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Zoe Dubno

The funny, propulsive new novel about hating your friends, hating what they bring out in you, hating how you pander to them, the perfect satirical summer read for fans of Emma Cline, Curtis Sittenfeld, and Ottessa Moshfegh. 
 
A LitHub most anticipated book of 2025 
 
‘Exceptionally funny and entertaining’ Katy Hessel, bestselling author of The Story of Art Without Men 
 
‘A gorgeous book on being a hater, and I inhaled this in one sitting’ Stylist 
 
 
Years after escaping her unbearable artworld friends in New York for a new life in London, an unnamed writer finds herself once more at their dinner table for a single, hideous evening. 
 
It’s the day after the funeral of their mutual friend, a failed actress and – Eugene and Nicole, an artist-curator couple – are hosting a dinner party. If the narrator once loved and admired the couple and their important friends, she now despises them all. 
 
Most of all, however, she despises herself for being lured back to this cavernous apartment, to this hollow, bourgeois social set, for a dinner party that isn’t even being thrown in their deceased friend’s honour, but in the honour of an up-and-coming actress who is by now several hours late. 
 
As the guests sip at their drinks and await the actress’s arrival, the narrator, from her vantage point in the corner seat of a white sofa entertains herself - and us - with a silent, tender, merciless takedown. 
 
A satire about friendship, capitalism, culture, and art, Happiness and Love is the razor-sharp new novel from an exciting literary voice. 
 
 
‘Bracing and funny and fiercely clever’ Orlando Whitfield, Nero-award listed author of All that Glitters 
 
‘An ecstatic performance of heightened perception’ Chris Kraus, bestselling author of I Love Dick 
 
‘Zeitgeist and timeless, cynical but not soulless. Fabulous!’ Melissa Broder, author of Milk Fed and The Pisces

Happiness and Love

Hallie Rubenhold

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
The new page-turning, feminist retelling of the historical true-crime story of infamous wife-murderer Dr Crippen, brought to justice by an extraordinary group of women. 
 
FROM THE AWARD-WINNING, SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR OF TRUE CRIME SENSATION THE FIVE: THE WOMEN KILLED BY JACK THE RIPPER, WINNER OF THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION. 
___________ 
 
'Thoughtful, humane, gripping. The kind of popular history you devour in one sitting' Sunday Times, Dominic Sandbrook 
 
'A finely layered portrait of a hypocritical Edwardian society’ Financial Times 
 
'An exceptional achievement. I was gripped from the very first page' The Secret Barrister, Sunday Times bestselling author 
 
‘I couldn't put it down' Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry 
 
'Under her pen, history comes alive' Professor Dame Sue Black 
___________ 
 
No murderer should ever be the keeper of their victim's story … 
 
On 1 February, 1910, vivacious music-hall performer, Belle Elmore, suddenly vanished from her north London home, causing alarm among her circle of female friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild who demanded an immediate investigation. 
 
They could not have known what they would provoke: the unearthing of a gruesome secret, followed by a fevered manhunt for the prime suspect: Belle’s husband, medical fraudster, Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen. 
 
Hiding in the shadows of this evergreen tale is Crippen’s typist and lover, Ethel Le Neve – was she really just ‘an innocent young girl’ in thrall to a powerful older man as so many people have since reported? 
 
In this epic examination of one of the most infamous murders of the twentieth century, prizewinning social historian Hallie Rubenhold gives voice to those who have never properly been heard – the women. 
 
Featuring a carnival cast of eccentric entertainers, glamorous lawyers, zealous detectives, medics and liars, STORY OF A MURDER is meticulously researched and multi-layered, offering the reader an electrifying snapshot of Britain and America at the dawn of the modern era. 
___________ 
 
PRAISE FOR STORY OF A MURDER: 
 
'Gripping and eye-opening' I-news, Book to Watch Out For 
 
'Reads like a great thriller. I inhaled it' Bella Mackie, bestselling author of How to Kill Your Family 
 
'A unique combination of sleuthing, storytelling and compassion' Lucy Worsley, bestselling author and historian 
 
'Fascinating. It's about time Belle became the hero of her own story' Val McDermid, bestselling author of the Karen Pirie series 
 
'As compelling as any crime drama' S J Parris, bestselling author of the Giordano Bruno series 
 
'I had my hand over my wide-open mouth…I can’t recommend it more: I will be thinking about it for a very long time. Rachel Joyce, bestselling author of The Homemade God 
 
'Takes us beyond the world of Dr Crippen into the lives impacted by him and the society in which he moved. Terrific' Ian Rankin, bestselling author of the Rebus series 
 
'Compelling to the very last page' Denise Mina, award-winning author of Reese’s Book Club pick, Conviction 
 
'Does for the Crippen Murder case what THE FIVE did for the victims of Jack the Ripper. Forensic research and insistent sympathetic writing. I loved it' PROFESSOR DAVID WILSON, BBC 1, The Crime 
Squad 
 
'Breathtaking. Rubenhold has not only produced a thrilling reassessment of a notorious crime, but an impressive portrait of an age' Spectator

Story of a Murder

The Wives, the Mistress and Dr Crippen

The Crime of the Century retold by the Women History Forgot

Mariam Rahmani

A most anticipated book of the season for Oprah Daily, Literary Hub, Electric Literature, Book Riot, WBUR and LGBTQ Reads. 
 
'Sexy, sly, daring' Justin Torres, National Book Award-winning author of Blackouts 
 
'The smoothest, smartest book I’ve read in quite some time' Paul Beatty, Booker Prize-winning author of The Sellout 
 
'Loving, cutting, mournful, and hilarious' Bryan Washington award-winning author of Family Meal and Memorial 
 
 
‘My career had gone nowhere. My love life was non-existent. And as for s*x – here I was, home alone on a Saturday night with a chick flick playing on my laptop because I didn’t own a TV. You can draw your own conclusions.’ 
 
Our protagonist always believed herself to be the smartest person in the room. But a couple of years on from earning a fancy PhD, she’s still broke, single and stuck in a job going nowhere. One option remains: marry rich. 
 
Her summer becomes a whirlwind of dating: martinis with a lazy heir, board games with a butch producer and a Venmo request from a ‘socialist’ trust-fund babe. However, when some unexpected and tragic news takes her – and her project – to Tehran she is forced to ask and answer some overdue questions about family, connection and, terrifyingly, her own purpose in life and in love. 
 
A riveting spin on a classic romantic comedy, Liquid delivers a modern tale of romance, loss and belonging in a gorgeous high-wire voice that explodes off the page with wit, verve and originality.

Liquid

Syou Ishida

For fans of THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES, discover the award-winning Japanese sensation - a charming celebration of the HEALING POWER of CATS. 
 
A cat a day keeps the doctor away ... 
 
On the top floor of an old building at the end of a cobbled alley in Kyoto lies the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. Only a select few - those who feel genuine emotional pain - can find it. 
 
The mysterious centre offers a unique treatment for its troubled patients: it prescribes cats as medication. 
 
Get ready to fall in love: 
- Bee, an eight-year-old female, mixed breed helps a disheartened businessman as he finds unexpected joy in physical labour; 
- Margot, muscly like a lightweight boxer, helps a middle-aged callcentre worker stay relevant at work and at home; 
- Koyuki, an exquisite white cat brings closure to a young mother troubled by the memory of the rescue kitten she was forced to abandon; 
- Tank and Tangerine bring peace to a hardened handbag designer, as she learns to be kinder to herself; 
- Mimita, the Scottish Fold kitten helps a broken-hearted Geisha to stop blaming herself for the cat she lost years ago; 
 
As the clinic's patients navigate their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them towards healing, self-discovery and newfound hope. 
 
**Contains five exquisite cat line-drawings** 
 
Japanese bestseller, October 2023 
 
Readers adore WE'LL PRESCRIBE YOU A CAT: 
‘The most wonderful book I've ever read’ ***** 
‘A terrific idea, a powerful ending, brilliant storytelling’ ***** 
‘The story drew me in instantly, and I laughed so much’ ***** 
‘I definitely want everyone to read this book’ ***** 
‘There are so many wonderful lines to underscore, but if I write them here, there will be spoilers!’ *****

We'll Prescribe You a Cat

Hiro Arikawa

THE INSTANT TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
DISCOVER YOUR NEXT FEELGOOD JAPANESE NOVEL, BY THE AUTHOR OF THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES 
 
Over 1.4 million copies sold in Japan 
 
'You will be wrapped in laughter and tears' Reader review***** 
'What I love about it is its Kindness' Reader review***** 
'I wanted to tap the shoulders of the characters' Reader review***** 
‘Imagine Murder on the Orient Express without the untimely fatalities and you'll be halfway towards this cosy and affecting read' Harper's Bazaar 
_________ 
 
The contents of each traveller's heart is a mystery known only to themselves 
 
Trundling through the scenic countryside of Kyoto and Osaka is the Hankyu line, a burgundy-coloured electric train that has been carrying its commuters to their destinations for decades. 
 
Over the course of a single journey in springtime, and the return journey six months later just as the leaves begin to fall: 
 
- a young man meets the woman who happens to take out the last copy of the library book he was about to borrow; 
- an angry wedding guest dresses in a white gown to upstage the bride; 
- a university student leaves home for the first time; 
- a twenty-something finally grows the courage to walk away from an abusive partner 
- a widow learns independence, as she and her granddaughter discuss their new dog. 
 
As the seasons and the landscapes change, passengers jostle and connect, as this timeless train carries each one forward towards the person they intend to become.

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line

Terry Pratchett

Melvyn Grant

A Discworld series tie-in picture book, a companion to Thud! (part of the City Watch novels). Go beyond the novels to discover more about the fantastically funny and gloriously inventive world of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. 
 
At six o'clock every day, without fail, with no excuses, Sam Vimes must go home to read Where's My Cow?, with all the right farmyard noises, to his little boy. There are some things you have to do.It is the most loved and chewed book in the world. 
 
But his father wonders why it is full of moo-cows and baa-lambs when Young Sam will only ever see them cooked on a plate. He can think of a more useful book for a boy who lives in a city. 
 
So Sam Vimes starts adapting the story. A story with streets, not fields. A book with rogues and villains. A book about the place where he'll grow up.

Where's My Cow?

(Discworld Novels)

Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson goes to Kenya at the invitation of CARE International, the charity dedicated to working with local communities to eradicate poverty around the world. Kenya, generally regarded as the cradle of humankind, is a land of stunning landscapes, famous game reserves, and a vibrant culture, but it also has many serious problems, including refugees, AIDS, drought and grinding poverty. It also provides plenty to worry a nervous traveller like Bill Bryson: hair-raising rides in light aircraft, tropical diseases, snakes, insects and large predators. 
 
Bryson casts his inimitable eye on a continent new to him, and the resultant diary, though short in length, contains all his trademark laugh-out-loud wit, wry observation and curious insight. 
 
All the author’s royalties from this book, as well as all profits, will go to CARE International.

Bill Bryson's African Diary

Rachael Stott

Thief of Time is a graphic novel adapted from Terry Pratchett’s critically acclaimed book, featuring artwork from prize-winning comic book illustrator Rachael Stott. 
 
The very fabric of reality is at risk on the Discworld. A group of powerful cosmic beings are plotting to stop time and exact order over the dreadfully messy universe. 
 
It is up to Susan, the assertive, no-nonsense granddaughter of Death himself, aided by a time-splicing monk and his mysterious apprentice, to navigate a world of chaos and clockmakers in an extraordinary bid to save the universe. 
 
Together they will face an adventure that bends time and challenges the very nature of existence. 
 
This new graphic novel is a feast for the eyes, packed with Pratchett's signature wit, insight and imagination, taking the reader on an unforgettable journey into the heart of time itself. 
 
**PART OF THE DISCWORLD GRAPHIC NOVEL UNIVERSE** 
 
Praise for the original novel: 
‘This is the best Pratchett I've read’ Sunday Telegraph 
‘Terry Pratchett is one of the great inventors of secondary - or imaginative or alternative – worlds’ The Times 
‘Part kung fu epic, part philosophical novel, part mind-bending experiment with chaos theory (and a piss-take of those three things)’ Guardian

Thief of Time

The Discworld Graphic Novel Universe

The highly anticipated new novel - The Kokoro Clinic for the Soul reopens in this delightful follow-up to the award-winning, bestselling Japanese novel We'll Prescribe You a Cat for fans of The Travelling Cat Chronicles and The Cat Who Saved Books 
 
It’s time to revisit the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. 
 
Though it is mysteriously located at an uncertain address, the Kokoro clinic can always be found by those who need it. And it has proven time after time that a prescribed cat has the power to heal the emotional wounds of all its patients. 
 
This irresistible sequel introduces a new loveable cast of healing cats, from Kotetsu, a four-month-old Bengal who unleashes his energy by demolishing bed linen, to curious Shasha, who won't let her tiny size stop her, and lazy Ms. Michiko, who is as soft and comforting as mochi. 
 
As characters from one chapter re-appear as side characters in the next, we follow a young woman who cannot help pushing away the man who loves her; a recently widowed grandfather whose grandson refuses to leave his room; and an anxious man working at a cat shelter who seeks to show how difficult cats can be the most rewarding. 
 
This moving, magical novel proves just how eternally unknowable cats are for we humans, even while we continue to cherish their special gift of transforming our lives. 
 
**Contains five exquisite line drawings by artist Alissa Levy @levysfriends

We'll Prescribe You Another Cat

Sophie Haydock

On France's golden Riviera, the wife of an artist gives him an ultimatum: her or me. The dazzling new novel from Sophie Haydock, author of The Flames 
 
'Deliciously immersive . . . Think of [Haydock] as the art world’s answer to Philippa Gregory . . . I took Madame Matisse on a wet, grey holiday and it swept me into a world of startling, splashy colour' The Spectator 
 
'[A] sizzling story of the art world, where sidelined women take centre stage. It’s an immersive tale of muses, betrayal, sex and bad behaviour' Daily Mail 
 
This is the story of three women - one an orphan and refugee who finds a place in the studio of a famous French artist, the other a wife and mother who has stood by her husband for nearly forty years. The third is his daughter, caught in the crossfire between her mother and a father she adores. 
 
Amelie is first drawn to Henri Matisse as a way of escaping the conventional life expected of her. A free spirit, she sees in this budding young artist a glorious future for them both. Ambitious and driven, she gives everything for her husband's art, ploughing her own desires, her time, her money into sustaining them both, even through years of struggle and disappointment. 
 
Lydia Delectorskaya is a young Russian emigree, who fled her homeland following the death of her mother. After a fractured childhood, she is trying to make a place for herself on France's golden Riviera, amid the artists, film stars and dazzling elite. Eventually she finds employment with the Matisse family. From this point on, their lives are set on a collision course.... 
 
Marguerite is Matisse's eldest daughter. When the life of her family implodes, she must find her own way to make her mark and to navigate divided loyalties. 
 
Based on a true story, Madame Matisse is a stunning novel about drama and betrayal; emotion and sex; glamour and tragedy, all set in the hotbed of the 1930s art movement in France. In art, as in life, this a time when the rules were made to be broken...

Madame Matisse

John Lewis-Stempel

"How to describe the ecstatic song of larks? How the writers and poets have tried..." 
 
Skylarks are the heralds of our countryside. Their music is the quintessential sound of spring. The spirit of English pastoralism, they inspire poets, composers and farmers alike. In the trenches of World War I they were a reminder of the chattering meadows of home. 
 
Perhaps you were up with the lark, or as happy as one. History has seen us poeticise and musicise the bird, but also capture and eat them. We watch as they climb the sky, delight in their joyful singing, and yet we harm them too. 
 
 The Soaring life of the Lark explores the music and poetry; the breath-taking heights and struggle to survive of one of Britain's most iconic songbirds. 
 
PRAISE FOR JOHN LEWIS-STEMPEL 
 
'Britain's finest living nature writer' - The Times 
 
'Lewis-Stempel is a fourth-generation farmer gifted with an extraordinary ability to write prose that soars and sings' - Daily Mail

The Soaring Life of the Lark

John Boyne

John Boyne's acclaimed quartet of Water, Earth, Fire and Air come together at last. 
 
Human life is governed by the elements – water, earth, fire and air. They are fundamental to our existence. They sustain us, but they also challenge us. 
 
In The Elements, John Boyne has created a vivid kaleidoscope to reflect that contradiction: a quartet of intertwined narratives, each providing a different perspective on cause and effect from the points of view of the enabler, the accomplice, the perpetrator and the victim. 
 
From a mother on the run from her past, to a young football star on trial, a successful surgeon grappling with childhood trauma, and finally a father on a transformative journey with his son, the four strands weave together to form a tapestry of intersecting lives. 
 
Boyne’s most ambitious work yet, The Elements is both an engrossing drama and a moving examination of the fault lines inherent to human experience. In crisp, spellbinding prose, he navigates a complex subject with extraordinary empathy and unflinching honesty, at every step challenging us to confront our own perceptions of who we are and what made us that way.

The Elements

Carmella Lowkis

'Carmella Lowkis has done it again with this deeply satisfying and gothic stunner' ALLY WILKES 
'One of the best gothic novels the genre has to offer' JOHANNA VAN VEEN 
'Full of rich gothic decay and ratcheting tension ... twist after twist left me reeling' DANIELLE GILES 
 
'We are cursed, here at Harfold, whether you believe in it or not.' 
 
1922, Wiltshire. When Vee Morgan accepts the job of gardener at a crumbling stately home, she's hoping for a fresh start where nobody knows her troubled history. 
 
But Harfold Manor is shadowed by grief and the memories of long-faded glory, its rooms haunted by the only surviving member of the family, Lady Arabella Lascy. Vee is fascinated by her enigmatic new employer, a woman obsessed with the curse she believes has killed her family one by one. A curse that is coming for her next. 
 
As Vee immerses herself in the world of Harfold, she finds herself increasingly entranced by Arabella and the secrets that poison her. 
 
But Vee has her own things to hide: secrets that caused her to flee Cardiff, secrets that estranged her from her own family, secrets that might finally catch up to her…

A Slow and Secret Poison

Philippe Collin

An Immediate Bestseller | A Bloomberg Best Book of 2025 
 
'Philippe Collin is a magnificent storyteller. This novel fascinates at every turn.' Elle 
 
When the Ritz becomes the Nazis’ favourite spot, its Jewish bartender has no choice but to keep working. 
 
Paris, 1940. Despite the Occupation, the prestigious Ritz Hotel has managed to remain open. Its bar becomes a favorite spot for Nazis eager for a taste of French refinement. Its celebrated barman, Frank Meier, is forced to adapt to this new clientele. But he is hiding a secret that no one can find out: he is Jewish. 
 
With every word and smile, the atmosphere becomes more and more suffocating. Yet Frank refuses to flee. With the unwitting help of the Nazis, Frank eventually uncovers secrets that help keep him and his loved ones alive—especially Luciano, his young apprentice, and Blanche, wife of the director of the Ritz and Frank’s impossible love—both of whom are Jewish too. 
 
Betrayal, lies, and backstabbing raise the stakes for the bartender—with Frank always just one step ahead of fate. 
 
Based on a true story, The Barman of the Ritz is as chilling as it is fascinating.

The Barman of the Ritz

The uplifting new cat novel from the multi-million-copy bestselling author of The Travelling Cat Chronicles 
 
'Quirky and life-enhancing' THE TIMES Biggest Books of the Autumn 
_____________________ 
Against changing seasons in Japan, seven cats weave their way through their owners' lives. 
 
- A needy kitten rescued from the recycling bin teaches a new father how to parent his own human baby 
- An elderly cat hatches a plan to pass into the next world as a spirit so that he and his owner may be together for ever 
- A colony of wild cats on a holiday island shows a young boy not to stand in nature's way 
- A family is perplexed by their cat's devotion to their charismatic but uncaring father 
- A woman curses how her cat constantly visits her at night 
 
Bursting with empathy and love, THE GOODBYE CAT explores the unstoppable cycle of life as we see how the steadiness and devotion of a well-loved cat never lets us down. 
 
A huge bestseller in Japan, every page is a joyous celebration of cats and how we cannot resist sharing our lives with them. 
 
'A book for every cat lover. An enchanting insight into the mysterious world of cats and their humans' CELIA HADDON, author of Being Your Cat 
 
**Includes seven beautiful cat drawings** 
_____________________ 
READERS ADORE THE GOODBYE CAT 
 
- 'Wonderful! These cats are charming and truly come alive. The book is full of human - or rather, cat kindness' ***** 
- 'Irresistible. This is the first time since The Travelling Cat Chronicles that I cried my eyes out over a book' ***** 
- 'I'm glad I didn't read it outside because I couldn't stop crying. Truly life-enhancing' *****

The Goodbye Cat

The uplifting tale of wise cats and their humans by the global bestselling author of THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES

Scott Kelly

The first photo book by the Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a record-breaking Year in Space. This is an awe-inspiring collection of the photos Scott took himself while on board the International Space Station, many of which have never been seen before. 
 
Scott Kelly has seen the world in ways most of us never will. During his record-breaking 340 consecutive days on board the ISS, Scott Kelly circled the earth 5,440 times, witnessing 10,944 sunrises and sunsets – that’s 16 a day. In all this time, he posted just 713 photos on Instagram. 
 
But it’s not all sunrises, sunsets and #nofilter. Through the photos Kelly took during his time in space, we can learn to see the world in a new way and we are afforded a glimpse into a life that most of us will never encounter but of which many of us dream. This book will show you what it’s really like to be a Nasa astronaut.

Infinite Wonder

An Astronaut's Photographs from a Year in Space

THE PERFECT CURL-UP READ FOR CAT LOVERS 
 
'Bewitching... as self-possessed and comforting as - well, a cat' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 
 
'A book about kindness and love, and how the smallest things can provide happiness' STYLIST 
___ 
 
It's not the journey that counts, but who's at your side. 
 
Nana is on a road trip, but he is not sure where he is going. All that matters is that he can sit beside his beloved owner Satoru in the front seat of his silver van. 
 
Satoru is keen to visit three old friends from his youth, though Nana doesn't know why and Satoru won't say. 
 
Set against the backdrop of Japan's changing seasons and narrated with a rare gentleness and humour, Nana's story explores the wonder and thrill of life's unexpected detours. It is about the value of friendship and solitude, and knowing when to give and when to take. 
 
At the heart of this book is a powerful message about the importance of kindness. It shows, above all, how acts of love, both great and small, can transform our lives. 
___ 
 
Readers love THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES: 
 
'Delightful, insightful, full of warmth with plenty of humour' 5 stars ***** 
'Uplifting and heart wrenching in equal measure' 5 stars ***** 
'It had me in floods of tears but filled me with hope too' 5 stars *****

The Travelling Cat Chronicles

The uplifting million-copy bestselling Japanese translated story

A Discworld series tie-in picture book, a companion to Snuff (part of the City Watch novels). Go beyond the novels to discover more about the fantastically funny and gloriously inventive world of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. 
 
'A gloriously old-fashioned and funny story... A brilliant choice for reading aloud.' Evening Standard 
 
The World of Poo tells of a boy’s adventure in his first visit to the mighty Discworld metropolis of Ankh-Morpork. As featured in Terry Pratchett’s Snuff, this is a delightfully illustrated adventure for readers of all ages. Guaranteed to put a smile on the faces of young and old alike. 
 
From Snuff: 'The title was The World of Poo... As [Vimes] turned page after page, it dawned on him that whoever had written this book, they certainly knew what would make kids like Young Sam laugh until they were nearly sick. The bit about sailing down the river almost made him smile...' 
 
'Terry Pratchett is not so much a writer as a one-man publishing phenomenon who has single-handedly re-shaped the world of fantasy fiction' SFX's Outstanding Contribution Award

The World of Poo

K Chiucarello

K is waiting for a phone call from her first love. 
 
Over a decade ago she made a pact with him: if neither had found a partner, they would marry and have a baby. Now, at 35, after years as a career nanny mothering other women’s children, she has been struck with that relentless, near carnal desperation to give birth. And this call may be the cure. 
 
Whilst she waits – in a bar, drinking with friends – she lays out the reasons why she has arrived at this point, and each reason opens a door to the past: to her own childhood; to the wealthy families whose children she has caretaken; to an abusive partnership with a woman that she barely survived. Each thread reveals the complex tangle of thrill and pain, tradition and progress that have led to this call, this choice. 
 
A stunning, rare and unexpectedly funny debut, Nanny Nanny upends every expectation of a motherhood book.

Nanny Nanny

E Y Zhao

'A staggeringly good debut, written with élan, compassion and wit' Kaliane Bradley, author of The Ministry of Time 
'Challengers, but make it table tennis' Lit Hub, 'Most Anticipated Books of 2025' 
'An eruption of a debut . . . with meticulous precision and tremendous heart' Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of Chain-Gang All-Stars 
'A superior force to be reckoned with' Neel Mukherjee, author of The Lives of Others and Choice 
 
Ryan Lo begins playing table tennis aged eight. His brilliant but ruthless coach sees a talent in him that might be nurtured into greatness. 
 
Through an adolescence marked by hours of practice, matches away from home, clandestine relationships and a determination to win, Ryan ascends to the highest echelons of the game, just as he was supposed to. 
 
But here he is now, dead before his twenty-fifth birthday, leaving grief and confusion in his wake. 
 
Ryan Lo was meant to be great. What happened? 
 
Underspin delves beneath the pressure that forges a champion, and the vulnerability that makes a coming of age: the crackling intensity of a match, the push and pull of first love, and the great injustices committed within our closest relationships. 
 
 
'A kaleidoscopic novel . . . Zhao's prose is a marvel' Rob Franklin, author of Great Black Hope 
'Leaves a trail of fire in its wake . . . An electric debut' Jenny Tinghui Zhang, author of Four Treasures of the Sky 
'An unconventional and stylish portrait of a table tennis wunderkind . . . this book will immerse you in its high-stakes world until the very last page' Alina Grabowski, author of Women and Children First

Underspin

At night the senses become reordered. 
Hearing, touch, smell are privileged over vision. It is after dark that we humans become more sensitive to nature, more ‘animal’. But the lights of the modern world are obliterating any meaningful connection to the night. We have lost touch with its wonders as well as its terrors. 
 
In this enchanting follow-up to Nightwalking, John Lewis-Stempel once again ventures out into the night to discover the natural world after dark, its rarely seen spectacles and curiosities. There are hares boxing under stars, night jars hunting moths in the summer wood, wintry moons with halos, rock-pool creatures glowing neon under UV light, barley fields shimmering in moonshine … 
 
In Night Life, Lewis-Stempel wanders his familiar farmland, and goes further afield too, exploring the Lake District, the Welsh coast, London’s Thames. Everywhere, he shows us why the night is precious, and what it is to be human in the dark.

Night Life

Walking Britain’s wild landscapes after dark

Bella Jackson

There is a narrative we’ve become comfortable with: Mental health services are underfunded and understaffed. But that is only half the story. The other half is messy and confronting; uncomfortable enough to make us look sharply away. 
 
It is the story of the staff who believed they could make a difference, but were worn down by morally ambiguous tasks, impossible workloads and a systemic resistance to change. It is the story of the patients who are failed by hastily made diagnoses, overreliance on medication, coercion, stigma and inconsistency of care, and of the inspiring individuals struggling for justice and revolution. 
 
Beautifully wrought and staggeringly urgent , Fragile Minds documents Bella Jackson's time as a trainee mental health nurse, and the devastation and hope she encountered in winding corridors and behind locked doors. With compassion and care Bella introduces us to a vivid cast of staff and patients, prompting us to look closer, ask questions and demand more for them.

Fragile Minds

Stories from an NHS mental health ward

Naoko Higashi

A JAPANESE MODERN CLASSIC 
 
Discover the original and moving literary gem for fans of Banana Yoshimoto and Kawaguchi's BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD 
 
What if you could come back after death to watch over your loved one, installing yourself in a treasured mug, for example, or perhaps your mother's hearing aid, a diary, or even a climbing frame, to feel the clambering limbs of a beloved younger sister? 
 
Eleven recently deceased protagonists find themselves floating in the afterlife where a nameless ghost offers them a joyous reunion with their loved ones. 
 
But not as you would expect. 
 
In a world where souls linger restlessly around after death, unwilling to depart, The Soul Catchers is a comforting, witty, and surprisingly sensual take on the Japanese folk belief that objects can be inhabited by human presences. Utterly charming and feelgood, Higashi's classic is an original exploration of our eternal reluctance to let go.

The Soul Catchers

Number One Bestseller in both hardback and paperback 
The Sunday Times Book of the Year 
The ideal gift for everybody 
 
'We spend our whole lives in one body and yet most of us have practically no idea how it works and what goes on inside it. The idea of the book is simply to try to understand the extraordinary contraption that is us.' 
 
Bill Bryson sets off to explore the human body, how it functions and its remarkable ability to heal itself. Full of extraordinary facts, astonishing stories and now fully illustrated for the first time, The Body: A Guide for Occupants is a brilliant, often very funny attempt to understand the miracle of our physical and neurological make up. 
 
A wonderful successor to A Short History of Nearly Everything, this new book is an instant classic. It will have you marvelling at the form you occupy, and celebrating the genius of your existence, time and time again. The ideal gift for readers of every age who wish to discover more about themselves. 
 
'What I learned is that we are infinitely more complex and wondrous, and often more mysterious, than I had ever suspected. There really is no story more amazing than the story of us.' Bill Bryson

The Body Illustrated

A Guide for Occupants

Kate Riley

A LitHub most anticipated book of 2025 
 
‘It will become an underground classic’ New York Times 
‘A wonderful, loving, tenderly teasing and often moving portrait… Standout’ Wall Street Journal 
‘An irresistibly smart and funny novel’ Jenny Offill, author of Weather, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize For Fiction 
 
Ruth is raised in a snow globe of Christian communism, a world without private property, television, or tolerance for idle questions. Every morning she braids her hair and wears the same costume, sings the same breakfast song in a family room identical to every other family room in the community; every one of these moments is meant to be a prayer, but to Ruth they remain puzzles. 
 
Her life is seen in glimpses through childhood, marriage, and motherhood, as she tries to manage her own perilous curiosity in a community built on holy mystery. Is she happy? Might this in fact be happiness? Ruth immerses us in an experience that challenges our most fervent beliefs.

Ruth

Mizuki Tsujimura

Book Two in the LOST SOULS series of a young man with special powers to connect the living with the afterlife. For fans of BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD and LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR 
____ 
 
The much-anticipated follow-up novel to Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon picks up seven years later with go-between Ayumi, a young man caught between the demands of everyday life and his extraordinary gift: reuniting the living with the dead. 
 
Ayumi has a rare and mysterious ability, inherited from his grandmother. During a full moon and guided by strict rules, he arranges meetings between souls who have passed and those they left behind. However, after years in this role, Ayumi begins to question its meaning and the impact it has had on his life. As he juggles his supernatural calling with his full-time job as a toy designer in Tokyo, Ayumi quietly wonders if he will ever find the peace he so often helps others attain. Meanwhile, he assists five individuals, including: a rising film star who seeks closure with the father who abandoned him; a passionate amateur historian longing to meet a forgotten 16th-century warlord; and a former cook whose repeated requests to visit an upper-class woman in the afterlife have been denied—but who refuses to give up on love. 
 
Luminous, magical, and deeply heartwarming, How to Hold Someone in Your Heart is an unforgettable novel from bestselling storyteller Mizuki Tsujimura and a profound meditation on living without regret, embracing the unexpected, and cherishing the fleeting moments we’re given. 
 
Readers adore it: 
‘Warms your heart’ ***** 
‘I can’t express how good this is. Made me feel the weight of human life’ ***** 
‘The relationship with the dead, the messengers, the clients, and the existence of fate – it all felt so intimate to me’ ***** 
'As good as the first book'*****

How to Hold Someone in your Heart

Michiko Aoyama

DISCOVER THE BRAND NEW NOVEL BY THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY** 
 
Readers adore Healing Hippo: 
'I wanted to discover the magical hippo in myself as I read this book' ***** 
'How does Aoyama depict human emotion so vividly? I imagined myself in this book' ***** 
'I almost wept on my train home from work' ***** 
'It gripped my heart. I wish there was a magical hippo near my home' ***** 
'Whenever I feel hurt, I want to re-read this wonderful book' ***** 
______________ 
 
Nestling at the bottom of a five-storey apartment block is the children's playground, Hinode Park. If you look to the side, standing on stubby legs, is a hippo. Its upturned eyes give it a teary look, yet for decades, its quiet power has sustained the hearts of one community. 
 
Meet the neighbours who will reach out to kabahiko hippo: 
-Kanato presses his head to the hippo's cheek, hoping to recover the stellar marks he once scored; 
- Sawa, a lonely new mother, strokes its mouth, hopes to connect as she once did when she was an award-winning retail assistant; 
- Chiharu, a wedding-planner, hopes to be able to listen for the happiness of others; 
- Yuya avoids sports day with a fake injury, only to find he really is in pain. 
- despite Kazuhiko's fading eyes from too much editorial work, he will learn to see life's everyday wonders. 
 
A quietly powerful story of hope, friendship and connection, Michiko Aoyama's beloved bestseller is a celebration of everyday encounters. Its subtle portrayal of the magic of community will lodge itself in every reader's heart.

The Healing Hippo Of Hinode Park

Bernard Pearson

A Discworld tie-in book. Go beyond the novels to discover more about the fantastically funny and gloriously inventive world of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. 
 
This ultimate guide to the Year of the Prawn is a veritable cornucopia of advice, direction and wisdom - a must have not only for all inhabitants of Ankh-Morpork and the Sto Plains, but also anyone wanting to immerse themselves in the whimsical and wonderful ways of Sir Terry Pratchett's incredible Discworld. 
 
What fans are saying: 
'Brilliant, typical Pratchett' - ***** Reader review 
'Insightful and funny as always from Terry Pratchett' - ***** Reader review 
'Amazing' - ***** Reader review 
 
************************************************************** 
 
This is the definitive Almanak to the Common Year of the Prawn: a Compendium to all Knowledge. Not only a sure means of ensuring fertility of crops & livestock it is also a boon companion in affairs of the heart and health and full to the brim with information as will render this Publication a staunch companion to Townsman & Tiller of Soil alike. 
 
Including: 
*homemade remedies for common ailments 
*recipes 
*horoscopes 
*scientific discoveries 
*a calendar 
*strange tales 
*valuable facts about the cabbage 
 
Beautifully illustrated, this is an artistically presented package guaranteed to tickle the funny bone of all Pratchett fans.

The Discworld Almanak

The Year of The Prawn

It’s the tabloid sensation of the year: two well-known footballers standing in the dock, charged with sexual assault, a series of vile text messages pointing towards their guilt. 
 
As the trial unfolds, Evan Keogh reflects on the events that have led him to this moment. Since leaving his island home, his life has been a lie on many levels. He’s a talented footballer who wanted to be an artist. A gay man in a sport that rejects diversity. A defendant whose knowledge of what took place on that fateful night threatens more than just his freedom or career. 
 
The jury will deliver a verdict but, before they do, Evan must judge for himself whether the man he has become is the man he wanted to be.

Earth

Komail Aijazuddin

Discover the must-read, coming-of-age queer memoir about learning how to love yourself in a world that doesn’t want you to. 
 
‘A beautiful celebration of being different.’ TOM ALLEN 
 
‘An important story, told with a sharp wit and disarming humour’ MOHSIN ZAIDI author of A Dutiful Boy 
 
‘Brilliant, spectacularly witty and genuinely moving. I loved it.’ MATTHEW TODD, author of Straight Jacket 
 
I’m just a man, standing in front of a salad, asking it to be a cake. 
 
What do you do when you’re too gay for Pakistan, too Pakistani to be gay in America and you’re ashamed of your body everywhere? 
 
Even as a young child in Lahore, Komail Aijazuddin knew he was different. Other boys didn’t pirouette off their desks, get bullied for their ‘manboobs’ or spontaneously burst into songs from The Little Mermaid. Other boys didn’t play together like that. 
 
Starved of a crucial part of himself, he ate. And ate. Before long, his own body became another burden to carry everywhere and to hide. Komail began to believe his only chance at a happy, meaningful life would be found elsewhere: in America, land of the free, home of the gays. But he would soon learn that finding happiness takes a lot more than a plane ticket. 
 
This is Aijazuddin’s riotous, intelligent memoir of searching for his place between two worlds while navigating a minefield of expectations, prejudice and self-doubt. In Manboobs, Aijazuddin confidently announces himself as a sharp new voice in humour with his moving, wickedly funny search for love and the bravery required to be yourself.

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