Steve Roud was Local Studies Librarian for the London Borough of Croydon and served as Honorary Librarian of the Folklore Society for over fifteen years. He has been researching British folklore for over thirty years and is the joint author of the Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore, plus other books on traditional drama and folk song, and the Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland, which won the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award in 2004. His publications include London Lore (2008) and The Lore of the Playground (2010). He also compiles the Folk Song Index and the Broadside Index, two internationally acclaimed computer databases of traditional folk and popular song. He lives in Sussex.

Steve Roud

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Jeremy Clarkson

Get tucked in to a third bestselling helping of Clarkson's Farm from our favourite wellie-wearing wannabe farmer, Jeremy Clarkson 
 'Brilliant . . . laugh-out-loud' Daily Telegraph 
 
 'Outrageously funny . . . will have you in stitches' Time Out 
 --- After three years, Jeremy Clarkson has discovered the golden rule of farming: 
 
 whatever you hope will happen, won't. 
 
 Enthusiastic schemes to diversify face defeat at the hands of the Council Planning department, or derision from Kaleb. Jeremy's plans for a business empire founded on rewilding and nettle soup are doubted by Lisa. And the stifling thickets of red tape keep only one person smiling – Cheerful Charlie, who charges by the hour. 
 
 But the animals couldn’t be happier. A rented bull called Break-Heart Maestro is delighting the cows. The pigs are bringing home the bacon. And the goats are . . . most probably psychopaths. 
 
 Yet on the good days it hard not to be optimistic. 
 Where else do you get to harvest blackberries with a vacuum cleaner? 
 
 Maybe it’s not just Break-heart Maestro who gets a happy ending? 
 
---- 
 
Readers are loving Diddly Squat: Pigs Might Fly 
 
‘Another funny book from Jeremy. This one made me chuckle but, my only complaint it's too short. I wanted more. Hopefully Another book is being written as we speak’ ***** Reader Review 
 ‘I love the show and I love the books. Both make me chuckle but have also given me an insight into farming and how hard farming is’ **** Reader Review 
 ‘I’ve read the previous books and loved those as well. 
 Witty and funny with depth and a bit of seriousness’ **** Reader Review 
 ‘Loved it, quickest book I've ever read. Can't wait for the next Clarkson instalment’ **** Reader Review

Diddly Squat: Pigs Might Fly

Everyone knows that Jeremy Clarkson finds the world a perplexing place - after all, he wrote a bestselling book about it. Yet despite the appearance of The World According To Clarkson, things don't seem to have improved much. However, Jeremy is not someone to give up easily and he's decided to have another go. 
 
In And Another Thing, our exasperated hero discovers that: 
 
 He inadvertently dropped a bomb on North Carolina 
 
 We're all going to explode at the age of 62 
 
Russians look bad in Speedos. But not as bad as we do. 
 
 No one should have to worry about being Bill Oddie's long lost sister 
 
He should probably be nicer about David Beckham 
 
Thigh-slappingly funny and - as ever - in your face, Jeremy Clarkson bursts the pointless little bubbles of the idiots while celebrating the special, the unique and the sheer bloody brilliant ...

And Another Thing

The World According to Clarkson Volume 2

Welcome back to Clarkson’s Farm. 
The spring crop failed. Farming sheep, pigs and cows was hardly more lucrative (better off breeding ostriches…) 
 
But in the face of uncooperative weather, bureaucracy, and the world’s persistent refusal to recognise his genius, our hero’s not beaten yet. Not while the farm shop’s still doing a roaring trade in smelly candles, he isn’t. 
 
Misery loves company and in girlfriend Lisa, Farm Manager Kaleb, Cheerful Charlie and Gerald his Head of Security Jeremy’s got the best. And it’s hard to feel too gloomy with a JCB telehandler, a crop-spraying hovercraft and a digger in the barn.

Diddly Squat: Home to Roost

Crikey, the world according to Clarkson's been a funny old place of late . . . 
 
For a while, Jeremy could be found in his normal position as the tallest man on British television but, more recently, he appears to have been usurped by a pretend elephant. 
 
But on paper the real Jeremy remains at the helm. That's as it should be. For nearly thirty years he has been fearlessly leading the charge as one the best comic writers in the country. And in 2015, he shows no sign of slowing down. 
 
So, whether it's pondering 
 
 If Jesus might have been better off being born in New Zealand 
 Why reflexive pronoun abuse is the worst thing in the world 
 How Pam Ayres's head trumps Gordon Gecko's underpants 
 Or what a television presenter with time on his hands gets up to 
 
Jeremy is still trying to make sense of all the big stuff. 
 
Circumstances change. Nothing's forever. But As I Was Saying provides glorious proof that Jeremy remains as funny, puzzled, excitable, outspoken, insightful and thought-provoking as ever. As if you ever doubted it . . .

As I Was Saying . . .

The World According to Clarkson Volume 6

Well, someone's got to do it: in a world which simply will not see reason, Jeremy sets off on another quest to beat a path of sense through all the silliness and idiocy. 
 
And there's no knowing what might catch Jeremy's eye along the way. It could be: 
-The merits of Stonehenge as a business model 
-Why all meetings are a waste of time 
-The theft of the Queen's cows 
-One Norwegian man's unique approach to showing his gratitude 
-Fitting a burglar alarm to a tortoise 
-Or how Lou Reed was completely wrong about what makes a perfect day 
 
Pithy and provocative, this is Clarkson at his best, taking issue with whatever nonsense gets in the way of his search for all that's worth celebrating. Why should we be forced to accept stuff that's a bit rubbish? Shouldn't things work? Why doesn't someone care? I mean, is it really too much to ask? 
 
It's a good thing we've still got Jeremy out there, still looking, without fear or favour, for the answers.

Is It Really Too Much To Ask?

The World According to Clarkson Volume 5

James Walton

Which Haruki Murakami novel shares its title with a Beatles song? In Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, what is Charlie's surname? What is heavy-drinking Rachel Watson known as in the title of a 21st-century bestseller? And what do you get if you add the number of Bennet sisters in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice to the number of Karamazov brothers in Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov? 
 
With four hundred questions covering books from literary classics to modern bestsellers, through iconic children's books and books you say that you've read but really you haven't, The Penguin Book Quiz is as appropriate for making you look well-read at a party as it is for a book-loving family to tuck into after Christmas dinner: it's as enjoyable to read as it is to play. 
 
Featuring the work of everyone from Antony Beevor to Zadie Smith, books from The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Ulysses, and with movie, music, television, theatre and literary references abounding, this entertaining quiz tickles the fancy (and the brains) of light and heavy readers alike. 
 
Answers: 
- Norwegian Wood 
- Bucket 
- The Girl on the Train 
- Eight (five sisters, three brothers)

The Penguin Book Quiz

From The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Ulysses

CLARKSON'S BACK - AND THIS TIME HE'S PUTTING HIS FOOT DOWN 
 
From his first job as a travelling sales rep selling Paddington Bears to his latest wheeze as a gentleman farmer, Jeremy Clarkson's love of cars has just about kept him out of trouble. 
 
But in a persistently infuriating world sometimes you have to race full-throttle at the speed-bumps. 
 
Because there's still plenty to get cross about, including: 
 
· Why nothing good ever came out of a meeting 
· Muesli's unmentionable side effects 
· Navigating London when every single road is being dug up at once 
· People who read online reviews of dishwashers 
· ****ing driverless cars 
 
Buckle up for a bumpy ride - you're holding the only book in history to require seatbelts . . .

Really?

Jeremy Clarkson gets really riled in Round the Bend. 
 
What's it like to drive a car that's actively trying to kill you? 
 
This and many other burning questions trouble Jeremy Clarkson as he sets out to explore the world from the safety of four wheels. Avoiding the legions of power-crazed traffic wombles attempting to block highway and byway, he he: 
 
* Shows how the world of performance cars may be likened to Battersea Dogs Home 
 
* Reveals why St Moritz may be the most bonkers town in all of the world 
 
* Reminds us that Switzerland is so afraid of snow that any flakes falling on the road are immediately arrested 
 
* Argues that washing a car is a waste of time 
 
Funny, globe-trotting, irreverent and sometimes downright rude, Round the Bend is packed with curious and fascinating but otherwise hopelessly useless stories and facts about everything under the sun (and just occasionally cars). It's Jeremy Clarkson at his brilliant best. 
 
 
Praise for Jeremy Clarkson 
'Brilliant . . . laugh-out-loud' Daily Telegraph 
 
'Outrageously funny . . . will have you in stitches' Time Out 
 
'Very funny . . . I cracked up laughing on the tube' Evening Standard

Round the Bend

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

Paul Tremelling

This is the story of what it takes to make it in fighter combat. In the cockpit or crew room, the pressure is relentless, the humour merciless. 
It's no place for the faint-hearted. 
 
Whether landing on a pitching aircraft carrier deck at midnight, or 
saving heroes under fire in Afghanistan, there is no room for self-doubt; only confidence and do-or-die hard truth. In return, Paul Tremelling and his comrades enjoyed levels of exhilaration unimaginable anywhere else. 
 
Combining visceral action with sharp intelligence, laced with acerbic humour, 
Harrier brings to life the hi-octane, unforgiving world of the fighter pilot. 
 
Strap in...

Harrier: How To Be a Fighter Pilot

Ten years ago, at an ex-RAF aerodrome in Surrey, Jeremy Clarkson and his friends built the perfect place to work and play: they called it Top Gear HQ. 
 
But they didn't stop there. With Surrey sorted out, Jeremy and the boys decided to have a crack at the rest of the world. 
 
And all along Jeremy was writing about it. Here are the fruits of his labours: the cars, the hijinx, the pleasure and the pain. Brilliantly written and laugh out loud funny, The Top Gear Years is Clarkson at his pithy, provocative, hilarious best.

The Top Gear Years

Richard Coles

Charles Spencer

Cat Jarman

Join the trio behind the hit history podcast, The Rabbit Hole Detectives, Richard Coles, Charles Spencer and Cat Jarman in their first trivia book as they investigate weird and wonderful facts and stories rescued from obscurity. From the earliest recorded examples of practical jokes to a whistle-stop tour of the world's ghost towns to a history of red heads, The Rabbit Hole Book is a fascinating and entertaining dive into all the things you didn't know you wanted to know.

The Rabbit Hole Book

99 adventures into the history of stuff

Jeremy Clarkson puts the pedal to the floor in Don't Stop Me Now, a collection of his Sunday Times motoring journalism. 
 
There's more to life than cars. Jeremy Clarkson knows this. There is, after all, a whole world out there just waiting to be discovered. So, before he gets on to torque steer and active suspension, he takes time out to consider: 
 
* The madness of Galapagos tortoises 
 
* The similarities between Jeremy Paxman and AC/DC's bass guitarist 
 
* The problems and perils of being English 
 
* God's dumbest creation 
 
Then there are the cars: whether it's the poxiest little runabout or an exotic, firebreathing supercar, no one does cars like Clarkson. Unmoved by mechanics&amp;rsquo; claims and unimpressed by press junkets, he approaches anything on four wheels without fear or favour. What emerges from the ashes is rarely pretty. But always very, very funny. 
 
Praise for Jeremy Clarkson 
'Brilliant . . . laugh-out-loud' Daily Telegraph 
 
'Outrageously funny . . . will have you in stitches' Time Out 
 
'Very funny . . . I cracked up laughing on the tube' Evening Standard

Don't Stop Me Now

Pull on your wellies, grab your flat cap and join Jeremy Clarkson in this hilarious and fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the infamous Diddly Squat Farm 
 
THE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
'Brilliant . . . laugh-out-loud' Daily Telegraph 
'Outrageously funny . . . will have you in stitches' Time Out 
_________ 
 
Welcome to Clarkson's farm. 
 
It's always had a nice ring to it. Jeremy just never thought that one day his actual job would be 'a farmer'. 
 
And, sadly, it doesn't mean he's any good at it. 
 
From buying the wrong tractor (Lamborghini, since you ask . . .) to formation combine harvesting, getting tied-up in knots of red tape to chasing viciously athletic cows, our hero soon learns that enthusiasm alone might not be enough. 
 
Jeremy may never succeed in becoming master of his land, but, as he's discovering, the fun lies in the trying . . . 
_________ 
 
'Very funny . . . I cracked up laughing on the tube' Evening Standard 
 
Praise for Clarkson's Farm: 
 
'The best thing Clarkson's done . . . it pains me to say this' GUARDIAN 
 
'Shockingly hopeful' INDEPENDENT 
 
'Even the most committed Clarkson haters will find him likeable here' TELEGRAPH 
 
'Quite lovely' THE TIMES 
 
Diddly Squat, Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, October 2022

Diddly Squat

A Year on the Farm

Netflix Entertainment LLC

Relive the most striking moments from the acclaimed and beloved Netflix show Stranger Things with this stunning officially licensed coloring book. 
 
Starting with that fateful D&D game in the Wheelers’ basement, this book charts the gang as they fight the Demogorgon, fall in love, use their powers, and save the world. Featuring 110 pages of fully original illustrations printed on high quality paper, this extra-thick coloring book is the perfect opportunity to prepare yourself to return to Hawkins for a giant adventure.

Stranger Things: The Complete Colouring Book

Seasons 1-5

Madeleine Roux

“Any Critter will love this book” 5 star Reader Review 
“This only made me love Lucien more” 5 star Reader Review 
“Absolutely delightful” 5 star Reader Review 
 
__________ 
 
Delve into the mind of Critical Role's most charming villain in this original novel that chronicles Lucien's early life and his fateful meeting with the Mighty Nein. 
 
Lucien has always been able to spin a bad situation to his advantage. From his childhood on the dangerous streets of Shadycreek Run to his years living off the grid and learning blood magic from the Claret Orders, the charismatic blood hunter will find a way to get the upper hand. 
 
When Lucien is on a job in the frozen wastelands of Eiselcross with his fellow mercenaries, a rough-and-tumble crew called the Tombtakers, fate leads him to a mysterious journal in the ruins of an ancient city. The book speaks of the Somnovem, nine beings who can grant Lucien power beyond imagining - if he is able to find them and free them from captivity. 
 
Intrigued by this opportunity, Lucien pores over the journal - but the more he reads, the stranger things become. The nine whisper to him in dreams and waking visions. Time slips away, along with Lucien's grasp on reality. And tattoos of red eyes begin appearing on his skin. . . . 
 
With the ability to reshape the world within his grasp, Lucien ignores all warning signs. He has always bent fortune to his will, and nothing - not even death - will stop him now. 
 
Written by New York Times bestselling author Madeleine Roux, Critical Role: The Mighty Nein - The Nine Eyes of Lucien explores the meteoric rise and fall of one of Critical Role's most notorious and tragic figures. 
__________ 
 
 
“I had a hard time putting this down” 5 star Reader Review 
“Does such a great job of humanising Lucien, and then tearing it all down” 5 star Reader Review 
“Adds so much character depth” 5 star Reader Review

Critical Role

The Mighty Nein - The Nine Eyes of Lucien

There are ways and means of getting about that don't involve four wheels, but in this slice of vintage Clarkson, Jeremy isn't much interested in them. 
 
Back in 1996, he took himself off to twelve countries (okay, eleven - he goes to America twice) in search of the hows, whys and wherefores of different nationalities and their relationships with cars. There were a few questions he needed answers to: 
 
* Why, for instance, is it that Italians are more interested in looking good than looking where they are going? 
* Why do Indians crash a lot? 
* How can an Arab describe himself as 'not a rich man' with four of the world's most expensive cars in his drive? 
* And why have the otherwise neutral Swiss declared war on the car? 
 
From Cuba to Iceland, Australia to Vietnam, Japan to Texas, Jeremy Clarkson tells us of his adventures on and off four wheels as he seeks to discover just what it is that makes our motorworld tick over.

Motorworld

Kate Moore

When Felix arrived at Huddersfield Train Station as an eight-week-old kitten, no one knew just how important this little ball of fluff would become. Although she has a vital job to do as 'Senior Pest Controller', Felix is much more than just an employee. For her colleagues and the station's commuters, Felix has changed their lives in surprising ways. 
Felix seems to have a remarkable ability to save the day time and again: from bringing a boy with autism out of his shell to providing comfort to a runaway child shivering on the platform one night. When tragedy hits the team at Huddersfield, they all rely on Felix to pull them together again. But it's a chance friendship with a commuter that she waits for on the platform every morning that finally gives Felix the recognition she deserves, catapulting her to international stardom... 
Full of funny and heartwarming stories, Felix The Railway Cat is the remarkable tale of a close-knit community and its amazing bond with a very special cat.

Felix the Railway Cat

This funny and touching book is bursting with more of Felix's adorable escapades, from a run-in with a rosemary plant to a frustrating encounter with a pigeon, but her role at the station goes far beyond all that: when romance blossoms, danger strikes and tragedy befalls the station, she is always there to support her team through all the highs and lows. 
 
Felix's online fame is ever increasing and she has more visitors to greet every day, but there is only so much attention that one cat can handle and isn't long before Felix's colleagues recruit Bolt: a fluffy, springy kitten-apprentice to help shoulder the burden. 
 
But will the two of them get on? And will the diva of Huddersfield station make room for the new kid on the block?

Full Steam Ahead, Felix

Adventures of a famous station cat and her kitten apprentice

Suzanne Lambert

Christmas, 1953: When little Billy discovers a lost puppy in the grounds of his orphanage home, he knows that the nuns will never allow him to keep a pet. But as Billy stares into the adorable Labrador's big brown eyes, he knows in his heart that he can't bear to be parted from his new friend. So he comes up with a plan. 
 
With the help of his fellow orphans, Billy hides the puppy in the caretaker's cottage. Together the children swear not to reveal the secret to the grown-ups. Yet as Billy and the puppy's special bond develops, his dread of discovery and being separated from his beloved dog grows . . . 
 
The Puppy and the Orphan tells the story of many lost souls who have found refuge at the orphanage, and how love helps each of them to fight for a second chance of somewhere to call home.

The Puppy and the Orphan

Jack Sheffield

Change is in the air for Jack Sheffield and the Ragley village school. 
 
It's 1987, and after a decade as head teacher at Ragley-on-the-Forest School, Jack Sheffield is looking to the future. He and his wife are expecting a new baby, the school is preparing for the introduction of the new National Curriculum, and the coming year promises a whole host of other surprises. Whether it's combing the church for an escaped pet mouse or dealing with the obnoxious new school governor, life in the village is always entertaining. 
 
So when Jack is offered an opportunity that could change everything, he knows he has a difficult decision to make. Endings are never easy, but perhaps the thrill of a new beginning is exactly what Jack needs... 
 
Hilarious, nostalgic and heart-warming in equal measure, Last Day of School is the final novel in the much-loved Teacher series. 
 
 
_____________________ 
 
Praise for Jack Sheffield: 
 
'Wry observation and heartwarming humour in equal measure.' Alan Titchmarsh 
 
'Overflowing with amusing anecdotes.' Daily Express 
 
'Amusing adventures at the North Yorkshire village school.' Choice 
 
'Jack Sheffield's in a class of his own.' York Press

Last Day of School

Ed Cooke

Kings and queens, British prime ministers, American presidents, countries of Europe... 
 
We should all know these things - but like me, you're probably resigned to being the kind of person that just never will. Now Grandmaster of Memory Ed Cooke offers up his memory secrets with a fun, quick and completely unforgettable way to remember the things you thought you never could. 
 
But this is no boring Willy, Willy, Harry, Ste. With Ed leading the way on unlikely adventures through people and places, Abraham Lincoln may become a circle of bra-wearing hams linking arms in your mind, and you may well encounter a fridge wearing Calvin Klein underpants. You could also soon find yourself rattling off the prime ministers to a rapt audience and adding, in a knowing tone, 'ah yes, Marquess of Rockingham, Whig I believe?'. What is for sure is that you&rsquo;ll be bursting with knowledge that will stick in your mind and impress your friends for ever.

Remember, Remember

Learn the Stuff You Thought You Never Could

Jeremy Clarkson is once more Driven to Distraction. 
 
Brace yourself. Clarkson's back. 
 
And he'd like to tell you what he thinks about some of the most awe-inspiring, earth-shatteringly fast and jaw-droppingly cool cars in the world (oh, and a few irredeemable disasters...). 
 
Or he would if he could just get one or two things off his chest first. Matters such as: 
 
* The prospect of having Terry Wogan as president 
 
* Why you'll never see a woman driving a Lexus 
 
* The unforeseen consequences of inadequate birth control 
 
* Why everyone should spend a weekend with a digger 
 
Driven to Distraction is Jeremy Clarkson at full throttle. So buckle up, sit tight and enjoy the ride. You're in for a hell of a lot of laughs. 
 
Praise for Jeremy Clarkson: 
 
'Brilliant . . . laugh-out-loud' Daily Telegraph 
'Outrageously funny . . . will have you in stitches' Time Out 
'Very funny . . . I cracked up laughing on the tube' Evening Standard

Driven to Distraction

Jeremy Clarkson gets under the bonnet in Clarkson on Cars - a collection of his motoring journalism. 
 
Jeremy Clarkson has been driving cars, writing about them and occasionally voicing his opinions on the BBC's Top Gear for twenty years. 
 
No one in the business is taller. 
 
In this collection of classic Clarkson, stretching back to the mid-1980s, he's pulled together the car columns and stories with which he made his name. As coal mines closed and house prices exploded to a soundtrack of men in make-up playing synthesizers, Jeremy was already waxing lyrical on topics as useful and diverse as: 
 
* The perils of bicycle ownership 
* Why Australians - not Brits - need bull bars 
* Why soon only geriatrics will be driving BMWs 
* The difficultly of deciding on the best car for your wedding 
* Why Jesus's dad would have owned a Nissan Bluebird 
* And why it is that bus lanes cause traffic jams 
 
Irreverent, damn funny and offensive to almost everyone, this is writing with its foot to the floor, the brake lines cut and the speed limit smashed to smithereens. Sit back and enjoy the ride. 
 
Praise for Jeremy Clarkson: 
 
'Brilliant . . . laugh-out-loud' Daily Telegraph 
'Outrageously funny . . . will have you in stitches' Time Out 
'Very funny . . . I cracked up laughing on the tube' Evening Standard

Clarkson on Cars

Alan Connor

In the century since its birth, the crossword has evolved into the world's most popular intellectual pastime: a unique form of wordplay, the codes and conventions of which are open to anyone masochistic enough to get addicted. In Two Girls, One on Each Knee, Alan Connor celebrates the wit, ingenuity and frustration of setting and solving puzzles. From the beaches of D-Day to the imaginary worlds of three-dimensional crosswords, to the British school teachers and journalists who turned the form into the fiendish sport it is today, encompassing the most challenging clues, particular tricks, the world's greatest setters and famous solvers, PG Wodehouse and the torturers of the Spanish Inquisition, this is an ingenious book for lovers of this very particular form of wordplay.

Two Girls, One on Each Knee

The Puzzling, Playful World of the Crossword

What Could Possibly Go Wrong... is the eighth book in Jeremy Clarkson's bestselling Clarkson on Cars series. 
 
There's nothing quite like messing about on four wheels. In fact, there's no better way to contemplate the madness of the world than from the driver's seat of something which is zooming by very fast indeed. 
 
Or so Jeremy Clarkson believes. 
 
For he's been pondering some really rather important matters, such as why: 
 
- God has a streak of German perfectionism 
- Crab spread beats Heston Blumenthal's rhubarb mousse 
- Monaco's billionaires are ruining the Grand Prix 
- The back of a dog tastes nicer than marzipan 
 
Someone's got to. And while a full tank and the open road might not quite reveal the meaning of life, there's certainly some fun to be had along the way . . . 
 
'Brilliant . . . laugh-out-loud' Daily Telegraph 
 
'Very funny . . . I cracked up laughing on the tube' Evening Standard 
 
'Outrageously funny . . . will have you in stitches' Time Out

What Could Possibly Go Wrong. . .

The year is 1976 and Jack Sheffield never wants to leave his job. 
 
Jack has been the deputy head teacher at Newbridge Primary School for six years now, and he's happy exactly where he is - even if it sometimes feels like there are a few things missing from his life. After all, the kids keep him busy and there's always a game of rugby to play. 
 
But it's a time of change, and Jack's world is no exception. New and old faces appear in his life and a romance blossoms, bringing with it a buried secret and hidden threat. Soon, Jack must make a decision as to where his future is heading, and prepare to face whatever change is yet to come . . . 
 
A classic Jack Sheffield tale, ready to transport you back to a simpler time.

School Days

The National Archives

Gareth Moore

Laura Jayne Ayres

After Murdle comes Spydle… 
 
Following last year’s bestselling phenomenon, the National Archives and Britain’s leading puzzle master, Dr Gareth Moore, have teamed up to produce a brand new puzzle book, Spydle, which promises to perplex and excite with tales of espionage and intrigue drawn straight from official records of over five centuries of British spycraft and crpytography.

Spydle

Born to be Riled is a collection of hilarious vintage journalism from Jeremy Clarkson. 
 
Jeremy Clarkson, it has to said, sometimes finds the world a maddening place. And nowhere more so than from behind the wheel of a car, where you can see any number of people acting like lunatics while in control (or not) of a ton of metal. 
 
In this collection of classic columns, first published in 1999, Jeremy takes a look at the world through his windscreen, shakes his head at what he sees - and then puts the boot in. 
 
Among other things, he explains: 
 
* Why Surrey is worse than Wales 
* How crossing your legs in America can lead to arrest 
* The reason cable TV salesmen must be punched 
* That divorce can be blamed on the birth of Jesus 
 
Raving politicians, pointless celebrities, ridiculous 'personalities' and the Germans all get it in the neck, together with the stupid, the daft and the ludicrous, in a tour de force of comic writing guaranteed to have Jeremy's postman wheezing under sackfuls of letters from the easily offended. 
 
Praise for Jeremy Clarkson: 
 
'Brilliant . . . laugh-out-loud' Daily Telegraph 
'Outrageously funny . . . will have you in stitches' Time Out 
'Very funny . . . I cracked up laughing on the tube' Evening Standard

Born to be Riled

Cast of Critical Role

Jess Barber

Martin Cahill

Rebecca Coffindaffer

Aabria Iyengar

Sam Maggs

Sarah Glenn Marsh

Rory Power

Nibedita Sen

Izzy Wasserstein

Kendra Wells

Liam O'Brien

In these ten stories, see the legendary adventuring party anew through the eyes of some of the most memorable characters whose lives were touched by Vox Machina. 
 
Within its pages: 
• Shaun Gilmore reflects on the life he has chosen, as told by Aabria Iyengar. 
• Raishan, racked by a pestilent curse, plots to release the Cinder King from his fiery prison, as told by Rory Power. 
• Trinket the Wonder Bear accompanies the next generation of Vox Machina on their first adventure, as told by Sarah Glenn Marsh. 
• Plus seven more hilarious, heartbreaking, and heroic tales featuring Kaylie, Doty, Kevdak, and more! 
 
The adventure began in 2015 with a group of friends sitting down in front of a camera to roll some dice, bring their characters to life, and tell a story that would become immortalized in their livestream tabletop roleplaying game: Critical Role. What started as a humble home game eventually grew into a worldwide phenomenon that has touched countless people with its poignant, larger-than-life storytelling – and in that same vein, this collection celebrates the characters whose lives were touched by Vox Machina but whose stories are yet to be told. 
 
Contributors: Foreword by Liam O’Brien • Jess Barber Martin Cahill • Rebecca Coffindaffer • Aabria Iyengar • Sam Maggs • Sarah Glenn Marsh • Rory Power • Nibedita Sen • Izzy Wasserstein • Kendra Wells

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