Oliver Twist (Wordsworth Collector's Editions)
Oliver Twist features some of the author's most enduring characters, such as Oliver himself (who dares to ask for more), the tyrannical Bumble, the diabolical Fagin, the menacing Bill Sikes, Nancy and 'the A...
My Policeman
**NOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING HARRY STYLES**
This love is all-consuming
It is in 1950s' Brighton that Marion first catches sight of the handsome and enigmatic Tom. He teaches her to swim in the shadow of the pier and Marion is smitten - determined her love will be enough for them both.
A few years later in Brighton Museum Patrick meets Tom. Patrick is besotted with Tom and opens his eyes to a glamorous, sophisticated new world.
Tom is their policeman, and in this age it is safer for him to marry Marion. The two lovers must share him, until one of them breaks and three lives are destroyed.
'A sensitive, sweeping novel' VOGUE
'Tense, romantic, smart...I loved it. Devoured it!' RUSSELL T. DAVIES
'A powerful story of forbidden love, regret, and living as your true self' VANITY FAIR
'A moving story of longing and frustration' OBSERVER
Things We Never Got Over
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
THE UNMISSABLE TIKTOK SENSATION
OVER 1 .3 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE
Grumpy, small-town barber + hopelessly romantic runaway bride = great big bust ups, all the tension and lots of steamy encounters!
Escaping her seemingly perfect wedding, Naomi Witt arrives in rough-around-the-edges Knockemout, Virginia, running to the rescue of her estranged twin, Tina.
Too bad for Naomi her evil twin hasn't changed at all. After helping herself to Naomi's car and cash, Tina leaves her with something unexpected: the 11-year-old niece she didn't know she had. Now she's stuck in town with no job, no plan, no home and a whole lot of extra responsibility.
There's a reason local barber Knox doesn't do complications or high-maintenance women, especially not the romantic ones. But since Naomi's life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help her out of her jam. And just as soon as she stops getting into trouble, he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life.
At least that's the plan, until their lives begin to entwine in ways they never imagined . . .
*New York Times bestseller, 18 weeks from October 2022 - February 2023*
'I laughed. I cried. I laughed while I cried, and I definitely blushed' Book Addict
Bunny
The Vegetarian meets Heathers in this darkly funny, seductively strange novel about a lonely graduate student drawn into a clique of rich girls.
'We were just these innocent girls in the night trying to make something beautiful. We nearly died. We very nearly did, didn't we?'
Samantha Heather Mackey couldn't be more of an outsider in her small, highly selective MFA program at New England's Warren University. A scholarship student who prefers the company of her dark imagination to that of most people, she is utterly repelled by the rest of her fiction writing cohort – a clique of unbearably twee rich girls who call each other 'Bunny', and are often found entangled in a group hug so tight they become one.
But everything changes when Samantha receives an invitation to the Bunnies' fabled 'Smut Salon', and finds herself inexplicably drawn to their front door – ditching her only friend, Ava, in the process. As Samantha plunges deeper and deeper into the sinister yet saccharine world of the Bunnies, the edges of reality begin to blur, and her friendships with Ava and the Bunnies are brought into deadly collision.
A spellbinding, down-the-rabbit-hole tale of loneliness and belonging, creativity and agency, and friendship and desire, Bunny is the dazzlingly original second book from the author of 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl.
Great Expectations (Wordsworth Collector's Editions)
Considered by many to be Dickens' finest novel, Great Expectations traces the growth of the book's narrator, Philip Pirrip (Pip), from a boy of shallow dreams to a man with depth of character. From its famous dramatic opening on the bleak Kentish marshes, the story abounds with some of Dickens' most memorable characters. Among them are the kindly blacksmith Joe Gargery, the mysterious convict Abel Magwitch, the eccentric Miss Havisham and her beautiful ward Estella, Pip's good-hearted room-mate Herbert Pocket and the pompous Pumblechook.
As Pip unravels the truth behind his own 'great expectations' in his quest to become a gentleman, the mysteries of the past and the convolutions of fate through a series of thrilling adventures serve to steer him towards maturity and his most important discovery of all - the truth about himself.
The Night Animals
Uncover the ghost animals within in this moving and uplifting story about finding help where you need it, from the highly acclaimed author and illustrator of The Hunt for the Nightingale.
Nora's mum has good days and bad days, but the bad days are getting worse. It's been just the two of them for always, and they don't need anyone else. When the rainbow-shimmering ghost animals Nora used to see when she was small start to reappear, she's convinced that they hold all the answers. Along with new friend Kwame, Nora follows a glittering ghostly fox, hare, raven and otter on the adventure of a lifetime, helping her to find the strength she needs to help her family.
In a heartbreaking and hopeful narrative, Sarah Ann Juckes' stunning novel, illustrated by the award-winning Sharon King-Chai sees a brave young girl face down her ghosts. For fans of The Last Bear and Julia and the Shark.
Praise for Hunt for the Nightingale
'Full of hope, beauty & ultimately a healing song to nature' Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear
'An incredibly moving story of feeling lost and finding your way again' Lisa Thompson, author of Rollercoaster Boy
'Will break your heart and mend it back together again' Piers Torday, author of The Last Wild
'This poignant exploration of grief and denial seen through the eyes of a child is underpinned by lessons about kindness, acceptance and nature' Daily Mail
Cat Lady
[A WOMAN ALWAYS LANDS ON HER FEET]
THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER
Get ready for CAT LADY, the brilliantly bold and joyful new novel from Dawn O'Porter
'Even speaking as a dog man, I thought Cat Lady was an absolute joy to read' MATT HAIG
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CAT LADY [n.]
Single, independent, crazy, aloof, on-the-shelf, lives alone . . .
It's safer for Mia to play the part that people expect. She's a good wife to her husband Tristan, a doting stepmother, she slips on her suit for work each morning like a new skin.
But beneath the surface, there's another woman just clawing to get out . . .
When a shocking event shatters the conventional life she's been so careful to build, Mia is faced with a choice. Does she live for a society that's all too quick to judge, or does she live for herself?
And if that's as an independent woman with a cat, then the world better get ready . . .
Fresh, funny and for anyone who's ever felt astray, CAT LADY will help you belong - because a woman always lands on her feet.
PRAISE FOR CAT LADY:
'My book of the year' Reader review
'A reminder to live your life your way. Cat or no cat' Fearne Cotton
'Really gets the reader to think about what matters in life Unputdownable and completely wonderful!' Reader review
'Witty, thought-provoking and hilarious, Cat Lady is a triumph' The Unmumsy Mum
'Dawn O'Porter challenges the stereotypes of the typical 'cat lady' with this beautiful and emotional read' Reader review
'An ode to finding your people and a celebration of the small things that bring us together' Emma Gannon
'I absolutely adored this book!' Reader review
'Funny, heart-wrenching and full of warmth' Sarah Morgan
'A beautifully written book that I'd recommend to anyone' Reader review
'A lovely onion of a book, layered with humour and emotion' Daisy Haggard
'A joyous, touching, funny, sharp story - I cannot praise it enough. Purr-fection' Milly Johnson
Agatha Christie Bingo
- Follow the trail of murder, blackmail and mystery set by the Queen of Crime. Travel down the Nile, on the Orient Express and into the drawing rooms of quaint English country cottages hot on the heels of Poirot, Miss Marple and other famous characters
- PLAY AND LEARN: This bingo game comes with a leaflet packed with Agatha Christie trivia. Learn about Poirot's toughest cases, Agatha Christie's medicine cabinet and more!
- GREAT GIFT for dedicated crime fans, bingo players, and everyone in between!
- SCREEN FREE FUN for up to 8 players, recommended for ages 6+. Comes with bingo board measuring 428x498mm (16.85x19.6 ins) when laid out, 12-game boards, 64 chips, 200 counters, keepsake cloth bag to store chips and 16-page booklet
Things We Hide From The Light
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FOLLOW-UP TO TIKTOK SENSATION AND MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER THINGS WE NEVER GOT OVER
Police Chief Nash Morgan is known for two things: being a good guy and the way his uniform accentuates his rear end.
But two bullets put a dent in his Southern charm and now he's facing a criminal still on the loose and a town full of citizens that consider the law more of a 'guideline'. The last thing he needs is the leggy, smart-mouthed Lina Solavita moving in next door, making him feel things he doesn't have the energy to feel.
Lina is on a mission. As soon as she gets what she's after, she has no intention of sticking around. The town of Knockemout has other ideas. Soon she finds herself sucked into small-town life. Dog-sitting. Saying yes to a bridesmaid's dress. Listening to the sexy chief of police in the shower.
But when Nash discovers Lina's secret these friends become furious enemies - though the sparks flying between them don't know the difference between love and hate.
Already itching for more from Knockemout? Pre order Things We Left Behind now - the next heart-pounding book in the bestselling series!
Thirty Things I Love About Myself
Thirty bold steps. One year. Is Nina ready?
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'Fresh, touching... So good!' JANE FALLON
'Feelgood, uplifting storytelling at its best' SHEILA O'FLANAGAN
'A treat!' LAUREN BRAVO
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Nina Mistry is at rock bottom.
She's just broken up with the love of her life.
Her friends are moving on.
Her career is tanking.
Oh, and she just turned thirty in a prison cell.
But her night in prison might change everything. It's there that she comes across a tatty little self-help book promising to change her life. The book presents her with a question: can she find thirty things she loves about herself?
Sceptical but curious, the journalist in Nina can't resist a challenge. And so begins a radical journey: to accept her flaws and find love.
Thirty bold steps. One year. Are you ready?
Discover THE novel that your best friend wants you to read, and radically rethink everything you think you know about love . . .
Readers have FALLEN IN LOVE with #30Things:
'Funny and charming' - PANDORA SYKES
'Heart-warming and uplifting . . . exactly what we all need right now' - NIKKI MAY
'Great fun!' - JILL MANSELL
'Funny, heartwarming and empowering' - REAL READER REVIEW
'Beautifully and thoughtfully written' - REAL READER REVIEW
'I could not love this book more; hilarious, sensitive [and] witty' - REAL READER REVIEW
Heartburn
A BESTSELLING NOVEL AND MAJOR FILM STARRING MERYL STREEP AND JACK NICHOLSON
'I have bought more copies of this book to give to people, in a frenzy of enthusiasm, than any other . . . Heartburn is the perfect, bittersweet, sobbingly funny, all-too-true confessional novel' NIGELLA LAWSON
'A perfect example of Ephron's gift for turning tragedy into comedy' PAULA HAWKINS, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN
'She is wit without cynicism, the ultimate romantic' GAIL COLLINS, NEW YORK TIMES
Seven months into her pregnancy, Rachel discovers that her husband is in love with another woman. The fact that this woman has a 'neck as long as an arm and a nose as long as a thumb' is no consolation. Food sometimes is, though, since Rachel is a cookery writer, and between trying to win Mark back and wishing him dead, she offers us some of her favourite recipes. Heartburn is a roller coaster of love, betrayal, loss and most satisfyingly revenge.
This is Nora Ephron's (screenwriter of When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle) roman a clef: 'I always thought during the pain of the marriage that one day it would make a funny book,' she once said - And it is!
Books included in the VMC fortieth anniversary series include: Frost in May by Antonia White; The Collected Stories of Grace Paley; Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault; The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter; The Weather in the Streets by Rosamond Lehmann; Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith; The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West; Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston; Heartburn by Nora Ephron; The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy; Memento Mori by Muriel Spark; A View of the Harbour by Elizabeth Taylor; and Faces in the Water by Janet Frame
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead
'Funny about death, real about anxiety, witty about the things that worry us the most' Emma Gannon, author of Olive
'So fundamentally kind that you can feel the warmth coming off each page' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling Days
Gilda cannot stop thinking about death. Desperate for relief from her anxious mind and alienated from her repressive family, she responds to a flyer for free therapy at a local church and finds herself abruptly hired to replace the deceased receptionist Grace. It's not the most obvious job - she's queer and an atheist for starters - and so in between trying to learn mass, hiding her new maybe-girlfriend and conducting an amateur investigation into Grace's death, Gilda must avoid revealing the truth of her mortifying existence.
A blend of warmth, deadpan humour, and pitch-perfect observations about the human condition, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a crackling exploration of what it takes to stay afloat in a worl
Norwegian Wood
A beautifully packaged hardback edition of Haruki Murakami's breakout hit, now with a new introduction by the author
When he hears her favourite Beatles song, Toru Watanabe recalls his first love Naoko, the girlfriend of his best friend Kizuki. Immediately he is transported back almost twenty years to his student days in Tokyo, adrift in a world of uneasy friendships, casual sex, passion, loss and desire - to a time when an impetuous young woman called Midori marches into his life and he has to choose between the future and the past.
'Evocative, entertaining, sexy and funny; but then Murakami is one of the best writers around' Time Out
Kafka on the Shore
A beautifully packaged hardback edition of Haruki Murakami's mesmerizingly surreal classic, now with a new introduction by the author
Kafka Tamura runs away from home at fifteen, under the shadow of his father's dark prophesy.
The aging Nakata, tracker of lost cats, who never recovered from a bizarre childhood affliction, finds his pleasantly simplified life suddenly turned upside down.
As their parallel odysseys unravel, cats converse with people; fish tumble from the sky; a ghost-like pimp deploys a Hegel-spouting girl of the night; a forest harbours soldiers apparently un-aged since World War II. There is a savage killing, but the identity of both victim and killer is a riddle - one of many which combine to create an elegant and dreamlike masterpiece.
'Wonderful... Magical and outlandish' Daily Mail
'Hypnotic, spellbinding' The Times
'Cool, fluent and addictive' Daily Telegraph
The Little Prince (Penguin Clothbound Classics)
Antoine de Saint-Exupery's timeless tale, reissued in a beautiful clothbound edition designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery first published The Little Prince in 1943, only a year before his plane vanished over the Mediterranean during a reconnaissance mission. Nearly eighty years later, this fable of love and loneliness has lost none of its power.
The narrator is a downed pilot in the Sahara Desert, frantically trying to repair his wrecked plane. His efforts are interrupted one day by the apparition of a little prince, who asks him to draw a sheep. "In the face of an overpowering mystery, you don't dare disobey," the narrator recalls. "Absurd as it seemed, a thousand miles from all inhabited regions and in danger of death, I took a scrap of paper and a pen out of my pocket." And so begins their dialogue, which stretches the narrator's imagination in all sorts of surprising, childlike directions.