Dragons have invaded Crumbling Castle, and all of King Arthur's knights are either on holiday or visiting their grannies. It's a disaster! Luckily, there's a spare suit of armour and a very small boy called Ralph who's willing to fill it. Together with Fortnight the Friday knight and Fossfiddle the wizard, Ralph sets out to defeat the fearsome fire-breathers. But there's a teeny weeny surprise in store... Fourteen fantastically funny stories from master storyteller Sir Terry Pratchett, full of time travel and tortoises, monsters and mayhem!

«A razor-sharp portrait of a morally bankrupt and gleefully wicked modern man, Worst. Person. Ever. is Douglas Coupland's gloriously filthy, side-splittingly funny and unforgettable novel. Meet Raymond Gunt. A decent chap who tries to do the right thing. Or, to put it another way, the worst person ever: a foul-mouthed, misanthropic cameraman, trailing creditors, ex-wives and unhappy homeless people in his wake. Men dislike him, women flee from him. Worst. Person. Ever. is a deeply unworthy book about a dreadful human being with absolutely no redeeming social value. Gunt, in the words of the author, «is a living, walking, talking, hot steaming pile of pure id.» He's a B-unit cameraman who enters an amusing downward failure spiral that takes him from London to Los Angeles and then on to an obscure island in the Pacific where a major American TV network is shooting a Survivor style reality show. Along the way, Gunt suffers multiple comas and unjust imprisonment...»

Spanning the millennia and the continents — from India to Andalusia and from the bazaars of Cairo to the streets of Oxford, this is a story of a Jewish world immersed in and imprinted by the peoples among whom they have dwelled, from the Egyptians to the Greeks, from the Arabs to the Christians.

A young woman walks into the frozen fjords of Iceland, never to be seen again. But Matthildur leaves in her wake rumours of lies, betrayal and revenge. Decades later, somewhere in the same wilderness, Detective Erlendur is on the hunt. He is looking for Matthildur but also for a long-lost brother, whose disappearance in a snow-storm when they were children has coloured his entire life. He is looking for answers. Slowly, the past begins to surrender its secrets. But as Erlendur uncovers a story about the limits of human endurance, he realises that many people would prefer their crimes to stay buried.

Naomi Novik's beloved Temeraire series, a brilliant combination of fantasy and history that reimagines the Napoleonic wars as fought with the aid of intelligent dragons, is a twenty-first-century classic. From the first volume, His Majesty's Dragon, readers have been entranced by the globe-spanning adventures of the resolute Capt. William Laurence and his brave but impulsive dragon, Temeraire. Now, in Blood of Tyrants, the penultimate volume of the series, Novik is at the very height of her powers as she brings her story to its widest, most colorful canvas yet. Shipwrecked and cast ashore in Japan with no memory of Temeraire or his own experiences as an English aviator, Laurence finds himself tangled in deadly political intrigues that threaten not only his own life but England's already precarious position in the Far East. Age-old enmities and suspicions have turned the entire region into a powder keg ready to erupt at the slightest spark-a spark that Laurence and Temeraire may unwittingly provide, leaving Britain faced with new enemies just when they most desperately need allies instead. For to the west, another, wider conflagration looms. Napoleon has turned on his former ally, the emperor Alexander of Russia, and is even now leading the largest army the world has ever seen to add that country to his list of conquests. It is there, outside the gates of Moscow, that a reunited Laurence and Temeraire — along with some unexpected allies and old friends — will face their ultimate challenge... and learn whether or not there are stronger ties than memory. Praise for Blood of Tyrants A first-class entry in a remarkable and appealing series. Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Novik's plots and characterizations get more intricate and plausible with each novel... Novik's re-creation of much of world history based on the existence of intelligent dragons has been so well crafted that all eight books in the series are highly recommended. Booklist (starred review) Novik combines dragons... with period history to achieve a brilliantly realized re-creation of military history laced with the fantastic... Well-crafted. Library Journal If you've never read these novels, now is the time to start.

Early in life, Catmull found inspiration in Disney movies such as Peter Pan and Pinocchio and dreamed of becoming a feature film animator. He even made primitive animation using so-called flip-books. However, he assessed his chances realistically and decided that his talents lay elsewhere. Instead of pursuing a career in the movie industry, he used his talent in maths and studied physics and computer science at the University of Utah. After graduating, he worked as a computer programmer at The Boeing Company in Seattle before returning to Utah to go to university to study computer graphics. His pioneering work there and afterwards caught the eye of George Lucas at Lucasfilm who recruited him to move forwards the company's CGI capacity. In1986 Steve Jobs bought Lucasfilm's digital division and with Ed Catmull founded Pixar. This book tells you how the team they created became one of the most dynamic, innovative and worldwide respected companies over the past three decades.

The Devil Delivered: In the breakaway Lakota Nation, in the heart of a land blistered beneath an ozone hole the size of the Great Plains of North America, a lone anthropologist wanders the deadlands, recording observations that threaten to bring the world's powers to their knees. Revolvo: In the fictitious country of Canada, the arts scene is ruled by technocrats who thrive in a secret, nepotistic society of granting agencies, bursaries, and peer review boards, all designed to permit self-proclaimed artists to survive without an audience. Fishing with Grandma Matchie: A children's story of a boy tasked with a writing assignment becomes a stunning fantastical journey with his tale-spinning grandmother.

Gina and Sally Makepiece have inherited a stall in the French House — an antiques centre nestled in the heart of the English countryside. Gina is determined to drag the French House and its grumpy owner into the twenty-first century. Bearing all the attributes of a modern-day Mr Rochester, Matthew Ballinger is less than happy with the whirlwind that has arrived on his doorstep. The last thing either of them want is to fall in love. But will a trip to France change their minds?

The Maude is outside. It wants to come in. It wants to sit on your chest. The mentally ill patients in Beechway High Secure Unit are highly suggestible. A hallucination can spread like a virus. When unexplained power cuts lead to a series of horrifying incidents, fear spreads from the inmates to the staff. Amidst the growing hysteria, AJ, a senior psychiatric nurse, is desperate to protect his charges. Detective Inspector Jack Caffery is looking for the corpse of a missing woman. He knows all too well how it feels to fail to find a loved one's body. When AJ seeks Caffery's help in investigating the trouble at Beechway, each man must face a bitter truth in his own life. Before staring pure evil in the eye.

This is the gripping new race-against-time thriller by the best-selling author of Relentless, The Last 10 Seconds, Siege and Ultimatum. Tonight it's just you, and the darkness. It's a sunny afternoon, and you're deep in the country on a river trip with your family. You're nearing journey's end when a shot rings out — and your whole life changes in an instant. A woman is coming towards you, chased by three gunmen. It's clear she's in terrible danger. And now you are too. Because although you don't know it, she harbours a deadly secret. Night falls. You're running, terrified, desperate to find safety. All you know is that the men hunting you have killed before. And if they catch you, you'll be next...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Jude Deveraux, the bestselling author of unforgettable romance, returns with a breathtaking first book in a fantastic new series — the Nantucket Brides trilogy. Set on the magical Massachusetts island, True Love introduces characters from a new generation of Montgomery-Taggerts, the beloved family from Deveraux's classic novels. Just as Alix Madsen is finishing up architectural school, Adelaide Kingsley dies and wills her, for one year, the use of a charming nineteenth-century Nantucket house. The elderly woman's relationship to the Madsen family is a mystery to the spirited Alix — fresh from a romantic breakup — but for reasons of her own Alix accepts the quirky bequest, in part because it gives her time to plan her best friend's storybook wedding. But unseen forces move behind the scenes, creaking Kingsley House's ancient floorboards. It seems that Adelaide Kingsley had a rather specific task for Alix: to solve the strange disappearance of one of the Kingsley women, Valentina, more than two hundred years ago. If that wasn't troubling enough, Alix must deal with the arrogant (and extremely good-looking) architect Jared Montgomery, who is living in the property's guesthouse. Unbeknown to Alix, Jared has been charged with looking after her while she lives on the island — an easy task for him, considering the undeniable chemistry between the two. But Jared harbors secrets of his own, which, if revealed, may drive a wedge between the pair. With a glorious Nantucket wedding on the horizon, sparks fly, and the ghosts of the past begin to reveal themselves — some of them literally. Finding their lives inextricably entwined with the turbulent fortunes of their ancestors, Alix and Jared discover that only by righting the wrongs of the past can they hope to be together. Praise for True Love Jude Deveraux's Nantucket Brides series will sweep you away. A beautiful island, a sexy man, and plenty of secrets — this is a wonderful writer at her best. Susan Mallery A new Jude Deveraux novel means a very late night turning the pages straight through to the delicious end. Susan Elizabeth Phillips True Love, with its star-crossed lovers and twisty plot, evokes everything that makes Nantucket so special — the history, the atmosphere, the secrets, and the magic.

Unrivaled storytelling... unforgettable characters... rich historical detail... these are the hallmarks of Diana Gabaldon's work. Her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels have earned the praise of critics and captured millions of fans. Here is the story that started it all, introducing two remarkable characters, Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser, in a spellbinding novel of passion and history that combines exhilarating adventure with a love story for the ages. OUTLANDER The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon — when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach — an outlander — in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord... 1743. Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life... and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire... and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives. Marvelously entertaining... a page-turner of the highest order.

Powerhouse author Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels are laugh-out-loud funny (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), brilliantly evocative (The Denver Post), and making trouble and winning hearts (USA Today). Stephanie Plum has her sights set on catching a notorious mob boss. If she doesn't take him down, he may take her out. New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum knows better than to mess with family. But when powerful mobster Salvatore Uncle Sunny Sunucchi goes on the lam in Trenton, it's up to Stephanie to find him. Uncle Sunny is charged with murder for running over a guy (twice), and nobody wants to turn him in — not his poker buddies, not his bimbo girlfriend, not his two right-hand men, Shorty and Moe. Even Trenton's hottest cop, Joe Morelli, has skin in the game, because — just Stephanie's luck — the godfather is his actual godfather. And while Morelli understands that the law is the law, his old-world grandmother, Bella, is doing everything she can to throw Stephanie off the trail. It's not just Uncle Sunny giving Stephanie the run-around. Security specialist Ranger needs her help to solve the bizarre death of a top client's mother, a woman who happened to play bingo with Stephanie's Grandma Mazur. Before Stephanie knows it, she's working side by side with Ranger and Grandma at the senior center, trying to catch a killer on the loose — and the bingo balls are not rolling in their favor. With bullet holes in her car, henchmen on her tail, and a giraffe named Kevin running wild in the streets of Trenton, Stephanie will have to up her game for the ultimate takedown.

High in the pine forests of the Spanish Sierra, a band of anti-fascist guerrilla prepares to blow up a strategically vital bridge. Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer, has been sent to handle the dynamiting. There, in the mountains, he finds the dangers and the intense comradeship of war. And there he discovers Maria, a young woman who has escaped from Franco's rebels.

A bright new voice in the fantasy genre (George R. R. Martin), acclaimed author Scott Lynch continues to astound and entertain with his thrillingly inventive, wickedly funny, suspense-filled adventures featuring con artist extraordinaire Locke Lamora. And The Republic of Thieves is his most captivating novel yet. With what should have been the greatest heist of their career gone spectacularly sour, Locke and his trusted partner, Jean, have barely escaped with their lives. Or at least Jean has. But Locke is slowly succumbing to a deadly poison that no alchemist or physiker can cure. Yet just as the end is near, a mysterious Bondsmage offers Locke an opportunity that will either save him or finish him off once and for all. Magi political elections are imminent, and the factions are in need of a pawn. If Locke agrees to play the role, sorcery will be used to purge the venom from his body — though the process will be so excruciating he may well wish for death. Locke is opposed, but two factors cause his will to crumble: Jean's imploring — and the Bondsmage's mention of a woman from Locke's past: Sabetha. She is the love of his life, his equal in skill and wit, and now, his greatest rival. Locke was smitten with Sabetha from his first glimpse of her as a young fellow orphan and thief-in-training. But after a tumultuous courtship, Sabetha broke away. Now they will reunite in yet another clash of wills. For faced with his one and only match in both love and trickery, Locke must choose whether to fight Sabetha — or to woo her. It is a decision on which both their lives may depend. Praise for The Lies of Locke Lamora Right now, in the full flush of a second reading, I think The Lies of Locke Lamora is probably in my top ten favorite books ever. Maybe my top five. If you haven't read it, you should. If you have read it, you should probably read it again. Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind Praise for Red Seas Under Red Skies Lynch hasn't merely imagined a far-off world, he's created it, put it all down on paper — the smells, the sounds, the people, the feel of the place. The novel is a virtuoso performance, and sf/fantasy fans will gobble it up. Booklist (starred review) Red Seas Under Red Skies firmly proves that Scott Lynch isn't a one-hit wonder... It'll only be a matter of time before Scott Lynch is mentioned in the same breath as George R. R. Martin and Steven Erikson. Fantasy Book Critic Grand, grandiose, grandiloquent... No critic is likely to fault Lynch in his overflowing qualities of inventiveness, audacious draftsmanship, and sympathetic characterization. Locus The kind of witty romp that reminds you exactly how much fun heroic fantasy is supposed to be.

There were four of us down there for the first thirty-two months and eleven days of our captivity. And then, very suddenly and without warning, there were three. Even though the fourth person hadn't made any noise at all in several months, the room got very quiet when she was gone. For a long time after that, we sat in silence, in the dark, each of us wondering what this meant for her and for us, and which of us would be the next in the box. Never Get In The Car — For years, best friends Sarah and Jennifer kept what they called the 'Never List': a list of actions to be avoided, for safety's sake, at all costs. But one night, they failed to follow their own rules. Never Go Out Alone After Dark — Sarah has spent ten years trying to forget her ordeal. But now the FBI has news that forces her to confront her worst fears. Never Take Risks — If she is to uncover the truth about what really happened to Jennifer, Sarah needs to work with the other women who shared her nightmare. But they won't be happy to hear from her. Because down there in the dark, Sarah wasn't just a victim. Never Trust Anyone.

This is the story of life at the centre of the world's most dangerous sport, by its brightest and biggest star. Guy Martin, international road-racing legend, maverick star of the Isle of Man TT, truck mechanic and TV presenter, lives on the edge, addicted to speed, thoroughly exhilarated by danger. In this book we'll get inside his head as he stares death in the face, and risks his life in search of the next high, even as he agonises over the loss of close friends in horrific accidents. We'll discover what it feels like to survive a 170mph fireball at the TT in 2010, and comeback to do it all again. He'll sweep us up in a gritty sort of glory as he slogs it out for a place on the podium, but we'll also see him struggle with the flipside of fame. We'll meet his friends and foes, his family, his teammates and bosses and we'll discover what motivates him, and where his strengths and weaknesses lie. For the first time, here is the full story in Guy's own words. From the boy who learned to prep bikes with his dad, to the spirited team mechanic, paying his way by collecting glasses, to the young racer at the start of his first race and the buzz he's been chasing ever since. This thrilling autobiography is an intense and dramatic ride.

As Rome's war with Carthage continues, two friends — now on opposing sides — confront each other in one of the most brutal sieges of all time. A new Hannibal novel by the Sunday Times best-selling author of The Forgotten Legion series. 213 BC. Syracuse. Under the merciless Sicilian sun, a city is at war. Outside the walls, a vast Roman army waits. Yet the city's incredible defences, designed by Archimedes, mean that Syracuse will not be taken easily. A veteran of the bitter war since its beginning, Quintus is ready to give his life in the service of the Republic. But dangers face him from within his own ranks as well as from the enemy — who include his former friend, the Carthaginian, Hanno. Hanno has been sent by his general Hannibal to aid Syracuse in its fight against Rome. Pledged to bring death to all Romans, he is diverted from his mission by the discovery of Quintus' sister Aurelia, a captive within the city. Two friends on opposing sides. A woman caught between them. They are about to meet in one of the most brutal sieges of all time. Who will survive?

Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty changed the way people cook and eat. Its focus on vegetable dishes, with the emphasis on flavour, original spicing and freshness of ingredients, caused a revolution not just in this country, but the world over. Plenty More picks up where Plenty left off, with 120 more dazzling vegetable-based dishes, this time organised by cooking method. Grilled, baked, simmered, cracked, braised or raw, the range of recipe ideas is stunning. With recipes including Alfonso mango and curried chickpea salad, Membrillo and stilton quiche, Buttermilk-crusted okra, Candy beetroot with lentils, Seaweed, ginger and carrot salad, and even desserts such as Roasted rhubarb with sweet labneh and Quince poached in pomegranate juice, this is the cookbook that everyone has been waiting for.

Over the decades, London has become a diverse landscape for all forms of graffiti and street art. From the better-known artists, down to the constant stream of fresh new talent attracted to the streets, London is a graffiti artist's paradise and the images represent a London simmering with artistic flair. Featuring glossy photos of ground-breaking graffiti, London Graffiti and Street Art is the perfect companion for anyone excited by this most vibrant and changing of art form, and aims to give an insight into the creative output lost and found in and around the capital.