Products
Intermezzo - Sally Rooney ( Hardback 24 September)
£20.00
From the author of the multimillion-copy bestseller Normal People, an exquisitely moving story about grief, love and family. Aside from the fact that they are brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek seem to have little in common. Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirties - successful, competent and apparently unassailable.
But in the wake of their father's death, he's medicating himself to sleep and struggling to manage his relationships with two very different women - his enduring first love Sylvia, and Naomi, a college student for whom life is one long joke. Ivan is a twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. He has always seen himself as socially awkward, a loner, the antithesis of his glib elder brother.
Now, in the early weeks of his bereavement, Ivan meets Margaret, an older woman emerging from her own turbulent past, and their lives become rapidly and intensely intertwined. For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude - a period of desire, despair and possibility - a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking.
Intimacies, Katie Kitiramura ( paperback August 2022)
£9.99
An interpreter has come to The Hague to escape New York and work at the International Court. She's drawn into simmering personal dramas. Her lover, Adriaan, is separated from his wife but still entangled in his marriage.Her friend Jana witnesses a seemingly random act of violence, a crime the interpreter becomes increasingly obsessed with as she befriends the victim's sister. And she's pulled into an explosive political controversy when she's asked to interpret for a former president accused of war crimes. She is soon pushed to the precipice, where betrayal and heartbreak threaten to overwhelm her, forcing her to decide what she wants from her life.
'Kitamura has made the existential thriller all her own...simply stunning' Brandon Taylor 'Charged with tension and power' Avni Doshi'
Ireland Ordnance Survey driving maps
£7.99
How often do you find yourself trying to navigate by phone these days, only to (a) run out of signal (especially in Ireland) (b) run out of data or (c) run out of patience when the map keeps turning around.....
Remember the good old printed map? Everyone can have a look and plan the journey, get an impression of how long it will take, and see things along the way, whilst chatting to your car companions. Well, maybe …..
Now for all 4 corners of Ireland.
Ireland’s Trees, Niall Mac Coitir (paperback, first published 2015)
£15.99
Name the five Great Trees of Ireland? What trees are most often found beside holy wells or cemeteries? Which tree gave the Red Branch Knights of Ulster their name? Ireland was once so heavily wooded it was said a squirrel could travel from Cork to Killarney without touching the ground. So it is no surprise that, in ancient Ireland, mythology and folklore were a part of the people's general knowledge about trees. Many of the myths and legends and much of the folklore associated with native trees persists to this day and are gathered together in this book. A detailed and fascinating book.
Ireland’s Wild Plants, Niall Mac Coitir (paperback)
£15.99
Ireland's wild plants have been part of our culture and folklore from the earliest times, featuring in the Brehon Laws, early Irish poetry and herbal medicine. Plants are described in seasonal order and different aspects are examined: their roles in magical protection, charms and spells, emblems in children's games, Irish place names and folklore. This beautifully illustrated and comprehensive compilation of natural history, mythology and folklore will entertain and enlighten all interested in the wild plants of Ireland.
Irish Fairy and Folk Tales, by WB Yeats ( hardback with gilded edges)
£19.99
- Weight:976g
- Dimensions:192 x 238 x 31 (mm)
A beautiful gift edition, edited by WB Yeats and covering all the classic forms of folk and fairy tale.
Irish Pints, A compendium ( hardback, Ali Dunworth - May 2025)
£13.00
A Compendium of Irish Pints : The Culture, Customs and Craic
In Ireland, a pint – having one, going for one, buying one – is a cultural institution. It’s about so much more than 568ml of beer in a glass. But how did a simple pint become such a phenomenon? In A Compendium of Irish Pints, Ali Dunworth delves into the culture, customs and craic surrounding pints in Ireland, from airport pints to unplanned pints, pints for celebrations and pints for commiserations, festival pints, quiet pints, crisps and pints and everything in between.
With illustrations by Stephen Heffernan, aka Hephee, that perfectly capture the culture of pints in his iconic style, you’ll find yourself working up a thirst and sending that text we all love to get: ‘Pint?’
Isadora Moon Goes to School by Harriet Muncaster ( paperback)
£6.99
Half vampire, half fairy, totally unique! Isadora Moon is special because she is different. Her mum is a fairy and her dad is a vampire and Isadora is a bit of both. She loves the night, bats, and the colour black, but she also loves the outdoors, using her magic wand, and the colour pink.
When it's time for Isadora to start school she's not sure where she belongs - vampire school or fairy school? This is a beautiful, charming, and funny series of first chapter books. Perfect for fans of Claude, Isadora Moon is the ideal choice for newly independent readers who want their magic and sparkle with a bit of bite!
Also in the series : -
Goes Camping
Goes to the Ballet
Has A Birthday
Gets in Trouble
Goes on a School Trip
Goes to the Fair
Makes Winter Magic
Isadora Moon Makes a Wish, Harriet Muncaster ( Paperback from June 2025)
£6.99
Isadora Moon is special because she's different. Her mum is a fairy and her dad is a vampire and she is a bit of both. Isadora loves the night, bats and her black tutu, but she also loves the sunshine, her magic wand and Pink Rabbit.
She is proud to be different, but with parents like hers, everyday activities don't always go to plan!When Isadora discovers a wishing well, the mischievous nymph who lives inside grants her the wish of constant happiness. But being happy all the time isn't quite as enjoyable as Isadora expects. Can Isadora convince the nymph to undo the wish, and allow her to feel all of her feelings again?A funny and heartwarming story that gently explores how feelings aren't 'good' or 'bad', and that experiencing all of your feelings is part of what makes you human (or half vampire half fairy!).
(image is of hardback - newest edition in paperback out from June 2025)
Isadora Moon series : The Shooting Star ( paperback 2022)
£6.99
Isadora Moon is special because she's different. Her mum is a fairy and her dad is a vampire and she's a bit of both. Isadora is observing the night sky for a school project - her class is learning everything about space and she decides to look at the stars for inspiration.But wait, what is that? Through the telescope, Isadora spots a shooting star that falls to Earth! After courageously finding the place where the star landed, Isadora discovers a new twinkling friend. Her name is Nova, she is a Glow Sprite and she is not supposed to be there. Even worse, Nova's moon kitten Pluto is lost and she needs Isadora's help to find him.
Between magical campfires, space lessons, moon cheese and a glowing sleepover, Isadora will need to use all her wits to help Nova finding Pluto before her new friend has to fly back to the stars. With irresistible pink and black artwork throughout by author/illustrator Harriet Muncaster and a totally unique heroine with an out-of-this-world family, this is a beautiful, charming, and funny series of first chapter books. Perfect for fans of Claude, Dixie O'Day, and Squishy McFluff, Isadora Moon is the ideal choice for readers who want their magic and sparkle with a bit of bite! One of our most popular series.
ISDAL, Susannah Dickey ( paperback Sept 2023)
£10.99
The much-anticipated debut poetry collection from acclaimed novelist Susannah Dickey, on the subject of our cultural obsession with true crime. ISDAL is a timely interrogation of the true crime genre. In the first of its three parts, we follow the flirty co-presenters of a podcast about the mystery of 'Isdal Woman', whose burnt remains were discovered in Norway in 1970 and who has never been identified.At the centre of the book is an inquiry into our perennial obsession with female victims, sexiness, and death: 'The death in question has already occurred', the poet observes, 'has occurred to someone sufficiently abstract as to allow us to romp gainfully, guilelessly, guiltlessly through a simulacrum of death's corridors'. The free verse poems in the final section both explore and - perhaps inevitably - enact the ethical ambiguities of the genre. Witty, excoriating, formally ingenious, ISDAL marks the arrival of a thrilling talent in contemporary poetry.
Island Infernos, John C McManus (HARDBACK, 2021)
£33.00
Island Infernos : The US Army's Pacific War Odyssey, 1944
After some two years at war, the Army in the Pacific held ground across nearly a third of the globe, from Alaska's Aleutians to Burma and New Guinea. The challenges ahead were enormous: supplying a vast number of troops over thousands of miles of ocean; surviving in jungles ripe with dysentery, malaria, and other tropical diseases; fighting an enemy prone to ever-more desperate and dangerous assaults. Yet the Army had proven they could fight. Now, they had to prove they could win a war.
Brilliantly researched and written, Island Infernos moves seamlessly from the highest generals to the lowest foot soldiers and in between, capturing the true essence of this horrible conflict. A sprawling yet page-turning narrative, the story spans the battles for Saipan and Guam, the appalling carnage of Peleliu, General MacArthur's dramatic return to the Philippines, and the grinding jungle combat to capture the island of Leyte. This masterful history is the second volume of John C. McManus's trilogy on the US Army in the Pacific War, proving McManus to be one of our finest historians of World War II.
It Could Never Happen Here, Eithne Shortall (paperback Sept 22)
£8.99
Small town. Huge scandal.Beverley Franklin will do whatever it takes to protect her local school's reputation. So when a scandal involving her own daughter threatens to derail the annual school musical's appearance on national television, Beverley goes into overdrive. But in her efforts to protect her daughter and keep the musical on track, she misses what's really going, both in her own house and in the insular Glass Lake community - with dramatic consequences.
Glass Lake primary school's reputation is about to be shattered... 'Eithne Shortall mixes humour and tragedy with a deftness reminiscent of Marian Keyes' Irish Times
It's Your World Now, Barry Falls ( paperback, 2019)
£7.99
So go and play and live and learn. It's your world now, this is your turn to think and ask and make and do. The world is magic, just like you!' A beautiful, moving and funny celebration of life that highlights the potential of each and every child.This is the perfect book to read out loud - helping children to appreciate the wonderful things that exist in the world, and the great things that they can do. It also allows them to understand some of the setbacks that may occur along the way. And the overall message is that whatever happens, you will always be loved by those closest to you.
Barry Falls' illustrations burst from the page with exuberant detail while his rhyming text is a delight to read. This is a gorgeous, funny and thought-provoking celebration of where you might go and what you might do in life, a message from a dad to his daughter.
Ithaca, Claire North ( hardback September 22)
£16.99
This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before. Beyond Ithaca's shores, the whims of gods dictate the wars of men. But on the isle, it is the choices of the abandoned women - and their goddesses - that will change the course of the world.'The greatest power we women can own is that which we take in secret.'Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the isle of Ithaca. None of them has returned, and the women of Ithaca have been left behind to run the kingdom. Penelope was barely into womanhood when she wed Odysseus.
While he lived, her position was secure. But now, years on, speculation is mounting that her husband is dead, and suitors are beginning to knock at her door. No one man is strong enough to claim Odysseus's empty throne - not yet.
But as everyone waits for the balance of power to tip, Penelope knows that any choice she makes could plunge Ithaca into bloody civil war . . .
From the multi award-winning Claire North comes a daring, exquisite and moving tale that breathes life into ancient myth, and tells of the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men. It's time for the women of Ithaca to tell their tale . .
Ivy Newt and the Storm Witch, Derek Kielty ( paperback March 2023)
£7.99
A new, highly illustrated chapter book series for ages 5-7 featuring Ivy, an unstoppable and lovable young witch, and her friend and familiar Tom. Ivy's parents, the King and Queen of the Sand Witches, have prepared her a show-stopping birthday present - a magic act where they disappear! But hold on, they really have disappeared! Foul work is at play, and to rescue Ivy's parents, she and Tom must travel all over Miracula on broomsticks and flying carpets, making friends along the way, and pulling together to defeat Clawdelia Thorn, evil Queen of Grotland.
I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy ( Hardback 2022)
£20.00
A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor-including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother.
Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother's dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy.
So she went along with what Mom called "calorie restriction," eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income. In I'm Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail-just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true.
Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame, bringing with it a host of personal issues. These only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer.
Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants. Told with refreshing candour and dark humour, I'm Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair. An astonishing read.
I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy ( hardback Sept 2022)
£20.00
A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor-including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother-and how she retook control of her life. Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother's dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy.So she went along with what Mom called "calorie restriction," eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, "Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn't tint hers?" She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income. In I'm Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail-just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true.
Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi ("Hi Gale!"), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer.
Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants. Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I'm Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.
I’m Sticking With You by Smriti Halls (picture book, Sept 2020)
£6.99
A wonderful, warm bear-hug of a story with sumptuous illustrations. A modern classic.' - Jim Field, illustrator of Oi Frog
Wherever you're going, I'm going too. Whatever you're doing, I'm sticking with you.
It's wonderful to have good friends to see you through the good times and the bad. But sometimes, friends can also be a bit . .
. well . .
. overbearing.
Great sentiment and lovely rhyming text that will keep children from 2 - 5 entertained.
Jack & Bet, by Sarah Butler( paperback Feb 2021)
£8.99
Jack and Bet have been married for seventy years. Happily so, for the most part. Now, all they want is to enjoy the time they have left together in their small flat.But their son Tommy has other ideas: he thinks they should move out and opt for round-the-clock care in a very different kind of home. When a young Romanian woman, Marinela, enters their lives, Bet thinks she might have found a solution to all of their problems; one that could change Marinela's life for the better. But doing so would mean confronting a long-buried secret Bet has kept hidden from everyone, even Jack, for decades.
A warm and moving story about love and loss, Jack & Bet is at once a story of unlikely friendship and a tender look at a lifelong struggle to find a place to call home.
James, Percival Everett (paperback from 27 Feb 2025)
£9.99
From the Booker-prize shortlisted author of Erasure, adapted into the Oscar-winning film American Fiction'This is the work of an American master at the peak of his powers' – Financial TimesEnthralling and ferociously funny, James by Percival Everett is a profound meditation on identity, belonging and the sacrifices we make to protect the ones we love. It is also a bold reimagining of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as the enslaved Jim emerges to reclaim his voice, defying the conventions that have consigned him to the margins. The Mississippi River, 1861.
When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a new owner in New Orleans and separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson’s Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father who recently returned to town. Thus begins a dangerous and transcendent journey by raft along the Mississippi River, towards the elusive promise of the free states and beyond.
As James and Huck navigate the treacherous waters, each bend in the river holds the promise of both salvation and demise. With rumours of a brewing war, James must face the burden he carries: the family he is desperate to protect and the constant lie he must live. And together, the unlikely pair embark on the most dangerous, and life-changing, odyssey of them all .
. . 'James has the potential to become a classic .Truly extraordinary books are rare, and this is one of them' – Roddy Doyle
James is a profound and ferociously funny novel from one of our greatest living writers, Percival Everett. The Sunday Times
Jan Morris : life from both sides, Biography- by Paul Clements
£25.00
The first full account of a truly remarkable life. When Jan Morris passed away in 2020, she was considered one of Britain's best-loved writers. The author of Venice, Pax Britannica, Conundrum, and more than fifty other books, her work was known for its observational genius, lyricism, and humour, and had earned her a passionate readership around the world.
Morris's life was no less fascinating than her oeuvre. Born in 1926, she spent her childhood amidst Oxford's Gothic beauty and later participated in military service in Italy and the Middle East, before embarking on a career as an internationally feted foreign correspondent. From being the only journalist to join the first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953 to covering the trial of Adolf Eichmann, Morris's reportage spanned many of the twentieth century's defining moments.
Paperback now available- see below
However, public success masked a private dilemma that was only resolved when she transitioned genders in the late sixties, becoming renowned as a transgender pioneer. She went on to live happily with her wife Elizabeth in Wales for another five decades, and never stopped writing and publishing. Here, for the first time, the many strands of Morris's rich and at times paradoxical life are brought together.
Based on a wealth of interviews, archival material, and hitherto unpublished documents, Jan Morris: life from both sides portrays a person of extraordinary talent, curiosity, and joie de vivre.
Written by Northern Ireland's own Paul Clements ( Shannon Country, Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way)
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte (Wordsworth Edition)
£9.99
These Wordsworth editions are streamlined, attractive hardback covers, perfect as a gift and to introduce readers to the classics.
Jane Eyre ranks as one of the greatest and most perennially popular works of English fiction. Although the poor but plucky heroine is outwardly of plain appearance, she possesses an indomitable spirit, a sharp wit and great courage. She is forced to battle against the exigencies of a cruel guardian, a harsh employer and a rigid social order.
All of which circumscribe her life and position when she becomes governess to the daughter of the mysterious, sardonic and attractive Mr Rochester. However, there is great kindness and warmth in this epic love story, which is set against the magnificent backdrop of the Yorkshire moors. Ultimately the grand passion of Jane and Rochester is called upon to survive cruel revelation, loss and reunion, only to be confronted with tragedy.
Jellyfish Age Backwards, Nicklaus Brendborg ( paperback Feb 2023)
£10.99
Jellyfish Age Backwards : Nature's Secrets to Longevity
"In a field characterised by overclaiming and wishful thinking, it is judicious, sensible and refreshingly clear. And fascinating." Sunday TimesA deep-dive into the astonishing nature and true science of longevity Molecular Biologist Nicklas Brendborg takes us on a journey from the farthest reaches of the globe to the most cutting-edge research to explore everything the natural world and science have to offer on the mystery of aging. From the centuries-old Greenland shark and backwards-aging jellyfish to the man who fasted for a year and the woman who successfully edited her own DNA, this book follows the thread of every experiment, story, and myth in the search for immortality.
With mind-bending discoveries and physiological gifts that feel closer to magic than reality, Jellyfish Age Backwards will reshape everything you thought you knew about aging - and offer nature's secrets to unlocking your own longevity.
Jim’s Spectacular Christmas, Emma Thompson & Axel Scheffler ( hardback Oct 22)
£14.99
A new Christmas classic from a magical pairing: Dame Emma Thompson and Axel Scheffler. The story of Jim: a very lucky, very special, very grubby dog, who lives, improbably, in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Emma Thompson magically weaves the real-life tale of Jim - beloved dog of Sir Henry Cole who created the first Christmas card - with a fantastically warm and heartfelt Christmas romp, brilliantly illustrated by bestselling illustrator, Axel Scheffler.
A Christmas book to treasure, and an adventure filled with high emotion, guilt, redemption, unexpected presents and a life-changing brush with royalty.
Paperback from October 2024
John Hume, by Stephen Walker ( hardback October 2023)
£26.99
Peacemaker, politician, Nobel laureate: John Hume was a titan of Irish political history and a key architect of the Good Friday Agreement, bringing peace to Northern Ireland after decades of conflict.
But who was the real John Hume? What motivated the former history teacher to reach beyond political lines? What sustained him during the bloody years of violence and how did he convince the IRA to end its long-running campaign? How did he persuade presidents and prime ministers to take risks and back his vision for Northern Ireland?
How should John Hume be remembered? Stephen Walker combines over 100 interviews with many of Hume's colleagues, critics and family members, with never-before-published interviews with Hume himself to present a comprehensive portrait of one of the most significant political figures in Northern Ireland and around the world.
Jonty Gentoo, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler ( hardback Oct 24)
£12.99
Join a plucky little penguin on the journey of a lifetime, in this fabulous new picture book from superstar author and illustrator Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Jonty the little gentoo penguin longs to find his true home at the South Pole. One night, he sneaks out of the zoo and sets off on an amazing adventure, all the way to Antarctica (with an accidental detour to the North Pole!) Children will be cheering Jonty on as he finally finds his way, in this captivating story of bravery, friendship, and finding your place in the world.
Jonty Gentoo is an official UK Number One Children's Bestseller (17 Sept 2024) Perfect read-aloud rhyming text and stunning pictures on every page Fantastic illustrations of the natural world, with lots of details to spot, including seals, polar bears . . . and lots and lots of penguins!
Journey to The Heart, Melody Beattie ( paperback, 2010)
£10.99
In the spirit of her bestselling "The Language of Letting Go", America's most beloved inspirational writer guides us on a sacred journey as we learn to expand our creativity, embrace our powers, and open our hearts. Writing with the same warmth, honesty, and compassion that has attracted such a loyal following, Melody Beattie now charts a new path toward spiritual growth and renewal. In 365 insightful and delightfully warm daily reflections, "Journey to the Heart" will comfort and inspire us all as we begin to discover our true purpose in the world and learn to connect even more deeply with ourselves, the creative force, and the magic and mystery in the world around and within us.
Joy In Service on Rue Tagore, by Paul Muldoon ( hardback May 2024)
£14.99
Since his debut, New Weather (1973), Paul Muldoon has created some of the most original and memorable poetry of the past half-century. Joy in Service on Rue Tagore sees him writing with the same verve and distinction that have consistently won him the the highest accolades. Here, from artichokes to zinc, he navigates an alphabet of image and history, through barleymen and Irish slavers to the last running wolf in Ulster.
The search involves the accumulated bric-a-brac of a life, and a reckoning along the way of gains against loss. In the poet's skilful hands, ancient maps are unfurled and brought into focus - the aggregation of Imperial Rome and the dismantling of Standard Oil, the pogroms of a Ukrainian ravine and of a Belfast shipyard. Through modern medicine and warfare, disaster and repair, these poems are electric in their energy, while profoundly humane in their line of enquiry.
Juice, Tim Winton ( hardback Oct 24)
£22.00
'A hold-your-breath adventure set in an utterly plausible, sun-hammered future, Juice will stab your conscience and break your heart’ - Emma Donoghue'A blistering cli-fi epic' - The Guardian, Best Books of the AutumnSurvival is only the beginning. Two fugitives, a man and a child, drive across a stony desert. As dawn breaks, they roll into an abandoned mine site.
They’re exhausted, traumatized, desperate now, and this is a forsaken place, but as a refuge it’s the most promising they’ve seen. The child peers at the field of desolation. The man thinks to himself, this could work.
Problem is, they’re not alone . . .
So begins a searing, epic journey through a life where the challenge is not only to survive; it’s keeping your humanity if you do. Juice is a stunning novel for fans of Station Eleven and The Road, from twice Booker-shortlisted author Tim Winton.
Julia, Sandra Newman ( paperback August 2024)
£9.99
London, chief city of Airstrip One, the third most populous province of Oceania. It's 1984 and Julia Worthing works as a mechanic fixing the novel-writing machines in the Fiction Department at the Ministry of Truth. Under the ideology of IngSoc and the rule of the Party and its leader Big Brother, Julia is a model citizen - cheerfully cynical, believing in nothing and caring not at all about politics.
She knows how to survive in a world of constant surveillance, Thought Police, Newspeak, Doublethink, child spies and the black markets of the prole neighbourhoods. She's very good at staying alive. But Julia becomes intrigued by a colleague from the Records Department - a mid-level worker of the Outer Party called Winston Smith, she comes to realise that she's losing her grip and can no longer safely navigate her world.
Seventy-five years after Orwell finished writing his iconic novel, Sandra Newman has tackled the world of Big Brother in a truly convincing way, offering a dramatically different, feminist narrative that is true to and stands alongside the original
Jungle Drop, by Abi Elphinstone ( The Unmapped Chronicles series)
£7.99
'Imaginative, adventurous and wonderful' Robin Stevens, author of A Murder Most Unladylike series 'The Unmapped Chronicles series is irresistible' Lauren St John, author of The White Giraffe '
Where the map ends, the adventure begins . . .
'Nothing, and I mean nothing, is more powerful than a child in possession of a plan.' Eleven-year-old twins, Fox and Fibber, have been rivals for as long as they can remember. Only one of them will inherit the family fortune and so a race is afoot to save the dwindling Petty-Squabble empire and win the love of their parents. But when the twins are whisked off to Jungledrop, a magical Unmapped Kingdom in charge of conjuring our world's weather, things get wildly out of hand.
An evil harpy called Morg is on the loose. And if she finds the long-lost Forever Fern before the twins, both Jungledrop and our world will crumble. Suddenly, Fox and Fibber find themselves on an incredible adventure in a glow-in-the-dark rainforest full of golden panthers, gobblequick trees and enchanted temples.
But, with the fate of two worlds in their hands, will the twins be able to work together for once to defeat Morg and her dark magic?
This series will not only leave children entertained, but will also empower them to battle climate change and environmental issues. Perfect for fans of Michelle Harrison, Piers Torday and Emma Carroll.
Just One More Story by Perry Emerson ( paperback April 2025)
£7.99
A lyrical story that's perfect for inspiring reluctant readers to find their own style of reading - illustrated by the internationally bestselling Sean Julian. Pip and Bun are two very different bunnies. Pip LOVES reading.
Bun does not. Until, one day, Bun opens a book . .
. and discovers pages filled with action and adventure!This celebration of creativity and imaginative play is the ideal book to empower kids to write their own story. Just One More Story explores the idea that there are many different ways to read and is ideal for children who have struggled to connect to reading.
Just like Open Very Carefully by Nick Bromley and Nicola O'Byrne, Do Not Open This Book by Andy Lee and Heath McKenzie and I Say Ooh, You Say Aah by John Kane, Just One More Story will be loved by budding book lovers and reluctant readers alike.
Just The Job, Maura Campbell ( paperback June 2024)
£13.99
Smart casual? Close of play? Endless water-cooler discussions about the weather? Non-autistic adults can behave in baffling ways - and never more so in the maze of unwritten social rules, jargon and ritual that is your average day at the office. Luckily, Maura and Debby (office code cracker extraordinaires) have gone undercover in 'typical' offices for decades to pull together the ultimate survival guide for the autistic employee. Wickedly illustrated by Tim Stringer, this one-stop-shop gives guidance on everything from navigating sensory issues and asking for reasonable workplace adjustments to the appropriate etiquette of in-person and hybrid spaces and how to deal with instances of bullying and harassment.
With translations of the bizarre idioms and acronyms of office-speak, as well advice on the baffling unspoken rules of an office social life - this is both a hilarious and highly practical guide to being happier and more successful at work.
Kairos, Jenny Erpenbeck (paperback 2024)
£9.99
Berlin. 11 July 1986. They meet by chance on a bus.She is a young student, he is older and married. Theirs is an intense and sudden attraction, fuelled by a shared passion for music and art, and heightened by the secrecy they must maintain. But when she strays for a single night he cannot forgive her and a dangerous crack forms between them, opening up a space for cruelty, punishment and the exertion of power.
And the world around them is changing too: as the GDR begins to crumble, so too do all the old certainties and the old loyalties, ushering in a new era whose great gains also involve profound loss. From a prize-winning German writer, this is the intimate and devastating story of the path of two lovers through the ruins of a relationship, set against the backdrop of a seismic period in European history.
KALA, Colin Walsh (paperback from July 2024)
£16.99
In the seaside town of Kinlough, on Ireland's west coast, three old friends are thrown together for the first time in years. They - Helen, Joe and Mush - were part of an original group of six inseparable teenagers in the summer of 2003, with motherless, reckless Kala Lanann as their group's white-hot centre.
Soon after that summer's peak, Kala disappeared without a trace. Now it's fifteen years later: Helen has reluctantly returned to Ireland for her father's wedding; Joe is a world-famous musician, newly back in town; and Mush has never left, too scared to venture beyond the counter of his mother's cafe. But human remains have been discovered in the woods.
Two more girls have gone missing. And as past and present begin to collide, the estranged friends are forced to confront their own complicity in the events that led to Kala's disappearance, and to try to stop Kinlough's violent patterns repeating themselves once again... Against the backdrop of a town suffocating on its own secrets, in a story that builds from a smoulder to a stunning climax, Kala brilliantly examines the sometimes brutal costs of belonging, as well as the battle in the human heart between vengeance and forgiveness, despair and redemption.
'A gritty heartbreaker of a thriller... Part heartfelt coming-of-age tale, part brutal Irish noir, this is a spectacular read for Donna Tartt and Tana French fans'
Kick The Latch, Kathryn Scanlan ( paperback Jan 2023)
£9.99
Kathryn Scanlan’s Kick the Latch vividly captures the arc of one woman’s life at the racetrack – the flat land and ramshackle backstretch; the bad feelings and friction; the winner’s circle and the racetrack bar; the fancy suits and fancy boots; and the ‘particular language’ of ‘grooms, jockeys, trainers, racing secretaries, stewards, pony people, hotwalkers, everybody’ – with economy and integrity.
Based on transcribed interviews with Sonia, a horse trainer, the novel investigates form and authenticity in a feat of synthesis reminiscent of Charles Reznikoff’s Testimony. As Scanlan puts it, ‘I wanted to preserve – amplify, exaggerate – Sonia’s idiosyncratic speech, her bluntness, her flair as a storyteller. I arrived at what you could call a composite portrait of a self.’ Whittled down with a fiercely singular artistry, Kick the Latch bangs out of the starting gate and carries the reader on a careening joyride around the inside track.
‘Terrific . . . Kathryn Scanlan makes the mundane details of everyday life hum with electricity.’ 5 stars, Telegraph
‘A series of taut, electrifying vignettes . . . by turns exultant and brutal.’ LA Review of Books
Kid Normal (series), by Greg James and Chris Smith (paperback)
£7.99
The Kid Normal series, books 1 - 4 :
Kid Normal 1
Rogue Heroes 2
Shadow Machine 3
The Final Five 4
Murph Cooper has a problem. His new school is top secret, and super weird. His classmates can all fly or control the weather or conjure tiny horses from thin air.
And what's Murph's extraordinary skill? Um, oh yeah – he hasn't got one. Just as well there are no revolting supervillains lurking nearby, their minds abuzz with evil plans. There are!? Right.
Ok, then... It's time for Kid Normal to become a hero!
Suitable for boys and girls 8-11. Surprising good range of vocabulary in this one!
Kill for Me Kill for You, Steve Cavanagh (paperback April 2024)
£9.99
One dark evening in New York City, two strangers meet by chance.Over drinks, Amanda and Wendy realise they have so much in common. They both feel alone. They both drink alone.
And they both desperately want revenge against the two men who destroyed their families. Together, they have the perfect plan. If you kill for me, I'll kill for you...
'Steve Cavanagh's twists hit you between the eyes. You never seem them coming' ANTONY HOROWITZ'This guy is the real deal. Trust me' LEE CHILD'Steve Cavanagh writes the best hooks in the business' MICK HERRON'Steve Cavanagh is one of my very favourite authors, but even by his high standards this is an extraordinary book.
Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro (Paperback Feb 2022)
£9.99
From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behaviour of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change for ever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans. In Klara and the Sun, his first novel since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, Kazuo Ishiguro looks at our rapidly-changing modern world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator to explore a fundamental question: what does it mean to love?'
Beautiful' Guardian 'Flawless' The Times 'Devastating' FT 'Another masterpiece' Observer
Really unsettling with a brilliant tension in the writing - Paul
