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Snow Bear
by Tony Mitton Alison BrownIn the icy-cold heart of winter, a little snow bear wanders through the snow. As the wind whips past him, ruffling his fur, he searches for a home.But where can he go? Each warm place has been claimed, and there is no room for a bear, no matter how little. Suddenly he sees a flickering of light, orange and bright against the snowy ground. A house!As Snow Bear pushes open the creaking door, he feels warmth spread over him. There's a girl by the window, and, somehow, deep down, Snow Bear knows that he is home.A heartwarming, wintry read, perfect for fans of Guess How Much I Love You?
Fizzlebert Stump: The Boy Who Ran Away From The Circus (and Joined The Library) (Fizzlebert Stump Ser. #1)
by A. F. Harrold Sarah HorneGoing to school isn't very exciting, is it? Well for Fizzlebert Stump it's a whole new adventure! The next book in this hilarious series that is perfect for fans of Mr Gum. Fizzlebert Stump lives in a circus. He is usually found training to be a strongman or being taught history by a magician or playing football with a sea lion, but not today. After being lost in the woods and mistaken for a very rude girl, here he is, at the back of the class confusing the teacher. Will anyone believe Fizz is telling the truth? Can he find his way back to the circus? Or will he be forced to sit up straight and pay attention forever?A story of friendship, foolish grown-ups, mistaken identity and a very fortunate case of hay fever.
Bitter Remedy: An Alec Blume Case (The\alec Blume Novels Ser.)
by Conor FitzgeraldThere's no cure for murder… Commissario Alec Blume, on health leave and fleeing his partner Caterina, has retreated from Rome to central Italy. At the Villa Romanelli he enrolls on a natural remedies course conducted by a young woman named Silvana.But far from recuperating or resolving his differences with Caterina, a feverish Blume becomes isolated and sluggish with sickness. Increasingly ill-at-ease in the stifling environment, the dark history of the crumbling villa and its once-magnificent gardens draws him in. And when a Romanian girl who works for Silvana's ambiguous fiancé Niki asks for his help, Blume finds himself dragged into the shadowy case of a missing girl, and the secret horrors of the garden's malign beauty.
Let Me Be Frank With You: A Frank Bascombe Book
by Richard FordRichard Ford returns with four deftly linked Christmas stories narrated by the iconic Frank Bascombe. Now sixty-eight, Frank resides again in the New Jersey suburb of Haddam, and has thrived – seemingly but not utterly – amidst the devastations of Hurricane Sandy. The desolations of Sandy, which left countless lives unmoored, are the perfect backdrop for Ford – and Bascombe. With a flawless comedic sensibility and unblinking intelligence, these stories range over the full complement of universal subjects: ageing, race, loss, faith, marriage, the real estate debacle – the tumult of the world we live in.
That Night
by Alice McDermottOn a warm suburban night, the sound of lawn sprinklers is drowned out by the rumble of hot rods. Suddenly, a car careens onto a family's neat front yard, teenage boys spill out brandishing chains and leather, and a young man cries out for the girl he loves. Tonight, fathers will pick up snow shovels and rakes to defend their turf, and children will witness a battle fuelled by fierce, true love. This is the night they will talk about and remember as the moment things changed for ever.
Little Owl's Egg
by Debi Gliori Alison BrownI'm your baby owl. You don't need a new one. Little Owl isn't pleased to hear that there's a baby owl in the egg Mummy has laid. So Mummy pretends it might be a baby penguin ... or crocodile ... or elephant. In the fun of imagining different kinds of siblings, Little Owl realises that a baby owl might just be the best thing of all.A gentle, lovely story about the arrival of a new sibling, addressing fears that Mummy's love will stop. Debi Gliori is a bestselling, award-winning author – writing for the first time for another illustrator: the talented Alison Brown.
There Will Be Lies
by Nick LakeShelby Jane Cooper is seventeen, pretty and quiet. It's just Shelby and her mom, Shaylene, a court stenographer who wears pyjama jeans, stitches tapestry, eats ice-cream for dinner and likes to keep Shelby safe. So safe she barely goes out. So safe she doesn't go to school. Because anything could happen, to a girl like Shelby. Anything. When Shelby gets knocked down by a car, it's not just her leg that's broken: Shelby's world is shattered. Her mom turns up to collect her and drives off into the night, like it's the beginning of a road trip, like two criminals on the run, like Thelma and Louise or Bonnie and Clyde. And somehow, everywhere she looks, there's a coyote watching her, talking to her, telling her not to believe.Who is Shelby Jane Cooper? If the person who keeps you safe also tells you lies, who can you trust?
Whisper to Me
by Nick Lake'I love you. I'm sorry for what I did to you. I'm going to write it all down, explain everything that happened, why I broke your heart, and then I'm going to email it to you. I will be waiting for you at 5 p.m. Friday by the windmill hole at the crazy golf at the Pier where we played once. If you still want me then, when you're done reading this, come and get me. OK? Consider this the most screwed up love letter ever.'So begins Nick Lake's brilliant tour de force romance which introduces readers to Cassie, a New Jersey Shore teen who, over the course of one summer, experiences the exhilarating highs of new love, the frightening free falls of personal demons and family tragedy, and the bumps along the way to forgiveness, acceptance, and self-discovery. Told entirely through flashbacks, readers will savour every moment of Cassie's relationship with a boardwalk boy and race to the last page to discover how it all ends.
The Big House
by Helena McEwenElizabeth can hardly accept that her brother James, her nursery soulmate and partner in crime, committed suicide, so when her sister Kitty dies too it is more than she can comprehend. As she wanders the large family mansion of her childhood - a haunting place of mystery, wonder and opulence - the memories of an apparently idyllic but secretly threatening past will not let her go. Confronting at last the hidden fears from her early years, Elizabeth begins to make some sort of sense of the confusion of sadness, half-known truths and moments of happiness that embraced her whole family. 'Brilliant' SUNDAY TRIBUNE 'Starkly beautiful' OBSERVER 'Unforgettable' SCOTSMAN 'Enriching' INDEPENDENT 'Intensely moving' SUNDAY TIMES 'Original' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'Delicious' HERALD 'Surprising joyful' LITERARY REVIEW
Ghost Girl
by Helena McEwenThirteen-year-old Cath is a new girl at a Catholic convent. She is afraid of the nuns, unused to the restriction and terrified of God. She finds refuge in nature, and her friend Olive's vision of the starry limitless universe. Cath's sister Very is at art school in seventies Punk London. She lives a wild chaotic life with bedraggled artists, outrageous homosexuals, and shadowy nightclub owners. When Cath visits Very, the two sisters whirl through the city together, along Chelsea Embankment and through the alleys of late-night Soho. But London, like the convent, holds its dangers and Cath must find her own way through.
Princess Ponies 7: A Special Surprise (Princess Ponies)
by Ms Chloe RyderPippa's best friend, the Princess Pony, Stardust, has come all the way from the enchanted island of Chevalia to visit, and just in time for tomorrow's gymkhana at the riding school. Pippa has been waiting all through the summer holiday for the gymkhana, and it would be her dream come true if she won a rosette on her favourite pony, Snowdrop. But when Pippa arrives at the stables the next morning, Snowdrop and her riding school pony friends are nowhere to be found! Princess Stardust has an idea who is responsible. For the show to go on, Pippa and Stardust must return to Chevalia – and quickly . . .
Princess Ponies 8: A Singing Star (Princess Ponies Ser.)
by Ms Chloe RyderWhile Pippa is happy she's been given a part in the school play, she's having trouble with her lines. If she can't deliver them in rehearsals, what will she be like in the real thing? Perhaps she can pick up some tips at the forthcoming Royal Pony Performance . . . On the magical island of Chevalia, it isn't just her own voice that Pippa needs to look for. Someone has stolen the sensational singing voice of superstar songstress Diva, and thinking that she is nothing without her talent, Diva is totally devastated. Can Pippa and her princess pony friend Stardust find the thief before Diva stops believing in herself?
The Curse of the Ice Serpent
by Jon MayhewA new and dangerous mission awaits in the fantastic Monster Odyssey series, where our hero Dakkar must defeat a clan of evil brothers intent on ruling the world, whilst battling terrifying monsters. Inspired by Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Dakkar is a young Captain Nemo and these books are the most thrilling of adventures.Having stopped two of the six evil Oginski brothers, Dakkar now faces double danger from the Oginski twins – possibly the most cunning and devious of the brothers yet.Set in the icy wastes of Greenland, Dakkar must battle giant bears, vicious arctic sharks and a sabretooth tiger as he hunts for the fabled Thermolith, a source of great heat energy which the Oginskis also seek, in order to complete their preparations for a new world order with themselves at the helm.An action-packed adventure with hot-air balloon combat and a dramatic race across the arctic. Perfect for fans of Percy Jackson, Indiana Jones and monsters! Readers ready to move on from Beast Quest will love this!
The Venom of the Scorpion
by Jon MayhewA new and dangerous mission awaits in the fantastic Monster Odyssey series, in which our hero Dakkar must defeat a clan of evil brothers intent on ruling the world, while battling terrifying monsters. Inspired by Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Dakkar is a young Captain Nemo and these books are the most thrilling of adventures.After being framed for murder, Dakkar must escape from prison and follow the only clue he has – a scorpion-handled dagger – in order to clear his name. Knowing this must be work of an evil Oginski brother, Dakkar soon finds himself in Algiers facing the deadliest crawling monster ever! But even if Dakkar can defeat this beast, he will face the ultimate betrayal – his enemy has been closer than he thought, all along. Will there be anyone left who Dakkar can trust?A fast-paced adventure with underwater battles and dramatic desert action. Perfect for fans of Percy Jackson, Indiana Jones and monsters! Readers ready to move on from Beast Quest will love this!
Fives and Twenty-Fives
by Michael PitreIt is the early months of the Arab Spring, 2011. But for three young men, two American and one Iraqi, their minds return again and again to 2006, to the bloodiest stretch of the Iraq War. Members of the same platoon, they were tasked with the often deadly job of repairing potholes in the roads of the Al Anbar Province: potholes that almost always concealed a home-made bomb. They have survived the war but now they must learn to live with themselves.As they struggle to find their place in a world that no longer knows them, they realise that the war has left nothing in their lives untouched and that salvation may come from an unexpected quarter.
Brightness Falls (Bloomsbury Paperbacks Ser.)
by Jay McInerneyCorrine Calloway is a young stockbroker on Wall Street, her husband Russell an underpaid but ambitious publishing editor. The happily married couple head into New York's 1980s gold rush where prospects and money seem to be flying everywhere, and the best and the brightest vie with the worst and most craven for riches, fame and the love of beautiful people. But the Calloways soon find out that what goes up must come crashing down, both on Wall Street and at home. Brightness Falls captures lives-in-the-making: men and women confronting their sudden middle-age with wit and low behaviour, fear and confusion, and, just occasionally, a little honesty and decency.
Model Behaviour (Afluentes Ser.)
by Jay McInerney'I'm sick of all this pointless glamour,' his glamorous girlfriend said. 'I want a simple life.' If only Connor McNab had listened. Now Philomena is off to California, allegedly on a fashion shoot, but he doesn't know where she is staying and a sinking feeling tells him that she might never come back. Connor's friend Jeremy Green is no help: he is the 'famous short-story writer' (which they both agree is an oxymoron) with an imminent publication date and some people holding his dog to ransom for reasons too Machiavellian to blurb. Connor's sister Brook, genius mathematician and anorexic, is too busy anguishing over Rwanda and Bosnia. His editor at Ciao Bella is only concerned about the suddenly elusive celebrity of the month. Thanks goodness for Pallas, a knock-out table dancer with a heart of gold.
How It Ended: New And Collected Stories (Vintage Contemporaries Ser.)
by Jay McInerneyDiscover a world of sex, excess and urban paranoia where worlds collide, relationships fragment and the dark underbelly of the American dream is exposed. A transsexual prostitute accidentally propositions his own father. A senator's serial infidelities leave him in hot water. And two young lovers spend Christmas together high on different drugs. McInerney's characters struggle together in a shifting world where old certainties dissolve and nobody can be sure of where they stand.
The Story of My Life (Vintage Contemporaries Ser.)
by Jay McInerneyIt is party time in eighties Manhattan. Smart, sassy and cynical, Alison lives for the moment. Her life is a carnival of gossip and midnight sessions of Truth or Dare, and her cocaine-bashing friends and flirting flatmates all crave satiation. Young and beautiful, hip and indulgent, sex-crazed and alcohol-fuelled, Alison can neither pay her fees for drama school nor track down her indifferent father. She juggles rent money with abortion fees, lingering lovers with current conquests and is the despair of her gynaecologist. She's fallen deeply in lust with Dean, although that nasty present Skip Pendleton left her with hasn't yet cleared up. Story of her life right? But in a world of no consequences, Alison is heading for a meltdown.
Bright Lights, Big City (Vintage Contemporaries Ser.)
by Jay McInerneyYou are at a nightclub talking to a girl with a shaved head. The club is either Heartbreak or the Lizard Lounge. All might become clear if you could just slip into the bathroom and do a little more Bolivian Marching Powder. Then again, it might not... So begins our nameless hero's trawl through the brightly lit streets of Manhattan, sampling all this wonderland has to offer yet suspecting that tomorrow's hangover may be caused by more than simple excess. Bright Lights, Big City is an acclaimed classic which marked Jay McInerney as one of the major writers of our time.
Ransom (Vintage Contemporaries Ser.)
by Jay McInerneyLiving in Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, Christopher Ransom seeks a purity and simplicity he could not find at home, and tries to exorcise the terror he encountered earlier in his travels - a blur of violence and death at the Khyber Pass. Supporting himself by teaching English to eager Japanese businessmen, Ransom feels safe amongst his fellow expatriates. But soon he is threatened by everything he thought he had left behind, in a sequence of bizarre events whose consequences he cannot escape ...
The Last of the Savages: rejacketed (Vintage Contemporaries Ser.)
by Jay McInerneyWhen staid Patrick Keane meets his roommate at a New England boarding-school, a strange, enduring friendship of extremes is forged. For Will Savage, privileged white son of the Mississippi Delta, has embraced black soul music and adopted its raw, searing anthems as his own.Spanning three decades from the turbulent sixties to the nineties, The Last of the Savages is a profound exploration of interracial love, music, family, honour and friendship.
The Lost Language of Cranes: A Novel
by David LeavittOwen and Rose are facing serious challenges to their married life of routine and monotony as New York City grows and changes around them. They spend most Sundays apart; while Rose buries herself in crosswords and newspapers, Owen visits gay porn theaters. But when they discover they may lose their apartment and their son, prompted by his new relationship, reveals his homosexuality, their lives cannot continue as they were. Owen and Rose are forced to confront not only their son's revelation but also Owen's latent homosexuality. Poignant and lingering, this is a tale of love and relationships, secrets and unspoken desires.
The Ninth Hour: A Novel
by Alice McDermottSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2017 KIRKUS PRIZEONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S TOP TEN BOOKS OF 2017From the National Book Award-winning author comes a luminous, deeply humane novel about three generations of an Irish immigrant family in 1940s and 1950s Brooklyn – for fans of Anne Tyler, Anne Enright and Colm TóibínOn a gloomy February afternoon, Jim sends his wife Annie out to do the shopping before dark falls. He seals their meagre apartment, unhooks the gas tube inside the oven, and inhales. Sister St. Saviour, a Little Nursing Sister of the Sick Poor, catches the scent of fire doused with water and hurries to the scene: a gathered crowd, firemen, and the distraught young widow. Moved by the girl's plight, and her unborn child, the wise nun finds Annie work in the convent's laundry – where, in turn, her daughter will grow up amidst the crank of the wringer and the hiss of the iron. In Catholic Brooklyn in the early part of the twentieth century, decorum, superstition and shame collude to erase Jim's brief existence; and yet his suicide, although never mentioned, reverberates through many generations – testing the limits of love and sacrifice, of forgiveness and forgetfulness. In prose of startling radiance and precision, Alice McDermott tells a story that is at once wholly individual and universal in its understanding of the human condition. Rendered with remarkable lucidity and intelligence, The Ninth Hour is the crowning achievement of one of today's finest writers.
The Phantom Coach: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Ghost Stories (The Connoisseur's Collections)
by Michael SimsGhost stories date back centuries, but those written in the Victorian era have a unique atmosphere and dark beauty. Michael Sims, whose previous Victorian collections have been widely praised, has gathered twelve of the best stories about humanity's oldest obsession.The Phantom Coach includes tales by a surprising, often legendary cast, from Charles Dickens and Margaret Oliphant to Henry James, Rudyard Kipling and Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as lost gems by forgotten masters such as Mary E. Wilkins Freeman and W. F. Harvey. Amelia Edwards's chilling story gives the collection its title, while Ambrose Bierce, Elizabeth Gaskell and W. W. Jacobs will turn you white as a sheet. With a skilful introduction to the genre and notes on each story, The Phantom Coach is a spectacular collection of ghostly Victorian thrills.