LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2014 One drowsy summer's day in 1984, teenage runaway Holly Sykes encounters a strange woman who offers a small kindness in exchange for 'asylum'. Decades will pass before Holly understands exactly what sort of asylum the woman was seeking... The Bone Clocks follows the twists and turns of Holly's life from a scarred adolescence in Gravesend to old age on Ireland's Atlantic coast as Europe's oil supply dries up — a life not so far out of the ordinary, yet punctuated by flashes of precognition, visits from people who emerge from thin air and brief lapses in the laws of reality. For Holly Sykes — daughter, sister, mother, guardian — is also an unwitting player in a murderous feud played out in the shadows and margins of our world, and may prove to be its decisive weapon. Metaphysical thriller, meditation on mortality and chronicle of our self-devouring times, this kaleidoscopic novel crackles with the invention and wit that have made David Mitchell one of the most celebrated writers of his generation. Here is fiction at its most spellbinding and memorable best.

You wait, desperately, for news of your daughter. At last, the door opens. But it is not the negotiators, or the FBI. It is her kidnapper. And he has a gun... Two days ago, life was normal. How did it end like this? Every crime scene begins at the end. To know what happened, you must work backwards, piecing together the events that came before. The ultimate thriller writer, Jeffery Deaver puts your brain — and your nerves — to the ultimate test with THE OCTOBER LIST, in a masterful mystery that unfolds from the end back to the beginning with many a breath-taking twist along the way.

In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs — including Jamie's mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town. Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of 13, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family's horrific loss. In his mid-thirties — an addict, stranded, desperate — Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings. This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It's a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe.

Randall Munroe left NASA in 2005 to start up his hugely popular site XKCD 'a web comic of romance, sarcasm, math and language' which offers a witty take on the world of science and geeks. It's had over a billion page hits to date. A year ago Munroe set up a new section — What If — where he tackles a series of impossible questions: If your cells suddenly lost the power to divide, how long would you survive? How dangerous is it, really, in a pool in a thunderstorm? If we hooked turbines to people exercising in gyms, how much power could we produce? What if everyone only had one soulmate? From what height would you need to drop a steak to ensure it was cooked by the time it reached the ground? What would happen if the moon went away? This book gathers together the best entries along with lots of new gems. From The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek and the songs of Tim Minchin, through chemistry, geography and physics, Munroe leaves no stone unturned in his quest for knowledge. And his answers are witty and memorable and studded with hilarious cartoons and infographics. Far more than a book for geeks, WHAT IF explains the laws of science in operation in a way that every intelligent reader will enjoy and feel the smarter for having read.

This title looks at New Zealand through a variety of themes such as location, landscape and climate, population and health, settlements, family life, religion and beliefs, education and learning, employment and economy, industry and trade, farming and food, transport and communications, leisure and tourism and environment and wildlife. Includes maps, statistics panels and simple graphs and charts; and a topic web showing links with this series to other subject areas.

Welcome to the world of infographics! This exciting form of data visualisation uses icons, pictograms and graphics to present information to kids in a whole new way. Marvel at amazing facts about the countries of the world — all visualised in beautifully designed infographics.

It is Christmas Eve, and the Famous Five are very excited about their mountain of presents — even Timmy! But when Timmy barks furiously he is sent outside, leaving a thief free to steal all the presents. Can Timmy still manage to save the day? In addition to the 21 novels in the Famous Five series, Enid Blyton wrote a clutch of short stories based on the characters. These were published in magazines and were collected in the Famous Five Short Story Collection (Hodder). For the first time, the complete text of Happy Christmas, Five! appears in an individual volume, illustrated in full colour.

City of love. City of splendour. City of terror. City of dreams. Inspired by the haunting, passionate story of the city of lights, this epic novel weaves a gripping tale of four families across the centuries: from the lies that spawn the noble line of de Cygne to the revolutionary Le Sourds who seek their destruction; from the Blanchards whose bourgeois respectability offers scant protection against scandal to the hard-working Gascons and their soaring ambitions. Over hundreds of years, these four families are bound by forbidden loves and marriages of convenience; dogged by vengeance and murderous secrets; torn apart by the irreconcilable differences of birth and faith, and brought together by the tumultuous history of their city. Paris bursts to life in the intrigue, corruption and glory of its people. Beloved author of Sarum, London and New York, Edward Rutherfurd illuminates Paris as only he can: capturing the romance and everyday drama of the men and women who, in two thousand years, transformed a humble trading post on the muddy banks of the Seine into the most celebrated city in the world.

Jenna Metcalf was with her mother the night she disappeared in tragic and mysterious circumstances, but she remembers nothing. Over ten years have passed, and still Jenna reads and rereads her mother's journals, hoping to find some clue hidden there, in the meticulous recording of her scientific research with elephants. Desperate for answers, Jenna uses all her savings to recruit the aid of a private detective — and a psychic. Jenna knows her mother loved her. She knows she would not leave her. And she will not rest until she finds out what happened that night. In her most gripping mystery since House Rules, Jodi Picoult brings us a powerful story of a young girl's determination to uncover the truth, however shocking and life-changing it might be.

A powerful and important book for fans of Mark Haddon, THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK and Jay Asher. How would you spend your birthday if you knew it would be your last? Eighteen-year-old Leonard Peacock knows exactly what he'll do. He'll say goodbye. Not to his mum — who he calls Linda because it annoys her — who's moved out and left him to fend for himself. Nor to his former best friend, whose torments have driven him to consider committing the unthinkable. But to his four friends: a Humphrey-Bogart-obsessed neighbour, a teenage violin virtuoso, a pastor's daughter and a teacher. Most of the time, Leonard believes he's weird and sad but these friends have made him think that maybe he's not. He wants to thank them, and say goodbye. In this riveting and heart-breaking book, acclaimed author Matthew Quick introduces Leonard Peacock, a hero as warm and endearing as he is troubled. And he shows how just a glimmer of hope can make the world of difference.

The ultimate duo — Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase — return in their ninth action-packed adventure. Secrets from the past emerge to threaten archaeologist Nina Wilde and her husband, former SAS soldier Eddie Chase, when a Viking runestone is stolen by a murderous gang of raiders. The stone holds the key to an ancient evil concealed in one of Norse mythology's holiest places: Valhalla. Travelling to Sweden, Eddie and Nina find themselves in a race against time to locate the legendary hall of the Viking warriors — before rival powers claim its deadly contents for themselves. It is a quest that will force Eddie to revisit a dark chapter from his mercenary days that he has kept hidden from everyone... including his wife. Only Nina and Eddie can prevent the unleashing of a primordial terror from the depths of the earth. But even if they succeed, will the cost be greater than either of them could have ever imagined...

Fear me, o miserable worm! I, the Great Dirk, take up my pen once more to record the utter misery that is SCHOOL. My sworn enemy, Hasdruban the White, has infiltrated Whiteshields School and seeks vengeance on me. Naturally, I will triumph. But it is the Dirkest Hour indeed... BUY THIS BOOK OR SUFFER ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: — Being struck with a Blast of Ravening Flame; — Banishment to the Slave Pits of Never Ending Toil; — Torment by the Hewer of Limbs THE CHOICE IS YOURS. MWA HA HA!

Norm knew it was going to be one of those days when he woke up and found himself in 18th century France... If only he hadn't fallen asleep in History! And if only he'd done his punishment exercise! And if only he could go biking instead of playing stupid football! Except Norm can't go biking. Why not? BECAUSE HIS BIKE'S BEEN STOLEN, THAT'S WHY! Nightmare? It's worse than that... IT'S AN ABSO-FLIPPING-LUTE DISASTER! An award-winning, laugh-out-loud series for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and David Walliams.

Norm knew it was going to be one of those days when he was woken by the sound of an elephant breaking wind in the next room... Not the best start to a day, but it's about to get a whole lot worse. As if a trip to see his perfect cousins isn't bad enough, they've only gone and got the brand new Call Of Mortal Battle! Not that Norm could play anyway what with being banned off Xbox due to a curious incident of a stinky dog at bath time. Business as usual? ABSO-FLIPPING-LUTELY!!! The seventh hilarious title in this award-winning, laugh-out-loud series. For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and David Walliams.

A gripping, thought-provoking and intriguing novel about murder, death row and how a life can change in a heartbeat. An irresistible read for those who loved WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN. At just twenty-five, Noa P. Singleton was confined to death row for the murder of Sarah Dixon. For nearly ten years she has languished there, and in six months she will be executed. It's a fate she has long resigned herself to. But the victim's mother, Marlene, has other plans. With little time remaining, she visits Noa, intent upon invoking a clemency appeal. What can have prompted this change of heart? And how and why did Noa kill Sarah Dixon? As Noa tells her story, an unapologetic tale of love, anguish and deception emerges that is as unpredictable as its narrator. And two women, linked by murder but with very different goals, wait with growing tension for the final decision on Noa's fate.

David Suchet shares his many memories of creating this iconic television series and reflects on what the detective has meant to him over the yearsIn the summer of 2013 David Suchet filmed his final scenes as Hercule Poirot. After 24 years in the role, he played the character in every story that Agatha Christie wrote about him (bar one, deemed unfilmable) and he bid adieu to a role and a character that changed his life. Here he tells the story of how he secured the part, with the blessing of Agatha Christie's daughter, and set himself the task of presenting the most authentic Poirot that had ever been filmed. David Suchet is uniquely placed to offer the ultimate companion to one of the world's longest running television series. Peppered with anecdotes about filming, including many tales of the guest stars who have appeared over the years, the book is essential reading for Poirot fans all over the world.

The first HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON book ever, and the inspiration for Cressida Cowell's best-selling fiction books that is now a Dreamworks feature film. So begins Cressida Cowell's stories about a little Viking who cannot fit in. Unlike his dad, Stoick the Vast, Hiccup is tiny, thoughtful and polite and scared of almost everything — especially of going to sea for the very first time. But go he must... So who will save the day when everything goes wrong aboard ship and all the big Vikings lose their cool? This wonderfully witty fable will delight all those who have ever faced up to their worst fears. This 2014 reissue includes a letter from Cressida Cowell to the reader.

Celebrating 25 years of Katie with a beautiful new cover look! When Katie and her brother, Jack, visit London with Grandma, at first it seems it's full of big buses, big buildings and bigger crowds. When they stop off at Trafalgar Square, something quite unusual happens they meet a talking stone lion! The lion takes them on a wonderful tour of the city taking in such sights as The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and the London Eye! It's a daytrip to London that Katie and Jack will never forget! Featuring many of the key sights of Britain's capital, this storybook has become a bestselling introduction to London, and a perfect story for children visiting the city for the first time.

Ten little pirates sailing out to sea, Looking for adventure, happy as can be. Are they hunting treasure? Are they going far? Ten little pirates all say, 'Arrrrrr!' Ten little pirates set out to sea in search of adventure. But what will the ten little pirates do when they meet a hurricane... and a giant squid... and a HUNGRY SHARK? This fun-filled rhyming story, which incorporates counting backwards from ten to one, is great to share with young children who are learning about numbers. The colourful, humourous illustrations feature objects to spot and count on every page. With a bouncy, rhythmic text and lots of great sound words, this piratical adventure is perfect for sharing again and again.

When the Seven visit the haunted house on Hallows Hill they discover it is not as empty as legend has it! Some thieves are angry that their hiding place has been discovered, and lock the gang in the larder until they can dispose of the stolen goods. How will the Secret Seven ever escape? And are those the wails of the ghost dog they can hear? In addition to the 15 novels in the Secret Seven series, Enid Blyton wrote a clutch of short stories based on the characters. These were published in magazines and were collected in the Secret Seven Short Story Collection (Hodder). For the first time, the complete text of Where Are the Secret Seven? appears in an individual volume, illustrated in full colour.