emma one

'One of my favourite reads this year' 'Ahh this was such a fun and cute little grumpy x sunshine romcom' 'This is a five-star read that you could wish upon like a star' 'This book will make you grin and laugh' The second in Emma Jackson's magical Biddicote witches series! Two witches. One life-changing spell. Be careful what you witch for. . . Becca Ashworth's family is in trouble and with their magical legacy under threat, it puts their small village of Biddicote at risk too. So going against the witching tenets to summon an ancestor for help seems like a small price to pay to fix the problem...at first. Connor Lynch is the Witches Council's secret weapon and he's just been deployed to find out exactly what the Ashworths are up to. But how he ends up posing as Becca's fake husband at a magical inn in Cornwall as they hunt down a magical artefact is just as perplexing as the cheerful witch herself. When their attraction for each other grows, Becca and Connor question everything they have been taught - and soon the missing artefact isn't the only thing they are searching for. As love collides with duty, it's clear that sometimes you need to be careful what you witch for... YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS LOVE EMMA JACKSON: 'What a gorgeous, fun and sexy romance! I loved every word. Emma's stories just keep getting better. More please!' CARRIE ELKS 'I love this series! The world-building is so charming and the love story sparkles with chemistry' LEONIE MACK 'A cosy, magical treat of a book that charmed my socks off!' M.A. KUZNIAR 'It has everything I love in a romantasy. I absolutely adored it' CARRIE ELKS 'Fun, sweet and sexy' SARAH HAWLEY 'A magical rollercoaster which will charm the hex out of the hardest of hearts' JESSICA THORNE 'As effervescent as an Aperol Spritz' LUNA MCNAMARA 'As warm and gently soothing as a magicked cup of tea - this is the perfect witchy comfort read' LAURA WOOD Quotes: "...but if Becca were the princess, he couldn't see a knight getting a chance to save her from a dragon. She'd have tamed it and taken up riding before a sword could even be pulled from the scabbard," *** "You know what they say. Act in haste, repent at leisure." "That's meant to be a cautionary saying, not an aspirational quote." Tropes: 🌚 Opposites attract 🌚 Slow burn 🌚 Fake dating 🌚 Forced proximity 🌚 Grumpy/Sunshine 🌚 Healthy romance 🌚 Magical mission 🌚 Secret identity 🌚 Tragic hero Spice:

NOTHING HURTS LIKE FAMILY. 'I read this book obsessively, that's how much I adored it . . . a dark, messy and beautiful story about family, love and sisterhood' STYLIST 'A suspenseful thriller and a subtle portrait of domestic interactions, with a healthy dose of humour and hope offsetting its darker moments' HARPER'S BAZAAR 'A dark, deeply intimate exploration of sisterhood in all its messy, complex glory. Beautifully written and thoroughly compelling' Yomi Adegoke, Sunday Times bestselling author of The List 'Sharply real and ethereal, as though reading this novel enters you into a deep dream-like state' Emma Gannon, Sunday Times bestseller 'Selfish Girls is an outstanding novel, pithy and singular, gloriously dark and compelling, a must read!' Salena Godden, author of Mrs Death Misses Death 'Bergstrom is a new voice but sure to be an enduring one' Caroline O'Donoghue, Sunday Times bestseller 'If anyone is qualified to write about what it means to be a young woman in Britain today, it's Abigail Bergstrom' Sunday Times ------------------------------------------------------- Ines is reluctantly moving home on the edge of a breakdown, her childhood sweetheart in tow. He's only ever wanted what was best for her. Gwen is elated that her prodigal daughter has returned. Dylan is still licking her wounds from a rejection she can't forget. And Emma is quietly suffocating in the perfect marriage she wanted so badly. They were inseparable once. But that was a long time ago. Now, they're back in the Welsh town where they grew up, peeling back the layers of a once forgotten, haunting past. What they find may be the end of them... Uninhibited, claustrophobic and emotionally complex, Selfish Girls spans generations, buried resentments, and an unexpected love story. It is a clear-eyed portrait of a dysfunctional family and the pain we inflict on those we love most. Readers have fallen in love with Selfish Girls 'A must read, multigenerational family saga exploring trauma, love, hardship and identity. What Bergstrom has achieved here is outstanding. I can't recommend it highly enough' ¿¿¿¿¿Reader Review ' One of my most anticipated reads of the year . . . and it didn't disappoint. Bergstrom writes with such rawness and her characters have such vulnerability that you can't help but fall in love with them' ¿¿¿¿¿Reader Review 'Oh my god, she's done it again. It's exquisite. 10 out of 10. No notes . . . we're in our sad girl summer era, and this book is the perfect accompaniment ' ¿¿¿¿¿Reader Review ' My, oh, my, what a book ! Full of action and angst, this is not to be missed . . . absolutely fabulous! ' ¿¿¿¿¿Reader Review 'Harrowing and painful at times, but also beautiful ' ¿¿¿¿¿Reader Review

WHAT IF THE ONE YOU'RE MEANT TO LOVE . . . IS THE LAST PERSON YOU'D EVER EXPECT? A spicy, Sapphic, enemies-to-lovers romcom from the queen of the meet-cute. ***** Ash has met her perfect match. So has CJ. Unfortunately for them, it's the same man. Mid-thirties and feeling the pressure, they're ready to fight for him. Even if it means sabotaging each other. As Ash and CJ turn up on each other's dates, ruin one another's chances, and accidentally end up spending an awful lot of time together, their friends begin to wonder. Are they fighting over the same guy? Or are they fighting their feelings for each other . . . ? ***** PRAISE FOR LAURA JANE WILLIAMS. . . 'I'm a big fan of Laura Jane Williams - she writes such fresh, smart, funny romances.' Beth O'Leary 'An absolute delight!... romantic, relaxing, inspiring... I love it!' Emily Henry 'The perfect romcom' Lucy Vine 'Smart, delightful and heaps of fun' Fiona Gibson 'Laura Jane Williams writes such warm and yet realistic love stories - they're not escapism, but rather hope-ism.' Holly Bourne 'Joyful, romantic and life-affirming.' Red 'Guaranteed to make you smile.' Closer 'Hilarious, heart-warming and truly authentic - your modern rom com must-read!' Hello! 'Tender, energetic and authentic.' Daisy Buchanan 'Pure escapist fiction!' Stacey Halls 'Smart and funny. The perfect escape.' Sarah Morgan 'Full of fun and charm... an utterly feel-good love story.' Holly Miller 'So funny and wonderful and life affirming' Lorna Cook 'This is the laugh-out-loud love story you need to read this summer.' Glamour 'Smart, sisterly storytelling... You can practically feel modern romance evolving as you're reading it' Emma Jane Unsworth, Observer

John Sinclair - A new audio drama series: blockbuster cinema for your ears only: a breathtaking mixture of gothic horror and fast-paced action paired with an audio-rich atmosphere. Produced internationally in London and Los Angeles with Andrew Wincott as John Sinclair, Anthony Skordi, Emma Tate, Dan Mersh, Charlotte Moore, Nico Lennon and many others. John Sinclair: Hell's best entertainment - for your aural pleasure!No one comes back from hell. Except John Sinclair. But he didn't come back alone ...When John Sinclair's dying body is brought to the emergency room at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, the unthinkable happens: Minutes after his death, he jolts back to life, screaming in agony. The doctors have no rational explanation for his recovery. But Sinclair didn't come back alone. There are voices in his head, and one of them belongs to Laura Cody, an eleven-year-old girl who is trapped with her brother in a crumbling mansion outside of London, about to be sacrificed to an ancient evil ...Detective Chief Inspector John Sinclair works for Scotland Yard's Special Division, an elite unit that deals with extraordinary cases. DCI Sinclair is a battle-hardened veteran of Afghanistan, a man who's been to hell and back. This time, he's not just fighting to save our world. He's fighting for his soul ..."John Sinclair" is a reboot of Europe's longest running horror series. Originally conceived in 1973 and still running strong, the "John Sinclair" novellas are firmly rooted in the finest pulp traditions, true page turners with spine-tingling suspense, exquisite gore and a dash of adventure. "John Sinclair" combines the dark visions of Stephen King, Clive Barker and the "X-Files" with the fast-paced action and globe-trotting excitement of James Bond.

Rome as you've never seen it before – brazenly unconventional, badly behaved and ever so feminine. 'Hugely entertaining and illuminating' —Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den A WATERSTONES BEST HISTORY BOOK OF 2023 Here's how the history of the Roman Empire usually goes… We kick off with Romulus murdering his brother, go on to Brutus overthrowing Tarquin, bounce through an appallingly tedious list of battles and generals and consuls, before emerging into the political stab-fest of the late Republic. After 'Et tu, Brute?', it runs through all the emperors, occasionally nodding to a wife or mother to show how bad things get when women won't do as they're told, until Constantine invents Christianity only for Attila the Hun to come and ruin everything. Let's tear up this script. The history of Rome and its empire is so much more than these 'Important Things'. In this alternative history, Emma Southon tells another story about the Romans, one that lives through Vestal Virgins and sex workers, business owners and poets, empresses and saints. Discover how entrepreneurial sex worker Hispala Faecenia uncovered a conspiracy of treason, human sacrifice and Bacchic orgies so wild they would make Donna Tartt blush, becoming one of Rome's unlikeliest heroes. Book yourself a table at the House of Julia Felix and get to know Pompeii's savviest businesswoman and restauranteur. Indulge in an array of locally sourced delicacies as you take in the wonderful view of Mount Vesuvius… what could possibly go wrong? Join the inimitable Septimia Zenobia, who – after watching a series of incompetent, psychopathic and incompetently psychopathic emperors almost destroy the Empire – did what any of us would do. She declared herself Empress, took over half the Roman Empire and ran it herself.

Rome as you've never seen it before - brazenly unconventional, badly behaved and ever so feminine. 'Hugely entertaining and illuminating' -Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den A WATERSTONES BEST HISTORY BOOK OF 2023 Here's how the history of the Roman Empire usually goes... We kick off with Romulus murdering his brother, go on to Brutus overthrowing Tarquin, bounce through an appallingly tedious list of battles and generals and consuls, before emerging into the political stab-fest of the late Republic. After 'Et tu, Brute?', it runs through all the emperors, occasionally nodding to a wife or mother to show how bad things get when women won't do as they're told, until Constantine invents Christianity only for Attila the Hun to come and ruin everything. Let's tear up this script. The history of Rome and its empire is so much more than these 'Important Things'. In this alternative history, Emma Southon tells another story about the Romans, one that lives through Vestal Virgins and sex workers, business owners and poets, empresses and saints. Discover how entrepreneurial sex worker Hispala Faecenia uncovered a conspiracy of treason, human sacrifice and Bacchic orgies so wild they would make Donna Tartt blush, becoming one of Rome's unlikeliest heroes. Book yourself a table at the House of Julia Felix and get to know Pompeii's savviest businesswoman and restauranteur. Indulge in an array of locally sourced delicacies as you take in the wonderful view of Mount Vesuvius... what could possibly go wrong? Join the inimitable Septimia Zenobia , who - after watching a series of incompetent, psychopathic and incompetently psychopathic emperors almost destroy the Empire - did what any of us would do. She declared herself Empress, took over half the Roman Empire and ran it herself.

An instant No. 1 Sunday Times & New York Times Bestseller, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a twisting tale of power, immortality and the terrifying price of freedom from V. E. Schwab. Three women share one desire: to break the rules men use to bind them. 1532. Leó n, Spain: María, wild and wily, knows beauty is her only currency. So when an alluring stranger offers her a dark alternative path, María makes a desperate choice. 1827. London: Charlotte lives a cloistered life, her heart full of impossible wants. Swept away by a beautiful widow's invitation, Charlotte discovers she can buy her freedom - if she sells her soul. 2019. Boston: Alice moved across the world to escape her past. But a one-night stand gives her a thirst for answers . . . and retribution. Defying time and all odds, these women's fates become tangled like roots. This is a story about life: how it ends, and how it starts again. * * * 'A rich, lush labyrinth of a book . . . It had me by the throat from the first page' - Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters 'Nobody can write like V. E. Schwab' - Jodi Picoult, author of My Sister's Keeper 'I absolutely devoured it . . . It's utterly absorbing, atmospheric and perfectly gothic' - Bridget Collins, author of The Binding 'Schwab has impressively woven a compelling character drama and feminist critique into a horror thriller . . . goes down as easy as that happy-hour cocktail' - The New York Times 'Spanning centuries, this entrancing queer love story follows three women . . . Lyrical and immersive' - Cosmopolitan V. E. Schwab's Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 16/06/2025

A GROUNDBREAKING QUEER CLASSIC AND POWERFUL REIMAGINING OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT THROUGH THE EYES OF HIS LOVER, FOR FANS OF SONG OF ACHILLES AND THE ODYSSEY 'One of the greatest historical novels ever written' SARAH WATERS 'I love to find queer representation in historical fiction . . . Renault's eye for intimacy is amazing ' DOUGLAS STUART 'Fierce, complex and eloquent' MADELINE MILLER 'Mary Renault is a shining light' HILARY MANTEL I thought, There goes my lord, whom I was born to follow. I have found a king. And, I said to myself, looking after him as he walked away, I will have him, if I die for it. Bagoas, abducted as a boy and sold as a eunuch, has been transported to the heart of the Persian court as courtesan to King Darius. But when the Macedon army conquers his homeland, Bagoas finds freedom at the hands of their golden young commander, whose name is already becoming a legend: Alexander. Their encounter sparks a passionate devotion that shapes the Persian boy's future - and deepens into a relationship that will sustain them both through assassination plots, political intrigue and the threat of Alexander's own restless ambition. This is a spellbinding tale of power, loyalty and loss - a vision of history transfigured by love. 'Nowhere else in fiction have Alexander's beauty and charisma blazed with such potency' TOM HOLLAND 'Passionate and captivating' SEÁN HEWITT 'All my sense of the ancient world - its value, its style, the scent of its wars and passions - comes from Mary Renault' EMMA DONOGHUE 'The Alexander Trilogy stands as one of the most important works of fiction in the twentieth century' ANTONIA SENIOR, THE TIMES

This audiobook narrated by Eve Matheson tells the story of social change in France through the experiences of a single extended family across five generations Marie Aymard was an illiterate widow who lived in the provincial town of Angoulême in southwestern France, a place where seemingly nothing ever happened. Yet, in 1764, she made her fleeting mark on the historical record through two documents: a power of attorney in connection with the property of her late husband, a carpenter on the island of Grenada, and a prenuptial contract for her daughter, signed by eighty-three people in Angoulême. Who was Marie Aymard? Who were all these people? And why were they together on a dark afternoon in December 1764? Beginning with these questions, An Infinite History offers a panoramic look at an extended family over five generations. Through ninety-eight connected stories about inquisitive, sociable individuals, ending with Marie Aymard's great-great granddaughter in 1906, Emma Rothschild unfurls an innovative modern history of social and family networks, emigration, immobility, the French revolution, and the transformation of nineteenth-century economic life. Rothschild spins a vast narrative resembling a period novel, one that looks at a large, obscure family, of whom almost no private letters survive, whose members traveled to Syria, Mexico, and Tahiti, and whose destinies were profoundly unequal, from a seamstress living in poverty in Paris to her third cousin, the Cardinal of Algiers. Rothschild not only draws on discoveries in local archives but also uses new technologies, including the visualization of social networks, large-scale searches, and groundbreaking methods of genealogical research. An Infinite History demonstrates how the ordinary lives of one family over three centuries can constitute a remarkable record of deep social and economic changes.

An entertaining and insightful pageturner about modern marriage and a tight-knit group of friends navigating their 30s and beyond.It's tradition that on everyone's birthday, the three couples gather to celebrate. They've toasted each other's big life milestones, and been there for each other through loss and disappointment, too. Nathan is the first to turn 40, and when the cake arrives, he makes a shocking announcement. The birthday ritual, and the group of friends, will never be the same again.Confessions follow, and secrets get revealed. One couple's crumbling marriage forces the other two couples to reexamine their own marriages, and the fault lines that lurk beneath. Will their bonds be strong enough to survive issues like infidelity, infertility, and waning passion, plus a series of crises that push each relationship to the brink? The answers may prove surprising. A year after Nathan's big declaration, as the group gathers for the year's final birthday celebration, every person and every relationship will be fundamentally changed.Perfect for fans of Emma Straub, J. Courtney Sullivan, and Rebecca Serle, Reservations for Six is a deeply satisfying novel full of wisdom, humor, and heart. It shines a spotlight on the phase of marriage when the fabric has started to fray, and deftly observes how couples cope, grow, and eventually thrive-together or apart.

She thought the murders had stopped. She was wrong. The instant New York Times bestseller and a Sunday Times Thriller of the Year, soon to be a major TV series, developed by Emma Stone 'Very few debuts are as insightful, cunningly plotted and well written as this.' The Sunday Times Best Thrillers of 2022 'I couldn't put this one down' Prima 'This was dark! Edge of your seen stuff... incredibly atmospheric and tricky.'Platinum 'A smart, edge-of-your-seat story with plot twists you'll never see coming.' Karin Slaughter, Sunday Times No. 1 Bestselling Author Chloe Davis' father is a serial killer. He was convicted and jailed when she was twelve but the bodies of the girls were never found, seemingly lost in the surrounding Louisiana swamps. The case became notorious and Chloe's family was destroyed. His crimes stalk her like a shadow. Now Chloe has rebuilt her life. She's a respected psychologist in Baton Rouge and has a loving fiancé. But she just can't shake a tick-tick-tick of paranoia that, at any moment, it might all come crashing down. As does something darker. It is the anniversary of her father's crimes, and Chloe is about to see her worst fears come true - a girl she knows goes missing. The nightmare has started again...

As part of Busted, Matt Willis played to the biggest crowds, toured the world, and was the wild and daring face of noughties pop. But when the shows were over there was always something else on his mind - alcohol, drugs and keeping the party going. Twenty years later, Matt has forged a career as a solo musician, actor, presenter and podcast host. He's happily married to presenter Emma Willis, with three amazing children, and has been clean and sober for eight years. He is in recovery. But the journey doesn't stop. From the temptations of touring, the pressures of career evolution, and the feeling that addiction can be hard-wired, it's something he works at every day, and something he is passionate about sharing with others who might be struggling. On one level, this is Matt's story, from a vulnerable start on a Surrey council estate, via stage school and finding his tribe, through relationships (good and bad), parenthood, huge success, rock bottom, to finally finding a way back to who he truly is. But it's not your typical memoir. It's also a story of how to recover: a roadmap of resilience and hope that shows that it's not being fixed that's the goal, it's mending.

The big-hearted, grown-up new novel about love and second chances from million-copy international bestselling author Rainbow Rowell Praise for Rainbow Rowell: 'Extraordinary humour and tenderness' Curtis Sittenfeld 'Sweet, sexy, wise and nostalgic' Gabrielle Zevin 'So hot and delicious , so funny and smart and real. What a gift!' Catherine Newman 'Rainbow Rowell is a damn genius' Rufi Thorpe 'As funny and smart as its wonderful characters' Emma Straub 'Gorgeous . . . I read it in one sitting' Ella Risbridger Cherry and Tom had built a quiet, contented life together in Omaha, until Tom's semi-autobiographical webcomic went viral and turned their marriage into public property. Now the world knows Baby, the character based on Cherry, better than Cherry knows herself - and Tom and Cherry have been separated for months. That's when Russ Sutton shows up. Floppy-haired, blue-eyed Russ Sutton, who Cherry had a crush on in college, and who now seems to have a crush on her. All that's left is for Cherry to rewrite her own story. Because if she isn't Baby, and she isn't Tom's wife, then who can she be? Told with deep tenderness and abundant wit, Cherry Baby is Rainbow Rowell's most affecting, most surprising, sexiest novel yet.

A magnificent novel. I loved it to its bones' EMMA STONEX 'Completely absorbing' LISSA EVANS 'A lively, funny, forgiving novel' PATRICK GALE 'A rich and tender story of kindness and compassion' RUTH HOGAN In all failed relationships there is a point that passes unnoticed at the time, which can later be identified as the beginning of the decline. For Helen it was the weekend that the Hidden Man came to Westbury Park. Croydon, 1964. Helen Hansford is in her thirties and an art therapist in a psychiatric hospital where she has been having a long love affair with Gil: a charismatic, married doctor. One spring afternoon they receive a call about a disturbance from a derelict house not far from Helen's home. A thirty-seven-year-old man called William Tapping, with a beard down to his waist, has been discovered along with his elderly aunt. It is clear he has been shut up in the house for decades, but when it emerges that William is a talented artist, Helen is determined to discover his story. Shy Creatures is a life-affirming novel about all the different ways we can be confined, how ordinary lives are built of delicate layers of experience, the joy of freedom and the transformative power of kindness.

Brittle with Relics is a landmark history of the people of Wales during a period of great national change.'Richly humane, viscerally political, generously multi-voiced, Brittle with Relics is oral history at its revelatory best.'DAVID KYNASTON'Fascinating.' OBSERVER'Powerful.' LITERARY REVIEW'Inspired.' GUARDIANBrittle with Relics is a vital history of Wales undergoing some of the country's most seismic and traumatic events: the disasters of Aberfan and Tryweryn; the rise of the Welsh language movement; the Miners' Strike and its aftermath; and the narrow vote in favour of partial devolution.Drawing upon the voices of its inhabitants - includin Neil Kinnock, Rowan Williams, Leanne Wood, Gruff Rhys, Michael Sheen, Nicky Wire, Sian James, language activists, members of former mining communities and many more - this is a vivid portrait of a nation determined to survive, while maintaining the hope that Wales will one day thrive on its own terms.'Passionate.' HISTORY TODAY'Compels attention.' IRISH TIMES'Superb.' DAILY TELEGRAPH'A testament to the brutal circumstances that bonded the communities of Wales into a new polity for the 21st century.'GRUFF RHYS'This book is a guide to remembering who we can be when we work together.'GWENNO SAUNDERS'An essential telling of Welshness that contains a powerful reflection of Englishness, too.'EMMA WARREN

Set in a thinly disguised sixteenth-century England, Megan Campisi's The Sin Eater is a wonderfully rich story of treason and treachery; of women, of power, and the strange freedom that comes from being an outcast – because, sometimes, being a nobody sometimes counts for everything . . .'A dark and thrilling page-turner that turns a dystopian eye on the past in an unnervingly contemporary way' - Emma Donoghue, author of Room.A Sin Eater's duty is a necessary evil: she hears the confessions of the dying, eats their sins as a funeral rite. Stained by these sins, she is shunned and silenced, doomed to live in exile at the edge of town.Recently orphaned May Owens is just fourteen, only concerned with where her next meal is coming from. When she's arrested for stealing a loaf of bread, however, and subsequently sentenced to become a Sin Eater, finding food is suddenly the last of her worries.It's a devastating sentence, but May's new invisibility opens new doors. And when first one then two of the Queen's courtiers suddenly grow ill, May hears their deathbed confessions – and begins to investigate a terrible rumour that is only whispered of amid palace corridors . . .Can you uncover the truth when you're forbidden from speaking it?

From the beloved author of "The Summer Book" comes Tove Jansson's most unnerving and quietly haunting novel—a masterful exploration of trust and deception.All winter long, Katri Kling, blunt and yellow-eyed, lives with her vulnerable brother and a nameless dog, on the edge of the small community. Across the street, Anna Aemelin, a respected but reclusive children's book illustrator, ventures from her vast empty house only in spring, when she paints intricate forest scenes.But as deep winter snows envelop the small coastal village, Katri fakes a break-in to Anna's house to persuade her that she needs companionship.What does Katri hope to gain by doing this? And who ultimately is deceiving whom?Masterfully read by Tracy Ifeachor (The Pitt, Showtrial, Doctor Who), "The True Deceiver" is a chilling psychological drama, a tale of two women encircling each other in a clash of ideals, where nothing can be taken for granted, and the equilibrium of the whole village hangs in the balance."A delightfully dark winter's tale … the novel tracks an intense relationship between two strong-minded women." Emma Hagestadt, Independent"The True Deceiver glitters with the kind of sharpness that might just cut you … It is one of Jansson's most deceptively quiet, most astonishing compositions." Ali Smith

Bloomsbury presents Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman, read by Terrell LewisShortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and Guardian First Book Award'Pigeon English is a book to fall in love with: a funny book, a true book, a shattering book' The Times'Simultaneously accurate and fantastical, this boy's love letter to the world made me laugh and tremble all the way through. Pigeon English is a triumph' Emma Donoghue, author of RoomEleven-year-old Harrison Opoku, the second best runner in Year 7, races through his new life in England with his personalised trainers - the Adidas stripes drawn on with marker pen - blissfully unaware of the very real threat around him.Newly arrived from Ghana with his mother and older sister Lydia, Harri absorbs the many strange elements of city life, from the bewildering array of Haribo sweets, to the frightening, fascinating gang of older boys from his school. But his life is changed forever when one of his friends is murdered.As the victim's nearly new football boots hang in tribute on railings behind fluorescent tape and a police appeal draws only silence, Harri decides to act, unwittingly endangering the fragile web his mother has spun around her family to keep them safe.From Autumn 2015, Stephen Kelman's deeply funny, moving idiosyncratic and unforgettable novel will be an AQA GCSE English Literature set text.

The big-hearted, grown-up new novel about love and second chances from million-copy international bestselling author Rainbow Rowell Praise for Rainbow Rowell: 'Extraordinary humour and tenderness' Curtis Sittenfeld 'Sweet, sexy, wise and nostalgic' Gabrielle Zevin 'So hot and delicious , so funny and smart and real. What a gift!' Catherine Newman 'Rainbow Rowell is a damn genius' Rufi Thorpe 'As funny and smart as its wonderful characters' Emma Straub 'Gorgeous . . . I read it in one sitting' Ella Risbridger Cherry and Tom had built a quiet, contented life together in Omaha, until Tom's semi-autobiographical webcomic went viral and turned their marriage into public property. Now the world knows Baby, the character based on Cherry, better than Cherry knows herself - and Tom and Cherry have been separated for months. That's when Russ Sutton shows up. Floppy-haired, blue-eyed Russ Sutton, who Cherry had a crush on in college, and who now seems to have a crush on her. All that's left is for Cherry to rewrite her own story. Because if she isn't Baby, and she isn't Tom's wife, then who can she be? Told with deep tenderness and abundant wit, Cherry Baby is Rainbow Rowell's most affecting, most surprising, sexiest novel yet.

After the death of her husband, Dylan Lake's ability to trust in others is shattered. Her life is thrust into turmoil between caring for Emma, her seven-year old handicapped child, and working hard to make ends meet. Dylan doesn't have time to pursue a romantic relationship. Finding that one special person only happens in dreams. When fate keeps throwing Dylan and Kat together, Dylan finds her attraction to Kat something she can't ignore. Will her trust issues stop her from letting Kat into her and Emma's life? Leaving her old job and moving halfway across the country were the scariest things Kat Anderson had ever done. Starting a new life and career takes priority over any foolish notion of a fairy-tale future of romance and love. Kat's attraction to Dylan is time taken away from building a new business. Can Kat juggle love and duty to find her Happy Ever After? Welcome back to Garriety, the town with an open heart, and home to some of the quirky and warm characters from Add Romance and Mix. Join Kat and Dylan on their quest for true romance with a little help from Kat's sister Briley and her family, along with a host of new characters.

'The Sparrow is one of my favourite science fiction novels and it destroyed me in the best way when I read it. It is so beautifully written and the construction of the narrative is masterful.' Emma Newman, acclaimed author of Planetfall Set in the 21st century - a number of decades from now - The Sparrow is the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and talented linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who - in response to a remarkable radio signal from the depths of space - leads a scientific mission to make first contact with an extraterrestrial culture. In the true tradition of Jesuit adventurers before him, Sandoz and his companions are prepared to endure isolation, suffering - even death - but nothing can prepare them for the civilisation they encounter. Or for the tragic misunderstanding that brings the mission to a devastating end. Once considered a living saint, Sandoz returns alone to Earth horrifically maimed, both physically and spiritually, the mission's sole survivor - only to be blamed for the mission's failure and accused of heinous crimes. Written in clean, effortless prose and peopled with memorable characters who never lose their humanity or humour, The Sparrow is a powerful, haunting fiction - a tragic but ultimately triumphant novel about the nature of faith, of love and what it means to be 'human' and widely considered to be a classic of the genre.

The New York Times #1 best-selling series. The movie adaptation of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is now a major motion picture from visionary director Tim Burton, starring Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Ella Purnell, Samuel L. Jackson, and Judi Dench. Like its predecessors, Library of Souls blends thrilling fantasy with never-before-published vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience. A boy with extraordinary powers. An army of deadly monsters. An epic battle for the future of peculiardom. The adventure that began with Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and continued in Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls. As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he's diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children. They'll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil's Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It's a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all.

The big-hearted, grown-up new novel about love and second chances from million-copy international bestselling author Rainbow Rowell Praise for Rainbow Rowell: 'Extraordinary humour and tenderness' Curtis Sittenfeld 'Sweet, sexy, wise and nostalgic' Gabrielle Zevin 'So hot and delicious , so funny and smart and real. What a gift!' Catherine Newman 'Rainbow Rowell is a damn genius' Rufi Thorpe 'As funny and smart as its wonderful characters' Emma Straub 'Gorgeous . . . I read it in one sitting' Ella Risbridger Cherry and Tom had built a quiet, contented life together in Omaha, until Tom's semi-autobiographical webcomic went viral and turned their marriage into public property. Now the world knows Baby, the character based on Cherry, better than Cherry knows herself - and Tom and Cherry have been separated for months. That's when Russ Sutton shows up. Floppy-haired, blue-eyed Russ Sutton, who Cherry had a crush on in college, and who now seems to have a crush on her. All that's left is for Cherry to rewrite her own story. Because if she isn't Baby, and she isn't Tom's wife, then who can she be? Told with deep tenderness and abundant wit, Cherry Baby is Rainbow Rowell's most affecting, most surprising, sexiest novel yet.

Frank, funny and poignant, Single Bald Female by Laura Price is an unforgettable story of love, friendship, and embracing life after a shock diagnosis.'If you need something funny, moving, heartbreaking and magical, this is the one' - Daisy Buchanan, author of Insatiable'Witty yet devastating' – ES Magazine'Every word of Single Bald Female rings true' – Lauren Bravo, author of PrelovedJessica Jackson has hit all her personal milestones for turning thirty – the career, the loving boyfriend and a cosy London flat they share with their cat. But a breast cancer diagnosis turns Jess's world upside down, and her contented life implodes with it.Around her, her friends' lives continue to follow the script, with the big white weddings and the baby scans. With her own future so uncertain, the only thing Jess is sure of is that she's being left behind.But then she meets Annabel, an enigmatic twenty-seven year old with incurable cancer. While Annabel may not have long left, she understands much more about living than anyone Jess has ever met. And she's determined to show Jess how to make every day count . . .'I read this in a single night - superb!' - Celia Walden, columnist and author of Payday'Life-affirming and uplifting' – Fabulous Magazine'Moving and beautiful' – Emma Gannon, author of Olive

Three days in a maternity ward at the height of the Great Flu. The Pull of the Stars is the Sunday Times Bestseller from the acclaimed author of The Wonder and Room.'An immersive, unforgettable fever-dream of a novel' – The TimesThe old world dying on its feet, a new one struggling to be born . . .Dublin, 1918. In a country doubly ravaged by war and disease, Nurse Julia Power works at an understaffed hospital in the city centre, where expectant mothers who have come down with an unfamiliar flu are quarantined together. Into Julia's regimented world step two outsiders: Doctor Kathleen Lynn, on the run from the police, and a young volunteer helper, Bridie Sweeney.In the darkness and intensity of this tiny ward, over the course of three days, these women change each other's lives in unexpected ways. They lose patients to this baffling pandemic, but they also shepherd new life into a fearful world. With tireless tenderness and humanity, carers and mothers alike somehow do their impossible work.In The Pull of the Stars, Emma Donoghue tells an unforgettable and deeply moving story of love and loss.Shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards -- Eason Novel of the YearThe Telegraph's 'Best Novels of 2020'Guardian's 'Brilliant Books to Transport You This summer', 'Best Books of 2020'Cosmopolitan's 'Best Books to Read this summer'Stylist's 'Best summer Reads

In a new audio adaptation of some of Austen's lesser-known works, Avita Jay brings to life the wit and satire of one of England's greatest authors. In Austen's final and unfinished novel, Charlotte Heywood finds herself caught up in the comings and goings of the lively seaside resort "Sanditon". It is a story filled with a cast of colourful characters, from the widowed Lady Denham to wealthy Caribbean heiress, Georgiana Lambe, and the dashing, Sidney Parker. Naturally, romance and scandal ensue. The incomplete story has inspired many writers to take the work into their own hands, including the popular adaptation by ITV, starring Theo James. "Lady Susan" is an epistolary novel that follows the charming, irreverent, newly widowed Lady Susan. Beautiful, flirtatious and utterly shameless, she goes about seducing a married man, terrorising her relatives, and subverting all expectations of the maudlin, frumpy widow. Told through letters, "Love and Friendship" follows Laura and Sophia's whirlwind of improbable romances, disasters, and dramatic mishaps, as Austen playfully satirises the excesses of sentimental novels and youthful folly. Another unfinished novel, "The Watsons", follows Emma Watson, the youngest daughter of a poor clergyman who was raised by a wealthy aunt. Returning home, she is bored by her husband-hunting sisters, but soon catches the eye of local gentleman, Lord Osbourne.

One of Granta's Best Young British Novelists 2023 “Eliza Clark's writing embraces the socially unacceptable and wryly explores themes of gender, power, and violence.”—Granta's Best of Young British Novelists 2023 “Chilling, clever, and unputdownable.”—Guardian From the author of the cult hit Boy Parts comes a chilling psychological thriller, a brilliantly told story of murder among a group of teenage girls — a powerful and disturbing novel as piercing in its portrait of young women as Emma Cline's The Girls. On a beach in a run-down seaside town on the Yorkshire coastline, sixteen-year-old Joan Wilson is set on fire by three other schoolgirls. Nearly a decade after the horrifying murder, journalist Alec Z. Carelli has written the definitive account of the crime, drawn from hours of interviews with witnesses and family members, painstaking historical research, and most notably, correspondence with the killers themselves. The result is a riveting snapshot of lives rocked by tragedy, and a town left in turmoil. But how much of the story is true? Compulsively readable, provocative, and disturbing, Penance is a cleverly nuanced, unflinching exploration of gender, class, and power that raises troubling questions about the media and our obsession with true crime while bringing to light the depraved side of human nature and our darkest proclivities.

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . .or it might destroy her. Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first installment in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance. Performed by Emma Galvin

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ADULTS AND ANIMALS 'Compulsive and hilarious, like a brilliant gossip with your best friend. Emma Jane Unsworth is my favourite' Sara Pascoe 'Her best yet - funny, gritty, delightfully feral and, as ever, painfully truthful' DOLLY ALDERTON 'An amazing writer' MARGOT ROBBIE Once a slag, always a slag? It's the 1990s. Sarah is 15, obsessed with boy bands, sex and getting drunk on Malibu. Most of all, she's hung up on her teacher, Mr Keaveney. Fast forward 26 years. Sarah is 41, the last of the party girls. But the mad nights out are losing their shine. And her teenage dreams are now distant, queasy memories. There's only one thing for it: an adventure. So, Sarah sets off with her sister Juliette on a whisky-fuelled campervan trip across Scotland. The sisters have never been alike, but they know all the dark corners of each other's history - and it's time to dig up some demons, kicking and screaming. Because the things that once defined us shouldn't define us forever, should they? Adults was the UK's #6 bestselling hardback, The Sunday Times chart 9th February 2020 / Margot Robbie talking about Animals, as quoted in CHANEL's short film segment, 'In the library with Margot Robbie'

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up. With a hit film adaptation starring Emma Watson and Logan Lerman . Another Stephen Chbosky adaptation, Wonder, starring Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts, is also a must-see. Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix-tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. 'A coming of age tale in the tradition of The Catcher in the Rye and A Separate Peace ... often inspirational and always beautifully written' USA Today