'Mongrel is so beautiful that I became lost in it . . . Simply, it must be read' LISA TADDEO 'A brilliant explosion of writing and storytelling . . . This feels like reading an Oscar-winning film' AISLING BEA 'Heart-shatteringly visceral and precise . . . a triumphant tribute to the self' WIZ WHARTON 'This compulsive, engrossing, and gorgeous debut will utterly consume you. Read it now' STEPHANIE SCOTT This audiobook includes an exclusive Q&A with the author Mei loses her Japanese mother at age six. Growing up in suburban Surrey, she yearns to fit in, suppressing not only her heritage but her growing desire for her best friend Fran. Yuki leaves the Japanese countryside to pursue her dream of becoming a concert violinist in London. Far from home and in an unfamiliar city, she finds herself caught up in the charms of her older teacher. Haruka attempts to navigate Tokyo's nightlife and all of its many vices, working as a hostess in the city's sex district. She grieves a mother who hid so many secrets from her, until finally one of those secrets comes to light . . . Shifting between three intertwining narratives, Mongrel reveals a tangled web of desire, isolation, belonging and ultimately, hope.

Mongrel

THE TIMES BOOK OF THE MONTH THE GUARDIAN SCI-FI BOOK OF THE MONTH A JIMMY FALLON SPRING FAVOURITE A HARPER'S BAZAAR 'BEST BOOK OF 2024' AUDIBLE BEST OF THE MONTH AMAZON 'BEST OF MARCH' PICK ESQUIRE'S 'BEST BOOKS OF 2024 (SO FAR)' A 'MOST ANTICIPATED NOVEL' FOR GOODREADS AND READER'S DIGEST She's human in every way that matters.Annie is the perfect girlfriend. She has dinner ready for Doug every night, wears the outfits he buys for her, and caters to his every sexual whim. Maybe her cleaning isn’t always good enough, but she’s trying really hard. She was designed that way, after all. Because Annie is a robot. But what happens when she starts to rebel against her stifled existence and imagine the impossible – a life without Doug? ‘Intense, compelling’ GUARDIAN 'Barbie for girls who like Aphex Twin' SHEENA PATEL 'An exquisitely written, empathetic novel that asks what it really means to be human’ RED ‘A smart dive into big questions about identity, autonomy and power… packs an impressive punch’ THE TIMES, Book of the Month ‘Slyly profound… gripping’ NEW YORK TIMES 'A Frankenstein for the digital age' ESQUIRE 'A compelling story of power, consent and control in the age of AI’ GRAZIA

Annie Bot

Audiobook Narrated by Elle Fanning! “The warmth of Thorpe’s tone, together with the thoroughness of her imagination and the artfulness of her pacing, means that skepticism is kept at bay. She sells us on both the characters and the plot . . . [in] this enormously entertaining and lovable book.” —Nick Hornby, New York Times Book Review A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman’s attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world—from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen. As the child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo Millet's always known she’d have to make it on her own. So she enrolls at her local junior college, even though she can’t imagine how she’ll ever make a living. She’s still figuring things out and never planned to have an affair with her English professor—and while the affair is brief, it isn’t brief enough to keep her from getting pregnant. Despite everyone’s advice, she decides to keep the baby, mostly out of naiveté and a yearning for something bigger. Now, at twenty, Margo is alone with an infant, unemployed, and on the verge of eviction. She needs a cash infusion—fast. When her estranged father, Jinx, shows up on her doorstep and asks to move in with her, she agrees in exchange for help with childcare. Then Margo begins to form a plan: she’ll start an OnlyFans as an experiment, and soon finds herself adapting some of Jinx’s advice from the world of wrestling. Like how to craft a compelling character and make your audience fall in love with you. Before she knows it, she’s turned it into a runaway success. Could this be the answer to all of Margo’s problems, or does internet fame come with too high a price? Blisteringly funny and filled with sharp insight, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a tender tale starring an endearing young heroine who’s struggling to wrest money and power from a world that has little interest in giving it to her. It’s a playful and honest examination of the art of storytelling and controlling your own narrative, and an empowering portrait of coming into your own, both online and off. ?“A wholly original novel. . . . Thorpe is both poetic and profound in the way she brings her remarkable story to an end.” —The Associated Press

Margo's Got Money Troubles

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Named a “Must-Read” by TODAY, Us Weekly, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, Southern Living, Book Riot, Woman’s Day, The Toronto Star, and more! For two sworn enemies, anything can happen during the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime—maybe even love—in this romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling authors of Love and Other Words. Olive Torres is used to being the unlucky twin: from inexplicable mishaps to a recent layoff, her life seems to be almost comically jinxed. By contrast, her sister Ami is an eternal champion...she even managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a slew of contests. Unfortunately for Olive, the only thing worse than constant bad luck is having to spend the wedding day with the best man (and her nemesis), Ethan Thomas. Olive braces herself for wedding hell, determined to put on a brave face, but when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. Suddenly there’s a free honeymoon up for grabs, and Olive will be damned if Ethan gets to enjoy paradise solo. Agreeing to a temporary truce, the pair head for Maui. After all, ten days of bliss is worth having to assume the role of loving newlyweds, right? But the weird thing is...Olive doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, the more she pretends to be the luckiest woman alive, the more it feels like she might be. With Christina Lauren’s “uniquely hilarious and touching voice” (Entertainment Weekly), The Unhoneymooners is a romance for anyone who has ever felt unlucky in love.

The Unhoneymooners

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • READ BY MERYL STREEP “Patchett leads us to a truth that feels like life rather than literature.”—The Guardian In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America’s finest writers. In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew. Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.

Tom Lake

* SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 BOOKER PRIZE * * WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION * Shortlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize, Dylan Thomas Prize, and Aspen Words Literary Prize • A Best Book of 2024: The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Time, The Economist, The Globe and Mail (Toronto), Kirkus Reviews, The Independent, BookPage, The Sunday Times (London) “Remarkable…Compelling…Fine and taut…Indelible.” —The New York Times • “Moving, unnerving, and deeply sexy.” —Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with the Pearl Earring • “A brilliant debut, as multi-faceted as a gem.” —Kirkus Reviews A “razor-sharp, perfectly plotted” (The Sunday Times, London) tale of desire, suspicion, and obsession between two women staying in the same house in the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961—a powerful exploration of the legacy of WWII and the darker parts of our collective past. A house is a precious thing... It is 1961 and the rural Dutch province of Overijssel is quiet. Bomb craters have been filled, buildings reconstructed, and the war is truly over. Living alone in her late mother’s country home, Isabel knows her life is as it should be—led by routine and discipline. But all is upended when her brother Louis brings his graceless new girlfriend Eva, leaving her at Isabel’s doorstep as a guest, to stay for the season. Eva is Isabel’s antithesis: she sleeps late, walks loudly through the house, and touches things she shouldn’t. In response, Isabel develops a fury-fueled obsession, and when things start disappearing around the house—a spoon, a knife, a bowl—Isabel’s suspicions begin to spiral. In the sweltering peak of summer, Isabel’s paranoia gives way to infatuation, leading to a discovery that unravels all Isabel has ever known. The war might not be well and truly over after all, and neither Eva—nor the house in which they live—are what they seem. Mysterious, sophisticated, sensual, and infused with intrigue, atmosphere, and sex, The Safekeep is “a brave and thrilling debut about facing up to the truth of history, and to one’s own desires” (The Guardian).

The Safekeep

INSTANT INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER For fans of Bunny and Yellowface, this razor-sharp debut thriller blends biting satire with chilling suspense, as a young woman steps into her deceased twin’s influencer life—only to discover dark secrets hidden behind her social media façade. Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything—except a pulse. Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier barely scraping by, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s body, she doesn’t call the police. Instead, she slips into her dead sister’s meticulously curated life: luxury fashion, high-end skincare, and a devoted online following who never noticed they weren’t quite the same. At first, the transformation is seamless. Julie relishes the perks of influencer fame, but quickly learns that behind Chloe’s flawless feed lay secrets far darker than she imagined. Her sister’s final days were shadowed by paranoia, manipulation, and something far more sinister. Now, trapped on a private island retreat with Chloe’s inner circle—an elite clique of influencers obsessed with status and secrecy—Julie is forced to keep up the act while being haunted by her sister’s untimely death. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister’s demise and realizes she might be the next target. Darkly funny, fiercely paced, and full of sharp commentary on identity, fame, and the cost of visibility, Julie Chan Is Dead is a twisted thrill ride where fitting in could be fatal—and the people behind the posts are the real danger.

Julie Chan Is Dead

'A soaring coming-of-age novel.' - THE OBSERVER 'Completely fierce, unmistakably feminist, and subversively funny. When Women Were Dragons brings the heat to misogyny with glorious imagination and talon-sharp prose.' - Bonnie Garmus, LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY In a world where girls and women are taught to be quiet, the dragons inside them are about to be set free ... In this timely and timeless speculative novel, set in 1950s America, Kelly Barnhill exposes a world that wants to keep girls and women small - and examines what happens when they rise up. Alex Green is four years old when she first sees a dragon. In her next-door neighbour's garden, in the spot where the old lady usually sits, is a huge dragon, an astonished expression on its face before it opens its wings and soars away across the rooftops. And Alex doesn't see the little old lady after that. No one mentions her. It's as if she's never existed. Then Alex's mother disappears, and reappears a week later, one quiet Tuesday, with no explanation whatsoever as to where she has been. But she is a ghostly shadow of her former self, and with scars across her body - wide, deep burns, as though she had been attacked by a monster who breathed fire. Alex, growing from young girl to fiercely independent teenager, is desperate for answers, but doesn't get any. Whether anyone likes it or not, the Mass Dragoning is coming. And nothing will be the same after that. Everything is about to change, forever. And when it does, this, too, will be unmentionable... Perfect for fans of THE HANDMAID'S TALE, VOX, and THE POWER.

When Women Were Dragons

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Starts with Us and It Ends with Us comes a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance. At twenty-two years old, Sydney is enjoying a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her—and she’s forced to decide what her next move should be. Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one.

Maybe Someday

The final novel in The Seven Sisters series is here. Narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton. Spanning a lifetime of love and loss, crossing borders and oceans, Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt, co-authored by her son Harry Whittaker, draws Lucinda Riley's saga to its stunning, unforgettable conclusion. 1928, Paris. A boy is found, moments from death, and taken in by a kindly family. Gentle, precocious, talented, he flourishes in his new home, and the family show him a life he hadn’t dreamed possible. But he refuses to speak a word about who he really is. As he grows into a young man, falling in love and taking classes at the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris, he can almost forget the terrors of his past, or the promise he has vowed to keep. But across Europe an evil is rising, and no-one’s safety is certain. In his heart, he knows the time will come when he must flee once more. 2008, the Aegean. The seven sisters are gathered together for the first time, on board the Titan, to say a final goodbye to the enigmatic father they loved so dearly. To the surprise of everyone, it is the missing sister who Pa Salt has chosen to entrust with the clue to their pasts. But for every truth revealed, another question emerges. The sisters must confront the idea that their adored father was someone they barely knew. And even more shockingly: that these long-buried secrets may still have consequences for them today. In this epic conclusion to the Seven Sisters series, everything will be revealed. Tuppence Middleton returns to complete the sisters' story alongside Richard Armitage as Pa Salt.

The Seven Sisters

Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt

The spellbinding series continues. Following the bestselling The Seven Sisters, The Storm Sister is the second book in Lucinda Riley's epic saga of love and loss, inspired by the mythology of the Seven Sisters constellation. Read by Hattie Morahan (The Burning Chambers, Girl with a Pearl Earring) Ally D'Aplièse, in her early thirties, is about to compete in one of the world's most perilous yacht races when she hears the news of her adoptive father's sudden, mysterious death. Rushing back to meet her five sisters at their family home, she discovers that her father – an elusive billionaire affectionately known to his daughters as Pa Salt – has left each of them a tantalizing clue to their true heritage. Ally recently embarked on a deeply passionate love affair that will change her destiny forever. But with her life now turned upside down, Ally decides to leave the open seas and follow the trail that her father left her, leading to the icy beauty of Norway . . . There, Ally begins to discover her roots – and how her story is inextricably bound to that of a young unknown singer, Anna Landvik, who lived there over a hundred years before, and sang in the first performance of Grieg's iconic music set to Ibsen's play 'Peer Gynt'. As Ally learns more about Anna, she also begins to question who her father, Pa Salt, really was. And she begins to wonder: why is their seventh sister missing? The epic, multi-million selling series continues with The Shadow Sister. 'A brilliant page-turner just soaked in glamour and romance' – Daily Mail Praise for the Seven Sisters: 'A masterclass in beautiful writing' – The Sun 'Heart-wrenching, uplifting and utterly enthralling' – Lucy Foley, author of The Hunting Party 'A breathtaking adventure' – Lancashire Evening Post Five-Star Reader Reviews: 'Absolutely incredible' 'Totally addictive' 'Ideal for when you need to escape'

The Storm Sister

An enchanting short story from Madeline Miller that boldly reimagines the myth of Galatea and Pygmalion, now in audio for the first time **Performed by Ruth Wilson and featuring an afterword by Madeline Miller** In ancient Greece, a skilled marble sculptor has been blessed by a goddess who has given his masterpiece—the most beautiful woman the town has ever seen—the gift of life. After marrying her, he expects Galatea to please him, to be obedience and humility personified. But she has desires of her own and yearns for independence. In a desperate bid by her obsessive husband to keep her under control, Galatea is locked away under the constant supervision of doctors and nurses. But with a daughter to rescue, she is determined to break free, whatever the cost . . . With a spellbinding performance by Ruth Wilson (His Dark Materials, The Affair), step back into Madeline Miller's mythic world.

Galatea

“Imagine Call Me By Your Name set in Communist Poland and you'll get a sense of Jedrowski's moving debut about a consuming love affair amidst a country being torn apart.” — O Magazine, LGBTQ Books That’ll Change the Literary Landscape in 2020 “Captivating both for its shimmering surfaces and its terrifying depths. Tomasz Jedrowski is a remarkable writer.” — Justin Torres, bestselling author of We the Animals Set in early 1980s Poland against the violent decline of communism, a tender and passionate story of first love between two young men who eventually find themselves on opposite sides of the political divide—a stunningly poetic and heartrending literary debut for fans of Andre Aciman, Garth Greenwell, and Alan Hollinghurst. When university student Ludwik meets Janusz at a summer agricultural camp, he is fascinated yet wary of this handsome, carefree stranger. But a chance meeting by the river soon becomes an intense, exhilarating, and all-consuming affair. After their camp duties are fulfilled, the pair spend a dreamlike few weeks camping in the countryside, bonding over an illicit copy of James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room. Inhabiting a beautiful natural world removed from society and its constraints, Ludwik and Janusz fall deeply in love. But in their repressive communist and Catholic society, the passion they share is utterly unthinkable. Once they return to Warsaw, the charismatic Janusz quickly rises in the political ranks of the party and is rewarded with a highly-coveted position in the ministry. Ludwik is drawn toward impulsive acts of protest, unable to ignore rising food prices and the stark economic disparity around them. Their secret love and personal and political differences slowly begin to tear them apart as both men struggle to survive in a regime on the brink of collapse. Shifting from the intoxication of first love to the quiet melancholy of growing up and growing apart, Swimming in the Dark is a potent blend of romance, post-war politics, intrigue, and history. Lyrical and sensual, immersive and intense, Tomasz Jedrowski has crafted an indelible and thought-provoking literary debut that explores freedom and love in all its incarnations.

Swimming in the Dark

A Room of One’s Own, by Virginia Woolf was first published in 1929. This feminist essay argues for both a literal and figural space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by patriarchy. First published on 24 October 1929, the extended essay was based on a series of lectures delivered by Virginia Woolf at Cambridge University in October 1928. While it employs a fictional narrator and narrative to explore women both as writers of and characters in fiction, the manuscript for the delivery of the series of lectures, titled “Women and Fiction”, and hence the essay, are non-fiction. TRT (Total Running Time): 4 hours, 2 min. Adeline Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) was an English author, essayist, publisher, and writer of short stories, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century. During the interwar period, Woolf was a significant figure in London literary society and a member of the Bloomsbury Group. Her most famous works include the novels Mrs. Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927), and Orlando (1928), and the book-length essay A Room of One's Own (1929), with its famous dictum, "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction."

A Room of One’s Own

Following on from the bestselling The Seven Sisters and The Storm Sister, The Shadow Sister is the third book in Lucinda Riley's spellbinding series of love and loss, inspired by the mythology of the Seven Sisters constellation. Read by Fiona Button (This Is Not a Pity Memoir, Your Word Or Mine) Star D'Aplièse, in her late twenties, is at a crossroads in her life after the sudden death of her beloved father – the elusive billionaire, named Pa Salt by his six daughters, all adopted by him from the four corners of the world. He has left each of them a clue to their true heritage, but Star – the most enigmatic of the sisters – is hesitant to step out of the safety of the close relationship she shares with her sister CeCe. In desperation, she decides to follow the first clue she has been left, which leads her to an antiquarian bookshop in London, and the start of a whole new world . . . A hundred years earlier, headstrong and independent Flora MacNichol vows she will never marry. She is happy and secure in her home in the Lake District, living close to her idol, Beatrix Potter. But, when machinations outside of her control lead her to the London home of one of Edwardian society's most notorious players, Flora is pulled between passionate love and duty to her family. But she finds herself a pawn in a game – the rules of which are only known to others – until a meeting with a mysterious gentleman unveils the answers that Flora has been searching for her whole life . . . As Star learns more of Flora's incredible journey, she too goes on a voyage of discovery, finally stepping out of the shadow of her sister and opening herself up to the possibility of love. The epic, multi-million selling series continues with The Pearl Sister. 'Absolutely impossible to put down! The Seven Sisters books just keep getting better and better' - Tracy Rees, author of Amy Snow Praise for the Seven Sisters: 'A masterclass in beautiful writing' – The Sun 'Heart-wrenching, uplifting and utterly enthralling' – Lucy Foley, author of The Hunting Party 'A breathtaking adventure' – Lancashire Evening Post Five-Star Reader Reviews: 'Absolutely incredible' 'Totally addictive' 'Ideal for when you need to escape'

The Shadow Sister

NOW A MAJOR FILM From the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Named a Best Book of Summer by Cosmopolitan * InStyle *PopSugar * Buzzfeed * Bustle * Brit+Co * Parade “No one does life and love better.” InStyle “Earth-shaking…you will flip for this epic love story.” Cosmopolitan In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure. On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever. Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness. That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiance, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants while trying to protect the ones she loves. But who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?

One True Loves

"Rouge is a fever dream—a brilliant, intense, unforgettable horror story about a beauty cult with a deeply moving mother-daughter story at its core. Mona Awad’s signature and singular imagination and black humor and empathy are on full display here, and her wild-ride of a tale is masterfully grounded in the emotional devastation of childhood and grief. I loved every word of this." —Laura Zigman, author of Small World "There is nobody else like Mona Awad, daring enough to plunge her hands—rings and all—into the viscera of story and discover an unsettling beauty within. ROUGE is her most magnetic work yet, a thrilling dystopian romp that knows that beneath the glossy, aspirational veneer of self-care lurks the same old gothic abyss." —Alexandra Kleeman, author of Something New Under the Sun From the critically acclaimed author of Bunny comes a horror-tinted, gothic fairy tale about a lonely dress shop clerk whose mother’s unexpected death sends her down a treacherous path in pursuit of youth and beauty. Can she escape her mother’s fate—and find a connection that is more than skin deep? For as long as she can remember, Belle has been insidiously obsessed with her skin and skincare videos. When her estranged mother Noelle mysteriously dies, Belle finds herself back in Southern California, dealing with her mother’s considerable debts and grappling with lingering questions about her death. The stakes escalate when a strange woman in red appears at the funeral, offering a tantalizing clue about her mother’s demise, followed by a cryptic video about a transformative spa experience. With the help of a pair of red shoes, Belle is lured into the barbed embrace of La Maison de Méduse, the same lavish, culty spa her mother to which her mother was devoted. There, Belle discovers the frightening secret behind her (and her mother’s) obsession with the mirror—and the great shimmering depths (and demons) that lurk on the other side of the glass. Snow White meets Eyes Wide Shut in this surreal descent into the dark side of beauty, envy, grief, and the complicated love between mothers and daughters. With black humor and seductive horror, ROUGE explores the cult-like nature of the beauty industry—as well as the danger of internalizing its pitiless gaze. Brimming with California sunshine and blood-red rose petals, ROUGE holds up a warped mirror to our relationship with mortality, our collective fixation with the surface, and the wondrous, deep longing that might lie beneath.

Rouge

THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER CHOSEN BY WATERSTONES AS ONE OF THEIR BEST CRIME & THRILLER BOOKS OF 2024 'As a comedian, Bob Mortimer spins a shaggy-dog story like nobody else, and this is a rollicking old-school yarn' The Guardian ‘Mortimer’s verbal specificity and off-kilter humour will keep his fans chuckling’ The Times WARNING - this book includes: heavy crimes, car journeys, dreadfulness, large fruits, romance, planning applications, and a lot of pie. Gary Thorn is struggling with a big decision. Should he stay in London, wallowing in the safety of his legal job in Peckham and eating pies with his next door neighbour, Grace and her dog Lassoo, or should he move to Brighton, where his girlfriend Emily is about to open The Hotel Avocado? Either way, he’d be letting someone down. But sinister forces are gathering in a cloud of launderette scented-vape smoke, and the arrival of the mysterious Mr Sequence puts Gary in an even worse predicament: soon he might be dead. All Gary wants is a happy life. But he also wants to be alive to enjoy it… THE HILARIOUS AND GRIPPING NEW NOVEL BY NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR BOB MORTIMER ‘Sweet and funny’ Closer ‘A stunning sequel… It’s genuinely difficult to put this book down – you’ll be entranced by Mortimer’s humour and obvious story-telling skills’ Press Association ‘Characters are layered with carefully observed detail and a huge serving of hilarity’ Heat

The Hotel Avocado

“Sarah Penner transported me to the sea-swept cliffs of Positano and introduced me to characters I’ll never forget. A magical read!” —Emilia Hart, New York Times bestselling author of Weyward Powerful witchcraft. A hunt for sunken treasure. Forbidden love on the high seas. Beware the Amalfi Curse… Haven Ambrose, a trailblazing nautical archaeologist, has come to the sun-soaked village of Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. But Haven is hoping to find more than old artifacts beneath the azure waters; she is secretly on a quest to locate a trove of priceless gemstones her late father spotted on his final dive. Upon Haven’s arrival, strange maelstroms and misfortunes start plaguing the town. Is it nature or something more sinister at work? As Haven searches for her father’s sunken treasure, she begins to unearth a centuries-old tale of ancient sorcery and one woman’s quest to save her lover and her village by using the legendary art of stregheria, a magical ability to harness the ocean. Could this magic be behind Positano’s latest calamities? Haven must unravel the Amalfi Curse before the region is destroyed forever… Against the dazzling backdrop of the Amalfi Coast, this bewitching novel shimmers with mystery, romance and the untamed magic of the sea.

The Amalfi Curse

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Bea’s snark and Gibson’s charm made for some delicious banter, and the chemistry between them crackles like the Santorini sunsets. You can feel the heat in every glance and every argument'Rising star author Bea Williams needs a vacation. And her godmother’s snug Greek island retreat is the perfect place to use as an escape from her writer’s block. Until she finds she’s going to have to share her idyllic one bed cottage with him – Gibson Caddell, one time childhood friend and a great big, drop-dead-gorgeous red flag. As the sun sets on Santorini, Bea’s thoughts soon turn to something much more pressing – there’s two of them. And only one bed… Readers can't get enough of One Bed:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'If you’re into sun-soaked romance with plenty of tension and heart, this one is an absolute treat!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Absolutely amazing…when I finally read the last page, the house was dark, I was hungry, thirsty, needed to pee and my neck was stiff. But damn, it was worth it!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐'This book made me laugh and my heart break…I love a good forced proximity, one bed, enemies to lovers story' ⭐⭐⭐⭐'Wildly entertaining! The whole book is over the top crazy…The characters are incredible' ⭐⭐⭐⭐'Sometimes you just need a funny, light hearted romance and this serves that purpose wholeheartedly' ⭐⭐⭐⭐'A book set in Santorini? Sign me up! I was hooked by the descriptions of the sunsets but stayed for the love felt by all of the characters. ⭐⭐⭐⭐'It hit all the right spots and I really enjoyed it' ⭐⭐⭐⭐'I would definitely recommend it to someone looking for a fun vacation read!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Funny and full of life…It would be a wonderful movie or TV series' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'I loved the banter and the little haters to lovers thing, without having too much drama' ⭐⭐⭐⭐'The romance was adorable and the characters were all a lot of fun to read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐'A fun book full of sunshine and spice'

One Bed

Step into the intriguing world of existentialism and moral ambiguity with Albert Camus' masterful novel, The Stranger. Set in the sun-drenched streets of French Algiers, this thought-provoking literary classic takes readers on a journey of introspection, challenging societal norms and exploring the depths of human existence. Meet Meursault, a dispassionate and detached protagonist, who finds himself caught in the chaos of an absurd and indifferent world. As the story unfolds, Meursault's life takes an unexpected turn when he becomes embroiled in a fateful act of violence, leading to a gripping exploration of morality, identity, and the meaning of life itself. Camus' exquisite prose paints a vivid portrait of Meursault's internal struggles and his alienation from the conventional expectations of society. Through Meursault's eyes, the reader is confronted with the stark reality of human existence, where indifference and the relentless march of time challenge our very notions of purpose and significance. The Stranger is not just a tale of a man's existential crisis; it is a profound examination of the human condition, raising questions about free will, the nature of truth, and the absurdity of life. Camus invites readers to confront the uncomfortable truths that lie within the recesses of our own minds, urging us to question our own lives and the choices we make. In this timeless masterpiece, Camus weaves together philosophy, psychology, and social commentary, creating a narrative that is as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally resonant. The Stranger challenges readers to confront their own beliefs, to grapple with the complexities of morality, and to ponder the essence of what it means to be alive. A literary treasure that has captivated readers for generations, The Stranger continues to provoke introspection and ignite intellectual debates. Camus' powerful exploration of the human condition remains as relevant today as it was when it was first published, reminding us of the eternal struggle to find meaning in a seemingly indifferent world. Prepare to be enthralled, disturbed, and ultimately moved by The Stranger, a novel that will leave an indelible mark on your soul and forever change the way you view the world around you.

The Stranger

From the author of In the Blink of an Eye, the Sunday Times bestseller, winner of the CWA ILP John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock are back in a cutting-edge new thriller. The truth will always come out, but at what cost? Fresh from successfully closing their first live case, the Future Policing Unit are called in to investigate when a headless, handless body is found on a Warwickshire farm. But as they work to identify the victim and their killer, the discovery of a second body begins to spark fears that The Aston Strangler is back. And as the stakes rise for the team, so do the tensions brewing within it. When DCS Kat Frank is accused of putting the wrong man behind bars all those years ago, AIDE Lock – the world's first AI detective – pursues the truth about what happened with relentless logic. But Kat is determined to keep the past buried, and when she becomes the target of a shadowy figure looking for revenge, Lock is torn between his evidence-based algorithms and the judgement of his partner, with explosive results. When everything hangs in the balance, it will all come down to just how much an AI can learn, and what happens when they do . . . PRAISE FOR JO CALLAGHAN: 'A new force to be reckoned with in crime’ Daily Mail 'An outstanding talent’ Jane Casey 'Callaghan writes with such intelligence; interspersing humour with moments of utter heartbreak’ Nikki Smith 'An amazing writer’ Frances Quinn

Human Remains

Working at the local processing plant, Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans—though no one calls them that anymore. His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the “Transition.” Now, eating human meat—“special meat”—is legal. Marcos tries to stick to numbers, consignments, processing. Then one day he’s given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he’s aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost—and what might still be saved.

Tender is the Flesh

Two rival marine biologists, an extremely small boat... and one very big lie. Andi has learned to love her predictable life in Ohio. But when her marine biologist sister needs emergency surgery, Andi agrees to take Millie's place on the trip of a lifetime: scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. There's just one problem: Andi must pretend to be Millie the entire time. But when Andi arrives in Cairns, she is horrified to learn that Hugh Harris - Millie's professional rival and extremely vocal social media critic - is also on-board. And he's very handsome. Perfect. Somewhere between the sunsets and the beauty of the underwater world, Andi begins to question the mundanity of her life at home and whether she is capable of being the woman Hugh believes her to be. But how can you truly fall for someone when they think you are someone else?

Head First

’A contemporary masterpiece’ GuardianTHE FIRST VOLUME OF THE EXTRAORDINARY SOUTHERN REACH TRILOGY – NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY ALEX GARLAND (EX MACHINA) AND STARRING NATALIE PORTMAN AND OSCAR ISAAC For thirty years, Area X has remained mysterious and remote behind its intangible border – an environmental disaster zone, though to all appearances an abundant wilderness. The Southern Reach, a secretive government agency, has sent eleven expeditions to investigate Area X. One has ended in mass suicide, another in a hail of gunfire, the eleventh in a fatal cancer epidemic. Now four women embark on the twelfth expedition into the unknown.

The Southern Reach Series

Annihilation

An instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestsellerSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 DYLAN THOMAS AWARD'A package of dynamite' Stephen King ‘Powerful, compulsive, brilliant’ Marian Keyes An era-defining novel about the relationship between a fifteen-year-old girl and her teacher ALL HE DID WAS FALL IN LOVE WITH ME AND THE WORLD TURNED HIM INTO A MONSTER Vanessa Wye was fifteen-years-old when she first had sex with her English teacher. She is now thirty-two and in the storm of allegations against powerful men in 2017, the teacher, Jacob Strane, has just been accused of sexual abuse by another former student. Vanessa is horrified by this news, because she is quite certain that the relationship she had with Strane wasn't abuse. It was love. She's sure of that. Forced to rethink her past, to revisit everything that happened, Vanessa has to redefine the great love story of her life – her great sexual awakening – as rape. Now she must deal with the possibility that she might be a victim, and just one of many. Nuanced, uncomfortable, bold and powerful, My Dark Vanessa goes straight to the heart of some of the most complex issues of our age.

My Dark Vanessa

This audiobook is narrated by Louisa Harland, star of Derry Girls and Renegade Nell. LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2025 THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK AN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT NOVELIST OF 2025 'Tense, forensically realistic and compulsively readable. A real achievement' SUNDAY TIMES ‘Here is a novelist who has powerful news to tell, and an impressive range of narrative gifts with which to tell it’ IRISH TIMES ‘Should become essential reading for all. Nesting​ is a novel that truly matters’ SUNDAY INDEPENDENT 'A moving portrait of life inside the housing system and the courage it takes to try to build a home in society’s cracks'​ GUARDIAN _______________________________________________________________ An extraordinary and urgent debut by a prize-winning Irish writer, NESTING introduces an unforgettable new voice in fiction. On a bright spring afternoon in Dublin, Ciara Fay makes a split-second decision that will change everything. Grabbing an armful of clothes from the washing line, Ciara straps her two young daughters into her car and drives away. Head spinning, all she knows for certain is that home is no longer safe. This was meant to be an escape. But with dwindling savings, no job, and her family across the sea, Ciara finds herself adrift, facing a broken housing system and the voice of her own demons. As summer passes and winter closes in, she must navigate raising her children in a hotel room, searching for a new home and dealing with her husband Ryan’s relentless campaign to get her to come back. Because leaving is one thing, but staying away is another. What will it take for Ciara to rebuild her life? Can she ever truly break away from Ryan’s control – and what will be the cost? Tense, beautiful, and underpinned by an unassailable love, hope and resilience, this is the story of one woman’s bid to start over. _______________________________________________________________ ‘Brand-new, urgent and hugely satisfying’ RODDY DOYLE 'As emotionally charged as it is brutally real. The writing is flawless. I was profoundly moved’ ELAINE FEENEY ‘Will make your blood boil and your heart soar. This is an important novel' CLAIRE KILROY ‘Gorgeous, maddening, thrilling and compassionate’ SHEILA ARMSTRONG

Nesting

Masterfully told and as suspenseful as it is haunting, The Green Mile is Stephen King’s classic #1 New York Times bestselling dramatic serial novel and inspiration for the Oscar-nominated film starring Tom Hanks. Welcome to Cold Mountain Penitentiary, home to the Depression-worn men of E Block. Convicted killers all, each awaits his turn to walk “the Green Mile,” the lime-colored linoleum corridor leading to a final meeting with Old Sparky, Cold Mountain’s electric chair. Prison guard Paul Edgecombe has seen his share of oddities over the years working the Mile, but he’s never seen anything like John Coffey—a man with the body of a giant and the mind of a child, condemned for a crime terrifying in its violence and shocking in its depravity. And in this place of ultimate retribution, Edgecombe is about to discover the terrible, wondrous truth about John Coffey—a truth that will challenge his most cherished beliefs…

The Green Mile

Christina Lauren, the instant New York Times bestselling and “reigning romance queens” (PopSugar) of modern classics such as The Unhoneymooners and Love and Other Words, returns with a swoonworthy novel following the buttoned-up heir of a grocery chain and his free-spirited artist ex as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance. Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways. Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch. Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife. But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.

The Paradise Problem

Jacob: A friends to lovers, best friend's ex, Forbidden, working together contemporary billionaire romance.'VH Nicolson's characters will touch your heart and her storytelling will always leave you wanting more.' Sadie Kincaid'A fan-yourself billionaire romance you'll think about long after the last page.' Elle NicollPerfect for fans of Ana Huang, Catharina Maura and Meghan QuinnReaders LOVE VH Nicolson's books:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'If you haven't' a read this book you need to as it will blow your mind' reader review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️'OMG, what a book! I LOVED IT😍' reader review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'If you're thinking about reading this book, stop thinking and one click it! Definitely a new favorite author of mine!' reader review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "All the feels and definitely a 5 star" Reader Review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "100% totally recommend for a captivating steamy plot-twisting happily ever after!" Reader Review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "This story strikes the perfect balance between steamy tension and heartfelt moments" Reader Review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Jacob is the BEST book boyfriend I've ever had the pleasure to read about!" Reader ReviewResisting temptation will test me to my limitsI've been in love with Skye since we were kids. But she's off-limits, not just because I'm her boss, but she's my best friend's ex. And, together we made a pact as teenagers. And unbreakable bro code. Never Touch each other's ex. Ever.But I'm forced to spend hour after hour, day after day, with her beauty. In meetings, conference calls, emails, business trips. Every. Single. Week. It's hideously torturous, and I shouldn't want her the way I do. But then I think she might feel the same way...Jacob is my boss. He's broad, toned, dripping in ink and it turns out the man I'm falling for has been under my nose this entire time and yet I can't have him. It's too complicated and he won't betray his best friend and my ex.So we resist. Although it's amazing how much naughtiness you can get up to without touching. But then it becomes clear this is more than just lust. This might be real. How can we ever make this work? I wanted a fairy tale, but right now I'd settle for a chance to at least kiss my prince.Love Jacob? Meet his gorgeous friend OWEN in the next book in The Billionaire Boys!

Jacob - A steamy, friends to lovers, forbidden, billionaire romance from VH Nicolson (Unabridged)

The best person to understand a serial killer is one of his victims.Meet Dr Olivia Winter.‘I was hooked from the first page… mind-blowing and gripping. I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment’ Angela Marsons ‘Chilling, unnerving [and] pacey’ John Marrs ‘A searingly intense, utterly captivating character-driven thriller, and destined to be one of 2024’s most memorable pieces of crime fiction’ B P Walter ‘Perfectly paced – intriguing and relentless through to a pitch perfect conclusion’ Will Shindler A DARK PAST Dr Olivia Winter is a forensic psychologist whose job is to understand the minds of serial killers. There’s only one monster she can’t understand, her father. A NEW IDENTITY Notorious and brutal, he held a reign of terror until he was caught. His nine-year-old daughter was supposed to be his last victim, but she survived. A SERIAL KILLER WHO WILL STOP AT NOTHING Now, a serial killer is stalking the streets of London. As the body count rises, the police need Olivia’s help to profile him before he can strike again. But to do so, she will need to confront her own demons… The pulse-pounding brand new thriller from the bestselling author of the Matilda Darke series is available now! *** Are you ready to join Olivia Winter as she takes on the hunt for a serial killer?‘A master of horror and suspense’ ‘This twisty tale of murder and mayhem is mind-blowing' ‘Outstanding’ ‘Definitely not for the faint-hearted' ‘PHENOMENAL' ‘So compulsive' ‘Full of twists you didn’t see coming' ‘The very definition of a deftly paced, high stakes thriller' ‘A must-read' ‘Excellent plotting' ‘I’ll be surprised if I read a better book this year' ‘My heart was in my mouth' ‘I could not put it down' ‘Real characters, fast plot and dark side'

Dr Olivia Winter

The Mind of a Murderer

New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James returns to the Accidental Brides series with a romance about a forced marriage between a feisty heroine and a Scottish laird... neither of whom have plans to marry, let alone fall in love. Desperate after her Season comes to a spectacularly disastrous end, the Honorable Miss Clara Vetry jumps into a carriage hired to take a housekeeper to Scotland. The laird of Castle CaerLaven has no interest in a wife, especially a love match—but when Caelan sees his new housekeeper, he changes his mind. Marriage to a delectable bookworm strikes him as a perfect arrangement. To his surprise, Clara refuses his proposal once…and again…yet again. When her true identity is revealed, and they’re forced to marry, Caelan realizes he has a far more crucial challenge. He finally has Clara’s hand—but how will he ever win her heart?

Hardly a Gentleman

THE INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER Recommended by New York Times Book Review • People • NPR • Rolling Stone • Los Angeles Times • Reader's Digest • and more! “This one has it all.” — George R.R. Martin • “As delicious as it is disorienting.” — Zakiya Dalila Harris • “Suspenseful, timely, and heartfelt.” — People • “Mind-bending.” — New York Times Book Review In this exhilarating tale by New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor, a disabled Nigerian American woman pens a wildly successful Sci-Fi novel, but as her fame rises, she loses control of the narrative—a surprisingly cutting, yet heartfelt drama about art and love, identity and connection, and, ultimately, what makes us human. This is a story unlike anything you’ve read before. The future of storytelling is here. Disabled, disinclined to marry, and more interested in writing than a lucrative career in medicine or law, Zelu has always felt like the outcast of her large Nigerian family. Then her life is upended when, in the middle of her sister’s lavish Caribbean wedding, she’s unceremoniously fired from her university job and, to add insult to injury, her novel is rejected by yet another publisher. With her career and dreams crushed in one fell swoop, she decides to write something just for herself. What comes out is nothing like the quiet, literary novels that have so far peppered her unremarkable career. It’s a far-future epic where androids and AI wage war in the grown-over ruins of human civilization. She calls it Rusted Robots. When Zelu finds the courage to share her strange novel, she does not realize she is about to embark on a life-altering journey—one that will catapult her into literary stardom, but also perhaps obliterate everything her book was meant to be. From Chicago to Lagos to the far reaches of space, Zelu’s novel will change the future not only for humanity, but for the robots who come next. A book-within-a-book that blends the line between writing and being written, Death of the Author is a masterpiece of metafiction that manages to combine the razor-sharp commentary of Yellowface with the heartfelt humanity of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Surprisingly funny, deeply poignant, and endlessly discussable, this is at once the tale of a woman on the margins risking everything to be heard and a testament to the power of storytelling to shape the world as we know it. “An ambitious, inventive tribute to the power of storytelling itself.” — Nikki Erlick, New York Times bestselling author of The Measure “A deeply felt dazzle. A blaze. It is true deep to the bones.” — Luis Alberto Urrea, Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author of The House of Broken Angels ""There’s more vivid imagination in a page of Nnedi Okorafor’s work than in whole volumes."" — Ursula K. Le Guin

Death of the Author

'Crazy, sexy, cool: Caroline Kepnes gets better - and Joe Goldberg gets worse - with every book' ERIN KELLY 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. 'An utterly unique character and an utterly unique writer, in a marriage made somewhere between heaven and hell' RICHARD OSMAN

You Love Me

This audio edition is captivatingly read by a full cast of outstanding narrators. From the internationally bestselling author of The Atlas Six, Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake is a glimpse into the nature of love, what it means to be unwell, and how to face the fractures of yourself and still love as if you're not broken. Chicago, sometime. Two people meet in the armory of the Art Institute by chance. Prior to their encounter, he is a doctoral student who manages his destructive thoughts with compulsive calculations about time travel; she is a bipolar counterfeit artist undergoing court-ordered psychotherapy. After their meeting, those things do not change. Everything else, however, is slightly different. Both obsessive, eccentric personalities, Aldo Damiani and Charlotte Regan struggle to be without each other from the moment they meet. The truth - that he is a clinically depressed, anti-social theoretician and she is a manipulative liar with a history of self-sabotage - means the deeper they fall in love, the more troubling their reliance on each other becomes. Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake is a literary, intimate study of time, space - and a love story like no other. Praise for Olivie Blake: 'Olivie Blake is a mind-blowing talent' – Chloe Gong 'This is a book to savor' - Publishers Weekly 'Pages fly by in this character-driven novel that is intimate, complicated, and utterly romantic' - Booklist

Alone With You in the Ether

A special dual narration by Katharine Chin and Andrew Eiden! “Emotional, relatable and binge-worthy."" –Tessa Bailey “I’ll read anything she writes. An absolute star."" –Emily Henry “I was hooked on the very first page. Don't miss this one!"" — Carley Fortune A sexy and emotional enemies-to-lovers romance guaranteed to pull on your heartstrings and give you a book hangover from brilliant new voice Yulin Kuang. Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2024 by Entertainment Weekly · Today.com · Paste · Daily Waffle ·The Nerd Daily and more! Helen Zhang hasn’t seen Grant Shepard once in the thirteen years since the tragic accident that bound their lives together forever. Now a bestselling author, Helen pours everything into her career. She’s even scored a coveted spot in the writers’ room of the TV adaptation of her popular young adult novels, and if she can hide her imposter syndrome and overcome her writer’s block, surely the rest of her life will fall into place too. LA is the fresh start she needs. After all, no one knows her there. Except… Grant has done everything in his power to move on from the past, including building a life across the country. And while the panic attacks have never quite gone away, he’s well liked around town as a screenwriter. He knows he shouldn’t have taken the job on Helen’s show, but it will open doors to developing his own projects that he just can’t pass up. Grant’s exactly as Helen remembers him—charming, funny, popular, and lovable in ways that she’s never been. And Helen’s exactly as Grant remembers too—brilliant, beautiful, closed off. But working together is messy, and electrifying, and Helen’s parents, who have never forgiven Grant, have no idea he’s in the picture at all. When secrets come to light, they must reckon with the fact that theirs was never meant to be any kind of love story. And yet… the key to making peace with their past—and themselves—might just lie in holding on to each other in the present.

How to End a Love Story

Two bisexual exes, one unforgettably hot summer . . . In #1 New York Times-bestselling author Casey McQuiston's latest romantic comedy, two bisexual exes accidentally book the same European food and wine tour and challenge each other to a hookup competition to prove they're over each other - except they're definitely not. Theo and Kit have been childhood best friends, crushes, lovers and, after a brutal breakup four years ago, estranged exes. It’s not until Theo and Kit are trapped on board a tour bus that they discover that they’ve each had the same idea: to take their dream European food and wine tour – alone. And now they’re stuck with each other for three weeks of the most romantic sights and sensuous flavours of France, Spain, and Italy. But it’ll be fine. They’re absolutely over each other. So, when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot Italian tour guide first, Kit is game. In fact, why stop there? Why not a full-on European hookup competition? But sometimes a taste of everything only makes you crave what you can’t have. 'The summer's best romance novel.' Rolling Stone 'Spicy, sexy and absolutely delicious.' People 'Move over "hot girl summer" – "hot bisexual summer" is ready for its moment and Casey McQuiston’s new novel The Pairing is here to usher it in.' USA Today

The Pairing

As read on BBC Radio 4 A Sunday Times Best Book of 2025 An Observer Best Debut of 2025 'Compassionate, lyrical and full of devilment' - Louise Kennedy, author of Trespasses 'A joy . . . vivid, loving and genuinely funny' The Sunday Times 'I didn't want it to ever end' Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things In 1973 on the west coast of Ireland, a baby is found abandoned on the beach. Who is he? Where is he from? What changes will he bring? Ambrose, a local fisherman, is far more interested in who he will become and – with a curious community looking on – takes the baby home and adopts him. But for Declan, the baby’s new brother, this arrival is surely bad news. Rivalries can be decades in the making . . . Set over twenty years, Garrett Carr’s The Boy from the Sea is about a restless boy trying to find his place in the world, and a town caught in the storm of a rapidly approaching future. Readers love The Boy from the Sea: 'Left me feeling warm and satisfied when I finished it and I’ve thought about it daily since then' ***** 'Books are meant to change you, to shape you, and to heal you, and The Boy from the Sea does all those things' ***** 'You feel like you’re right there in the village' ***** 'Stunning. I found myself waking up at 5am because I was desperate to read more' ***** 'Felt like I was stepping off life's treadmill and immersing myself in another world' *****

The Boy from the Sea

No Longer Human (1948, Ningen Shikkaku / A Shameful Life / Confessions of a Faulty Man) was an attack on the traditions of Japan, capturing the postwar crisis of Japanese cultural identity. Framed by an epilogue and prologue, the story is told in the form three notebooks left by Ōba Yōzō, whose calm exterior hides his tormented soul. Osamu Dazai was a Japanese author who is considered one of the foremost fiction writers of 20th century Japan. A number of his most popular works, such as Shayō (The Setting Sun) and Ningen Shikkaku (No Longer Human), are considered modern-day classics in Japan. Japanese novelist and a master storyteller, who became at the end of World War II the literary voice and literary hero of his generation. Dazai's life ended in double-suicide with his married mistress. In many books Dazai used biographical material from his own family background, and made his self-destructive life the subject of his books. Famous works of the author Osamu Dazai: The Setting Sun, Run, Melos!, Winter's firework, I heard it in this way, No Longer Human, Good-Bye.

No Longer Human. Confessions Of A Faulty Man

All of the fun, none of the heartache…as long as they stick to the agreement. The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together…as friends with benefits. Maybe it’s the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn’t had much luck in love and he’s in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there’s no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father… Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham’s injured in a serious rock climbing accident—and he needs Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health…even if it means moving in to Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog, who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping “for now” from turning into “forever” isn’t as easy as they’d planned.

The Roommate Pact

Journey to the plains of Central Australia in The Pearl Sister, the fourth book in the number one bestselling Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley. A spellbinding story of love and loss, inspired by the mythology of the famous star constellation. CeCe D’Aplièse has never felt she fitted in anywhere. Following the sudden death of her adoptive father – an elusive billionaire affectionately known to his daughters as Pa Salt – she finds herself at breaking point. In desperation, CeCe decides to follow the clues to her past left to her by her father: a black-and-white photograph from 1906 and the name of a female pioneer, Kitty McBride, the daughter of a clergyman who left her rigid life in Scotland to forge a new path in Australia. On her way to Sydney, CeCe visits the stunning beaches of Krabi, Thailand. There she meets the mysterious Ace, a man as lonely as she is, a man with a secret to hide . . . When CeCe finally reaches the searing heat of the Red Centre of Australia, something deep within her awakens. Could this wild, vast continent offer CeCe something she never thought possible: a sense of belonging, and a home? The epic, multi-million selling series continues with The Moon Sister. 'Delicious reading' - Daily Mail Praise for the Seven Sisters: 'A masterclass in beautiful writing' – The Sun 'Heart-wrenching, uplifting and utterly enthralling' – Lucy Foley, author of The Hunting Party 'A breathtaking adventure' – Lancashire Evening Post Five-Star Reader Reviews: 'Absolutely incredible' 'Totally addictive' 'Ideal for when you need to escape'

The Pearl Sister

Love. Honour. Obey?'A whale of a read; a stomach-roiling page turner and a disturbing look at how women end up in such bad places…I was so invested' Observer 'A riveting domestic thriller with a fresh twist' John Marrs 'Raw, riveting and painfully timely' Kia Abdullah *** Elle never dreamed she’d end up with a man like Dom. He’s handsome, successful, the perfect father to their baby girl. But Elle doesn’t feel the joy she knows she should. She's struggling with being a mum, failing at work, even her post-baby body doesn’t feel like her own. Not that Dom cares. He worships Elle and craves intimacy as deeply as troubled Elle wants to shy away from it. Elle starts relying on red wine and the attention of new colleague Gabriel to get through her day. But the morning after a team away day, a bewildered and hungover Elle wakes up with a lifeless body in her bed. She knows devoted Dom is the only person who’ll give her any chance of getting out of there a free woman. Elle would never have ended up in such danger if she’d followed the Marriage Rule, the one thing she’s been told a wife needs to do, even if it breaks her… Readers are gripped by The Marriage Rule: 'An intelligent, suspense-filled exploration of marriage, motherhood, and the secrets we hide' 'Heart-stopping' 'Gripping and hard-hitting' 'The twists are insane' 'Compulsive and intelligently written' Praise for Helen Monks Takhar: ‘Nail-biting' Harriet Tyce 'Explosive' Will Dean ‘Twisted, dark and shocking’ Jo Spain 'Compelling and suspenseful' Diane Jeffrey ‘Unnerving and propulsive’ Allison Buccola

The Marriage Rule

It’s Christmas Eve and Stella Hansen is broke. She is so broke that despite working two jobs, she can’t even afford a present for her husband on their first Christmas as man and wife. But then a mysterious storekeeper at a pawn shop offers Stella an intriguing trade. Stella wants more than anything to buy her husband the Christmas gift of his dreams. But will it come at a terrible price?

The Gift

A swoon-worthy Scottish romance set on the picturesque Isle of Skye. From the author of Kilt Trip. Brooke Sinclair's dream of being a published author derailed when she was expelled from the University of Edinburgh seven years ago. Now a ghostwriter, she sticks to other people's stories. But when her college mentor Mhairi McCallister needs a co-writer for her memoir about Scotland's most challenging trek, Brooke would do anything for the opportunity -including agreeing to hike the rugged Skye Trail for authenticity's sake. What she doesn't know is that the nature photographer who'll join her is Jack Sutherland, the man who shattered Brooke's writing career - and her heart. Between getting sacked from the university and walking away from his family's tour-guiding business to follow his photography dreams, Jack is desperate to prove he didn't disappoint his family for nothing. Even if it means acting as guide and storyteller for the one who got away. As Jack and Brooke head into the solitude of the sweeping Scottish landscape, they're forced to confront old feelings. But can two weeks and eighty miles heal years of unspoken hurt and offer a second chance at love? Tropes include: Second chance romance Enemies to lovers Only one tent Forced proximity

Scot and Bothered

After more than two years on the bestseller lists, Khaled Hosseini returns with a beautiful, riveting, and haunting novel of enormous contemporary relevance. A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years—from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding—that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives—the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness—are inextricable from the history playing out around them. Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heartwrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love—a stunning accomplishment.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK “It’s perfection, every word, every moment. A masterpiece . . . One of the best books I’ve ever read.” —Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author New York Times bestselling author Gillian McAllister has created a thriller unlike any other in this endlessly clever, twisty story of a mother who must move backward through time to prevent tragedy from striking at the heart of her family. Can you stop a murder after it’s already happened? It is midnight on the morning of Halloween, and Jen anxiously waits up for her 18-year-old son, Todd, to return home. But worries about his broken curfew transform into something much more dangerous when Todd finally emerges from the darkness. As Jen watches through the window, she sees her funny, seemingly happy teenage son stab a total stranger. She doesn’t know who the victim is, or why Todd has committed such a devastating act of violence. All she knows is that her life, and Todd’s, have been shattered. After her son is taken into custody, Jen falls asleep in despair. But when she wakes up…it is yesterday. The murder has not happened yet—and there may be a chance to stop it. Each morning, when Jen wakes, she is further back in the past, first weeks, then years, before the murder. And Jen realizes that somewhere in the past lies the trigger for Todd’s terrible crime…and it is her mission to find it, and prevent it from taking place. Both the story of a mother’s love and the sacrifices she will make for her child, and a thriller with a brilliant twist, Wrong Place Wrong Time is a one-of-a-kind novel that begs to be read in one sitting.

Wrong Place Wrong Time

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Starts with Us and It Ends with Us—the long-awaited finale to the bestselling Maybe Someday series returns with all the characters you fell in love with. What is more important? Friendship, loyalty, or love? Ridge and Sydney are thrilled to finally be together guilt-free. But as the two of them navigate this freedom, Warren and Bridgette’s relationship is as tumultuous as ever, and Maggie grapples with her illness. When she comes across an old list of things she wanted to do “maybe one of these days,” Maggie decides to live life to the fullest and accomplish these dreams. Maggie keeps Ridge updated on her adventures, but he can’t help but worry, even as Sydney grows more and more suspicious about their friendship. But if she’s going to move past this jealousy, she’ll need to reconcile how she and Ridge came together with the fact that Maggie will always be in their lives somehow…or end up walking away from the man she loves so much. Featuring new songs by Griffin Peterson, this emotive and satisfying finale proves that maybe someday might be right now.

Maybe Now

#1 New York Times bestselling author of It Starts with Us and It Ends with Us held readers spellbound with her novel Hopeless, the story of what happened when a troubled girl named Sky encountered a long-lost childhood friend, Dean. Now, in Losing Hope, we finally learn the truth about Dean Holder. Haunted by the little girl he couldn’t save from imminent danger, Holder’s life has been overshadowed by feelings of guilt and remorse. He has never stopped searching for her, believing that finding her would bring him the peace he needs to move on. However, Holder could not have anticipated that he would be faced with even greater pain the moment they reconnected. In Losing Hope, Holder reveals the way in which the events of Sky’s youth affected him and his family, leading him to seek his own redemption in the act of saving her. But it is only in loving Sky that he can finally begin to heal himself.

Losing Hope

An undisputed masterpiece of twentieth-century literature, perfect for Fitzgerald lovers and classics collectors alike. Set against a backdrop of jazz music, bootlegging, and lavish parties, The Great Gatsby is the story of Midwesterner Nick Carraway’s curious introduction to the decadent world of his mysterious, wealthy neighbor Jay Gatsby, whose thirst for riches is matched only by his tragic obsession with the beautiful Daisy Buchanan. Penned in the “roaring twenties,” the novel continues to be the subject of numerous film and stage adaptations and has become a fixture in the American classroom. This dangerously propulsive tale of glitz and glamour continues to be relevant as readers long for escapist novels—a chance to flee into Gatsby’s famed mansion and lose oneself in the rush of opulence. The Great Gatsby audiobook is brought to life by Tim Robbins, famed American actor, screenwriter, director, producer, and musician.

The Great Gatsby

An instant #1 New York Times bestseller, the new novel from the author of A Man Called Ove is a “quirky, big-hearted novel….Wry, wise, and often laugh-out-loud funny, it’s a wholly original story that delivers pure pleasure” (People). Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. There’s a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment’s only bathroom, and you’ve got the worst group of hostages in the world. Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises, these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next. Proving once again that Backman is “a master of writing delightful, insightful, soulful, character-driven narratives” (USA TODAY), Anxious People “captures the messy essence of being human….It’s clever and affecting, as likely to make you laugh out loud as it is to make you cry” (The Washington Post). This “endlessly entertaining mood-booster” (Real Simple) is proof that the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope can save us—even in the most anxious of times.

Anxious People

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