Alejo Carpentier (1904-1980) was one of the major Latin American writers of the twentieth century, as well as a classically trained pianist and musicologist. His best-known novels are The Lost Steps, Explosion in a Cathedral, and The Kingdom of This World. Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, and raised in Havana, Cuba, Carpentier lived for many years in France and Venezuela before returning to Cuba after the 1959 revolution. A few years later he returned to France, where he lived until his death.

Alejo Carpentier

Dr Aleks Krotoski is an award-winning international broadcaster, author and academic. She has topped the ratings for the BBC and Channel 4, winning Emmy, BAFTA, Radio Academy and Royal Society awards, and has written and presented landmark technology and social science series for both radio (with BBC Radio 4’s The Artificial Human and The Digital Human) and international television (with BBC World’s The Virtual Revolution). Krotoski has held fellowships at the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics and received an honorary doctorate from the Open University. She currently teaches at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

Aleks Krotoski

Aleksandar Ciric

Aleksandar Sotirovski

Aleksandar Zolotic

Aleksandr Orlov

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was born in 1918 and grew up in Rostov-on-Don. He graduated in Physics and Mathematics from Rostov University and studied Literature by correspondence course at Moscow University. In World War II he fought as an artillery officer, attaining the rank of captain. In 1945, however, after making derogatory remarks about Stalin in a letter, he was arrested and summarily sentenced to eight years in forced labour camps, followed by internal exile. In 1957 he formally rehabilitated, and settled down to teaching and writing, in Ryazan and Moscow. The publication of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich in Novy Mir in 1962 was followed by publication, in the West, of his novels Cancer Ward and The First Circle. In 1970 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, and in 1974 his citizenship was revoked and he was expelled from the Soviet Union. He settled in Vermont and worked on his great historical cycle The Red Wheel. In 1990, with the fall of Soviet Communism, his citizenship was restored and four years later he returned to settle in Russia. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn died in August 2008.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Aleksei Bitskoff

Aleksei Evdokimo

Aleksi Hoffman

Alena Tkach is an award-winning Ukrainian freelance illustrator who studied Graphic Arts at Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts. She works mostly as children’s book illustrator and 2D artist. Alena loves llamas because they are cute and sweet, and when they jump it's really funny. Follow Alena on Instagram @alena.tkach.

Alena Tkach

Alessandra Peters

Alessandro Manzoni

Alex Bellos

Alex Bellos is a journalist, broadcaster and puzzle master. He read Mathematics and Philosophy at Oxford University before becoming a journalist and writer. Alex was born in Oxford and grew up in Edinburgh and Southampton and lived in Brazil for five years as a foreign correspondent for the Guardian before returning to the UK He is the author of 8 books about puzzles and mathematics and currently writes weekly puzzle column for the Guardian.

Alex Berenson

Alex Boardman

Alex Brummer

Alex Bulmer

Alex Butterworth

Alex Caine

Alex Carter

Alex Chance

Alex Cliff

Alex Danchev

Alex Dekker served as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces 'Green Berets' for nearly 20 years, first with 5th Special Forces Group and then as a special operations team member assigned to the United States Army Special Operations Command. He has deployed multiple times to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations worldwide, and has attended multiple advanced tactical and technical schools within the U.S. Special Operations community and interagency. Alex has traveled to dozens of countries for work and personal adventures and has spent years living abroad. He is an avid student of history who has participated as a volunteer in numerous archaeological digs, is an Arabic speaker, and holds a Masters in Applied Intelligence from Georgetown University. When not traveling, Alex lives in Northern Virginia with his wife Savannah, a former CIA Operations Officer, their children, and their German Shepherd Donovan.

Alex Dekker

Alex Dimitrov is the recipient of the Stanley Kunitz Prize from the American Poetry Review and a Pushcart Prize and is the author of Begging For It (2013), Together And By Yourselves (2017), and Love and Other Poems (2021). His work has been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Atlantic, Poetry, and more. Formerly, he was the Senior Content Editor at the Academy of American Poets where he edited the popular online series Poem-a-Day and American Poets magazine. From 2009-2013, he founded and ran Wilde Boys, a queer poetry salon in New York. Currently, he teaches creative writing at NYU where he is Writer in Residence.

Alex Dimitrov

Alex Dingwall-Main

Alex Duval

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Anne McCaffrey

Let Anne McCaffrey, storyteller extraordinare and New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author, take you on a journey to a whole new world: Pern. A world of dragons and other worldly forces; a world of mighty power and ominous threat. If you like David Eddings, Brandon Sanderson and Douglas Adams, you will love this. 
 
'Anne McCaffrey, one of the queens of science fiction, knows exactly how to give her public what it wants' -- THE TIMES 
'Brilliantly conceived, written and researched' -- ***** Reader review 
'Never fails to enthral me' -- ***** Reader review 
'BRILLIANT. BRILLIANT. BRILLIANT' -- ***** Reader review 
'LOVED THIS BOOK - JUST COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN' -- ***** Reader review 
****************************************************************** 
MasterSinger Merelan and Harper Petiron were a brilliant and devoted couple. Merelan was the most outstanding soprano ever heard on Pern and was often the only one who could master Petiron's technically accomplished compositions. When, after a long and difficult birth, Robinton was born to them, it should have been the culmination of a unique partnership. 
 
But Petiron, almost from the first day, had no time for his son, refusing to see the incredible talent the boy possessed, ignoring his achievements and maintaining a strict and disapproving vigilance over him at all times. 
 
Carefully, secretly, the Harper Hall took over, training the greatest talent Pern had ever seen - a talent that was more than just musical - for Robinton was able to talk to the dragons of Pern. 
 
As constant sadness beset his personal life, so a startling career sent him like a meteor through the Holds and Weyrs of Pern until, as MasterHarper, he became part of the great plan to rescue Lessa from the brutal rule of Holder Fax - Lessa, who was to be the saviour of the dragons of Pern.

The Masterharper Of Pern

(Dragonriders of Pern: 15): an outstanding and awe-inspiring epic fantasy from one of the most influential fantasy and SF novelists of her generation

Tracey Cox

A fantastic, funky and eye-catching book that tells you all you need to know about sex and exactly how to do it. It's frank, explicit, easy-to-follow, funny and gives you all the answers to the questions you never dared ask your friends. Perfect for beginners and all those who want to spice up their sex life at any age. And an ideal gift for lovers. The chapters (eg Fantasies, Foreplay, Sex Myths) have sections geared specifically towards men and women plus there's advice on relationship issues, building communication skills and real-life sex diaries. 
 
'Frank, forthright and at times hysterically funny ... the one sex manual you'll want to read cover to cover' - Pat Ingram, Editor-in-Chief Cosmopolitan (Australia) 
 
'Punchy and to the point... essential reading' - Dr Jane Hall, sex therapist

Hot Sex

Barbara Thiering

Barbara Thiering's previous works have been bestsellers in her native Australia, and Focus magazine said that the impact of her work '...may turn out to be as profound as that of Darwin's Origin of the Species'. This new book continues to reveal the 'real' Jesus and the history of his time by applying to the New Testament the insights and information contained in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The author argues that the Gospel of John was in fact written in code, by Jesus himself. She carefully analyses all the miracles and supernatural events to show that they did not happen as described. Instead, for those who understand the code, they provide a record of the development of the new religion that went on to lay the foundation of Western culture.

The Book That Jesus Wrote

John's Gospel

David Gemmell

A captivating all-action tale of otherworldly magic, death, destruction and a fight for survival by the Sunday Times bestselling author David Gemmell, perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Duncan M. Hamilton and Nicholas Eames. 
 
"Gemmell's great reading - the action never lets up. He's several rungs above the good - right into the fabulous!" -- ANNE MCCAFFREY 
 
"In my pantheon of literary greats, David Gemmell stands alone . . . he put me on the path I still walk today" -- CONN IGGULDEN 
 
"Gemmell has every right to take his place among the SF and fantasy greats." -- SFX 
 
"When it comes to heroic fantasy, few do it better than David Gemmell." -- TIME OUT 
 
"One of my most favourite books of all time" -- ***** Reader review 
 
"Gemmell at his finest" -- *****Reader review 
 
"Great fantasy, great story, great author" -- ***** Reader review 
 
********************************************************** 
 
The Great Bear will descend from the skies, and with his paw, lash at the ocean. He will devour all the works of Man. Then he will sleep for ten thousand years, and the breath of his sleep will be death. 
 
The prophecy had come true. The world spun. Tidal waves lashed the planet, and a new ice age dawned. 
The few survivors of a once great empire struggled to rebuild, to hold their ground against the rising barbarian tide. 
 
Then two moons appeared in the skies, unleashing a terrible evil that threatened not only the new empire, but the survival of the world itself.

Echoes Of The Great Song

An awe-inspiring, stunning epic adventure from the master of heroic fantasy

Mike Curtis

Even by SAS standards Mike Curtis has had a remarkable career. A former coal miner and likely Welsh international, he served with 2 Para in the Falklands before going on to join the SAS. 
 
In C.Q.B. he describes his gruelling experience in the Falklands and also focus on two more of his major SAS operations; the first in Iraq where he spent several weeks behind enemy lines; the second in Bosnia where he worked closely with all factions and latterly led a close protection team guarding visiting heads of State. 
 
Goose Green, the first land battle of the Falklands conflict, was the longest, hardest-fought, and most controversial. The outcome there was to set the tone for the remainder of the war, affect international opinion and the morale and determination of both armies. 
 
The SAS infiltrated Iraq in two guises - as road-watch patrols and mobile fighting columns. Constituting the biggest SAS overland fighting force since the Second World War, Mike Curtis's troop constituted a coherent, mobile weapon able to operate round the clock and defend itself against surprise attack. 
 
C.Q.B. is also the first published account of the SAS's activities in former Yugoslavia by a Close Quarter Battle Specialist and John Major's personal bodyguard.

C.Q.B. (Close Quarter Battle)

Let Anne McCaffrey, storyteller extraordinare and New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author, take you on a journey to a whole new world: Pern. A world of dragons and other worldly forces; a world of mighty power and omnious threat.. If you like David Eddings, Brandon Sanderson and Douglas Adams, you will love this. 
 
"Anne McCaffrey, one of the queens of science fiction, knows exactly how to give her public what it wants" - THE TIMES 
"Do yourself a favour and read ANYTHING by this Author, you won't be sorry" -- ***** Reader review 
'I couldn't put it down!' -- ***** Reader review 
'A wondrous, spellbinding story!' -- ***** Reader review 
'This lady is the most amazing writer, once I start reading one of her books I'm completely drawn into the story and can't bear to put it down till it's finished' -- ***** Reader review 
 
******************************************************************************************************* 
For two hundred years there had been peace on Pern - but now the signs were ominous. Violent weather storms and erupting volcanos heralded the coming of the second Pass of Thread, when the red planet would rain down its horrifying harvest. No human or dragon or animal or plant was safe from the hideous death inflicted by Thread. 
 
Weyrs and Holds tried to prepare, but they had serious problems. Over the generations much of the old technology had been lost. AIVAS, the giant information bank, was buried under tons of volcanic ash, and valuable and skilled men and women had succumbed to disease and old age, taking with them the knowledge of a great civilization. 
 
They had to prepare as best they could, training the great flights of dragons and ensuring that the Lord Holders did their part by protecting their people in every possible way. Only Lord Chalkin, Holder of Bitra, refused to co-operate, not believing in Threadfall: he would do nothing to protect Bitra or its people. 
 
The Lord Holders and Weyrleaders were of one accord. Chalkin must be impeached and removed from his lands if the planet was to be made safe.

Red Star Rising

More Chronicles Of Pern

(Dragonriders of Pern: 14): a mesmerising epic fantasy from one of the most influential fantasy and SF novelists of her generation

Terry Pratchett

Stephen Briggs

The play script adaptation of the classic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, the second book in the City Watch series, part of the Discworld novels. 
 
'Funny, wise and mock heroic . . . the best-crafted book I have read all year' Sunday Express 
 
‘Pratchett at his best’ 5-star reader review 
 
'People ought to think for themselves ... The problem is, people only think for themselves if you tell them to.' 
 
Times are a-changing in Ankh-Morpork's Night Watch. 
 
New recruits have been hired to reflect the city's diversity, including Corporal Carrot (technically a dwarf), Lance-constable Cuddy (really a dwarf), Lance-constable Detritus (a troll), and Lance-constable Angua (a woman ... full moons aside). 
 
What's more, Captain Sam Vimes is getting married and retiring from the Watch. For good. Which is a shame, because no one knows the streets of Ankh-Morpork or its criminal underworld better than him. 
 
And someone armed and dangerous has been getting ideas about power and destiny and lost kings, committing a string of seemingly random murders across the city. 
 
The new recruits will need to learn fast ... 
 
Men At Arms is the second book in the City Watch series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order. 
 
Praise for the Discworld series: 
 
'[Pratchett’s] spectacular inventiveness makes the Discworld series one of the perennial joys of modern fiction' Mail on Sunday 
 
‘Pratchett is a master storyteller’ Guardian 
 
'One of our greatest fantasists, and beyond a doubt the funniest' George R.R. Martin 
 
'One of those rare writers who appeals to everyone’ Daily Express 
 
‘One of the most consistently funny writers around’ Ben Aaronovitch 
 
‘Masterful and brilliant’ Fantasy & Science Fiction 
 
‘Pratchett uses his other world to hold up a distorting mirror to our own… he is a satirist of enormous talent ... incredibly funny ... compulsively readable' The Times 
 
‘The best humorous English author since P.G. Wodehouse' The Sunday Telegraph 
 
‘Nothing short of magical’ Chicago Tribune 
 
'Consistently funny, consistently clever and consistently surprising in its twists and turns' SFX 
 
‘[Discworld is] compulsively readable, fantastically inventive, surprisingly serious exploration in story form of just about any aspect of our world…There's never been anything quite like it’ Evening Standard

Men At Arms - Playtext

In her controversial 1992 bestseller Jesus the Man, Barbara Thiering first showed how the pesher method of 'decoding' two separate levels of meaning found in the Dead Sea Scrolls could be used by applying it to the Gospels, and presented a completely new historical interpretation of the life of Jesus Christ. Now, in a new work of remarkable research and scholarship, she sets out to unravel the mysteries that have long surrounded the elusive complexities of the Book of Revelation. 'It was not,' she writes, 'about vision and apocalypse, but about the profoundly important history of the Christian movement from AD 1 to AD 114.' 
 
In Jesus of the Apocalypse, Barbara Thiering presents a new and significant view of the development of Christianity from the time of the crucifixion until the second century AD. She argues that Jesus was no solitary preacher appearing suddenly on the shores of Lake Galilee: he was a central figure in a major political movement to overthrow the pagan Roman empire. Although crucified, he did not die on the cross, and he, and subsequently his sons, took an important role in the evolution of the new underground religion which was developing out of Judaism. 
 
With detective-like perseverance Theiring unfolds the mystery of words, meanings and places that have been allowed to pass unchallenged, including a radical new interpretation of such mystical themes as the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, the seven seals. the Beast whose number is 666, the Great Harlot clothed in scarlet and purple. In so doing, she provides an absorbing and enlightening background to a period that has so often been seen more through the implications of scripture than the facts of history.

Jesus Of The Apocalypse

The Life Of Jesus After The Crucifixion

Catherine Cookson

Catherine Cookson's previous collection of essays and poems, Let Me Make Myself Plain, was published in response to the enthusiastic reception of a series of late night radio Epilogues. Now, following the remarkable success of that volume, she has compiled a further selection of thoughts, recollections, and observations on life - and death - together with another collection of the poems she prefers to describe as 'prose on short lines'. 
 
As in Let Me Make Myself Plain, and indeed in the whole of her extensive writing, Catherine Cookson expresses her thoughts and feelings with remarkable candour and considerable wit. Above all, though, it is her down-to-earth common sense that shines through, as the forthright nature of her views expresses the hard-won philosophy of life she has developed for herself. 
 
In Plainer Still, she reveals many of the qualities that allow her to draw upon the great inner strength she needs to continue the battle of life - one that has, for the past fifty years, given her readers endless pleasure through the medium of her many novels, each of them inspired by the harsh and uncompromising nature of her early life. 
 
As the late John Braine wrote when reviewing Catherine Cookson Country, 'One way or another, she is an inspiration, a noble spirit.' Readers of Plainer Still, a new personal anthology illustrated with black-and-white photographs, will certainly find themselves inspired by the indomitable spirit of this most remarkable lady.

Plainer Still

Tehmina Durrani

When a woman with brains and beauty from a wealthy background decides to take her fate into her own hands and challenge the restrictions of a male-oriented, conservative society, the consequences can be devastating. 
 
Born into one of Pakistan's most influential families, Tehmina Durrani was raised in the privileged milieu of Lahore high society, and educated at the same school as Benazir Bhutto. Like all women of her rank, she was expected to marry a prosperous Muslim from a respectable family, bear him many children, and lead a sheltered life of air-conditioned leisure. When she married Mustafa Khar, one of Pakistan's most eminent political figures, she continued to move in the best circles, and learned to keep up the public façade as a glamorous, cultivated wife, and mother of four children. 
 
In private, however, the story-book romance of the most talked-about couple in Pakistan rapidly turned sour. Mustafa Khar became violently possessive and pathologically jealous, and succeeded in cutting his wife off from the outside world. For the course of the fourteen-year marriage, she suffered alone, in silence. 
 
When Tehmina decided to rebel, the price she paid was extremely high: as a Muslim woman seeking a divorce, she signed away all financial support, lost the custody of her four children, and found herself alienated from her friends and disowned by her parents. 
 
Following the divorce, she felt she had to tell her story. When Pakistan publishers balked at the controversial nature of her manuscript, she published it herself. The book was a bombshell and shook Pakistani society to its foundations. Her at last was someone who had succeeding in reconciling her faith in Islam with her ardent belief in women's rights. Tehmina's story, adapted now for western readers, provides extraordinary insights into the vulnerable position of women caught in the complex web of Muslim society.

My Feudal Lord

Brian Clough

For the last three decades Brian Clough has been the most charismatic manager in football. Funny, outrageous, sentimental, he stands out sharply from the bland men in suits. Though his talent has earned him a fortune, he remains a working-class hero. As a player he was one of the most gifted forwards of his day. He scored 251 goals in 274 League appearances - and would have scored more had a cruel injury not forced him to retire. 
 
As a manager his record was full of superlatives. He took both Derby County and then Nottingham Forest out of the doldrums of the Second Division and made them world-beaters. Tactically brilliant, Clough had an unmatched ability to motivate players. He is the best manager England never had. Behind his back, they call him Old Big 'Ead. He has never been far from controversy, and some of his rows, particularly with his long-standing managerial partner Peter Taylor, are the stuff of tabloid legend. Not so long ago he was televised running onto the pitch to wallop some unruly supporters. More recently he has taken legal advice to counter rumours about illegal ticket deals. Dull he isn't. Despite his outgoing nature, Clough has always guarded his privacy. At last he has decided to tell his full story: from terraced council house in Middlesbrough, to luxurious mansion in an exclusive suburb of Derby; from fitter to socialist millionaire. He speaks of the influence of his strong, proud mother, his courtship and marriage to his glamorous wife Barbara, his children, particularly his goal-scoring son Nigel, and his health, which has been the subject of press speculation and concern. This is an extraordinary life, told by an extraordinary man.

Clough The Autobiography

Let Anne McCaffrey, storyteller extraordinare and New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author, take you on a journey to a whole new world: Pern. A world of dragons and other worldly forces; a world of mighty power and ominous threat. If you like David Eddings, Brandon Sanderson and Douglas Adams, you will love this. 
 
'Anne McCaffrey, one of the queens of science fiction, knows exactly how to give her public what it wants' - THE TIMES 
'Anne McCaffrey has written another moving book that ended with a huge smile on my face. I have not read anything she has written and been disappointed.' -- ***** Reader review 
'Excellent, well what else should I expect from Perm?' -- ***** Reader review 
'Absorbing' -- ***** Reader review 
*********************************************************************************** 
As a small boy, Readis Lilcamp is rescued by the 'shipfish' when he and his uncle Alemi are caught in a sudden squall beyond Paradise River Hold. AIVAS confirms that the big fish are called dolphins, part of the original settlers of Pern. 
 
On Earth they had been partnered with men, having learned to speak intelligible words. Readis, his Uncle Alemi and bronze Gadareth's rider, T'lion of Eastern Hold, are determined to restore the 'doll fins' to their rightful place in the ecology of Pern...and the partnership of men. 
 
Meanwhile, the fight to rid Pern of the terrible nightmare of Thread is still all consuming. While Lord Jaxom, F'lar and his dragonriders struggle to implement AIVAS' instructions, other challenges are issued and answered, including one which threatens young T'lion in the shape of his older brother, a brown rider, who harbours a deep grudge. 
 
And, of course, Readis must win his parents' consent to his association with the 'sea dragons of Pern' - the bottlenose dolphins - for they could be vital to the survival of Pern...

The Dolphins Of Pern

(Dragonriders of Pern: 13): an engrossing and enthralling epic fantasy from one of the most influential fantasy and SF novelists of her generation

Let Anne McCaffrey, storyteller extraordinare and New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author, take you on a journey to a whole new world: Pern. A world of dragons and other worldly forces; a world of mighty power and ominous threat. If you like David Eddings, Brandon Sanderson and Douglas Adams, you will love this. 
 
'Anne McCaffrey, one of the queens of science fiction, knows exactly how to give her public what it wants' -- THE TIMES 
'Mesmerising and totally unputdownable' -- ***** Reader review 
'Staggeringly good' -- ***** Reader review 
'Another story of Pern I simply couldn't put down' -- ***** Reader review 
'Just brilliant!!!' -- ***** Reader review 
*********************************************************************************** 
 
Here are five gripping episodes of early Pern -- from the very first space survey recommending colonisation, to the last, where the early world, its young dragon culture undetected, is condemned to be isolated in space. 
 
Here is the saga of the mass evacuation from the volcanic southern continent, an entire group of people moved across the dangerous seas, guarded and guided by a flotilla of dolphins. 
 
Here, too, is the story of the creation of Ruatha Hold -- a mammoth undertaking in the early days of Pern. 
 
And here is one of the most fascinating dragon tales ever written by Anne McCaffrey, when Fort Weyr was the only weyr, and when dragonriders and dragons were overcrowded to danger point. As the news broke of three fresh weyrs to be established, a young girl, Torene, came to realize that her dragon could be the next Queen of the newly formed Benden Weyr...

The Chronicles Of Pern: First Fall

(Dragonriders of Pern: 12): five fascinating epic fantasy scenes from one of the most influential fantasy and SF novelists of her generation.

Winston Groom

With an Introduction by 
P.J. O'Rourke 
 
 
 
THE WORLD WILL NEVER 
BE THE SAME ONCE 
YOU'VE SEEN IT THROUGH 
THE EYES OF FORREST GUMP 
 
America's most lovable new hero is winning smiles and hearts everywhere these days - in the Paramount motion picture, Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks, and in the novel by Winston Groom 
(available in Black Swan paperback), hailed by critics as one of the funniest books they've ever read.Now the fun continues in this delightful confection of wit and wisdom from the world according to Gump... 
 
'ALWAYS BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK AND SAY "AT LEAST I DIDN'TLEAD NO HUMDRUM LIFE"'

Gumpisms: The Wit & Wisdom Of Forrest Gump

Catherine Cookson is known and loved for her vibrant and earthy novels set in and around the North-East of England, past and present. Her autobiography makes plain how it is she knows her background and her characters so well. 
 
The Our Kate of the title is not Catherine Cookson, but her mother, around whom the autobiography revolves. Despite her faults, Kate emerges a warm and loveable human figure. 
 
Our Kate is an honest statement about living with hardship and poverty, seen through the eyes of a highly sensitive child and woman, whose zest for life and unquenchable sense of humour won through to make Catherine Cookson the warm, engaging and human writer she is today.

Our Kate

Mary Jane Staples

A wonderfully humourous Cockney saga from multi-million copy seller Mary Jane Staples. Perfect for fans of Maggie Ford, Kitty Neale and Katie Flynn. Perfect to settle down with! 
 
READERS ARE LOVING THE TRAP! 
"Loved this book, a very easy read with a lovely story" - 5 STAR REVIEW 
"Loved the humour in this book; also a great story" - 5 STAR REVIEW 
"Brilliant book. Love all Mary Jane Staples books." - 5 STAR REVIEW 
"Captivating" - 5 STAR REVIEW 
 
********************************************************* 
THE MOMENT HE MET HER HE KNEW LIFE WAS NEVER GOING TO BE THE SAME AGAIN... 
 
When Jamie Blair, twenty-four, unemployed, and back from the trenches, takes lodgings at Larcom Street in Walworth, he has no idea he is walking into a trap. The house is owned by Henry Mullins - a big, burly, hard drinker who makes life hell for his four stepchildren, all half-starved and frequently hit. 
 
It's Kitty, seventeen, who Jamie feels most sorry for. She takes the brunt of Mullins' bad temper, whilst trying to protect her sisters and brother. 
 
When Mullins suddenly dies - in somewhat suspicious circumstances - Kitty realises they could be in trouble. If she isn't careful the authorities could take the younger children away - split the family up... 
 
Too late Jamie finds himself with a ready-made family and a stubborn and fiery young lady called Kitty determined not to let him go.

The Trap

a brilliantly uplifting Cockney saga you won’t be able to put down

Sattareh Farman-Farmaian

Sattareh Farman Farmaian, the daughter of a once-powerful and wealthy Iranian prince, was raised and educated in the 1920s and 1930s in a Persian harem compound, along with numerous mothers and more than 30 brothers and sisters. As a young woman, she broke with Muslim tradition and travelled to America, where she became the first Persian to study at the University of Southern California. Her new life in the West fired a vision to lift her own people out of backwardness and poverty, and she returned to Iran to found the Tehran School of Social Work. For more than 20 years, Sattareh and her students waged a war against poverty, disease and overcrowding, and then, soon after the collapse of the Shah's regime, she was forced to flee the country in fear of her life. In this account of her experiences, she provides an insider's view of Iran's journey through the 20th century and of the events which led up to, and followed, the Islamic revolution.

Daughter Of Persia

A heart-warming Cockney saga from multi-million copy seller Mary Jane Staples. Perfect for fans of Maggie Ford, Kitty Neale and Katie Flynn. You won't be able to put it down! 
 
READERS ARE LOVING SERGEANT JOE! 
"Another fun read with some surprising twists and turns" - 5 STARS 
"A lovely story, and so funny I couldn't help but burst out laughing at times" - 5 STARS 
"Excellent read" - 5 STARS 
"A brilliant book...Mary Jane Staples brings her characters to life! Excellent!" - 5 STARS 
"Awesome - a lovely fun read" - 5 STARS 
 
*********************************************************************** 
SHE'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP HER FAMILY SAFE FROM HARM... 
 
Everyone likes Sergeant Joe. From the family with whom he has lodgings to the bookseller who employs him in a little lucrative and harmless forgery. He is a universal favourite. 
 
When he bumps into Dolly Smith - quite literally - he meets a girl who makes quite an impression on him. Dolly is quick, lively, and full of cockney cheek. She is also a little frightened - running from a vicious-looking thug and a sinister foreigner who seem to think she has stolen something valuable. 
 
When Joe takes Dolly under his wing he thinks he is just helping her in a momentary predicament. Little does he know his life is going to change forever... For Dolly, bewitching and beguiling - is involved in something quite dangerous...

Sergeant Joe

a delightfully moving, amusing and uplifting Cockney saga that will warm the cockles of your heart

Let Anne McCaffrey, storyteller extraordinare and New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author, take you on a journey to a whole new world: Pern and discover not only its flora, fauna, population and cultural hierarchy, but the history of an entire civilization. If you like David Eddings, David Gemmell and Douglas Adams, you will love this. 
 
**Finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Novel** 
** Winner of the HOMer Award for Science Fiction** 
**Finalist for the Locus Award for Best Novel** 
 
'Anne McCaffrey, one of the queens of science fiction, knows exactly how to give her public what it wants' - THE TIMES 
 
'You have many hours of happy reading ahead.' - ***** Reader Review 
 
'Would certainly recommend to anyone looking for a story to lose yourself in and come out the other end replete.' - ***** Reader Review 
 
******************************************************************** 
 
A science fiction classic from a master of the genre. 
 
When AIVAS -- the Artificial Intelligence Voice Address System -- was first discovered at Landing, the entire planet of Pern was awed at the knowledge it divulged. 
 
All the history of the people of Pern was there. Dragonholders, Lord Holders and Craftmasters crowded into the tiny inner room to learn the secrets of their beginnings. Ana AIVAS had other gifts to offer -- stored information of old crafts that had been forgotten, of medicine, music and technology. 
 
But the greatest promise AIVAS offered was the chance to rid Pern of Thread forever. All the great ones of Pern began the long and arduous task of learning just how to operate the incredible plan. 
 
This was a plan of such daring and epic proportions that both dragons and riders would be put at risk...

All The Weyrs Of Pern

(Dragonriders of Pern: 11): this is where it all began and could be where it all ends… from one of the most influential SFF writers of all time

They were misfits, the outcasts, the murderers without Hold or Crafthall. Some were resentful, some sought vengeance, but it was not until Thella, Lady Holder of Telgar, began to weld them together into a terrifying and brilliantly evil clan that they became the Renegades of Pern. it was a time of great turmoil on the planet. The pass of the Red Star had brought a new terrible reign of Threadfall, and in the southern Hold, Toric was carving out an enormous empire for himself from lands as yet uncharted. And as the times of trouble grew, so did the ravages of Thella and her band, turning from theft to murder to vicious and insane revenge. 
 
Jayge Lilcamp, the young and roving trader, was one of the first to fall foul of the renegades, and as he saw what Thella had done to his family and his wagon train he began to seek his own revenge, a revenge which grew into a determination to destroy the most evil woman on Pern.

The Renegades Of Pern

(Dragonriders of Pern: 10): an awe-inspiring epic fantasy from one of the most influential fantasy and SF novelists of her generation

In the beginning, before Thread, before the Dragons, before the Holds and the Weyrs and the elite Dragonriders of Pern, was just the great ships gliding through space with nearly six thousand colonists prepared to tackle the mighty task of beginning a new world on a strange planet. 
 
It was a jewel of a planet, with rivers and seas and mountains, and breathable air and growing things. Then came the terror. The strange, unidentifiable circles in the grass suddenly revealed a meaning, and every living thing was at risk. Many died - a horrible and consuming death. All resources, every man, woman and child had to fight the terrible nightmare of Thread. 
 
But a new creature was about to save the planet. From the delicate fire lizards a new life was born - a new symbiosis between man and beast.

Dragonsdawn

(Dragonriders of Pern: 9): discover Pern in this masterful display of storytelling and worldbuilding from one of the most influential SFF writers of all time…

Let Anne McCaffrey, storyteller extraordinare and New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author, take you on a journey to a whole new world: Pern. A world of dragons and other worldly forces; a world of mighty power and ominous threat. If you like David Eddings, Brandon Sanderson and Douglas Adams, you will love this. 
 
'Anne McCaffrey, one of the queens of science fiction, knows exactly how to give her public what it wants' - THE TIMES 
'A delight' -- ***** Reader review 
'Enchanting' -- ***** Reader review 
'Fantastic' -- ***** Reader review 
'I love this book, and read it probably once a year' -- ***** Reader review 
'Anne McCaffrey at her best' -- ***** Reader review 
 
*********************************************************************************** 
Nerilka's Story: we meet Lady Nerilka of Fort Hold in Moreta's time -- a time of legend, of heroic valour, of terrible Threadfall and the Great Plague that devastates both Holders and Dragonfolk. For Lady Nerilka, the tragedy is twofold, for with the death of her mother and her sister, her father's mistress takes possession of the Hold. Angry and betrayed, Nerilka decides to escape and, as Pern seethes in turmoil, she begins her perilous journey to Ruatha, Lord Alessan and an unknown destiny... 
 
The Coelura: When the Lady Caissa is told by her father to enter into an heir-contract with Cavernus Gustin, she is appalled. For although Gustin is genetically sound he is vain, pompous and intellectually inept. But Caissa's father is determined there should be a union - and Caissa cannot work out what his plans in this respect are. The, on a private flight over the forbidden areas of the North, she discovers a stranger who says his name is Murell -- a man surrounded by coelura, the incredible rainbow creatures whose very brilliance threatens their extinction. She learns her father's plans somehow relate to these beasts...and Murell is determined to save them.

Nerilka's Story & The Coelura

(Dragonriders of Pern: 8): two gripping tales in the world-famous Chronicles of Pern from one of the most influential fantasy and SF novelists of her generation

Robert Mason

'I read this as a young pilot about to embark on a career flying military helicopters. It should have put me off for life. Robert Mason tells a gripping account of the relentless courage and heroism amidst the insanity of the Vietnam war. The final few pages are the most shocking I have read in any book.' Tim Peake 
________ 
 
A stunning book about the right stuff in the wrong war. 
 
As a child, Robert Mason dreamed of levitating. 
 
As a young man, he dreamed of flying helicopters - and the U.S. Army gave him his chance. 
 
They sent him to Vietnam where, between August 1965 and July 1966, he flew more than 1,000 assault missions. In Chickenhawk, Robert Mason gives us a devastating bird's eye-view of that war in all its horror. 
 
He experiences the accelerating terror, the increasingly desperate courage of a man 'acting out the role of a hero long after he realises that the conduct of the war is insane,' says the New York Times. 
 
'And we can't stop ourselves from identifying with it.' 
 
CHICKENHAWK contains the most vivid, astoundingly intense descriptions of flying ever written. It is a devastating account of men at war, of courage and cowardice, boredom and exhilaration, lasting friendship and sudden death. It is not a book for weak stomachs, but its powerful message will stay in the memory long after the last page is turned.

Chickenhawk

Let Anne McCaffrey, storyteller extraordinare and New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author, take you on a journey to a whole new world: Pern. A world of dragons and other worldly forces; a world of mighty power and ominous threat.. If you like David Eddings, Brandon Sanderson and Douglas Adams, you will love this. 
 
"Anne McCaffrey, one of the queens of science fiction, knows exactly how to give her public what it wants" - THE TIMES 
"Do yourself a favour and read ANYTHING by this Author, you won't be sorry" -- ***** Reader review 
"A real page turner" -- ***** Reader review 
"Delightful reading, well written, and wonderful characters, and Dragons! Lots of Dragons! Bliss!" -- ***** Reader review 
"A brilliant read" -- ***** Reader review 
******************************************************************************* 
 
A YOUNG GIRL'S DESTINY AWAITS... 
 
Every two hundred years or so, shimmering Threads fall from space, raining death and black ruin on Pern. The great dragons of Pern hurl themselves through the beleagured skies, flaming tongues of fire to destroy deadly Thread and save the Planet. 
 
But it was not Threadfall that made young Menolly unhappy. It was her father who betrayed her ambition to be a Harper, who thwarted her love of music. Menolly had no choice but to run away. 
 
When, suddenly, she came upon a group of fire lizards, wild and smaller relatives of the fire-breathing dragons, she let her music swirl around them and taught nine of them to sing. 
 
Suddenly Menolly was no longer alone -- she was Mistress of Music and Ward of the dazzling fire dragons. 
 
The Dragonriders of Pern series continues in Dragonsinger.

Dragonsong

(Dragonriders of Pern: 4)

Intellectually brilliant, cultured and sophisticated, with refined tastes in art, music and cuisine. And a pure sociopath. This is the series that launched the world’s number one villain – Hannibal Lecter.

Hannibal Lecter

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Heavenly Bodies

Henry Pratt is the epitomy of the great British underdog. Nothing is ever simple in his world, just when it seems things are going right, life throws him another unwanted curve-ball. Join Pratt as he traverses the highs and lows of everyday life in this comic masterpiece.

Henry Pratt

Her Hidden Fire

To some a brilliant warrior, to others a devil in human form; Hereward is as adept in the art of slaughter as the enemies that gather to claim England's throne. With King Edward heirless and ailing, Hereward has been declared an outlaw. What is he willing to risk in order to save the land he loves? 
 
Hereward's tales are of heroism, treachery, rebellion and bloody battles, with William the Bastard never too far away.

Hereward

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Hetty Feather was left at a foundling hospital when she was a tiny baby. Having grown up in a loving foster family until she was five, and then finding herself returned to the hospital, she begins to question who her actual family are, and is determined to stop at nothing to find out where she came from. Jacqueline Wilson’s acclaimed series follows Hetty and her friend Diamond as they work their way up from their lowly backgrounds to become stars, overcoming loss, unkind bosses and flirtatious boys.

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