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'Even if you've never picked up a weight, Stronger is for you' - Arnold SchwarzeneggerNo matter how you think of yourself - strong or weak, large or small - you are substantially made of muscle. To the last day of your life, your ability to stand and go where you want to go, your agency and effectiveness in the world, will depend on it. But what is muscl? rom the battlefields of Homer's Iliad where muscles first enter world literature, to the Victorian-era gymnasiums where women build strength and muscle by lifting heavy weights, to the retirement home in Boston where a young doctor discovers that training at high intensity can produce the same relative gains for frail ninety-year-olds as for thirty-year-olds, Stronger places the science and significance of our muscles in an astonishing new light. Ancient binaries of brain versus brawn created an enduring prejudice against muscle and against the type of exercise that best builds strength. Yet the research proves that weight training can help prevent or treat many chronic diseases and disabilities throughout life, including depression, cancer, and diabetes. All of us, from elite powerlifters to people who have never played sports at all, can learn to lift weights in ways that yield life's ultimate prize: the ability to act in the world.

*A royally twisted murder mystery written in collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces*An excitable and clumsy Reverend Weaver is leading a church service at the Tower of London. It's meant to be a special honour, but when one of the ladies in the congregation drops dead from poison, the Reverend finds himself under arrest as the number one suspect. After all, the murdered lady in question was trying to have him fired . . . When Palace Housekeeper, Mrs Bramble, hears about the Reverend's conundrum, she journeys from the safety of Hampton Court Palace to investigate. How could she not, when the Reverend is a dear friend, and she has a knack for solving the murders of distinguished ladie? rriving at the Tower, Mrs Bramble finds evidence of bitter feuds between families and secret trysts that lengthen the list of suspects. Will she be able to find the killer before they strike again and free her friend? Or will the holy man have to pay for this unholy crim? n this witty, mind-boggling murder mystery, join Mrs Bramble as she races against the clock to get to the bottom of a royally twisted murder!***Readers love N.R. Daws:'Love, Love, Love! I absolutely devoured this book... The ultimate locked room mystery' READER REVIEW ?'A refreshingly fun, different and exciting read!... I could do nothing else but laugh at the final line! I really hope this gets a sequel of sorts so we can see what happens next; I was highly entertained reading this.' ?'Great historical mystery. I didn't figure it out . . . doesn't get dull. Great writing. I will definitely look for more by this new to me author. Would recommend.' ?'This was a really well done mystery novel . . .Had that element that I was looking for... Can't wait to read more from N. R. Daws.' ?'I am on a cozy kick, and this is as good as a cozy afficionado can hope for. I didn't guess the ending but the clues were pertinent and the mystery was well fleshed out. Will definitely read more by this author!' ?

Rasputin: visionary, fraud or victim of history? THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'THE GOLD STANDARD OF NARRATIVE HISTORY' DAN SNOW'ONE OF THE GREAT STORIES OF HISTORY, TOLD BY ONE OF OUR GREATEST HISTORIANS' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE'THIS EXTRAORDINARY STORY HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER TOLD' ANTHONY HOROWITZ'A STUNNING BANQUET OF A BOOK' ROSE TREMAINHow could a barely literate peasant from Siberia determine the fate of the world? Undoubtedly, the so-called 'mad monk' Rasputin bewitched Tsar Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra. Yet their strange and scandalous relationship conceals a riddle, one that casts an intriguing light on the controversial 'great man' theory of history. Rasputin was a devoted monarchist, not a revolutionary. He had no official position, no forces at his command. Nevertheless, he contributed more to the fall of the Romanov dynasty than any other individual. So demoralised was the Tsarist officer corps by stories of corruption, to say nothing of the rumours of his debauchery with the Empress - and even her daughters - that when the February Revolution broke out, not a sword was raised in defence of the regime. Just as Rasputin cast a spell over the Romanovs, his legend has bewitched historians. More than a century later, we still fail to comprehend fully the collapse of the greatest autocracy on Earth. Was there any truth to the wild tales that brought down the empire? Or was his true legacy an unsettling lesson on the potency of myth? From the bestselling author of Stalingrad comes a fascinating and deeply insightful historical post-mortem

Choose yourself. Reclaim your body. Become whole. The deeply personal and uniquely empowering call to arms from author, model and activist, Charli Howard. 'Powerful and incredibly validating' Lily Reinhart'Extraordinary' Glamour 'Fierce and tender' Yrsa Daley-Ward 'Urgent and timely' Emma Louise-BoyntonIn this urgent and powerful series of essays, author and activist Charli Howard explores how society has objectified the female body throughout time. Through analysing her own body, one piece at a time, Charli charts the impact of long-term sexual objectification and misogyny on the female body, and shows how to reclaim it for yourself and, eventually, truly love it as your own. Through personal reflection and social analysis, she reminds us why we must give ourselves grace when assessing our own bodies, as we are so often viewing them through a lens corrupted long before we were born. Flesh is an unmissable exploration of what it means to be a woman in the twenty-first century.

'I absolutely couldn't stop reading . . . It took me hostage'Marian Keyes'Lively, original . . . packed with tension'Janice Hallett'A revealing close-up of a claustrophobic community. I loved it'Jennie Godfrey'Deeply impressive . . . The final twist is devastating'Sunday TimesAustralia, 1979. It's the height of summer and on a quiet suburban cul-de-sac a housewife is scrubbing the yellow and white chequered tiles of her bathroom floor. But all is not as it seems. For one thing, it's 3 a.m. For another, she is trying desperately to remove all traces of blood before they stain. Her husband seems remarkably calm, considering their neighbour has just been murdered. As the sun rises on Warrah Place, news of Antonio Marietti's death spreads like wildfire, gossip is exchanged in whispers and suspicion mounts. Twelve-year-old Tammy launches her own investigation, determined to find out what happened, but she is not the only one whose well-meaning efforts uncover more mysteries than they solve. There are secrets behind every closed door in the neighbourhood - and the identity of the murderer is only one of them . . . Richly atmospheric and simmering with tension, The Grapevine is an acutely observed debut novel about prejudice and suspicion, the hidden lives of women, and how the ties that bind a community can also threaten to break it. What readers are saying about The Grapevine: 'A brilliant debut novel' ?'A gripping suburban drama steeped in mystery and neighbourhood intrigue' ? 'A compelling blend of psychological suspense and domestic drama' ?'An absolutely brilliant read which I couldn't consume quick enough. And that plot twist at the end!' ?'Kept me up all night' ?

'A remarkable book that sees, speaks up and breaks the silence . . . profoundly moving' ELIF SHAFAK, OBSERVER'The most extraordinary and thought-provoking memoir by any MP in recent times' ANDREW MARRThe inspiring and moving story of a young British Muslim woman coming of age against the odds and discovering the power of her own voice. 'The most unusual and shocking story of a standing MP I have ever read . . . Thank the stars for Naz Shah, a true heroine of our times' LEMN SISSAY'An astounding story of courage and resilience. I couldn't put it down' MONICA ALIBy the age of five, Naz Shah was used to the sight of her father beating her mother. At six, her father left the family for a teenage neighbour. At twelve, she was sent to Pakistan for protection from her mother's new abuser, only to be forced into marriage at the age of fifteen. Within a couple of years, her mother would be in prison, jailed for murdering the man who had subjected her to years of physical and sexual torture, and Naz and her two younger siblings would be left to fend for themselves. For years, Naz campaigned alongside Southall Black Sisters for her mother's release and was instrumental in achieving a reduction in her life sentence. Sustained by the ever-increasing strength of her Islamic faith and guided by its values of justice and compassion, she found purpose in the fight for her family and for others who had been silenced. In 2015, she was elected to Parliament, overturning George Galloway's majority to win back Bradford West for the Labour Party in one of the most momentous battles of the campaign. In serving the very community that once turned its back on her, she has transformed betrayal into leadership. In Honoured, Naz reveals how growing up against almost impossible odds lit the fire that still drives her today. This is the unflinching account of a young British Muslim woman coming of age and discovering the power of her own voice. An inspiring story of survival, faith and political awakening, it charts the making of an activist determined to speak out, stand up and claim space in a world that rarely offers it. 'Naz Shah is a brave, bright beacon of hope and her story is a must read. It will stay with you for a very long time' LORRAINE KELLY'A genuinely riveting account of a remarkable life so far. It is sad and shocking, but also inspiring and uplifting' ALASTAIR CAMPBELL

'Snort-out-loud funny, warm and moving' Lizzie Damilola Blackburn'You're going to laugh, you're going to get angry, you're going to gasp, you're going to probably cry a lil too' Reader review ? 'An impossible-to-put-down romance for our times' Frances Mensah WilliamsIn this hilarious and heartfelt romance, a plantfluencer meets the potential love of her life but there's just one small thing...she's accidentally catfished him. _____________________________What's one little lie if it leads to love...?Artemis 'Temz' Owusu has bags of confidence, and plenty of opportunity for hook-ups; she fiercely embraces her beautiful size 26 body and expects any man to do the same. Her marketing career is on fire, and she has a thriving side-hustle as a 'plantfluencer'. But for some reason, her romantic relationships just won't stick. So, when sexy California-based tech entrepreneur Ruben slides into her DMs looking for plant care advice, Temz doesn't waste an opportunity. Soon their long-distance digital flirtation is growing roots - until, in an out-of-character bout of self-doubt, Temz commits the cardinal online sin... Suddenly she's embroiled in a web of deception as her relationship with Ruben gets increasingly serious. When her job lands her the opportunity to visit her man's stomping ground in Oakland, could it be a chance for her to finally come clean - or it could lead to total chao? or fans of Bolu Babalola, Bethany Rutter and Candice Carty-Williams, CHAOTIC ENERGY is a romcom with a difference. ____________________________READERS ARE FALLING HARD FOR CHAOTIC ENERGY!'I absolutely devoured this book - it was unputdownable!' Reader review ? 'Refreshing, funny, sassy characters and a lovely modern day romance' Reader review ? 'Perfect summer read. laughed so much. an amazing fictional debut!' Reader review ?

'Superb and timely' KATE MOSSE'Impressive, important, deeply moving' SARAH WATERS'Brilliant' ANTHONY HOROWITZWhat role could music play in a death camp? What was the effect on those women who owed their survival to their participation in a Nazi propaganda project? And how did it feel to be forced to provide solace to the perpetrators of a genocide that claimed the lives of their family and friends? In 1943, German SS officers in charge of Auschwitz-Birkenau ordered that an orchestra should be formed among the female prisoners. Almost fifty women and girls from eleven nations were assembled to play marching music to other inmates - forced labourers who left each morning and returned, exhausted and often broken, at the end of the day - and give weekly concerts for Nazi officers. Individual members were sometimes summoned to give solo performances of an officer's favourite piece of music. It was the only entirely female orchestra in any of the Nazi prison camps and, for almost all of the musicians chosen to take part, being in the orchestra was to save their lives. In The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz, award-winning historian Anne Sebba tells their astonishing story with sensitivity and care.

A hidden power. A sinister force. A mystery she can't ignore. In a near-future London where technology affects everything from our bodies to our politics, journalist Pels Badmus wants to make a real difference. She's desperate to solve a spate of disappearances of young Black kids-including her friend's brother. But her boss doesn't want to hear it. Instead, he assigns her to cover the "unreasonable" protests thousands of miles away in Benin, against culturally oblivious tourists travelling to partake in sacred Spirit Vine rituals. Pels soon finds herself in West Africa, ignoring her boss's motives in assigning her to this piece and hoping to use it as leverage later. She's also trying to ignore the strange, ethereal dreams she's been having... However, when Pels takes the Spirit Vine herself, she experiences something mind-boggling. Something that points to an unfulfilled destiny that could change the course of her life. But first she must return home and confront an otherworldly conspiracy related to the missing children. Because she may just be the only one able to stop it. A bold imagining of our future through the lens of ancient spirituality, Awakened is a page-turning fable about a Black woman coming into her power, perfect for fans of N.K Jemisin and Netflix's Supacell.

THE REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK!'Feminist, fierce, and wildly fresh. Lady Tremaine is destined to be one of the biggest books of the year' GLENNON DOYLE'A reimagining of Cinderella's stepmother that explores motherhood, family, and the pressure to be perfect' REESE WITHERSPOONEveryone said she was wicked. Now Cinderella's stepmother tells her own story... After the death of her second husband, Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley is solely responsible for her two daughters, Rosamund and Mathilde, her simpering stepdaughter Elin, a razor-taloned peregrine falcon, and a crumbling manor buried in the woods. When a royal ball offers the chance to change their fortunes, Ethel risks her pride in pursuit of an invitation for all three of girls - only for her hopes to be fulfilled by the wrong one: Elin. Yet as her stepdaughter's engagement to the future king unfolds, Ethel discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she craves and the feckless stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn... Bridgerton meets Circe in this breathtaking reimagining of one of the world's most iconic fairytales, Cinderella. **Lady Tremaine has stolen the hearts of readers everywhere!**"Stunning - lyrical yet razor-sharp, rich with atmosphere and brimming with lines that linger in your mind" Reader Review ?"Definitely one of my favorite books of the year! One of those rare books that stays with you, and moves you in ways you never anticipated" Reader Review ?"Wow! I was not expecting this to be as great as it is - I totally devoured it. This may be the best fairy tale reworking that I've ever read!" Reader Review ?"This book is a masterpiece. Finally the fairy tale has been reclaimed with honesty and wisdom and nuance and depth" Reader Review ?"Fast-paced, unputdownable, and the story that women need right now" Reader Review ?"Phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal" Reader Review ?**Praise for LADY TREMAINE**'Breathing new life into a timeless fairytale, a must-read for anyone who believes in the power of second chances. My favourite read of the year' SARAH PENNER, author of The Lost Apothecary'In breathtakingly beautiful prose, Hochhauser unpicks this old fairytale and weaves it into a feminist war cry. Visceral, powerful and stunningly told' EMILIA HART, author of Weyward'Lady Tremaine shatters our preconceptions of a famous fairytale villain, presenting instead a mesmering portrait of a woman who discovers that real enchantment comes from daring to rewrite your own destiny' KIMBERLY KING PARSONS, author of We Were the Universe'One of the best novels I've read in a long time. I am envious of any reader picking up this book for the first time' OLIVIA CLARE FRIEDMAN, author of Here Lies'Wit, wisdom, poetry on every page. A voice that's both hauntingly familiar and crisp in contemporary understanding. Amazing' MARK RICHARD, author of The Ice at the Bottom of the World'Cinderella gets the Maleficent treatment in the darkly sumptuous and deeply addictive Lady Tremaine, Rachel Hochhauser is a major new talent to watch' KATE QUINN, author of The Briar Club'A totally fresh take on the story of Cinderella, Lady Tremaine feels like a miracle. With its gorgeous prose and nuanced characters, it's already in the running to be my book of the year. I just adored it!' PHOENICIA ROGERSON, author of HERC

Northern California, end of summer. Fire Hazard Severity Zone: Very High.A mysterious death.On the anniversary of her mother''s death, CEO-in-waiting Robyn Sandoval goes for a morning run. She knows her father - a local fire fighting hero - is desperate to speak to her, to tell her something he wants her to know before she starts her new job leading the corporation that owns most of their Northern Californian town of Destino. But when Robyn arrives, she finds him dead.A devastating fire.Meanwhile, after months of drought, a freak forest fire ignites on the mountain ridge looming over the town. Destino has never burned; its unique position protected by the seemingly insurmountable barrier of the ridge, a favourable wind direction, and a belief long held by the community that they are categorically safe.A life split in two.Robyn is shaken to the core by her father''s death, and her life is shattered in two, the fabric of her reality shorn by the sheer force of her grief.The next time she wakes, everything is different: her father is alive, and there''s no sign of the fire on the ridge.To understand what is happening, she has to confront not only the secrets of her past but both versions of her present. Because back in her world, the fire is spreading and the time to find answers is running out...

'A homecoming, a plethora of long-buried family secrets, and a once in a lifetime storm... this is one wedding invitation you won't want to turn down' FIONA LEITCH 'Cathy Cole drops an unforgettable cast into an atmospheric location and leads them through a twisty plot that keeps you guessing until the end. Thoroughly enjoyable!' N.R. DAWS, author of MURDER AT THE PALACEThere's no good time to discover a dead body. But in the middle of your wedding day has to be the worst time ever. For Jenny Hislop, her wedding in her coastal hometown in Ireland is meant to be the happiest day of her life. Despite the painful memories the town holds of the parents she's lost, Jenny's blissfully happy as she makes her way from the ceremony to the secluded lighthouse for the reception. Then she finds a dead body on the cliffs. A murder victim. Who looks identical to her husband. As far as Jenny knows, her husband - still alive and well - is an only child. So, who is this stranger who looks so much like him? Was he killed because of their resemblance? Could he be dead because of a mistaken identity? If so, which of her wedding guests would want her husband dead, and wh? hen more wedding guests start to die, two things become crystal clear. One, the people closest to Jenny are hiding deadly secrets from her. And two, this will certainly be a wedding no-one will ever forget . . . Praise for The Wedding . . . 'Very twisty!' READER REVIEW'I had to remember to breathe it was so gripping' READER REVIEW'Absolutely loved it. A must-read!' READER REVIEW

A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF 2025'A fascinating alternative history covering 2,500 years and a geographical span from Japan to California' NEW STATESMAN'A revelation . . . The tale of each carpet as Armstrong tells it is untidy and tragic and comical all at once' TESSA HADLEYOn the saddles of warlords, draping the walls of palaces, under the feet of presidents, dictators and religious leaders: where there is power, there have been carpets. Threads of Empire is a vivid new history of global power told through the stories of the world's most fascinating rugs. From colonial bureaucrats to Lutheran priests, oil barons to Islamic rules, Scythian chieftains to Churchill and Stalin, textile scholar Dorothy Armstrong explores how these objects have always travelled in the slipstream of power - and how the unwritten histories of those who made them are woven into the fabric beneath our feet.

'One Came Back is the real thing, a concise account of Scottish-set obsession' THE CRITIC'Dark and devastating . . . a story that haunts you' HEATHER CRITCHLOW'Intriguing . . . creepy . . . downright unsettling' SHARON BOLTONOn impact, the boy seemed to fold down and disappear, as if maybe he hadn't been there in the first place... It's New Year's Eve in Edinburgh when Emily sees Nicky. Or at least she thinks she does. He looks, laughs, and moves just like Nicky. But how can that be? Nicky died when they were teenagers, in an accident on a remote road up in the Highlands... didn't h? week later, Emily sees the man again. He says his name Nicholas. This man not only looks like an adult version of her friend, but he also knows things that only Nicky should know. As her encounters with Nicholas become more frequent and her fixation intensifies, the truth becomes murkier, and more unsettling. Is Emily being haunted, is she going mad - or is something altogether darker going on . . . One Came Back is a powerfully tense debut novel combining the chill of the modern gothic with the hook of a thriller, exploring the depths of grief, memory, and obsession. More praise for One Came Back:'Dark and twisty: like scaling a mountain, and peering over the sheer drop at the edge' JENNA CLARKE'Compelling and genuinely eerie' RUTH THOMAS'A gripping mystery . . . poetic and moving' LUCY RIBCHESTER'A hugely impressive debut. It left me reeling' DEVIKA PONNAMBALAM'Almost impossible to put it down' CATHERINE LLYOD

'Wise words... filled with love' Giovanna Fletcher'Warm, honest and reassuring' Sophie Ellis-Bextor*****Everyone has advice to offer on motherhood. Becoming a new parent is daunting enough without having to contend with comments and advice from seemingly every corner. 'They didn't do it like that in my day', 'You'll make a rod for your own back', 'Don't spoil the baby'. It's so easy to become overwhelmed, and too easy to feel like you're failing. So what pearls of wisdom should new mums actually be listening to? How do you sift through it all and know what to trust? Gloriously comforting and extremely honest, Mother to Mother is an open invitation to find five minutes of peace and solitude with people who can help - other mums. Sharing her own personal story alongside how our approach to parenting and motherhood has changed over the years, Rosie shows how learning to trust your gut and the power of finding your village makes all the difference. From her mum Lorraine's birth in 1959, to her own in 1994, and to little Billie's in 2024, Rosie shares the universal truths that still make sense today, alongside the pieces of advice you can definitely ignore. From pregnancy to birth, the early days and beyond, Mother to Mother explores what we can learn about parenting from our own mums, as well as what we will find for ourselves. 'For parents and grandparents, old and new, this book is for using: write in it; circle, underline and highlight anything that makes you feel heard. And the most important thing to remember? You're going to be fine.''Everything is temporary', 'You can't spoil a baby,' 'Do what works for you'. *****'An essential book for any new parents wanting to feel a little less alone' Liz Earle MBE'A brilliant and honest read... will help any new mum feel that they've got this' Dilly Carter

As the world falls apart around them, piece by piece, Abigail Fuller spends humanity's final days looking after her husband David. But that's not true, not really. Abigail isn't David's wife. She's not even human. She's a replacement, built in the image of the real Abigail, who died sixteen years ago. And in three weeks, when the law changes, Abigail will no longer have to do anything David says. She'll be free to go where she likes, do whatever she wants to do. But having never lived for herself, Abigail now faces profound questions about what she is, how she wants to live, and who she wants to love. Perhaps she should start with herself. Tender, powerful and thought-provoking, Some Body Like Me explores the concept of AI, the boundaries of sexuality and the indefinable human capacity for love at the end of the world. Perfect for fans of Emily St John Mandel, Kazuo Ishiguro and Kaliane Bradley.