Best of

Shopping is an event which implies much more than just the act of purchasing. Unusual design concepts and immaculate shapes engage all of our senses, making shopping a unique experience. The range is

The design of coffee shops is increasingly on the move. Where cafs have traditionally been viewed as places principally to enjoy a coffee, they have evolved to show a broad range of multifunctional pu

There appears to be no lack of design suggestions to realize the myriad of desires and ideas that go into the designing of home interiors. Designers are challenged to find convincing solutions for liv

For romantic dinners, family meetings or business lunches, restaurants have always functioned as venues of social interaction. Their interior designs are as varied as the types of food served and the

From Olympic training pools to relaxing spas, child-friendly swimming complexes to private bathing facilities, this area offers a diversity of function matched only by the architectural diversity show

With health-consciousness on the rise, fitness is a factor that plays an increasingly important role in peoples? lives. In consequence, the demand for up-to-date and sophisticated fitness facilities i

In New York, Berlin and Tokyo, night is the new day, and life is celebrated in some of the most unusual clubs around. With unique style and creative design, a culture of its own is staged. The wide fi

The new importance of kitchens today as a place to spend leisure is reflected in its architecture and design: first of all it means that creative solutions need to be found to smoothly integrate the k

The design of a bar plays one of the most crucial roles in defining its identity and atmosphere. Drink! Best of Bar Design presents 40 contemporary projects from New York via Berlin to Shanghai, from

From luxurious spa-temples to home bathrooms, the sheer variety of contemporary spa and bathroom architecture is breathtaking. Distinctive design and creative use of materials are key factors in shapi

INCLUDED IN THE BEST OF GRANTA SERIES: the Japanese literary sensation about an unconventional woman who finds happiness in a Tokyo convenience store.the unexpected international bestseller.Meet Keiko. She's 36 years old, has never had a boyfriend, and she's been working in the same supermarket for eighteen years.Keiko's family wishes she'd get a proper job. Her friends wonder why she won't get married.But Keiko knows what makes her happy, and she's not going to let anyone come between her and her convenience store...A cult hit around the world, Convenience Store Woman is both a feminist rallying cry and a must-read oddball comedy.

'There is a sense throughout Athill's work that you are making a new friend as much as reading a new story ... a delight to read' Observer WINNER OF THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY PRIZE, the moving and witty memoir on what it means to grow old. Written in her nineties, when she was free from any inhibitions she may have once had, Diana Athill reflects frankly on the losses and occasionally the gains that old age can bring, and on the wisdom and fortitude required to face death.Lively, fearless and humorous, Somewhere Towards the End encapsulates the vibrant final decades of Athill's life. Filled with events, love and friendships, this is a memoir about maintaining hope, joy and vigour in later life, resisting regret, and questioning the beliefs and customs of your own generation. 'Informative, honest and lacking in the usual sorrow over old age.A remarkable woman' Beryl Bainbridge 'An honest joy to read' Alice Munro 'The book is a moving and humorous account of old age, unsparing about its indign