Benjamin Malaussène ha uno strano lavoro, è il capro espiatorio dell’Ufficio Reclami del Grande Magazzino di Parigi. Una cliente è appena uscita dalla sua stanza quando si sente un forte boato. Una bomba, poi due, nel dipartimento giocattoli! Il sospettato numero uno dell’ondata di oscuri attentati è proprio Benjamin. E allora per scoprire chi sia il vero responsabile delle esplosioni si mobiliteranno la sua tumultuosa famiglia e una esilarante banda di personaggi: Thérèse la sorella sensitiva, Jérémy il geniale e pestifero fratello, il Piccolo visionario, la madre e i suoi amanti, e poi ladri e travestiti brasiliani… Tutto sotto gli occhi di Julius, il cane puzzolente, e di zia Julia, una vulcanica giornalista supersexy.

Ciclo di Malaussène

Il paradiso degli orchi

"Il mio libro più autobiografico. La storia di Eve è la mia storia." Sophie Kinsella Eve, una famosa scrittrice, un giorno si sveglia in un letto di ospedale senza ricordare come ci sia finita. Il marito, sempre presente, le spiega che è stata sottoposta a un intervento chirurgico per rimuovere un grosso tumore al cervello. Mentre impara nuovamente a camminare, parlare e scrivere, Eve deve fare i conti con la sua diagnosi e affrontare la malattia trovando anche il modo di spiegare quanto le sta accadendo ai suoi amati figli. Inizia a rendersi conto di cosa per lei sia più importante: le lunghe camminate mano nella mano con il marito, le serate passate a fare giochi da tavolo in famiglia e quel vestito scintillante in vetrina che non rinuncerà mai a comprare. Cosa si prova è composto da brevi capitoli, ognuno dei quali è un tentativo di rispondere al tipo di domande impossibili che tutti coloro che navigano nel labirinto del dolore conoscono bene. Questo libro coraggioso e toccante, pieno di humour e calore, è una gemma preziosa sul valore della vita che spezzerà il cuore del lettore e lo ricomporrà al tempo stesso. Nelle sue pagine riverbera la personalità luminosa di una grande autrice che si trova ad affrontare una diagnosi terribile e impara a vivere e amare in modo nuovo...

Cosa si prova

Bellissimo e presuntuoso, il giovane medico JOSH CHEN non ha mai incontrato una donna capace di resistergli. Tranne Jules Ambrose, la migliore amica di sua sorella.

Twisted

Twisted hate

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A TikTok sensation, this rom-com about a young woman who agrees to fake date a colleague and bring him to her sister’s wedding has “everything you could want in a romance” (Helen Hoang, New York Times bestselling author). Catalina Martín desperately needs a date to her sister’s wedding. Especially since her little white lie about her American boyfriend has spiralled out of control. Now everyone she knows—including her ex and his fiancée—will be there and eager to meet him. She only has four weeks to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic and aid in her deception. New York to Spain is no short flight and her raucous family won’t be easy to fool. Enter Aaron Blackford—her tall, handsome, condescending colleague—who surprisingly offers to step in. She’d rather refuse; never has there been a more aggravating, blood-boiling, and insufferable man. But Catalina is desperate, and as the wedding draws nearer, Aaron looks like her best option. And she begins to realize he might not be as terrible in the real world as he is at the office.

The Spanish Love Deception

In una perfida e divertentissima enciclopedia dei momenti di cui è fatta la vita, Francesco Piccolo mette a nudo i piaceri più inconfessabili, i tic, gli attimi di volatile felicità che costellano le nostre giornate, ma anche i contrattempi, gli accidenti e i lancinanti dolori momentanei, che spesso risultano assolutamente esilaranti. Dai due volumi sono tratti il film Momenti di trascurabile felicità, diretto da Daniele Luchetti e interpretato da Pif, e il monologo teatrale portato in scena dallo stesso autore. Un regalo dell’autore: il brano che inizia con “C’è stato un problema tra me, mia madre e Giorgio Napolitano” è stato registrato nella versione teatrale, ampliata rispetto al testo originale.

Momenti di trascurabile felicità e infelicità

Tolkien’s acclaimed modern classic ‘fairie’ tale, read by Derek Jacobi. While on holiday in 1925, four-year-old Michael Tolkien lost his beloved toy dog on the beach at Filey in Yorkshire. To console him, his father, J.R.R.Tolkien, improvised a story about Rover, a real dog who is magically transformed into a toy and is forced to seek out the wizard who wronged him in order to be returned to normal. This charming tale, peopled by a sand-sorcerer and a terrible dragon, by the king of the sea and the Man-in-the-Moon, went through several drafts over the years. Now, many years on, the adventures of Rover – or, for reasons that become clear in the story, ‘Roverandom’ – are performed by Sir Derek Jacobi.

Roverandom

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

*AS RECOMMENDED BY TAYLOR JENKINS REID "FOR SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A GOOD LAUGH" ON TIME'S INSTAGRAM* ‘A darkly funny riot’ The Times, Book of the Month A GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD FOR FICTION 2024 Would you want to know what your colleagues say behind your back? Jolene certainly doesn’t. She’s riddled with anxiety, depressed, and hates her coworkers. The less she knows about them, the better. So when a catastrophic IT f*ck up grants her access to all of their emails and private messages, she’s initially horrified. The last thing she wants is to be privy to their sad discussions about dying desk plants and marital troubles. That’s until, with job cuts looming, she realises the power this new-found knowledge gives her. But as she digs deeper and deeper into the private lives of her colleagues, Jolene uncovers a lot more than she bargained for… And the walls she’d so carefully built start crumbling down. For readers who loved The Office US and Really Good, Actually comes the awkward heroine you’re about to fall in love with 'I haven’t been a reader for a long time, however found this in the airport book shop before a recent trip and this had me glued to it. Would thoroughly recommend – had me chuckling away' READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This book caught me off guard! It made me laugh, it made me cry… it's truly incredible and the best book I've read so far this year' READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Ever since I found out about this book on bookstagram I've become obsessed. Five months later, I FINALLY got my hands on a proof copy and OMG I loved this immensely!!' READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Please make this into a TV series!' READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I Hope This Finds You Well

Cosa succede quando la regina Elisabetta II scopre casualmente il piacere della lettura? Quando Sua Maestà per finire in pace un libro arriva in ritardo a tutti gli appuntamenti ufficiali?  Scene esilaranti, descritte con ironia e raffinatezza, che si concludono con un grande colpo di scena finale.

La sovrana lettrice GOLD

Tre redattori editoriali, dopo aver frequentato a lungo autori che si dilettano di scienze occulte, società segrete e complotti cosmici, decidono di inventare, con avventata leggerezza, un Piano. Ma qualcuno li prende sul serio. Affabulatorio, incalzante e coltissimo, è questo un romanzo che spazia furiosamente nel tempo, dove fanno la loro comparsa una sterminata serie di personaggi, di miti, di leggende, dai Templari ai Rosacroce, dai Miti Celtici ai Culti dell’antico Egitto, dal Santo Graal ai Vangeli Apocrifi, da Napoleone a Hitler, a Cagliostro.

Il pendolo di Foucault

“Tre uomini in barca (per tacer del cane)” è un romanzo scritto nel 1889 da Jerome K. Jerome, uno dei più noti scrittori umoristici inglesi. Leggero e divertente, il romanzo racconta le peripezie di Jerome, Harris e George, tre amici londinesi che, per riprendersi da malattie più immaginarie che reali, decidono di concedersi una vacanza e di risalire in barca il Tamigi da Londra fino a Oxford. I tre sono accompagnati dal cane Montmorency, fedele e ‘riflessivo’ fox-terrier che non condivide però l’entusiasmo per la gita sul fiume. Il romanzo scorre veloce - tra descrizioni realistiche delle campagne e dei villaggi attraversati - con una serie di gag comiche sulle gioie e sui dolori della vita in barca, unite a divertenti divagazioni che costituiscono storie a sé stanti, nel miglior stile dello humour inglese. Capolavoro dello scrittore, gode ancora oggi della fama che l’ha accompagnato sin dalla pubblicazione ed è riproposto attraverso la simpatica interpretazione di Massimo D’Onofrio. Tre uomini in barca, Versione integrale (traduzione a cura di M.Falghera)

Classici della letteratura e narrativa senza tempo

Tre uomini in barca

All I want is to be a success. That's all I ask.' Joe fails to sell a single set of the Encyclopedia Britannica in six months. Then he fails to sell a single Electrolux and must eat hundreds of pieces of homemade pie, served up by his would-be customers who feel so sorry for him. Holed up in his trailer, Joe finds an outlet his for frustrations in a series of ingenious sexual fantasies, and at last strikes gold. His brain storm, Lightning Rods, Inc., will take Joe to the very top - and to the very heart of corporate insanity - with an outrageous solution to the spectre of sexual harassment in the modern office.

Lightning Rods

Winner of the Betty Trask Award, Never Mind is the first in Edward St Aubyn's highly acclaimed Patrick Melrose novels, adapted for TV for Sky Atlantic and starring Benedict Cumberbatch. This audiobook is read aloud by stage and screen actor Alex Jennings. At his mother’s family house in the south of France, Patrick Melrose has the run of a magical garden. Bravely imaginative and self-sufficient, five-year-old Patrick encounters the volatile lives of adults with care. His father, David, rules with considered cruelty, and Eleanor, his mother, has retreated into drink. They are expecting guests for dinner. But this afternoon is unlike the chain of summer days before, and the shocking events that precede the guests’ arrival tear Patrick's world in two.

Picador Collection

Never Mind

The stars gave her a mate... and a rhino. Tilly doesn't believe in aliens. At least, she didn't, until she gets abducted along with half the animals of her zoo. When you and your rhino are stuck in a cage on a spaceship, it's hard not to believe. One of them, an elf-eared female, seems ready to help her find a way back to Earth, but is that really what Tilly wants? Bavalla's messed up big time. She wasn't supposed to abduct a sentient being, but now that she's face to face with a female who's not only intelligent but also very attractive, she has to figure out what to do. Telling the Captain would result in severe punishment, but how do you hide a human who's very intent on saving not just herself, but all her animals as well? A fast-paced f/f romance with a strong human woman and a swoon-worthy alien female willing to give up everything for her mate. Part of the Aliens and Animals series.

Aliens and Animals

The Alien's Zookeeper

Marquis de Fumerol's death brings with it a serious political scandal. The black sheep of a royalist family - he cannot die without official last rites from the Church. As the rest of the family and the local priest rush to his place, they could never have predicted what would be waiting for them. This humorous satire is a light-hearted read perfect for fans of Oscar Wilde. Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a French writer. Famed for being a master of the short story, he also wrote travel books and occasionally dabbled in poetry. His stories mainly focus on the relationships between men and women sitting at crossroads in their lives - whether personal or professional. His dramatic flair is largely influenced by French novelist Gustave Flaubert and is perfect for fans of Anton Chekhov's short stories. The most notable of the 300 short stories that he wrote include 'Bel Ami', 'Une Vie', and 'The Dumpling'.

World Classics

The Marquis de Fumerol

A successful businessman who wouldn't dream of accepting 'no' as an answer, Jules Chicot has his heart set on buying his neighbour's farm. He will stop at nothing. This short story follows his quest to obtain the house, by hook or by crook. Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a French writer. Famed for being a master of the short story, he also wrote travel books and occasionally dabbled in poetry. His stories mainly focus on the relationships between men and women sitting at crossroads in their lives - whether personal or professional. His dramatic flair is largely influenced by French novelist Gustave Flaubert and is perfect for fans of Anton Chekhov's short stories. The most notable of the 300 short stories that he wrote include 'Bel Ami', 'Une Vie', and 'The Dumpling'.

The Little Cask

In this follow up to her best-selling debut collection of poetry ("Enough Rope" from 1926) Dorothy Parker published "Sunset Gun" (1928) her second of three volumes of short verse. One of the 20th century's most celebrated and renowned humorists, Parker once again delivers a biting, satiric and insightful look at love, life and literature in this brilliant collection. Dorothy Parker - social commentator, political reformer and legendary wit - has enjoyed a special place in American culture and "Sunset Gun" is another early example of Parker's unique and wry commentary on modern life. It is presented here in its original and unabridged format.

Sunset Gun - Poems by Dorothy Parker - Unabridged

What’s the real recipe for happiness? An invitation to tuck in to a feast of friendship, food and finding your joy… Anna Carleton runs the best restaurant in Buttermere, Hesta. Her local food, seasonal recipes and the taste of the wild she offers brings diners from all over the world to this corner of Cumbria. But there’s a reason why Anna works every hour she can – and it’s time she faced it. Rose has spent her life farming the fells. It’s a hard life that’s not for everyone; Rose and her dad run the farm alone, and she can see they need to change if they’re to keep their home – even if change is hard to accept. Olivia knows people patronise her for being an ‘influencer’ – but she makes a living from her videos and beautiful pictures of her seemingly perfect life. As an online star, she’s used to getting things for free – but when real life threatens not to be so photogenic, she realises there are some things money or fame can’t buy. Will the rugged beauty of the Lakes and the delicious food it offers help bring them together, and maybe find the missing ingredients in their own lives?

The Restaurant at the Heart of the Lakes

Read by actor Alex Jennings, Patrick Melrose Volume 2 contains the final two novels in Edward St Aubyn's semi-autobiographical series, filmed for Sky Atlantic and starring Benedict Cumberbatch as aristocratic addict, Patrick. The once illustrious, once wealthy Melroses are in peril, and Patrick Melrose, now a husband and father, is trying to gather together the pieces of his life. Caught up in the turmoil of broken promises, assisted suicide, adultery and – most tender and terrifying of all – fatherhood, Patrick is still a long way from salvation, but even as the family struggles against the pull of its dark past, a new generation promises new light, new hope and – perhaps – the promise of a brighter future. Deeply moving, hilarious and heartbreaking, Patrick Melrose Volume 2 contains the final two novels in the Patrick Melrose series: Mother’s Milk and At Last. Patrick Melrose Volume 1 is also available, containing the first three novels in the series, Never Mind, Bad News and Some Hope.

Patrick Melrose Volume 2

Two best friends. One big lie. The best bake-off EVER. Bella Bradley is the queen of television baking – a national treasure. Her Christmas specials have been topping the ratings for years and her marriage to Peter ‘Silver Fox’ Bradley is the stuff of Hello magazine specials. But this year things are going to be different. For Amy Lane, Bella’s best friend from school, life hasn’t held quite the same sparkle. And when Amy’s husband walks out three weeks from Christmas, it seems their lives are further apart than ever. Amy has watched Bella’s rise to fame fondly, despite the fact Bella was always a terrible cook. But when she realises that Bella’s latest Christmas book is made up entirely of Amy’s mother’s recipes, the gloves are off... After winning a competition to appear on Bella’s TV show, Amy is going to make sure that for Bella and her viewers, this will definitely be a Christmas to remember... A hilarious, heart-breaking and feel-good read about best friends, baking and the magic of Christmas. What readers are saying about Bella’s Christmas Bake Off ‘I never thought I'd laugh and cry as much as I did while reading this book. I wish I could give it 10 stars! I loved this story and hope others do too.’ The Final Chapter ‘I genuinely laughed out loud reading Bella's Christmas Bake Off. It was a lovely, relaxing read, and one that really cheered me up. It has the perfect recipe of laughter, happiness and a little romance thrown in... I absolutely loved this book, it is a fab Christmas read and I highly recommend it. I give Bella’s Christmas Bake Off 5 Stars.’ Tea Lady Mumbles ‘Within a matter of pages I was (as usual with these books) laughing my socks off and immediately fell in love with the slightly crazy Amy ... Sue Watson has such a knack for the humorous side of characters ... Her humour, writing style and stories never fail to hit the spot and are guaranteed to cheer me up, make me laugh and generally improve my mood.’ Best Crime Books and More Over 31,000 copies sold

Bella's Christmas Bake Off

F. Scott Fitzgerald created the novella "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" as a short story, originally published in Collier's magazine in 1922. It tells the tale of Benjamin, son of Roger Button, who was born as an old man and who, over the course of his life, miraculously ages backwards. Beginning life as an octogenarian in his crib, Benjamin grows "older" while his body, conversely, appears younger and younger with each passing birthday. The story takes us through Benjamin's entire life; his difficult adolescence, his marriage, life as a soldier and father and, ultimately, his inevitable descent into infanthood. At once hilarious, frightening and satiric, Fitzgerald's wonderful story has been adapted for both the stage and screen and is presented here in its original, unabridged format.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Unabridged

Ethan Frome is a novel published in 1911 by the Pulitzer Prize-winning American author Edith Wharton. It is set in the fictitious town of Starkfield, Massachusetts, New England, where an unnamed narrator tells the story of his encounter with Ethan Frome, a man with dreams and desires that end in an ironic turn of events.

Ethan Frome

Good things happen when your life is freed from the restrictions of gravity and time. Jake Spinner is a modern-day Don Quixote mixed in with a large dose of Winnie the Pooh. Jake Spinner's life is filled with coffee, movies, buffalo, donuts, tuxedoes, trucks, cedar chests, polar bears, the fiery hooch of the steppes, cold-weather horses, kittens, Parisian circuses, urban rodeo, pizza, Hell's Angels, Buddhists, gunslingers, Scrabble, ZiegfieldnFollies strippers, projection bulbs, cowboy artists, clarinets, opera houses, guitar shops, floods, tightrope walkers, hot dogs, poets, hobos, philosopher mechanics, woodstoves, amorous weightlifters, Raquel Welch doubles, abandoned towns, incendiary acts of malfeasance, Ruby Sauce, pakoras, right-wing vigilantes, post officers, and the occasional flood of biblical proportion.

Bedtime Stories

Artie Kipps is destined at the tender age of fourteen for a life of drudgery in the drapery trade … until he unexpectedly inherits a fortune from a grandfather he never knew existed! Enter: A whisky-drinking actor and playwright who persuades Kipps to invest in his play! A down-on-their-luck mother and daughter who promptly see Kipps as a means to escape their (comparative) poverty! Plenty of patronizing, unthinking social snobs! … And the stage is set for inevitable disaster as Kipps, stumbling uncomprehendingly through the English class system, is fleeced of his fortune. But all is not lost. Despite the allure of wealth and class ambitions, Kipps has never quite forgotten his childhood sweetheart. Through Kipps’s endearing bewilderment and simplicity of thought, Wells makes us both laugh and cry as the two re-unite and … … but you’ll have to listen to the story to find out how it all ends!

Kipps

The sexy page-turner picks up where the #1 New York Times bestselling Hollywood Wives left off showing Jackie Collins at her “ultra-celeb, super accessorized, bestselling best” (Publishers Weekly). Power. Sex. Money. Fame. The new Hollywood wives have it all. And if they don’t have it—they want it. And whatever these women want—they get. Ambitious, young, smart, and lethal, the Hollywood wives are back with a vengeance, pushing their way to the forefront. Forget shopping—they’re into achieving everything their famous husbands have and more, and they don’t care how they do it.

Hollywood Wives - The New Generation

The Beautiful and the Damned - Francis Scott Fitzgerald - Fitzgeralds second novel, a devastating portrait of the excesses of the Jazz Age, is a largely autobiographical depiction of a glamorous, reckless Manhattan couple and their spectacular spiral into tragedy. Published on the heels of This Side of Paradise, the story of the Harvard-educated aesthete Anthony Patch and his willful wife, Gloria, is propelled by Fitzgeralds intense romantic imagination and demonstrates an increased technical and emotional maturity. The Beautiful and Damned is at once a gripping morality tale, a rueful meditation on love, marriage, and money, and an acute social document. As Hortense Calisher observes in her Introduction, Though Fitzgerald can entrance with stories so joyfully youthful they appear to be safewhen he cuts himself, you will bleed.This book has caused an even greater sensation in America than This Side of Paradise. It is a long, searching, and absolutely convincing study of degeneration, that degeneration which ruins so many of the rich, young, idle people. The "smart set" of New York is hurled into the limelight and mercilessly revealed. A witty, pungent, and entirely orginal book. An excellent portrayal of the Eastern elite at the beginning of the Jazz Age.

The Beautiful and the Damned

“Like a dish of comfort food you’ll want to devour.” —The Washington Post “It’s hard to say which aspect of TJ Alexander’s novel is sweeter: the slow-burn romance or the drool-worthy desserts.” —Time A high-strung pastry chef’s professional goals are interrupted by an unexpected career transition and the introduction of her wildly attractive nonbinary kitchen manager in this deliciously fresh and witty queer rom-com. Simone Larkspur is a perfectionist pastry expert with a dream job at The Discerning Chef, a venerable cookbook publisher in New York City. All she wants to do is create the perfect loaf of sourdough and develop recipes, but when The Discerning Chef decides to bring their brand into the 21st century by pivoting to video, Simone is thrust into the spotlight and finds herself failing at something for the first time in her life. To make matters worse, Simone has to deal with Ray Lyton, the new test kitchen manager, whose obnoxious cheer and outgoing personality are like oil to Simone’s water. When Ray accidentally becomes a viral YouTube sensation with a series of homebrewing videos, their eccentric editor in chief forces Simone to work alongside the chipper upstart or else risk her beloved job. But the more they work together, the more Simone realizes her heart may be softening like butter for Ray. Things get even more complicated when Ray comes out at work as nonbinary to mixed reactions—and Simone must choose between the career she fought so hard for and the person who just might take the cake (and her heart).

Chef's Kiss

Giada Borghi has always known exactly what she wants. Graduating with honours? Check. An internship at a prestigious consulting company in Milan? Check! Ariberto Castelli, with his pretty face and unironically monogrammed shirts? Definitely not. Sure, they may have shared a kiss in a nightclub once upon a time – that doesn't change anything! Boys like Ariberto and girls like Giada just don't belong together. But working so closely with a handsome Italian is bound to turn any girl's head, especially as she realises there's more to Ariberto than meets the eye. The summer days are long and hot... can Giada make it through with her head – and heart – intact? ´Mad About You´ is ideal for fans of Sally Thorne and Christina Lauren. What readers are saying about ´Mad About You´: "Premoli perfectly describes Giada and Ari's blossoming relationship, injected with great humour[...]" - Sera De La Haye "Lovely story of Giada and Ariberto. Chemistry between them was v good and loved the story" - Raj

Mad About You

A fast-paced comic extravaganza and from the author of the runaway bestseller and Governor General’s Award-nominated How Insensitive. 		“Noise takes on the kind of high-jinx romantic comedy loved by Hollywood.” — Quill & Quire 		Set in the cynical and celebrity-obsessed world of mainstream media, and alternatively in the stultifying conservatism of suburban sprawl, a failed musician and intellectual nerd has become a freelance magazine writer and unwillingly been cast into the role of fashion arbiter. Reluctantly, and only for the money, James Rainer Willing agrees to interview the reclusive nationalist Canadian poet Ludwig Boben for the prestigious American magazine Glitter. Willing’s insanely busy and competitive life provides glimpses into the world of fashion photography, small-press poetry readings, expensive and fashionable restaurants (he is a restaurant critic), ‘lifestyle’ magazines, and a return to the suddenly-quiet life or non-life of ghostly New Munich, Ontario, where Willing revisits his one-time peers, the People Who Stayed Behind. 		Bespeak Audio Editions brings Canadian voices to the world with audiobook editions of some of the country’s greatest works of literature, performed by Canadian actors.

Noise

A daring, hilariously neurotic literary debut from the acclaimed actor and comedian Brett Gelman (Stranger Things, Fleabag). Enter the wonderfully weird, always uncomfortable, side-splittingly funny world of The Terrifying Realm of the Possible, where your worst fears of who you are or might become are always just around the corner. In these masterful short stories from the singular mind of the actor and comedian Brett Gelman, you’ll meet five individuals, each navigating a uniquely strange stage of life: - ABRAHAM AMSTERDAM (the child) - MENDEL FREUDENBERGER (the teenager) - JACKIE COHEN (the adult) - IRIS BELOW (the senior) - Z (the dead) Our characters face the big issues; the ones we all face. As they traverse the prickly terrain of morality, family, sex, fame, religion, and death they search for answers to life's unanswerable questions. In the futility of that search comes the absurdity, along with the comedy. The composite portrait is an existential (mis)adventure of Rothian proportions. Gelman's remarkable first book is a bold, unforgettable debut that challenges our assumptions about what it means to be human.

Terrifying Realm of the Possible

A delightfully witty and mordant modern classic from Finland: the story of a journalist who befriends an injured hare and embarks into the Finnish wildernessKaarlo Vatanen is fed up with his life. He's sick of his job, his wife, his urban lifestyle in Helsinki. But all this changes one warm summer's evening, when he encounters an injured hare on a deserted country road.On an impulse he can't fully explain, Vatanen abruptly abandons his car, his home, his wife and his job to chase the hare into the forest. A year of comic misadventures ensues, where Vatanen and his unlikely companion battle through forest fires, pagan sacrifices, military war games and encounters with murderous bears, kept afloat by the help and understanding of other sympathetic free spirits.A much-loved classic in Finland, The Year of the Hare is a freewheeling adventure through the Finnish countryside, and a witty portrayal of one man's long detour from conventional living.

The Year of the Hare

Phantasmagoria, Lewis Carroll's longest poem, was first published by Macmillan and Co., London, in 1869. Written in seven cantos, it tells the tale, in quintains, of a gentleman called Tibbets and his experience conversing with a phantom. This amusing "epic" takes us through their initial fear of each other, a fierce debate over the goings-on of the supernatural world, and finally, to a touching mutual admiration.

Phantasmagoria

Could YOU survive a digital detox? Perfect for fans of Lucy Diamond and Sophie Kinsella, It Started With A Tweet is the hilarious new romantic comedy from the author of The Bucket List to Mend a Broken Heart. 'Had me smiling from start to finish. It was a joy to read; smart, witty and completely fresh' Cathy Bramley Daisy Hobson lives her whole life online. But when her social media obsession causes her to make a catastrophic mistake at work, Daisy finds her life going into free-fall . . . Her sister Rosie thinks she has the answer to all of Daisy's problems - a digital detox in a remote cottage in Cumbria. Soon, too, Daisy meets a welcome distraction there in Jack, the rugged man-next-door. But can Daisy, a London girl, ever really settle into life in a tiny, isolated village? And, more importantly, can she survive without her phone? See what people are saying about the queen of romantic comedy, Anna Bell: 'The perfect laugh-out-loud love story for the digital generation. I loved it!' Louise Pentland, bestselling author of Wilde Like Me 'Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella' Take a Break 'Funny, relatable and fabulously written' Daily Express 'Romantic and refreshing' Mhairi McFarlane 'A fun, bouncy, brilliant tale' Heat 'Funny, romantic and uplifting' Cressida McLaughlin, author of The Canal Boat Cafe

It Started With A Tweet

From best-selling Italian romance author, Anna Premoli, a fun, feisty romance, perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Ava Wilder and Christina Lauren. What girl doesn’t dream of an amazing promotion working on the other side of the world? This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is presented to 28-year-old investment banker, Maddison Johnson and instantly fills her with abject fear. It isn't the New York transfer she had set her heart on... she's going to South Korea, instead. To make things worse, her boss Mark Kim doesn't go out of his way to make it easy for her to adapt to her new environment. Plunged into a world she knows nothing about with a man she can't stand, Maddison finds herself forced to adapt and grow up quickly. Maybe in the process she will stumble over something wonderful and quite unexpected... What people are saying about "You Drive Me Crazy": "Ludicrous, crazy and insanely funny!" Tale Out Loud. "It was funny, sexy, witty, I could not stop laughing". "Just finished! And I have heart-shaped eyes and a stupid smile."

You Drive Me Crazy

Longlisted for the 2019 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, Ryan Chapman’s “gritty, bracing debut” (Esquire) set during a prison riot is “dark, daring, and laugh-out-loud hilarious…one of the smartest—and best—novels of the year” (NPR). A largescale riot rages through Westbrook prison in upstate New York, incited by a poem in the house literary journal. Our unnamed narrator, barricaded inside the computer lab, swears he’s blameless—even though, as editor-in-chief, he published the piece in question. As he awaits violent interruption by his many, many enemies, he liveblogs one final Editor’s Letter. Riots I Have Known is his memoir, confession, and act of literary revenge. His tale spans a childhood in Sri Lanka, navigating the postwar black markets and hotel chains; employment as a Park Avenue doorman, serving the widows of the one percent; life in prison, with the silver lining of his beloved McNairy; and his stewardship of The Holding Pen, a “masterpiece of post-penal literature” favored by Brooklynites everywhere. All will be revealed, and everyone will see he’s really a good guy, doing it for the right reasons. “Fitfully funny and murderously wry,” Riots I Have Known is “a frenzied yet wistful monologue from a lover of literature under siege” (Kirkus Reviews).

Riots I Have Known

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in this quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners and Love and Other Words. It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions. But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy. The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe. Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

In a Holidaze

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 BOOKER PRIZE ‘Dazzling’ GUARDIAN ‘Blistering’ THE TIMES 'A delight' DIANA EVANS ‘Fiction written at the highest level’ ANN PATCHETT 'Hilarious, revelatory' MARLON JAMES An electrifying, hilarious and deeply moving tragicomic debut novel following a Jamaican family grappling with a new life in the US. ‘What are you?’ This is the puzzled question that greets a young Trelawny growing up in a Miami where his racial ambiguity is regarded with confusion and suspicion. It’s not just his neighbours, his Jamaican parents Topper and Sanya don’t seem to understand him either. Then there’s his stubborn older brother Delano, who is determined to secure a better future for his own children, no matter what it takes. As both brothers navigate the challenges littered in their path – a woefully unreliable father, racism, recession and even a hurricane – they find themselves increasingly at odds. Will they make it through together or must one brother’s future come at the cost of the other? Shortlisted for the 2024 Gordon Burn Prize ‘An astonishingly assured debut novel … clarity, variety and fizzing prose’ BOOKER PRIZE JUDGES ‘So damn funny’ RUMAAN ALAM ‘Astonishing’ I NEWSPAPER 'Utterly unstoppable’ IRISH TIMES What readers say: ‘So good it was hard to put down’ ‘Humour, real feeling … totally recommend’ ‘So engrossing and entertaining’ ‘A must read’

If I Survive You

The perfect pick me up romcom for fans of Beth O’Leary, Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood!Not an expert, not even close, not in any of this. But nobody will try harder than me to make you happy. Sally is a classic romantic and Harry is a classic cynic, but when a drunken bet leads the new flatmates to (badly) recreate ‘the lift’ from Dirty Dancing, and the video goes viral (#EpicRomcomReenactmentFailure), they both realise there’s potential financial benefit in blundering their way through the romcom lexicon for their suddenly vast social media following. Now, as Harry and Sally bring major romcom moments to new life – including recreating that classic diner scene – their faking it turns to making…out and suddenly they’re living a real life romcom of their own! But like all the greatest love stories, the road to happily ever after is paved with unexpected challenges for this hero and heroine… Everyone LOVES this book!‘Fuzzies, chills, goosebumps and more…1000% the romcom of the year’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Gave me ALL THE FEELS. This book is any romcom lovers dream!… Such a fun take on #grumpysunshine’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I am utterly and hopelessly addicted to Nobody Puts Romcoms In The Corner!…Sweet and sexy all at the same time’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Had me blushing, giggling and smiling…the constant romcom references made this book such an Enjoyable read. And that's with a capital E’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Kathryn Freeman NAILED IT! …I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that more perfectly invoked those same feelings I get when I watch a good romcom. I was so giddy reading this the entire time, that I could not put it down!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘LOVED this book!! It was funny yet romantic, with an added dose of heartbreak along the way’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Kathryn Freeman Romcom Collection

Nobody Puts Romcoms In The Corner

In the vein of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Fleishman Is in Trouble, a wickedly funny and incisive debut novel following a mother trapped in the rat race of NYC parenting as her life unravels. ""Funny, relatable fiction for anyone who thinks they're above the fray but still want to read all about it.""—People ""Heavenly hilarity for readers.""—Good Housekeeping It takes a village...just not this one. Annie Lewin is at the end of her rope. She’s a mother of three young children, her workaholic husband is never around, and the vicious competition for spots in New York City’s kindergartens is heating up. A New York Times journalist-turned-parenting-advice-columnist for an internet start-up, Annie can’t help but judge the insanity of it all—even as she finds herself going to impossible lengths to secure the best spot for her own son. As Annie comes to terms with the infinitesimal odds of success, her intensifying rivalry with hotshot lawyer Belinda Brenner—a deliciously hateful nemesis, what with her perfectly curated bento box lunches and effortless Instagram chic—pushes her to the brink. Of course, this newly raw and unhinged version of Annie is great for the advice column: the more she spins out, the more clicks and comments she gets. But when she commits a ghastly social faux pas that goes viral, she’s forced to confront the question: is she really any better than the cutthroat parents she always judged? A shimmering epistolary novel incorporating emails, group texts, advice columns, newspaper profiles, and more, Plays Well with Others is a whip-smart, genuinely funny romp through the minefield of modern motherhood. But beneath its fast-paced, satirical veneer, Brickman gives us a fresh, open-hearted, all-too-real take on what it means to be a parent—fierce love, craziness, and all.

Plays Well with Others

In this provocative, darkly funny, and unique novel—a mix of Lord of the Flies and The Royal Tenenbaums—a dictator's former right-hand man becomes housebound and a family power struggle erupts. Growing up on a Cuba-esque Caribbean island, Casandra, Calia, and Caleb endure life under two tyrannies: that of their parents, and the Island’s authoritarian dictator, Pop-Pop Mustache. Papa was the dictator's former right-hand man. Now, he’s a political pariah and an ugly parody of a tyrant, treating his home as a nation which he rules with an iron fist. As for Mom, his wife and hateful second in command, she rules from the mind. Obsessed with armchair psychoanalysis, she spends her days reading self-help books and seeks to diagnose the kids, and perhaps even herself. But within these walls, a rebellion is fomenting. Casandra, a cynical, self-important teenager with the most unlikely of attractions, recruits Caleb, meek yet gifted with a deadly touch, to join her in an insurrection against their father’s arbitrary totalitarianism. Meanwhile, Calia, the silent, youngest sibling who just wants to be left alone to draw animals, may be in league with the flies—whose swarm in and around the house grows larger as Papa’s violence increases. Equal parts Greek tragedy and horror, with a touch of J.D. Salinger and Luis Buñuel, The Tyranny of Flies is a biting and wholly original subversive masterpiece that examines the inherent violence of authority and the frightening and indelible links between patriarchy, military, and family. Translated from the Spanish by Kevin Gerry Dunn

The Tyranny of Flies

"The perfect escape for lovers of dogs, second chances, and swoon-worthy romance. Don't miss this one." --Annabel Monaghan, bestselling author of Same Time Next Summer He crossed an ocean, and it still wasn't enough to escape his lifelong nemesis. Now he has to work with her. Successful screenwriter Finn Masters just landed his dream job writing for Neighbors, one of Hollywood's highest-rated, longest-running sitcoms. The only downside? It will put him back in proximity of the show’s universally adored, optimistic, altruistic star, Lavender Rhodes, who has been inadvertently ruining his life since they were school chums in England. But she doesn't even know she destroyed his acting career and wrecked his relationship with the love of his life. He's not about to let this woman yank yet another dream out from under his feet. In fact, he realizes he's been given the ideal opportunity to plot his payback: spinning her character in shocking new directions. What could go wrong? Only everything. As Finn's not-so-brilliant plot backfires one scene after the next, catching him in the blasts, he's forced to think about this impossible, infuriating . . . and maybe even lovable woman in an entirely new light. In this hilarious and heartwarming rom-com, Melissa Ferguson delivers a story that will delight fans of enemies-to-lovers tropes and witty banter. With shades of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne and The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, How to Plot a Payback takes readers on a rollercoaster ride as Finn Masters navigates the treacherous waters of working with his lifelong nemesis, Lavender Rhodes. Packed with humor, sizzling chemistry (but no explicit content), and unexpected twists, this novel is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good dose of revenge mixed with undeniable attraction.

How to Plot a Payback

The final installment in the “hilarious and steamy” (PopSugar) Regency Vows series follows the heir to a dukedom and a young widow, once very much in love, as they reunite years later to fake an engagement for the benefit of her sister. West, the Marquess of Weston, and Sophie, Lady Fitzwilliam Bridewell, have lately been spending a considerable amount of time together. But West and Sophie are not new acquaintances. In fact, years ago, they had once been nearly engaged until West’s almost fatal curricle accident and his meddling father threw them off course. Now recently widowed, Sophie has put aside all thoughts of romance. But when her widowed sister, Alexandra, mentions a fondness for an earl, Sophie realizes that she may be holding her sister back. Alexandra won’t move forward with an engagement until Sophie, too, settles down again, and so Sophie approaches West with a plan. They will announce their engagement and break things off once Alexandra is happily married. It’ll be simple. After all, it’s not like she is going to fall for West a second time, not when Sophie has sworn not to risk her heart again.

The Regency Vows

To Woo and to Wed

‘Enemies to lovers? YES PLEASE. I loved every second of this book.’ Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A modern day You’ve Got Mail.’ Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Two rival bookstore owners. One chance for a happily ever after…Bookshop owner Lexi Austen’s problems are stacking up. Her dating life is a mess and Sam Dickens – devastatingly handsome, arrogant, and fiercely competitive rival bookshop owner – is hellbent on stealing all of her customers. Frustrated, Lexi turns to her shelves for answers. And what have the classics taught her? That when lovers start as enemies, there’s no distraction quite like love… Lexi plots to charm Sam: she invites him to a ball (well, a party), drags him to a dance class (does it matter if it’s not a quadrille?) and swoons into his arms while taking a turn in the park (note: next time, make sure he isn’t holding a hot drink). As their rivalry reaches scorching levels, it’s not just Lexi’s beloved bookshop at stake, but her heart too… A charming, bookish enemies-to-lover romance, perfect for fans of Emily Henry’s Book Lovers and Sally Thorne's The Hating Game. Tropes: - enemies-to-lovers - small town - opposites attract - slow burn - HEA guaranteed Readers are head over heels for Bookishly Ever After:‘Loved the characters and the setting.’ Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Enemies to lovers? YES. Bookish vibes? YES.’ Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I love a book about books. I love enemies to lovers. This book delivered what it needed to keep me entertained and it is cute AF!’ Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This had serious You’ve got Mail vibes but with a twist. I loved the descriptions of the cosy bookshop.’ Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The ultimate will they, won’t they book!’ Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Filled with delicious moments of cheekiness, flirtatious banter, and chemistry.’ Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bookishly Ever After

Sense and Sensibility (1811) was Jane Austens first published novel. When their father dies the Dashwood sisters and their mother find themselves destitute and soon, under the influence of his greedy wife Fanny, their half-brother John forces them out of their home in Sussex and the bereaved women have to move to a distant relatives cottage in Devonshire. The two oldest sisters Elinor and Marianne struggle with their newfound lower status, as they fall in love and face heartbreak. Elinor is responsible and restrained whilst Marianne is passionately romantic but both have to meet societys expectations of respectable young ladies despite their hardships. As Austen writes, 'Young women who have no economic or political power must attend to the serious business of contriving material security'. Like Pride and Prejudice and Emma, Sense and Sensibility features Austens trademark witty writing and was, amongst other, turned into the award-winning eponymous 1995 movie, featuring Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman. Jane Austen (1775-1817) is one of the most beloved British writers of all time. During her short life she published six novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, that are all considered as literary classics today. Her writing is full of sharp observations on the society in which she evolved, as well as ripe with timeless irony, and a solid dose of humour. She has created immortal characters that have inspired countless authors, novels, and movies such as Bridget Jones and Clueless.

Svenska Ljud Classica

Sense and Sensibility

When a well-educated young socialite in 1930s England is left orphaned and unable to support herself at age twenty-two, she moves in with her eccentric relatives on their farm.

Cold Comfort Farm

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland tells of a young girl named Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. Its narrative course, structure, characters, and imagery have been enormously influential in both popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre.

Hugh Lofting Collection

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Is true love just a few dates away...or even closer than you think? Tom has always been a hopeless romantic: but now he's just hopeless. After lockdown in particular made the millennial a reclusive introvert, it was finally time to get back 'out there' – at least according to his best friends Adam, Allison and sister Sarah. As the group sets up 10 dates to rejuvenate Tom's love life, he soon realises how difficult the dating scene has become, along with juggling his Shakespearean-themed cafe and a hobby of romantic mixtape making. As some of the dates turn into disasters, an old flame keeps reappearing in Tom's sight – along with bitter-sweet memories. Fearing it may be too little too late, Tom must decide whether he can date his way to happiness, or find his true match was under his nose the whole time...'' Praise for Gordon MacMillan: ‘Delightful. Pulled at my heart strings...I would totally recommend this as a feelgood book.’ Reader Review ‘What a beautifully emotive read... The perfect feelgood read that will make you laugh and cry.’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review ‘A heart-wrenching, heart-warming story of a young man forced by circumstance to become an instant dad... a lovely read about growing into responsibility and love.’ Reader Review Gordon is a former journalist writing about media and technology. He now works in marketing for Twitter UK. He has also blogged about dating and politics. He has published two novels: "Songs For Your Mother" (2021) and "Ten Dates to Happiness" (2022).

Blind Dates

Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, Mother's Milk is the fourth of Edward St Aubyn's semi-autobiographical Patrick Melrose novels, adapted for TV for Sky Atlantic and starring Benedict Cumberbatch as aristocratic addict, Patrick. This audiobook edition is read by stage and screen actor Alex Jennings. The once illustrious, once wealthy Melroses are in peril. Caught up in the wreckage of broken promises, child-rearing, adultery and assisted suicide, Patrick finds his wife Mary consumed by motherhood, his mother in thrall to a New Age foundation, and his young son Robert understanding far more than he should. But even as the family struggles against the pull of its ever-present past, a new generation brings a new tenderness, and the possibility of change.

Mother's Milk

Reasons I need to stop fantasizing about Linnea: 1. She’s too young for me. 2. She’s my daughter’s nanny. I could stop there, couldn’t I? I’m already a cliché. The single dad who’s hot for the nanny. But it gets worse. 3. She’s my sister-in-law. My wife died when our daughter was a baby, and Linnea was just a quiet teenager. I barely knew her. When my in-laws insist she move to Seattle to be my live-in nanny—after a string of caregivers who didn’t work out—I reluctantly agree. I wasn’t counting on the smoking hot blonde with sinful curves, kissable lips, and a shy smile. Linnea is perfect for my daughter—fun, patient, and kind. She might be perfect for me too, but I can’t think that way. She needs to live her own life, not be saddled with my insta-family. Being around her is a special kind of torture, but I have to keep this infatuation to myself. I can’t fall for my daughter’s nanny. But it might be too late. ***Hot Single Dad is a stand-alone romance with a make-you-swoon HEA. It contains explicit language and content and is intended for a mature audience.***

Hot Single Dad (Book Boyfriends 3)

‘Sparkling, laugh-out-loud, romantic’ Sunday Times Bestseller Phillipa AshleyA fresh start among old friends… Florence May never expected to trade the high life of London for the cosy comfort of a beach hut in her Cornish hometown, but the moment she steps inside she knows it was the best choice she ever made. The fact that it comes with a requirement that she sets up a business on site? A minor setback that’s easily fixed by opening up a surfside outpost of her friend Clemmie’s Little Cornish Kitchen … where Floss finds herself unexpectedly flourishing. And when the hotel owner next door sets out to buy the land out from under her? Floss calls on her loyal friends to help her save her little slice of heaven. Because if there’s one thing the community of St Aidan does well, it’s banding together to make the most of every second, whatever life throws at you. Readers are loving The Cornish Beach Hut Café:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'An ideal read for that cosy feel’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This was really carefully and beautifully done, with a balance of positivity and realism' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is a classic summertime romance set in Cornwall with friendship, support, family and cake at its heart. Perfect holiday read.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'What an absolutely delightful, cozy book!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An idyllic journey of hope, second chances, tantalising cakes and desserts, stargazing, love, friendship and hope! A perfect wholesome read for the summer!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A real page turner full of love and friendship.'

The Cornish Beach Hut Café

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