Introduction to JavaScript Object Notation

★2026 British Book Award: Romantic Fiction WinnerAlice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication.Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no re

THE INSTANTNEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLERFrom communication expert Jefferson Fisher, the definitive book on making your next conversation the one that changes everythingNo matter who you’re talking to,The Next Conversationgives you immediately actionable strategies and phrases that will forever change how you communicate. Jefferson Fisher, trial lawyer and one of the leading voices on real-world communication, offers a tried-and-true framework that will show you how to transform your life and your relationships by improving your next conversation.Fisher has gained millions of followers through short, simple, practical videos teaching people how to argue less and talk more. Whether it’s handling a heated conversation, dealing with a difficult personality, or standing your ground with confidence, his down-to-earth teachings have helped countless people navigate life’s toughest situations. Now for the first time, Fisher has distilled his three-part communication system (Say it with control, Say

The House Witch #1-3A heartwarming and humorous blend of fantasy, romance, and mystery featuring a witch with domestic powers and the royal household he serves . . . dinner.When Finlay Ashowan joins the staff of the King and Queen of Daxaria, he’s an enigma. No one knows where he comes from or how he came to be where he is, which suits Fin just fine. He’s satisfied simply serving as the royal cook, keeping nosy passersby out of his kitchen, and concocting some truly uncanny meals.But Fin’s secret identity doesn’t stay hidden for long. After all, it’s not every day a house witch and his kitten familiar, Kraken, take to meddling in imperial affairs. As his powers are gradually discovered by the court, Fin finds himself involved in a slew of intrigues: going head-to-head with knights with less-than-chivalrous intentions, helping to protect the pregnant queen, fending off the ire of the royal mage, and uncovering a spy in the castle. And that’s only the beginning—because Fin’s past is catc

WHOLESOME, HEARTHWARMING, HOMELY.THE HOUSE WITCH AND THE CHARMING OF AUSTICEIS A CUP OF COCOA IN A BOOK AND WILL BE PERFECT FOR FANS OFLEGENDS AND LATTESAND TJ KLUNEA heart-warming cosy fantasy that sees house witch Finlay Ashowan quickly go from cook to spy in order to protect his Kingdom, and his love...---THERE'S A NEW SPY IN THE KITCHEN - AND IT TURNS OUT TO BE THE COOK . . .Between his work for the King and Queen of Daxaria and a new (secret) relationship with Lady Annika Jenoure, Fin the cook's life is anything but tidy.Annika is being forced from the castle after there are threats to her safety. All the while tension is brewing with the kingdom of Troivack and war seems to draw ever closer.As if he doesn't have enough on his plate, Fin is soon promoted from cook to spy and sent into the city of Austice where he must sleuth out the plans of the Troivackian troops allegedly hidden there.However, an unwelcome visitor is about to knock on his door, and Fin’s world starts to unravel

IT'S TIME FOR THE COOK TO PUT DOWN HIS FRYING PAN - AND LEAP INTO THE FIRE . . .House witch Finlay Ashowan is pulled out of the kitchen—and into the fire—as war, family, and love collide in the third book of this fantasy romance series.Having somehow convinced Lady Annika Jenoure to marry him, all Finlay Ashowan wants to do is settle down, cook some good meals, and enjoy a quiet life in Daxaria.But fate has different plans . . .Fin’s father, Aidan Helmer – servant of King Matthias of Troivack – has arrived in the kingdom with devastating news: Annika’s brother Charles has been taken prisoner, and the only way his life will be spared is if she or Fin pleads his case.Now it’s up to Fin, with the help of his wily kitten, Kraken, to attempt a daring mission of rescue and espionage.But he’ll need to move quickly before his kingdom, and life, goes up in flames.There will be twists and turns aplenty in the third instalment in the spellbinding House Witch series.WHOLESOME, HEARTHWARMING, HOMEL

當生活的碎浪拍上繭居女子拒絕踏出的家門。 For anyone who has lost hope, Meredith will help you find it . . .Pre-order the most uplifting and unforgettable debut of the summerNAMED 'ONE TO WATCH' IN GRAZIA, CULTUREFLY, THE BOOKSELLER AND BY THE BBC'Gorgeous. I shed tears. Very, very touching, sweet and hopeful' MARIAN KEYES'Beautiful, moving and unexpectedly timely.It's such a pleasure to spend time in Meredith's world' DAISY BUCHANAN'Touching and funny and sad and hopeful. I loved Meredith, Alone so much!' JANE FALLON________Meredith Maggs hasn't left her house in 1,214 days. But she insists she isn't alone.She has her cat, Fred.Her friend Sadie visits when she can. There's her online support group, StrengthInNumbers. She has her jigsaws, favourite recipes, her beloved Emily Dickinson, the internet, the Tesco delivery man and her treacherous memories for company.But something's about to change.First, new friends Tom and Celeste burst into her life, followed by an estranged sister she hasn't spoken to

It was a story that Cassie Bowman couldn't resist:Lore Rivera loved two men - until one of them shot the other...'A special novel' CHRIS WHITAKER'One of the summer's buzziest debut novels' GOODREADS'A fantastic debut' WASHINGTON POST'I absolutely loved it' ASHLEY AUDRAIN'A masterful work of suspense' POPSUGAR*****Lore Rivera was married to two men at once, until on a baking hot day in 1986, one of them found out and shot the other. A secret double life, a tragic murder. That's the story the world knows.It's not the story that fascinates Cassie Bowman.Carrying the weight of her own family tragedy, true-crime writer Cassie wants to know more about the mysterious woman at the heart of it all, Lore.How did one woman fall in love with two different men? How did she balance the love and the lies?To her surprise, Cassie finds that Lore is willing to talk. To finally tell her heartbreaking story - about how a dance became an affair; how a marriage became a murder.As the two women grow closer,

THE TOP 10 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER The Pulitzer Prize-winning, Booker-longlisted, bestselling author returns to her beloved heroine Lucy Barton in a luminous novel about love, loss, and the family secrets that can erupt and bewilder us at any point in lifeLucy Barton is a successful writer living in New York, navigating the second half of her life as a recent widow and parent to two adult daughters. A surprise encounter leads her to reconnect with William, her first husband - and longtime, on-again-off-again friend and confidante. Recalling their college years, the birth of theirdaughters, the painful dissolution of their marriage, and the lives they built with other people, Strout weaves a portrait, stunning in its subtlety, of a tender, complex, decades-long partnership.Oh William! captures the joy and sorrow of watching children grow up and start families of their own; of discovering family secrets, late in life, that alter everything we think we know about those closest to us; and

★ 全球暢銷300萬冊，改變無數領導者思維的經典★ TED超熱門演講原點，點閱近5000萬次★ 成功的關鍵，不是「做什麼」，而是「為什麼」★ 15週年全新修訂版，重新定義影響力與領導力為什麼有些人與組織，總能激發創新、影響他人，甚至改變世界？賽門．西奈克提出一個看似簡單卻深刻的問題——「為什麼」。他發現，真正卓越的領導者，從不只關注「做什麼」或「怎麼做」，而是從「為什麼」出發。無論是馬丁．路德．金恩、賈伯斯，還是萊特兄弟，他們的共通點不在背景，而在於清楚傳達自身的信念與使命。本書以清晰有力的架構，揭示「黃金圈理論」，帶領讀者理解：當人們認同你的理念，而非僅僅產品本身，真正的影響力才會產生。在資訊爆炸、社群媒體主導的時代，重新找回「WHY」，更顯重要。這不只是一本談領導的書，而是一場關於信念、影響力與人生方向的深度思考。The inspiring, life-changing bestseller updated for its 15th anniversary with a new foreword by the author'One of the most incredible thinkers of our time,' Steven Bartlett, podcaster and author of Diary of a CEO-----------Simon Sinek's iconic global bestseller has sold more than three million copies by asking a simple fundamental question:Why are some people and organisations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others?The answer to why is another why. Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with a WHY. They realized that people w

A sweeping history of and meditation on humanity's relationship with machines, showing how we got here and what happens nextFaith in technological fixes for our problems is waning. Automation, which promised relief from toil, has reactivated the long-standing fear of job redundancy. Information technology, meant to liberate us from traditional authority, is placing unprecedented powers of surveillance and control in the hands of a purely secular Big Brother.And for the first time, artificial intelligence threatens anthropogenic disaster – disaster caused by our own activities. Scientists join imaginative writers in warning us of the fate of Icarus, whose wings melted because he flew too close to the sun. This book tells the story of our fractured relationship with machines from humanity’s first tools down to the present and into the future.It raises the crucial question of why some parts of the world developed a ‘machine civilisation’ and not others, and traces the interactions between

Winner of the Women's Prize For Fiction 2024'A masterpiece of historical fiction' MONICA ALI, chair of judges for the Women's Prize for FictionSixteen-year-old Sashi wants to become a doctor. But over the next decade, as a vicious civil war tears through her hometown of Jaffna, her dream takes her on a different path as she sees those around her, including her four beloved brothers and their friend, get swept up in violent political ideologies and their consequences. Desperate to act, she must ask herself: is it possible for anyone to move through life without doing harm?'An unforgettable account of a country and a family coming undone… Brotherless Night is a spectacular work of historical fiction' Guardian'A heartbreaking exploration of a family fractured by civil war' BRIT BENNETT, bestselling author of THE VANISHING HALF'Blazingly brilliant' CELESTE NG, bestselling author of LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE'Stunningly great' Curtis Sittenfeld, bestselling author of ROMANTIC COMEDY, via Twitt

THERE'S A NEW COOK IN THE CASTLE. AND HE'S GOT A MAGIC TOUCH . . .A heartwarming blend of cosy fantasy and romance in this tale of a wayward house witch and his magical adventures in and out of the royal kitchen.When Finlay Ashowan joins the kitchen of the King and Queen of Daxaria, he’s an enigma. Which suits Fin just fine. He’s satisfied simply serving as the royal cook, keeping nosy passersby out of his kitchen, and concocting some truly scrumptious meals.But Fin has secret, one that may not stay hidden for long . . .As his past begins to catch up with him, Fin must negotiate court politics and stay out of trouble, together with his familiar, Kraken his fluffy black kitten.But things become even more complicated when he catches the eye of a certain lady who just so happens to be part of the royal court.Can Fin successfully hide his secret and protect his heart? Or will the chaos of the castle and its good-hearted people get the best of him?Filled with fascinating characters, courtly

A powerful, devastating novel about family, belonging, and the agony of imagining the life you should have had, sparked by the disappearance of a four-year-old Mi'kmaq girl from the blueberry fields of Maine.'Lucid and assured' The New Yorker, Best Books of 2023'For fans of Celeste Ng and Ann Patchett, this quietly beautiful book will break, then mend, your heart' Amazon, The Best Books of 2023WINNER OF THE 2023 BARNES & NOBLE DISCOVER PRIZEWINNER OF THE 2024 ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN FICTION***One family’s deepest pain. Another family’s darkest secret.On a hot day in 1960s Maine, six-year-old Joe watches his little sister Ruthie, sitting on her favourite rock at the edge of the blueberry fields, while their family, Mi’kmaq people from Nova Scotia, pick fruit. That afternoon, Ruthie vanishes without a trace. As the last person to see her, Joe will be forever haunted by grief, guilt, and the agony of imagining how his life could have been.In an affluent suburb nearby,

It is an ordinary Thursday and things should finally be returning to normal.Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club is concerned. A decade-old cold case leads them to a local news legend and a murder with no body and no answers.Then a new foe pays Elizabeth a visit. Her mission? Kill...or be killed.As the cold case turns white hot, Elizabeth wrestles with her conscience (and a gun), while Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim chase down clues with help from old friends and new. But can the gang solve the mystery and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again?

An introduction to the wondrous world of clouds, by the internationally bestselling founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society and a prize-winning children's book author and illustratorHave you ever watched a cloud being born?Clouds come in all manner of shapes and sizes, from low-lying Stratus to high-flying Cirrus via roll clouds, banner clouds and tornados. This beautifully illustrated guide reveals the facts, secrets and stories of all the major cloud types, and how they shape the weather around them. We learn their fancy Latin names, explore the parts of the sky where they like to hang out, marvel at the ways they play with sunlight – and even visit them on other planets, where they are sometimes made of acid.Cloudspotting for Beginners will inspire curious minds with a lifelong sense of meteorological wonder.

'Beautiful and deep ...a sumptuous treat for any book lover'The Independent'Food for short story lovers everywhere'Irish Times*A major celebration of the French short story andSpectatorBook of the Year*The short story has a rich tradition in French literature. This feast of an anthology celebrates its most famous practitioners, as well as newly translated writers ready for rediscovery. The first volume spans four hundred years, taking the reader from the sixteenth century to the 'golden age' of thefin de siècle. Its pages are populated by lovers, phantoms, cardinals, labourers, enchanted statues, gentleman burglars, retired bureaucrats, panthers and parrots, in a cacophony of styles and voices. From the affairs of Madame de Lafayette to the polemic realism of Victor Hugo, the supernatural mystery of Guy de Maupassant to the dark sensuality of Rachilde, this is the place to start for lovers of French literature, new and old.Edited and with an introduction by Patrick McGuinness, academic

A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020'Mightily impressive ... a marvellous read' Sunday TimesFrom the acclaimed author of Japan Story, this is the history of Japan, distilled into the stories of twenty remarkable individuals. The vivid and entertaining portraits in Chris Harding's enormously enjoyable new book take the reader from the earliest written accounts of Japan right through to the life of the current empress, Masako.We encounter shamans and warlords, poets and revolutionaries, scientists, artists and adventurers - each offering insights of their own into this extraordinary place. For anyone new to Japan, this book is the ideal introduction. For anyone already deeply involved with it, this is a book filled with surprises and pleasures.

'Excellent, entertaining and ingenious ... from Oscar Wilde to Arthur Conan Doyle, this fine anthology celebrates one of the richest moments in Britain's literary history'Sunday TimesThe quarter century between 1890 and the outbreak of the First World War saw an extraordinary boom in the popularity and quality of short stories in Britain, fuelled by a large, eager new magazine readership. The great writers of the age produced some of their finest work, and literary genres - the ghost story, science fiction - took shape. This richly varied, endlessly entertaining anthology brings together authors from Katherine Mansfield to Rudyard Kipling, James Joyce to Saki, H. G. Wells to Rebecca West. It celebrates a teeming, innovative world of literary achievement.Edited with an introduction by Philip Hensher

Getting what you want can be tricky, especially if you don't ask in quite the right way. Follow one little monkey's journey through many emotions as he tries every trick in the book to get hold of his friend's banana, until he finally hits on the magic word - please!Using only two words, this is a fantastic introduction to the value of manners and compromise for young children. Packed with humour, colour and exuberance, this is a brilliant observation of toddler behaviour.

Join James as he escapes from his horrible aunts and sets off inside the peach on his wonderful adventures. This dramatization of Roald Dahl's hugely popular book can be staged in school, acted out at home or simply read together by a group of friends. With suggestions for staging, props and lighting.Roald Dahl died in 1990 but his books continue to be worldwide bestsellers. Richard George was an American elementary school teacher when he adapted James and the Giant Peach as a school play. Roald Dahl loved it and wrote an introduction.

Inspired by ESA astronaut Tim Peake and his sons, and featuring an introduction from Tim, this is the perfect bedtime book!Two space-mad little boys get ready for bed and say goodnight to their toy rockets, launch pads and planet mobiles, before being whisked away into space on an adventure beyond their wildest dreams . . .Tim Peake is the first official British ESA astronaut. He left Earth on 15th December 2015 to begin a six month long mission aboard the International Space Station. His time in space has been watched by millions and he is inspiring a new generation of explorers, adventurers and questioners.

‘One of the most powerful books in the social sciences ever written’ Thomas Piketty'The twentieth century's most prophetic critic of capitalism' Prospect‘Polanyi’s revolutionary work is a must-read’ Mariana MazzucatoKarl Polanyi's landmark 1944 work is one of the earliest and most powerful critiques of unregulated markets. Tracing the history of capitalism from the great transformation of the industrial revolution onwards, he shows that there has been nothing 'natural' about the market state. Instead of reducing human relations and our environment to mere commodities, the economy must always be embedded in civil society.Describing the 'avalanche of social dislocation' of his time, Polanyi’s hugely influential work is a passionate call to protect our common humanity. ‘Polanyi's vision for an alternative economy re-embedded in politics and social relations offers a refreshing alternative’ Guardian‘Polanyi exposes the myth of the free market’ Joseph E. StiglitzWith a new introduction by G

A revelatory and richly varied collection of Korea's greatest short storiesA Penguin ClassicThis eclectic, moving, and wonderfully enjoyable collection is the essential introduction to Korean literature. Journeying through Korea's dramatic twentieth century, from the Japanese occupation and colonial era to the devastating war between North and South and the rapid, disorienting urbanization of later decades,The Penguin Book of Korean Short Storiescaptures a hundred years of Korea's vibrant short-story tradition. Here are peddlers and donkeys traveling across moonlit fields; artists drinking and debating in the tea-houses of 1920s Seoul; soldiers fighting for survival; exiles from the war who can never go home again; and lonely men and women searching for connection in the dizzying modern city. The collection features stories by some of Korea's greatest writers, including Pak Wanso, O Chonghui, and Cho Chongnae, as well as many brilliant contemporary voices, such as P'yon Hyeyong, Han Yu

A deliciously funny and moving comedy-of-manners about a Chinese father and son's experiences at the height of London's Jazz Age' He was in London - why be bothered looking at it? Wasn't it bad enough just being there?'Newly arrived from China, Mr Ma and his son Ma Wei run an antiques shop nestled by St Paul's Cathedral, where they try to make a living amid the smog and bustle of 1920s London. As they struggle with money, misunderstandings and the ways of the English - from the overbearing patronage of missionary Reverend Ely to their well-meaning landlady Mrs Weddeburn and her carefree daughter - can understanding, even love, blossom? Both a moving story of the Chinese immigrant experience and a bitingly funny satire on the English, Mr Ma and Son delicately portrays the dreams and disappointments of those seeking a new life in a distant land.Translated by William Dolby, with an introduction by Julia Lovell

From the UK's foremost literary psychoanalyst, a dazzling new book on the universal urge to change our lives. We live in a world in which we are invited to change - to become our best selves, throug

★2026 British Book Award: Romantic Fiction WinnerA dazzling and sweeping new novel from #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Emily Henry!The dazzling new love story and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick from the TikTok sensation and Sunday Times bestselling author of Beach Read and Funny Story.AN INSTANT NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER!‘Emily knows how to craft a love story like the all-time greats’ -- Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo‘A new Emily Henry novel is an event, ushering in longer days and promises of summer’ The Skinny-----When Margaret Ives, the famously reclusive heiress, invites eternal optimist Alice Scott to the balmy Little Crescent Island, Alice knows this is it: her big break. And even more rare: a chance to impress her family with a Serious Publication.The catch? Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud, Hayden Anderson, is sure of the same thing.The proposal? A one-month trial period to unearth the truth behind one of the

Million-copy bestselling psychologist Dr Julie is back with the book that will carry you through life's difficult momentsPRE-ORDER THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER FROM BESTSELLING CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND TIKTOK SENSATION DR JULIE, AUTHOR OFWHY HAS NOBODY TOLD ME THIS BEFORE?NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK'Absolutely extraordinary...I needed this book 30 years ago.'MEL ROBBINS, #1 bestselling author ofTHE LET THEM THEORY-------------------------------------------------------------------Feeling overwhelmed?Open when…stress takes over.Facing self-doubt?Open when…imposter syndrome strikes.Lost your direction?Open when…you need fresh motivation.--This is the book for life's twists and turns, when being human starts to get complicated.Amust-have companionto Dr Julie's international bestsellerWhy Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, which taught us the skills to strengthen our future mental health,Open When...is the book to turn to when youfind yourself in the eye of the storm.Within this book a

A heartwarming new WWII saga series that sees a young woman swap a Welsh mining town to work at Buckingham PalaceAvailable for pre-order - a heartwarming new WWII saga of friendship, bravery and scandal that sees a young woman swap a Welsh mining town for Buckingham Palace'A heartwarming tale of true friendship!' Rosie Goodwin'A gripping and heart warming read set in the royal palace' Daisy StylesAs bombs rain down on London, the palace gates open for a young royal maid . . .The year is 1944, and in South Wales, seventeen-year-old pit miner’s daughter Rosa Edwards has just secured a coveted new position at Buckingham Palace.Setting off for the Big Smoke with only a small suitcase to her name, she is determined to seize this unexpected opportunity while her sweetheart is away fighting in Europe. And it also brings her closer to the mystery of where Alice, her best friend who moved to London and disappeared without trace, is.But within Rosa’s first few weeks in post, a grave accusation l

The epic, heart-pounding sequel to Devney Perry s #1 New York Times bestselling SHIELD OF SPARROWS.A princess journeys across a cursed realm to find the truth about her family, only to discover her quest intertwines with the fate of a lost warrior. Love, danger, and magic collide in a captivating romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros.--Calandra s five kingdoms are on the verge of destruction. The crux migration is coming. And in the wake of a devastating attack, I ve been separated from the man who owns my heart.I m lost.Terrified. Homesick. Hunted by monsters, driven to exhaustion, and kidnapped by a powerful priest, the only thing keeping me going is the little girl counting on me to keep her safe.It s my turn to become the Guardian.Our lives change one fateful night.A night of death. A night of monsters. A night of truths.That night, I learn the real meaning of fear and the depth of my own strength.Everyone wants me to be something I m not a queen, a spy, a

A heartbreaking novel of love, courage and strength. Based on a real pioneering hospital.PRE-ORDER THE BRAND NEW EMOTIONAL, HEARTBREAKING YET COURAGEOUS STORY FROM LOUISE MORRISH.As the war rages on outside, it is the battle within that must be won, through the quiet strength of words.Josie Everley may have survived the sinking of the RMS Lusitania, but she lost the man she loves most to the sea.Broken-hearted and destitute, Josie must start afresh as a library assistant at a groundbreaking, all-female-run military hospital in Endell Street.As she focuses on her work, she never expected to meet Theo, a wounded soldier suffering his own trauma who finds solace amongst the books.As Josie steps up to the role of librarian and loses her heart to Theo, the war around them continues to be a cruel companion and Josie must muster all her strength and courage to make it through.Will Josie find her happy-ever-after amongst the heartbreak?For fans of THE MYSTERIOUS BAKERY ON RUE DE PARIS, THE FOR

Like a long winter’s dream, this haunting and visionary new novel from 2024 Nobel Prize winner Han Kang takes us on a journey from contemporary South Korea into its painful historyWINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE 2024SHORTLISTED FOR FOYLES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025Like a long winter’s dream, this haunting and visionary new novel from 2024 Nobel Prize winner Han Kang takes us on a journey from contemporary South Korea into its painful history‘One of the most profound and skilled writers working on the contemporary world stage’ Deborah LevyBeginning one morning in December, We Do Not Part traces the path of Kyungha as she travels from the city of Seoul into the forests of Jeju Island, to the home of her old friend Inseon. Hospitalized following an accident, Inseon has begged Kyungha to hasten there to feed her beloved pet bird, who will otherwise die.Kyungha takes the first plane to Jeju, but a snowstorm hits the island the moment she arrives, plunging her into a world of white. Beset

From celebrated writer Robert Macfarlane comes this brilliant, perspective-shifting new book – which answers a resounding yes to the question of its title.SHORTLISTED FOR BLACKWELL'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR CONSERVATION WRITING 2025From celebrated writer Robert Macfarlane comes this brilliant, perspective-shifting new book – which answers a resounding yes to the question of its title.At its heart is a single, transformative idea: that rivers are not mere matter for human use, but living beings – who should be recognized as such in both imagination and law. Is a River Alive? takes the reader on an exhilarating exploration of the past, present and futures of this ancient, urgent concept.The book flows first to northern Ecuador, where a miraculous cloud-forest and its rivers are threatened by goldmining.Then, to the wounded rivers, creeks and lagoons of southern India, where a desperate battle to save the lives of these waterbodies is under way.And fi

The latest gripping instalment in the bestselling Nero trilogy follows empress Agrippina's ceaseless pursuit of absolute power for her son to rule over the Roman EmpireTravel to the heart of a Roman dynasty beset by power struggles and betrayal in this latest chapter of the tale of NeroAVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER IN PAPERBACK NOW__________The boy Nero lives. His mother Agrippina has married her way to power, tangling the Emperor Claudius in her skirts.The emperor may have a son and heir of his own, but Agrippina sees no obstacles to her ambition.Rome is a path through a marsh, lit by torches. Those who walk it are always one step from disaster – and the road itself is treacherous, slippery with blood.Claudius may have the world at his feet, but he has Agrippina in his bed.

RETURN TO THE WORLD OF THE SAMURAI DETECTIVES, THE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLING SERIES OF THRILLING ADVENTURE AND INSCRUTABLE MYSTERYIn the months since their last perilous quest, a fragile calm has settled over Edo. Daijiro dedicates his days to training the first pupil of his quiet riverside dojo, while his father Kohei – a famed swordsman whose name still inspires awe – drifts through an uneasy retirement, his razor-sharp mind too restless for leisure. But such peace never lasts long in the shogunate.One chill autumn night, Kohei is set upon by a band of tsujigiri – lawless ‘street slashers’ who test their blades on the innocent. To his astonishment, the gang’s leader proves to be no mere rogue, but in fact one of the most important officials in the land. What begins as a chance encounter soon blooms into a deadly game of pursuit, vengeance and, finally, siege, as father and son are dragged into the city’s pitch-black heart. Other adventures soon follow, including the task of brin

A powerful debut novel charting the faultlines that open in a farming family in North Wales as they wait for their son to return from the Iraq War'Beautiful and unflinching, Cloudless is a phenomenal debut' ANNA HOPE, author of Albion‘Attends to the bonds we have to family, landscape, global politics with uncommon attention, extraordinary depth and lightness of touch’ ELIZABETH O'CONNOR, author of Whale FallIt is autumn 2004 and in a farmhouse on the hills outside Llandudno, Catrin and John endure the agonizing wait for their older son to return from Iraq. His decision to join up has left them reeling, yet there are other battles at home: the working of the land that has been theirs for generations and what to do with their troubled younger son.Catrin’s childhood sweetheart comes back to their small town, forcing the boys’ doting mother to confront the life she might have had. And John, desperate to keep farm and family together, turns to ever riskier methods to stay afloat.As each mem

She’s fated to die. He’s the bringer of death. Together they’ll restore a divided kingdom, or burn it to the ground in this electrifying romantasy steeped in Norse mythology by million copy bestseller L. J. AndrewsLyra Bien wants only a quiet life, far from King Damir’s war and his hunger for magic. But when Roark Ashwood, the king’s silent and dangerously handsome soldier, invades her village, her secret is exposed.She is a melder. Gifted in bone, blood, and soul. Feared. Desired. Doomed.Claimed for the king, Lyra becomes a captive in Roark’s care. But escape is impossible when her jailor might be her only hope of freedom.Bound by secrets, drawn together by fire, they must decide: restore a kingdom built on lies, or burn it to the ground.

Summer 1999. Will joins five other idealistic graduates working for an eccentric psychology professor. They’re going to launch a website to change online dating forever.No-one expects it to end in tragedy.Twenty-five years later, Will gets an invitation: a dinner party. A chance to see the old gang again.But as soon as he arrives, something doesn’t seem right.There’s an unexpected guest. The hosts are clearly keeping a secret. And on the way in, Will is sure he heard crying.Everyone has something to hide about what really happened that summer.But only one of them is willing to kill to find the truth…

A dessert from the Hwawoldang is a ticket to a new life . . .Perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold'Thought-provoking and uplifting' Sun 'I adored this book . . rich, emotional and engaging' ***** Reader Review'We had K-pop and K-beauty - now it's time for K-lit! Thought provoking and uplifting' Fabulous Magazine'Amazingly beautiful and just what I needed at this point in my life' ***** Reader Review'Heart-warming and full of gratitude and happiness.I loved it. And the Korean pastries all sounded delicious' ***** Reader Review***Welcome to Hwawoldang, the pastry shop where every delicious bite comes with satisfaction for both the mouth and the soul . .. When twenty-seven-year-old Yeon-hwa loses her grandmother, the proprietor of Hwawoldang, she honours her final wish: to keep the shop open for one more month, between 10pm and midnight. Yeon-hwa hopes to learn the secrets behind Hwawoldang’s desserts, and the enigmatic woman who made them.But when one of the shop’s most loyal p

On the Six-Thousand Ship, things have started to feel changed. Since bringing aboard a number of strange objects from a newly discovered planet, the crew – both human and humanoid – have begun to feel a yearning. They want to be near the objects, to feel them pressed against their skin, but they also all now feel a curious new hunger for home: Earth, that place many cannot even remember.The Board of Directors are eager to understand more, and so instruct a commission to interview each of the employees. Those who are born dream of soil, the smell of warm asphalt, the sound of animals and birds. Those who are made know only what is programmed, and yet feel it deeply, truly. As their testimonies accumulate, a tapestry of longing and quiet rebellion emerges, blurring the lines between work and life, between human and machine.The Employees was the breakout novel from one of the most celebrated authors in world literature, and is now seen as a masterpiece of twenty-first century literary sci