The year is 1853, & a young Japanese girl`s world is about to be turned upside down. When black ships carrying barbarians arrive on the shores of Japan, the Satsuma clan`s way of life is threatened. But it`s not just the samurai who must come together to fight: the beautiful, headstrong Okatsu is also given a new destiny by her feudal lord
- to save the realm. Armed only with a new name, Princess Atsu, as she is now known, journeys to the women`s palace of Edo Castle, a place so secret it cannot be marked on any map. Behind the palace`s immaculate facade, amid rumours of murder & whispers of ghosts, Atsu must uncover the secret of the man whose fate, it seems, is irrevocably linked to hers
- the shogun himself
- if she is to rescue her people...


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Things are hotting up for Tintin as a huge fireball comes hurtling towards earth! Soon he is setting sail with Captain Haddock to find the meteorite in the stormy Arctic Ocean, but a valuable metal is contained in the meteorite & Tintin`s attempts to reach it are met with relentless sabotage! ...

Convenience is in the bag with this vibrant & stylish personal shopper, an essential for the city, it’s also brilliant at the beach as it is incredibly robust & strong, holding up to 10kg/22lbs. Inside, a handy pocket means that you can keep valuables secure & conveniently doubles up as a carry pouch which the bag folds into. Quick & easy to pack away, it is compact when packed & is also superbly lightweight, a must-have for any adventure. ...

This title was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award 2015. It was also shortlisted for the Times/ Peters Fraser & Dunlop Young writer of the Year Award. It is longlisted for the Baileys Women`s Prize for Fiction 2015. The Shore. A collection of small islands sticking out from the coast of Virginia into the Atlantic Ocean that has been home to generations of fierce & resilient women. Sanctuary to some but nightmare to others, it`s a place they`ve inhabited, fled, & returned to for hundreds of years. From a brave girl`s determination to protect her younger sister as methamphetamine ravages their family, to a lesson in summoning storm clouds to help end a drought, these women struggle against domestic violence, savage wilderness, & the corrosive effects of poverty & addiction to secure a sense of well-being for themselves & for those they love. Their interconnecting stories form a deeply affecting legacy of two island families, illuminating the small miracles & miseries of a community of outsiders, & the bonds of blood & fate that connect them all. Dreamlike & yet impossibly real, profound & playful, the Shore is a richly unique, breathtakingly ambitious & accomplished debut novel by a young writer of astonishing gifts. ...

Collected here for the first time in a deluxe paperback volume are six of John Steinbeck`s most widely read & beloved novels--” Tortilla Flat, The Red Pony, Of Mice & Men, The Moon Is Down, Cannery Row, ” & ” The Pearl.” From Steinbeck`s tale of commitment, loneliness, & hope in ” Of Mice & Men, ” to his tough yet charming portrait of people on the margins of society in ” Cannery Row, ” to ” The Pearl`”s examination of the fallacy of the American dream, Steinbeck created stories that were realistic, rugged, & imbued with energy & resilience. ...

The Short Story of Art is a new & innovative introduction to the subject of art. Simply constructed, the book explores 50 key works, from the wall paintings of Lascaux to contemporary installations, & then links these to se ctions on art movements, themes & techniques. The design of the book allows the student or art enthusiast to easily navigate their way around key periods, artists & styles. Accessible & concise, it simplifies & explains the most important & influential concepts in art, & shows how they are linked. The book explains how, why & when art changed, who introduced certain things, what they were, where they were produced, & whether they matter. It demystifies artistic jargon, giving readers a thorough understanding & broad enjoyment of art. ...

READ IN AN AFTERNOON. REMEMBER FOR A LIFETIME. In this short, entertaining & thought-provoking book, acclaimed historian John Hirst provides a fascinating exploration of the qualities that have made Europe a world-changing civilisation. Starting with a rapid historical overview from the ancient Greeks to the present day (the `shortest history` itself), Hirst goes on to explore in detail what makes Europe unique: its political evolution; the shaping influence of its linguistic boundaries; the crucial role played by power struggles between Pope & Emperor; & of course the great invasions & conquests that have transformed the continent. Written with clarity, feeling & wit, The Shortest History of Europe is a tour-de-force: read in a single afternoon, it will be remembered for a lifetime.NB This is a updated & expanded edition, with new sections covering the industrial revolution, the world wars & the postwar period. ...

In his acclaimed new bestseller, now in paperback, James Hawes tells the story of Europe`s most admired & feared country, from Julius Caesar to Angela Merkel. With more than 100 maps & images, this is a fresh, concise & entertaining attempt to answer the question: are the Germans really us, or them? ...

Ernesto Duran is convinced he is sick. It becomes an obsession far exceeding hypochondria, & when Dr Andres Miranda gives up responding to e-mails, Duran resolves to stalk him. The fixation has its own creeping effect on Karina, the hospital secretary, who cannot resist becoming involved. Meanwhile Dr Miranda is coming to terms with a tragedy of his own: his father has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, & yet the doctor
- the son
- finds it impossible to tell him. He hopes that by taking his father on a trip to Isla Margarita, where they once went when he was a child, he might be able to reveal the truth. The nature of sickness as experienced by two individuals provides the backbone to this tender, thoughtful & refined novel. The Sickness is profound & philosophical, & yet written with an agility that expresses the tragedy, but also the comedy of life itself. A brilliantly achieved first novel.

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Leningrad, September 1941. Hitler orders the German forces to surround the city at the start of the most dangerous, desperate winter in its history. For two pairs of lovers
- Anna & Andrei, Anna`s novelist father & banned actress Marina
- the siege becomes a battle for survival. They will soon discover what it is like to be so hungry you boil shoe leather to make soup, so cold you burn furniture & books. But this is not just a struggle to exist, it is also a fight to keep the spark of hope alive...” The Siege” is a brilliantly imagined novel of war & the wounds it inflicts on ordinary people`s lives & a profoundly moving celebration of love, life & survival.

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