'The book of the summer ... Kept me rapt until the final page' THE TIMES'A sharp, smart, witty modern love story. I loved it' David Nicholls, author of ONE DAY'More than lives up to the hype ... Likely to fill the Sally-Rooney-shaped hole in many readers' lives' IRISH TIMES'Droll, shrewd and unafraid - a winning debut' Hilary Mantel, author of WOLF HALL'I've been pushing Exciting Times on everyone I know. Some of Dolan's pithy observations of her characters are the best I've read since Edward St Aubyn' OBSERVER'A frankly sensational book' Pandora Sykes on THE HIGH LOW'In the tradition of Dorothy Parker, Joan Rivers and Nora Ephron ... I found myself purring with pleasure. ...This is comic writing at the highest level' Craig Brown, DAILY MAILWhen you leave Ireland aged 22 to spend your parents' money, it's called a gap year. When Ava leaves Ireland aged 22 to make her own money, she's not sure what to call it, but it involves:- a badly-paid job in Hong Kong, teaching English grammar to rich children;- Julian, who likes to spend money on Ava and lets her move into his guest room;- Edith, who Ava meets while Julian is out of town and actually listens to her when she talks;- money, love, cynicism, unspoken feelings and unlikely connections.Exciting times ensue. Read more

Politics: The three vowels and five consonants which control our world.'But what has politics got to do with me?' I hear you ask. Well, quite a lot really. Whether you like it or not, it affects every single thing in your life from the moment you wake up in the morning until you crawl into bed at night.But some of our political elite make it feel like a club which we have not been invited to join. The privileged few who want to keep it all for the privileged few. I hope this book can explain much, make you laugh out loud and make you realise that together our voices are powerful.Buckle up and come on a political rollercoaster with me - 'an old bird with an iPhone'. This is a book for people who don't normally think about politics. We have a new government and have bid a loud goodbye to the Tories, but the issues that allowed the last government to mismanage and deceive us for so long lie deep. Amidst a landscape of economic turmoil and deepening societal fractures, we need to see a new age of accountability in our political system.With her characteristic outspokenness and irrepressible sense of humour, in Now What? On a Mission to Fix Broken Britain, Carol Vorderman exposes the intricate web of influence responsible for our nation's unravelling and provides us with a toolkit for building a better and fairer Britain.Part diary, part manifesto, part journey down the rabbit hole of British politics, this is the story of how 'an old bird with an iPhone' exposed the incompetence and lies of the establishment, and inspired countless others to find their voice and stand up for what they believe in. Read more

Everyone wants a piece of Martin’s astute detecting mind. A neighbour wants him to trace a young woman that even a professional investigator has failed to locate. A friend asks him to dissuade an elderly person from staging protests, thereby avoiding trouble with the police. Generally, people don’t appreciate that Hayden Investigations was set up solely for Martin to avoid doing any work, and why does his wife, Susan, want to help the world and its mother.With the assistance of her reluctant husband, Susan helps a band of elderly residents demonstrate against the impending removal of their live-in Warden. But keeping old people under control isn’t an easy task, they’re worse than kids! As for the missing woman, this gives Susan the opportunity to prove that Hayden investigators are better than real detectives, that is if they find her.Then there’s Mrs Rich, she wants Martin to manage the local neighbourhood watch scheme, something he has no intention of doing and plans to tell her in no uncertain terms, which he’ll live to regret. On the plus side, there’s an attractive female reporter who has her eye on Martin. Is Susan jealous? Of course she is!The Reluctant Detective Protests is the sixth Martin Hayden Mystery.All the Martin Hayden Mysteries can be read as stand-alone novels but might be enjoyed more in order.What Amazon readers have said about previous Martin Hayden Mysteries.‘Will they or won’t they……solve more cases lol. I definitely didn’t see that one coming! Great ending and as always a fun ride! 2 down the rest to go…..The reluctant Detective is quite frankly A MUST READ’‘Yet again I have really enjoyed this book. I could not recommend this series enough. Please tell me there will be more of the Hayden's.’‘Not my usual genre (fantasy) but am invested in the characters and the story is clever. I am enjoying this book series.’‘Lighthearted with many “possible” endings. Liked the characters and relationships linking them together. Easy read will be looking for more by this Author’‘Love the characters and plot twist I didn't see coming, and again laced with humour.’‘Just sat here reading the last 50 pages, slightly guilty on a Sunday afternoon whilst the husband is painting the walls behind me... read this, I urge you! So clever and the characters are ones I hope to read much more of’‘This a quirky detective story in the old tradition of crime fiction. It involves a young man who starts out with the Detective Agency as a cover for not doing much at all. He gradually pulls other individuals into his endeavours. I loved it. No violence, no guns, just pure detective reasoning.’ Read more

The 2024 Private Eye Annual presents the year's best cartoons, jokes, parodies and topical sketches from the UK's most successful, best-selling news and current affairs magazine. Edited by Ian Hislop and illustrated throughout with cartoons, sketches and photo-bubbles, the Private Eye Annual has become both a seasonal institution and a perennial Christmas bese-seller. The perfect gift for yourself or your friends and family.  Read more

YOU ONLY KNOW WHO YOU ARE AT THE SHARP ENDBelfast 1989. The Troubles.Harry Burnard joins a police force confronted with threats on every side.His team, ‘The Squad’, a bunch of abandoned oddballs, are only allowed to work criminal cases.But there is no crime. Only terrorism. So, do they really have nothing to do?When Harry uncovers clues about an apparently random series of sectarian stabbings, he gets caught up in an increasingly complex political landscape.And sets out to find a killer unlike any other.In this explosive witty novel, where not everyone is who they seem to be, it can be dangerous to know who you are.Are you a Billy, a Dan, or an old Tin Can?In a land where identity is everything, it gets bloody complicated.An Old Tin Can is the first in a new black comedy crime series featuring Harry Burnard and The Squad Read more

The British are not who you think they are...In fact, they’re not even who they think they are!Come on a hilarious tour of the most misunderstood people on Earth.Throwing away all the usual, boring stereotypes, and unafraid of being critical where justified, best-selling author (and Brit) Adam Fletcher will explain:- What cricket has to do with the Grim Reaper.- When you shouldn’t say sorry.- Which secret religion every Brit is a member of.- The twenty most annoying phrases in the English language.- The revolutionary hangover cure invented in Scotland.- The Ten Commandments of British humour.And much more.Packed with warmth, humour, honesty, insight, and more than forty hilarious illustrations, Understanding the British is the definitive irreverent guide to a strange nation.Bonus: includes a How British Are You? quiz that will reveal just how well you understand the British mentality. Read more

The best, the fastest, the hippest and the most unorthodox account ever published of the US presidential electoral process in all its madness and corruption.In 1972 Hunter S. Thompson, the creator and king of Gonzo journalism, covered the US presidential campaign for Rolling Stone magazine alongside the establishment newsmen of Washington. The result is a classic piece of subversive reportage and a fantastic ride on the rollercoaster of Hunter’s uniquely savage imagination. In his own words, written years before Watergate: ‘It is Nixon himself who represents that dark, venal and incurably violent side of the American character almost every other country in the world has learned to fear and despise.’ Read more

THE SECOND COLLECTION FROM THE INSTAGRAM SENSATION @DADSAYSJOKESAll New Dad Jokes is the second book from the most followed dad jokes page on Instagram, @DadSaysJokes. Now with a following of over 8 million across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, All New Dad Jokes provides brand new gags guaranteed to leave your friends and family laughing and groaning in equal measure.@DadSaysJokes is a community-run Dad jokes network on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, with more than 8 million followers, inspired by the daily jokes of author Kit Chilvers' dad, Andrew. Every day, followers submit their jokes and the team picks their favourites - or Dad just drops in his own zinger! Kit, a young social networking influencer, started his career at the tender age of 14 when he created his original platform, Football.Newz. He has since added 15 platforms including @pubity, the global feel-good news page that has almost 40 million followers. This is his second book. Q: Where do naughty rainbows go?A: Prism. Read more

Private Eye: The 60 Yearbook is a history of the last 60 years, as seen by Britain’s first, most successful and indeed only fortnightly satirical magazine. From the Beatles to Brexit, JFK to Trump, the Moon landings to the Mars landings, it tells the story of the past six decades as they were recorded in the Eye’s pages. The news stories you remember – and plenty you may have forgotten – are retold in cartoons, covers and the magazine’s legendary spoofs as well as extensive extracts from some of its best-loved features likeMrs Wilson’s Diary, Dear Bill and The Secret Diary of John Major. It is also the story of the headlines Private Eye made itself, from the earliest stirrings of investigative journalism exposing the Poulson Scandal and Ronan Point, through major miscarriages of justice like the Stephen Lawrence case and the Lockerbie cover-up and national scandals that have cost the country billions in dodgy PFI contracts, government cock-ups and secret sweetheart tax deals. Inside are the stories that led to the fall of two cabinet ministers, countless corrupt business figures and even the official in charge of making sure everyone else in Whitehall’s behaviour was above board. It includes writing by such satirical giants as Peter Cook, Richard Ingrams, Craig Brown, Auberon Waugh and Ian Hislop, and pictures by some of the world’s best cartoonists including Michael Heath, Gerald Scarfe, Nick Newman, Willie Rushton, Robert Thompson and Ken Pyne.   Read more

Welcome to Section 82 – where the tea is strong, the banter is stronger, and the repairs… eventually get done.Step into the steel toe-capped boots of Birmingham City Council’s infamous Section 82 housing repair gang, a merry band of roll-up-fuelled operatives navigating the chaos of council work in the glorious 1990s. Join Dib and Dab—our two “Reading Proper” characters—as they stumble, tea in hand, through a world where madness meets maintenance, and eccentricity is just part of the job description.Forget what you think you know about council workers. Skivers? Workshy? Paid to do nowt? Or unsung heroes dodging collapsing ceilings and residents with opinions louder than their telly sets? You decide.From mad-as-hatters tea breaks to the daily drama of leaking taps and leaking tempers, this behind-the-scenes tale lifts the manhole cover on a workforce that laboured under endless regulations, relentless banter, and the occasional rat.Told by a long-serving operative who somehow survived twelve years at the coalface—body mostly intact, mind mostly unscathed—this is a brutally funny, occasionally touching, and always entertaining look at life on the frontline of public service.LABOR OMNIA VINCIT.(Work conquers all. Even dodgy plumbing.) Read more

What’s the strangest place on earth? Can you go there on a holiday?Bestselling travel writer Adam Fletcher tries to find out, only to be plunged into a blizzard in China armed with just a pack of biscuits; chased by a Croatian police boat from the shores of Liberland (the world’s newest country); stalked by the Sheriff of Transnistria (its most corrupt); power washed in Chernobyl (it’s most radioactive); comes face-to-face with two dictators in North Korea (its most dystopian), and much more.But this quest to understand the world (and himself) will threatens his sanity, safety and world view. Will he make it back? What do you give the dictator that has everything? What if a place everyone says to avoid is actually one you never want to leave?Don’t Go There is a hilarious travelogue full of interesting characters, uncomfortable moments, unusual destinations, and British humour that will appeal to lovers of Bill Bryson, Douglas Adams, and David Sedaris. Read more

Private detecting can, even if you don’t have any clients, be exhausting. Consequently, Martin thought it was high time for a relaxing break.Having spent holidays in Italy with its delicious food, amazing scenery and selection of wines, he wanted to return.He arranges a three-week luxury vacation. It was going to be an opportunity to recharge batteries and get some well-deserved relaxation.Susan was surprised he had booked a holiday without telling her. She also had a surprise for him: a new case. Not just any case. A big insurance company had asked for their help. Imagine that, Hayden Investigations being commissioned to solve a case. Susan was full of it, stating that their reputation was going global. He thought she was exaggerating just a tad yet did nothing to curb her enthusiasm.After all she assured him that it was a very easy simple case. One which would take just a couple of days to sort out; in plenty of time for a holiday to begin.All they had to do was track down a man. And if that wasn’t simple enough, the man was dead. He couldn’t exactly run off, could he?The Reluctant Detective Wants a Break is the fifth Martin Hayden Mystery.The Martin Hayden Mysteries can be read as stand-alone novels but might be enjoyed more in order.What readers have said about previous Martin Hayden Mysteries.‘Love the characters and plot twist I didn't see coming, and again laced with humour.’‘Just sat here reading the last 50 pages, slightly guilty on a Sunday afternoon whilst the husband is painting the walls behind me... read this, I urge you! So clever and the characters are ones I hope to read much more of’‘This a quirky detective story in the old tradition of crime fiction. It involves a young man who starts out with the Detective Agency as a cover for not doing much at all. He gradually pulls other individuals into his endeavours. I loved it. No violence, no guns, just pure detective reasoning.’‘Totally different type of detective story being mostly implausible but nonetheless a fun read, hopefully there’s more in the offing’‘My 1st and not going to be my last of the Martin Hayden mysteries. Loved the humour and managed to follow the plot which I normally find difficult. This attests to Adrian 's skill as a writer in this genre which is not my usual style. Thanks for an enjoyable read.’‘I would definitely not be reluctant to read further stories in this series. Keeps you interested all the time, keep Colin going.’‘A truly engaging and humourous read with a subtle underlying social commentary that doesn't spill over from the story at all - that is left to your own conscience....’‘I enjoyed this very much. Lighthearted and fun yet believable characters and a well written plot. It’s funny, a love story and a solid bit of detecting. Definitely want more from this up and coming writer.’ Read more

SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION OF THE BOOK THAT HAS SOLD OVER 100,000 COPIESTwitter hero James Felton brings you the painfully funny history of Britain you were never taught at school, fully illustrated and chronicling 52 of the most ludicrous, weird and downright 'baddie' things we Brits* have done to the world since time immemorial - before conveniently forgetting all about them, of course. Including:- Starting wars with China when they didn't buy enough of our class A drugs- Inventing a law so we didn't have to return objects we'd blatantly stolen from other countries- Casually creating muzzles for women- Almost going to war over a crime committed by a pig- And a brand new chapter just for the paperback!52 TIMES BRITAIN WAS A BELLEND: AN ELECTION YEAR SPECIAL will complete your knowledge of this sceptred isle in ways you never expected. So if you've ever wondered how we put the 'Great' in 'Great Britain', wonder no more . . .*And when we say British, for the most part we unfortunately just mean the English. Read more

In this 2013 book (now reissued for the first time) bestselling author and broadcaster Douglas Murray, with trademark wit, delivers an alarming analysis of the post-9/11 world. It is a devastating satire on the climate of fear in the West today. Murray’s analysis is wildly entertaining yet ultimately profound: “If absolutely everybody in the world agrees on something – from the President of the United States to most film-stars, pop-stars, Popes, Bishops, atheists, writers, film-makers, brain-boxes and everyone else – then surely they must be right. Well, no. I think they are wrong. Wildly, terribly, embarrassingly and dangerously wrong, “ writes Murray. ISLAMOPHILIA shows how so many of the celebrities above, have, at some point chosen to abandon any hope or wish to criticize Islam and instead decided to profess some degree of love for it. Love, that Murray points out in the book, is often irrational and certainly misguided: Murray is not afraid to name and shame, and the book’s tour includes Sebastian Faulks and Martin Amis, Boris Johnson, South Park, Tony Blair, Ridley Scott, David Cameron, Liam Neeson, Justin Bieber, Random House Publishers, the BBC, Richard Dawkins, the Prince of Wales and even George Bush. Yes, George Bush. “They may have done this for a range of good and bad reasons. Some of them have to done it to save other people. Some of them have done it to save themselves. Some of them have done it because they are too stupid to do anything else and others because clever people can be really dumb at times.” Murray goes on to detail the extraordinary strategic cultural efforts made in recent years to “rewrite the last few millennia of history, minimising and denigrating the impact of actual scientists and promoting the claims of Islamic proselytisers”. And he has fighting words for the version of history depicted by Ridley Scott and others in Hollywood. Artists and writers have been caught off-guard, he alleges, “Having poked at empty hornets nests for so many years they have forgotten the courage required to do the necessary poking at full ones.” He concludes, “Let’s be clear. For the record I don’t think everybody needs to spend their time being offensive about Islam. Not only is there no need to be offensive all the time, but most Muslims just want to get on with their lives as peacefully and successfully as everybody else. But there is an un-evenness in our societies that needs to be righted…to think that the answer to any criticism of Islam or Muslims is a delegitimizing of critics and an indulgence in self-pity is not to make an advance. It is to pave the way for self-harm. For all of us. Where people are telling lies we should not be fearful to correct them. And where people are fearful – and genuine reasons to be so do keep coming along – people should remind themselves of something. Which is that just as bravery in one person instills bravery in others, so cowardice in one person has a tendency to be catching.” Read more

The plan was for a pleasant weekend away. Martin attending the wedding of a friend. A few drinks, stimulating conversation, good food, plus two nights in a four-star country hotel. The slight problem was Martin needed to take a female guest. Susan seemed the obvious candidate, why not?To be fair it wasn’t her fault, she told Martin, it was the lost dog, which she made it her mission to reunite with its owner. The trouble was in doing so they discovered a burnt-out house; the conflagration allegedly having been started by a church. Martin, who never had much interest in matters spiritual, intended to continue with his relaxing weekend. That changed when Susan decided there had been a blatant injustice that needed to be rectified.As for the friend’s wedding that Martin hoped would be some sort of refuge from Susan’s crusade, it was nothing of the sort. An unexpected hotel guest only added to Martin’s woes.The Reluctant Detective Goes North is the fourth Martin Hayden Mystery.The Martin Hayden Mysteries can be read as stand-alone novels but might be enjoyed more in order.What readers have said about previous Martin Hayden Mysteries.‘Love the characters and plot twist I didn't see coming, and again laced with humour.’‘Just sat here reading the last 50 pages, slightly guilty on a Sunday afternoon whilst the husband is painting the walls behind me... read this, I urge you! So clever and the characters are ones I hope to read much more of’‘This a quirky detective story in the old tradition of crime fiction. It involves a young man who starts out with the Detective Agency as a cover for not doing much at all. He gradually pulls other individuals into his endeavours. I loved it. No violence, no guns, just pure detective reasoning.’‘Totally different type of detective story being mostly implausible but nonetheless a fun read, hopefully there’s more in the offing’‘My 1st and not going to be my last of the Martin Hayden mysteries. Loved the humour and managed to follow the plot which I normally find difficult. This attests to Adrian 's skill as a writer in this genre which is not my usual style. Thanks for an enjoyable read.’‘I would definitely not be reluctant to read further stories in this series. Keeps you interested all the time, keep Colin going.’‘A truly engaging and humourous read with a subtle underlying social commentary that doesn't spill over from the story at all - that is left to your own conscience....’‘I enjoyed this very much. Lighthearted and fun yet believable characters and a well written plot. It’s funny, a love story and a solid bit of detecting. Definitely want more from this up and coming writer.’ Read more

How identity politics failed one particular identity.‘A must read and if you think YOU don’t need to read it, that’s just the clue to know you do’ SARAH SILVERMAN‘A masterpiece' STEPHEN FRYJews Don’t Count is a book for people who consider themselves on the right side of history. People fighting the good fight against homophobia, disablism, transphobia and, particularly, racism. People, possibly, like you.It is the comedian and writer David Baddiel’s contention that one type of racism has been left out of this fight. In his unique combination of close reasoning, polemic, personal experience and jokes, Baddiel argues that those who think of themselves as on the right side of history have often ignored the history of anti-Semitism. He outlines why and how, in a time of intensely heightened awareness of minorities, Jews don’t count as a real minority: and why they should. Read more

The hilarious new collection of stories and observations from Jeremy Clarkson - setting our off-kilter world to rights with thigh-slapping wit once again.Who is that tractor-driving Gentleman Farmer?Has Jeremy turned into a horny-handed son of the soil?These and other perplexing questions may or may not be answered in the latest volume of Clarkson's utterly unbiased musings on life, the universe and everything in between (except cars - this isn't one of his four-wheel drive books).Inside you'll also discover why:· Bathing in crude oil isn't for everyone· People who go fishing hate their kids· Noise-cancelling headphones will never silence James May· The rambler who stole his marrow is in for itFull of fact-checked opinions and ideas so good they're no longer following the science but chasing it up a tree, Can You Make This Thing Go Faster? is one hundred per cent guaranteed Clarkson . . .Praise for Clarkson:'Brilliant . . . laugh-out-loud' Daily Telegraph'Outrageously funny . . . will have you in stitches' Time Out'Very funny . . . I cracked up laughing on the tube' Evening Standard Read more

‘’F *** ing brilliant. I would describe it as like a bag of political nuts – moreish and fabulously salty’ JOE LYCETT A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARPlanes, Trains and Toilet Doors is an entertaining and original romp through the highs and lows of British political history and the unlikely locations that have decided our national fate.Forget Westminster bust-ups and PMQs, some of the key events that have shaped modern British politics happened not in the cloisters of parliament or Downing Street’s many corridors of power, but in car parks, village halls and seaside resorts where the mundane have played host to the mighty. From Pitt the Younger’s Putney Heath duel to finding Margaret Thatcher a voice coach on a train, Harold Wilson’s ‘Scilly’ season holidays to John Major’s dental appointment clearing his path to No10 – these (and many more) are the places where chance meetings, untimely deaths and snap, sometimes daft, decisions changed the course of politics.Matt Chorley has spent almost two decades covering Westminster, interviewing prime ministers, mocking ministers and chronicling the serious, and sometimes unintentionally absurd, events which act as unlikely turning points in the direction of a nation. Illustrated by award-winning political cartoonist Morten Morland, Planes, Trains and Toilet Doors combines Matt’s insider-knowledge, smart analysis and detailed research with his background in comedy to create an hilarious history of how politics actually happens. Read more

SUNDAY TIMES POLITICAL BOOK OF THE YEAR 'The wickedest political diaries since Alan Clark's' Daily Mail 'Riotously candid' Decca Aitkenhead, Sunday Times 'An acute political intelligence at work' Guardian 'Glorious, compelling, jaw-dropping' Evening Standard What is it like to be a wife of a politician in modern-day Britain? Sasha Swire finally lifts the lid. For more than twenty years she has kept a secret diary detailing the trials and tribulations of being a political plus-one, and gives us a ringside seat at the seismic political events of the last decade. A professional partner and loyal spouse, Swire has strong political opinions herself - sometimes more 'No, Minister' than 'Yes'. She detonates the stereotype of the dutiful wife. From shenanigans in Budleigh Salterton to state banquets at Buckingham Palace, gun-toting terrorist busters in pizza restaurants to dinners in Downing Street sitting next to Boris Johnson, Devon hedges to partying with City hedgies, she observes the great and the not-so-great at the closest of quarters. The results are painfully revealing and often hilariously funny. Here are the friendships and the fall-outs, the general elections and the leadership contests, the scandals and the rivalries. Swire showed up, shored up and rarely shut up. She also wrote it all down. Diary of an MP's Wife is a searingly honest, wildly indiscreet and often uproarious account of what life is like in the thick of it. A Book of the Year in the New Statesman, Financial Times, Telegraph, Guardian, Mail on Sunday and The Times Read more

Jeremy Clarkson, shares his opinions on just about everything in The World According to Clarkson.Jeremy Clarkson has seen rather more of the world than most. He has, as they say, been around a bit. And as a result, he's got one or two things to tell us about how it all works - and being Jeremy Clarkson he's not about to voice them quietly, humbly and without great dollops of humour. In The World According to Clarkson, he reveals why it is that:• Too much science is bad for our health• '70s rock music is nothing to be ashamed of• Hunting foxes while drunk and wearing night-sights is neither big nor clever• We must work harder to get rid of cricket• He liked the Germans (well, sometimes)With a strong dose of common sense that is rarely, if ever, found inside the M25, Clarkson hilariously attacks the pompous, the ridiculous, the absurd and the downright idiotic, whilst also celebrating the eccentric, the clever and the sheer bloody brilliant. Less a manifesto for living and more a road map to modern life, The World According to Clarkson is the funniest book you'll read this year. Don't leave home without it.The World According to Clarkson is a hilarious collection of Jeremy's Sunday Times columns and the first in his The World According to Clarkson series which also includes And Another Thing . . . , For Crying Out Loud! and How Hard Can It Be?Praise for Jeremy Clarkson:'Brilliant . . . laugh-out-loud' Daily Telegraph'Outrageously funny . . . will have you in stitches' Time OutNumber-one bestseller and presenter of the hugely popular Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson writes on cars, current affairs and anything else that annoys him in his sharp and funny collections. Born To Be Riled, Clarkson On Cars, Don't Stop Me Now, Driven To Distraction, Round the Bend, Motorworld, and I Know You Got Soul are also available as Penguin paperbacks; the Penguin App iClarkson: The Book of Carscan be downloaded on the App Store. Read more