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Orange World
by Karen RussellKaren Russell's comedic genius and mesmerising talent for creating outlandish predicaments that uncannily mirror our inner lives are on display in these exuberant, unforgettable stories. In 'The Bad Graft', a couple on a road trip stop in Joshua Tree National Park, where the spirit of a giant tree accidentally infects the young woman, their fates becoming permanently entangled. In 'The Prospectors' two opportunistic young women fleeing the Depression strike out for new territory, but find themselves fighting for their lives. In the brilliant and hilarious title story a new mother desperate to ensure her baby's safety strikes a diabolical deal – as long as the devil protects her baby, she'll do anything. Stories of survival, love and of surreal and magnificent transformation – even in their darkness, these stories give us an escape. Just as many of the characters make a leap – whether to a different world or a different state – we go along for the ride as Russell takes us to strange and exhilarating new heights. This is haunting and beautiful work from one of America's most gifted writers.'Russell can take Antarctic tailgaters, an army of seagulls or simply a window and twist a tale that explodes on the page and lingers in the mind' The Times
An Orc on the Wild Side
by Tom Holt'Uniquely twisted . . . cracking gags' - Guardian'Holt doesn't skimp on the flashes of brilliance' - SFX'Clever, funny, tirelessly inventive' - Christopher MooreWINTER IS COMING, SO WHY NOT GET AWAY FROM IT ALL?Being the Dark Lord and Prince of Evil is not as much fun as it sounds, particularly if you are a basically decent person. King Mordak is just such a person. Technically he's more goblin than person, but the point is that he is really keen to be a lot less despicable than his predecessors. Not that the other goblins appreciate Mordak's attempts to redefine the role. Why should they when his new healthcare program seems designed to actually extend life expectancy, and his efforts to end a perfectly reasonable war with the dwarves appear to have become an obsession? With confidence in his leadership crumbling, what Mordak desperately needs is a distraction. Perhaps some of these humans moving to the Realm in search of great homes at an affordable price will be able to help? An Orc on the Wild Side is the latest comic masterpiece from one of the funniest writers in fantasy.Books by Tom Holt: Walled Orchard Series Goatsong The Walled Orchard J.W. Wells & Co. Series The Portable Door In Your Dreams Earth, Air, Fire and Custard You Don't Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps The Better Mousetrap May Contain Traces of Magic Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages YouSpace Series Doughnut When It's A Jar The Outsorcerer's Apprentice The Good, the Bad and the Smug Novels Expecting Someone Taller Who's Afraid of Beowulf Flying Dutch Ye Gods! Overtime Here Comes the Sun Grailblazers Faust Among Equals Odds and Gods Djinn Rummy My Hero Paint your Dragon Open Sesame Wish you Were Here Alexander at World's End Only Human Snow White and the Seven Samurai Olympiad Valhalla Nothing But Blue Skies Falling SidewaysLittle PeopleSong for NeroMeadowlandBarkingBlonde BombshellThe Management Style of the Supreme BeingsAn Orc on the Wild Side
The Order of the Phoenix Park
by Twenty MajorFor three years Twenty Major has written a daily blog. Now though comes a tale so bizarre and abominable that mere words on a computer screen wouldnt have been able to do it justice. These words need to be on paper ...When Twenty Major's friend, record-shop-owner Tom OFarrell is brutally shot in the stomach, his dying act was to scrawl the number 60 in blood on his chest and dial Twenty's number into his phone. When Twenty is called to the scene of the crime he hasnt a clue why Tom was trying to contact him or what the hell the number 60 means. But himself and Tom go back a long way and he vows to find Tom's killer.Then things take a turn for the worse: Folkapalooza is announced - a massive free concert due to take place in the Phoenix Park with headlining acts Damien Rice, James Blunt and David Gray.Something is wrong, really wrong. Why are people obsessed with Folkapalooza? What has turned the Goths outside the Central Bank into acoustic loving drips? Who is the ginger albino and how does it all link to Tom?Can Twenty, Jimmy the Bollix, Stinking Pete, Dirty Dave, Lucky and even Ron himself, save the people of Dublin and, less importantly, the rest of Ireland, from a fate that is, quite literally, worse than death? And solve a murder along the way?
Ordinary Joe
by Jon TeckmanA brilliant, fast-paced comedy about life behind the scenes in the film business, and how to survive when your greatest fantasy comes true and threatens to wreck your perfectly ordinary life.
Oreo (Picador Classic #89)
by Fran RossWith an introduction by the Man Booker Prize-winning author of A Brief History of Seven Killings, Marlon James'Oreo's satire on racial identity reads like a story for our times . . . Could Oreo be this year's Stoner? Observer‘A rollicking little masterpiece . . . one of the most delightful, hilarious, intelligent novels I’ve stumbled across in recent years’ Paul AusterOreo has been raised by her maternal grandparents in Philadelphia. Her black mother tours with a theatrical troupe, and her Jewish deadbeat dad disappeared when she was an infant, leaving behind a mysterious note. Oreo’s quest is to find her father, and discover the secret of her birth.What ensues in Fran Ross's opus is a playful, modernized parody of the classical odyssey of Theseus with a feminist twist, immersed in seventies pop culture, and mixing standard English, black vernacular, and Yiddish with wisecracking aplomb.Oreo, our young hero, navigates the labyrinth of sound studios and brothels and subway tunnels in Manhattan, seeking to claim her birthright while unwittingly experiencing and triggering a mythic journey of self-discovery like no other.
The Original Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Radio Scripts: The Original Radio Scripts
by Douglas AdamsMarch 1978 saw the first ever transmission of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on BBC Radio 4; the beginning of a cult phenomenon. March 2020 marks the 42nd anniversary of that first transmission – 42 being the answer, of course, to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. To mark the occasion, Pan Macmillan are bringing back into print The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Radio Scripts with a brand-new introduction from Simon Jones.The collection also includes the previously 'lost' Hitchhiker script from the 25th anniversary edition, 'Sheila's Ear' and the original introductions by producer Geoffrey Perkins and Douglas Adams.This collection, which is a faithful reproduction of the text as it was first published in 1985, features all twelve original radio scripts – Hitchhiker as it was written and exactly as it was broadcast for the very first time. They include amendments and additions made during recordings and original notes on the writing and producing of the series by Douglas Adams and Geoffrey Perkins. For those who have always loved Douglas Adams, as well as for his new generation of fans, these scripts are essential reading and a must-have piece of Adams memorabilia.This special anniversary edition will sit alongside reissued eye-catching editions of the five individual Hitchhiker books coming in May 2020: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, the Universe and Everything, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish and Mostly Harmless.
Orlando: Two Renderings For The Stage (Macmillan Collector's Library #135)
by Virginia WoolfOrlando is a young Elizabethan nobleman whose wealth and status afford him an extravagant lifestyle. Appointed ambassador in Constantinople, he wakes one morning to find he is a woman. Unperturbed by such a dramatic transformation, and losing none of his flamboyance and ambition, the newly female Orlando charges through life and English history so that by the end of this extraordinary biography she is a modern, 1920s woman. Virginia Woolf’s wildly imaginative, comic novel was inspired by the life of her lover, Vita Sackville West. This beautiful Macmillan Collector’s Library edition of Orlando is published with the original illustrations and with an introduction by the academic and novelist, Professor Susan Sellers.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.
The Orphans of St Halibut's (The Orphans of St Halibut's #1)
by Sophie WillsStolen cakes, major explosions and an unforgettable cast of characters – dive into this hilarious caper from debut author Sophie Wills and million-copy bestselling illustrator, David Tazzyman.Life has been perfect ever since the orphans of St Halibut's buried their matron – don't look like that, it was an accident! Tig, Stef, Herc, and Pamela the goat just have to make sure nobody finds out they're on their own.Discovering that an Inspector is on his way, they'll need to convince him that everything is peachy or they'll be sent to the Mending House – where badly behaved orphans go, never to return. But the Inspector is not quite what he seems and things very quickly go from bad to spectacularly out of hand . . .Can these crafty kids outsmart the adults and save their home? 'A fabulously funny tale of clever orphans, rambling houses, angry goats and grizzly ends' Kirsty Applebaum, author of The Middler'The most effortlessly hilarious book I've read in a long time with an unforgettable cast' Nizrana Farook, author of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant
The Orphans of St Halibut's: Pamela's Revenge (The Orphans of St Halibut's #2)
by Sophie WillsAccidental fires, villainous grown-ups and a mission to rescue a very grumpy goat – don't miss the hilarious second Orphans of St Halibut's adventure from Sophie Wills, illustrated by the million-copy bestselling David Tazzyman. Perfect for fans of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket.St Halibut’s has burned to the ground, but there’s no time to mope. With the sinister Ministry of FUN – Forms, Underlining and Notices – on their case, the rag-tag bunch of orphans must make a new home, and protect it from those who want to smash it (and them) to smithereens.But their tight-knit family is unravelling: Tig and Stef can’t see eye to eye, and all Herc can think about is cooking the perfect marshmallows. Worst of all, just when they need her sharp horns and unpredictable temper most, is Pamela giving up the fight? Side-splitting mischief, big trouble and a spectacular cast of quirky characters – dive into the hilarious world of the The Orphans of St Halibut's: Pamela's Revenge.Praise for The Orphans of St Halibut's:'This book reminded me of an old fashioned film caper – a little like St Trinians meets Oliver with a twist of Matilda thrown in' Year 6 Teacher and Parent‘I would recommend this book to people that like spooky, funny and adventurous stories’ Reader, aged 8
Osama
by Lavie TidharWinner of the World Fantasy Award Tenth Anniversary Edition, with a new introduction and three extra stories.It's a rainy day when the woman approaches Joe. He is a private detective and she is looking for someone, as these things often go. Her quarry is the obscure author of a series of pulp novels featuring one Osama bin Laden: Vigilante.Joe's quest will take him across the world in search of the writer. And every step of the way – from the backwaters of Laos to Paris and London – he is plagued, by assailants he cannot name, by questions he cannot hope to answer and by ghostly entities he cannot seem to shake.Joe knows how the story should end, but even he is not ready for the truths he will find in New York and atop a quiet hill above Kabul, nor for the choice he will have to make there...
Osbert the Avenger: Book 1 (Tales from Schwartzgarten #1)
by Christopher William HillLike Roald Dahl - but different!The first book in the gruesomely funny Tales from Schwartzgarten series.Meet Osbert Brinkhoff, the unlikeliest of avengers. His is a tale of dark delights and ghastly goings-on, of injustice and revenge. The villains are vicious. The settings are sinister. And good does NOT always prevail...If you prefer cleavers to kittens and fiends to fairies...then welcome to the GRUESOMELY FUNNY Tales from Schwartzgarten.-Osbert the Avenger is the first in a thrilling series of four books, all set in the fictional city of Schwartzgarten-With shades of Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl, the Tales from Schwartzgarten are as hilarious as they are dark-These brilliantly woven mock-gothic horror stories have huge child appeal
Oscar and the CATastrophe (Ask Oscar Ser. #3)
by Alan MacDonaldThe third book in a brilliantly funny new series for 6+ readers from bestselling Dirty Bertie author Alan MacDonald, about a boy and his incredible talking dog. Sam had a very ordinary life, until Oscar the dog arrived on his doorstep. Because Oscar has a big secret – he can talk!
Oscar and the Dognappers (Ask Oscar Ser.)
by Alan MacDonaldThe second book in a brilliantly funny new series from bestselling Dirty Bertie author Alan MacDonald, about a boy and his incredible talking dog. Oscar's back … and he's got plenty to talk about! Sam had a very ordinary life, until Oscar the dog arrived on his doorstep. Because Oscar has a big secret – he can talk!
The Other Black Girl
by Zakiya Dalila Harris'The year's most buzzed-about debut' iA Highlight for 2021 from: Guardian * TIME * Independent * Evening Standard * BBC * Stylist * Irish Times * i * Harper's Bazaar * Washington Post * Fortune * Entertainment Weekly * The Sun Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and the micro-aggressions, she's thrilled when Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They've only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events cause Nella to become Public Enemy Number One and Hazel, the Office Darling.Then the notes begin to appear on Nella's desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.It's hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realises that there is a lot more at stake than her career.A whip-smart and dynamic thriller and sly social commentary, The Other Black Girl will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last twist.'Riveting, fearless and vividly original' Emily St. John Mandel'The Get Out meets The Devil Wears Prada crossover you've been waiting for' Cosmopolitan'A thriller that's funny, compelling and also a searing look at race' Stylist'Filled with twists both unsettling and unexpected' TIME
The Other Black Girl
by Zakiya Dalila Harris'The year's most buzzed-about debut' iA Highlight for 2021 from: Guardian * TIME * Independent * Evening Standard * BBC * Stylist * Irish Times * i * Harper's Bazaar * Washington Post * Fortune * Entertainment Weekly * The Sun Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and the micro-aggressions, she's thrilled when Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They've only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events cause Nella to become Public Enemy Number One and Hazel, the Office Darling.Then the notes begin to appear on Nella's desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.It's hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realises that there is a lot more at stake than her career.A whip-smart and dynamic thriller and sly social commentary, The Other Black Girl will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last twist.'Riveting, fearless and vividly original' Emily St. John Mandel'The Get Out meets The Devil Wears Prada crossover you've been waiting for' Cosmopolitan'A thriller that's funny, compelling and also a searing look at race' Stylist'Filled with twists both unsettling and unexpected' TIME
The Other Great Depression: How I'm overcoming, on a daily basis, at least a million addictions and disfunctions and finding a s
by Richard LewisAt the age of 44, renowned comedian Richard Lewis found himself on a gurney in the ER, toxic with alcohol, and hallucinating from excess cocaine use. The same neuroses and dysfunctions that had been the basis for his successful stage persona and inspired his best material had, it seemed, turned on him. How he got there, how he finally got on the road to recovery, and how he copes with being Richard Lewis sober on a daily basis are the subjects of this very funny, deeply honest, inspiring, but very untreacly book. USA Today called it "candid and inspirational.... A journey through Lewis' personal Inferno to eventual salvation."
The Other Half
by Dana EdwardsThis is a tale of modern family life with all its joshings and jealousies, told with humour and compassion.Catrin is just a normal Cardiff teenager looking forward to going to university when a shocking revelation rocks her world. Before she dies, Granny Lewis reveals that Catrin ‘is not blood’. This sets off a chain reaction, causing friction within the family, and forcing them all to re-assess their relationships.While the story revolves around the Lewis family’s home in Victoria Park, a comfortable area of Cardiff, the narrative also moves to Welsh-speaking West Wales and to the Rhondda Valley. Through these trips we glimpse three very different Welsh lifestyles.The novel, while concentrating on Catrin’s quest to find out who she actually is, cannot but touch on very contemporary moral dilemmas – whether it is ever right to conceal truth, nature versus nurture, and boundaries within relationships.
The Other Life of Charlotte Evans
by Louisa GeorgeWould you sacrifice your future to understand your past?
The Other Mother: A wickedly honest parenting tale for every kind of family
by Jen BristerI'm Jen Brister: stand-up comedian, middle-aged adolescent, and mum. But not that mum - I'm the other one.'Hysterical, important, moving, wonderful' Sara PascoeConfused? Two years ago, my partner (a woman - we're not solicitors) gave birth to twins. (I know! Believe me, I'm still reeling myself.) Like every new parent, I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. Add 'gay' and 'non-biological' to the mix and what do you get? Not a weird box of detergent, but a panicked beige lesbian desperately googling, 'Will my babies love me?' at 3 a.m.A very funny, very honest look at parenting life, from IVF awfulness to crying over the pages of sleep training manuals. A perfect gift for any parent who feels they don't fit the mould of a traditional family.*LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI PRIZE*'Damned funny. You'll find the pages of this book brimming with rich and wonderful proof' Hannah Gadsby'A side-splittingly honest look at the grim realities of same-sex parenting' Diva
Other People's Husbands: The emotionally gripping story of friendship, love and betrayal from the Sunday Times bestseller of Love, Iris
by Elizabeth NobleThe compelling new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Love, Iris and The Family Holiday'Beautifully insightful on long term relationships and friendships and the fractures a betrayal can cause. A gorgeous read' JANE FALLON'Perfectly observed, a reflection of real life we can all learn from' KATIE FFORDE'A frank and believable account of friendship and a marriage under stress. I was moved' ADELE PARKS, SUN_______Sometimes friendship crosses a line . . .A group of close friends, their bonds forged at the nursery gates two decades ago, have celebrated, commiserated and grown together: they thought they all knew each other so well.Until the affair.Now a crack appears in everything.Could one betrayal really destroy it all?Other People's Husbands is a story of friendship and love, crossing boundaries and breaking vows, of trying to fix what you believed could never be broken._______'Rich and riveting . . . A perfect observation of the complexities and pitfalls of long-lasting friendships and their impact on family life' HEIDI SWAIN'What a stunning story! I absolutely loved this twisty, intriguing tale of strong, loving relationships that begin to buckle under the strain of real life when emotions run out of control. Evocative and intensely moving' CELIA ANDERSONPRAISE FOR ELIZABETH NOBLE:'Elizabeth Noble's unerring eye depicts family life in all its forms, good and bad, in a way we will all recognise' KATIE FFORDE'A great writer. You'll be rooting for Noble's protagonists as soon as you meet them' DAILY MAIL 'A moving and warm-hearted novel about love in all its forms' SUNDAY EXPRESS
The Other Side of Disappearing: A Touching Modern Love Story
by Kate Clayborn'Poignant, observant, tender, and deeply romantic. This book is everything' CHRISTINA LAUREN From the acclaimed author of Georgie, All Along and Love Lettering, a pitch-perfect, radiantly transporting love story about an unexpected road trip, true crime obsessions, and hard won vulnerability . . . Hairstylist Jess Greene has spent the last decade raising her younger half-sister, Tegan - and keeping a shocking secret. The boyfriend her reckless mother ran away with is actually an accomplished con man and subject of a wildly popular podcast, The Last Con of Lynton Baltimore. Now thirty-one, Jess didn't bargain on Tegan eventually piecing together the connection for herself. But Tegan plans to do exactly what Jess has always feared - leave their safe, stable home to search for their mother - and she'll be accompanied by the prying podcast host and her watchful, handsome producer, Adam. Unwilling to let the sister she's spent so much of her life protecting go it alone, Jess reluctantly joins them. Together, the four make their way across the country, unravelling the mystery of where the couple disappeared to and why. But soon Jess is discovering other things too. Like a renewed sense of vulnerability and curiosity, and a willingness to expand beyond the walls she's so carefully built. And in Adam, she finds an unexpected connection she didn't even know was missing, if only she can let go and let him in . . .Why readers love Kate Clayborn ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐! 'A glorious feat and a must read' TESSA BAILEY'You get everything with this book: the most tender of love stories, a complicated relationship between sisters, and an engrossing mystery you won't be able to put down' CARLEY FORTUNE'Totally original and so romantic . . . the moving love story I'm always looking for' BETH O'LEARY'Kate Clayborn delivers another masterclass in romance' ALICIA THOMPSON 'A delight from beginning to end and beyond' JULIA WHELAN
The Other Side of Mrs Wood
by Lucy Barker’Gorgeous, an utter delight’ MARIAN KEYES ‘A charming debut that sparks with fun and fizz’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ’A must read!’ SOPHIE IRWIN ’Storytelling at its finest’ STYLIST A DAILY MAIL ‘novel to devour in 2023
The Other Side of the Dale (Isis Series)
by Gervase PhinnGervase Phinn reveals his early experiences as a school inspector in The Other Side of the Dale.As the newly appointed County Inspector of Schools in North Yorkshire, Gervase Phinn reveals in this warm and wonderfully humorous account, the experiences of his first year in the job - and what an education it was!He quickly learns that he must slow his pace and appreciate the beautiful countryside - 'Are tha'comin' in then, mester, or are tha' stoppin' out theer all day admirin' t'view?' He encounters some larger-than-life characters, from farmers and lords of the manor to teaching nuns and eccentric caretakers. And, best of all, he discovers the delightful and enchanting qualities of the Dales children, including the small boy, who, when told he's not very talkative, answers: 'If I've got owt to say I says it, and if I've got owt to ask I asks it.'With his keen ear for the absurd and sharp eye for the ludicrous, Gervase Phinn's stories in The Other Side of the Dale will not fail to make you weep with laughter.'Gervase Phinn's memoirs have made him a hero in school staff-rooms' Daily TelegraphGervase Phinn is an author and educator from Rotherham who, after teaching for fourteen years in a variety of schools, moved to North Yorkshire to be a school inspector. He has written autobiographies, novels, plays, collections of poetry and stories, as well as a number of books about education. He holds five fellowships, honorary doctorates from Hull, Leicester and Sheffield Hallam universities, and is a patron of a number of children's charities and organizations. He is married with four adult children. His books include The Other Side of the Dale, Over Hill and Dale, Head Over Heels in the Dales,The Heart of the Dales, Up and Down in the Dales and Trouble at the Little Village School.