A young Syrian refugee feels the urge to enter a church in Germany, overwhelmed by the notes of Händel's Messiah. An elderly German woman and her neighbour whom she barely knows, an Arab mother of four, hug each other when they discover they have more in common than they thought. A retired teacher reflects on her roots when she meets a Spanish student in the Bavarian countryside. A tour guide recalls the civil war that tore her beloved Ireland apart only a few decades earlier. What do these stories have in common? They are stories of everyday people who, for one reason or another, feel displaced, outsiders, strangers to their surroundings. But sometimes a chance encounter, a shared experience, or maybe the notes of a song, are all it takes to feel at home again, and then, the other does not seem so different from us anymore. With her delicate writing, Sheila Gutknecht explores the concepts of identity, belonging, and otherness.

Outsiders

Variant: Outsiders

Warehouse 200

From the bestselling author of The Psalm Killer  and The Butchers of Berlin   'One of Britain's most visionary writers' David Peace A breath-taking contemporary thriller for readers of Robert Harris, John le Carré? and Martin Cruz Smith When a government minister is shot there are many suspects but few leads. Days before the attempted assassination, Charlotte Waites, a Home Office analyst, dismissed a crucial intel flag and now has to account for her actions. Dragged into a web of intrigue that will draw in everybody from the prime minister to her ailing father, she must try to get the bottom of the mystery while confronting dark secrets from her family's past.  Complex, gripping and deftly-handled, Ghost Country  is work of staggering imagination that, from Northern Ireland to Covid, looks at the complexities of Britain's recent history and distils them into an unforgettable literary thriller.

Ghost Country

Variant: Ghost country

Don't miss THE BONE CODE , the new edge-of-your-seat Temperance Brennan thriller -  available now! THE SUNDAY TIMES  BESTSELLER A RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK 'Read this book.' DAVID BALDACCI  'One of the absolute best thrillers of the year' JEFFERY DEAVER  'You will find it hard to put down' MARK BOWDEN   EVERY BODY HAS SECRETS It all starts with a series of text messages. Each message contains a new picture of a corpse, missing its face and hands. Dr Temperance Brennan needs to find out who the dead man is, and why the images were sent to her. The only problem is, she has been kicked off the team.   So she goes rogue, knowing that she is the only one who can solve this case. As she starts her investigation she discovers a connection to a decade-old missing child case. The more she uncovers, the darker and more twisted the picture becomes . . . Praise for A Conspiracy of Bones 'I can't recall when this many twists have been so masterfully woven into a novel. A great series has just gotten greater' JEFFERY DEAVER, #1 internationally bestseller author of The Bone Collector  and The Never Game   'A Conspiracy of Bones  shows off Kathy Reichs' dazzling new level of plotting mastery.' KARIN SLAUGHTER, #1 internationally bestselling author of The Last Widow and The Good Daughter  'Reich's fast-paced, tightly-constructed, and very contemporary story dives underground here, both literally and virtually, as she follows the thinnest of threads deeper and deeper into a shocking conspiracy. You will find it hard to put down' MARK BOWDEN, #1 New York Times  bestselling author of The Last Stone  and Black Hawk Down 'So many pulse-pounding twists and surprises-it kept me guessing till the end!' R.L. STINE, bestselling author Goosebumps  and Fear Street   'This is Kathy Reichs doing what she does best: sorting through the bones until the shocking end' BRAD MELTZER, #1 New York Times  bestselling author of The Escape Artist   'Kathy Reichs writes brilliant mysteries that are as realistic as non-fiction and as fast-paced as the best thrillers about Jack Reacher or Alex Cross' JAMES PATTERSON 'Nobody does forensics thrillers like Kathy Reichs. She's the real deal' DAVID BALDACCI 'Each book in the Temperance Brennan series is better than the last, I just can't get enough!' LISA SCOTTOLINE  'Every minute in the morgue with Tempe is golden' THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

A Conspiracy of Bones P/B

Variant: A Conspiracy of Bones P/B

Warehouse 363

'A quietly, devastating, magical novel'  Daily Telegraph 'Beautiful, gentle, intricate... Here We Are  smuggles within the pages of a seemingly commonplace tale depths of emotion and narrative complexity that take the breath away.' The Observer It is Brighton, 1959, and the theatre at the end of the pier is having its best summer season in years. Ronnie, a brilliant young magician, and Evie, his dazzling assistant, are top of the bill, drawing audiences each night. Meanwhile, Jack - Jack Robinson, as in 'before you can say' - is everyone's favourite compère, a born entertainer, holding the whole show together.   As the summer progresses, the off-stage drama between the three begins to overshadow their theatrical success, and events unfold which will have lasting consequences for all their futures.   Rich, comic, alive and subtly devastating, Here We Are is a masterly piece of literary magicianship which pulls back the curtain on the human condition. 'With a wizardry of his own, Swift conjures up an about-to-disappear little world and turns it into something of wider resonance'  Sunday Times 'There's nothing extravagant or showy about Here We Are . . . The book's power comes precisely from the fact that it performs its magic in front of your eyes, leaving nowhere to hide . . . you wonder how he does it.' Financial Times 'As with all his books, it's the moments of quiet, undramatic poignancy that stay with you'  Sunday Express 'He tells simple, truthful stories about what feel like real people. Here We Are  is a welcome addition to a proud legacy.' The Big Issue The variety of voices and its historical and emotional reach are so finely entwined, it is as perfect and smooth as an egg. Passages leap out all the time, demanding to be reread, or committed to memory... It is perhaps too simple to say that Swift creates a form of fictional magic, but what he can do with a page is out of the ordinary, far beyond most mortals' ken.' Rosemary Goring, The Herald 'Here We Are  is a subtle portrait of a vanished world, with moving passages about the problems of wartime evacuees returning to impoverished London life after the wonders of the countryside.' The Independent 'In Here We Are, Swift does not just dwell on the pivotal moments of our lives, but traces their shockwaves both forward and back. Moving seamlessly from pre-war to post, from the events of one illusory, youthful summer to the present, we are given candid access to the innermost reflections of three people who loved and betrayed each other. The end result is the stuff of life, an enduring mystery that Ronnie, Evie, Jack - that we all - must live with. I thought it was wonderful.' Joseph Knox, author of Sirens Praise for Mothering Sunday: 'Bathed in light; and even when tragedy strikes, it blazes irresistibly. Swift's small fiction feels like a masterpiece' Guardian  'Alive with sensuousness and sensuality . wonderfully accomplished, it is an achievement' Sunday Times 'From start to finish Swift's is a novel of stylish brilliance and quiet narrative verve. The archly modulated, precise prose (a hybrid of Henry Green and Kazuo Ishiguro) is a glory to read. Now 66, Swift is a writer at the very top of his game' Evening Standard 'Mothering Sunday  is a powerful, philosophical and exquisitely observed novel about the lives we lead, and the parallel lives - the parallel stories - we can never know . It may just be Swift's best novel yet' Observer

Here We Are P/B

Variant: Here We Are P/B

Look out for the next adventure in the bestselling, blockbuster Supertato series, from Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet! Perfect for Supertato fans EVERYWHERE! It's fright-time in the supermarket, and the veggies are seriously spooked!   Strange shapes, weird noises and eerie shuffling - whatever can be behind these ghostly goings-on?   Join Supertato and the gang to find out in their latest unmissable adventure! The perfect book to calm bedtime fears and snuggle up with all year round?. READERS LOVE SUPERTATO 'A modern classic.' Amazon reviewer 'My granddaughter (aged 5) loves the stories about Supertato and his friends.' Amazon reviewer 'Great story for the little ones!' Amazon reviewer 'A light-hearted, funny, and enjoyable read for little ones who enjoy superhero and good vs. evil stories!' Amazon reviewer 'This book has become a firm favourite in our house.' Amazon reviewer Other Supertato stories: Supertato Supertato: Veggies Assemble Supertato: Run, Veggies, Run! Supertato: Evil Pea Rules Supertato: Veggies in the Valley of Doom Supertato: Carnival Catastro-Pea Supertato: Bubbly Troubly! Supertato: Hap-pea Ever After (World Book Day) Supertato: Books Are Rubbish! (World Book Day) Supertato: The Great Eggscape!  Supertato: Presents Jack and the Beanstalk Other Supertato books: Supertato Sticker Activity Book Supertato Super Squad   Supertato Sticker Skills   Selected other titles by Sue Hendra & Paul Linnet: Barry the Fish with Fingers Norman the Slug with the Silly Shell Keith the Cat with the Magic Hat Doug the Bug that went Boing! I Need a Wee! No-Bot the Robot with No Bottom No-Bot the Robot's New Bottom I Spy Island

Supertato Night Of The Living Veg P/B

Variant: Supertato Night Of The Living Veg P/B

The first book in the international bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series. Perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Harry Potter, Rick Riordan and Amari and the Night Brothers . Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She is a Telepath, and has the power to hear the thoughts of everyone around her - something that she's never spoken about, even to her own family. But everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who also reads minds. She discovers there's somewhere she does belong, and staying where she is will put her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a magical world. Sophie has new rules to learn, and not everyone is thrilled with her "homecoming". There are secrets buried deep in Sophie's memory, secrets that other people desperately want. Would even kill for . . .  Don't miss the brand-new book in the series, Stellarlune , out now!  Books in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series:  Keeper of the Lost Cities  Exile  Everblaze  Neverseen  Lodestar  Nightfall  Flashback  Legacy Stellarlune  Unlocked

Keeper of The Lost Cities Book 1 P/B

Variant: Keeper of The Lost Cities Book 1 P/B

The fourth book in the international bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series. Perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Harry Potter, Rick Riordan and Amari and the Night Brothers . Sophie Foster is on the run - but at least she's not alone. Her closest friends from the Lost Cities have gone with her to join the Black Swan. They still have doubts about the shadowy organization, but the only way to find answers is to start working with  them. And as they settle into their new lives, they uncover secrets bigger than anything they'd imagined. But their enemies are far from done, and unleash a terrifying plague that threatens the safety of an entire species. Sophie and her friends fight with everything they have - with new allies joining them - but every choice has consequences. And trusting the wrong person could prove deadly. In this game-changing fourth book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie must question everything to find a truth that will either save her world - or shatter it. Don't miss the brand-new book in the series, Stellarlune , out now!  Books in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series:  Keeper of the Lost Cities  Exile  Everblaze  Neverseen  Lodestar  Nightfall  Flashback  Legacy Stellarlune  Unlocked

Neverseen

Variant: Neverseen

The sixth book in the international bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series. Perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Harry Potter, Rick Riordan and Amari and the Night Brothers . Sophie Foster is struggling. Grieving. Scrambling. But she knows one thing: she will not be defeated. The Neverseen have had their victories - but the battle is far from over. It's time to change tactics. Make sacrifices. Re-examine everything. Maybe even time for Sophie to trust her enemies. All paths lead to Nightfall - an ominous door to an even more ominous place - and Sophie and her friends strike a dangerous bargain to get there. But nothing can prepare them for what they discover. The problems they're facing stretch deep into their history. And with time running out, and mistakes catching up with them, Sophie and her allies must join forces in ways they never have before. Sophie must uncover the truth about the Lost Cities' insidious past, before it repeats itself and changes reality. Don't miss the brand-new book in the series, Stellarlune , out now!  Books in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series:  Keeper of the Lost Cities  Exile  Everblaze  Neverseen  Lodestar  Nightfall  Flashback  Legacy Stellarlune  Unlocked

Nightfall (Keeper Of Lost Cities Book 6) P/B

Variant: Nightfall (Keeper Of Lost Cities Book 6) P/B

The seventh book in the international bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series. Perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Harry Potter, Rick Riordan and Amari and the Night Brothers . Sophie Foster doesn't know what - or whom - to believe. And in a game with this many players, the worst mistake can be focusing on the wrong threat. But when the Neverseen prove that Sophie's far more vulnerable than she ever imagined, she realizes it's time to change the rules. Her powerful abilities can only protect her so far. To face down ruthless enemies, she must learn to fight. Unfortunately, battle training can't help a beloved friend who's facing a whole different danger - where the only solution involves one of the biggest risks Sophie and her friends have ever taken. And the distraction might be exactly what the villains have been waiting for. Don't miss the brand-new book in the series, Stellarlune , out now!  Books in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series:  Keeper of the Lost Cities  Exile  Everblaze  Neverseen  Lodestar  Nightfall  Flashback  Legacy Stellarlune  Unlocked

Flashback (Keeper Of Lost Cities Book 7) P/B

Variant: Flashback (Keeper Of Lost Cities Book 7) P/B

The eighth book in the international bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series. Perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Harry Potter, Rick Riordan and Amari and the Night Brothers . Sophie Foster wants answers. But after a lifetime of lies, sometimes the truth is the most dangerous discovery. Even the smallest secret comes with terrifying new responsibilities. And Sophie's not the only one with blank spots in her past, or mysteries surrounding her family. She and her friends are part of something much bigger than they imagined - and their roles have already been chosen for them. Every clue drags them deeper into the conspiracy. Every memory forces them to question everything - especially one another. And the harder they fight, the more the lines blur between friend and enemy. Don't miss the brand-new book in the series, Stellarlune , out now!  Books in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series:  Keeper of the Lost Cities  Exile  Everblaze  Neverseen  Lodestar  Nightfall  Flashback  Legacy Stellarlune  Unlocked

Egacy (Keeper Of Lost Cities Book 8) P/B

Variant: egacy (Keeper Of Lost Cities Book 8) P/B

'This story literally has what it takes: the anecdotes, the insights and, most of all, the values to guide the next generation of entrepreneurs.' Mark Carney 'The real story of what it takes from a man who could turn dreams into realities.' Ray Dalio 'Candid, funny and real, Steve offers wisdom and the gift of much-needed common sense chapter by chapter and experience by experience. A great read!' John Kerry From Blackstone chairman, CEO and co-founder Stephen A. Schwarzman, a long-awaited book that uses impactful episodes from Schwarzman's life to show readers how to build, transform and lead thriving organisations. Whether you are a student, entrepreneur, philanthropist, executive or simply someone looking for ways to maximise your potential, the same lessons apply. People know who Stephen Schwarzman is - at least they think they do. He's the man who took $400,000 and co-founded Blackstone, the investment firm that manages over $500 billion (as of January 2019). He's the CEO whose views are sought by heads of state. But behind these achievements is a man who has spent his life learning and reflecting on what it takes to achieve excellence, make an impact, and live a life of consequence. Folding handkerchiefs in his father's linen shop, Schwarzman dreamed of a larger life, filled with purpose and adventure. After starting his career in finance with a short stint at a financial firm called DLJ, Schwarzman began working at Lehman Brothers where he ascended to run the mergers and acquisitions practice. He eventually partnered with his mentor and friend Pete Peterson to found Blackstone, vowing to create a new and different kind of financial institution. Building Blackstone into the leading global financial institution it is today didn't come easy. Schwarzman's simple mantra 'don't lose money' has helped Blackstone become a leading private equity and real estate investor, and manager of alternative assets for institutional investors globally.  From deal-making to investing, leadership to entrepreneurship, philanthropy to diplomacy, Schwarzman has lessons for how to think about ambition and scale, risk and opportunities, and how to achieve success through the relentless pursuit of excellence. Schwarzman not only offers readers a thoughtful reflection on all his own experiences, but in doing so provides a practical blueprint for success.

What It Takes H/B

Variant: What It Takes H/B

In a city where dreams really do come true, nightmares can follow . . . The new 'engrossing and unputdownable' thriller from the bestselling author of SOMETHING IN THE WATER 'I devoured this Londoner in LA story in a day' CAROLINE KEPNES 'Stylish, riveting, hugely atmospheric - I couldn't put it down' LUCY FOLEY SHE IS MISSING. BUT DID SHE EVER REALLY EXIST?   Mia Eliot has travelled from London to LA for pilot season. This is her big chance to make it as an actor in Hollywood, and she is ready to do whatever it takes. At an audition she meets Emily, and what starts as a simple favour takes a dark turn when Emily goes missing and Mia is the last person to see her.   Then a woman turns up, claiming to be Emily, but she is nothing like Mia remembers. Why would someone pretend to be Emily? Starting to question her own sanity, she goes on a desperate and dangerous search for answers, knowing something is very, very wrong.   In an industry where everything is about creating illusions, how do you know what is real? And how much would you risk to find out?    Praise for The Disappearing Act 'Captivating doesn't cover it. Brilliant doesn't do it justice. This is a dazzling, gasp-inducing plunge-pool of a novel that grips your heart and mind and refuses to let go. Absolutely stunning' BP Walter 'Another screen-worthy thriller . . . Steadman's flair for storytelling makes this novel a welcome escape' Washington Post 'Like Chekhov's gun, the Hollywood sign is mentioned early, leading to a great, extended scene far above the city - and to a genuine Hollywood ending' New York Times 'Engrossing and unputdownable . . . I devoured this Londoner in LA story in a day' Caroline Kepnes 'A fascinating glimpse of the darkness behind Hollywood's glittering façade. I loved it' TM Logan 'Another page-turning winner from Catherine Steadman. Ingenious and intriguing, with a fascinating insight into the acting world' BA Paris 'As tense as John Buchan and suspenseful as Patricia Highsmith' Emma Bamford 'Glamour, greed and gaslighting - the perfect summer read!' Harriet Walker Praise for Catherine Steadman 'Original, ingenious and utterly gripping, with characters you'll really care about as they race towards the brilliantly unexpected ending' JP Delaney  'A thriller for our times' Louise Candlish 'A proper page-turner' New York Times 'Fans of The Silent Patient  will love it' CJ Tudor 'Had me racing through the pages' Sarah Vaughan 'An enjoyable, nail-biting ride' Observer 'Very clever, brilliantly compelling, another amazing read from Catherine Steadman' BA Paris 'Perfectly paced with an exciting race to the end, this is one clever novel' Woman's Weekly

The Disappearing Act

Variant: The disappearing act

In this revelatory, authoritative portrait of Donald J. Trump and the toxic family that made him, Mary L. Trump, a trained clinical psychologist and Donald's only niece, shines a bright light on the dark history of their family in order to explain how her uncle became the man who now threatens the world's health, economic security and social fabric.   Mary Trump spent much of her childhood in her grandparents' large, imposing house in New York, where Donald and his four siblings grew up. She describes a nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse. She explains how specific events and general family patterns created the damaged man who currently occupies the Oval Office, including the strange and harmful relationship between Fred Trump and his two oldest sons, Fred Jr. and Donald.   A first-hand witness, Mary brings an incisive wit and unexpected humour to sometimes grim, often confounding family events. She recounts in unsparing detail everything from her uncle Donald's place in the family spotlight and Ivana's penchant for regifting to her grandmother's frequent injuries and illnesses and the appalling way Donald, Fred Trump's favourite son, dismissed and derided him when he began to succumb to Alzheimer's.   Numerous pundits, armchair psychologists and journalists have sought to explain Donald Trump's lethal flaws. Mary Trump has the education, insight and intimate familiarity needed to reveal what makes Donald, and the rest of her clan, tick. She alone can recount this fascinating, unnerving saga, not just because of her insider's perspective but also because she is the only Trump willing to tell the truth about one of the world's most powerful and dysfunctional families.

Too Much And Never Enough H/B

Variant: Too Much And Never Enough H/B

The goddaughter of Igor Stravinsky and a graduate of Hollywood High, Eve Babitz posed in 1963, at age twenty, playing chess with the French artist Marcel Duchamp. She was naked; he was not. The photograph made her an instant icon of art and sex. Babitz spent the rest of the decade rocking and rolling on the Sunset Strip, honing her notoriety. There were the album covers she designed: for Buffalo Springfield and the Byrds, to name but a few. There were the men she seduced: Jim Morrison, Ed Ruscha, Harrison Ford, to name but a very few. Then, at nearly thirty, her It girl days numbered, Babitz was discovered-as a writer-by Joan Didion. She would go on to produce seven books, usually billed as novels or short story collections, always autobiographies and confessionals. Under-known and under-read during her career, she's since experienced a breakthrough. Now in her mid-seventies, she's on the cusp of literary stardom and recognition as an essential-as the essential-LA writer. Her prose achieves that American ideal: art that stays loose, maintains its cool, and is so simply enjoyable as to be mistaken for simple entertainment. What Hollywood's Eve  has going for it on every page is its subject's utter refusal to be dull. It sends you racing to read the work of Eve Babitz." The New York Times   "Read Lili Anolik's book in the same spirit you'd read a new Eve Babitz, if there was one: for the gossip and for the writing. Both are extraordinary." Jonathan Lethem "There's no better way to look at Hollywood in that magic decade, the 1970s, than through Eve Babitz's eyes. Eve knew everyone, slept with everyone, used, amused, and abused everyone. And then there's Eve herself: a cult figure turned into a legend in Anolik's electrifying book. This is a portrait as mysterious, maddening-and seductive-as its subject." -Peter Biskind, author of Easy Riders, Raging Bulls For Babitz, life was slow days, fast company until a freak fire turned her into a recluse, living in a condo in West Hollywood, where author Lili Anolik tracked her down in 2012. Hollywood's Eve , equal parts biography and detective story "brings a ludicrously glamorous scene back to life, adding a few shadows along the way" (Vogue ) and "sends you racing to read the work of Eve Babitz" (The New York Times ).

Hollywood's Eve

Variant: Hollywood's Eve

'I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.' So said author Douglas Adams - but what if there was a way of making deadlines work for you and using them to ensure others provide you with what you want when you want it? In Christopher Cox's brilliant new book, he looks at the impact deadlines have on us, and how we can use them to deliver the best results for all parties. Social scientists have revealed that most negotiations run right up to the deadline before a deal is finally struck. What they also discovered was that this deadline effect usually results in a worse deal for both parties. Cox shows you how, instead, the deadline effect can be used to bring about success not failure. The truth is that most of us think of deadlines all wrong. They aren't immutable laws of nature; they are a game we can play - and win. This book will show you the strategies different workplaces have come up with to do just that. They are the businesses and individuals who are rehabilitating the deadline effect, taking the urgency it provides and jettisoning all the down-to-the-wire nonsense. Based on his own experience as a magazine commissioning editor, where coaxing writers to deliver on time is an art form, he also embeds himself in other businesses, such as a ski patrol ahead of the first day of the winter season, to see how they meet deadlines that cannot be missed.  Above all, this book is an argument to embrace the power of deadlines. When time is limited, people are less wasteful, more focused, productive and creative. It's a liberating realisation: excellence and timeliness are not at odds, and the deadline effect can be highly effective.

The Deadline Effect

Variant: The deadline effect

Join Hunter Davies on a celebratory stroll around London's greatest glories - its parks. We need our parks more than ever before, for our health and spirits, our bodies and souls, to keep us fit, to save us from pollution, to protect nature and wildlife; and Londoners are lucky enough to enjoy more green spaces than any other major city in the world. In London Parks , Hunter Davies illustrates their wonders by spending a year walking round his favourite parks. From his local haunt on Hampstead Heath to the capital's latest wonder, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, each one is chosen for its unique appeal. Informative and entertaining, he details their history, describes their layout and reveals hidden delights and new attractions that might otherwise be missed, such as the statue of a small brown dog in Battersea Park, a garden full of exotic plants and palm trees in south London's Burgess Park or, for something completely unique, Ian Dury's musical memorial bench in Richmond Park. Fun, thought-provoking and uplifting, London Parks is an essential companion for anyone wishing to explore the ever-green beauty of Britain's capital city, whether it's spotting pelicans and politicians in St James's Park, the birds in the London Wetland Centre or the views from Greenwich Park.

London Parks

Variant: London parks

A dazzling debut collection which, deftly and urgently, tells the stories of those living in the biggest and most complicated country on earth.  A BARACK OBAMA READING LIST SELECTION FOR SUMMER 2021   'In this magnificent collection of stories, the author vividly captures the desires and losses of a richly drawn cast while drawing on the realities of contemporary China'? Cosmopolitan A brother competes for gaming glory while his twin sister exposes the dark side of the Communist government on her underground blog; a worker at a government call centre is alarmed one day to find herself speaking to a former lover; a delicious new fruit arrives at the neighbourhood market and the locals find it starts to affect their lives in ways they could never have imagined; and a young woman's dreams of making it big in Shanghai are stalled when she finds herself working as a florist. These are just some of the myriad lives to be evoked in The Land of Big Numbers, a collection of stories which - sometimes playfully, sometimes darkly - draws back the curtain on the realities of modern China and unveils a cast of characters as rich and complicated as any in world literature. With virtuosic brilliance, Te-ping Chen sheds light on a country much talked about but little understood and announces the birth of a bright new star in the literary firmament.    Praise for Land of Big Numbers 'A spectacular work, comic, timely, profound. Te-Ping Chen has a superb eye for detail in a China where transformation occurs simultaneously too fast and too slow for lives in pursuit of meaning in a brave new world. Her characters are achingly alive. It's rare to read a collection so satisfying, where every story adds to a gripping and intricate world.' Madeleine Thien, author of the Booker-shortlisted Do Not Say We Have Nothing   'Te-Ping Chen's Land of Big Numbers  contains 10 illuminating, sharp stories set in China, penned by a former investigative reporter who worked in Beijing for several years' The Independent 'China's borders have remained closed to foreign travellers since the first few months of the Covid pandemic, and look set to remain so in the immediate future. For those who want a peek inside the country, this very readable collection of short stories is a great place to start.' Financial Times 'Te-Ping Chen shows us how much life, loss, and quiet pleasure exists in the world, just out of view.' Alexandra Kleeman, author of You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine

Land of Big Numbers

Variant: Land of big numbers

Inspired by her conversations with the thousands of readers she has met on her nationwide sold-out tours, Heart Talk: The Journal is a space to share your own trusts alongside hers. As Cleo writes, "The best thing about your life is that it is constantly in a state of design. This means you have, at all times, the power to redesign it. Make moves, allow shifts, smile more, do more, do less, say no, say yes - just remember, when it comes to your life, you are not only the artist but the masterpiece as well." Inside, you will find the opportunity to let go, feel what you need to feel, discover your own poetic wisdom, and become the person you want to be.

Heart Talk: The Journal

Variant: Heart Talk: The Journal

A terrific book to encourage sharing and making new friends - not to mention the perfect present for dog lovers!   'Adam's lively hounds are a scratchy, inky delight!' - Sara Ogilvie, illustrator of The Detective Dog Meet Solo the dog. This is his island - and these are his things and his humans. So when a group of other dogs turn up, Solo doesn't like it - not one bit - and he tells them so quite firmly. He doesn't want to share his things and he thinks they're running out of control (although it does look quite fun...). Only, once the others have gone, Solo finds that he misses his new friends, and races to get them back.   Will Solo come to see that no dog is an island, and that some things are just better with friends? Find out in this irresistible author-illustrator debut from Adam Beer, the illustrator of Mammoth . Also by Adam Beer: Mammoth (written by Anna Kemp)

Solo

Variant: Solo

'The latest in the thriller series behind Netflix stalker blockbuster You'  GUARDIAN 'Crazy, sexy, cool: Caroline Kepnes gets better - and Joe Goldberg gets worse - with every book' ERIN KELLY 'Caroline Kepnes writes with such malevolent energy, such dark grace and such ink-black humour. An utterly unique character and an utterly unique writer, in a marriage made somewhere between heaven and hell' RICHARD OSMAN 'Fiendish, fast-paced, and very funny' PAULA HAWKINS 'Another dark, thrilling, and blackly hilarious adventure from everyone's favourite murderer' CLAIRE MCGOWAN   'I absolutely loved it. It's completely addictive, razor-sharp writing from Kepnes. Internet creeping at its most darkly humorous. Joe's back, and this time it's definitely real love'   CATHERINE STEADMAN 'Caroline Kepnes must be some kind of storytelling sorcerer. How else can Joe Goldberg - stalker, creep, multiple-murderer, blamer of everyone else but himself, a "long overdue book, the one you never thought was coming" - be such an entertaining narrator? Even Tom Ripley, Patricia Highsmith's famously amoral character (a clear inspiration for Kepnes), could be enjoyed at a third-person remove, unlike the in-your-face immediacy of Joe's blinkered perspective . . . brilliant' New York Times The highly anticipated new thriller in Caroline Kepnes's hit YOU series, now a blockbuster Netflix show. Joe Goldberg is back. And he's going to start a family - even if it kills him . . .  Joe Goldberg is done with cities, done with the muck and the posers, done with Love. Now, he's saying hello to nature, to simple pleasures on a cosy island in the Pacific Northwest. For the first time in a long time, he can just breathe. He gets a job at the local library - he does know a thing or two about books - and that's where he meets her: Mary Kay DiMarco. Librarian . Joe won't meddle, he will not obsess. He'll win her the old fashioned way . . . by providing a shoulder to cry on, a helping hand. Over time, they'll both heal their wounds and begin their happily ever after  in this sleepy town. The trouble is . . . Mary Kay already has a life. She's a mother. She's a friend. She's . . . busy. True love can only triumph if both people are willing to make room for the real thing. Joe cleared his decks. He's ready. And hopefully, with his encouragement and undying support, Mary Kay will do the right thing and make room for him .

You Love Me

Variant: You love me

A countdown from twelve to one as a space shuttle awaits lift-off. Readers are invited to find hidden numbers on an illustrated activity page.

Outsiders

Dublog

Delivery

Returns

Dubray Card