Books

This is a captivating guide for book lovers, offering a concise bucket list of essential reads that transcend cultural and genre boundaries. Delving into the wisdom of literary giants like Dickens, Austen, and Murakami, the book explores themes beyond romance and wealth, tackling conflict, oppression, identity, and psychology. With over a hundred classic works from around the world, this gem reveals the transformative power of literature, illustrating how books enrich our understanding of ourselves and the diverse world we inhabit. An invitation to explore universal truths, it reminds us that a single book can change an entire life.

The internet is everywhere. But how did it start? How has it changed? And what will it look like in the future?No development in human history has changed the world as radically, or as quickly, as the advent of the internet. There’s almost no aspect of 21st-century life that it hasn’t shaped or fundamentally altered, for better or for worse. But the history of the internet is longer than you might think. Its foundations stretch as far back as the 1960s, decades before it would become an accessible and inescapable part of everyday life.In this new entry in the bestselling Bite-Sized Chunks series, author and journalist Chris Stokel-Walker traces the internet from its (relatively) humble beginnings to the ubiquitous force that exists today, from email and dial-up to social media and the metaverse.Breaking down complex concepts around how the world wide web works, how it has changed over time, and the effects it has had on the world as we know it, as well as explaining key terminology and spotlighting important figures, The History of the Internet in Byte-Sized Chunks explains everything you need to know about this era-defining technology in short, easy-to-digest chapters.

Finding the battered body of a young boy was not unusual in Bloody Mary’s cruel England. However, the stabbed tongue, a false seal, and a strange letter implicate Princess Elizabeth, threatening to bring down the Tudor Dynasty. It's a brilliant historical thriller!

Humans are the dominant species on the planet. But how did we get here? Human Origins takes the reader on a fascinating 7-million-year journey from our earliest primordial ape-like roots through to the present day.For almost a hundred years, scientists have been trying to decipher the secrets of humanity’s evolution. At first, they relied on rare pieces of ancient skulls and bone fragments. But every year, they make new discoveries, uncover new fossils and develop new techniques to tease apart the story of our evolution. So far, from skeletons to teeth, humanity has found more than 6,000 hominin individuals. These individuals span several species, all of which tell the tale of human evolution: how our brains changed over time, what we ate, how we lived. Including the latest scientific findings, Human Origins will also look at some of the biggest questions that remain: What makes humans unique? Where did the Neanderthals go? And are humans still evolving?

At once a celebration of human history and a timely call to action, Human Being empowers readers to build better habits around — and away from — technology, and reminds us just how extraordinary human achievement can be.

A former police volunteer claims to have discovered the identity of the figure behind some of the most shocking crimes in British history, unmasking the 19th-century murderer who terrorized the nation as Jack the Ripper.

In prose that is by turns poetic, comic, macabre, haunting, and humane, multi-award-winning author Alan Warner traces the last journey through Scotland of a man who history will come to define for his failure.

Summer of '85, the story of a mass shooting and an old summer love. Winner of the Novel Excerpt Contest at Seven Hills Review, finalist for the American Fiction Award, and distinguished favorite for the NYC Big Book Award.

Dan and Anya Moorcroft have decided to get a divorce. Together, they’ve done it all. Two kids, three owned houses, four rented flats, fifty-something holidays, and one affair apiece. Now, after fifteen years together (nine of them married) they’re on the brink.But as they go through couples’ mediation, revisiting and rediscovering their shared history in sessions surrounded by lawyers and paperwork, are they about to find something that’s worth saving? Or are they going to reaffirm their decision to end things for good?Each section of the book is a focus area for the divorce mediation process: sex, home, money, family, us. Through this, the novel explores how marriage is built on bonds between people and the experiences they share. It goes back in time to reveal Dan and Anya’s past. And then returns to the present day as they work out their future.

'Heartbreakingly beautiful… so much more than a novel—it’s a how-to guide for appreciating the preciousness of life in all its imperfect and transient beauty' Christina Dalcher, bestselling author of VOXWhat if you could stay young forever?What if you never had to grow old?Ben has no qualms about signing up for the Evergreens project, a controversial new trial. But are the promises of life without ageing too good to be true?Sophie has no doubt that they are. And sixty-five years down the line, she gets the chance to find out.With Ben in hospital, unresponsive and ageing rapidly before her very eyes, can Sophie uncover the dark secret at the heart of the Evergreens project — and save Ben’s life in the process?'A sweeping tale about what it is to be human; heartbreaking and affirming' Bethanys Bookshelf

In the suburban town of Hampton, the peaceful night air is shattered by gunfire. Outside a local pub, five are feared dead and the murderer has fled the scene. DCI Helen Lavery works alongside the counter-terrorism unit to investigate. Who is behind the mass shooting? Why target this town? An authentic, powerful, and gripping police procedural.

SF-horror novella shortlisted for the James Tiptree and Shirley Jackson awards. Set in the Valley of the Rocks, a place removed from the bustling cities and towns, a group of men and boys gather each night around the flickering fire to share their stories. In this world where women have vanished, the remaining individuals are left with only the rest of their lives to contemplate. Prepare to immerse yourself in the tales spun around the campfire, witnessing the birth of a myth. In a world devoid of women, where the past is saturated with sorrow, how long should one hold onto grief? Can the forest, shrouded in its mysteries, offer transformative secrets capable of reshaping everything?

Soft Apocalypses is a collection of short stories written by five-time Bram Stoker Award-winning Lucy Snyder. The book explores various themes, including apocalypse, science fiction, horror, and dark fantasy. The title refers to the idea that these apocalypses are not the traditional, catastrophic events that we often associate with the end of the world. Instead, they are more subtle, creeping changes that slowly alter the fabric of society and individuals' lives.

When archaeologist Kent Mason stumbles upon the ruins of an ancient city, a time portal transports him on an adventure filled with monsters, mayhem, and unimaginable threats. Originally written for the Marvel Science Stories in 1938.

This story is about a doctor who must resort to unorthodox methods to reveal the dark secrets a patient is harboring: a celebrated neuroscientist and Cambridge don, who nearly kills a man in a fit of rage, and may not be the person he claims to be.

A haunting, sumptuous novel, weaving the private and the historic into a vivid tapestry of Greek island life. Spanning over three decades, it chronicles the story of an extraordinary woman and her lifelong struggle against tyranny. A very accomplished novel!

Small-town girls and plane tickets, a taste of tenderness and honey, the bandage on the bee sting. This sapphic collection of heartbreak poetry is a gentle reminder that you are not defined by the people you walk away from or the people who walk away from you.

Janey Lowes had been a vet for just two years when she left her home in County Durham and went traveling. Visiting Sri Lanka, she was horrified to see the state of so many of the island’s dogs, in particular the three million strays. Over 5,000 miles from home, Janey decided there and then that she was going to move to the island indefinitely and do everything within her power to help them. She raised £10,000 to get started, set up a charity called WECare Worldwide, and began work.

A gripping thriller perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, S.J. Watson, B A Paris and Sophie Hannah.

This valuable book offers many insights on homelands and waterways, the people, their religion, language and literature and their history.

This fascinating and highly entertaining book contains little-known anecdotes, facts, and details about Winston Churchill's life. As well as providing new insight into the epochal historical events that Churchill was a part of, it documents some of the lesser-known moments of his life.