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Mona Acts Out
An exuberant, darkly humorous novel by the US National Book Award-shortlisted author of Fieldwork Celebrated stage actress Mona Zahid wakes up on the morning of Thanksgiving to the clamour of guests packed into her Manhattan apartment and to a wave of dread: her in-laws are lurking on the other side of the bedroom door; she has been fighting with her husband; and in just a few weeks she will begin rehearsals to play Shakespeare’s Cleopatra, the most challenging role of her career. On an impulse, and pretending she needs to do some last-minute shopping, Mona leaves her family and heads out into the city to visit her estranged mentor, Milton Katz, the legendary director who has been forced out of the theatre company he founded amid accusations of sexual misconduct. Mona’s escape turns into an overnight adventure that brings her face-to-face with her past, with her creative power and its limitations, and ultimately, with all the people she has ever loved. At once funny and sad and wise, Mona Acts Out is a deeply moving novel about acting and telling the truth, about how we all play roles to negotiate our lives, and how the great roles teach us how to live. Praise for MISCHA BERLINSKIMona Acts Out ‘An instant-classic New York novel about theater, aging, sex and love’ Joshua Cohen, author of Pulitzer Prize-winning The Netanyahus ‘Berlinski deserves a standing ovation for this bravura performance.’ Publishers Weekly ‘Wonderfully constructed, witty, warm, wise, and filled with an extraordinary sense of the relation between theater and life’ Kirkus Reviews Peacekeeping ‘Powerfully intelligent . . . There's magic in the way that Mr. Berlinski, in command of fact and emotion, pilots this big novel safely home.’ – Dwight Garner, New York Times ‘Formidable’ James Wood, New Yorker ‘Marvelous’ Washington Post Fieldwork ‘Gripping and entertaining...you know you're in the hands of a writer to whom the novel form is, when all's said, as natural as an old overcoat... A quirky, often brilliant debut, bounced along by limitless energy’ – Hilary Mantel in the New York Review of Books 'A killer novel... A great story... You can't stop reading.' Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly ‘This is storytelling of the highest quality: richly entertaining, intelligent and anchored in a deep sense of humanity’ – Tash Aw, Guardian
First Summer
‘An intimate story of self-discovery… Beautiful’ Orhan Pamuk‘For readers who loved Call Me By Your Name, this is a similarly soft, hazy, and quietly devastating story.’ Dua Lipa's Service95A moving and dreamy debut novel about the summer love that changes two girls at the edge of adulthood‘Such a tender story of love, discovery, connection, and loss. Ekin Oklap’s writing is startling in its apparent simplicity, beautifully timeless and fragile.’ Han Smith, Goldsmith Prize-shortlisted author of Portraits at the Palace of Creativity and Wrecking‘An engrossing, passionate, and nostalgic queer coming-of-age story. Set in the heat of a teenaged summer, and in a galaxy far, far away; this book captures how it feels to connect with someone during that adolescent period when childhood fantasies collide with the realities of adulthood. A true celestial treat.’ Emily Austin, author of Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be DeadIn the heat and the green haze that seemed to surround us both like a physical presence, I felt intensely awake. One afternoon at the start of summer, a teenager watches a new girl move in across the street. In Clara, the narrator recognises the same loneliness that she feels herself, but finds tenderness and laughter too. Over hot, languid days spent talking and reading side by side in the garden, the narrator is awakened to the possibility of a true connection with another human being, free of the self-consciousness she feels with others. Meanwhile, in a distant fictional galaxy, Nadia the space explorer - the protagonist of a children's book series beloved by both girls - traverses the known universe with her companion, Rosa. Their imagined adventures make sense of new and powerful feelings. First Summer captures the innocence and agony of adolescence and the exquisite promise of love on the cusp of adulthood: a moment where fantasy is still vivid in the mind. This story of the first summer of love echoes throughout the characters’ lives and will change them forever.
A Sheepdog Named Oscar
The New York Times bestseller After the sudden death of his father, Dara Waldron became disoriented in a world that had once filled him with wonder. A year later, he meets an abandoned border collie called Oscar hiding on a derelict farm in County Clare. When Dara brings him home, he believes he’s committing an act of rescue. Oscar’s submissive behaviour hints at a difficult upbringing and, determined to earn his trust, Dara cares for him, walks with him and learns all he can about one of Ireland’s most beloved working breeds. As their unexpected companionship brings comfort to their troubled lives, Dara realises that Oscar might be the one doing the rescuing. Set against the beauty of rural Ireland, A Sheepdog Named Oscar is a moving memoir about grief, healing and the incredible bond between humans and dogs. Beautifully written and rich with Waldron’s experience, Dara blends nature writing with a deeply personal story of recovery, revealing how small acts of loyalty can lead us back from darkness into life. ‘This book will do great good, and bring light to many lives’ Donal Ryan, author of The Spinning HeartDara Waldron, New York Times bestseller, September 2025
Not With a Bang
‘Our father had imagined the end of the world so often that, for a while, he believed that he summoned it…’The Minton family is in crisis. After losing his job, Marcus begins stockpiling cans, running evacuation drills and digging a doomsday bunker in the back garden. At the same time, his daughters are unravelling in their own ways – Chantale is being haunted by dreams of disaster, and Briar’s obsession with a missing classmate draws her deeper into the seductive world of a UFO cult. Meanwhile, no one is aware of the devastating diagnosis their mother has been desperately trying to keep hidden. Then, on the morning of the eldest daughter’s wedding, an extinction-level event tears the world apart, and the Mintons must fight their way through a devastated city – back to safety, survival, and each other. A family drama perfect for fans of Station Eleven and The Leftovers. PRAISE FOR TEMI OH:‘Spectacular… Science fiction at its best’ SAARA EL-ARIFI, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Final Strife‘Fascinating’ GUARDIAN‘Moving, powerful, and deeply human’ LOCUS MAGAZINE‘A major new voice. Read Temi Oh today. Everybody will be reading her tomorrow’ STEPHEN BAXTER, author of World Engines
The Company We Keep
‘This book is a gift for anyone ready to choose better, deeper connection’ - Jillian Turecki, author of It Begins With YouFrom New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Elle comes a radical call to reflect on our friendships, take ownership of our energy and live in our truth. The Company We Keep reminds us that the people we surround ourselves with are not only mirrors, but key companions on the lifelong journey of healing, self-trust and belonging. Alex shares her unflinching journey of learning to stop abandoning herself in the name of loyalty and offers a clear and compassionate path to creating deeper connections. In it, Alex invites us to be real about the friendships we nurture and the ones we outgrow, offering hard-won wisdom on:Recognising when people-pleasing and self-silencing have become a patternUnderstanding that honesty – while sometimes painful – is a bridge to real intimacy or necessary endingsTaking full responsibility for how we show up in our friendships and communitiesLetting go of the belief that we earn love by shrinking ourselvesThe Company We Keep is not just about nurturing our most meaningful friendships – it’s about becoming a better friend to ourselves first. ‘Thoughtful, grounding and deeply affirming’ - Candice Brathwaite, author of I Am Not Your Baby Mother‘In a time of increasing loneliness, this book provides a steady guide, teaching us how to foster closeness, show up intentionally, and genuinely care for the people in our lives’ Nedra Glover Tawwab, author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace
Blitz
‘An exceptional piece of work; powerful, vivid and compelling’ Rowland White, author of Vulcan 607The Second World War was not only fought in the skies above Europe or on distant beaches. Between 1939 and 1945, Hitler’s aerial onslaught crashed into lives across the UK night after night, killing more than 60,000 civilians and leaving millions homeless. May 2026 marks the 85th anniversary of the end of the Night Blitz. But the aerial assault on Britain did not stop in May 1941. For too long, ‘The Blitz’ – from the German ‘Blitzkrieg’ or lightning war – has been framed as a few desperate months from September 1940 that mainly affected London. In reality, the scope of the attack on the home front was far more widespread, and far more devastating. Now, John Nichol tells this supposedly familiar narrative – one of the most important events in British history – afresh. Beginning with a search to understand his mother’s experiences of the blitz on Tyneside – drawing on fragments of memory and the unanswered questions she left behind – Nichol ranges outward to reveal a truly national history. From Dover to Glasgow, Cardiff to Manchester, he uncovers astonishing accounts of catastrophe and resilience. Of ‘ordinary’ men, women and children catapulted into harm’s way. Of heroic firefighters battling infernos, the unflinching bravery required to defuse unexploded bombs, families wiped out in an instant, communities left bereft by a single blast. Using interviews with survivors, official records and eyewitness testimonies, Nichol gives voice to the unsung heroes who endured explosions, fire and fear, but found the courage to run towards danger. He brings the story up to date by speaking to people involved in similar situations: mass casualty events, the deadly blaze at Grenfell Tower, bomb disposal in modern warfare and individual acts of astonishing bravery. And as new military threats emerge, Nichol asks whether the country still has such resilience today. At once gripping and compassionate, BLITZ is the definitive account of a nationwide struggle that shaped the course of the war and the spirit of a generation. The book includes maps, colour endpapers, and two plate sections with 38 photos and archival images. ‘The story of a whole nation as only Nichol can write, BLITZ is a wonderful book perfectly anchored in the human experience’ Dr Robert Lyman MBE FRHistS, co-author of Victory to Defeat: The British Army 1918–40‘A truly powerful and engaging narrative. The way Nichol weaves the story of the Blitz with more recent accounts makes for an excellent read’ Andy Saunders, military historian and author‘An important book which takes the myth of the storybook Blitz Spirit and redefines it. Absolutely fantastic’ Professor Lucy Easthope, author of When the Dust Settles: Searching for Hope After Disaster
My Only Boy
‘Hell is round the corner in My Only Boy, its skilfully imagined near-future, far-right Britain all too believable. But what I admire most is the way its grand sweep is studded with small human moments: brilliantly noticed instances of the ways we want and yearn and love’ Chris Power, author of A Lonely ManThe sensational new novel from the highly-acclaimed author of Dreamland: a once-in-a-lifetime love storyIt is Elle’s job to manage disasters. But lately things have started to spin out of control. At work, the latest catastrophe has been live-streamed to the nation. A shock election sees an extreme-right coalition storm to power. Then, on a night so hot it feels like London’s pavements are melting, she meets Ed. Elle and Ed are not meant to be drawn to each other. Elle has only ever been attracted to women, and Ed, billed as ‘the great gay novelist of our times’, is about to release his first book. But something inexplicable sparks between them. Can the unexpected attraction they feel last when it presents such a profound challenge to their identity? And as the country fractures and the heat rises, how will they choose between the people they’ve known themselves to be – and the people they are willing to become. Both an unforgettable love story and a state-of-the-nation thriller, My Only Boy asks universal questions about desire, complicity, and what happens when your sense of self collapses along with the world around you. 'Only Rosa Rankin-Gee could write so wonderfully about the imminent implosion of everything we'd ever dreamed of, while two unlikely lovers find joy in a broken world. Golden' Justin Myers, author of The Glorious Dead‘Completely original... this book charmed, provoked, and unsettled me in equal measure. Read it’ Maggie Millner, author of Couplets: A Love Story' I can’t stop thinking about it’ Lucy Foley, author of The Hunting Party ‘I devoured this book. Rosa Rankin-Gee is a master at creating near future worlds with a simmering political back drop, pierced through with laughs and a love story that feels at once epic and beautiful and also completely universal’ Kayleigh Llewellyn, Bafta Award-winning creator of In My Skin‘A moving, complex love story set in an all-too-plausible far-right future of intolerance, decline and precarity. Rankin-Gee has a fine ear for the dialogues of London and the humour that makes people fall in love, stay humane and make all the wrong (and right) decisions. Nuanced, alive, anxious, energetic, elegiac and thoughtful.’ Paul Holden, author of The Fraud‘Rosa is hilarious and prescient, an incredible writer who's able to make your heart leap both with anxiety for our collective human future and anticipation for the possibilities of new love’ Nafkote Tamirat, author of The Parking Lot Attendant ‘My Only Boy is utterly compelling; it is somehow impossible to put down.… No-one else is writing quite like this - urgent, essential and against all odds, hopeful’ Laura Kay, author of Wild Things‘With crackling prose, Rosa Rankin-Gee has crafted a novel that is both a cautionary tale about the rise of fascism, and a queer love story turned on its head. It will leave you asking: What would you do to save the ones you love? Buckle up for one hell of a ride.’ Grace Flahive, author of Palm Meridian‘Gripping, immersive and exquisitely written, My Only Boy is one of those books that will live with you long after you’ve turned the final page’ Indyana Schneider, author of 28 Questions'A terrifyingly poignant yet oddly heart-warming tale for our time. So richly layered I wanted to savour it, but I couldn't help but race greedily through. What a triumph!' Natasha Bell, author of This Nowhere PlacePraise for Dreamland ‘A beautiful book: thought-provoking, eerily prescient and very witty.’ Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half'Water courses through its pages, as rising sea levels heighten inequalities, buoy populist politicians and wash away every certainty of civilisation. But there’s al
The Long Shoe
THE INSTANT BESTSELLER BY MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR BOB MORTIMER. ‘A touching story of human relationships’ The Guardian‘A delight to read’ Daily Express ‘Characteristically offbeat and thoroughly amiable’ Financial Time Bathroom salesman Matt is at a crossroads. He has lost his job, he is about to be made homeless and his girlfriend has left him. He wants his luck to change and he wants things to go back to how they were. Out of the blue he is offered a job that comes with a free luxury apartment. He hopes this might be enough to tempt her back. But, as events unfold, it starts to dawn on him that perhaps she didn't leave of her own accord after all...?‘A genuinely unexpected storyline . . . Definitely good for a plane ride or holiday when you can settle in and soak up the idiosyncratic characters and startling plot twists.’ ***** The Daily Telegraph Praise for Bob Mortimer: 'As a comedian, Bob Mortimer spins a shaggy-dog story like nobody else' The Guardian ‘The much loved comic proves adept at noirish fiction in a debut whose surrealist humour sets it apart’ – Observer‘Mortimer’s verbal specificity and off-kilter humour will keep his fans chuckling’ The Times 'There is a sweetness to his worldview that makes his writing gently poignant... Like Spike Milligan, the only vintage comic whose fiction is still read, Mortimer has managed to use a novel as a vehicle for his distinctive comedic voice' The Telegraph
Body of Lies
The brand-new thriller featuring DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock, from the award-winning Sunday Times bestselling author of In the Blink of an Eye. Human suspicion. AI manipulation. When truth can be rewritten, who can you trus? CS Kat Frank is back at the Future Policing Unit after a devastating loss - and straight into her most disturbing case yet. On Halloween night, a local MP is found murdered. Beside the body is a taunting message in binary code, aimed directly at Kat:Catch me if you can. The victim was a vocal opponent of AI. The motive looks political. But as Kat investigates with her partner, AIDE Lock - the world’s first AI detective - the case spirals into something far more dangerous. Then a cyberattack takes down the National Grid. With the country in chaos and lives on the line, Kat and Lock must track a killer who is always one step ahead. But in a world of deepfakes, deception and digital ghosts, instinct is no longer enough. Kat must decide whether to trust the one thing she still fears most: her AI partner. Because this time, Lock may not just be solving the case. He may be changing what it means to be human. Can Kat stop a killer before the lights go out for goo? RAISE FOR JO CALLAGHAN:'Terrifyingly timely and provocative' VAL McDERMID'The most original crime novel you'll read this year' CLARE MACKINTOSH'Just brilliant!' LISA JEWELL'Sharp, perceptive writing and a brilliant new take on the detective duo' T. M. LOGAN'Everything you could hope for in a thriller: heartbreaking, intelligent, deftly plotted and so original' FIONA CUMMINS'A fresh take on the buddy-buddy cop trope . . . Provocative and compelling' VASEEM KHAN'Wildly original, heartfelt, funny, and properly thrilling. Take a bow, Jo Callaghan' CHRIS WHITAKER
The Pepys Conspiracy
In 1679, Samuel Pepys is Secretary to the Admiralty, in charge of the navy, and at the right hand of King Charles. But also in 1679, England is awash with suspicion and fear. In this maelstrom of distrust, Pepys finds himself at the heart of a conspiracy, charged with treason and facing a crooked trial and potential execution. The only person who can save him is his brother, Balthazar, and Balthazar’s twin children, Betty and Sam – precociously smart and deviously determined – and the three set off on a journey to prove Pepys’ innocence. A clever and witty adventure which will make you think about Pepys in an entirely new light…
The Silver Thread
A sweeping story of a patient and everlasting love – and the moments that tie people together forever. ‘Utterly immersive. Kate Lord Brown is the magician whose silken words have embroidered the most exotic and seductive dual timeline romance’ Essie Fox, Catherine, a Retelling of Wuthering Heights'A poignant and unforgettable story of one woman's life, told with immense flair and sensitivity' Kate Forsyth, Psykhe ‘As a long-closed apartment starts to reveal old treasures, a story of enduring love unfolds’ My WeeklyTHREE CITIES. TWO WOMEN. A STORY OF ONE HUNDRED YEARS . . . London, 1875. Bel has secured a design job at the newly opened Liberty store, where Japan is all the rage. When Hiro, a fellow designer, travels with her to Tokyo to source silks and inspiration, little does she know it will be the start of an unforgettable love story. Paris, 1985. Mira, a recently qualified art curator, is hired to catalogue the contents of an apartment which has been closed for decades. As she works through the treasures it reveals, she longs to discover what happened to famed designer Isobel Bright – and why her apartment has been locked for so many years…Crossing oceans, cultures and timelines, this is an epic and intimate tale of enduring love. PRAISE FOR KATE LORD BROWN:‘Exquisite’ RUTH HOGAN'Epic, sweeping and gloriously romantic’ VERONICA HENRY‘Evocative’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING‘Sumptuous and immersive’ PLATINUM
Work Love Balance
She's the ultimate professional. He's the ultimate distraction… The brand-new workplace romance perfect for fans of Beth O'Leary, Sally Thorne, Portia MacIntosh and Emily Henry. 'Warm, witty and uplifting, if you love a workplace romance or can relate to the pressure to be perfect, then this is for you' Becky Hunter, One Moment‘Full of charming, swoon worthy moments and just the right amount of chaos’ Chloe Ford, Work Trip‘A truly escapist read, packed with romance and charm’ Julie Haworth, Bea’s Book Wagon‘Loxton’s signature wit and warmth shining on every page’ Eleanor Vendrell, The Great Orchid Heist‘Smart, sassy and brimming with delicious tension’ Christy McKellen, So That HappenedLizzy Brinks has it all under control. At least that’s what she’d tell you. Smart, calm and just a little terrifying, she’s the woman who fixes everything – except her own life. Between caring for her family, wrangling her escape-artist cat Pebble, and keeping her boss Esme Kaminska’s art empire afloat, Lizzy doesn’t have time for romance. Then Esme connects with influencer Ajax Banks, and Lizzy’s world collides with his right-hand man, Oliver MacLeod. He’s charming. He’s infuriating. He’s far too good-looking to be trustworthy. And now she’s supposed to work with him on a catastrophic new dating app idea. When a work trip to Venice leads to some disastrous revelations, Lizzy must decide if she can stay cool when her heart’s on the line. Because sometimes, love is the one thing you just can’t plan for. Tropes include:* Rivals to lovers* Workplace romance* Slow burn* Grumpy x sunshine
Room for Us All
The irresistible new picture book from the creators of Mavis the Bravest and Basil Dreams Big shows us that everything's better when no one's left out!Today is Pamela the squirrel's BEST day! She is finally off to The Big Tree to play. Pam can bounce! She can pounce! Yes - she's ready to JOIN IN. But what will Pamela do when the other squirrels say there's NO ROOM for her?!A heartwarming, relatable story that reassures us that there's always a way to make room for us all!Perfect for encouraging conversations about not leaving people outA rhyming text that's a joy to read out loud. Gorgeous, characterful artwork packed with adorable detail. Other books by Lu Fraser and Sarah Warburton: One Camel Called DougMavis the BravestBasil Dreams BigOther books by Lu Fraser and Kate Hindley: The Littlest YakThe Littlest Yak: The New ArrivalThe Littlest Yak: Home is Where the Herd IsThe Busiest Beaver
A Forbidden Alchemy
‘This book is a pressure-cooked vial crafted with perfect romantic tension and pure gangster-style grit … I loved every chapter’ RAVEN KENNEDY, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Plated Prisoner series. Peaky Blinders meets Six of Crows in BookTok star Stacey McEwan’s stunning new slow-burn romantasy duology traces a fated pair who stumble upon a world-changing secret in youth and are catapulted into a violent class war in adulthood, finding each other amidst love, loss and devasting betrayals. Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson are only twelve years old when they are whisked from their disenfranchised mining towns to dazzling Belavere City to test for magical abilities. Nina’s lifelong dream is to become an Artisan, a powerful elemental mage who fulfills the city’s grand ambitions, while Patrick wants only to reunite with his family of Craftsmen in the mines. But together, they discover a devastating secret: Artisans aren’t born, they’re chosen. With this information, they part ways. Patrick returns home, while Nina finds her place as one of the rarest, most coveted types of Artisan. When a Craftsman revolution ignites years later, Nina is captured by Patrick’s rebel group – and he hasn’t forgotten her. In fact, he needs her help for a mission that could shift the tides against Belavere City. She reluctantly agrees to aid him, battling the sparks between them. But when Nina’s first love reappears, asking her to betray Patrick for the Artisans, she faces an impossible choice that will determine the fate of their world. A concoction of all the best romantasy tropes:Elemental magic Found familyTension & Slow burn Political Intrigue / Class WarWhat readers and authors have been saying about A Forbidden Alchemy:‘If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would … This story has the morally gray characters of my dreams!! … I will be telling everyone that I know to read this book. I NEED MORE!!’ READER REVIEW, 5 stars‘I’m never going to shut up about this book … the romantasy book you’ll never get over’ HANNAH NICOLE MAEHRER, internationally bestselling author of Assistant to the Villain‘It catapults readers into an immersive romance, a rustic setting, dynamic characters, a world of secrets, ghastly betrayals ... I am obsessed with this book … this is the best romantasy I've read’ READER REVIEW, 5 stars
Room for Us All
The irresistible new picture book from the creators of Mavis the Bravest and Basil Dreams Big shows us that everything's better when no one's left out!Today is Pamela the squirrel's BEST day! She is finally off to The Big Tree to play. Pam can bounce! She can pounce! Yes - she's ready to JOIN IN. But what will Pamela do when the other squirrels say there's NO ROOM for her?!A heartwarming, relatable story that reassures us that there's always a way to make room for us all!Perfect for encouraging conversations about not leaving people outA rhyming text that's a joy to read out loud. Gorgeous, characterful artwork packed with adorable detail. Other books by Lu Fraser and Sarah Warburton: One Camel Called DougMavis the BravestBasil Dreams BigOther books by Lu Fraser and Kate Hindley: The Littlest YakThe Littlest Yak: The New ArrivalThe Littlest Yak: Home is Where the Herd IsThe Busiest Beaver
Wild Magic: Escape of the Sea Turtles
Discover your wild side! Join twins Misha and Ziggy on another magical wildlife adventure in the third book in the WILD MAGIC series. For fans of Secret Beast Club, Megan Rix and Space Detectives.?Misha and Ziggy are super excited to be joining their wildlife presenter father on a trip to Mexico, where they’ll be able to test their magical powers all over again. Misha can’t wait to talk to all the fascinating animals she meets and Ziggy is eager to shapeshift into all the amazing animals he sees!?When Misha and Ziggy discover that there are turtles trapped in plastic and fishing nets in the sea, they must work together to free the turtles so that they can lay their eggs. Can Misha and Ziggy help the sea turtles before nesting season is over?















