This is a fictional story about a young boy named Icon, a respected old-timer named Sir Jack, and a wise old wizard called Halvyn. Icon has the dream to become a world tennis champion. Sir Jack is about to become his teacher. Wizard Halvyn magically guides them! Many children have dreams about imaginary adventures alongside their heroes. The only difference with Icon is that he begins to live his dream. The theme of the story is values. Much of the action and adventure in this book correlates directly to everyday lessons in life. Icon's adventures are both personable and exciting. They lead to plenty of action and surprises that will encourage all young people to truly believe they can achieve their goals.

The Darkest Day is the first novel in the five part Inspector Barbarotti series from renowned Swedish crime author Hakan Nesser. It's December in the quiet Swedish town of Kymlinge, and the Hermansson family are gathering to celebrate father Karl-Erik and eldest daughter Ebba's joint landmark birthdays. But beneath the guise of happy festivities, tensions are running high, and it's not long before the night takes a dark and unexpected turn . . . Before the weekend is over, two members of the Hermansson family are missing, and it's up to Inspector Barbarotti - a detective who spends as much of his time debating the existence of God as he does solving cases - to determine exactly what has happened. And he soon discovers he'll have to unravel a whole tangle of sinister family secrets in the process . . .

Life and death played out over 48 hours. A father desperate to be with his young son escapes from a secure psychiatric hospital, knowing he has just one chance for the two of them to start a new life together. His goal is to snatch the three-year-old - a diabetic who needs insulin to stay alive - and run away to France ... but first he must find the boy, evade his foster family and stay well clear of the police, already in pursuit. A real page-turner cut through with dark humour, Sweet William zeroes in on a potent mix: mental illness, a foster family under pressure, and an aggrieved father separated from his precious child. The result is an incisive and deeply affecting literary thriller.

n Verhaal wat die kruis van outisme genadeloos oopvlek. Sentraal in hierdie aangrypende gegewe staan twee onvergeetlike vrouekarakters: Ingrid Dorfling, ma van Alexander, wat die grense van wanhoop oorskry in haar verbete stryd om die kind wat hulle gesinslewe ontwrig "mens" te laat word. En in die proses omtrent alles wat kosbaar is, verloor. Parallel met Ingrid staan Miriam - oppasma - wat met haar kinderlike godsvertroue en aardse wysheid die enigste is wat tot "Boetatjie" kan deurdring.

Die gelyknamige film (met Diaan Lawrenson in die hoofrol) begin op 16 Februarie 2018 in fliekteaters draai!

'One of the greatest achievements in comedy. A work of staggering genius' - David Walliams An international phenomenon and pop-culture classic, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has been a radio show, TV series, novel, stage play, comic book and film. Following the galactic (mis)adventures of Arthur Dent, Hitchhiker's in its various incarnations has captured the imaginations of curious minds around the world . . . It's an ordinary Thursday lunchtime for Arthur Dent until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly afterwards to make way for a new hyperspace express route, and his best friend has just announced that he's an alien. At this moment, they're hurtling through space with nothing but their towels and an innocuous-looking book inscribed, in large friendly letters, with the words: DON'T PANIC. The weekend has only just begun . . . With exclusive bonus material from the Douglas Adams archives, and an introduction by former Doctor Who showrunner, Russell T Davies. The intergalactic adventures of Arthur Dent begin in the first volume of the 'trilogy of five', Douglas Adams' comedy sci-fi classic The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

The summer season theatre scene in Great Yarmouth and Brokencliff on Sea continues in this fourth novel by Tony Gareth Smith. Meet the stars that made the seaside come alive in the summer and the landladies that provided accommodation. The year is 1972 a c A galvanised bucket was found at the scene of the crime a " just who did survive the Golden Sands fire? a c Will the landladies of GAGGA be persuaded to use wholesaler a Murdell and Pococka ? a c Cupid has been busy firing arrows, but just who was in the firing line? a c Meet interior designer Sandie Cross as she does her best to dress up the outdated dA (c)cor of The Beach Croft Hotel a c Can the Sparrows Nest, Lowestoft be sure of a star line up for their summer season? a c Freda finds another perfume that should carry a health warning! a c Will the plays at The Little Playhouse help resurrect repertory at Brokencliff on Sea? a c Lady Samantha of Owlerton Hall plans some much needed restoration work on the crumbling building, with or without the support of Sir Harold a c Lilly Brockett plays a dangerous game a c Reverend George makes a life changing decision All of this and more can be found within the pages of a Backstagea , a trip back in time to gentler times when mobile meant being able to walk about. Also by the same author: Twice Nightly, To Catch a Falling Star and Curtains. All available on line from The Great British Bookshop (https://thegreatbritishbookshop.co.uk), Amazon, Waterstones and all good on-line book retailers. Visit Tonya s website: www.twicenightly.net

In her spare, stark style, Annie Ernaux documents the desires and indignities of a human heart ensnared in an all-consuming passion. Blurring the line between fact and fiction, she attempts to plot the emotional and physical course of her two-year relationship with a married man where every word, event, and person either provides a connection with her beloved or is subject to her cold indifference. With courage and exactitude, Ernaux seeks the truth behind an existence lived, for a time, entirely for someone else.

Harry March is something of a wreck and more than half nuts. Up until now, he has lived peacefully on an island in the Hamptons with his talking dog, Hector, a born-again Evangelical and unapologetic capitalist. But March's life starts to completely unravel when Lapham--an ostentatious multimillionaire who made his fortune on asparagus tongs--begins construction of a gargantuan mansion just across the way. To Harry, Lapham's monstrosity-to-be represents the fetid and corrupt excess that has ruined modern civilization. Which means, quite simply, that this is war.

'Deliciously dark American debut' - The Guardian A provocative, razor-sharp, and timely novel about a beloved English professor facing a slew of accusations against her husband from his former students - a situation that becomes more complicated when she herself develops an obsession of her own . . . When I was a child, I loved old men, and I could tell that they also loved me. And so we meet our deliciously incisive narrator: a popular English professor whose husband, a charismatic professor at the same small liberal arts college, is under investigation for his inappropriate relationships with his former students. The couple have long had a mutual understanding when it comes to their extramarital pursuits, but with these new allegations, life has become far less comfortable for them both. And when our unnamed narrator becomes increasingly infatuated with Vladimir, a celebrated, married young novelist who's just arrived on campus, their tinder-box world comes dangerously close to exploding. Julia May Jonas takes us into charged territory, where the restrictions of morality bump up against the impulses of the human heart. Darkly funny and moving, Vladimir maps the personal and political minefield of our current moment, exposing the messy contradictions of power and desire. 'This astonishing debut . . . I was utterly hooked . . . [by] this twisty, sexy, shocking treat of a novel . . . How on earth will Julia May Jonas better this?' - The Sunday Times

A hidden maze with secrets in its walls. A young woman on a journey to unravel the truth...

1924. Lord and Lady Kearsley's glittering Summer Ball is in full swing when their betrothed daughter Xanthe slips out of the Orangery and into the maze for a secret encounter. By the next morning, the grand house will be in ashes and two bodies removed, but no one will ever know what happened that night in Winterthorne.

2024. Juliet Stewart discovers she has inherited a cottage in the cliff-top village of Winterthorne from a relative she never knew existed. Stumbling upon the ruins of Kearsley Castle, she learns about the fire that destroyed the family. Puzzled by the disturbing gifts appearing on her doorstep, Juliet realises that someone doesn't want her in Winterthorne.

But as she becomes drawn deeper into Xanthe's story, she discovers that danger lies not only in uncovering the past, but in the present too...

What's a little murder in the name of true love? A hilarious, darkly funny debut from an exciting new crime voice...

Julie Tudor is 49 and has it all: a fantastic job (well-maintained spreadsheets are the lynchpin of an efficient office), a beautiful house (some may wonder how she got the money for it, but nothing has been proved) and the man of her dreams. Sean is 25 and the love of Julie's life. The only problem is, he thinks he's in love with someone else.

But Julie has found herself in a similar situation before. And if there's one thing Julie knows, it's how to get rid of the competition...

After all, what's a little murder in the name of true love?

In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time . . .

From the author of Before the Coffee Gets Cold comes Tales from the Cafe, a story of four new customers each of whom is hoping to take advantage of Cafe Funiculi Funicula's time-travelling offer.

Among some faces that will be familiar to readers of Toshikazu Kawaguchi's previous novel, we will be introduced to:
The man who goes back to see his best friend who died 22 years ago
The son who was unable to attend his own mother’s funeral
The man who travelled to see the girl who he could not marry
The old detective who never gave his wife that gift . . .

This beautiful, simple tale tells the story of people who must face up to their past, in order to move on with their lives. Kawaguchi once again invites the reader to ask themselves: what would you change if you could travel back in time?