-
"A gentle and moving novel delving into the life of a piano tuner in Japan. It asks important questions about learning, talent, and vocation while in the meantime emphasizing lyrical connection between music and nature. Shy, uplifting gem that will stay on your mind forever." Marta What he experienced that day wasn't life-changing . . . It was life-making. Tomura is startled by the hypnotic sound of a piano being tuned in his school. It seeps into his soul and transports him to the forests, dark and gleaming, that surround his beloved mountain village. From that moment, he is determined to discover more. Under the tutelage of three master piano-tuners - one humble, one jovial, one ill-tempered - Tomura embarks on his training, never straying too far from a single, unfathomable question: do I have what it takes?Set in small-town Japan, this warm and mystical story is for the lucky few who have found their calling - and for the rest of us who are still searching. It shows that the road to finding one's purpose is a winding path, often filled with treacherous doubts and, for those who persevere, astonishing moments of revelation. Mega-bestselling winner of the Japan Booksellers Award, selected by bookshop staff as the book they most wanted to hand-sell: A tender and uplifting novel for fans of A WHOLE LIFE by Robert Seethaler. ISBN 9781784162986 -
"This quirky Japanese novel is about a woman named Keiko who has been working in the same small convenience store for the last 18 years - much to her friends and family's dismay. But what does it take to be a 'productive member of society' and what happens if we reject those expectations that are forced upon us? Equally darkly funny and weirdly disturbing, this is a short book that packs a great punch!" Bob ISBN 9781846276842 -
LONDON 1885 - A woman's body is discovered on Edgware Road. Ten miles away, her head is pulled from the dark muddy waters of the Thames. For two men, this event will push them to the very brink. DETECTIVE WILLIAM PINKERTON - `Thirty-nine years old, already famous and already lonely'. In an attempt to solve this case, he must descend into the seedy, gas-lit streets, opium dens, sewers and seance halls of Victorian London. ADAM FOOLE - A gentleman without a past, haunted by a love affair ten years gone. What he learns from his lover's fate will force him to confront a past, and a grief, he thought long buried. *SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA ENDEAVOUR HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD 2017* ISBN 9781786071026 -
"The entire history of humankind (and some possible futures) in just 450 pages – this is an incredible book that puts our history, and our place in the history of the world, into perspective. It’s incredibly readable and stunning in its scope and achievement." Bob ISBN 9780099590088 -
"This odd yet beautiful small book contains the stories of fifty strange islands from across the globe. Each story makes you consider the world that we live in, and what a diverse and amazing place it really is. It’s a bit pricey (sorry!) but beautifully produced and bound. A wonderful quirky discovery." Bob ISBN 9781846143496 -
"This is the book that I have given to all my friends, and some of them still haven't forgiven me for making them cry in public! This collection of essays is incredibly powerful, one that deals with tough and taboo topics in a way that is raw, honest, yet sensitive. A book that everyone needs to read."Rebekah ISBN 9780241986226 -
"In a nutshell, it is what it is. There is a plot, sort of; there are normal people (after a fashion), and there’s a theme in there too somewhere. Anyway, I liked it." Ann WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE... a friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while its citizens pretend to sleep. It's a town like your town, with a city hall, a bowling alley, a diner, and a radio station reporting all the news that's allowed to be heard. It might be more like your town than you'd like to admit. In this ordinary town where ghosts, aliens and government conspiracies are parts of everyday life, the lives of two women, with two mysteries, are about to converge. From the creators of the wildly popular Welcome to Night Vale podcast comes an original mystery of appearances and disappearances about the ways we all struggle to find ourselves, no matter where we live. ISBN 9780356504865 -
"Not for the faint-hearted, but that said, absorbing, shocking, thought provoking and powerful. Be brave!" Ann When law student Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich is asked to work on a death-row hearing for convicted murderer and child molester Ricky Langley, she finds herself thrust into the tangled story of his childhood. As she digs deeper and deeper into the case she realizes that, despite their vastly different circumstances, something in his story is unsettlingly, uncannily familiar. 'The Fact of a Body' is both an enthralling memoir and a groundbreaking, heart-stopping investigation into how the law is personal, composed of individual stories, and proof that arriving at the truth is more complicated, and powerful, than we could ever imagine. ISBN 9781509805648 -
"A gentle, tender novel about a man who survived, gained, and then lost, but kept going with an open, slightly curious mind. It’s a book about transition, perseverance and most importantly – love. A fantastic read." Marta Andreas lives his whole life in the Austrian Alps, where he arrives as a young boy taken in by a farming family. He is a man of very few words and so, when he falls in love with Marie, he doesn't ask for her hand in marriage, but instead has some of his friends light her name at dusk across the mountain. When Marie dies in an avalanche, pregnant with their first child, Andreas' heart is broken. He leaves his valley just once more, to fight in WWII - where he is taken prisoner in the Caucasus - and returns to find that modernity has reached his remote haven. Like John Williams' 'Stoner', 'A Whole Life' by Robert Seethaler is a tender book about finding dignity and beauty in solitude. An exquisite novel about a simple life, it has already demonstrated its power to move thousands of readers with a message of solace and truth. ISBN 9781447283904 -
"My first contact with Strout’s prose and I came away enchanted. Topics and characters stuck in my mind for days! Ah, the power of the things unspoken… It’s a very easy and quick read dealing tenderly with mother-daughter relationship and growing mentally out of extreme poverty." Marta Lucy is recovering from an operation in a New York hospital when she wakes to find her estranged mother sitting by her bed. They have not seen one another in years. As they talk Lucy finds herself recalling her troubled rural childhood and how it was she eventually arrived in the big city, got married and had children. But this unexpected visit leaves her doubting the life she's made: wondering what is lost and what has yet to be found. ISBN 9780241248782 -
"This book may not be life-changing but it certainly offers a fresh and witty perspective on the many subjects concerned with being a woman. Expect classic, dry, New York humour mixed with Ephron's uncensored and self-deprecating take on life." Carrie ISBN 9780857526939 -
"An unusual setting for an unusual novel. Incredibly atmospheric, the story follows a young woman working in a guest house on the border of North and South Korea. Used to the harsh landscape, she soon learns to see the world through the eyes of a mysterious artist. A beautiful coming-of-age story." Rebekah ISBN 9781911547549 -
Staff Pick: "I’m loving the Jackson Lamb spy thrillers and this is the place to start! Clever & addictive with a great range of characters and brilliant plotting, it’ll keep you turning the pages and coming back for more. Read them now before the TV series appears with Gary Oldman leading the way as Jackson Lamb – the TV series may be good, but it won’t be as good as the books…" Bob. -
"Another gem from Solnit, this collection hits harder than ever. The very real threat of violence against women seeps into every page, from her personal experiences to stories of women reported in the media. And yet it is not all darkness - we learn about art, community, and activism. A tough but incredible read, masterfully written." Rebekah ISBN 9781783785490 -
Staff Pick: "This book certainly packs a punch when it comes to a deeply researched topic close to the author’s first-hand experience. Part memoir and part series of essays, Dabiri not only examines the history and politics surrounding black people’s hair, but also gives an insight into what it was like to grow up black and Irish in 1990s Dublin." Sarah U. -
Staff Pick: "An anonymous figure is posting videos online boasting about setting fires across Belfast and Sammy Agnew suspects his own son. Set parallel is the story of Dr. Jonathan Murray, whose newborn daughter isn’t quite as she seems. A story of loyalist Northern Ireland with a dash of magical realism, this book will have you thinking over the nuances of family, loyalty, class and violence. The best book I’ve read in years – it’ll have you re-reading sentences because they’re just that good. Emilie. -
"A debut novel from a new young Irish writer is always exciting and this one is just brilliant! The story of one man and his dog - but not as you would ever heard before. Dark and mesmerizing, Baume's use of language is extraordinary. A difficult but amazing novel!" Bob "Once there was a dog that'd been through a lot and one day he bumped into a man who, likewise, hadn't been spoiled by life. They became brave and adventurous together. Shockingly beautiful read, a bit on the sad side but a brilliant debut nonetheless." Marta ISBN 9780099592747 -
"This novel has won loads of awards and it's easy to see why - just read the first paragraph. There is so much insight in this short book. The sentences and story are transporting, an example: 'This is what adulthood is, I though: this secrecy; this cultivation of separateness'." Sinead ISBN 9781785079511
