FICTION

A compendium of ruminations and reflections by the second-century Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, a staunch adherent to the Stoic philosophy.

Does It Hurt?AN AMAZON TOP 5 BESTSELLER! Who am I?I've forgotten the answer to that question long ago. Ever since I ran from that house, so desperate to escape, I left with only the clothes on my back and socks on my feet. After that day, I've only ever walked in stolen shoes. Could I be a girl who is searching for the meaning of life in faceless men? They were all so forgettable. Until he came along. He took me under a waterfall and made me forget my name, and in return, I took his instead. Enzo Vitale.An enigmatic man that will only ever love the deep sea. Or rather the predators that inhabit it. Turns out, he's not so different than the monsters he feeds. He lured me onto his boat like a fish in the ocean, seeking vengeance for my crime. Had I realised his intentions, and that a massive storm would leave us shipwrecked, I would've run. Now, I'm a girl who's seeking refuge in a decrepit lighthouse with a man who loathes me almost as much as he craves me. He wants to hurt me, but the old caretaker of the abandoned island may have intentions far more sinister. It's no longer a question of who I am, but rather, will I survive?

More than 2,000 years old, this classic of Chinese philosophy lays out a systematic, rational approach to tactics and strategy that leaders worldwide have applied not only to the military, but also to business, law, martial arts, and sports.

The manga adaptation of the hit Twilight Princess video game, now available in a box set! Become part of the Legend—The Legend of Zelda! Once upon a time, wizards tried to conquer the Sacred Realm of Hyrule. The Spirits of Light sealed the wizards’ power within the Shadow Crystal and banished them to the Twilight Realm beyond the Mirror of Twilight. Now, an evil menace is trying to find Midna, Princess of the Twilight Realm, and the fragments of the Shadow Crystal to gain the power to rule over both the Twilight Realm and the World of Light. This box set contains all 11 volumes of the smash-hit manga series The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and a collectible, double-sided poster!

This collection of stories from the Brothers Grimm includes old favorites and hidden treasures to be discovered. They are the stories of characters we’ve known since childhood: Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella. But the works originally collected by the Brothers Grimm in the early 1800s are not necessarily the versions told before bedtime. They’re darker and don’t always end happily—but they’re often far more interesting. This elegant edition of Brothers Grimm: 101 Fairy Tales includes all our cherished favorites—“Sleeping Beauty,” “Rumpelstiltskin,” “Little Red Cap,” and many more—in their original versions. Brothers Grimm: 101 Fairy Tales is a must-have addition to the libraries of all classic literature lovers. Many of these stories begin with the familiar refrain of “once upon a time”—but they end with something unexpected and fascinating! Featuring colorful sprayed edges and a heat-burnished cover with foil stamping, this collection of stories from the Brothers Grimm is a stylish addition to your bookshelf.

The fiercest, most powerful adult debut of 2025 - a brilliant feminist vampire novel: a story of ambition, female oppression and unstoppable hunger . . .

A beautifully sinister, propulsive page-turning adult debut that explores themes of obsession, identity and privilege, about a woman who takes a job as a cleaner - but what she's really after is revenge... <p>It's not dust she's looking for.It's dirt. Esmie is supposed to be invisible. Just a cleaner with a foreign accent that no one quite has time to place. Her uniform of leggings and a duster allows her to explore the homes of the wealthy, unseen; an outsider creeping around the edges of privilege. But as she sweeps through the exclusive Woodlands gated neighbourhood, cleaning is the last thing on her mind. Treading silently over the polished wooden floorboards and cloud-soft carpets, Esmie gathers up the mess of broken marriages, quiet deceptions and careless failures. She tucks away their fragments, keeping them safe. For now. Because one of the residents took from her the person she loves most. She's not here to clean; she's here for revenge - and she'll get it using the weapons her employers unwittingly handed her along with the keys to their homes- their own secrets... This beautifully sinister, propulsive page-turner that explores themes of identity and privilege is perfect for fans of Harriet Tyce and Lisa Jewell.</p>

Graphic novels to read anywhere- DC Compact Comics collect DC's bestselling, most iconic stories in a new size! Chronicling the history of a new breed of vampire, AMERICAN VAMPIRE by the legendary Scott Snyder and Stephen King is a fresh look at an old monster--a generational epic showcasing the bloodlust that lay hidden beneath America's most distinctive eras. Graphic novels to read anywhere- DC Compact Comics collect DC's bestselling, most iconic stories in a new size! Chronicling the history of a new breed of vampire, AMERICAN VAMPIRE by the legendary Scott Snyder and Stephen King is a fresh look at an old monster--a generational epic showcasing the bloodlust that lay hidden beneath America's most distinctive eras. Cunning, ruthless, and rattlesnake mean, Skinner Sweet is a thoroughly corrupt gunslinger. When European vampires come to the American Old West, they turn Skinner into a true monster- the very first American vampire. Skinner becomes something entirely new--a stronger breed of vampire immune to sunlight, who hates every last one of his aristocratic European ancestors. Follow this dark symbol of the New World's bloody path as he moves through American history's most distinctive eras--from the Wild West in the 1880s to the glamorous classic Hollywood of the 1920s to mobster-run Las Vegas in the 1930s, and beyond. But as Skinner's war with his predecessors inspires a mysterious society to rise and fight them both, his most upsetting decision might involve the first person he chooses to join his vampiric ranks- a struggling young movie star named Pearl Jones. Collects American Vampire #1-11.

The Sunday Times bestseller, launching a new trilogy in the Shades of Magic universe, an enchanting and thrilling epic fantasy from the international sensation, V. E. Schwab, perfect for fans of Samantha Shannon, Kerri Maniscalco, Leigh Bardugo and R. F. Kuang.

<p><strong>Boxed gift set of Tolkien’s classic masterpieces, fully illustrated throughout in watercolour by the acclaimed and award-winning artist, Alan Lee, Conceptual Designer on Peter Jackson’s THE HOBBIT films.</strong></p>Â <p>Since they were first published, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have been two books people have treasured. Steeped in unrivalled magic and otherworldliness, these works of sweeping fantasy have touched the hearts of young and old alike. Between them, nearly 150 million copies have been sold around the world. And no editions have proved more popular than the two that were illustrated by award-winning artist, Alan Lee – the Centenary edition of The Lord of the Rings and the 60th Anniversary edition of The Hobbit.</p><p>Now, the new hardback editions of these beautifully illustrated works have been collected together into one boxed set of four books. Readers will be able to follow the complete story of the Hobbits and their part in the quest for the Ring – beginning with Bilbo’s fateful visit from Gandalf and culminating in the dramatic climax between Frodo and Gollum atop Mount Doom – while also enjoying over seventy full-page colour paintings and numerous illustrations which accompany this epic tale.</p>

Ken Follett was born in Cardiff, Wales. His first thriller, the wartime spy drama Eye of the Needle, became an international bestseller and has sold over 10 million copies. He then astonished everyone with his first historical novel, The Pillars of the Earth, the story of the building of a medieval cathedral, which went on to become one of the most beloved books of the twentieth century. One of the most popular authors in the world, his many books including the Kingsbridge series and the Century trilogy - a body of work which together chronicles over a thousand years of history - and his latest novel Never - which envisages how World War III could happen - have sold more than 188 million copies.

Those Opulent Days One will lose his mind. One will pay. One will agonise. And one will die.Duy, Phong, Minh, and Edmond have been best friends since childhood. Now, as young men running their families’ formidable businesses, they make up Saigon’s most powerful group of friends in 1928 Vietnam’s elite society.Until one of them is murdered.In a lavish mansion on a hill in Dalat, all four men have gathered for an evening of indulgence, but one of them won’t survive the night. Toggling between this fatal night and the six days leading up to it, told from the perspectives of the four men, their mothers, their servants, and their lovers, an intricate web of terror, loyalty, and well-kept secrets begins to unravel.As the story creeps closer to the murder, and as each character becomes a suspect, the true villain begins to emerge: colonialism, the French occupation of Vietnam, and the massive economic differences that catapult the wealthy into the stratosphere while the poor starve on the streets.Those Opulent Days is at once both a historical novel of vivid intensity and a pitch-perfect murder mystery with a cast of characters you won’t soon forget.PRAISE FOR THOSE OPULENT DAYS‘Intricately plotted and full of dark secrets, Jacquie Pham’s Those Opulent Days is for lovers of smart and sophisticated crime fiction.’ – Mirandi Riwoe, author of Sunbirds‘Pham delivers a lush tale weaved with deceit, friendship, and privilege. The opulent language will entice you in, the mystery will keep you there. What a debut!’ – Sharlene Allsop, author of The Great Undoing‘1920s Vietnam is lushly and lovingly described, and its characters vividly realized. Rather than being a mystery, the novel has far more in common with noir: It examines the dark griminess that is part and parcel of the spectrum of humanity.’ – LA Times‘Pham debuts with a memorable and disturbing historical set in French-occupied Vietnam…Pham’s prose is lyrical, and her evocation of the period immersive…this is a tense and unique dispatch from a key period in Vietnamese history.’ – Publishers Weekly‘This historical crime thriller is rich with heart and mystery, perfect for readers who crave thrillers with more depth.’ – Books+Publishing‘As a murder mystery it is faultless’ – Artshub‘a page-turning murder mystery’—Jane Pek, author of The Verifiers

The Woman In The Wallpaper Are some patterns destined to be repeated? "Spellbinding and decadent . . . an astounding debut" SUSAN STOKES-CHAPMAN, author of PANDORAParis, 1789. The Oberst Factory, which crafts exquisite wallpaper for the most fashionable French homes, is a place shrouded in mystery. Most enigmatic is the woman pictured in each of its prints, rumoured to be the late Mrs Oberst, who died in peculiar circumstances. When sisters Lara and Sofi arrive there for work, they quickly form a friendship with Josef Oberst, the motherless heir to the factory. Whilst Sofi's political fervour intensifies, Lara is disturbed by the uncanny way her life appears mirrored in the wallpaper. Meanwhile Hortense, Josef's spoilt aristocratic wife, is similarly unnerved by the scenes that line the walls of her new home. With the mobs growing ever more violent, is she in danger of meeting the same untimely end as the last Mrs Oberst? As revolution blazes across France, the lives of Sofi, Lara and Hortense are set to collide in unimaginable and irrevocable ways. Can they change what lies ahead, or are some patterns destined to be repeated? 'We are gifted a platter of intriguing, unpredictable characters and an expertly-plotted narrative that delights and amuses despite the darkly unsettling mystery' JOANNE BURN, author of THE HEMLOCK CURE 'Exquisite writing and a riveting plot' ANNA MAZZOLA, author of THE CLOCKWORK GIRL