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The Siege of Leningrad:History in an Hour
The Siege of Leningrad:History in an Hour
Rupert Colley
¥18.05
Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. The Siege of Leningrad was one of the longest sieges in history and it inflicted some of the worst civilian casualties of World War Two. When Hitler declared his intention to obliterate the key city of Leningrad on 22 September 1941, he could not have foreseen the grim determination of its citizens. Over the course of 900 days, the city resisted the Germans pounding at its gates. Its survival contributed to the defeat of Nazism. But the price was heavy – over 1 million died in Leningrad from German bombs and artillery, or from disease, the cold or starvation. In its suffering Leningrad became a source of symbolic national pride, of good conquering evil. The story of the siege is one of heroic resistance and stoical survival but it also one of unimaginable suffering and extreme deprivation. THE SIEGE OF LENINGRAD: HISTORY IN AN HOUR is essential reading for all history lovers. Know your stuff: read about the Siege of Leningrad in just one hour.
Araby
Araby
Gretta Mulrooney
¥66.22
A funny and intensely moving portrait of childhood, death and a man’s relationship with his larger-than-life mother. This poignant, witty, warm-hearted yet unsentimental novel charts the turbulent relationship of a mother and son. As a young boy, Rory Keenan finds his mother bewilderingly and embarrassingly eccentric as his childhood is punctuated by hilarious, cringe-making episodes caused entirely by her unpredictable behaviour and bizarre habits and exploits. Kitty has a huge appetite – for food, for mysterious imaginary illnesses and for strange hobbies. Her irrespressible, opinionated nature ensures that she (and, against his will, Rory too) is the centre of any attention to be had. At the end of Kitty’s life, Rory, now a grown man, begins to come to terms with his confused feelings for Kitty – he loves her devotedly, but nevertheless her cussedness still infuriates him. As memories and secrets from his family’s stormy past in Ireland and London echo through the tragedy of her final, very real illness we are given an outstandingly vivid and compassionate vision of life, love and death.
Drop a Size in Two Weeks Flat!
Drop a Size in Two Weeks Flat!
Joanna Hall
¥73.58
The kick-start fat loss programme from This Morning’s Diet and Fitness presenter. How to lose fat quickly and, more importantly, how to keep it off using Joanna’s own starch curfew plan and special exercises Everyone has those times when they want to lose their love handles quickly- to get back in their jeans, lose weight put on over Christmas, or look fantastic for a special occasion or a holiday. Joanna Hall, the UK’s hottest fitness presenter, shows people how to achieve this and, more importantly, how to make sure the weight doesn’t go straight back on! Tried and tested on 12 volunteers, Drop A Size In 2 Weeks Flat! includes: ? A 14 day ‘Get a Grip’ plan ? A great ‘maintenance’ system: how to keep your body trim in the long term using a simple points system, so you can eat the foods you want while following Joanna’s no carbs after 5pm rule ? ‘Damage Limitation’ tips: how to minimize the harm when away on business trips, cooking for a family, entertaining or eating out.
One Thing Leads to Another
One Thing Leads to Another
Jamie Holland
¥46.11
One Thing Leads to Another is Four Weddings and a Funeral in book form. Three friends, post university, two men and a girl, take up a year’s lease on a house. Sitting in the pub, they make a bet – a challenge to them all – that they will find perfect (if temporary) partners and real jobs by the end of a year. As each season unfolds, with highlights of themed parties (for the girls) and rugby matches (for the boys), romantic holidays in Italy (disastrous), New Year’s Eve’s festivities (even worse), Flin, Geordie and Jessica find (and in some cases, lose) new friends, new jobs and even themselves. The year’s challenge ends completely differently than they – or the readers – anticipate. One Thing Leads to Another has a wonderful warmth and humour, which gives readers a real feel-good factor.
Something Barely Remembered
Something Barely Remembered
Susan Visvanathan
¥53.76
Exquisite Indian short stories Lukose is ready to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and enter the priesthood; Anna’s parents are drowned as they make their way to a wedding by boat and she must now go and live with her uncle and his Italian wife in Rome; Chako, a doctor, meets a sad little girl whose mother has run away, and then, many years later, he encounters the mother at a party but cannot bear to share with her his knowledge of her daughter. These fifteen stories give us sharp, acute fragments of Indian lives, all linked by family or friendship, or just sheer coincidence, and give us a poignant reminder of how even the smallest event can cause the greatest effect. Beautifully crafted, written with great feeling, this story collection marks the debut of a new and original voice.
The Palace of Curiosities
The Palace of Curiosities
Rosie Garland
¥66.22
A luminous and bewitching debut novel that is perfect for fans of Angela Carter. Set in Victorian London, it follows the fortunes of Eve, the Lion-Faced Girl and Abel, the Flayed Man. A magical realism delight. Before Eve is born, her mother goes to the circus. She buys a penny twist of coloured sugar and settles down to watch the heart-stopping main attraction: a lion, billed as a monster from the savage heart of Africa, forged in the heat of a merciless sun. Mama swears she hears the lion sigh, just before it leaps…and when Eve is born, the story goes, she didn’t cry – she meowed and licked her paws. When Abel is pulled from the stinking Thames, the mudlarks are sure he is long dead. As they search his pockets to divvy up the treasure, his eyes crack open and he coughs up a stream of black water. But how has he survived a week in that thick stew of human waste? Cast out by Victorian society, Eve and Abel find succour from an unlikely source. They will become The Lion Faced Girl and The Flayed Man, star performers in Professor Josiah Arroner’s Palace of Curiosities. And there begins a journey that will entwine their fates forever.
Melting the Snow on Hester Street
Melting the Snow on Hester Street
Daisy Waugh
¥45.62
They saved each other once. Can they save each other again? It is the blistering summer of 1929 and Hollywood’s glamorous set appear to have it all. Everybody everywhere is living the Hollywood dream, including the elegant and charming, high-society couple, actor and actress Maximilian and Eleanor Beecham. But beneath the sophistication and glamour their insecure and unhappy marriage is on the brink of divorce and their finances are teetering on a knife’s edge after a series of failed films. When the creditors come in to take possession of the house, it seems all is lost and they have nowhere to turn but into the arms of their waiting lovers. But when they receive an invitation to one of the legendary weekend house parties at Hearst Castle – which they know will be filled every Hollywood big-shot around – they cannot resist one last shot of making it in the film industry. With gossip, glamour, scandal and decadence the party is the epitome of the Golden Era, but for Maximilian and Eleanor the time has come to make a decision that will change their future. Will they sacrifice everything for fame and fortune or can Eleanor and Maximilian learn to love each other again?
The Third Kingdom:A Richard and Kahlan Novel
The Third Kingdom:A Richard and Kahlan Novel
Terry Goodkind
¥60.33
From the internationally bestselling author of the Sword of Truth series, comes a new Richard and Kahlan novel, sequel to The Omen Machine. The bloodthirsty Jit is dead, and against all odds Richard and Kahlan have survived. But a new menace has attacked them in the Dark Lands. Infected with the essence of death itself, robbed of his power as a war wizard, Richard must race against time to uncover and stop the infernal conspiracy assembling itself behind the wall far to the north. His friends and allies are already captives of this fell combination, and Kahlan, also touched by death's power, will die completely if Richard fails. Bereft of magic, Richard has only his sword, his wits, his capacity for insight – and an extraordinary companion, the young Samantha, a healer just coming into her powers. Compelling, fast-moving, and intense, The Third Kingdom is a powerful tale that welcomes new readers to Terry Goodkind's world, while opening up new vistas of worldbuilding for longtime readers of the adventures of Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell.
Springwatch British Wildlife:Accompanies the BBC 2 TV series
Springwatch British Wildlife:Accompanies the BBC 2 TV series
Stephen Moss
¥147.35
Springwatch British Wildlife is the perfect year-round countryside introduction to the much-loved wildlife of the popular BBC2 television series. The book guides you through Britain's rich and diverse natural heritage, allowing you to enjoy the nation's wildlife at its finest – learning how the animals live and where to find them, why they do what they do and how we can appreciate them. You will be introduced to the birds, mammals and plants that inhabit our gardens, cities and countryside, with detailed species de*ions and beautiful photographs allowing you to understand their appearance, behaviour and habitats. Discover the best-kept secrets about garden birds, fascinating fungi facts and what leaves and seeds tell us about our thriving plant life. Join the Springwatch team as they help you to explore the natural world and unlock the mysteries to British wildlife.
Falling for Christmas:A Cedar Cove Christmas , Call Me Mrs. Miracle
Falling for Christmas:A Cedar Cove Christmas , Call Me Mrs. Miracle
Debbie Macomber
¥58.86
Mother-to-be Mary Jo Wyse arrives in Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve, pregnant and alone. However, the people of Cedar Cove are happy to lend a hand. There’s more than enough hope and love to go round this Christmas!
Marrying the Mistress (Mills & Boon Historical)
Marrying the Mistress (Mills & Boon Historical)
Juliet Landon
¥28.35
Helene Follet hasn’t had close contact with Lord Burl Winterson since she chose to spend her life caring for his brother. Now she’s forced to live under Burl’s protection, because he has become guardian to her precious young son. Burl has grown hard and cynical over the years, while Helene covers her hurt with an ice-cool front. What she really craves is to finally find a loving home in his safe, strong arms. Neither can admit that they are still tantalised by the memory of one magical, fateful night…
His Reluctant Mistress (Mills & Boon Historical) (The Aikenhead Honours, Book 2)
His Reluctant Mistress (Mills & Boon Historical) (The Aikenhead Honours, Book 2)
Joanna Maitland
¥29.23
Indulge your fantasies of delicious Regency Rakes, fierce Viking warriors and rugged Highlanders. Be swept away into a world of intense passion, lavish settings and romance that burns brightly through the centuries Lord Leo Aikenhead – renowned rake, skilled seducer and expert spy – has finally met his match. For opera singer Sophie Pietre may have the voice of an angel, but she will be no man’s strumpet – no matter how handsome he is! But these are dangerous times in Vienna, with betrayal and deceit round every corner. Sophie’s tempted by his offer of protection and – she can no longer deny it – even more tempted by the offer of a place in his bed… The Aikenhead Honours Three gentlemen spies:bound by duty, undone by women!
The Rebel and the Lady (Mills & Boon Historical)
The Rebel and the Lady (Mills & Boon Historical)
Kathryn Albright
¥29.23
Indulge your fantasies of delicious Regency Rakes, fierce Viking warriors and rugged Highlanders. Be swept away into a world of intense passion, lavish settings and romance that burns brightly through the centuries A woman worth fighting for… Santa Anna’s army marches relentlessly through Texas, forcing Victoria Ruiz to go on the run. Only Victoria is a lady of aristocratic descent. And this is no place for a lady. Jake Dumont is a rebel. A loner. A crack shot. He’s never stayed in one place for long. Never let anyone close – until now… When Jake lays eyes on stunning Victoria he’s rocked to the core. Finally he’s found a woman worth fighting for. But can a rebel gunslinger claim an aristocratic lady as his bride?
Colby Rebuilt (Mills & Boon Intrigue) (Colby Agency, Book 20)
Colby Rebuilt (Mills & Boon Intrigue) (Colby Agency, Book 20)
Debra Webb
¥24.13
He didn’t dare cross the line with this woman – not yet. Former US marshal Shane Allen made one mistake on the job, and it cost him his reputation. Now he had a second chance working for the newly rebuilt Colby Agency. And nothing was going to ruin it. After her sister’s murder, justice was all that Mary Jane Brooks wanted. And rugged Shane was crucial to nailing those responsible. But keeping things professional was going to be impossible. Shane was Mary Jane’s sworn protector, but could he be her ultimate lover too?
The Villa on the Riviera
The Villa on the Riviera
Elizabeth Edmondson
¥72.99
*PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS The Art of Love* Absorbing and escapist, The Villa on the Riviera is perfect summer reading for fans of Santa Montefiore and Rachel Hore. Polly Smith is struggling to make a living as an artist when her friend and patron, Oliver, invites her to the south of France. But her world is unexpectedly turned upside down when she digs out her birth certificate to apply for a passport. Her parents are not who she believed them to be - even her name is different. Fleeing to the Riviera, Polly finds that the serenity and sunshine brings her art to life as never before. But all is not well in the grand house. Oliver’s father was forced to leave England in a cloud of scandal and his past is about to catch up with him. And Polly’s own future begins to take on a new and fascinating shape…
High Heels & Bicycle Wheels
High Heels & Bicycle Wheels
Jane Linfoot
¥45.42
Meet Bryony: she’s a fun-loving, very single TV production assistant whose idea of sport is the Jimmy Choo sales scrum. Meet Jackson: Cycling’s bad boy superstar. Injured and out of a certain race this summer, without his training, he’s looking for another distraction… Bryony’s facing a triple whammy – her last single friend just named the day, her mother’s offering to have her eggs frozen, and the guy she’s loved from afar, forever, has just got hitched. So she’s more than happy to accept the offer of a totally out of character but seriously steamy one night of no-strings fun. Especially when the guy in question is so attractive he even looks good in Lycra! Jackson’s on the lookout for a new career but if the opportunity to work on TV means a fortnight with the most uptight woman in the world, he’d rather not bother. He never goes in for seconds – and who in their right mind would head off in a campervan, with a woman who irons her knickers? Add in a tandem (yes a tandem) and fast forward to double trouble for a summer neither of them will ever forget!
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian
Sean Smith
¥58.86
Bestselling biographer Sean Smith takes on the world’s number one reality star, Kim Kardashian West. This is the ultimate insight into the reality behind the woman who has defined fame in our modern culture – her childhood, her family, her turbulent love life and the multi-millionaire lifestyle. Kim Kardashian West is a thoroughly modern woman. She enjoyed a privileged upbringing in a Beverley Hills mansion and, ironically, her childhood ambition was to appear in the long-running US reality series Real World. Instead she became the star of Keeping Up With the Kardashians while her own life story read like an X rated version of Dynasty…murder, elopement, domestic violence, sex tape, quickie divorce, churchgoing and impossibly glamorous designer dresses. Now married to one of the biggest stars on the planet, Kanye West, she has begun her own dynasty with the birth of daughter, North, and her son, Saint. In a world that follows her every move, Sean Smith uncovers what it took to get her to the top and how she intends to stay there. From her Armenian heritage and devotion to her family to the fabulous fashions and a body to die for, this is the truth behind the undisputed Queen of celebrity – the real story.
The Price of Blood (The Emma of Normandy Series, Book 2)
The Price of Blood (The Emma of Normandy Series, Book 2)
Patricia Bracewell
¥40.02
The second book in Bracewell’s outstanding Emma of Normandy series, set in 11-century England, when Vikings are on the brink of invasion. 1006 AD. Queen Emma, the Norman bride of England’s King ?thelred, has given birth to a son. Now her place as second wife to the king is safe and Edward marked as heir to the throne. But the royal bed is a cold place and the court a setting for betrayal and violence, as the ageing king struggles to retain his power over the realm. Emma can trust no one, not even the king’s eldest son Athelstan, the man she truly loves. Elsewhere Viking threats to the crown are gaining strength, and in the north the powerful nobleman ?lfhelm is striking an alliance with the Danes. His seductive daughter Elgiva, former mistress to the king, is forced to act as a pawn in his plan, and is given as wife to a Viking Lord. Can King ?thelred finally listen to Athelstan, whose plan to strengthen the kingdoms’ ties will put off the Viking threat once and for all? Emma must protect her only child without abandoning her noble position. And her inner conflict, between maternal instinct and royal duty, will be played out against the dramatic and bloody struggle for Britain’s rule.
A Hanging at Cinder Bottom
A Hanging at Cinder Bottom
Glenn Taylor
¥66.22
From the author of The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart and set in the boom years of the West Virginia coalmining industry, this is an epic story of personal ambition, exile and return, and a grand heist. Keystone, West Virginia, 1910 In the hot August rain the townspeople gather to witness the first public hanging in over a decade. At the gallows are none other than poker player, Abe Baach, and his lover, the madam of the town’s brothel, one Goldie Toothman. Abe split town seven years prior and has been playing cards up and down the coast ever since. But when he returns to Keystone to reunite with Goldie and to set the past right, he finds a brother dead and his father's saloon in shambles – and suspects the same men might be responsible for both. Only then, in facing his family's past, does the real swindle begin.
Listen to the Moon
Listen to the Moon
Michael Morpurgo
¥51.50
The stunning novel set during World War One from Michael Morpurgo, the nation’s favourite storyteller and multi-million copy bestseller. May, 1915. Alfie and his fisherman father find a girl on an uninhabited island in the Scillies – injured, thirsty, lost… and with absolutely no memory of who she is, or how she came to be there. She can say only one word: Lucy. Where has she come from? Is she a mermaid, the victim of a German U-boat, or even – as some islanders suggest – a German spy…? Only one thing is for sure: she loves music and moonlight, and it is when she listens to the gramophone that the glimmers of the girl she once was begin to appear. WW1 is raging, suspicion and fear are growing, and Alfie and Lucy are ever more under threat. But as we begin to see the story of Merry, a girl boarding a great ship for a perilous journey across the ocean, another melody enters the great symphony – and the music begins to resolve… A beautiful tour de force of family, love, war and forgiveness, this is a major new novel from the author of PRIVATE PEACEFUL – in which what was once lost may sometimes be found, washed up again on the shore…
Emma: free sampler
Emma: free sampler
Alexander McCall Smith
¥9.71
A free sampler of beloved and bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith’s modern and delightful EMMA. Prepare to meet a young woman who thinks she knows everything. Fresh from university, Emma Woodhouse triumphantly arrives home in Norfolk ready to embark on adult life with a splash. Not only has her sister, Isabella, been whisked away on a motorcycle up to London, but her astute governess, Miss Taylor is at a loose end, abandoned in the giant family pile, Hartfield, alongside Emma’s anxiety-ridden father. Someone is needed to rule the roost and young Emma is more than happy to oblige. As she gets her fledging design business off the ground, there is plenty to delight her in the buzzing little village of Highbury. At the helm of her own dinner parties and instructing her new little protégée, Harriet Smith, Emma reigns forth. But there is only one person who can play with Emma’s indestructible confidence, her old friend and inscrutable neighbour George Knightley – this time has Emma finally met her match? You don’t have to be in London to go to parties, find amusement or make trouble. Not if you’re Emma, the very big fish in the rather small pond. But for a young woman who knows everything, Emma has a lot to learn about herself. Ever alive to the uproarious nuances of human behaviour, and both the pleasures and pitfalls of village life, beloved author Alexander McCall Smith’s Emma is the busybody we all know and love, and a true modern delight.