'For anyone who's ever craved a seat at the Round Table. Utterly enchanting.'REBECCA YARROS, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Fourth Wing'You'll love Lev Grossman's The Bright Sword' George R.R. Martin'A beautifully written, suitably weird, very human take on King Arthur' Joe Abercrombie'Breathtaking' Publishers Weekly'This is why we read fantasy' Ava Reid_______________________________________________________________No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of the Magicians trilogy returns with a triumphant reimagining of the King Arthur legend for the new millennium.When gifted young knight Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a place on the Round Table, he quickly discovers that he's too late:The king died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table are left.And the survivors aren't the heroes of legend either, like Lancelot or Gawain. They're the oddballs of the Round Table, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight, and Sir Dagonet, Arthur's fool, who was knighted as a joke. They're joined by Nimue, who was Merlin's apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill.But it's up to them to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance, even as God abandons Britain and the fairies and old gods are returning, led by Morgan le Fay. They must reclaim Excalibur and make this ruined world whole again.But first they'll have to solve the mystery of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell.The first major Arthurian epic of the new millennium, The Bright Sword is a story about imperfect men and women, full of strength and pain, who are looking for a way to reforge a broken land in spite of being broken themselves.
A thrilling anthology of short stories from the Sunday Times bestselling author of the Scholomance Trilogy and Uprooted, spanning each of her realms and including a sneak peak into the world of her next series.From the dragon-filled Temeraire series and the gothic, magical halls of the Scholomance trilogy, through the realms next door to Spinning Silver and Uprooted, this stunning collection takes us from fairy tale to fantasy, myth to history, and mystery to science fiction as we travel through Naomi Novik's most beloved stories. Here, among many others, we encounter:A mushroom witch who learns that sometimes the worst thing in the Scholomance can be your roommate.The start of the Dragon Corps in ancient Rome, after Mark Antony hatches a dragon's egg and bonds with the hatchling.A young bride in the middle ages who finds herself gambling with Death, for the highest of stakes.A delightful reimagining of Pride & Prejudice, in which Elizabeth Bennet captains a Longwing dragon.The first glimpse at the world of Abandon, the setting of Novik's upcoming epic fantasy series-a deserted continent populated only by silent and enigmatic architectural mysteries.Though the stories are vastly different, there is a unifying theme: wrestling with destiny, and the lengths some will go to find their own and fulfill its promise.__________READERS LOVE BURIED DEEP'A masterclass in short fantasy fiction' *****'Spellbinding, enchanting and captivating' *****'One of the best short story collections I've ever read' *****'Novik has the gift of drawing a reader into a story' *****'I loved every single story' *****'An excellent selection of short stories showcasing the breadth and scope of the genres Naomi Novik does best' *****'I just bloody loved this collection' *****
The million-copy Korean phenomenon on how to find the strength to be yourself.As seen being read by BTS's Jungkook on Bon Voyage, the hit reality TV show following K-pop sensation BTS!Don't be kind to those who aren't kind to you.Remember that no one lives a perfect life.Don't be swayed by what others say.Don't try too hard to get along with everyone.As soon as Kim Suhyun graduated into the adult world, she faced a harsh reality. Everywhere she looked people stepped on each other to get ahead, obsessed over money, and judged others based on the unrealistic standards they saw on social media. It seemed impossible not to compare herself to others and feel that she was ever good enough.With words of comfort and charming illustrations throughout, Kim Suhyun will inspire you on your own journey of self-love, self-acceptance and self-compassion. Blending self-help and memoir, I Decided to Live as Me will help you free yourself from the pressures of living up to other people's expectations and focus on what truly matters: living not for anyone else, but for yourself.
'The undisputed laureate of ordinary lives' SUNDAY TIMES'A brilliant, one-of-a-kind writer' DAVID NICHOLLS* * *At sixty-six, Paula Spencer - mother, grandmother, widow, survivor - is finally living her life.A job at the dry cleaners she enjoys, a man - Joe - with whom she shares what she wants, friends who see her for who she is, and four grown children. Despite its ghosts, Paula has started to push her past aside.That is until Paula's eldest, Nicola, turns up on her doorstep. Independent, a loving wife and mother, "a success" - Nicola is suddenly determined to leave it all behind.Over the next few days, as Nicola gradually confides in Paula the secret that unleashed this moment of crisis, mother and daughter find themselves untangling anecdotes, jokes, memory and revelation to confront the bruised but beautiful symmetry of what each means to the other.* * *'His best yet...full of energy and life' OBSERVER'Reading [Paula Spencer's] voice for the first time sent a pang of recognition through me, followed by love' ANNE ENRIGHT'Storytelling genius' i NEWSSHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2024**A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR**
**SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024****INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**'Imagine Slow Horses' Jackson Lamb in the body of Jodie Comer's character in Killing Eve' SUNDAY TIMES'Compulsively readable... Kill Bill written by John le Carré' OBSERVERSeductive and cunning American spy-for-hire Sadie Smith has been sent by her mysterious but powerful employers to a remote corner of France.Her mission: to infiltrate a commune of radical eco-activists influenced by the beliefs of an enigmatic elder, Bruno Lacombe, who has rejected civilisation, lives in a Neanderthal cave, and believes the path to enlightenment is a return to primitivism.Sadie casts her cynical eye over this region of ancient farms and sleepy villages, and finds Bruno's idealism laughable, but just as she is certain she's the seductress and puppet master of those she surveils, Bruno Lacombe is seducing her with his ingenious counter-histories, his artful laments, his own tragic story.Beneath this a taut, dazzling story of espionage and intrigue lies one of a woman caught in the crossfire between the past and the future, and a profound treatise on human history.'The most exciting writer of her generation' BRET EASTON ELLIS'Reinvents the spy novel in one cool, erudite gesture' HERNAN DIAZ*A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES, NEW YORK TIMES, INDEPENDENT, DAILY TELEGRAPH, THE ATLANTIC, GUARDIAN, VULTURE, THE ECONOMIST*
The #1 Sunday Times bestseller is back with a powerful, riveting new novel, as maverick investigator Ray Lennox discovers that confronting his past could cost him everything.OLD TRUTHS HAVE NEW CONSEQUENCESRay Lennox is determined to move on from his darkest days. The former detective has left Edinburgh for a fresh start in Brighton. Soon, his fixations and addictions have been replaced with quiet evenings and a rigorous fitness regime.Then Lennox meets Mathew Cardingworth. Rich, smooth-talking and immaculately dressed, he presents himself as a successful, and respectable, property developer. Yet their encounter reawakens memories that have haunted Lennox for decades, sending him into a spiral of confusion and rage.Lennox has no choice - he must confront the events of his childhood. But the more he identifies the links between Cardingworth, the disappearance of a group of foster care boys and the violence of his past, the more he finds himself asking:What will he sacrifice to achieve resolution at last?*****PRAISE FOR NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER IRVINE WELSH:'There's only one Welsh and you should be reading him'OBSERVER'The best thing that has happened to British writing for decades'SUNDAY TIMES'Powerful . . . A bracing and engaging read'DAILY TELEGRAPH'Sharp, fearless, passionate and brilliant'INDEPENDENT
Daniel Burrow once began a beautiful walk from Konstanz to Como with Julia, mercurial professor of literature, mother to two of his pupils, married, and the love of his life.After years of their secret affair, they stepped out together on top of the world, full of delight in one another and in the future they imagined. Or was it only Dan who imagined it, really? He never had the chance to find out, because a few days into their adventure a single phone call changed everything.Now, at the height of summer, with only a rucksack, a few pages of DH Lawrence that had been Julia's, and his private strata of memory and forgetting, Dan is back on the trail. Step by step, with a tumult of emotions jostling with the demands of the dramatic Alpine landscape, he reckons with what his life is and what it might have been, had he been a different man with different choices.'A writer operating at the height of his powers. One follows the twists and turns of this story of discovery and self-discovery in a sustained state of delight' J.M. Coetzee'An intensely satisfying novel, superbly crafted' Nicholas Shakespeare
'A marvel of a collection' Kaliane Bradley, author of The Ministry of Time'A consummate storyteller' New York Times'There is nothing more terrifying than the monster that squats behind the door you dare not open...'The bestselling author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time weaves ancient fables into fresh, unexpected forms and forges new unforgettable legends.The myth of the Minotaur in his labyrinth is turned into a wrenching parable of maternal love - and of the monstrosities of patriarchy.The lover of a goddess, Tithonus, is gifted eternal life but without eternal youth.Actaeon, changed into a stag after glimpsing the naked Diana and torn to pieces by his hunting dogs, becomes a visceral metaphor about how humans use and misuse animals.From genetic engineering to the eternal complications of family, Haddon showcases how we are subject to the same elemental forces that obsessed the Greeks, as he reimagines stories from Laika the Soviet space dog on her fateful orbit to St Anthony wrestling with loneliness in the desert.'In sentences as precisely cut as paper sculptures, Mark Haddon fits ancient myth to the cruelties and wonders of the present' Francis Spufford, author of Cahokia Jazz
'Full of wisdom and comfort ... a really important book' CHRIS VAN TULLEKEN, author of Ultra-Processed PeopleHow can we embrace our non-negotiable limitations? Or make good decisions when there's always too much to do? What if purposeful productivity were often about letting things happen, not making them happen?Reflecting on ideas drawn from philosophy, religion, literature, psychology, and self-help, Burkeman explores practical tools and shifts in perspective. The result is a bracing challenge to much familiar advice, and a profound yet entertaining crash course in living more fully.Meditations for Mortals takes us on a liberating journey towards a more meaningful life - one that begins not with fantasies of the ideal existence, but with the reality in which we actually find ourselves.Addressing the fundamental questions about how to live, it offers a powerful new way to take action on what counts: a guiding philosophy of life Oliver Burkeman calls 'imperfectionism'.To be read either as a four-week 'retreat of the mind' or devoured in one or two sittings, Meditations for Mortals will be a source of solace and inspiration, and an aid to a saner, freer, and more enchantment-filled life in 2025.In anxiety-inducing times, it is rich in truths we have never needed more.'Thoughtful, level-headed, and useful ... a book to meditate upon' THE TIMES'Oliver Burkeman has a way of giving you the most unexpected productivity advice exactly when you need it' MARK MANSON, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck** A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2024 **
Drawing on decades of psychological research, Coming of Age gets beneath the recent myths and age-old stereotypes of adolescence to reveal the real reasons why teens behave as they do.'Fascinating, moving . . . clear-eyed, unerringly sensible . . . there is insight and kindness throughout this book' Daily MailWhy do teens take risks? What is it that makes them anxious? How do they think about sex, love, bullying and friendship? Adolescence is often difficult and it shapes us for life, but psychologist Lucy Foulkes shows that too often we fear, dismiss or even try to prevent aspect of it that are crucial to our development. Overturning many mistaken assumptions, she shows that apparent recklessness is usually calculated; that teenagers are socially conservative as much as rebellious; that being popular can be just as hard as being lonely; and that self-consciousness and sensation-seeking are not just normal but useful. Above all, she shows that adolescents have an extraordinary capacity for resilience, empathy and mutual support, and that even the most challenging experiences are part of an essential process of self-discovery.'Excellent and insightful . . . expertly presented . . . Foulkes is steeped in knowledge about, as well as respect for, teenage life' Observer'Wonderful and deeply moving . . . shows us the potentially positive aspects of adolescent experiences so often seen as negative' MARK HADDON*A NEW SCIENTIST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024*
Commissario Guido Brunetti returns with a gripping and powerful case about the murkiness of power and a test of loyaltiesWhen two teenage gangs are arrested after clashing violently in one of Venice's campi, the son of a local hero is implicated. But when Commissario Guido Brunetti is asked by a wealthy foreigner to vet this man, Monforte, for a job, he discovers that Monforte might not be such a hero after all.This seeming contradiction, and a brutal attack on one of Brunetti's colleagues by a possible gang member, concentrate Brunetti's attentions. Soon, he discovers the sordid hypocrisy surrounding Monforte's past, culminating in a fiery meeting of two gangs and a final opportunity for redemption.A Refiner's Fire is Donna Leon at her very best: an elegant, sophisticated storyteller whose indelible characters become richer with each book, and who constantly interrogates the ambiguity between moral and legal justice.
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERLONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024THE POWERFUL NEW NOVEL FROM THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING AND BOOKER-SHORTLISTED AUTHOR OF THE OVERSTORY AND BEWILDERMENT'Is there anything Richard Powers cannot write? The world here is complete, seductive, and promising. The writing feels like the ocean. Vast, mysterious, deep and alive' PERCIVAL EVERETT'An extraordinarily immersive journey through lives linked in mysterious ways - gripping, alarming and uplifting' EMMA DONOGHUERafi and Todd are two polar opposites at an elite high school where they bond over a three-thousand-year-old board game. It sets them up for life: Rafi will get lost in literature, while Todd's work will lead to a startling AI breakthrough.Elsewhere, Evie Beaulieu sinks to the bottom of a swimming pool in Montreal strapped to one of the world's first aqualungs; Ina Aroita grows up in naval bases across the Pacific with art as her only home.All of these people meet on the history-scarred island of Makatea in French Polynesia, marked for humanity's next great adventure: a plan to send floating, autonomous cities out into the open sea. As the seasteaders close in, how will Evie play the ever-unfolding oceanic game? Will Ina engage in acts of destruction? Todd and Rafi, now estranged, still find themselves in competition: Todd unravels while working on an idea to redraw the boundaries of human immortality, while Rafi and the residents must decide if they will greenlight the new project on their shores and change their home forever.Set in the world's largest ocean, Playground explores that last wild place we have yet to colonize and interweaves profound themes of technology and the environment, and a deep exploration of our shared humanity in a way only Richard Powers can.'Powers is a master of taking important topics of our times - from threats to our oceans and climate change to AI - and turning them into riveting and fiercely relevant books imbued with psychological insight and a deep awe for nature. This eloquent dance of the scientific and emotional makes him one of our finest story tellers. PLAYGROUND is brilliant, captivating and important - and the best book I've read this year' ANDREA WULFMore praise for Richard Powers:'Powers has extraordinary gifts as a writer' GUARDIAN'Impressively precise in its scientific conjectures, Bewilderment is no less rich or wise in its emotionality' OBSERVER'He composes some of the most beautiful sentences I've ever read. I'm in awe of his talent' OPRAH WINFREY'It is impossible to deny the importance of Powers's message' SUNDAY TIMES'Refreshing, original and moving' EVENING STANDARD
** THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND SUNDAY TIMES ART BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 **A revelatory portrait of a great museum and the moving story of one guard's quest to find solace and meaning in art'Who would have thought that the outstanding art book of you would have been written not by a curator or an art historian or even an artist - but by a museum guard?' Sunday TimesWhen Patrick's older brother dies at twenty-six, all he wants is to retreat. So, he does. He quits his job and seeks refuge in the most beautiful place he can think of: New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.All the Beauty in the World recounts Patrick's time as a museum guard, keeping quiet vigil over some of our greatest treasures and uncovering the Met's innermost secrets. As his connection to the art and the life that swirls around it grows, so does Patrick - and gradually he emerges transformed by heartbreak, community and the power of art to illuminate life in all its pain, pleasure and hope.'As luminous as the old masters paintings' Daily Mail'Consoling and beautiful' Guardian'Marvellous' Daily Telegraph'A beautiful tale about beauty. It is also a tale about grief, balancing solitude and comradeship, and finding joy in both the exalted and the mundane' Washington Post*New York Times bestseller, Nov 24
'Gorgeous' Observer * 'Profoundly moving' Financial Times * 'Electrifying' Daily MailHow do you find the courage to make your own life? An unputdownable novel about first love set in 1960s London from Sunday Times bestselling Rose TremainMarianne is fifteen when she falls helplessly and absolutely in love with Simon. Simon owns a Morris Minor, is in his final year at school and has a dazzling future ahead of him. Desperate to escape the stifling 1950s suburbs she has been raised in, Marianne feels sure she will be able to find true happiness with him.However a twist of fate sees Simon's glittering future dashed, and with it, Marianne's dreams. He flees the country and Marianne, realising she will now have to make a life of her own, moves to London determined to reinvent herself. But Marianne cannot let go of that first all-encompassing love and all the while Simon is in Paris, nursing a secret that will alter everything.'A perfect Tremain novel... English, dark and yearning... Remarkable... Tremain shows us the things that make every human life extraordinary' The Times'A complex tale of becoming that's moving, evocative and mesmerising in its acuity' Mail on Sunday*A Sunday Times Book of the Year** Shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction *READERS LOVE ABSOLUTELY AND FOREVER:'Heartrending, funny, unputdownable' 5*****'An undoubted modern classic' 5*****'Marianne will remain with me as a friend' 5*****'A masterclass in character and world building ... the writing is just sublime' 5*****
Imperial Island shows how empire and its ever-present aftermath have divided and defined Britain over the last seventy years.'An eye-opening study of the empire within' SHASHI THAROOR'Clear, bold, refreshing' LUCY WORSLEYAfter the Second World War, Britain's overseas empire disintegrated. But the effects of empire lived on, shaping its population and politics and dominating its relationship with the world ever since. Drawing on a mass of new research, from personal letters to pop culture, Imperial Island tells this dramatic story of imperial demise and its potent legacy, from the Suez Crisis to the Falklands War, from the invasion of Iraq to Brexit. It is a story of immigration and social unrest, multiculturalism and extremism, and a nation continuously wrestling with its past.'Incisive, important and incredibly timely . . . for anyone wanting to understand how Britain became the nation it is today ' CAROLINE ELKINS'Marvellous . . . A thought-provoking delight that absolutely everyone should read' STEPHEN BUSH'Absorbing . . . dexterously handled and carefully sourced' Financial Times'Masterful, ingeniously written. You won't look at Britain in the same way ever again' OWEN JONES
The definitive case for radically rethinking humanity's relationship with other animals - for the good of us all. 'The book that had the most impact on me' JANE GOODALL'Probably the single most influential document in the history of ... animal welfare' GUARDIANIn 1975, Animal Liberation started a global movement when it uncovered the abuse of animals in factory farms and laboratories and showed these horrific practices to be morally indefensible. In the decades since, science has vindicated Peter Singer's arguments about animal sentience, plant-based diets have become mainstream and his landmark book has changed millions of minds. And yet, for animals, the situation has grown worse.Fully rewritten for the twenty-first century, Animal Liberation Now reveals these new developments and refines its arguments to address the pressing problems of today, including the impact of meat consumption on the climate emergency and the spread of lethal new viruses. A book of galvanising power and importance, it shows that the need to radically rethink our relationship with animals is more pressing than ever.'Will motivate a new generation of readers who are resolutely committed to creating a just society for all' JOAQUIN PHOENIX'The indispensable foundational text for the movement, new and updated' J. M. COETZEE'One the most important books of the last 100 years' ECOLOGIST
**AS SEEN ON BBC BREAKFAST**Will we ever truly understand our cosmic home? This is the story of the technologies that allow us to look up, to learn and to discover our place in the cosmos.'An electrifying new history of the universe' HANNAH FRY, author of Rutherford and Fry's Complete Guide to Absolutely EverythingWe are part of an incredible chain of events stretching 13.8 billion years into the past and even further into the future. But what does that future hold? And how do scientists study the entire universe?The Universe in a Box is Andrew Pontzen's tribute to simulations - the remarkable computer codes that, over the last century, have allowed us to grasp the distant past and far future of the universe. It reveals the stories of pioneering scientists who unlocked the mysteries of the cosmos, and reframes our understanding of galaxies, black holes and space itself.'I was enlightened, amazed, and profoundly impressed' SIR PHILIP PULLMAN, author of His Dark Materials'Compelling...a veritable treasure chest filled with captivating stories'SCIENCE
'Everyone should be screaming about it' MONICA HEISEYWIFE. HUSBAND. BEST FRIEND. What if your two favourite people hated each other with a passion?A nice house, a carefree life, a doting husband, a best friend who never leaves your side. You couldn't ask for more. There's just one problem: your husband and best friend love you, but they hate each other. Over a single day, wife, husband and best friend Temi toe the lines of compromise and betrayal. Slowly, their lives begin to unravel, until a startling discovery throws everyone's integrity into question...'Funny, terrifically entertaining' DAILY MAIL'A treat... this millennial noir is a taut exploration of culture and the politics of relationships' BOLU BABALOLA'A tense read that will have you glued to your beach chair!' JENNY JACKSONREADERS LOVE THE THREE OF US'I devoured this brilliant book in one sitting''Compulsive reading...it's extremely hard to put down''Agbaje-Williams is definitely one to watch''An excellent book club read''The characters all felt completely real...utterly brilliant''I absolutely loved this book!'
An awestruck love letter to one of the most spectacular places on earth, from the author of international bestseller The Eight MountainsPaolo Cognetti marked his 40th birthday with a journey he had always wanted to make: to Dolpo, a remote Himalayan region where Nepal meets Tibet. He took with him two friends, a notebook, mules and guides, and a well-worn copy of The Snow Leopard. Written in 1978, Matthiessen's classic was also turning forty, and Cognetti set out to walk in the footsteps of the great adventurer.Without Ever Reaching the Summit combines travel journal, secular pilgrimage, literary homage and sublime mountain writing in a short book for readers of Macfarlane, Rebanks and Cognetti's own bestseller, The Eight Mountains. An investigation into the author's physical limits, an ancient mountain culture, and the magnificence of nature, it is an awestruck love letter to one of the most spectacular places on earth.
Love can change your life. Can it survive marriage and middle age?'A rare gift and one to be treasured' SUNDAY TIMES'A profound and vital book' WILLIAM BOYD'Equal parts funny and challenging' DAILY TELEGRAPH*LONGLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2025*Lily falls in love with Sam the minute she sets eyes on him. It takes Sam a day or two longer. Curious, because Lily - independent, headstrong, rational - has never quite believed in love; while Sam - confident, passionate, romantic - thought he understood it inside out.Lily is an award-winning television documentary maker. Sam is an award-winning playwright. Both are in relationships that have quietly expired, but their encounter makes Lily and Sam come alive again. As they begin to work together on the page and on screen, an affair takes hold that they are powerless to resist.Arriving in mid-life, their relationship opens unexpected new worlds and, for Lily, offers her a surprising form of liberation. But what will happen to them when familiarity, illness and age begin to take their toll? What will survive? Taking us to the edge of desire, love and betrayal across a lifetime, What Will Survive of Us reveals what is left of us when we strip away every layer.
What if you could rewrite your relationship, again and again, until it works out?'A stunner of a debut' NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH'A cause for celebration' GEORGE SAUNDERS'Exhilaratingly good' KELLY LINKWhen Myriam and Allison fall in love at a show in a run-down punk house, their relationship begins to unfold through a series of hypotheticals:What if they became mothers by finding a baby in an alley?What if the only cure for Myriam's depression was Allison's flesh?How much darker - or sexier - would their dynamic be if one were a power-hungry CEO, and the other her lowly employee?From the fantasies of early romance to the slow encroaching of heartbreak, each reality builds to complete a brilliant and painfully funny portrait of love's many promises and perils.WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:'Wow. I will be reading everything Myriam Lacroix puts out''Everything Everywhere All at Once for U-haul lesbians... I'm diving in again''I haven't read anything like it before... Fantastic debut'
A collection that shows us ourselves as we truly are***AN IRISH TIMES 2024 DEBUT WRITER TO LOOK OUT FOR***'A major new talent' I'So precise and articulate' SUNDAY TIMESTwo teenage girls fixated on each other's bodies enter into a destructive competition; a woman's encounter with her ex forces her to reflect on the women's group that saved her; a couple's future is called into question after the damp expert they hire for their bathroom offers them free counselling; an older man's buried grief emerges during an altercation with a mother driving a 4×4; and over the course of a bitter winter a waitress lacks the money to fix an impacted tooth as the cracks begin to show in her precariously balanced life.Free Therapy takes us into the inner lives of women and men who are versed in the language of therapy, possessed with the self-knowledge needed to change their lives, but finding themselves unwilling to doing so. As her characters try and fail to connect - via sex, friendship, screens and work - Rebecca Ivory explores desire in all its forms, revealing the ways in which we posture and present, and the softness and insecurities that lie beneath.Perfectly observed, wry and illuminated by moments of sympathy and wisdom, Free Therapy shows us ourselves as we truly are.'Arresting and inventive' SALLY ROONEY'Her writing feels so fresh' PANDORA SYKES
Four women spark a revolution on a Caribbean island - the electrifying new novel from the Costa-winning author of The Mermaid of Black Conch.'Vital, enraging and brilliant. I loved it' SARAH WINMAN'Beautiful and important' SAFIYA SINCLAIR Early one morning, at the close of St Colibri's carnival, a young female steel-pan player is found dead beneath a cannonball tree. It is a discovery that will transform the lives of everyone on this small island. As the days pass, this shocking event draws together four women. There's Sharleen, a journalist with an eye for the real story. Her childhood friend Tara, a pink-haired, straight-talking local activist. Gigi, the 'notorious' founder of the Port Isabella Sex Workers Collective. And Daisy, first lady of St Colibri, who is haunted by a disappearance in her own family decades ago. In a community in which women's voices are often silenced and violence against them is overlooked time after time, the group soon find themselves compelled to speak out - and to act. But even they could never have foreseen the consequences of their courage... 'Roffey's world-building power is evident on every page'GUARDIAN'Will keep you reading all hours... unforgettable'GLAMOUR'Sensual, ferocious... If The White Lotus were a modern feminist thriller, this would be it'LALINE PAULL'The spirit of carnival itself is in the writing... Electrifying'JASON ALLEN-PAISANT'A vital novel... Fiery, funny'DIANA EVANSREADERS LOVE PASSIONTIDE'This was fantastic... five stars''Exhilarating... it's a blast, with sharp, smart humour''A powerful book... really moving''Filled with anger, unity and love''What an amazing book this is... This story will stay with me for a very long time''Moving and gripping''A must-read''I loved this book'
**LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024**A story of love and astronomy told over the course of twenty years through the lives of two improbable best friends'Gorgeous... Ethereal' GUARDIAN'A book with cosmic reach' FINANCIAL TIMES'A romance worthy of Emily Brontë' WALL STREET JOURNAL'A genre-bending novel of ideas' TELEGRAPH'Sarah Perry just gets better and better' INDEPENDENTThomas and Grace are fellow worshippers at the Baptist chapel in the small Essex town of Aldleigh. Though separated in age by three decades, the pair are kindred spirits - torn between their commitment to religion and their desire for more. But their friendship is threatened by the arrival of love.Thomas falls for James Bower, who runs the local museum. Together they develop an obsession with the vanished nineteenth-century female astronomer Maria Veduva, said to haunt a nearby manor. Inspired by Maria, and the dawning realisation James may not reciprocate his feelings, Thomas finds solace studying the night skies. Could astronomy offer as much wonder as divine or earthly love?Meanwhile Grace meets Nathan, a fellow sixth former who represents a different, wilder kind of life. They are drawn passionately together, but quickly pulled apart, casting Grace into the wider world and far away from Thomas.In time, the mysteries of Aldleigh are revealed, bringing Thomas and Grace back to each other and to a richer understanding of love, of the nature of the world, and the sheer miracle of being alive.*A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE GUARDIAN*
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