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Vagina: A re-education
by Lynn EnrightWinner of the Hearst Big Book Awards, 2019 - Women's Health's Book of the Year_____________Shocking, brilliant, important. A fine addition to the feminist canon. - Emma Jane UnsworthFor the first time I feel like I PROPERLY understand my vagina! I wish I had read this 23 years ago! - Scarlett Curtis_____________From earliest childhood, girls are misled about their bodies, encouraged to describe their genitalia with cute and silly names rather than anatomically correct terms. In our schools and in our culture, we are coy about women while putting straight men's sexuality front and centre. Girls grow up feeling ashamed about their periods, about the appearance of their vulvas, about their own desires. They grow up without a full and honest sex education, and this lack of knowledge has serious consequences: the number of women attending cervical screening appointments in the UK is at a 20-year low while labiaplasty is the fastest growing type of plastic surgery in the world. Vagina provides girls and women with information they need about their own bodies - about the vagina, the hymen, the clitoris, the orgasm; about conditions like endometriosis and vulvodynia. It confronts taboos, such as abortion, miscarriage, infertility and masturbation. It tackles vital social issues like period poverty, female genital mutilation and the rights of transgender women. It is honest and moving as Lynn Enright shares her personal stories but this is about more than one woman - this is a book that will provoke thousands of conversations. We urgently need to talk about women's sexual and reproductive health, about our experiences of sex and pregnancy and pain and pleasure. Vagina: A Re-Education will help us do just that.
Vega Jane and the Secrets of Sorcery (Vega Jane)
by David BaldacciFull of monsters, magic, danger and mystery, Vega Jane and the Secrets of Sorcery is the first title in the thrilling fantasy adventure series by bestselling master storyteller David Baldacci. Illustrated throughout by Tomislav Tomic.Vega Jane is fourteen when she is secretly given a map that reveals a mysterious world and dangerous creatures beyond the walls of Wormwood, a place no one has ever left – or wanted to. Until now. The map makes her question everything she has ever been told about the place she calls home. Her friend Delph and her dog, Harry Two, are the only ones Vega trusts. Trapped by secrets and lies, they want freedom and truth. But she will have to fight for freedom. And the truth may cost Vega her life.Continue the adventure series with Vega Jane and the Maze of Monsters.Vega Jane and the Secrets of Sorcery was previously published as The Finisher and has been edited for younger readers and re-illustrated throughout.
Vendetta Road (Torpedo Ink)
by Christine Feehan#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan pushes the limits in her next novel in the Torpedo Ink series.Isaak "Ice" Koval is on a club mission when he sees a woman who stops him dead in his tracks. Soleil is a sweet, sexy, girl-next-door type. She's an innocent who should be nowhere near the rough-and-ready world of the Torpedo Ink motorcycle club. But Ice knows Soleil belongs with him - and he'll do whatever it takes to keep her.After a life of drifting from one thing to the next, Soleil Brodeur is determined to take control of her life. When her breakup with her manipulative fiancé turns ugly, Soleil searches out the stranger who offered her a lifeline and ends up in a Las Vegas biker bar where she meets a gorgeous, dangerous man straight out of her most secret fantasies.High on adrenaline, she finds herself falling faster than she thought possible. But Soleil knows little about the territory she's stumbled into, and even less about what it really means to be Ice's woman . . .
Venom: Book 2 (Isles of Storm and Sorrow)
by Bex HoganMarianne has never wanted to be a fighter, but with unrest and discord threatening the Twelve Islands, she will have to battle threats both inside and out in an attempt to attain peace for her homeland. The epic YA fantasy series The Isles of Storm and Sorrow continues in its second book, Venom, perfect for fans of Sara J Maas and Leigh Bardugo.Marianne is now the Viper, but her hopes for peace in the Eastern Isles are being frustrated. The corrupt King remains on the throne, bandits are proving hard to stop and Marianne is not sure who among her crew she can truly trust.For the islands to prosper, the invisible bond that once existed uniting land and sea must be reinstated. There's only one way that can happen - the return of magic. To do that Marianne must put aside all her fears: she must return to her roots, the Western Isles, and call on the power that runs in her blood. She must become a Mage. Only then, can she possibly command the army needed to finally take down the King.
Viper's Daughter (Wolf Brother #7)
by Michelle PaverRun Wild with Wolf Brother. Million-copy-selling author, Michelle Paver immerses you in ice-cold magic and non-stop adventure, as Torak, Renn and Wolf battle for their lives and use all their skills and knowledge of nature to survive. For two summers Torak and Renn have been living in the Forest with their faithful pack-brother, Wolf. But their happiness is shattered when Renn realizes Torak is in danger – and she's the threat.When she mysteriously disappears, Torak and Wolf brave the Far North to find her. At the mercy of the Sea Mother and haunted by ravenous ice bears, their quest leads them to the Edge of the World. There they must face an enemy more evil than any they've encountered.VIPER'S DAUGHTER: read it as a standalone or part of the series and plunge into the Stone-Age world of Torak, Renn and Wolf – a world of demons, Hidden People and exhilarating adventure which has entranced millions of readers.Also available as an audiobook, read by Sir Ian MckellenPraise for Viper's Daughter: 'What rich, dazzling, immersive storytelling... The best book I have read this year by a country mile. (By a wild arctic length of many wolf lopes, I suppose I should say)' Hilary McKay, author of The Skylarks' War'Michelle is in a league of her own with this series and what luck for us all that she hasn't finished with Torak, Renn and Wolf's world yet' Abi Elphinstone, author of Rumblestar'Viper's Daughter is sharp, striking, and loaded with the wisdom of the deep past. I am in awe of Paver's accomplishment' Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs'Skillful, satisfying, and minutely researched, this powerful evocation of an ancient world is vivid in its imagery and captivating in its excitement' Adrienne Byrne, Muswell Hill Children's Bookshop'Paver's love for the natural world comes across so strongly in her writing and her imagination takes you on a twisting, fantastic journey all the way to the Edge of the World' Grace Barrett, Waterstones Norwich
The Waiting Rooms
by Eve SmithSwinging from South Africa to England: one woman’s hunt for her birth mother in an all-too-believable near future in which an antibiotic crisis has decimated the population. A prescient, thrilling debut.‘STUNNING and terrifying … The Waiting Rooms wrenches your heart in every way possible, but written with such humanity and emotion’ Miranda Dickinson ________________ Decades of spiralling drug resistance have unleashed a global antibiotic crisis. Ordinary infections are untreatable, and a scratch from a pet can kill. A sacrifice is required to keep the majority safe: no one over seventy is allowed new antibiotics. The elderly are sent to hospitals nicknamed ‘The Waiting Rooms’ … hospitals where no one ever gets well.Twenty years after the crisis takes hold, Kate begins a search for her birth mother, armed only with her name and her age. As Kate unearths disturbing facts about her mother’s past, she puts her family in danger and risks losing everything. Because Kate is not the only secret that her mother is hiding. Someone else is looking for her, too.Sweeping from an all-too-real modern Britain to a pre-crisis South Africa, The Waiting Rooms is epic in scope, richly populated with unforgettable characters, and a tense, haunting vision of a future that is only a few mutations away.________________‘If the themes are dark and topical, the writing is exquisite. Breath held, I got to the finale with my heart in my mouth. Eve Smith weaves a complex and clever tale, merging countries and timelines; the result is a superb and satisfying novel’ Louise Beech‘Smith creates visceral worlds that spring to life on the page and each chapter reveals new and exciting plot developments... Her work portrays an essence of Margaret Atwood and George Orwell’ Reviewer No 9‘Stunning dystopian debut. A prescient and alarming tale that seems just a whisper from reality’ Suzy Apsley‘This is THE book of our time. Literally unputdownable & unforgettable. Such a book, you owe it to yourself to order it immediately. WOW!’ Phillipa’s Quick Book Review Podcast‘With the current coronavirus going on, this book is so timely ... It’s a wealth of information and a wealth of warnings. My god this book makes you think. It really makes you think. Great interwoven story of the creators of the drugs and how they can be used for evil reasons. And warning, the first chapter will have you weeping’ Goodreads
Wanda Seasongood and the Almost Perfect Lie (Wanda Seasongood #2)
by Susan LurieWanda and her bluebird friend Voltaire return to the Scary Wood to rescue her older sister, Wren, from a witch in this magical fantasy novel perfect for fans of The Princess Bride.Soon after returning from her first adventure in the Scary Wood and breaking a witch's curse on her family, Wanda learns that she has an older sister, Wren, who is being held captive by the very same witch.Wanda and her trusty bluebird companion, Voltaire, return to the forest to find and rescue her long-lost sibling. Along the way they face tricky trolls, a gruesome giant, a batty banshee, and other friends and foes before they take on the biggest challenge of all: Raymunda, leader of the witches.In order to defeat Raymunda, Wanda will have to rely on Voltaire's unreliable memory, and the witch's son William, who seems incapable of telling the truth. Is Wren who they say she is? If so, why doesn't she want to come home with Wanda?This original fairy tale will have readers eagerly flipping pages to learn the truth.
Wanda Seasongood and the Mostly True Secret (Wanda Seasongood #1)
by Susan LurieWanda hates her little brother, Zane. But don't judge her for it--Zane is an absolute terror, and her parents blame Wanda for his monstrous behavior. On her eleventh birthday, Wanda makes a wish: to find her true family, because she knows deep down that this one can't be hers. She gets a surprise visit from a talking bluebird named Voltaire who seems wise and confirms her suspicion that someone has been meddling with her life. He knows the secret . . . he just can't remember what it is right now. Together they venture into the Scary Wood, where they encounter many magical creatures as they search for the truth. Wanda must summon all her courage and intelligence to outwit giant hairy Groods who want to eat her, a swamp goblin who wants to make her fade away, a nixie who wants to turn her into a squid, dragons who may or may not be nice, and, perhaps worst of all, a frog who wants to kiss her. None of these adversaries prepares her for the biggest one: a witch named Raymunda, who has put her and her family under a spell. Will Wanda succeed in breaking it, or will she be stuck in the wrong life forever?
War of Kings and Monsters
by Christopher KeeneChristopher Keene has once again enthralled readers with a one-of-a-kind medieval world full of spectacular magic and fantastic beasts that only a few can tame.
War of the Maps
by Paul McAuleyOn a giant artificial world surrounding an artificial sun, one man - a lucidor, a keeper of the peace, a policeman - is on the hunt. His target was responsible for an atrocity, but is too valuable to the government to be truly punished. Instead he has been sent to the frontlines of the war, to use his unique talents on the enemy. So the lucidor has ignored orders, deserted from his job, left his home and thrown his life away, in order to finally claim justice.Separated by massive seas, the various maps dotted on the surface of this world rarely contact each other. But something has begun to infiltrate the edges of the lucidor's map, something that genetically alters animals and plants and turns them into killers. Only the lucidor knows the depths to which his quarry will sink in order to survive, only the lucidor can capture him. The way is long and dangerous. The lucidor's government has set hunters after him. He has no friends, no resources, no plan.But he does have a mission.
The War of the Snakes
by Julian Cheek“Dreams can’t be real, can they?” Such is the gnawing question reverberating through Sam’s head as he battles with a dilemma, which refuses to be ignored. In his dreams, he is always confronted by one simple point: Muanga-Atua exists! And for some un-asked for and un-wanted reason, he - Sam - is expected to save this place from the calamity that engulfs the people of the Turangai. Not only that, but he is also supposed to have some sort of incredible power by which he is expected to destroy both the Bjarke and their leader, Lord Elim, the Turangai’s oppressors.“But that is ridiculous! Right?” Determined to ignore all that occurs in this so-called ‘dream world’, he does nothing. That is until one cold, grey, autumn morning a TV news flash captures a shocking series of events, which leads to one undeniable truth; what he has tried to ignore all along in Muanga-Atua has somehow incredibly exploded into his world and it is searching. Searching for him. His do-nothing approach is just not good enough. Not now. He will have to go back to Muanga-Atua to seek out this power he was supposed to have obtained. Find the power, accept what it can do through him, and go out into that awful place to do battle with someone, or something that makes his very blood run cold.
Watching Doctor Who: Fan Reception and Evaluation (Who Watching)
by Paul Booth Craig Owen JonesWatching Doctor Who explores fandom's changing attitudes towards Doctor Who. Why do fans love an episode one year but deride it a decade later? How do fans' values of Doctor Who change over time? As a show with an over fifty-year history, Doctor Who helps us understand the changing nature of notions of 'value' and 'quality' in popular television. The authors interrogate the way Doctor Who fans and audiences re-interpret the value of particular episodes, Doctors, companions, and eras of Who. With a foreword by Paul Cornell.
The Water's Daughter
by Michelle LovricAn exquisitely imagined fantasy novel about a girl who can see history with her touch. Set on the canals of Venice, from an award-winning author, this is a perfect book for fans of Frances Hardinge and Jennifer Bell for 9+ readers.Twelve-year-old Aurelia Bon can see what happened in a place by merely pressing her fingertips up against the walls. So when young boys start disappearing around an old palace, Aurelia must use her ability to find out what has happened, before the boys of Venice disappear forever...
The Way Back
by Gavriel SavitThe US National Book Award Finalist novel from the author of the bestselling Anna and the Swallow Man. From the author of the acclaimed crossover novel, Anna and the Swallow Man, a stand-alone literary fantasy based on Jewish folk lore and traditions this is a story for fans of Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman and The Book Thief.'As timeless as a fairy tale' - New York TimesIf the world of the living were a suit of clothes and the world of the dead the bony flesh beneath, then at each elbow there would be a cemetery gate.Here the dead rub up against the living world.Here the living world wears thin.Yehuda Leib and Bluma have seperate, unexpected meetings with The Dark One: Death. Meetings which push them on journeys far from their homes across the Far Country - the world of the dead . . .
We: Uproar Books Classics Series (Canons)
by Yevgeny ZamyatinThe One State is the perfect society, ruled over by the enlightened Benefactor. It is a city made almost entirely of glass, where surveillance is universal and life runs according to algorithmic rules to ensure perfect happiness. And D-503, the Builder, is the ideal citizen, at least until he meets I-330, who opens his eyes to new ideas of love, sex and freedom. A foundational work of dystopian fiction, inspiration for both Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Huxley’s Brave New World, WE is a book of radical imaginings – of control and rebellion, surveillance and power, machine intelligence and human inventiveness, sexuality and desire. In this brilliant new translation, it is both a warning and a hope for a better world.
We Are Blood and Thunder
by Kesia LupoOn the edges of a sealed-off city, a chance encounter between two girls in the misty woods is about to change the course of everything. . .Lena is on the run from her home, the Duke's Forest, after being convicted as a mage and sentenced to death. Meanwhile, Constance escaped the Forest years before, after her own magical powers were discovered--but now, she will do anything to get back inside and reclaim her place as the duke's daughter. The girls cross paths for only a moment, but that's long enough to set them down paths that will change the dukedom forever.As Lena reaches a safe haven where she can study and develop her powers alongside handsome but mysterious mage Emris, Constance maneuvers her way back into the home she left behind, unsure whether she trust the people she once considered her family and friends. All the while, the girls are connected by the dark, terrifying storm clouds that hang over the land and devastate everything in their wakes. Only Lena and Constance hold the keys to dispelling the storm and keeping their home safe--if they can uncover who cast the spell that generated the clouds to begin with. But the truth is far more sinister than anyone could imagine, and it could mean that one of the girls will lose everything.
We Are Bound by Stars
by Kesia LupoThe next adventure in Kesia Lupo's stunning and original YA fantasy world. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Laini Taylor.On a mysterious island where the very earth holds magic, masked assassins plague the city and strange creatures rise from the desert. Livio has riled against his destiny his whole life. Beatrice longs to escape her life of servitude. But when a twist of fate unites them, it is up to them to stop a deadly revolution.Are they just puppets in someone else's game? Will they have to accept the hands they have been dealt or can either change their fortunes?Another thrilling, plot-driven adventure, with an even bigger twist, We Are Bound by Stars is a tale of masks, politics, desire and deception that will have you gripped once again in Kesia Lupo's rich fantasy world.
We Ride the Storm: The Reborn Empire, Book One (The Reborn Empire #1)
by Devin MadsonAS AN EMPIRE DIES, THREE WARRIORS WILL RISE. THEY MUST RIDE THE STORM OR DROWN IN ITS BLOOD. 'A visceral, intriguing, intense and emotionally charged ride . . . I'd strongly recommend this bloody and bold tale to fans of Mark Lawrence [and] George R. R. Martin' Grimdark MagazineWar built the Kisian Empire and war will tear it down. Fifteen years after rebels stormed the streets, Kisia is still divided. Only the firm hand of the god-emperor holds the kingdom together. But when a shocking betrayal destroys a tense alliance with neighbouring Chiltae, all that has been won comes crashing down.In Kisia, Princess Miko T'sai is a prisoner in her own castle. She dreams of claiming her empire, but the path to power could rip it, and her family, asunder. In Chiltae, assassin Cassandra Marius is plagued by the voices of the dead. Desperate, she accepts a contract that promises to reward her with a cure if she helps an empire fall. And on the border between nations, Captain Rah e'Torin and his warriors are exiles forced to fight in a foreign war or die. 'Breathtakingly triumphant . . . it has become one of my favourite books of all time' Novel Notions'Buckle your seatbelts and prepare for a hell of a ride' Fantasy Book Critic'Complex and immersive . . . doesn't let go until the final electrifying pages' Fantasy Book Review
We, Robots: Artificial Intelligence in 100 Stories (Anthos Ser.)
by Simon IngsArtificial intelligence in 100 stories. To ready us for the inevitable, here are 100 of the best short stories ever written – most of them by humans – about artificial intelligence. Simon Ings has assembled anthropomorphic cyborgs and invertebrate AIs, thuggish metal lumps and wisps of manufactured intelligence so delicate that if you blink you might miss them in the new overlord of all robot literary compendiums.It's Alive! is about inventors and their creations.Following the Money drops robots into the day-to-day business of living.Owners and Servants considers the human potentials and pitfalls of owning and maintaining robots.Changing Places looks at what happens at the blurred interface between human and machine minds.All Hail the New Flesh waves goodbye to the physical boundaries that once separated machines from their human creators.Succession considers the future of human and machine consciousnesses – in so far as we might have one.With 100 stories spanning an order of magnitude more pages, Simon Ings's We, Robots is the new overlord of all robot literary compendiums. Welcome it.
The Werewolves Who Weren't
by T C ShelleyThe magical follow-up to The Monster Who Wasn't. The second book in this brilliantly rich and strange fantasy series will make us all believe in monsters – be they good, bad or somewhere in between.Sam might be half-monster and half-fairy, but since finding a loving family with the Kavanaghs, his daily life has been all human. And now he's facing one of the greatest human challenges – starting secondary school. But Sam barely has time to worry about the strange stuff teachers say (why do they call it the Great War when it sounds like was anything but great?) before he is thrust back into the world of monsters. Sam's school friends Amira, Hazel and Wilfred reveal that they are shifters: noble twin-souled beings who live half their lives as humans and the other half as dogs. When his new friends are kidnapped one by one, Sam is dragged into an adventure that will force him to confront both halves of his own identity, monster and fairy, if he wants a chance at saving their lives …
What We Found in the Corn Maze and How It Saved a Dragon
by Henry ClarkWhen three kids discover a book of magic spells that can only be cast during a few short minutes a day, they'll need all the time they can get to save a dying magical world, its last dragon, and themselves.An ordinary day turns extraordinary when twelve-year-old Cal witnesses his neighbor Modesty summon a slew of lost coins without lifting a finger. Turns out she has a secret manual of magic spells . . . but they only work sometimes. And they're the most boring spells ever: To Change the Color of a Room, To Repair a Chimney, To Walk With Stilts, To Untangle Yarn. Useless!But when Cal, his friend Drew, and Modesty are suddenly transported to the world the spells come from -- a world that's about to lose its last dragon -- they'll have to find a way to use the oddly specific incantations to save the day, if only they can figure out when magic works.From the inventive mind of Henry Clark comes a hilariously wacky adventure about magic, friendship, a lookout tower come to life, a maze in the shape of a dragon, an actual dragon named Phlogiston, and lots and lots of popcorn.
What We Found in the Corn Maze and How It Saved a Dragon
by Henry ClarkWhen three kids discover a book of magic spells that can only be cast during a few short minutes a day, they'll need all the time they can get to save a dying magical world, its last dragon, and themselves.An ordinary day turns extraordinary when twelve-year-old Cal witnesses his neighbor Modesty summon a slew of lost coins without lifting a finger. Turns out she has a secret manual of magic spells . . . but they only work sometimes. And they're the most boring spells ever: To Change the Color of a Room, To Repair a Chimney, To Walk With Stilts, To Untangle Yarn. Useless!But when Cal, his friend Drew, and Modesty are suddenly transported to the world the spells come from—a world that's about to lose its last dragon—they'll have to find a way to use the oddly specific incantations to save the day, if only they can figure out when magic works.From the inventive mind of Henry Clark comes a hilariously wacky adventure about magic, friendship, a lookout tower come to life, a maze in the shape of a dragon, an actual dragon named Phlogiston, and lots and lots of popcorn.
What You Are Looking for is in the Library: The uplifting Japanese fiction bestseller
by Michiko Aoyama***THE FAVOURITE READ FOR ALL BOOK-LOVERS***The Sunday Times bestsellerA Time Magazine Top 100 Best Book of the Year 2023'I ADORED this uplifting, hopeful novel ' Daily Mail'It made me laugh and cry and feel comforted' 5***** Reader review'A tribute to the transformative power of books and libraries' Irish TimesAlready loved by thousands of readers, an inspirational tale of the love, comfort and growth you can find in the pages of a good book._________________What are you looking for?So asks Tokyo's most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi.But she is no ordinary librarian.Sensing exactly what someone is searching for in life, she provides just the book recommendation to help them find it.We meet five visitors to the library, each at a different crossroads:- The restless retail assistant eager to pick up new skills- The mother faced with a demotion at work after maternity leave- The conscientious accountant who yearns to open an antique store- The gifted young manga artist in search of motivation- The recently retired salaryman on a quest for newfound purposeCan she help them find what they are looking for?Which book will you recommend?_________________'An undeniable page-turner' New York TimesFor fans of The Midnight Library and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this feel-good Japanese book shows how the perfect book recommendation can change a life.SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAPAN BOOKSELLERS' AWARD'I definitely want to visit this library. I feel kinder after this book' 5***** Reader review'A quirky slice of feel-good fiction that you could recommend to anyone' Mail on Sunday'Wonderful. It made me look for connection in my life' 5***** Reader reviewSunday Times bestseller, December 2023
When Life Gives You Mangoes
by Kereen Getten'A brilliant and beautifully crafted tale... I loved it!' Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken LegsA summer she can’t rememberA friendship she won’t forgetNothing much happens in Sycamore, the small village where Clara lives – at least, that’s how it seems. She loves eating ripe mangoes fallen from trees, running outside in the rainy season and escaping to her secret hideout with her best friend Gaynah. There’s only one problem: she can’t remember anything about the previous summer.When a quirky girl called Rudy arrives from England, everything starts to change. Gaynah stops acting like a best friend, while Rudy and Clara roam across the island and uncover an old family secret. As the summer reaches its peak and the island storms begin, Clara’s memory starts to return and she must finally face the truth of what happened last year.
When Secrets Set Sail
by Sita BrahmachariSecrets from the past are the keys to the future...if two children can find them. Bold adventure, timely themes and breath-taking writing from award-winning author, Sita Brahmachari.Usha is devastated when her grandmother Kali Ma passes away. Then straight-talking Imtiaz arrives - her new adoptive sister - and the two girls clash instantly. They both feel lost. That is until Kali Ma's ghost appears...with a task for them.Immy's and Usha's home is full of history and secrets. Many years ago it was The House of the Ayahs - for those nannies who couldn't return to their Indian homeland - and Kali Ma made a promise she couldn't keep. She can't pass on to the other side until the girls fulfil it.Today, Usha and Immy's over-worked parents run the house as a home for refugees, but eviction threatens. The precious documents that could save them are lost. As the house slowly fills up with ghosts, that only Usha and Imtiaz can see, the girls realise they have more to save than just one grandmother's ghost.With help from their new friend Cosmo, Usha and Immy must set off on a quest through London, accompanied by two bickering ghosts, working together to find a series of objects that shine a magical light on their family's past and hold the clues to securing their future.If they can set the secrets of generations free, will they be in time to save their home?Endorsed by Amnesty International