Wedding planner Madeleine lives in a picture-perfect thatched cottage, in a picture-perfect English country village. There's only one problem - dream cottages take a lot of work, and with a leaking roof, and not enough money to pay for it, what Maddie needs now is a big wedding to plan. So she's delighted when she takes on the wedding of Californian heiress Peyton, to all-round good guy Patrick. She's less delighted to find out that she's going to have help - from the admittedly gorgeous, but equally maddening, tall, dark and handsome best man Lorcan. The wedding is set to take place in a castle in rural Ireland, and so, in no time, Maddie and Lorcan are on their way to Ballalee. Life hasn't always been easy for Maddie, and work has become her refuge. But soon the warmth and humour of Lorcan's Irish family and friends start to chip away at Maddie's walls. And as the big day approaches, it might be time for Maddie to focus less on her clients' love life and more on her own... 'Read yourself happy' with Maxine Morrey's latest feel-good and utterly uplifting love story, guaranteed to make you smile. Perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Sophie Kinsella. Praise for Maxine Morrey: 'An uplifting read that stops you in your tracks and makes you wonder "....but what if?" Absorbing, funny and oh-so-romantic, I loved every page!' Rachel Burton 'A super sweet read, guaranteed to warm any winter evening' Samantha Tonge 'A lovely story that kept me turning the pages' Jules Wake 'A stunning, perfect novel - it literally took my breath away.' The Writing Garnet, 5 stars 'A warm hug of a book.' Rachel's Random Reads, 5 stars

When the innovative comedy group Monty Python embarked on their unique partnership, combining intelligence with silliness in a stream-of-consciousness display of nonsense, satire, sex and violence, they made a mark on popular culture which is still being felt today. Now, on their 30th anniversary, the five surviving Pythons -- along with some chief co-conspirators including BBC's Barry Took and Ian MacNaughton, the late Graham Chapman's companion David Sherlock, and the legendary Douglas Adams -- remember what it was like to build a comedic collaboration for the ages.

Monty Python was a state of mind -- a way of looking at the world as a place where walking like a contortionist is not only considered normal but is rewarded with government funding, where people speak in anagrams or operate a cheese-less cheeseshop, where highwaymen redistribute wealth in floral currencies and knights hop around on imaginary steeds. Here in their own words - and with rare backstage photographs never before published -- is a look into that rare collective mind: the story of the Pythons' meeting, their collaboration, their clashes, their struggles to maintain artistic control over their work, and their efforts to expand themselves creatively-from television to films, books, recordings and stage shows. Here are the artists who made their personal mark on humor, engendered amazing passion from their fans worldwide, and built a lasting monument to spam (the luncheon meat, not the e-mail). In short, it's...Monty Python Speaks!

Quality time alone on the lavatory is a truly special occasion. What better way to celebrate and honour this ritual than with some extraordinary reading material? Lord of toilet trivia and master architect of poo-themed puzzles, Hugh Jassburn has unloaded his creative bowels once more in this astounding collection of all-new amusements. From eye-watering stats to mind-boggling mazes, this special edition is anything but bog-standard.

Where and who do we want to be? How might we get there? What might happen if we stay on our current course? In The Future of British Politics, comedian Frankie Boyle takes a characteristically acerbic look at some of the forces that will be key in coming years, from Scottish independence and post-colonial entitlement to big tech surveillance and the looming climate catastrophe. Despite his fears that 'soon the only red tape in this country will be across the finish line of the compulsory Food Bank Olympics', he manages to locate some hopeful signs amid the gloom, reminding us that 'despair is a moment that pretends to be permanent'. This brief but mighty book is one of five that comprise the first set of FUTURES essays. Each standalone book presents the author's original vision of a singular aspect of the future which inspires in them hope or reticence, optimism or fear. Read individually, these essays will inform, entertain and challenge. Together, they form a picture of what might lie ahead, and ask the reader to imagine how we might make the transition from here to there, from now to then.

Sure to be popular in the hipper precincts of Brooklyn (to say nothing of the Pacific Northwest), this eccentric Victorian volume makes a strong case for the universal wearing of beards.
Reminding us that since ancient times the beard has been an essential symbol of manly distinction, Thomas S. Gowing (whom we trust had a spectacular beard) presents a moral case for eschewing the bitter bite of the razor. He contrasts the vigor and daring of the bearded--say, lumberjacks and Lincoln--with the undeniable effeminacy of the shaven. Manliness is found in the follicles, and the modern man should not forget that "ladies, by their very nature, like everything manly," and cannot fail to be charmed by a fine "flow of curling comeliness." Even old men can hold on to their vitality via their beards: "The Beard keeps gradually covering, varying and beautifying, and imparts new graces even to decay, by highlighting all that is still pleasing, veiling all that is repulsive."
A truly strange polemic, "The Philosophy of Beards" is as charming as it is bizarre, the perfect gift for the manly man in your life.

Who wrote Only Fools and Horses? What is Rodney Trotter's middle name? What is the name of the actor who played Uncle Albert? When the first episode of Only Fools and Horses hit our screens in September 1981, the show became an instant classic. Over the years it has gone from strength to strength and is now widely regarded as one of the greatest British comedies of all time. Whether you are looking to spice up your pub quiz or really test your in-depth knowledge of the Trotters, The Only Fools and Horses Quiz Book is a welcome, quirky addition to the bookshelf of any fan that will keep you quizzing - and laughing - for hours on end.