A fresh, witty, accessible life of Queen Victoria. Not since Lytton Strachey has the irony, contradictions and influence of this Queen been treated with such flourish or biographical insight. 'Queen Victoria had a very complicated and psychologically fascinating personality and only a very talented biographer could get to the key of her character. Fortunately in Matthew Dennison's pithy, well-researched, beautifully written and very accessible book, she has found one' Andrew Roberts Queen Victoria is Britain’s queen of contradictions. In her combination of deep sentimentality and bombast; cultural imperialism and imperial compassion; fear of intellectualism and excitement at technology; romanticism and prudishness, she became a spirit of the age to which she gave her name. Victoria embraced photography, railway travel and modern art; she resisted compulsory education for the working classes, recommended for a leading women’s rights campaigner ‘a good whipping’ and detested smoking. She may or may not have been amused. Meanwhile she reinvented the monarchy and wrestled with personal reinvention. She lived in the shadow of her mother and then under the tutelage of her husband; finally she embraced self-reliance during her long widowhood. Fresh, witty and accessible, Queen Victoria is a compelling assessment of Victoria’s mercurial character and impact, written with the irony, flourish and insight that this Queen and her rule so richly deserve.

A fantasy adventure about saving the universe one world at a time from Diana Wynne Jones. The companion novel to the bestselling The Merlin Conspiracy. Magids look after all worlds, steer them towards magic, and keep history happening. But Rupert Venables’ mentor has just died, and as the junior magid on earth he has to find a replacement while also trying to find the lost heir of a collapsing empire, worlds away. Rupert interweaves the fate lines to get all the candidates together at a sci-fi fantasy convention, and havoc ensues as they all converge on a very strange hotel, where everything is always linked, the walls keep moving, people are trying to kill him, and nothing is as it seems…a magical, epic story from the Godmother of fantasy.

The unforgettable, poignant new novel from Sunday Times bestseller Freya North. Born and brought up in an artists’ commune in Derbyshire, Oriana Taylor had freedom at her fingertips in a home full of extraordinary people. The Bedwell brothers, Malachy and Jed, shared their childhood and adolescence with Oriana. In the rambling old house and tangled grounds, their dreams and desires could run free. But too much freedom comes at a price. Something happened the summer they were fifteen. And now, having been gone eighteen years, Oriana is back. This is their story.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. George Washington – a figure synonymous with American history. His image is known worldwide, marked on American currency, postage stamps – even a state is named after him. George Washington in an Hour explores the man beneath the symbol. This is the essential chronicle of Washington’s life – his rise from middle class Virginian upbringing to America’s first President, elected unanimously twice. Explore Washington’s legacy – from securing Independence, to his instrumental role in writing and adopting the American constitution. George Washington in an Hour covers Washington’s redefinition of greatness, relinquishing power not once but twice – at the end of Revolution and his second term in Presidency. Learn why Washington is still considered one of the most influential people in history, and how his impact shaped the world in this engaging overview of his life. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour…

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. ‘Remember, remember, the fifth of November’. The gunpowder plot is a famed tale of treachery that continues to fascinate and capture the imagination four hundred years on. The Gunpowder Plot in an Hour reveals the elaborate background to the infamous plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament and James I, the ultimate act of treason. This compelling and engaging account of one of the most famous historical events in English history follows the Catholic protagonists hatching their plan through to their inevitable, gruesome deaths. Learn who the Catholic traitors were, what drove them to such desperate measures, and how the plot was discovered. The Gunpowder Plot in an Hour gives a concise overview of this enduring event and is a must for all history lovers. Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour…

“The Silver Brumby took me cantering into the world’s wilder places.” – Geraldine McCaughrean A silver brumby is a rare and special creature, prized both by other horses and by men… A silver brumby is special, but he will be hunted by man and horse alike, and must be stronger than both. Thowra, the magnificent silver stallion, becomes king of the brumbies. But he must defend his herd from the mighty horse, The Brolga, in the most savage of struggles. That is not the only danger. Thowra needs all his speed and cunning to save his herd from capture by man. In a desperate chase through the mountains, it seems there is no longer anywhere for him to run to…

A stunning paperback collection of classic Morpurgo novels set in World War I, World War II and the Afghanistan conflict. Told in the voice of a young soldier, Private Peaceful follows twenty-four hours in his life at the front during WW I, capturing his memories as he looks back over his life. It’s both a love story and a deeply moving account of the horrors of the First World War. In An Elephant in the Garden, Elizabeth's father is fighting on the eastern front in WW II and her mother is working at Dresden zoo when the bombs start to fall. Their home destroyed, Elizabeth’s family must flee through the wintery landscape, avoiding the Russian troops who are drawing ever closer. It would be hard enough, without an elephant in tow… Shadow is the story of Aman, a boy from Afghanistan fleeing the horror of war. A western dog shows up outside the caves where Aman lives with his mother. When they finally decide to make a bid for freedom, Shadow will not leave their side. The destinies of boy and dog are linked, always.

The book all amateur digital photographers need – learn how to take the perfect photograph every time, from the authors of the bestselling Collins Complete Photography Course. In this book, John and Graeme apply their years of experience as professional photographers and instructors to teaching you the techniques and tips for capturing your friends and family, children and pets, holidays, sports days, celebrations, parties, festivals, weddings, births and birthdays. This book will show you the best way to photograph them all – every important person, place and memory you’ll want to treasure. Using the same practical, project based course structure that helped so many amateur photographers get to grips with their cameras in their bestselling Collins Complete Photography Course, John and Graeme will give you the confidence to get out your camera and start taking photos. Includes tips and advice on how to get the best out of your iphone and other mobile and point-and-shoots cameras as well as your digital SLR. John and Graeme’s warm and encouraging style will build your confidence, inspire your creativity and get you experimenting with your photos. With specially shot case studies and projects, step-by-steps, troubleshooting and project reviews you’ll be learning as you shoot right from the get go. Collins Complete Photography Projects is the natural follow-up to the Collins Complete Photography Course, benefiting those who have worked their way through the first one, but it will stand alone with a concise technical section that will bring new readers up to speed. A must have photography book for anyone with a digital camera and a little imagination.

Perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy' - Candis The Forgetful Bride Caitlin Marshall's trying to go home to Minnesota, but at the last minute she gives her airline ticket to a stranded soldier. So Cait spends Christmas with Joe Rockwell, who was a childhood friend–and is still a terrible tease, claiming that Cait's his wife. Oh, sure, they were "married" in a pretend ceremony when she was eight, but now Joe wants to make their "marriage" real! When Christmas Comes Emily Springer trades her Leavenworth, Washington, home for Charles Brewster's Boston condo. Then Emily's friend Faith comes to visit her in Washington–and instead finds Charles, a complete stranger and a curmudgeon, to boot. His brother, Ray, meanwhile, shows up at Charles's place, only to discover Emily living there. But through all the mix-ups and misunderstandings, among the chaos and confusion, romance begins to emerge….

Perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy' - Candis At the age of fourteen, Jessica Kellerman was wildly infatuated with Evan Dryden. But that was just a teenage crush and now, almost ten years later, she’s in love-truly in love-with his older brother, Damian. But everyone, including Damian, believes she’s carrying a torch for Evan!

Family, Clayton Style Raising four-year-old triplets and an abandoned teenager, single mother Arabella Clayton Michaels has her hands full. She loves everything about her big family in tiny Clayton, Colorado. But when a Denver surgeon arrives with the news that her beloved teenager is his long-lost niece, Arabella worries she'll lose the girl—and much more. Jonathan Turner's harrowing past makes her want to open her heart to him. But will the handsome doctor accept a bigger ready-made family than either dreamed was possible?

Four Makes A Family With her daughter's health back on track, Kelsey Rhodes counts her blessings. But life is still not easy for the sweet single mom. She craves companionship, yet finds it difficult to trust anyone. Ross Salburg seems like the perfect match for her. The handsome single dad also struggles to keep his daughter healthy. Can Kelsey convince Ross to take a leap of faith and meld their two families into one?

Cody Jameson knows that hiring gourmet chef Vivienne Clayton for the Circle C Ranch has to be a mistake. He once secretly loved her, but she’s back in tiny Clayton, Colorado, for just a year. Vivienne wonders how she’ll survive in the town she couldn’t leave fast enough. Yet she soon finds herself cooking beans and biscuits for cowboys and helping Cody with his sassy teenage sister. To the entire ranch’s surprise, it seems like this big-city chef might actually stand a chance of becoming a cowboy’s lady forever. Rocky Mountain Heirs: When the greatest fortune of all is love.

To Make A Child Smile Little Autumn barely speaks--and rarely smiles. So as a fresh start for both himself and his daughter, widowed doctor Matt Graham moves to a small Southern town. There they happen across a lovely young woman named Hannah Taylor. Something about Hannah awakens the girl, and suddenly Autumn is full of sweet chatter and laughter. In remission from the very illness that took so much from Matt and Autumn, Hannah seems to understand what the family of two needs. She's healed his daughter's heart. But can he open his enough to accept her love? Excerpt. All Rights Reserved. The display area, which had seemed expansive all morning, suddenly grew smaller as Hannah realized that she and Dr. Matt Graham were now alone. "Your name is Hannah?" he asked. She was a little embarrassed at the fact that she hadn't thought to introduce herself."Yes, Hannah Taylor." He shifted the curtain aside and glanced into the store. Then he let the thin navy fabric fall back into place. "I didn't want her to hear," he said softly. "But I want to explain." He breathed in, let it out. "Autumn hasn't smiled and has barely spoken since we lost her mother. So when she smiled at you, when she spoke to you." He pulled the curtain aside and glanced at his daughter again, then turned back to Hannah. "It was like watching a miracle. It's been two years." Two years. "I look like her mother?" In Hannah's mind, that was the only reasonable answer for why the child would have come out of her shell today. But he shook his head. "No. Rebecca had long curly red hair," he smiled, obviously remembering his wife. "And lots of freckles." Then his eyes seemed to be drawn to Hannah's shirt or more precisely to the small pin on her left chest. "Rebecca had breast cancer." Hannah swallowed past the lump in her throat, and her hand instinctively moved to the pink ribbon pin."You think she saw my pin from out there?" "I don't know, but somehow you reminded her of Rebecca." He indicated the pin. "You're a survivor, aren't you? You've had breast cancer too." "I am. Actually, my sister and I are both survivors," Hannah said. He tilted his head, curiosity at Autumn's awareness still evident on his face. "Well, for some reason, she was drawn to you, and you got more words from her in the last ten minutes than three child psychologists did in two years." He paused. "Or than I have, since her mama died." Hannah remembered her silent prayer, asking God to let her help this little girl. "Maybe because I'm meant to help her? God has His plans, you know." That made him smile, and Hannah couldn't deny the impact that his smile had on her heart. "Just now, when she told me that she loved me," he inhaled, let it out, and seemed too overwhelmed to finish. "She hasn't told you that she loves you," Hannah said, "in two years?" He shook his head, looked as though he wanted to say more, but remained silent. "Bless your heart," Hannah whispered. He stepped closer. "I know this will sound a little odd, but I think maybe the reason I picked this town, the reason Autumn and I are here is because of you." Hannah's mind reeled with the statement. What was she supposed to say? "I'm sorry.I can't imagine how that made you feel. It's just that I've been hoping for a breakthrough for so long, and then all of a sudden, here you are, and Autumn speaks. I'd have to say it's an answered prayer. And in all honesty, I haven't prayed a lot in the past two years. Didn't have a reason to trust in the power of it anymore." "But now?" she asked, still wondering what role God planned for her to have in his daughter's life. And, maybe, in this man's life?

Facing Her Past Single mother Kait Field is back home in the small Oklahoma town she left eight years ago. It’s time to empty the family home, close the door on the past and introduce her daughter, Jenna, to her daddy. Ryan Jones hasn’t quite forgiven his teenage sweetheart, who left him with unanswered questions and a broken heart. But Kait was never accepted by his controlling family, and they don’t seem any more welcoming this time around. Yet now Ryan and Kait are resolved that nothing will come between renewed promises of faith, forever—and the second chance that neither expected.

EVER FEEL LIKE SOMEONE’S WATCHING YOU? ME, TOO. BUT LATELY IT’S BEEN HAPPENING IN MY ROOM. WHEN I’M ALONE. A friend posted a video of me dancing online, and now I’m no longer Alicia Ruffino. I’m dancergirl. And suddenly it’s like me against the world— everyone’s got opinions. My admirers want more, the haters hate, my best friend Jacy—even he’s acting weird. And some stalker isn’t content to just watch anymore. Ali. Dancergirl. Whatever you know me as, however you’ve seen me online, I’ve trained my whole life to be the best dancer I can be. But if someone watching has their way, I could lose way more than just my love of dancing. I could lose my life.

Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive…

As the "oracle of dating," Kayla is supposed to have all the answers about love and relationships. She's supposed to have the perfect relationship. But now that Jared is "taking a step back," Kayla feels like a total fraud. So the expert on dating starts taking her own rebound advice—and some from her friends—and stops moping around. Yeah, there are other possibilities out there—including the beyond-cute French foreign exchange student she's showing around town. But when controversy erupts about the Oracle's advice, Kayla is sent reeling once again. Will anything work out for her this year? Yet when her friends start seriously needing the Oracle, Kayla begins to focus on what really matters: Viv, Sharese, Amy and Ryan, her true-blue buds. And suddenly, everything starts making sense again…

Smart. Great Sense Of Humor. Hardworking. Kind To Children And Stray Dogs… Did she mention handsome? Mind-bogglingly sexy? Single mom Lisa Kincaid doesn't want to be attracted to Kevin Decker. She knows the sexy, caring construction-company owner will always be there for her, and up until now friendship has suited her just fine. But suddenly she isn't looking at her husband's former boss in the same way…and neither is a certain four-year-old Cupid. For the past three years Kevin has felt responsible for Lisa. He knows the accident that left her a widow wasn't his fault, but that doesn't stop him from wanting to help. Except his feelings go beyond mere friendship. And her little boy thinks Kevin and his mom are perfect for each other. Now, if Kevin can only get Lisa to believe it, too!

Who wants Samantha Ellis dead? Firefighter and arson investigator Samantha Ellis has a tough facade that belies her beauty-pageant exterior. Even in the hottest fire Sam stays cool–unless her boss, smoldering chief detective AJ Branson, is anywhere near the scene. Brooding AJ has made a mess of romance in the past, and he's sworn off love–and Sam–at all costs. But he can't deny that the sparks flying between them are hotter than any four-alarm blaze. And when Sam's life is threatened, it's AJ who comes to her rescue. If only the chemistry between her and her elusive boss were the only combustible thing in Sam's life…

Keely Schiffer is having the strangest day. There's the skull in her rose garden and she receives a gift from her dead husband. Then an earthquake hits, and Keely's trapped with a handsome, gun-toting stranger. Detective Jake Malloy heard that nothing bad ever happened in the town of Haven, but his so-called R & R has turned into a nightmare. Except for being stuck in a dark cellar with a sexy woman till help arrives. For Keely and Jake, near-death stokes hidden fires, but the earthquake seems hell-bent on stirring up all the people of Haven, past and present….