Extraordinary Escapes uncovers the hidden treasures that the UK has to offer, featuring unique and characterful holiday homes from the hit Channel 4 series, plus many more. These incredible getaways showcase England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including some of the most stunning areas of Suffolk, Kent, the Cotswolds, Devon, Cornwall and Norfolk. Explore amazing homes around the country, with a guide to the landscape, history and architecture of each one. Whether you're seeking a rural idyll or a remote romantic retreat, the beautifully designed and lovingly restored properties in the book include a Scottish castle, a converted lighthouse, cosy treehouses and an artist's mill. With a foreword by Sandi Toksvig, Extraordinary Escapes will evoke memories of childhood holidays and reinforce the benefits of slow living, glorious natural surroundings and mindful travel, inspiring you to look closer to home for that truly special escape.

How do you get rid of unwanted guests? What do you do if there's a racket in the quiet carriage? How should you eat peas, and behave in queues? How to behave, like how to punctuate, is an aspect of life that many are no longer taught - and getting it wrong is the stuff of comedy at best and humiliation at worst. Thankfully, Sandi Toksvig has come to the rescue with her entertaining guide to modern manners,with tips on what to do whether you're talking to a bore, or forgot their name in the first place. (Just call them 'darling'.) The award-winning Radio 4 broadcaster and writer offers guidance on the social pitfalls of every phase of life, from christenings to condolence letters. With characteristic wit and perceptiveness, and revealing the trickiest of her encounters along the way, she highlights decency rather than convention and provides an essential guide to twenty-first century behaviour. Now this down-to-earth, hilarious guide is available in perfect pocket-sized paperback size.

The Pocket Dream has Shakespeare, audience participation, dancing penguins, several backstage dramas which actually take place onstage and a cast of six playing twenty-one roles between them (plus a few extra fairies). A thoroughly entertaining broad comedy (and you can't beat a broad Bottom).2 women, 4 men

Hello Jessica, said Miss Johnson. Have you brought something unusual today?

Jessica nodded. I've brought my granny.

Miss Johnson thinks Jessica has got muddled up with 'Family Day'. Her granny may be wearing a tracksuit and trainers, but she still looks like a fairly ordinary granny. However, when 'Unusual Day' is disrupted by a fire next door, everybody discovers just how unusual Jessica's granny is...

1940. Copenagen, Denmark. The German troops have invaded. A must-read account of immense courage during the Second World War, for children. Based on real-life events experienced by Sandi Toksvig's family during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. Ten-year-old Bamse Skovlund and his best friend Anton have been ordered to stay out of trouble. It soon becomes clear that trouble isn't just going to pass any of them by. Jewish Danes are subject to appalling treatment by the German occupiers, and every day are at risk of being taken away to concentration camps in mainland Europe. The Skovlund family are determined to fight against Nazi occupation. And if this means participating in one of history's most dramatic rescue missions, then it's time to take a stand. A tale of resistance in Nazi-occupied Denmark. The book is inspired by the stories told to Sandi Toksvig by her father, Bamse. Praise for Hitler's Canary: 'An extraordinary story... truly life-affirming.' Michael Morpurgo 'There are not many classic children's novels about the Second World War but this is one of them.' The Times 'Racily written and full of comic incident as well as suspense.' The Independent 'Brilliantly told... never loses sight of the child's view of war.' The Guardian

'Her detective novels are hilarious - less about detecting than delighting, with absurd farce and a wonderful turn of phrase . . . Nancy Spain was bold, she was brave, she was funny, she was feisty. I owe her a great deal' Sandi Toksvig When Prince Charming is murdered and the principal dancer hits the bottle, amateur sleuths Miriam Birdseye and Natasha Nevkorina come to the rescue. Sacrificing their Christmas plans for the sake of art and detecting, they join the pantomime. As ex-thespians, they know the show must go on - though the cast shrinks with each rehearsal. Can the indomitable detective duo discover the murderer before the final curtain falls? Fast paced and festive, this comic crime classic from Nancy Spain will keep you on the edge of your seat.

'Part confession, part call to arms and wholly entertaining' OBSERVER 'Her writing style is as kooky and digestible as Bill Bryson's . . . A fun-filled, fact-packed, memorable ride' SUNDAY TIMES 'Full of wit and wisdom' RADIO TIMES Between the Stops is a sort of a memoir, my sort. It's about a bus trip really, because it's my view from the Number 12 bus. From a brief history of lady gangsters at Elephant and Castle to anecdotes about boarding school, this is the long-awaited memoir from one of Britain's best-loved characters. Presenter of QI, former host of The Great British Bake Off, writer, broadcaster, activist and comic on stage, screen and radio for nearly forty years: this is an autobiography with a difference - as only Sandi Toksvig can tell it. A funny and moving trip through memories, musings and the many delights on the number 12 route, Between the Stops is also an inspiration to us all to get off our phones, look up and talk to each other because as Sandi says: 'some of the greatest trips lie on our own doorstep'.

* 'Ever since reading R in the Month as a teenager, I've been a Nancy Spain fan. I love her juxtaposition of seedy, atmospheric settings with humour and showbiz glamour. There's still no one quite like her' ELLY GRIFFITHS The oyster party had the kiss of death upon it - even though there were two 'R's in the month. Miriam Birdseye - famed revue star and sleuth - could have told you that from the start. She isn't a bit surprised to learn that her fiance's mother died in the night. But who at the seedy Sussex hotel would have poisoned the bivalves? Could it be the hotel proprietor - a handsome, drunken bankrupt? His put-upon wife? Miriam's impressively moustachioed fiance? Or the menacing, unsavoury chef? Can Miriam track down the killer before anyone else is murdered by mollusc? * 'Her detective novels are hilarious - less about detecting than delighting, with absurd farce and a wonderful turn of phrase' SANDI TOKSVIG

'Toksvig's Almanac is intended merely as a starting point for your own discoveries. Find a fabulous (or infamous) woman mentioned and, please, go looking for more of her story. The names mentioned are merely temptations. Amuse-bouches for the mind, if you like. How I would have loved to have written out in detail each tale there is to be told, but then this book would have been too heavy to lift.'

Let Sandi Toksvig guide you on an eclectic meander through the calendar, illuminating neglected corners of history to tell tales of the fascinating figures you didn't learn about at school.

From revolutionary women to serial killers, pirate nuns to pioneering civil rights activists, doctors to dancing girls, artists to astronauts, these pages commemorate women from all around the world who were pushed to the margins of historical record. Amuse your bouche with:

• Belle Star, American Bandit Queen
• Lady Murasaki, author of the world's first novel
• Madame Ching, the most successful pirate of all time
• Maud Wagner, the first female tattoo artist
• Begum Samru, Indian dancer and ruler who led an army of mercenaries
• Inês de Castro, crowned Queen Consort of Portugal six years after her death
• Ida B. Wells, activist, suffragist, journalist and co-founder of the NAACP
• Eleanor G. Holm, disqualified from the 1936 Berlin Olympics for drinking too much champagne

These stories are interspersed with helpful tips for the year, such as the month in which one is most likely to be eaten by a wolf, and the best time to sharpen your sickle. Explore a host of annual events worth travelling for, from the Olney Pancake Race in Wiltshire to the Danish Herring Festival, or who would want to miss Serbia's World Testicle Cooking Championship?

As witty and entertaining as it is instructive, Toksvig's Almanac is an essential companion to each day of the year.

There are two basic types of animal in Nature's Kingdom. The first, like lions and turtles, produce many offspring and simply hope that some will survive. The second, like elephants and people, produce one or two at long intervals and make great efforts to rear them. My mother belonged in a class of her own. She produced two at short intervals and made no effort to rear them whatsoever.

Thus Dorothy, aged ten, finds herself making her own way in Sassaspaneck, New York in 1968. Her English father, who never talks above a whisper due to a youthful injury with a cricket ball, has tucked her and her mother away where the potential for embarrassment can be limited. All the other children in town have gone to camp, so Dorothy must provide her own entertainment. She comes across a small, faded zoo on the outskirts of town, and as she begins to get to know the eccentric group of women who live there she begins to discover a world way beyond the one she has glimpsed so far.

From the author of BETWEEN THE STOPS and TOKSVIG'S ALMANAC 'Teasing out untold stories of the battlefield . . . follows the footsteps of the likes of Sarah Waters and Pat Barker' Independent London, 1897. A young girl, Valentine Grey, arrives in England. She's been brought up in the remote and sunny climes of India and finds being forced into corsets and skirts in damp and cold country insufferable. The only bright spot: her exciting cousin, Reggie. Reggie, and his lover Frank seek out the adventure the clandestine bars and streets of London offer and are happy to include Valentine in their secret, showing her theatre, gardens - even teaching her how to ride a bicycle. And then comes the Boer War and Reggie's father volunteers him; the empire must be defended. But it won't be Reggie who dons the Volunteer Regiment's garb. Valentine takes her chance, puts on her cousin's uniform, leaving Reggie behind and heads off to war. And for a long while it's glorious and liberating for both of the cousins, but war is not glorious and in Victorian London homosexuality is not liberating . . .

Sandi Toksvig - broadcaster, writer, actor, and seeker of all things whimsical, has turned her probing mind to many of the most intriguing questions of our times in the pages of the Sunday Telegraph for many years. Now, for the very first time, these musings have been collected in one hilarious collection. In The Chain of Curiosity, Sandi takes the reader on a side-splitting journey through life's peculiarities in a book packed with wit, wisdom and wonderment. From pondering the joys of World Pencil Day to examining the intricacies of applause etiquette, and from tip-toeing around the delicate art of school report vocabulary to researching the oddest way to meet a sticky end, the tickling tidbits and intriguing revelations contained within the book will delight Sandi's fans, both old and new.

'Her detective novels are hilarious - less about detecting than delighting, with absurd farce and a wonderful turn of phrase . . . Nancy Spain was bold, she was brave, she was funny, she was feisty. I owe her a great deal' Sandi Toksvig Miriam Birdseye is daring, brilliant - and a long way from The Ivy. Our dashing heroine, a famous revue artist, takes to the slopes with her coterie of admirers. Champagne flows and wherever Miriam goes she leaves a trail of gossip in her wake. Fellow ski-resort guests include the celebrated Russian ex-ballerina, Natasha Nevkorina, whose beauty is matched only by her languor, Natasha's burly husband, nightclub owner Johnny DuVivien, and the wealthy Flahertés, a family who have made their money importing scents: handsome playboy Barney, his wife Regan, their two obnoxious children and the governess, Rosalie. Unbeknownst to Regan, Barney's mistress, a film star, is also there with her husband. When secrets start to unravel, tensions rise, and soon amateur sleuths Miriam and Natasha have not one but two murders to solve. In the hands of Nancy Spain, for whom farce and humour are a lot more fun than a conventional detective novel, the result is a deliciously wild ride. 'An either intense or sombre approach to crime is to Miss Spain foreign: in her world an inspired craziness rules . . . Her wit, her zest, her outrageousness, and the colloquial stylishness of her writing are quite her own' Elizabeth Bowen

It has never been more important to remember the girls and women who were written out of history. Just because we don't know about them and aren't taught about them in schools, it doesn't mean they weren't there. They achieved great things, concocted wonderful inventions and won battles. In this book, Sandi Toksvig tells us about the sheroes that have been ignored or overlooked, despite the fact that they changed our world. Perfect for fans of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls and Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, this is the book to show young people that anything is possible.

One minute you are taking your child to school, the next they're turning into a young adult. It may seem like only months since you were first filling your child's lunch box, but the school career moves with such momentum that it isn't long before they are facing the challenges of further education, job hunting and living independently. This new book will help you to encourage self-reliance in your nearly grown children and prepare them for independence in the real world. It also shows how you can prepare for a time when your child's excitement at the prospect of leaving school, going to university or just living on their own leaves you feeling passed over and obsessed by detail they see as unimportant. How do you start to think about what to do with the rest of your life - picking up on ambitions, both personal and professional, and prioritising your own friends and interests? And how do you handle the situation when, as is increasingly common, children later decide to return home to live? This book addresses current issues such as boomerang kids, sofa syndrome and how to motivate, money management for a generation disinclined to save, the hotel of Mum and Dad, and much more. Later! is an empathetic guide to making sense of life at a time when all the ground rules need to be reconsidered, if not renegotiated. Packed with strategies, exercises and question-and-answer sections, Later! is user-friendly and entirely practical. It considers the hopes and plans of parents and children alike and, in the process, demonstrates how to 'move on' while sustaining a supportive, happy relationship.

11-year-old Slim Hannigan and her family left their home in Ireland to travel to America - in search of a better life. It has been so long and such a journey that Slim Hannigan and the rest of her family can't even imagine what home looks like anymore. And there are many, many miles across America for them to travel before they reach their destination.

Between them and the home of their uncle lie thousands of miles of dangerous land, wild animals and strangers who do not wish them well. Slim has to draw on bravery like she's never known to keep her family together and to keep them moving forward.

Because of the potato me and my family left our home and travelled 6,000 miles to find a new life . . . Slim Hannigan and her family are poor but happy. Theirs is a life filled with love and laughter - and a pet pig called Hamlet. But things change overnight, and suddenly they find themselves facing hunger and danger like they have never known . . . So they leave their village in Ireland to journey to America where, they hope, family and fortune await them. Slim soon finds herself living a life that feels just like one of those far-fetched stories her Da has always told. Can one brave girl keep her family together no matter what is thrown at them . . . ?

'Her detective novels are hilarious - less about detecting than delighting, with absurd farce and a wonderful turn of phrase . . . Nancy Spain was bold, she was brave, she was funny, she was feisty' SANDI TOKSVIG Miriam Birdseye, ex-revue star and now professional sleuth, is intrigued when the headmistress of Radcliff Hall arrives at her Baker Street detective agency. A series of bizarre stunts that at first seemed like pranks have taken a sinister turn, and since Mis Lipscoomb found her gym rope half sawn through, she's begun to fear not only for her school, but for her life. This is how Miriam and her friend, Russian ballerina Natasha Nevkorina, find themselves on board the train to a Sussex girls' school, in the unlikely guise of teachers. Before long the detective duo uncovers a blackmail plot, infidelity and a dizzying array of school schisms. And then a teacher is poisoned during the school play; can they discover the culprit before the body count rises? From the pen of Nancy Spain, for whom farce and humour are a lot more fun than a conventional detective novel, the result is a deliciously wild ride. 'An either intense or sombre approach to crime is to Miss Spain foreign: in her world an inspired craziness rules . . . Her wit, her zest, her outrageousness, and the colloquial stylishness of her writing are quite her own' Elizabeth Bowen

A ferociously gripping play that tackles the challenging moral issues of contemporary military occupation and its effect on the mental health of serving soldiers with startling insight. Falklands War veteran Major Oscar Hadley is sent to a combat zone to probe allegations of severe misconduct by Eddie Clark, a young squaddie from Burnley and part of a self-styled 'Bully Boy' unit of the British Army. As the interrogation develops, Oscar begins to discover that 'truth' in a modern insurgency can be a point of view rather than a fact. Written with startling insight by author and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig, Bully Boy was first performed at Nuffield Theatre, Southampton, in 2011.

In the Autumn of 1971, having been thrown out of a rather fancy private school, Sandi Toksvig was sent to the only remaining option - Mamaroneck High School, New York. She was thirteen years old and that year changed her life. Sandi auditioned and was chosen for the lead role in a production of The Skin of our Teeth by Thornton Wilder. Three girls were cast in the part of Gladys Antrobus, playing her at different ages of her life, and Sandi was the youngest. The three actresses soon became known as the Gladys' and this was the beginning of a friendship with a group of females that still influences her to this day. Soon all the girls in the cast and crew were becoming members of The Gladys Society. In the end there were twelve of them.

GLADYS REUNITED records Sandi's recent travels in America catching up with her eleven fellows. It is a biography, a travel journal and a portrait of American women today. It's about friendship but also about Sandi herself, as she explores the origins of her career as a performer and her sense of national identity - where exactly does she fit?

Inge Holbrook has lived the highlife ever since she left her sleepy Home Counties hometown of Edenford. Still fantastically fit at forty-plus, she has gone from Olympic gold medallist to becoming one of the 'faces' of the BBC. Blonde (since '87), tanned (since Christmas in the Caribbean) long legs (since for ever), she has an aura of success that never fails to be attractive.
Eve Marshall hasn't. Catching her reflection in a tinfoil turkey display at her local supermarket, she sees someone old and fat, someone who looks like somebody's mother. Unlike her school friend Inge, Eve never left suburbia. Her contribution to the world wasn't to write or invent or win anything, but her two children, Tom and Shirley.
Inge and Eve are part of the same generation, grew up in the same town, went to the same school together. But adult life has left them with nothing in common apart from their past - until the summer when their lives become entwined again, when one becomes a killer, and the other approves …