While on a business trip to Kobe, Tsuneo Asai receives the news that his wife Eiko has died of a heart attack. Eiko had a heart condition so the news of her death wasn't totally unexpected. But the circumstances of her demise left Tsuneo, a softly spoken government bureaucrat, perplexed. How did it come about that his wife, who was shy and withdrawn, and only left their house twice a week to go to haiku meetings ended up dead in a small shop in a shady Tokyo neighbourhood?Whe...

A poetic meditation on life and death, by one of the most renowned and respected film-makers and intellectuals of our time.In November 1974, when Werner Herzog was told that his mentor Lotte Eisner, the film historian and critic, was dying in Paris, he set off to walk there from Munich, ‘in full faith, believing that she would stay alive if I came on foot’. Along the way he recorded what he saw, how he felt, and what he experienced, from the physical discomfort of the journey...

There's an old saying: 'a rising tide lifts all boats'. It's normally couched in positive terms; that overall economic improvement will benefit everyone. In the case of hi-tech money laundering, however, it offers a dark vision of the future. The better these launderers become at their work, the more crime of all types will be enabled. It's time to understand where the water is rising, before it washes over us all.Money laundering has been around for centuries. For as long as...

A book that mesmerises with its sense of adventure and epic sweep, this is creative non-fiction at its best' GUARDIANOver the course of one summer, Kapka Kassabova lives with perhaps the last true pastoralists in Europe.She joins the epic seasonal movement of vast herds of sheep, along with shepherds and dogs, to find pasture in the mountains. As she becomes attuned to the sacrifices inherent in this isolated existence, Kassabova finds herself drawn deeper into the tangled re...

Your energy is the fuel that makes everything in your life possible. So how can you reach your full potential if you're always tired, stressed and struggling through your to-do list running from one task to the next?In Energise, Life Coach and winner of Winner of the 2023 Business Book Award for Wellness and Wellbeing, Simon Ong introduces you to the art and science of energy management. Revealing how your physical, mental and relational energy affect your ability to think cr...

WINNER OF THE IRISH BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO NOVEL OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE KERRY GROUP IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEARFINALIST FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR FICTION'Donal Ryan’s writing has earned him a place among the greatest names in Irish literature and this lyrical novel speaks to the very heart of modern Irish society.' Maria Dickenson, Chair of the IBA judges'Beautiful...a book full of love and hope, more needed in these days than ever' Kit de Waal'I am blown...

Published when she was only eighteen, Françoise Sagan's astonishing first novel Bonjour Tristesse became an instant bestseller. It tells the story of Cécile, who leads a carefree life with her widowed father and his young mistresses until, one hot summer on the Riviera, he decides to remarry - with devastating consequences. In A Certain Smile Dominique, a young woman bored with her lover, begins an encounter with an older man that unfolds in unexpected and troubling ways....

Orlando has always been an outsider...His longing for passion, adventure and fulfilment takes him out of his own time. Chasing a dream through the centuries, he bounds from Elizabethan England amd imperial Turkey to the modern world.Will he find happiness with the exotic Russian Princess Sasha? Or is the dashing explorer Shelmerdine the ideal man? And what form will Orlando take on the journey - a nobleman, traveller, writer? Man or... woman?

‘Scaffolding is like a perfect French movie of a novel…elegant, original and often very funny’ Kevin Barry, New Statesman Books of the YearTwo couples inhabit the same apartment in Paris, almost fifty years apart…2019. When David takes a job in London, Anna is left alone in their Paris apartment. It’s August and the city is deserted but when Clémentine moves into the building, Anna finds herself drawn inextricably into the younger woman’s world…1972. Florence is finishing her...

Discover the perfect summer read from the bestselling author of We All Want Impossible Things.‘Sandwich is joy in book form. I laughed continuously, except for the parts that made me cry.’ Ann Patchett, bestselling author of Tom Lake'Engaging, frank, funny and moving' Daily MailAn instant NEW YORK TIMES bestsellerOne of Barnes & Noble BEST BOOKSSTYLIST Book of the Month: ‘A gem’GUARDIAN Book of the Week: ‘Wise and exquisitely written'GRAZIA Book of the month****One week at go...

Steinbeck's first major critical and commercial success, TORTILLA FLAT is also his funniest novel. Danny is a paisano, descended from the original Spanish settlers who arrived in Monterey, California, centuries before. He values friendship abovemoney and possessions, so that when he suddently inherits two houses, Danny is quick to offer shelter to his fellow gentlemen of the road. Their love of freedom and scorn for material things draw them into daring and often hilarious ad...

Everybody knows now that Ulysses is the greatest novel of the century' Anthony Burgess, ObserverFollowing  the events of one single day in Dublin, the 16th June 1904, and what  happens to the characters Stephen Dedalus, Leopold Bloom and his wife  Molly, Ulysses is a monument to the human condition. It has survived  censorship, controversy and legal action, and even been deemed  blasphemous, but remains an undisputed modernist classic: ceaselessly  inventive, garrulous, funny...

Few mere mortals have ever embarked on such bold and heart-stirring adventures, overcome myriad monstrous perils, or outwitted scheming vengeful gods, quite as stylishly and triumphantly as Greek heroes.In this companion to his bestselling Mythos, Stephen Fry brilliantly retells these dramatic, funny, tragic and timeless tales. Join Jason aboard the Argo as he quests for the Golden Fleece. See Atalanta - who was raised by bears - outrun any man before being tricked with golde...

INCLUDES 'THE CHIMES' AND 'THE HAUNTED MAN'Ebenezer Scrooge is unimpressed by Christmas. He has no time for festivities or goodwill toward his fellow men and is only interested in money. Then, on the night of Christmas Eve, his life is changed by a series of ghostly visitations that show him some bitter truths about his choices.A Christmas Carol is Dickens' most influential book and a funny, clever and hugely enjoyable story.

Commissario Guido Brunetti returns with a gripping and powerful case about the murkiness of power and a test of loyalties'Perfectly crafted . . .this only proves what a truly great writer [Leon] has become' Mark Sanderson, The Times'One of the most subtle and exquisite detective series ever' Washington PostWhen two teenage gangs are arrested after clashing violently in one of Venice’s campi, the son of a local hero is implicated. But when Commissario Guido Brunetti is asked b...

***OUT NOW - PRECIPICE, THE THRILLING NEW NOVEL FROM ROBERT HARRIS******NOW A MAJOR MOVIE ******WINNER OF THE BAFTA FOR OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM******WINNER OF THE OSCAR FOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY***THE POWER OF GOD. THE AMBITION OF MEN. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERBehind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, 118 cardinals are meeting in conclave to cast their votes in the world's most secretive election.They are holy men. But they are ambitious. And they have rivals.Over t...

A breath of fresh air! Relax and unwind with this adorable colouring book. Snuggle up with a world of cozy cuties in these relaxing colouring pages! The sun is shining and flowers have started to bloom, so gather your colouring pens and get cozy with Coco Wyo! This beautiful book is brimming with charming drawings for you to colour in – budding gardens, baby animals, and sunny skies! These cozy cuties are the perfect companion for a relaxing day of colouring with simple, cut...

It is said that Charles Dickens invented Christmas, and within these pages you'll certainly find all the elements of a quintessential traditional Christmas brought to vivid life: snowy rooftops, gleaming shop windows, steaming bowls of punch, plum puddings like speckled cannon balls, sage and onion stuffing, miracles, magic, charity and goodwill.This Vintage Classics edition gathers together not only Dickens' Christmas Books ('A Christmas Carol', 'The Chimes', 'The Battle of ...

'This is the story of one man who went to Spain with an intellectual sympathy for socialist doctrine and came back...with a fervent, almost religious belief in its necessity'Both a memoir of Orwell's experiences during the Spanish Civil War and a heartfelt tribute to those who died, Homage to Catalonia is an extraordinary first-hand record of him time on the frontline. Written with all of the depth, passion and deep human understanding that defines Orwell's writing this is in...

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ANDREW MOTION When young Jim Hawkins discovers a treasure map in a pirate's chest, he is drawn into a world of danger and adventure. He joins a crew setting sail to the Caribbean to seek out the booty and over the course of the voyage confronts mutiny, murder and the charismatic and devious Long John Silver.

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY HENNING MANKELLOliver is an orphan living on the dangerous London streets with no one but himself to rely on. Fleeing from poverty and hardship, he falls in with a criminal street gang who will not let him go, however hard he tries to escape.In Oliver Twist, Dickens graphically conjures up the capital's underworld, full of prostitutes, thieves, and lost and homeless children, and gives a voice to the disadvantaged and abused.ILLUSTRATED BY GEORGE CRUIK...

When Anne Sexton took her own life in October 1974, she left behind a body of work which had already, in less than two decades of writing, won her the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, established her as one of the foremost voices of her generation, and shocked America by breaking multiple taboos of subject matter, from insanity, depression and addiction to menstruation, adultery and the figure of the witch.Sexton's name is legendary. Her poetry is read around the world, translated ...

* A Financial Times Book of the Year * A Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday Summer Read *HOLD THE POWER AND GLORY OF ANCIENT ROME IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND.A wild she-wolf tenderly nurses infant twins Romulus and Remus.Marcus Junius Brutus looks out over chaos and conflict, flaunting the bloodied daggers with which he murdered Julius Caesar. Trumpets blare, crowds roar, gladiators enter the grand Colosseum. Let the games begin.Frescoes fade and books vanish, but the story of Rome...

Gillian Rose was a star academic, acclaimed as one of the most dazzling and original thinkers of her time. Told that she had incurable cancer, she found a new way to explore the world and herself. Tender, heartbreakingly honest and written with moments of surprising humour, Love's Work is the exhilarating result.In this short, unforgettable memoir, Rose looks back on her childhood, from the young dyslexic girl, torn between father and stepfather, to the adolescent confronting...