Len Deighton was born in 1929 in London. He did his national service in the RAF, went to the Royal College of Art and designed many book jackets, including the original UK edition of Jack Kerouac's On the Road. The enormous success of his first spy novel, The IPCRESS File (1962), was repeated in a remarkable sequence of books over the following decades. These varied from historical fiction (Bomber, perhaps his greatest novel) to dystopian alternative fiction (SS-GB) and a number of brilliant non-fiction books on the Second World War (Fighter, Blitzkrieg and Blood, Tears and Folly). 
 
His spy novels chart the twists and turns of Britain and the Cold War in ways which now give them a unique flavour. They preserve a world in which Europe contains many dictatorships, in which the personal can be ruined by the ideological and where the horrors of the Second World War are buried under only a very thin layer of soil. Deighton's fascination with technology, his sense of humour and his brilliant evocation of time and place make him one of the key British espionage writers, alongside John Buchan, Eric Ambler, Ian Fleming and John Le Carré.

Len Deighton

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Christopher Wormell

Philip Pullman

Lyra is studying at Oxford University, she comes across the story of Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnisson's first meeting, many years ago, along with much evidence of the adventure that brought them together . . . 
When a young Texan balloonist, Lee Scoresby, comes down to earth in the harbour of an Arctic town in the North, little does he realise that he is about to be embroiled in an out-and-out political brawl. 
 
Lee and his daemon, Hester, find themselves the target of political factions trying to take over the running (and oil) of the town. And also resident in the town are huge arctic bears, ignored and patronised by the people and treated like second-class citizens. When Lee and Iorek first meet, they cement a friendship that will continue throughout their lives, as the tensions and pressure in town lead to a deadly conclusion . . . 
 
Featuring two of Philip Pullman's best-loved characters, this is an adventure-filled short story that builds on the world of His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust.

Once Upon a Time in the North

Illustrated Edition

Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum has a way of attracting danger, lunatics, oddballs, bad luck ... and mystery men. And no one is more mysterious than the unmentionable Diesel. He's back and hot on the trail of a little man in green pants who's lost a giant bag of money. 
 
Problem is the money isn't exactly lost. Stephanie's Grandma Mazur has found it, and like any good Jersey senior citizen she's high-tailed it in a Winnebago to Atlantic City and hit the slots. 
 
With Lula and Connie in tow, Stephanie attempts to bring Grandma home. But the luck of the Irish is rubbing off on everyone. Lula's found a job modeling plus size lingerie, Connie's found a guy, Diesel's found Stephanie. And Stephanie has found herself in way over her head ...

Plum Lucky

P. J. Tracy

Caught with his hand in a church Christmas collection just hours after his latest release from prison, lifelong petty thief Emil Rice can't believe his luck when he's spared another festive season behind bars. 
 
Sent instead to carry out community service at a local mental health facility, Emil's plan is to flee at the first opportunity. However this is no ordinary facility - isolated in the middle of the desert, Emil realises he has no choice but to stick it out. 
 
To make matters worse, a number of the inmates immediately take a shine to him - especially eccentric sisters Gloria and Edith. The elderly duo are convinced they're the reincarnation of two of the wise men from the nativity story, and they've waited their whole lives to find the third and final wise man. 
 
And they're convinced Emil fits the bill.... 
 
Warm and wise, funny and festive, this is a wonderful Christmas tale from Sunday Times bestselling author P.J. Tracy

Return of the Magi

A heartwarming Christmas story

Fidel Castro

The acclaimed autobiography of Fidel Castro, one of the towering political figures of our age, who dominated both Cuba and the world stage for over half a century. 
 
Here Castro tells his story in full for the first time, speaking openly about everything from his parents and earliest influences to his imprisonment, guerrilla war and the Cuban revolution and on to the Bay of Pigs, the missile crisis and his relationship with Che Guevara. He also remembers the people he knew, from John F. Kennedy to Ernest Hemingway. Whatever your views on Castro are, this is an essential record of an incredible life - and even more extraordinary times. 
 
'Cubaphiles are all the richer for this book ... Castro's prodigious gifts are well displayed: his formidable erudition, steely discipline, epic curiosity and his astute grasp of history' Financial Times 
 
'Castro's life has been extraordinary and he can tell a good story' Evening Standard

My Life

John Sutherland

Ranging all the way from Aaron's Rod to Zuleika Dobson, via The Devil Rides Out and Middlemarch, literary connoisseur and sleuth John Sutherland offers his very personal guide to the most rewarding, most remarkable and, on occasion, most shamelessly enjoyable works of fiction ever written. 
 
He brilliantly captures the flavour of each work and assesses its relative merits and demerits. He shows how it fits into a broader context and he offers endless snippets of intriguing information: did you know, for example, that the Nazis banned Bambi or that William Faulkner wrote As I Lay Dying on an upturned wheelbarrow; that Voltaire completed Candide in three days, or that Anna Sewell was paid £20 for Black Beauty? It is also effectively a history of the novel in 500 or so wittily informative, bite-sized pieces. 
 
Encyclopaedic and entertaining by turns, this is a wonderful dip-in book, whose opinions will inform and on occasion, no doubt, infuriate. 
__________________________________________________ 
'Generous, enjoyable and well informed.' Observer 
 
'Anyone hooked on fiction should be warned: this book will feed your addiction.' Mail on Sunday

How to be Well Read

A guide to 500 great novels and a handful of literary curiosities

A mesmerising episode from the universe of His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust, giving us an extraordinary insight into this world and its characters. 
 
When Lyra is studying at Oxford University, she comes across the story of Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnisson's first meeting, many years ago, along with much evidence of the adventure that brought them together. 
 
She discovers that when a young Texan balloonist Lee came down to earth in the harbour of an Arctic town in the North, little did he realise that he is about to be caught in a war between the residents of the town and the huge arctic bears that also live there. 
 
And when Lee meets one of these bears - Iorek - for the first time, they cement a friendship that will continue throughout their lives, as the tensions in the town threaten to erupt ... 
 
Another wonderful tale from a master story-teller, which includes beautiful illustrations and maps.

Dawn French

This is Dawn French's fabulously inventive take on modern life - the twists and turns, the surprises, the hurts and the delights. Yes, especially those. It's a way for readers to take a lovely ramble through the year together with Dawn. Think of it as Dawn's diary, with places for the reader to personalize the book with their own thoughts and experiences . . . perfection.

Me. You. Not a Diary

The No.1 Sunday Times Bestseller

James Patterson

'A fast, funny and heartfelt read' - Mel Robbins, bestselling author of The Let Them Theory 
 
'Hilarious and sharp... Everything (and more) about being a dad' - Ron Howard, Academy-Award winning filmmaker 
 
'A beautiful reminder that the most important stories often start at home' - Viola Davis, EGOT-winning actress and producer 
 
The quick and accessible guide to being the best dad you can be from the Sunday Times bestselling author, the perfect gift for dads new and old. 
 
James Patterson did the parenting homework so you don't have to - at least not as much. He talked to lots of experts, and lots of dads, and lots of experts who are also dads. He read everything he could. Then he wrote and rewrote this book for dads everywhere. 
In 1 hour...You can be a better dad to your kids.Somebody who keeps learning and growing and loving your family.You can be a hands-on teacher. Somebody who gives hugs and changes nappies.You can be a dad who is more present.Somebody who’s a good storyteller and a good listener.You can be a better husband or partner.Somebody who can say, “I was wrong” and “I love you.”Dad, your new life begins in 1 hour.

The No. 1 Dad Book

Be the Best Dad You Can Be

Jason Hazeley

Joel Morris

These delightful books are the latest in the series of Ladybird books which have been specially planned to help grown-ups with the world about them. 
 
The large clear script, the careful choice of words, the frequent repetition and the thoughtful matching of text with pictures all enable grown-ups to think they have taught themselves to cope. The subject of the books will greatly appeal to grown-ups. 
 
The eight books in the series feature original Ladybird artwork alongside brilliantly funny, brand new text. The other books in the series are: 
 
- The Ladybird Book of Mindfulness 
 
- The Ladybird Book of Sheds 
 
- The Ladybird Book of The Hipster 
 
- The Ladybird Book of the Mid-Life Crisis 
 
- The Ladybird Book of the Hangover 
 
- The Ladybird Book of Dating 
 
- How it Works: The Husband 
 
- How it Works: The Wife

Can you imagine a world where there aren't just the thirty-two Ladybird Books for Grown-Ups you've seen in your local bookshop or downstairs toilet but hundreds and hundreds more? 
 
If you can't, then this book is here to imagine it for you. 
 
Here is an enormous collection of helpful guides to everything from worryingly high cholesterol to worryingly high mortgages - from teenagers you can't understand to prizewinning novels you can't understand - all presented simply and colourfully, in a way that even the most jaded, exhausted, baffled grown-up can enjoy. 
 
'This is such a good idea I'm currently experiencing all the physical sensations of anger because I didn't think of it, whereas Jason and Joel did, the shits.' Charlie Brooker 
 
'I do not hasten to say that these books are the new Da Vinci Code.' Aisling Bea 
 
'These books are small masterpieces. They make me glad I learned to read.' David Quantick 
 
'HILARIOUS. Beserkly brilliant.' Mel Giedroye

The Wonderful World of Ladybird Books for Grown-Ups

Keri Smith

Welcome to the highly inspirational world of Keri Smith. Within the pages of The Pocket Scavenger, readers will be instructed to collect a spectrum of quirky items: something that is miniature, a stain that is green, something from the year you were born, a used envelope, and more.Then, once their quarry is in hand, they'll apply an alteration dictated solely by chance: create a funny character, conceal it, add polkadots, remove a section, add stripes, scribble on top, duplicate it (make a copy), fold, cut into pieces &amp; rearrange, turn into an article of clothing, trace it/use the shape as basis for a new drawing, make it 'pretty', and so on. It's funny, moving, silly and serious. The way you look at things will never be the same again.

The Pocket Scavenger

'What kind of world would you like to inhabit?' Here, Keri Smith begins with a list. Writing down everything the reader is drawn to, from things they love or collect to things that fascinate and excite, including objects, colours, sounds, textures, memories, places and people, the list serves as the building block for the creation of a new world. This world is based entirely on who the reader is as an individual, and as such is completely unique. 
 
Prompted to think about landscape, place names, maps, currency and more Keri Smith encourages everyone to push their imaginations to the limit.

The Imaginary World of

Michael White

How do you build a Tardis? What are the secrets of teleportation? Could Cybermen take over the world? Is telepathy possible - even for an alien? Will extra-terrestrials one day visit planet earth on their travels through the galaxy? Can a robotic dog catch a cold ...? 
Take a journey with the Time Lords as Michael White guides us through the real science behind Doctor Who. Here he shows us how one of the world's best-loved science-fiction programmes is actually based on genuine theories - some of which could soon become a reality. Drawing on the latest discoveries, on shows from Star Trek to The X-Files and films like Twelve Monkeys and Contact, he asks (among other things): is time travel possible through a wormhole? What are the dangers? Could we make contact with life on other planets? How could aliens get here? And how soon until creatures like the Daleks become a reality? He also looks at areas as varied as crystal power, robotics, shape-shifting and multi-dimensions, not to mention the mysterious science of 'chameleon technology' currently under study by major military research organizations. We even discover how, with the use of cybernetics to replace body parts - or maybe regenerate whole bodies - Doctor Who could hold the key to eternal life. 
A book for avid fans and the merely curious, A Teaspoon and an Open Mind reveals that reality is even stranger than science fiction ...

A Teaspoon and an Open Mind

What would an alien look like? Is time travel possible? and other intergalactic conumdrums from the world of Doctor Who

Henry Dudeney

"Regular exercise is supposed to be as necessary for the brain as for the body. Many of us are very apt to suffer from mental cobwebs, and there is nothing equal to the solving of puzzles for sweeping them away." - Henry Dudeney (1847-1930) 
 
First published in 1907, Dudeney's The Canterbury Puzzles is a classic of the genre, based on characters from Chaucer's Tales. The book contains 114 puzzles suitable for young enthusiasts, recreational mathematicians and veteran puzzlers alike. As challenging today as it was over a century ago, this ingenious book will provide hours-worth of puzzles to keep your brain alert.

The Canterbury Puzzles

Emma Smith

'A fascinating journey into our relationship with the physical book...I lost count of the times I exclaimed with delight when I read a nugget of information I hadn't encountered before' Val McDermid, The Times 
 
Most of what we say about books is really about the words inside them: the rosy nostalgic glow for childhood reading, the lifetime companionship of a much-loved novel. But books are things as well as words, objects in our lives as well as worlds in our heads. And just as we crack their spines, loosen their leaves and write in their margins, so they disrupt and disorder us in turn. All books are, as Stephen King put it, 'a uniquely portable magic'. Here, Emma Smith shows us why. 
 
Portable Magic unfurls an exciting and iconoclastic new story of the book in human hands, exploring when, why and how it acquired its particular hold over us. Gathering together a millennium's worth of pivotal encounters with volumes big and small, Smith reveals that, as much as their contents, it is books' physical form - their 'bookhood' - that lends them their distinctive and sometimes dangerous magic. From the Diamond Sutra to Jilly Cooper's Riders, to a book made of wrapped slices of cheese, this composite artisanal object has, for centuries, embodied and extended relationships between readers, nations, ideologies and cultures, in significant and unpredictable ways. 
 
Exploring the unexpected and unseen consequences of our love affair with books, Portable Magic hails the rise of the mass-market paperback, and dismantles the myth that print began with Gutenberg; it reveals how our reading habits have been shaped by American soldiers, and proposes new definitions of a 'classic'-and even of the book itself. Ultimately, it illuminates the ways in which our relationship with the written word is more reciprocal - and more turbulent - than we tend to imagine.

Portable Magic

A History of Books and their Readers

Ethan Hawke

'A guide for living an upright and noble life' The New Yorker 
'An easy and endearing read' Publishers Weekly 
 
'Never announce you are a Knight, simply behave as one. You are better than no one, and no one is better than you.' 
 
On the eve of a battle from which he fears he may not return, Sir Thomas Lemuel Hawke writes a letter to his children so that he may pass on his-hard won lessons on knighthood. 
 Drawing on philosophy and the great writings of our time, the letter provides instructions on living a life full of adventure, inspiration and, most importantly, love. 
 
Rules for a Knight is a beautiful fable by Ethan Hawke. 
 
'Philosophy lovers will enjoy the Eastern and Western philosophical musings, but everyone will enjoy the touching storyline' Metro

Rules for a Knight

A letter from a father

Particular Books are very excited to welcome the creative talents of best-selling author Keri Smith. Her books are huge word-of-mouth hits in the US: where four years after publication, Keri's first book Wreck This Journal continues to sell a thousand copies a week... 
 
This is Not a Book takes a uniquely skewed look at the purpose and function of 'a book', Keri Smith asks readers to creatively examine all the different ways This Is Not a Book can be used. With intriguing prompts, readers will discover that this book can be: 
 
A secret message - tear out a page, write a note on it for a stranger, and leave it in a public place. 
 
A recording device - have everyone you contact today write their name in the book. 
 
An instrument - create as many sounds as you can using the book, like flipping the pages fast or slapping the cover. 
 
This Is Not a Book will engage readers by having them define everything a book can be by asking, 'If it's not a book, what is it then?' - with a kaleidoscope of possible answers.

This Is Not A Book

A new edition of Keri Smith's bestseller, with updated material 
 
Think of Wreck This Journal as the anarchist's Artist's Way -- the book for those who've always wanted to draw outside the lines but were afraid to do it. 
 
For anyone who's ever wished to, but had trouble starting, keeping, or finishing a journal or sketchbook comes Wreck This Journal, an illustrated book featuring a subversive collection of suggestions, asking readers to muster up their best mistake - and mess-making abilities to fill the pages of the book (and destroy them). 
 
Through a series of creatively and quirkily illustrated prompts, acclaimed artist Keri Smith encourages journalers to engage in "destructive" acts - poking holes through pages, adding photos and defacing them, painting with coffee, colouring outside the lines, and more - in order to experience the true creative process. With Keri Smith's unique sensibility, readers are introduced to a new way of art and journal making, discovering novel ways to escape the fear of the blank page and fully engage in the creative process.

Wreck This Journal

To Create is to Destroy, Now With Even More Ways to Wreck!

Lizzie Ostrom

THE PERFECT GIFT FOR ANY OCCASION 
 
The incredible stories of 100 perfumes from a whole century of scents 
 
'Wonderful . . . Charming and illuminating. I loved it' INDIA KNIGHT 
'A really enjoyable, fun book' CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN 
'Beautifully written . . . A perfect gift' CATHY RENTZENBRINK 
 
Signature scents and now lost masterpieces; the visionaries who conceived them; the wild and wonderful campaigns that launched them; the women and men who wore them - every perfume has a tale to tell. 
 
Beautifully illustrated and extremely insightful, Perfume: A Century of Scents is a lush journey into the scents that have changed the world. 
 
***READER REVIEWS*** 
'I am in awe' 
'A fantastic book for all fumeheads out there' 
'A total must buy!' 
'There is no book quite like this'

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