Fiction: narrative themes

*WINNER OF THE 2023 LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FOR LESBIAN FICTION**A New York Times 100 Notable Book of 2022*'These stories glitter and pulse' Dantiel W.

IF YOUR BEST FRIEND WAS IN DANGER, YOU'D TRY TO SAVE HER.

'Addictive, tense and pacy, Safe at Home kept me constantly guessing' B A Paris, bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors and The TherapistWhat if you left your child alone, and something terrible happened?

Explore the past of Critical Role's daring half-elf twins, Vex'ahlia and Vax'ildan, in this original prequel novel to their adventures with Vox Machina.

'A magnum opus.

'Electrifyingly good.

Winner of the Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album Reprint, The Tale of One Bad Rat is the story of a young girl, Helen Potter, who runs away from home to escape an uncaring mother and a sexually abusive father.

'Striking.

In suburban America, a stay-at-home mother unravels as isolation pushes her towards a shocking transformation.

'A masterpiece of hurt' New York TimesWITH AN INTRODUCTION BY MONIQUE ROFFEYIn the Caribbean, at the beginning of the last century, a poor rice-growing family struggle to exist.

'All eight men and all eight stories stand as beautifully, pitifully, terribly true.

'Wright's unrelentingly bleak landscape was not merely that of the Deep South, or of Chicago, but that of the world, the human heart' James Baldwin Natural disasters, cold-blooded murders, political agitation - all haunt these dark, dramatic novellas set in an American Deep South still corrupted by its slave-owning past.

'Powerful as [Richard Wright] was - is - as a writer, nobody can surpass him in doing certain kinds of writing.

Set in modern-day Tel Aviv, Exit Wounds is the first graphic novel to be published in Britain by one of Israel's best-known cartoonists.

Approaching fifty, and warned by his doctor that he's drinking too much and needs to take more exercise, David Hughes is given a dog for his birthday - Dexter, a wire-haired fox terrier.

Discover these fabulous stories by the bestselling author of ROMANTIC COMEDY, AMERICAN WIFE and YOU THINK IT, I'LL SAY IT.

When Andr e joins her school, Sylvie is immediately fascinated.

An epic, deeply moving novel about the power of love and loving with courage - from the Man Booker International Prize-winning author of A Horse Walks into a Bar On a kibbutz in Israel in 2008, Gili is celebrating the ninetieth birthday of her grandmother Vera, the adored matriarch of a sprawling and tight-knit family.

'One of the masters of modern Chinese literature' Jung ChangA searing novel that traces the destruction of a community in communist China.

A brilliantly comic satire about a love affair from the visionary, world-class storyteller.

WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE 2021One family.

'Witty, original and clever, this tale of Jacobean power and lust is a blast' THE TIMES, Best Historical Fiction of the YearFrancis Bacon, philosopher, politician, writer, is an outsider at the court of King James I.

'A source of uncompromising elemental warmth' Ali SmithBy turns moving, playful and wise, the poems gathered in Dearly are about absences and endings, ageing and retrospection, but also about gifts and renewals.

Can she escape her mother's scandalous past?

'An enchanting story about love, loss and the power of language' Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll FactorySometimes you have to start with what's lost to truly find yourself.

'Broad in scope, generous in spirit and wittily accompanied by Risbridger's commentary'Sarah Perry, author of The Essex SerpentSet Me On Fire is an anthology for a new moment in poetry: a collection of fresh, vibrant voices from poets all over the globe, both living and dead.

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTUREThe choir from Our Lady of Perpetual Succour School for Girls is being bussed to the national finals in the big, big city.

THE INSTANT NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFROM THE AUTHOR OF RULES OF CIVILITY AND A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW'Deserves a place alongside Kerouac, Steinbeck and Wolfe as the very best of the genre' OBSERVER'An absolute beauty of a book.

THE GUNS ARE SILENT.

_____________________Welcome to the Winter Garden.

'.

'I adore this book!

A mindbending new collection of short stories from the unique, internationally acclaimed author of Norwegian Wood and The Wind-up Bird Chronicle.

A magical new novel from the acclaimed author of THE TOYMAKERS, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Erin Morgenstern.

'If you enjoy magical realism and moving tales of self-discovery, you won't be able to put this down.

The wedding is off, but adventure awaits.

A powerful exploration of identity and belonging, Where You Come From is the major new novel from internationally acclaimed and bestselling author Sa a Stani icSa a Stani ic's Where You Come From is a novel about a village where only thirteen people remain, a country that no longer exists, a shattered family that is his own.

'Utterly compelling' GuardianLife.

As a seven-year-old girl watches for her missing sister, a stranger moves in next door and a neighbour s old secret starts to resurface .

'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others'Mr Jones, the owner of Manor Farm, is a lazy drunk.

A dystopian masterpiece - the powerful and prophetic novel that defined the twentieth century.

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERTHE RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICKWATERSTONES PAPERBACK OF THE YEAR'Love, mess, secrets; this story of four generations of women is shot through with Ruth Jones's warmth and wisdom.

CHOSEN AS BOOK OF THE MONTH BY AFRORI BOOKSFEATURED ON BBC RADIO 4: OPEN BOOK'It's hard not to fall for the main character .

An explosive and daring novel about bodies, sex, politics and disability by the prize-winning Spanish writer Cristina Morales ngela, Patricia, Marga and Nati are cousins living together in Barcelona.

The gripping Sunday Times top ten bestseller, Book of the Month in the Guardian, Grazia and Observer, longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year.

An emotional friends-to-lovers romance, perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Colleen HooverReaders have fallen for Emily Houghton's brilliant romances:'I'm an absolute sucker for a good friends-to-lovers trope and this book definitely delivers that'An absolute joy and a love story about falling in love and allowing yourself to be loved'A funny, heart-wrenching and beautiful love story.

'One of those rare novels that leave us different people at the end than we were at the beginning.

The gripping new Jack Reacher thriller from the No.

Reacher never backs down from a problem.

'Quirky, comic, honest' MARIAN KEYES'Funny and charming' JUDY BLUME'Wise and wonderful' ALICE HOFFMAN'Written with such humour and heart' STYLIST 'A must read' REDIf you've ever wondered whether you love your dog more than your partner.