Pull on your wellies, grab your flat cap and join Jeremy Clarkson in this hilarious and fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the infamous Diddly Squat FarmTHE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Brilliant . . . laugh-out-loud' Daily Telegraph'Outrageously funny . . . will have you in stitches' Time Out_________Welcome to Clarkson's farm.It's always had a nice ring to it. Jeremy just never thought that one day his actual job would be 'a farmer'.And, sadly, it doesn't mean he's any good at it.From buying the wrong tractor (Lamborghini, since you ask . . .) to formation combine harvesting, getting tied-up in knots of red tape to chasing viciously athletic cows, our hero soon learns that enthusiasm alone might not be enough.Jeremy may never succeed in becoming master of his land, but, as he's discovering, the fun lies in the trying . . ._________'Very funny . . . I cracked up laughing on the tube' Evening StandardPraise for Clarkson's Farm:'The best thing Clarkson's done . . . it pains me to say this' GUARDIAN'Shockingly hopeful' INDEPENDENT'Even the most committed Clarkson haters will find him likeable here' TELEGRAPH'Quite lovely' THE TIMES Read more

*THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER**OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD*Discover the shocking gender bias that affects our everyday lives in this groundbreaking gift of a book.'Nothing delights me more than a well-written and well-researched book that teaches you and never bores you' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie'HELL YES. This is one of those books that has the potential to change things - a monumental piece of research' Caitlin MoranImagine a world where...· Your phone is too big for your hand· Your doctor prescribes a drug that is wrong for your body· In a car accident you are 47% more likely to be injured.If any of that sounds familiar, chances are you're a woman.From government policy and medical research, to technology, workplaces, and the media. Invisible Women reveals how in a world built for and by men we are systematically ignoring half of the population, often with disastrous consequences. Caroline Criado Perez brings together for the first time an impressive range of case studies, stories and new research from across the world that illustrate the hidden ways in which women are forgotten, and the profound impact this has on us all.Find out more in Caroline's podcast, Visible Women.'A book that changes the way you see the world' Sunday Times'Revelatory, frightening, hopeful' Jeanette Winterson Read more

When Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, millions of lives changed in an instant.Millions of people were suddenly on the move. In this great flow of people was a reporter from the north of Scotland. Jen Stout left Moscow abruptly, ending up on a border post in southeast Romania, from where she began to cover the human cost of Russian aggression. Her first-hand, vivid reporting brought the war home to readers in Scotland as she reported from front lines and cities across Ukraine. Stories from the night trains, birthday parties, military hospitals and bunkers: stories from the ground, from a writer with a deep sense of empathy, always seeking to understand the bigger picture, the big questions of identity, history, hopes and fears in this war in Europe.Night Train to Odesa begins in Russia and continues to focus on people, relationships and individuals in Ukraine. It is the account of a young female reporter with no institutional backup or security. Both in language and themes, it is accessible and highly readable.A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK.WINNER OF THE SALTIRE SOCIETY FIRST BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD.LONGLISTED FOR THE RSL ONDAATJE AWARD 2025.LONGLISTED FOR THE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE. Read more

Now with a stunning new cover look, Stephen King's spectacular suspense about how literature shapes a life - for good, for bad, for ever.1978: Morris Bellamy is a reader so obsessed by America's iconic author John Rothstein that he is prepared to kill for a trove of notebooks containing at least one more unpublished novel.2009: Pete Saubers, a boy whose father was brutally injured by a stolen Mercedes, discovers a buried trunk containing cash and Rothstein's notebooks.2014: After thirty-five years in prison, Morris is up for parole. And he's hell-bent on recovering his treasure.Now it's up to retired detective Bill Hodges - running an investigative company called Finders Keepers with Holly Gibney - to rescue Pete from an ever-more deranged and vengeful Morris Read more

The final stand-alone novel in King's wonderful Hodges trilogy, also featuring Holly Gibney, is now released with a stunning new cover look.The cell rings twice, and then his old partner in his ear . . . 'I'm at the scene of what appears to be a murder-suicide . . . Come and take a look. Bring your sidekick with you.'Bill Hodges, who now runs a two-person agency called Finders Keepers with partner Holly Gibney, is intrigued by the letter Z written with a marker at the scene of the crime.As similar cases mount up, Hodges is stunned to discover the evidence points to Brady Hartsfield, the notorious 'Mercedes Killer'. It should be impossible: Brady is confined to a hospital room in a seemingly unresponsive state.But Brady Hartsfield has lethal new powers. And he's planning revenge not just on Hodges and his friends, but on an entire city.The clock is ticking in unexpected ways . . .BRADY IS BACKAND SO IS HODGES Read more

With his trademark brand of bulldozer-banter, Twitter legend James Felton guides you through the most morbidly fascinating facts you'll then wish you could forget.Ever wondered why the chainsaw was invented?* How authorities dealt with a beached whale back in ye olde days of 1970?** Or what being a human decanter entails?*** Then you've come to the right place!Within these pages you'll find the maddest, strangest and downright grossest stories from history, nature and science that you don't want to know. (Except secretly you really do, you masochistic, beastly person you.) Illustrated, painfully funny and drop-your-jaw ridiculous, this is trivia from the cesspit of time that you won't be able to stop reading once you start.*To aid childbirth.**They exploded it with 100 times too much dynamite and rained blubber down on unsuspecting people and buildings.***Decency prevents us from answering this one here. You'll have to buy the book to find out. Read more

An epic true story of ambition, greed and hubris – the collapse of Greensill Capital is a billion pound scandal that shredded the reputation of a British Prime Minister.'The British version of Bad Blood . . . [but] better' – The Sunday Times'Terrific' – The Observer, Book of the WeekPyramid of Lies charts the meteoric rise and spectacular downfall of Lex Greensill and his company. He had a simple idea that disrupted a trillion dollar industry and drew in Swiss bankers, global CEOs, and world leaders, including former British Prime Minister, David Cameron. But a staid business model concealed dubious practices, as Greensill made increasingly risky loans to fraudulent companies using other people’s money.Financial journalist Duncan Mavin, who helped expose Greensill, tells the incredible story of how a former sugar-cane farmer became one of the world’s richest men before falling back to earth. With a globe-circling narrative full of scandal and intrigue, Pyramid of Lies reveals how the grubby world of shadow banking really operates.‘Forensic and riveting’ – The New Statesman‘Meticulously researched’ – The Daily Telegraph Read more

‘A stellar collection of prompts and invitations that will enrich any journal' Katherine May | ‘This book is not only beautiful, but exceedingly helpful. I recommend it to every dreamer' Elizabeth Gilbert | 'Galvanising and comforting. An instant classic' Emma Gannon | ‘An extraordinary collection of wisdom' Adam Grant | This book is a gift' Hanif Abdurraqib | ‘Brilliant. Gentle. Encouraging' Kate BowlerA guide to the healing power of journalling and a meditation on the central questions of life, featuring creative contributions from Salman Rushdie, Esther Perel, Alain de Botton, Hanif Kureishi, Jia Tolentino, Elizabeth Gilbert, Gloria Steinem, George Saunders, Lena Dunham and more.Suleika has kept a journal her whole life. Journalling has marked her greatest triumphs and buoyed her in her toughest moments. It has carried her as she fell in love, travelled across the United States, experienced illness, heartbreak and the deepest oceans of uncertainty. And she is not alone. For so many, journalling is a process of discovery – sometimes vulnerable, sometimes terrifying, always transformative.Featuring writing prompts, essays and wisdom from one hundred contributors and serving as a companion during challenging times, The Book of Alchemy explores themes such as fear, love, beginnings, memory, the body and purpose. In doing so, the book offers encouragement, direction and gives readers the tools to engage with discomfort, to ask questions, to peel back the layers and uncover their truest selves. Read more

Following on the heels of Lisa Cron's breakout first book, Wired for Story, this writing guide reveals how to use cognitive storytelling strategies to build a scene-by-scene blueprint for a riveting story. It’s every novelist’s greatest fear: pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story has no sense of urgency, no internal logic, and so is a page one rewrite. The prevailing wisdom in the writing community is that there are just two ways around this problem: pantsing (winging it) and plotting (focusing on the external plot). Story coach Lisa Cron has spent her career discovering why these methods don’t work and coming up with a powerful alternative, based on the science behind what our brains are wired to crave in every story we read (and it’s not what you think). In Story Genius Cron takes you, step-by-step, through the creation of a novel from the first glimmer of an idea, to a complete multilayered blueprint—including fully realized scenes—that evolves into a first draft with the authority, richness, and command of a riveting sixth or seventh draft. Read more

The shocking story of three generations of the Sackler family and their roles in the stories of Valium, OxyContin and the opioid crisis. The inspiration behind the Netflix series Painkiller, starring Uzo Aduba and Matthew Broderick.Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-FictionThe Sunday Times BestsellerA BBC Radio 4 'Book of the Week'Shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year AwardOne of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of the YearShortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction'I gobbled up Empire of Pain . . . a masterclass in compelling narrative nonfiction.' – Elizabeth Day, The Guardian '30 Best Summer Reads'The Sackler name adorns the walls of many storied institutions like Harvard and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They are one of the richest families in the world, known for their lavish donations in the arts and the sciences. The source of the family fortune was vague, however, until it emerged that the Sacklers were responsible for making and marketing Oxycontin. A blockbuster painkiller that was a catalyst for the opioid crisis – an international epidemic of drug addiction which has killed nearly half a million people.In this masterpiece of narrative reporting and writing, award-winning journalist and author of Say Nothing (now streaming on Disney+), Patrick Radden Keefe, exhaustively documents the jaw-dropping reality. Empire of Pain is the story of a dynasty, and twenty-first-century greed.'There are so many "they did what?" moments in this book, when your jaw practically hits the page' – Sunday Times‘You feel almost guilty for enjoying it so much’ – The Times Read more

'The best book on the subject I've read. Quite brilliant' Tony Jordan, creator/writer, Life on Mars, HustleWe all love stories. But why do we tell them? And why do all stories function in an eerily similar way? John Yorke, creator of the BBC Writers' Academy, has brought a vast array of drama to British screens. Here he takes us on a journey to the heart of storytelling, revealing that there truly is a unifying shape to narrative forms - one that echoes the fairytale journey into the woods and, like any great art, comes from deep within. From ancient myths to big-budget blockbusters, he gets to the root of the stories that are all around us, every day.'Marvellous' Julian Fellowes 'Terrifyingly clever ... Packed with intelligent argument' Evening Standard 'The most important book about scriptwriting since William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade' Peter Bowker, writer, Blackpool, Occupation, Eric and Ernie Read more

Love comes when you least expect it... Tressa Buckland likes her quiet life in Port Lowdy, with its cobbled streets and colourful terraced houses overlooking the sea. Her job at the local paper allows her to pursue her art in her free time, with no one but her tabby cat Ginger Pickles to mind her in Mermaid Terrace. But then the owner of the paper is called away on an emergency, and it's up to Tressa to run the paper for six months. Her first task: find a new part-time journalist.Dan Byrne is the angriest man in Ireland – or so the readers of his very successful column, 'Dan takes on the world', think. But after a story goes south and he loses his job in Dublin, Dan has no choice but to start afresh. When an opportunity comes up in sleepy Cornwall, Dan and his Golden Retriever Ritchie set off for a new adventure.For Tressa, Dan's arrival to Port Lowdy changes everything. Tressa tries not to look too deeply at her own life, but Dan sees a story to uncover in absolutely everyone – even her. The two of them couldn't be more different... yet, if they can find a way to work together, they may just breathe new life and joy into this sleepy seaside village.Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace is a heartwarming new village romance about the power of love and kindness, from the bestselling author of Starting Over at Acorn Cottage.***Readers love Kate Forster! 'This beautifully descriptive and touching story about love and hope is fabulous sunshine reading.' Closer'A lovely get-away-from-it-all read.' Red'LOVED this book. From the cover you might assume it's a light read but this was so much more. Such meaningful characters surrounding a story of life, love, and starting over. Definitely a keeper!' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars'This is a keeper and I wish I could give it 10 stars.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars'An uplifting, delightful story, this one is emotional, it'll have you laughing and crying, but the overall theme for me was hope, self forgiveness and love, you will be smiling at the end.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars'I didn't want the story to come to an end, because it was just so lovely. This is the perfect antidote to the world outside right now.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars Read more

Why do some prime ministers manage to get things done, while others miserably fail? What is a 'special adviser' and how did they take over British political life? And why is the House of Lords more functional than most people think?Most of us have a sense that our political system doesn't seem to work, but struggle to articulate exactly why. And for good reason: our political and financial institutions are cloaked in secrecy, archaic terminology, ancient custom and impenetrable jargon. Now, expert political journalist Ian Dunt is lifting the lid on British politics to expose every aspect of the setup in a way that can be understood and challenged. From Downing Street to Whitehall, the Commons to the Lords, this book is an indispensable guide to our political system - and how we might begin to fix it. Read more

'Simultaneously frightening and hilarious' - The TimesThe Men Who Stare at Goats reveals the extraordinary – and completely nutty – national secrets at the core of Bush’s government. Often funny, sometimes chilling and with first-hand access to the leading players, Jon Ronson’s Sunday Times bestseller is a story so unbelievable it has to be true.In 1979, a secret unit was established by the most gifted minds within the US Army. Defying all known accepted military practice – and indeed, the laws of physics – they believed that a soldier could adopt a cloak of invisibility, pass cleanly through walls and, perhaps most chillingly, kill goats just by staring at them.Entrusted with defending America from all known adversaries, they were the First Earth Battalion. And they really weren’t joking. What’s more, in the early 2000s, they’re back and fighting George W. Bush’s War on Terror. But why are they blasting Iraqi prisoners-of-war with the theme tune to the Barney the Purple Dinosaur show? Why have one hundred de-bleated goats been secretly placed inside the Special Forces command centre at Fort Bragg, North Carolina? And how was the US military associated with the mysterious mass-suicide of a strange cult from San Diego?Now a feature film starring George Clooney and Ewan McGregor.Part of the Picador Collection, a series celebrating fifty years of Picador books and showcasing the best of modern literature. Read more

From the top 50 bestselling author of The Village Shop For Lonely HeartsScandal-hit party girl Lucy Conway needs to leave London fast.She packs her bags and escapes to the sleepy village of Cranbridge to take care of her beloved Uncle Frank.But the country village isn’t quite as idyllic as she remembers. To make matters worse, her Uncle’s pride and joy, The Cranbridge Times, is close to going out of business.Editor-at-large Tom Addison is having a crisis of confidence and needs help if the newspaper is going to survive.With time on her hands, can Lucy work some magic and together save the family newspaper?Over a long, hot summer, friendships are made and hearts begin to heal. And, with the help of a stray dog, perhaps Lucy and Tom can find their very own new beginning...A heartwearming read perfect for fans of Holly Martin and Cathy Bramley.Praise for Alison Sherlock:'Glorious escapism. Uplifting, heartwarming and joyful, Alison Sherlock writes with a warmth and lightness of touch' Kerry Fisher'A lovely story of finding yourself and discovering what home means. I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Loved it' Jessica Redland'Great book, brilliant storyline and wonderful characters' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review'It was a real feel good book, perfect for a warm day reading in the garden' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review'Lovely book to loose yourself in' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review Read more

“The teaching of creative writing just entered a whole new era . . . Heavens, what a joy this book is.” —Lynne Truss, New York Times–bestselling author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves“What do you think of my fiction book writing?” the aspiring novelist extorted.“Darn,” the editor hectored, in turn. “I can not publish your novel! It is full of what we in the business call ‘really awful writing.’”“But how shall I absolve this dilemma? I have already read every tome available on how to write well and get published!” The writer tossed his head about, wildly.“It might help,” opined the blonde editor, helpfully, “to ponder how NOT to write a novel, so you might avoid the very thing!”Many writing books offer sound advice on how to write well. This is not one of those books. On the contrary, this is a collection of terrible, awkward, and laughably unreadable excerpts that will teach you what to avoid—at all costs—if you ever want your novel published.The authors of How Not to Write a Novel distill their decades of combined experience in teaching, editing, writing, and reviewing fiction to bring you real advice from the other side of the query letter. Rather than telling you how or what to write, they identify 200 common mistakes unconsciously made by writers and teach you to recognize, avoid, and amend them. With hilarious examples to demonstrate each manuscript-mangling error, they help you troubleshoot your beginnings and endings, bad guys, love interests, style, jokes, perspective, voice, and more. As funny as it is useful, this essential how-NOT-to guide will help you get your manuscript out of the slush pile and into the bookstore.“A great resource, this tongue-in-cheek guide is a fun read with a lot of solid advice.” —Publishers Weekly“This writing how-to should carry a warning: it’s the kind of book one reads at the expense of other responsibilities. . . . a surprisingly distinctive approach.” —Library Journal“Hilarious, wickedly observed and deeply useful.” — The Observer“An invaluable guide.” —The Independent Read more

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2024 CWA GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION‘Reads like a mashup of The Godfather and Chinatown, complete with gun battles, a ruthless kingpin and a mountain of cash. Except that it’s all true.’ – TimeIn this thrilling story of real-life events, the bestselling author of Empire of Pain investigates a secret world run by a surprising criminal: a charismatic middle-aged grandmother, who from a tiny noodle shop in New York’s Chinatown, managed a multimillion-dollar business smuggling people.In The Snakehead, Patrick Radden Keefe reveals the inner workings of Cheng Chui Ping aka Sister Ping’s complex empire and recounts the decade-long FBI investigation that eventually brought her down. He follows an often incompetent and sometimes corrupt INS as it pursues desperate immigrants risking everything to come to America, and along the way he paints a stunning portrait of a generation of undocumented immigrants and the intricate underground economy that sustains and exploits them.Grand in scope yet propulsive in narrative force, The Snakehead is both a true crime story and a brilliant exploration of the ironies of immigration in America.‘A powerful piece of reportage about the violent underworld of New York’s Chinatown’ - The Times Read more

From 70 of the most successful mystery writers in the business, an invaluable guide to crafting mysteries—from character development and plot to procedurals and thrillers—“this is a writing guide that readers and writers will turn to again and again” (Booklist, starred review).Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is known for providing unparalleled resources on the craft, art, and business of storytelling, helping writers of all levels improve their skills for nearly a century. Now, this handbook helps authors navigate the ever-shifting publishing landscape—from pacing, plotting, the business side of publishing, to the current demand for diversity and inclusivity across all genres, and more. Featuring essays by a new generation of bestselling experts on various elements of the craft and shorter pieces of crowd-sourced wisdom from the MWA membership as a whole, the topics covered can be categorized as follows: —Before Writing (rules; genres; setting; character; research; etc.) —While Writing (outlining; the plot; dialogue; mood; etc.) —After Writing (agents; editors; self-pub; etc.) —Other than Novels (short stories; true crime; etc.) —Other Considerations (diverse characters; legal questions; criticism) Also included is a collection of essays from MWA published authors—including Jeffery Deaver, Tess Gerritsen, and Charlaine Harris—selected by bestselling authors Lee Child and Laurie King and arranged thematically answering, “What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d had at the beginning of your career?” “Everything you wanted to know about how to plan, draft, write, revise, publish, and market a mystery” (Kirkus Reviews), this inclusive manual provides practical, current, easily digestible advice for new and established authors alike. Read more

**WINNER OF THE PUSHKIN HOUSE BOOK PRIZE 2024**To be a journalist is to tell the truth. Here is Russia as it really is.'Important ... this is the Russia we need to understand' TIMOTHY SNYDER'A haunting book of rare courage' CLARISSA WARD'Read this book' SVETLANA ALEXIVICHPart memoir, part collection of Elena Kostyuchenko’s fearless reporting, I Love Russia introduces us to places we’ve never seen and to people who’ve been systematically, brutally erased from view by Putin’s regime. We enter secretive state-run facilities for disabled people, abandoned buildings haunted by suicide and violence, and a schoolyard marked by unacknowledged massacre. We meet village girls recruited into sex work, queer people in the outer provinces, and patients and doctors on a Ukrainian maternity ward.The result is a singular, uncompromising, and profoundly humane portrait of a nation – and of an extraordinary woman who refuses to be silenced.'Shocking and moving ... [a] gritty insider's take on Russia' SUNDAY TIMES'Reportage at its brave and luminous best' OBSERVER'Deeply personal, beautifully written' IPAPER*A SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023* Read more

The relationship between politicians and broadcasters has always been fraught with tension. Today, every word and act of those who wield power is instantly broadcast and dissected on 24-hour rolling news channels, blogs and Twitter. But in the past, broadcasters were banned by law from debating anything newsworthy and Parliament imprisoned those who dared to report what MPs had said. Since that censorship ended, the two sides have clashed repeatedly.Live From Downing Street takes us on an absorbing journey through the history of this power struggle, dwelling in fascinating detail on the charismatic key players from radio and television – the Dimblebys, Day, Frost, Walden, Paxman, Humphrys – and those who fought back – Churchill, Wilson, Thatcher and Blair. As the BBC’s Political Editor, Nick Robinson is uniquely placed to add his own perceptive insights into the controversial issue of impartial reporting, providing a colourful and gripping account of the hard-fought battles for the right to tell the public about the decisions taken on their behalf. Read more