dialogue united kingdom (79 results)

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. From the Women's Prize for Fiction longlist and the Northern Writer's Award Winner comes. . . REMEMBERED 'Compares with Toni Morrison's Beloved' Guardian 'Powerful, unapologetic, revealing' The Herald 'This book feels vital for our time' Irish Times 'It's haunting and militant and very visceral and compassionate' Diana Evans 'Some books both break your heart and set you free. Remembered will change you' Rachel Edwards It is 1910 and Philadelphia is burning . . . The last place Spring wants to be is in the rundown, coloured section of a hospital surrounded by the groans of sick people and the ghost of her dead sister. But as her son Edward lays dying, she has no other choice. There're whispers that Edward drove a streetcar into a shop window. Some people think it was an accident, others claim that it was his fault, the police are certain that he was part of a darker agenda. Is he guilty? Can they find the truth? All Spring knows is that time is running out. She has to tell him the story of how he came to be. With the help of her dead sister, newspaper clippings and reconstructed memories, she must find a way to get through to him. To shatter the silences that governed her life, she will do everything she can to lead him home. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. SHORTLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE 2020 'A magnificent novel, full of wit, warmth and tenderness' Andrew McMillan 'Smart, serious and entertaining' Bernardine Evaristo How do you begin to find yourself when you only know half of who you are? As Nnenna Maloney approaches womanhood she longs to connect with her Igbo-Nigerian culture. Her once close and tender relationship with her mother, Joanie, becomes strained as Nnenna begins to ask probing questions about her father, who Joanie refuses to discuss. Nnenna is asking big questions of how to 'be' when she doesn't know the whole of who she is. Meanwhile, Joanie wonders how to love when she has never truly been loved. Their lives are filled with a cast of characters asking similar questions about identity and belonging whilst grappling with the often hilarious encounters of everyday Manchester. Okechukwu Nzelu brings us a funny and heart-warming story that covers the expanse of race, gender, class, family and redemption, with a fresh and distinctive new voice. Perfect for fans of Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams and Zadie Smith's White Teeth. 'Effortlessly capture[s] the tricky nuance of life, love, race, sexuality and familial relationships' Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie 'Edifying and hilarious, The Private of Joys of Nnenna Maloney is a beautiful debut that you won't want to put down' Derek Owusu. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. A profoundly unsettling story of a plantation slave's desperate escape into a rainforest beyond human control, with his master and a ferocious dog on his heels. This flight to freedom takes them on a journey that will transform them all, as the overwhelming physical presence of the forest and its dense primeval wilderness reshapes reality and time itself. In the darkness, the old man grapples with the spirits of all those who have gone before him; the knowledge that the past is always with us, and the injustice that can cry out from beyond the grave. From a Prix Goncourt writer hailed by Milan Kundera as the 'heir of Joyce and Kafka', The Old Slave and the Mastiff fearlessly portrays the demonic cruelties of the slave trade and its human costs - a wise, loving tribute to the Creole culture of Martinique, and a vividly told journey into the heart of Caribbean history and human endurance. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Weaving together narratives that celebrate the triumph of Black female resistance, Catherine Joy White takes us on a unique journey through the eyes of positive and inspiring disruptors. Throughout history, acts of defiance have taken place in secret, in kitchens, churches, through trusted networks. Others were projected onto a global stage through art, politics and activism. From Alice Walker to Beyonce, from Audre Lorde to Doreen Lawrence, from Aretha Franklin to Zendaya: Catherine Joy White charts her own journey to self-discovery through the prism of extraordinary women to create a beautiful tapestry of Black joy. Taking on the legacy of Angela Davis's Women, Race and Class, Audre Lorde's Sister Outsider and Saidiya Hartman's Wayward Lives, This Thread of Gold brings new life to the history of Black women's resistance. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP BESTSELLER #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE 'An utterly mesmerising novel.I absolutely loved this book' Bernardine Evaristo, winner of the Booker Prize 2019 'Epic' Kiley Reid, O, The Oprah Magazine 'Favourite book [of the] year' Issa Rae Perfect for fans of Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston and Nella Larson. The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Ten years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' story lines intersect? Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Vanishing Half. The Mothers is a dazzling debut about young love, a big secret in a small community and the moments that haunt us most. All good secrets have a taste before you tell them, and if we'd taken a moment to swish this one around our mouths, we might have noticed the sourness of an unripe secret, plucked too soon, stolen and passed around before its season. It's the last season of high school life for Nadia Turner, a rebellious, grief-stricken, seventeen-year-old beauty. Mourning her own mother's recent suicide, she takes up with the local pastor's son. Luke Sheppard is twenty-one, a former football star whose injury has reduced him to waiting tables at a diner. They are young; it's not serious. But the pregnancy that results from this teen romance - and the subsequent cover-up - will have an impact that goes far beyond their youth. As Nadia hides her secret from everyone, including Aubrey, her God-fearing best friend, the years move quickly. Soon, Nadia, Luke and Aubrey are full-fledged adults and still living in debt to the choices they made that one seaside summer, caught in a love triangle they must carefully manoeuvre and dogged by the constant, nagging question: what if they had chosen differently? In entrancing, lyrical prose, THE MOTHERS asks whether a 'what if' can be more powerful than an experience itself. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Good. Sunday Times bestseller Longlisted for the Women's Prize 2021 Longlisted for the Orwell Prize Longlisted for the National Book Award 'The Vanishing Half is an utterly mesmerising novel. It seduces with its literary flair, surprises with its breath-taking plot twists, delights with its psychological insights, and challenges us to consider the corrupting consequences of racism on different communities and individual lives. I absolutely loved this book' Bernardine Evaristo, winner of the Booker Prize 2019 The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Ten years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' story lines intersect? Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins. Praise for Brit Bennett: 'A writer to watch' Washington Post 'Bennett allows her characters to follow their worst impulses, and she handles provocative issues with intelligence, empathy and dark humour' New York Times 'A beautifully written, sad and lingering book' Guardian on The Mothers. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. AN OBSERVER TOP TEN DEBUT 2020, SHORTLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE, JHALAK PRIZE, POLARI PRIZE, AND THE FICTION DEBUT CATEGORY OF THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS Rainbow Milk is an intersectional coming-of-age story, following nineteen-year-old Jesse McCarthy as he grapples with his racial and sexual identities against the backdrop of a Jehovah's Witness upbringing and the legacies of the Windrush generation. In the Black Country in the 1950s, ex-boxer Norman Alonso is a determined and humble Jamaican who has moved to Britain with his wife to secure a brighter future for themselves and their children. Blighted with unexpected illness and racism, Norman and his family are resilient in the face of such hostilities, but are all too aware that they will need more than just hope to survive. At the turn of the millennium, Jesse seeks a fresh start in London - escaping from a broken immediate family, a repressive religious community and the desolate, disempowered Black Country - but finds himself at a loss for a new centre of gravity, and turns to sex work to create new notions of love, fatherhood and spirituality. Rainbow Milk is a bold exploration of race, class, sexuality, freedom and religion across generations, time and cultures. Mendez is a fervent new writer with an original and urgent voice. 'Sensuous and thrillingly well written', Observer 'When did you last read a novel about a young, black, gay, Jehovah Witness man from Wolverhampton who flees his community to make his way in London as a prostitute? This might be a debut, but Mendez is an exciting, accomplished and daring storyteller with a great ear for dialogue. Graphic Erotica Alert! Don't read this book if you like your fiction cosy and middle-of-the-road' Bernardine Evaristo, winner of the 2019 Booker Prize for Girl, Woman, Other 'The kind of novel you never knew you were waiting for. An explosive work that reels from sex, to sin, to salvation all the while grappling with what it means to black, gay, British, a son, a father, a lover, even a man. A remarkable debut' Marlon James, Booker Prize winning author of Black Leopard, Red Wolf 'This debut cements Mendez as a stunning new voice in fiction' Cosmopolitan. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Good. Luise Schilling is young, inquisitive and has a promising future ahead of her. At the beginning of the turbulent twenties, she arrives at Weimar's Bauhaus University. She takes classes with professors such as Gropius and Kandinsky and throws herself into the dreams and ideas of her epoch. Luise has ambitions of achieving a great deal in life - but little of it has to do with paying homage to great men. First, she falls in love with the dazzling art student Jakob, then with the politicised graphic artist, Hermann. But these are just two of the figures she meets during a heady period. From technology to art, communism to the avant-garde, populism to the youth movement, Luise encounters the social utopias that still shape us to the present day. As if looking at the headlines of today's newspapers, what becomes clear is that the greater fight for freedom never stops at our own individual lives. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. 'A great storyteller and a fabulous actor. Well done, sir!' DAVID HAREWOOD 'Phenomenal! Highly recommended.' MALORIE BLACKMAN 'An absolutely thrilling, throat-catching wonder of a historical novel. Hugely recommended.' STEPHEN FRY For fans of The Miniaturist and The Confessions of Frannie Langton comes this award-winning novel of illuminating historical fiction. Meet Charles Ignatius Sancho: his extraordinary story, hidden for three hundred years, is about to be told. I had little right to live, born on a slave ship where my parents both died. But I survived, and indeed, you might say I did more. It's 1746 and Georgian London is not a safe place for a young Black man, especially one who has escaped slavery. After the twinkling lights in the Fleet Street coffee shops are blown out and the great houses have closed their doors for the night, Sancho must dodge slave catchers and worse. The man he hoped would help - a kindly duke who taught him to write - is dying. Sancho is desperate and utterly alone. So how does Charles Ignatius Sancho meet the King, write and play highly acclaimed music, become the first Black person to vote in Britain and lead the fight to end slavery? It's time for him to tell his story, one that begins on a tempestuous Atlantic Ocean, and ends at the very centre of London life. And through it all, he must ask: born amongst death, how much can you achieve in one short life? "Utterly infectious." - The Times The Times and Sunday Times HISTORICAL BOOK OF THE MONTH. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize AN OBSERVER TOP TEN DEBUT 2020 'Sensuous and thrillingly well written', Observer 'When did you last read a novel about a young, black, gay, Jehovah Witness man from Wolverhampton who flees his community to make his way in London as a prostitute? This might be a debut, but Mendez is an exciting, accomplished and daring storyteller with a great ear for dialogue. Graphic Erotica Alert! Don't read this book if you like your fiction cosy and middle-of-the-road' Bernardine Evaristo, winner of the 2019 Booker Prize for Girl, Woman, Other 'The kind of novel you never knew you were waiting for. An explosive work that reels from sex, to sin, to salvation all the while grappling with what it means to black, gay, British, a son, a father, a lover, even a man. A remarkable debut' Marlon James, Booker Prize winning author of Black Leopard, Red Wolf 'This debut cements Mendez as a stunning new voice in fiction' Cosmopolitan Rainbow Milk is an intersectional coming-of-age story, following nineteen-year-old Jesse McCarthy as he grapples with his racial and sexual identities against the backdrop of a Jehovah's Witness upbringing and the legacies of the Windrush generation. In the Black Country in the 1950s, ex-boxer Norman Alonso is a determined and humble Jamaican who has moved to Britain with his wife to secure a brighter future for themselves and their children. Blighted with unexpected illness and racism, Norman and his family are resilient in the face of such hostilities, but are all too aware that they will need more than just hope to survive. At the turn of the millennium, Jesse seeks a fresh start in London - escaping from a broken immediate family, a repressive religious community and the desolate, disempowered Black Country - but finds himself at a loss for a new centre of gravity, and turns to sex work to create new notions of love, fatherhood and spirituality. Rainbow Milk is a bold exploration of race, class, sexuality, freedom and religion across generations, time and cultures. Paul Mendez is a fervent new writer with an original and urgent voice. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Twilight meets Gossip Girl and fake-dating meets vampires in the filthiest, spiciest, sexiest vampire book of the year by million-copy bestselling author and TikTok sensation Geneva Lee. Julian Rousseaux has a problem. He's single, and for the world's wealthiest vampires, the social season is about to begin. Julian would rather stake himself than get married. But as the eldest, eligible Rousseaux he has no choice but to find a wife before the season ends - whether he likes it or not. When cellist Thea literally stumbles into his life at a gala, she's the last person Julian could ever fall in love with. She's too innocent, too kind and way too human. But now that she knows about his world, she's also a walking target. She needs protection; he needs a fake girlfriend to discourage overzealous vampire matchmaking. But with each moment they share, new dangers emerge: a desire as forbidden as their stolen touches, an awakening of a long-dead heart, and secrets that could tear them both apart. READERS ARE OBSESSED 'This is my favorite book. I can say it without a doubt and with conviction. I will never stop talking about this, and I will not apologize . . . This is seductive. Alluring. Magnificent. I would die for this book. I need merch, special editions, everything' 'I don't want this to end' 'I don't know what to say other than the fact that I absolutely loved this' 'Filled with lush danger, sensual possibilities, and a seemingly insurmountable obstacle for the protagonists to overcome. This story has some of my favorite romance tropes wrapped up with glamorous and utterly irresistible bows' ' Thought about it all day at work, wishing I could be sitting at home so I could finish it . . . And then promptly came home and finished it. Such a great read!' 'Sexy vampires meets Bridgerton, with a hint of Christian Grey. I couldn't read this book fast enough!' 'Addicting from start to finish'. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. 'One of the feminist novels of 2018' Stylist 'A pacy dystopian thriller' Red Magazine 'Topical, probing and quietly intense - XX is a phenomenal debut' Skinny 'Fantastic - completely topical, utterly believable, and that rare thing: an issue-driven book that feels like a story, not an issue' Julie Cohen When Rosie and Jules discover a ground-breaking clinical trial that enables two women to have a female baby, they jump at the chance to make history. Fear-mongering politicians and right-wing movements are quick to latch on to the controversies surrounding Ovum-to-Ovum (o-o) technology and stoke the fears of the public. What will happen to the numbers of little boys born? Is there a sinister conspiracy to eradicate men at play? In this toxic political climate, Jules and Rosie try to hide their baby from scrutiny. But when the news of Rosie's pregnancy is leaked to the media, their relationship is put under a microscope and they're forced to question the loyalty of those closest to them, and battle against a tirade of hate that threatens to split them apart. What readers are saying: 'Well written, perfectly paced and so timely, Through excellent character development, Chadwick manages to explore the social, ethical and political questions raised, while still telling what is at its core a beautifully human story.' 'I could not put this down, even when my heart was aching and my pulse was raging.' 'This is politically and ethically engaging, as well as a very personal read. It shows a world that is only a few years away, and it left me with a lot of thoughts about gender and science. Excellent.' "The whole plot was set out so effectively that it made me feel like this was something that could be being developed somewhere in the world right now or it's in the near distant future! The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. 'Beautifully written, mysterious and compelling' Janet Fitch, bestselling author of White Oleander 'An addictive read you'll finish within hours' Stylist 'Vogel is a gleaming new talent' Observer 'An alternative feminist love story for the modern age' Big Issue 'Refreshing' Guardian 'Dreamy' Oprah Magazine ____________ A raw, fresh, haunting, emotionally and sexually honest literary debut. When Echo's father gets swept away by a freak current off the Los Angeles coast, she finds herself sinking into a complete state of paralysis. With no true friends and a troubled relationship with her mother, the failed young actress attempts to seek solace in the best way she knows: by losing herself in the lives of strangers. When, by chance, Echo meets a dominatrix called Orly, it finally feels like she might have found someone who will be nurturing and treasure her for who she is. But Orly's fifty-something houseboy, Piggy, isn't quite ready to let someone else share the intimate relationship he's worked so hard to form with his mistress. Permission is a love story about people who are sick with dreams and expectations and turn to the erotic for comfort and cure. As they stumble through the landscape of desire, they are in a desperate search for the answer to that sacred question: how do I want to be loved? The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. A DOROTHY KOOMSON BOOK OF THE YEAR AN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Such a beautiful read, like chatting to a friend over a cuppa. This is the intimate, insightful read that I didn't know I needed. Just brilliant.' Dorothy Koomson Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah spent decades talking openly and intimately to African women around the world about sex. In this book, she brings together their extraordinary stories, whilst also chronicling her own journey towards sexual freedom. From finding queer community in Egypt to living a polyamorous life in Senegal to understanding the intersectionality of religion and pleasure in Cameroon, their necessary narratives are individual and illuminating. This stunning collection provides crucial insight into our quest for sexual power and offers all women inspirational examples to live a truly liberated life. 'Touching, joyful, defiant and honest.' Economist, Books of the Year 2021 'Fascinating.' Bernadine Evaristo 'Honest and moving. A vital treasure.' Bolu Babalola, author of Love in Colour 'Stunning. Essential read! I couldn't put it down.' Nicole Dennis-Benn, bestselling author of Patsy and Here Comes the Sun 'Leaves you feeling deliciously empowered.' Lola Shoneyin, author of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives 'Boundary-breaking, fascinating and deeply affirming.' Otegha Uwagba, author of Little Black Book. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Fair. Her best friend's brother. A broken heart. A fake relationship. The laugh-out-loud TikTok sensation you need this summer! Daisy Patel has her life all planned out, and no interest in love. Her family, however, expect a marriage. Liam Murphy is a venture capitalist with something to prove. Until he realises his inheritance is contingent on being married. A fake marriage will get Daisy's matchmaking relatives off her back and fulfil the terms of his late grandfather's will. If only he hadn't broken her tender teenage heart nine years ago . . . Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimise their fake relationship. Too late, they realize that this might not be the perfect plan. A readable copy of the book which may include some defects such as highlighting and notes. Cover and pages may be creased and show discolouration.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. One broken heart. One grumpy bachelor. One very sexy deal. The laugh-out-loud romance from the author of the TikTok sensation The Dating Plan. Celebrity-obsessed lawyer Zara Patel is the best at helping her friends find romance through the wedding season. She's never faced a guest at the singles table she couldn't match, until she crosses paths with Jay Donovan. Jay has no time for love, and definitely no time for a match-maker. When charismatic Zara crashes into his life, he's thrown into close contact with exactly the kind of chaos he wants to avoid. Worse, they're stuck together for the entire wedding season. So they make a deal. She'll find his special someone if he introduces her to his celebrity clients. But when their arrangement brings them together in ways they never expected, they realise that the perfect match might just be their own. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. 'This novel is written with a breathtaking, exhilarating assurance and wit. Terrific' The Times 'A wrenchingly beautiful debut by a writer to be reckoned with' Jesmyn Ward Mitchell S. Jackson grew up black in a neglected neighbourhood in America's whitest city, Portland, Oregon. In the '90s, those streets and beyond had fallen under the shadow of crack cocaine and its familiar mayhem. In his commanding autobiographical novel, Jackson writes what it was like to come of age in that time and place, with a breakout voice that's nothing less than extraordinary. The Residue Years switches between the perspectives of a young man, Champ, and his mother, Grace. Grace is just out of a drug treatment programme, trying to stay clean and get her kids back. Champ is trying to do right by his mum and younger brothers, and dreams of reclaiming the only home he and his family have ever shared. But selling crack is the only sure way he knows to achieve his dream. In this world of few options and little opportunity, where love is your strength and your weakness, this family fights for family and against what tears one apart. Honest in its portrayal, with cadences that dazzle, The Residue Years signals the arrival of a writer set to awe. Winner Whiting Writers' Award Winner Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence Finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. A heartbreaking, lyrical story for all of those who have fantasised about escaping their daily lives and starting over. Michael Kabongo is a British-Congolese teacher living in London on the cusp of two identities. On paper, he seems to have it all - he's loved by his students, popular with his colleagues, and enjoys the pride of his mother who emigrated from the Congo. But behind closed doors, he's been struggling with the overwhelming sense that he can't improve the injustices he sees - from his efforts to change the lives of his students, to his attempts to transcend the violence that marginalises young Black men around the world. Then Michael suffers a devastating loss, and his life is thrown into a tailspin. As he struggles to find a way forward, memories of his fathers' violent death, the weight of being a refugee, and an increasing sense of dread threaten everything he's worked so hard to achieve. Longing to escape the shadows in his mind and start anew, Michael decides to spontaneously pack up and go to America, the mythical 'land of the free,' where he imagines everything will be better, easier - a place where he can become someone new, someone without a past filled with pain. On this transformative journey, Michael travels from New York City to San Francisco, partying with new friends, sparking fleeting romances, and splurging on big adventures. In the back of his mind, Michael has a plan: follow his dreams until the money in his bank account runs out, and then he will decide if his life is truly worth living. Written in spellbinding prose, with Bola's trademark, magnetic storytelling, The Selfless Act of Breathing is a heart-wrenching and deeply emotional novel about mental health, masculinity and the power of love. Perfect for fans of Rainbow Milk and the works of Derek Owusu. What people are saying about The Selfless Act of Breathing: 'Well, wow. The writing in this book was so lyrical and beautiful. I really couldn't put this book down and finished it in two days. The last page had me on the verge of tears.' NetGalley Reviewer 'I knew from the opening that this book was going to break my heart. Breathless and gripping, it is a masterclass in empathy.' Yvonne Battle-Felton 'Heartfelt and searing. Devastating and insightful. Readers will be swept up in the sheer beauty of Bola's writing.' The i 'Possessed by a daring turn of phrase and at times a beautifully powerful sense of personal poignancy. Should be pushed into the hands of friends accompanied by the question: do you feel this too?' Big Issue 'Absolutely stunning.' Elizabeth Day 'I loved this book - I lost my whole day reading - just couldn't bear to put it down!' NetGalley Reviewer 'Wonderfully tender. Bola's vulnerable, delicate writing conveys so much truth and heart about the quiet pain in our hearts.' Nikesh Shukla 'Arresting. Important and emotive. Powerfully raw.' Guardian 'A bold work with a broad scope, bravely tackling masculinity, hopelessness and despair with force and directness.' Okechukwu Nzelu 'A beautiful, absorbing read. By turns searing and quietly devastating.' Irenosen Okojie 'An emotive, brave novel that ultimately holds out the prospect of salvation, without sacrificing any of its power.' Daily Mail 'Providing a spark of hope.' Observer 'Narrated with haunting lyricism. An intimate journey through the darkest of human impulses to the gleaming flickers of love and radical hope.' Susan Abulhawa 'Bola's insightful, intimate and lyrical work has been entrancing readers. Reminiscent of Paul Beatty and Ralph Ellison.' The Bookseller. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. 'Incredible insight with a transgressive, witty, spirit.' COURTNEY LOVE 'The most sensational read of 2022!' GEMMA COLLINS 'A breath of fresh air. I want so many people to read this!' TRAVIS ALABANZA 'Visionary' VIV ALBERTINE A STYLIST MUST-READ FOR 2022 Wellness is oppressive, self love is a trap, hustling is a health risk and it's all the patriarchy's fault. Ione Gamble never imagined that entering adulthood would mean being diagnosed with an incurable illness. Watching identity politics become social media fodder from the confines of her sickbed Ione began to pick apart our obsession with self-care, personal branding, productivity and #LivingYourBestLife. Using her experience with disability to cast a fresh gaze on the particularly peculiar cultural moment in which young women find themselves, Poor Little Sick Girls explores the pressures faced - as well as the power of existing as an unacceptable woman in our current era of empowerment. Founder of Polyester zine and a host of The Polyester Podcast, Ione has been named one of fifteen coolest young Londoners by The Evening Standard, and a 2019 New Debutante in Tatler Magazine. If you love Trick Mirror, Feminists Don't Wear Pink and Hood Feminism,you don't want to miss this book. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. This battle for an office might just become a battle for their hearts . . . A recommended read from Buzzfeed, PopSugar, Teen Vogue, Oprah Magazine, and Bustle! After her life falls apart, recruitment consultant Layla Patel returns home to her family in San Francisco. Layla's dad would do anything to see her smile again. With the best intentions in mind, he offers her the office upstairs to start her new business and creates a profile on an online dating site to find her a man. She doesn't know he's arranged a series of blind dates until the first one comes knocking on her door . . . As CEO of a corporate downsizing company Sam Mehta is more used to conflict than calm. In search of a quiet new office, he finds the perfect space above a cosy Indian restaurant that smells like home. But when communication goes awry, he's forced to share his space with the owner's beautiful yet infuriating daughter Layla, her crazy family, and a parade of hopeful suitors, all of whom threaten to disrupt his carefully ordered life. As they face off in close quarters, the sarcasm and sparks fly. But when the battle for the office becomes a battle of the heart, Sam and Layla have to decide if this is love or just a game. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. 'Palpable tension. Charming characters who self-reflect. Laugh out loud moments. A plot with so many emotional layers. The Next Best Fling has absolutely everything I want in a romance book. Bravo' MIA SHERIDAN, New York Times bestselling author of Archer's Voice 'Funny, smart, and spicy!' ABBY JIMENEZ, New York Times bestselling author of The Friend Zone He wants the bride, she wants the groom. But what if all they really want. is each other? Two broken hearts decide that the best way to get over their first loves is with a no-strings-attached fake dating relationship in this spicy and charming debut romance. Librarian Marcela Ortiz has been secretly in love with her best friend for years - but when he gets engaged, it's time to move on. Before she gets the chance, she has a bigger problem to contend with in the form of Theo Young, ex-NFL player and older brother of the man she loves. When she discovers Theo's plans to confess his feelings for his brother's fiancee at their engagement party, Marcela stops him - despite how tempting it is to let him run away with the bride-to-be. Managing to convince Theo to sleep off his drunken almost-mistake at her place, when they arrive at a family brunch the next day, everyone wrongly assumes they hooked up. Since Theo needs a cover for his feelings for the bride and Marcela needs a distraction from her unrequited feelings for the groom, they decide to roll with the lie. Until one late night at a bar, they take it a step further. Soon, they're exploring the simmering chemistry between them, whether in library aisles or Marcela's bed. No boundaries. No strings attached. Until their rebound starts working. Maybe a little too well. Readers are obsessed with The Next Best Fling: 'Good grief, this was fantastic!! Emotionally rich, swoony, spicy, just the right level of angsty' 'Any book that I read in 24 hours is highly recommended!! This was an addicting page turning read that had me neglecting my responsibilities' 'Obsessed!!' 'I devoured The Next Best Fling in one sitting, completely swept up in its heartwarming charm and irresistible romance' 'I'm actually obsessed with this' 'I would die for Theo Young' 'Look - if I stay up past my bedtime to finish a book, you know it's worth reading. In fact, I read this one all in the span of a few hours' 'Perfection' 'Gosh did I adore this book, it had me hooked from the very first page' 'Taylor Swift wrote "Right Where You Left Me" so this book could run!' 'To say I'm obsessed might just be the biggest understatement of this century' 'If you're looking for a fictional couple to become way too invested in, this is the book to read' 'The chemistry was off the rails with Marcela and Theo' 'I was immediately obsessed with this book from the first few chapters. I quite literally devoured the entire thing in less than 24 hour, and I loved it all. It was messy, angsty, dramatic, and spicy but also so so heartwarming and healing' 'I honestly wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did, but I'm definitely looking forward to getting a physical copy once it releases to reread and annotate!'. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. 'A stunning debut . . . I loved every page' CLARE MACKINTOSH 'I loved this book. Its witchy, and sweaty and unputdownable. It takes a traditional thriller structure and turns it on it's head' DAISY JOHNSON 'Refreshing, heartbreaking and magical . . . Every mother should read this' CATH WEEKS 'A riveting and utterly convincing story, that shines a light on the shadows between right and wrong. A sensitive and thought-provoking into the lives of women' KIRAN MILLWARD HARGRAVE THE BATTLE ON THE INSIDE IS JUST THE BEGINNING Dani hasn't had an easy life. She's made some bad choices and now she's paying the ultimate price; prison. With her young daughter Bethany, growing up in foster care, Dani is determined to be free and reunited with her. There's only one problem; Dani can't stay out of trouble. Dani's new cellmate Martha is quiet and unassuming. There's something about her that doesn't add up. When Martha offers Dani one last chance at freedom, she doesn't hesitate. Everything she wants is on the outside, but Dani is stuck on the inside. Is it possible to break out when everyone is trying to keep you in . . . The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. 'A feel-good, uplifting read' USA Today 'A heartfelt, hopeful, and humorous exploration of the importance of learning to love yourself . . . a joy to read' Booklist, STARRED REVIEW 'Reading a body positive book with a curvy women of colour who is a leading lady and NOT a sidekick, made me smile ear-to-ear. Savvy is a talented, compassionate, intelligent and fully developed character who made me stand up and cheer!' Goodreads reviewer Savvy Sheldon spends a lot of time tiptoeing around the cracks in her life: her high-stress and low-thanks job, her clueless boyfriend and the falling-apart kitchen she inherited from her beloved grandma-who taught her how to cook. But when Savvy's world starts to crash down around her, she knows it's time for some renovations. Starting from the outside in, Savvy tackles her crumbling kitchen, her relationship with her body, her work-life balance (or lack thereof) and, last but not least, her love life. But as any home-renovation-show junkie can tell you, something always falls apart during renovations. First, Savvy passes out during hot yoga. Then it turns out that the contractor she hires is the same sexy stranger she unintentionally offended by judging based on appearances. Worst of all, Savvy can't seem to go anywhere without tripping over her ex and his latest "upgrade." Maybe Savvy should've started her renovations the other way around: beginning with how she sees herself before building a love that lasts . . . A sexy and heart-pounding romantic comedy that will make you stand up and cheer! Fans of Talia Hibbert, Ali Hazelwood and Jesse Sutanto won't be able to resist Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell. Readers still aren't over Savvy Sheldon: 'I love plus-size positive love stories and it seems like there are so many coming out recently that I really need to catch up! This was definitely worth the read and I'll be reading more of McCoy in the future!' Netgalley reviewer 'SAVVY SHELDON FEELS GOOD AS HELL was wonderful! I adored Savvy from page 1, and her journey to self love was wonderful to read. The food descriptions in this book!!! I caught myself cooking while reading because it made me so hungry. Plus her connection with Spencer was electric! I loved this one and can't wait for McCoy's next!' Netgalley reviewer 'What a great story! I loved Savvy and I also loved Spencer, a man who ended up being much more than Savvy's contractor. Factor in a lot of tennis, a lot of cooking, and Savvy fighting the insecurities she had with her appearance, and Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell left me with a feel-good feeling' Goodreads reviewer 'Another one to add to the favourites pile! I loved Savvy and getting to be alongside her on her journey to self-discovery!' Netgalley reviewer 'LOVEDDDDD IT!!!!' Goodreads reviewer 'I was enamoured with Taj's McCoy's debut. Savvy goes on one heck of a self-love journey post-breakup and I was cheering for her the whole way. Add a steamy romance into the mix and my heart sang as I tore through this book. This feel-good, empowering romcom will blow you away, guaranteed' Goodreads reviewer 'This is a unique book that I think a lot of women, young and old alike will benefit from reading. It has a wonderful message wrapped up in a love story, full of affirmations for Black women especially, and an MC who everyone will want to root for. I read it in one sitting and couldn't recommend it more!' Netgalley reviewer. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. 'Wow just incredible. The killer's identity just took my breath away. Breathtaking suspense and mystery that will blow you away. Outstanding. ' Surjit's Book Blog In the golden afternoon light, the young woman lies perfectly still, her dark hair fanning out behind her. She is dressed in a rose red sari, shot through with gold. Just like the others. The last time Detective Vijay Patel visited India, he vowed never to return. After a devastating accident, the country holds only bitter memories and broken dreams. But when three young women are murdered in mysterious circumstances, Patel is pulled back to his past. Leaving his fiancee Sarah behind in London, Patel rushes to a beautiful apartment on a tree-lined street where the body of Sarita Mohan, a successful businesswoman, has been found. Floating on a sea of black satin, she is dressed in red silk, a tiny silver ring on the fourth toe of her right foot. Desperate to find a link between the murders, Patel digs into the other cases and spots the missing link. The toe ring is a symbol of marriage and the distinctive red saris are traditionally worn for weddings. What is the killer trying to tell them? Why leave each body posed like a bride? Then Sarah is kidnapped, and Patel is frantic to find the woman he loves before she becomes the next victim. As he desperately re-reads the killer's last cryptic message, Patel finds the critical clue he's been searching for, and hopefully a chance to save Sarah. Determined to rescue the woman he loves, can Patel outwit the deadliest killer he has ever faced? Or is he already too late? Utterly unputdownable, this breathless thriller will keep you guessing until the final, shocking twist. Fans of Ian Rankin, Abir Mukherjee and Val McDermid will be totally gripped! What readers are saying about Cold Sun: 'Wow, wow, wow. I just couldn't put this one down. An absolute masterpiece. Gritty, fast paced, brilliant. Loved loved all the characters. One of the best crime books I have ever read. Just wonderful. Will be recommending this to everyone.' Bestselling author Renita D'Silva 'Absolutely gripping. So intense. The twists I encountered along the way were so unexpected. I could not stop to put this down at any point. Gave me tingles. I was so nervous about how this book was going to play out.' Twilight Reader 'Completely pulled in. I have devoured this book in one sitting.' Little Miss Book Lover 87 'Twisty. I didn't guess the denouement at all, even as the book was racing towards its conclusion.' The Quick and the Read 'Exciting. A super-gripping new thriller series. You'll be kept guessing as to the killer's identity throughout. Will have you totally hooked.' Cosmopolitan 'Gripping. Very well drawn characters. Recommended!' NetGalley Reviewer 'Fast-paced and riveting.' Beyond the Books 'Anita Sivakumaran is an exciting new name in crime fiction.' The Times. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. 'OMG!!! This has to be my best book of the year! Made me laugh and it made me cry! So heartbreaking but inspiring at the same time. Loved it!' Goodreads Reviewer A powerful novel about an intersex Nigerian teenager and the courage to be yourself. Raised as a boy in a grand but unhappy family in Nigeria, Otolorin Akinro escapes to boarding school knowing two things: she is truly a girl, and to stay safe, she must hide that truth. Away from the cruelty of her childhood home, Oto blooms even as she strives to be the best boy she can, finding true friendship and working hard to earn a scholarship to an American university, hoping someone out there might help her understand the secrets her body holds. But she cannot stay away forever. Back home for the holidays, though Oto and her beloved twin sister are overjoyed to see each other, their mother's violence erupts once more and when a terrible incident rips their lives apart, Oto is left alone. As her world goes up in flames, can Otolorin rebuild a life from the ashes of her true self? An Ordinary Wonder is an utterly gripping, heartbreaking and uplifting coming-of-age story about family, identity, gender and culture and discovering your whole, true self. If you loved The Vanishing Half, The Girl with the Louding Voice or The Death of Vivek Oji, you'll adore this moving book. What readers are saying about An Ordinary Wonder: 'WOW!!!! I absolutely LOVED this book. A powerful, engrossing, sad, but also joyous book. I could not stop listening and reading once I started it.' Goodreads Reviewer 'This story was so sad!!! Just broke my heart.' Goodreads Reviewer 'One of the best, most beautiful and most incredible books I've ever read in my entire life.' Goodreads Reviewer 'I thought I was going to make it all the way through to end of this book without crying. Turns out, I was very wrong. After the tears, you're cheering with the characters all the way to the end.' Goodreads Reviewer 'Wow! This book is so totally awesome! An amazing story.' Goodreads Reviewer 'Moved me to tears but also filled me with hope. An emotional, heartbreaking read, with a plot that kept me gripped and stunning writing. I'm still thinking about this book months after reading it.' Goodreads Reviewer 'Brilliant. The tension builds up and honestly the author squeezed every emotion out of me!' Reader review. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. A heartbreaking, lyrical story for all of those who have fantasised about escaping their daily lives and starting over. Michael Kabongo is a British-Congolese teacher living in London on the cusp of two identities. On paper, he seems to have it all - he's loved by his students, popular with his colleagues, and enjoys the pride of his mother who emigrated from the Congo. But behind closed doors, he's been struggling with the overwhelming sense that he can't improve the injustices he sees - from his efforts to change the lives of his students, to his attempts to transcend the violence that marginalises young Black men around the world. Then Michael suffers a devastating loss, and his life is thrown into a tailspin. As he struggles to find a way forward, memories of his fathers' violent death, the weight of being a refugee, and an increasing sense of dread threaten everything he's worked so hard to achieve. Longing to escape the shadows in his mind and start anew, Michael decides to spontaneously pack up and go to America, the mythical 'land of the free,' where he imagines everything will be better, easier - a place where he can become someone new, someone without a past filled with pain. On this transformative journey, Michael travels from New York City to San Francisco, partying with new friends, sparking fleeting romances, and splurging on big adventures. In the back of his mind, Michael has a plan: follow his dreams until the money in his bank account runs out, and then he will decide if his life is truly worth living. Written in spellbinding prose, with Bola's trademark, magnetic storytelling, The Selfless Act of Breathing is a heart-wrenching and deeply emotional novel about mental health, masculinity and the power of love. Perfect for fans of Rainbow Milk and the works of Derek Owusu. What people are saying about The Selfless Act of Breathing: 'Well, wow. The writing in this book was so lyrical and beautiful. I really couldn't put this book down and finished it in two days. The last page had me on the verge of tears.' NetGalley Reviewer 'I knew from the opening that this book was going to break my heart. Breathless and gripping, it is a masterclass in empathy.' Yvonne Battle-Felton 'Heartfelt and searing. Devastating and insightful. Readers will be swept up in the sheer beauty of Bola's writing.' The i 'Possessed by a daring turn of phrase and at times a beautifully powerful sense of personal poignancy. Should be pushed into the hands of friends accompanied by the question: do you feel this too?' Big Issue 'Absolutely stunning.' Elizabeth Day 'I loved this book - I lost my whole day reading - just couldn't bear to put it down!' NetGalley Reviewer 'Wonderfully tender. Bola's vulnerable, delicate writing conveys so much truth and heart about the quiet pain in our hearts.' Nikesh Shukla 'Arresting. Important and emotive. Powerfully raw.' Guardian 'A bold work with a broad scope, bravely tackling masculinity, hopelessness and despair with force and directness.' Okechukwu Nzelu 'A beautiful, absorbing read. By turns searing and quietly devastating.' Irenosen Okojie 'An emotive, brave novel that ultimately holds out the prospect of salvation, without sacrificing any of its power.' Daily Mail 'Providing a spark of hope.' Observer 'Narrated with haunting lyricism. An intimate journey through the darkest of human impulses to the gleaming flickers of love and radical hope.' Susan Abulhawa 'Bola's insightful, intimate and lyrical work has been entrancing readers. Reminiscent of Paul Beatty and Ralph Ellison.' The Bookseller. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. 'Sensational' Guardian 'Utterly immersive' Daily Mail 'There was a time I would have called Lisa Ko's novel beautifully written, ambitious and moving, and all of that is true, but it's more than that now: if you want to understand a forgotten and essential part of the world we live in, The Leavers is required reading' Ann Patchett, author of Commonwealth One morning, Deming Guo's mother, Polly, an undocumented Chinese immigrant, goes to her job at a nail salon and never comes home. No one can find any trace of her. With his mother gone, eleven-year-old Deming is left mystified and bereft. Eventually adopted by a pair of well-meaning white professors, Deming is moved from the Bronx to a small town upstate and renamed Daniel Wilkinson. But far from all he's ever known, Daniel struggles to reconcile his adoptive parents' desire that he assimilate with his memories of his mother and the community he left behind. Set in New York and China, The Leavers is a vivid examination of borders and belonging. It's a moving story of how a boy comes into his own when everything he loves is taken away, and how a mother learns to live with the mistakes of the past. 'As relevant as ever as the future of immigrants in America hangs in the balance' TIME 'A rich, multifaceted portrait of displacement and the trauma of not belonging' Independent 'One of the most engaging, deeply probing, and beautiful books I have read this year' Laila Lalami, author of The Moor's Account 'Instantly compelling' Stylist 'A must-read' Marie Claire FINALIST for the NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION 2017 WINNER OF THE 2016 PEN/BELLWETHER PRIZE FOR FICTION NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2017 BY OPRAH, NPR, BUZZFEED AND HUFFINGTON POST. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. GUARDIAN MUST READ BOOKS OF 2019 'Okojie is a dazzlingly wild, bold and imaginative writer who tells stories with captivating originality and intense drama' Bernardine Evaristo 'Dazzling . . . A feast for the senses' Diana Evans Winner of the AKO Cain Prize ____________ In this collection of short stories, offbeat characters are caught up in extraordinary situations that test the boundaries of reality . . . A love-hungry goddess of the sea arrives on an island inhabited by eunuchs. A girl from Martinique moonlights as a Grace Jones impersonator. Dimension-hopping monks sworn to silence must face a bloody reckoning. And a homeless man goes right back, to the very beginning, through a gap in time. Nudibranch is a dark and seductive foray into the surreal. ____________ PRAISE FOR IRENOSEN OKOJIE 'One of the most original and innovative writers to emerge in many a year' ALEX WHEATLE MBE 'An original and highly unpredictable imagination . . . Prepare to be startled' RUPERT THOMSON 'Okojie has a sharp eye for the twisting stories of the city, and a turn of phrase that switches from elegance to brutality in a single line' STELLA DUFFY. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.