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An unputdownable, perfectly plotted detective story from Seicho Matsumoto, Japan's master of mystery 'It was a puzzle with no solution. But he did not lose heart.' In a rocky cove in the bay of Hakata, the bodies of a young and beautiful couple are discovered. Stood in the coast's wind and cold, the police see nothing to investigate: the flush of the couple's cheeks speaks clearly of cyanide, of a lovers' suicide. But in the eyes of two men, Torigai Jutaro, a senior detective, and Kiichi Mihara, a young gun from Tokyo, something is not quite right. Together, they begin to pick at the knot of a unique and calculated crime... Now widely available in English for the first time, Tokyo Express is celebrated around the world as Seicho Matsumoto's masterpiece - and as one of the most fiendish puzzles ever written.

Bluey and Mackenzie are spending the day with their buddies. They're excited to play Barky Boats and build a fairy garden! Their buddies Mia and Captain seem distracted - will they still have time to play with Bluey and Mackenzie?A gorgeous picture book about big adventures and growing up.What other adventures will you go on with Bluey? Also available:Bluey: The CreekBluey: SleepytimeBluey: Grannies

'Dripping with atmosphere and edged with danger, Threads That Bind weaves together a gorgeous dark tapestry of mystery, fated romance and modern myth. You won't be able to put this one down' Alexandra Bracken, bestselling author of LoreIn the city of Alante, the descendants of the Greek gods live alongside mortals.Io is the youngest of three sisters, descended from the Fates. She can see threads: shimmering silver lines connecting every person. When a new relationship is formed, a new thread appears. When a person's life-thread is cut, it's their time to die. Io uses her gifts as a private investigator, trying to make ends meet in a world which treats other-born people like her with suspicion and prejudice.Then Io is witness to a murder - but this is no ordinary murder. Io can see that the killer's life-thread is severed. They should be long dead.More complicated still, there is another witness: Edei, a member of the violent Rossi mob who rule Alante. And what Io can see immediately, although Edei cannot, is that there is a bright silver fate-thread connecting them. This boy is her destiny.Io and Edei are thrown together to solve the case, and as Io grapples with the dark secrets lurking beneath Alante's surface, she must decide whether to embrace her fate and give in to the feelings growing between herself and Edei - or whether to cut the thread, and set him free...Filled with mystery, violent betrayal and powerful, simmering romance, and inspired by Greek mythology, Kika Hatzopoulou's electrifying, genre-defying debut is perfect for fans of Alexandra Bracken's Lore, Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows and Chloe Gong's These Violent Delights.

Henry Kissinger analyses how six extraordinary leaders he has known have shaped their countries and the world'Leaders,' writes Henry Kissinger in this compelling book, 'think and act at the intersection of two axes: the first, between the past and the future; the second between the abiding values and aspirations of those they lead. They must balance what they know, which is necessarily drawn from the past, with what they intuit about the future, which is inherently conjectural and uncertain. It is this intuitive grasp of direction that enables leaders to set objectives and lay down a strategy.'In Leadership, Kissinger analyses the lives of six extraordinary leaders through the distinctive strategies of statecraft which he believes they embodied. After the Second World War, Konrad Adenauer brought defeated and morally bankrupt Germany back into the community of nations by what Kissinger calls 'the strategy of humility'. Charles de Gaulle set France beside the victorious Allies and renewed its historic grandeur by 'the strategy of will'. During the Cold War, Richard Nixon gave geostrategic advantage to the United States by 'the strategy of equilibrium'. After twenty-five years of conflict, Anwar Sadat brought a vision of peace to the Middle East by a 'strategy of transcendence'. Against the odds, Lee Kwan Yew created a powerhouse city-state, Singapore, by 'the strategy of excellence'. Although when she came to power Britain was known as 'the sick man of Europe', Margaret Thatcher renewed her country's morale and international position by 'the strategy of conviction'.To each of these studies, Kissinger brings historical perception, public experience and - because he knew each of their subjects, and participated in many of the events he describes - personal knowledge. The book is enriched by insights and judgements such as only he could make, and concludes with his reflections on world order and the indispensability of leadership today.

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'Will make you laugh, cry, and call the people you love. Exceptional' EMILY HENRY'Nostalgic, wise, funny, and filled with love' GABRIELLE ZEVIN'Her most emotionally resonant work yet' VOGUE'Has the makings of a dreamy, witty, contemporary classic' EVENING STANDARD'I just finished and I'm crying at its message and its honestly and its utter beauty' JODI PICOULT'A tender, witty David Nicholls-esque tale of familial love' i________About to turn forty, Alice feels stuck: She works at the school she attended. Her boyfriend isn't the man of her dreams. And her beloved father Leonard is dying.But after one too many drinks, she wakes up in her childhood home to find forty-year-old Leonard celebrating her sixteenth birthday.Now Alice gets to relive this one day in 1996, over and over. When the slightest change will impact the rest of her life.Can she fix her life and save her father?Or will her good intentions only cause harm to those she loves most?________With her celebrated humour, insight, and heart, Emma Straub cleverly turns all the traditional time travel tropes on their head and delivers a different kind of love story - about the lifelong, reverberating relationship between a parent and child.'A tender tale of time travel. Straub strips back the layers to reveal what's important' STYLIST, 'BOOK OF THE WEEK''An excellent time-travelling novel about adolescence and second chances from the always brilliant Emma Straub' METRO'Clever, complex and really rather lovely' BEST'Magical, heart-warming and insightful . . . Warm, wryly funny and melancholic' DAILY EXPRESS'This time-travelling take on a hypothetical return to 1996 and the protagonist's 16th birthday will be enough to remind you to cherish what you have' ELLE'Full of deftly managed plot twists, it's both fun and poignant' MAIL ON SUNDAY'Literary sunshine' New York Times on All Adults Here'A gorgeous and witty storyteller' Liane Moriarty'Deliciously warm and nostalgic' Gillian McAllister, bestselling author of Wrong Place Wrong Time 'A master of the domestic ensemble drama' Time

SOMETIMES, LOVE IS AN APOCALYPSE . . .They Both Die at the End meets All That's Left in the World - a heartbreaking and gripping first love story about courage, hope and holding onto love. Perfect for anyone looking for a big emotional romance of a read. On the morning Avery Byrne plans to end her life, the world discovers there are only nine days left to live: an asteroid is headed for Earth, and no one can stop it. As time runs out and secrets slowly come to light, Avery fights her way home to save the girl she has been in love with her whole life. But can Avery also learn to save herself and find hope again in the tomorrows she has left?'An electric, urgent miracle of a book that asks what - and who - we dare to live for. Avery's story will shatter your heart and fill it with light again.' Kelly Quindlen, bestselling author of She Drives Me Crazy'A novel that carves a space in your heart and remains there forever.' Rachael Lippincott, bestselling co-author of She Gets the Girl and Five Feet Apart'Devastatingly brilliant.' Leah Johnson, bestselling author of You Should See Me in a Crown 'An absolute life changer - and lifesaver - of a book.' Dahlia Adler, author of Cool for the Summer 'Lush, searching, and ultimately full of hope. I loved it.' Emily M. Danforth, bestselling and award-winning author of The Miseducation of Cameron Post 'Achingly tender and poignantly honest . . . This book is a marvel.' Adrienne Tooley, author of Sweet & Bitter Magic

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE BALLROOM AND EXPECTATIONThey are separating, she and her husband, after two decades together.This fact is new.There are many ways of telling the tale ...There are many different sides to every story ... A minibus journeys through rural Mexico. Inside it are twelve strangers on a pilgrimage to the White Rock, which stands, ancient and sacred, off the Pacific coast. Like many before them, over centuries and from across continents, they find themselves irresistibly drawn here, for answers, to give thanks, to seek protection.One of them is a writer. She is travelling with her husband and young daughter, as her faith in her marriage, and the future itself, is foundering. She has come to the White Rock in the hope of excavating a beginning from the rubble of many different endings.Here she will find the echoes of many stories: of conquest and resistance, of betrayal and belief, of the many different forms of violence and love. Stories that have already unravelled, and stories that might yet illuminate a passage through these uncertain times ...'An eco-novel you actually want to read' The Times'Its narrative sweep is capacious . . . It has ambition to match, musing on freedom and reciprocity [and] the redemptive power of storytelling. Impressive' Observer'Deeply moving' The i

'A stunning piece of speculative fiction' The i'A haunting novel about love, survival and everything in between ... one to get excited about' Stylist, Best Modern Dystopia---But she isn't here, no one is here. And I have a terror of being alone, in this building, in London, in the world.Neffy is a young woman running away from grief and guilt, and the one big mistake that has derailed her career. When a debilitating new virus sweeps across the globe, volunteering in a vaccine trial offers her a way to make up for her past. But then, the virus mutates, and the future she had dreamed for herself is gone.As the London streets outside the medical unit fall silent, and food begins to run out, Neffy must decide where safety lies. Might she find solace by revisiting her own heady memories of the past? Can she trust the strangers trapped inside with her - despite her growing suspicions? Or is her best chance of a future to be found in the terrifyingly unknown world outside?Haunting and compelling, The Memory of Animals is a novel about freedom and captivity, survival and sacrifice, and what we cling to when everything else has been taken away, from the Costa Award-winning, Women's Prize-shortlisted author of Unsettled Ground.---'Unsettling, moving and thoughtful, with horror lurking at the edges, this is a subtle, elegant novel. Claire Fuller is a huge talent' Lucy Atkins, author of Magpie Lane'Compulsive and thoroughly convincing. Terrific!' Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures

THE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUTEVERY GENERATION HAS ONE GREAT LOVE STORY.THIS IS OURS.'Beautifully written. Clever, lively, funny, compelling' NINA STIBBE'Marian's most moving, emotive and brilliantly written book yet' 5***** READER REVIEW'Funny, heartbreaking, achingly real. Gorgeous. I absolutely loved it' JANE FALLON'A clever and insightful writer. My favourite' LORRAINE KELLY'Beautifully written, funny, heart-breaking and always wise. A proper treat' DAILY MAIL'I laughed, I cried, I obsessed. Wonderful' 5***** READER REVIEW**THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS AUTHOR OF THE YEAR 2022**______Losing the love of your life once is tragic. TWICE looks like carelessness . . .Rachel Walsh is a survivor: she survived rehab and the loss of her greatest love.These days everything in her life is good - good job, good dog, very good boyfriend. Then Luke - her ex of six years - shows up.Suddenly she's fragile and falling.They ended badly and neither can speak of the secret hurt which drove them apart.But is it fear of what happened? Or what might happen next?______'An entertaining, growingly poignant contemporary tale' SUNDAY TIMES'No other author marries heartbreak and hilarity so seamlessly' MAIL ON SUNDAY'Marian's mastery of story and character is as impressive as ever' HEAT 'BOOK OF THE YEAR'Why readers LOVE Again, Rachel!'Again, Rachel has all the ingredients that make Marian's books so uniquely special - warmth, humour, sadness and depth. It's absolutely perfect' 5* Reader Review'Marian Keyes is just the most talented writer. I adore her, and this book is a pinnacle. It left me sobbing with its beauty, and minutes later laughing out loud at the wit and wry humour of the deeply flawed and deeply human characters' 5* Reader Review'I devoured this book and lost myself in the characters that Marian makes so accessible, easy to identify with and so perfectly flawed' 5* Reader Review'I'm going to have to read it again because I can't bear to leave the characters behind. Wonderful!' 5* Reader ReviewAgain Rachel: Sunday Times bestseller May 2023

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERThe unmissable new work from Ali Smith, following the dazzling Man Booker-shortlisted Seasonal quartetOne day in post-Brexit, mid-pandemic Britain, artist Sandy Gray receives an unexpected phone call from university acquaintance Martina Pelf. Martina is calling Sandy to ask for help with a mysterious question she's been left with after she's spent half a day locked in a room by border control officials for no reason she can fathom:'Curlew or curfew? You choose.'And what's any of this got to do with the story of a young and talented blacksmith hounded from her trade and her home more than five hundred years ago?Ali Smith's novel takes wing, soaring between our atomised present and our medieval past in the hope we can open our locked down homes and selves to all the other times, other species, other histories, other possibilities.'[An] entertaining and expert portrayal of the world we live in, seen by the most beguiling and likeable of novelistic intelligences' Telegraph'[Companion piece] makes you look at the world afresh. For me, it turned a cold and depressing day into a bright one' New StatesmanLONGLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE 2022SHORTLISTED FOR THE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE 2022

'One of the greatest, most radical public thinkers of our time' ARUNDHATI ROY In these incisive interviews, activist Chomsky addresses the urgent questions of this tumultuous time, speaking to the deterioration of democracy in the United States and rising tensions globally.He examines the crumbling of the social fabric and the fractures of the Biden era, including the halting steps toward a Green New Deal, the illegitimate authority of the Supreme Court, in particular its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and the ongoing fallout from COVID-19. Chomsky also untangles the roots of the War in Ukraine, the diplomatic tensions among the United States, China, and Russia, and considers the need for climate action on an international scale.Illegitimate Authority exposes those who wield power in their own self-interest and plots framework for how we can stand together and fight against injustice.'The West's most prominent critic of US imperialism . . . the closest thing in the English-speaking world to an intellectual superstar' Guardian'Will there ever again be a public intellectual who commands the attention of so many across the planet?' New Statesman

A bold new story for fans of We Were Liars, intertwining past and present, love and loss, from the bestselling author of The One Memory of Flora Banks.'A sun-splashed Cornish thriller with a dark heart, ideal for YA fans of E Lockhart' Guardian ONE HOT SUMMER, FIRST LOVE AND SO MANY BURIED SECRETS . . .Senara has never been in love before. She's not done anything exciting before. Always the sidekick . . . Until the summer that changes everything.Cliff House is closed off for most of the year until its rich Londoner owners come down to Cornwall for the summer. This year, despite herself, Senara finds herself pulled into this world of wealth and ease, sunbathing and beautiful people. She even finds herself falling in love for the first time.But Cliff House and its owners are hiding things. They've been hiding things for too long and now, despite all their efforts, their secrets are coming out . . . Secrets that involve Senara's friends and her family in a way she could never have imagined.'An intoxicating mix of mystery, suspense and first love' The Daily Mirror'A perfect holiday page-turner' The Sunday Express'This is another young adult novel that will have younger readers transfixed' The Metro'A slow-burn summer novel packed with intrigue' Culturefly - 22 Books to add to your Summer Reading ListRead more captivating fiction from Emily Barr:The One Memory of Flora BanksThe Truth and Lies of Ella BlackThe Girl Who Came Out of the WoodsThings to do Before The End of the WorldGhosted

'This is a GREAT book! Funny, charming, original, secretly educational.' Adam Kay'Funny, arty and just a little bit naughty, the Art Avenger is amazing!' Matt Lucas'Very funny . . . I learned tons about art and laughed A LOT' Joe LycettA laugh-out-loud illustrated adventure featuring Trixie Pickle, the Banksy of her school.A weird sickness bug has been spreading through Wormwood Town and everyone is wondering if there's something in the water. Trixie Pickle Art Avenger uses the power of art to investigate - can she get to the bottom of the mystery around the town reservoir?She's got a lot on her plate - being bored to sleep by Money Week at school, making comics with her best friend Beeks and finding a way to bring down the local mean girls - but with artistic inspiration from Botticelli, Damien Hirst and Kehinde Wiley, the Art Avenger is sure to win the day.Highly illustrated throughout by Olaf and with fact files of hilarious and irreverent details about real artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Hokusai, Trixie Pickle is perfect for fans of Konnie Huq, Sam Copeland and Liz Pichon.

'Fast-paced and will have you hooked. You're in for a killer summer.' MetroWE WERE LIARS meets GOSSIP GIRL - this YA thriller with a splash of dark academia is full of secrets, lies, privileged teens and beach parties. The perfect summer read.A body in the pool. A friend who might be an enemy. A vacation they'll never forget . . .Linden has always felt like an outsider and spending the summer at his best friend's vacation house, surrounded by money and privilege is doing nothing to lessen his imposter syndrome. But he soon has bigger concerns than fitting in - there's a body in the pool and everyone's a suspect - including him.Readers LOVE Liar's Beach:An addictive addition to the thriller genreIf you're looking for a quick, engrossing YA thriller, look no further than Liar's Beach. Fingers crossed for more!A wonderful and beautifully written YA book, in the modern One of Us Is Lying vein. I really loved this bookAn entertaining read throughout and a fun one to fly through in one sitting

'I want what the straight kids have. Even just for a couple of days . . .'Seventeen-year-old Max might be out and proud but he's usually too busy checking his nail polish to check his privilege.So when he says he wishes he could have the 'easy' life straight kids enjoy, Max gets more than he bargained for. He wakes up to find his wish has come true - not only have his feelings for boys vanished, so has his lifelong best friend Dean.With his world turned upside down and relationships in tatters, can Max find his way back to the life he took for granted, and maybe even win the heart of the guy he thought could never be his . . . ?What If It's Us meets One Last Stop in this deliciously swoony queer romance. 'Outrageous, heartfelt, funny and tender, Straight Expectations is a thought provoking exploration of identity and what makes us who we are' Simon James Green, author of Gay Club.'A refreshingly unique, beautifully queer take on a familiar trope, packed with endless adorable moments, sugar sweetness and laugh-out-loud hilarity. Don't miss out on this utterly charming, heart-melting rom-com from a new voice to watch in the queer YA world!' Sophie Gonzales, co-author of If This Gets Out.'Straight Expectations blends classic rom-com with a heartfelt examination of what it is to be queer, and how it's so much more than just a matter of attraction' LC Rosen, author of Camp.

A hilarious and reassuring New York Times Number 1 bestseller about feeling your emotions - sometimes it's okay not to feel okay!Meet Jim Panzee.He's in a BAD mood.Nothing feels right!Nothing will do, and Jim just doesn't know why...His friends can't understand it - HOW can he be in a mood when it's such a beautiful day!? They have lots of suggestions for how to make him feel better. But Jim can't take all the advice... and has a bit of a meltdown.Could it be that he just needs a day to feel grumpy?This modern classic is the perfect reminder that 'grumpy monkey' days never last long.

From the acclaimed Wolfson Prize-winning author, a dazzling history of the world's emperorsFor millennia much of the world was ruled by emperors: a handful of individuals claimed no limit to the lands they could rule over and no limit to their authority. They operated beyond normal human constraint and indeed often claimed a superhuman or divine authority. In practice they ran the gamut from being some of the most remarkable men who ever lived, to being some of the worst and least remarkable.Dominic Lieven's marvellous new book, In the Shadow of the Gods, is the first to grapple seriously with this extraordinary phenomenon. Across the world peoples, willingly or unwillingly, fell into orbit around figures who reshaped or destroyed entire societies, imposed religions and invaded rivals. Lieven describes the anatomy of imperial monarchy and the principles by which it functioned. He compares the great emperors of antiquity, the caliphs and the warrior-emperors of the steppe before he turns to the Habsburg, Russian, Ottoman, Mughal and Chinese emperors, packing the book with extraordinary stories, astute observations and a sense of both delight and horror at these individuals' antics. The entire breadth of extreme human behaviour is here - from warlords to patrons of the arts, from political genius to feeble incapacity and pathological violence.As one of the great experts both on empires and on Russian history, Lieven is brilliantly qualified to write a book that brings to life a system of rule that dominated most of human history, as well as some of history's grandest and most dismaying figures.

The COVID-19 pandemic isn't over, but even as governments around the world strive to put it behind us, they're also starting to talk about what happens next. How can we prevent a new pandemic from killing millions of people and devastating the global economy? Can we even hope to accomplish this?Bill Gates believes the answer is yes, and in this book he lays out clearly and convincingly what the world should have learned from COVID-19 and what all of us can do to ward off another disaster like it. Relying on the shared knowledge of the world's foremost experts and on his own experience of combating fatal diseases through the Gates Foundation, he first makes us understand the science of corona diseases. Then he helps us understand how the nations of the world, working in conjunction with one another and with the private sector, can not only ward off another COVID-like catastrophe but also go far to eliminate all respiratory diseases, including the flu.Here is a clarion call - strong, comprehensive, and of the gravest importance - from one of our greatest and most effective thinkers and activists.

A powerful and commanding account of the life of trailblazing political activist Angela DavisEdited by Toni Morrison and first published in 1974, An Autobiography is a classic of the Black Liberation era which resonates just as powerfully today. Long hard to find, it is reissued now with a new introduction by Davis, for a new audience inspired and galvanised by her ongoing activism and her extraordinary example.In the book, she describes her journey from a childhood on Dynamite Hill in Birmingham, Alabama, to one of the most significant political trials of the century: from her political activity in a New York high school to her work with the U.S. Communist Party, the Black Panther Party, and the Soledad Brothers; and from the faculty of the Philosophy Department at UCLA to the FBI's list of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Told with warmth, brilliance, humour, and conviction, it is an unforgettable account of a life committed to radical change.

This is a book about survival.This is a book about love.'Beautiful, sensuous and plural ... a vital and visceral collection. Breathtaking' Joelle Taylor, author of C+nto & Othered Poems'Brave ... this striking collection ... articulates the unspeakable from various angles ... often nightmarish and dark, there are moments of shimmering release ... an auspicious debut' Se n Hewitt, Irish Times'[A] powerful debut ... marshals narrative lyrics and stark beauty' The New York Times Book Review'Vivid ... searingly honest, beautifully told depictions of survival and self-love' Publishers Weekly'A testament to queer self-love ... a monument to [what] persists' them.us'A true masterwork ... an exquisitely crafted labyrinth of a book' Electric LiteratureVisceral and astonishing, Paul Tran's debut poetry collection, All the Flowers Kneeling, charts the rebuilding of a self in the wake of extremity. How, it asks, can we reimagine what we have been given in order to make something new: an identity, a family, a life, a dream?These rich, resonant poems of desire, freedom, control and rebirth reach back into the past - the tale of Scheherazade, US imperial violence, a shattering history of personal abuse - to show how it both scars and transforms. Innovative poetic forms mirror the nonlinear experiences of trauma survivors, while ambitious sequences probe our systems of knowledge-making and the power of storytelling as survival.At once virtuosic and vulnerable, confessional and profoundly defiant, All the Flowers Kneeling revels in rediscovering and reconfiguring the self, and ultimately becomes an essential testament to the human capacities for resilience, endurance and love.

Sprint to bed with Rumble the Triceratops in this new sleepy time adventure with the no. 1 bestselling Ten Minutes to Bed series!Deep in the jungle on Midsummer's Eve, Rumble and his dinosaur friends get ready for a grand race. Split into teams, they venture across the Land of Nod, taking on the tallest mountains and the splashiest of rivers. Featuring lots of familiar friends from the Land of Nod, will Rumble and his team be able to win the race this year and still make it to bed on time?Enjoy the fun with Rumble and friends as they whizz across the Land of Nod, gradually slowing the pace to help even the most energetic readers settle down to sleep.This bestselling bedtime series has sold one million copies worldwide! Do you have all the books in the Ten Minutes to Bed series?Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Unicorn Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Mermaid Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Monster Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Dinosaur Ten Minutes to Bed: Little DragonTen Minutes to Bed: Little Unicorn's ChristmasTen Minutes to Bed: Little Unicorn's BirthdayTen Minutes to Bed: Baby UnicornTen Minutes to Bed: Little FairyTen Minutes to Bed: Where's Little Unicorn? Lift-the-flap

'An eye-opening, deeply disturbing, fast-moving journey through the lives, homes and affairs of the filthy rich of London' Danny Dorling'Fascinating, punchy, thought-provoking. Serious Money exposes the corrosive impact of London's super rich on our economy, society and politics, and comprehensively busts the myth that their wealth trickles down to the rest of us' Frances O'GradyLondon is a plutocrat's paradise, with more resident billionaires than New York, Hong Kong or Moscow. Far from trickling down, their wealth is burning up the environment and swallowing up the city. But what do we really know about London's super rich, and the lives they lead?To find out more about this secretive, security-heavy elite, sociologist Caroline Knowles walks the streets of London from the City to suburban Surrey, via Kensington, Notting Hill, Mayfair and elsewhere. Her walks reveal how the wealthy shape the capital in their image, creating a new world of gated communities and luxury developments. A move behind closed doors takes us ever further into the dark heart of the plutocratic city, from multimillion-pound mansions to high-end hotels and gentlemen's clubs. Along the way we meet a wide and wickedly entertaining cast of millionaires, billionaires and those who serve them: bankers, aristocrats, tech tycoons, Conservative party donors, butlers, bodyguards, divorce lawyers and many, many more.By turns jaw-dropping, enraging and enlightening, Serious Money explodes the fiction that wealth is a condition to aspire to, revealing the isolation and paranoia which accompany it when the plutocrat's recompense - a life of unlimited luxury - ultimately proves hollow. It is a powerful reminder us that it is not just the super-rich who get to make the city: we make it too, and could demand something different. Because serious money is good for no one - not even the rich.'Magnificent ... Knowles writes with enviable lightness and pace about how money, property, birth, breeding, contacts, secrecy, and servants have created a class that owns and milks London, a world away from the city's ordinary citizens' Professor Ash Amin, author of Seeing Like a City

'A fascinating journey into our relationship with the physical book...I lost count of the times I exclaimed with delight when I read a nugget of information I hadn't encountered before' Val McDermid, The TimesMost of what we say about books is really about the words inside them: the rosy nostalgic glow for childhood reading, the lifetime companionship of a much-loved novel. But books are things as well as words, objects in our lives as well as worlds in our heads. And just as we crack their spines, loosen their leaves and write in their margins, so they disrupt and disorder us in turn. All books are, as Stephen King put it, 'a uniquely portable magic'. Here, Emma Smith shows us why.Portable Magic unfurls an exciting and iconoclastic new story of the book in human hands, exploring when, why and how it acquired its particular hold over us. Gathering together a millennium's worth of pivotal encounters with volumes big and small, Smith reveals that, as much as their contents, it is books' physical form - their 'bookhood' - that lends them their distinctive and sometimes dangerous magic. From the Diamond Sutra to Jilly Cooper's Riders, to a book made of wrapped slices of cheese, this composite artisanal object has, for centuries, embodied and extended relationships between readers, nations, ideologies and cultures, in significant and unpredictable ways. Exploring the unexpected and unseen consequences of our love affair with books, Portable Magic hails the rise of the mass-market paperback, and dismantles the myth that print began with Gutenberg; it reveals how our reading habits have been shaped by American soldiers, and proposes new definitions of a 'classic'-and even of the book itself. Ultimately, it illuminates the ways in which our relationship with the written word is more reciprocal - and more turbulent - than we tend to imagine.