her, she gets through carers at a rate of knots. Until Susheela arrives, bursting through the doors of Magda's house, carrying life with her: grief for her mother's recent death; worry for her father; longing for a beautiful and troubled young man.The two women strike up an unlikely friendship: Magda's old-fashioned, no-nonsense attitude turns out to be an unexpected source of strength for Susheela; and Susheela's Bengali heritage brings back memories of Magda's childhood in colonial India and resurrects the tragic figure of her mother, Evelyn, and her struggle to fit within the suffocating structure of the Raj's ruling class. But as Magda digs deeper into her past, she unlocks a shocking legacy of blood that threatens to destroy the careful order she has imposed on her life - and that might just be the key to give the three women, Evelyn, Magda and Susheela, a place they can finally call home.'An exquisite novel: compassionate, beautiful and unflinching. I'm full of admiration for the skill with which it draws connections between the past and present, and manages to feel both timeless and achingly contemporary'Fiona McFarlane, author of The Night Guest

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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

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It's hard being the normal one in such a crazy family.Bluebell's life is chaotic: Mum and Dad are always away, the new babysitter has no idea what he's doing, and the whole family is trying to get used to life without Iris.There are tears and tantrums. Pregnant pets and broken windows. Boys next door and friends turned enemies. But there is also laughter and most importantly, there is love - and that's what being a family is all about.

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A hilarious, escapist romcom from the author of CONFESSIONS OF A FORTY-SOMETHING F##K UP!What becomes of the broken-hearted?Grace was just a teenager when Jimi broke her heart. But now she's moved on and is happy with her perfect fiancé Spencer. Even if they still haven't set the date . . . You give love a bad name.Meanwhile, Jimi's own wedding day is just around the corner. He's certain he's found The One. Or has he? Because when he bumps into Grace again, something suddenly doesn't feel right. More than a feeling?There is still unmistakeable chemistry between them. But is it really worth risking everything for? One thing's for sure: as the radio plays its late-night love songs, Grace is about to discover that the best lines are the ones you write yourself . . .

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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 the last summer for Kit Lamb: the last summer before college. The last summer with her high school basketball team, and with Dana, her best friend. The last summer before her life begins.But the night before the big game, one of Kit's players tells a ghost story about Daphne, a girl who went to their school many years ago and died under mysterious circumstances. Some say she was murdered, others that she died by her own hand. And some say that Daphne is a murderer herself. They also say that Daphne is still out there, obsessed with revenge, and will appear anytime someone thinks about her to kill again. After Kit hears the story, her teammates vanish, one by one, and Kit begins to suspect that the stories about Daphne are real...and to fear that her own mind is conjuring the killer. Now it's a race against time as Kit searches for the truth behind the legend and learns to face her own fears. Or else the summer of her 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.

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'Baldacci is the master' Jeffery ArcherAs darkness falls, evil comes to light...Memory man FBI agent, Amos Decker, returns in this action-packed thriller to investigate the mysterious and brutal murder of a federal judge and her bodyguard at her home in an exclusive, gated community in Florida from international bestselling author David Baldacci.Things are changing for Decker. He’s in crisis following the suicide of a close friend and receipt of a letter concerning a personal issue which could change his life forever. Together with the prospect of working with a new partner, Frederica White, Amos knows that this case will take all of his special skills to solve.Judge Julia Cummins seemingly had no enemies, and there was no forced entry to her property. Close friends and neighbours in the community apparently heard nothing, and Cummins’ distraught ex-husband, Barry, and teenage son, Tyler, both have strong alibis. Decker must first find the answer to why the judge felt the need for a bodyguard, and the meaning behind the strange calling card left by the killer.Someone has decided it’s payback time.***********KILLER TWISTS. HEROES TO BELIEVE IN. TRUST BALDACCI.‘One of the world’s thriller masters’ Daily Mail‘Baldacci is still peerless’ Sunday Times‘One of the all-time best thriller authors’ Lisa Gardner, author of FIND HER‘Baldacci delivers, every time!’ Lisa Scottoline‘A master storyteller.’ Associated Press‘Baldacci cuts everyone’s grass – Grisham’s, Ludlum’s, even Patricia Cornwell’s – and more than gets away with it’ People

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