The world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, breaking point has arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families let alone raise them.
But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality tv show. It will follow ten couples as they raise a Virtual Child from birth to the age of eighteen but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their virtual child or risk it all for the chance of a real baby . . .
Set in the same universe as John Marrs's bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and twisted thriller about the ultimate 'tamagotchi' - a virtual baby.
The world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, breaking point has arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford…
Going Zero is a high-concept thriller from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten. Perfect for fans of I Am Pilgrim and The Circle. Shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Book Prize.
TWO HOURS TO VANISH
Ten people are selected to Beta test a ground-breaking piece of spyware. Pioneered by tech-wunderkind Cy Baxter, FUSION can track anyone on earth.
ONE CHANCE TO WIN
Given two hours to 'Go Zero' – disappear off-grid – each Zero has thirty days to elude the sophisticated Capture Teams sent to find them. Anyone that beats FUSION will receive $3 million. If Cy's system proves itself, he wins a $90 billion contract with the CIA to revolutionize surveillance forever.
ZERO ALTERNATIVES TO LOSING
For Zero 10, Kaitlyn Day, the stakes are higher than money, and far more personal than Cy could have imagined. Kaitlyn needs to win to get what she wants, and Cy will stop at nothing to realize his ambitions. When the game’s timer hits zero, there will only be one winner. . .
Going Zero is a high-concept thriller from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten. Perfect for fans of I Am Pilgrim and The Circle. Shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith…
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK
“This book has everything you could possibly want this fall...a cursed town, a haunted house, a vivid & eerie setting?plus, characters willing to risk everything.” ?Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club October ’23 Pick)
Starling House is a gorgeous, modern gothic fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January.
I dream sometimes about a house I’ve never seen….
Opal is a lot of things?orphan, high school dropout, full-time cynic and part-time cashier?but above all, she's determined to find a better life for her younger brother Jasper. One that gets them out of Eden, Kentucky, a town remarkable for only two things: bad luck and E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth century author of The Underland, who disappeared over a hundred years ago.
All she left behind were dark rumors?and her home. Everyone agrees that it’s best to ignore the uncanny mansion and its misanthropic heir, Arthur. Almost everyone, anyway.
I should be scared, but in the dream I don’t hesitate.
Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the chance to step inside Starling House?and make some extra cash for her brother's escape fund?she can't resist.
But sinister forces are digging deeper into the buried secrets of Starling House, and Arthur’s own nightmares have become far too real. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in its own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might finally have found a reason to stick around.
In my dream, I’m home.
And now she’ll have to fight.
Welcome to Starling House: enter, if you dare.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK
“This book has everything you could possibly want this fall...a cursed town, a haunted house, a vivid & eerie setting?plus,…
Shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Book Prize, Going Zero is a high-concept thriller from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten. Perfect for fans of I Am Pilgrim and The Circle.
TWO HOURS TO VANISH
Ten people are selected to Beta test a ground-breaking piece of spyware. Pioneered by tech-wunderkind Cy Baxter, FUSION can track anyone on earth.
ONE CHANCE TO WIN
Given two hours to 'Go Zero' – disappear off-grid – each Zero has thirty days to elude the sophisticated Capture Teams sent to find them. Anyone that beats FUSION will receive $3 million. If Cy's system proves itself, he wins a $90 billion contract with the CIA to revolutionize surveillance forever.
ZERO ALTERNATIVES TO LOSING
For Zero 10, Kaitlyn Day, the stakes are higher than money, and far more personal than Cy could have imagined. Kaitlyn needs to win to get what she wants, and Cy will stop at nothing to realize his ambitions. When the game’s timer hits zero, there will only be one winner. . .
Shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Book Prize, Going Zero is a high-concept thriller from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten. Perfect for fans of I Am Pilgrim…
TWO HOURS TO VANISH
Ten people have been carefully selected to Beta test a ground-breaking piece of spyware. Pioneered by tech-wunderkind Cy Baxter, FUSION can track anyone wherever they are on earth. But does it work?
ONE CHANCE TO ESCAPE
Each participant is given two hours to 'Go Zero' – to go off-grid and disappear - and then thirty days to elude the highly sophisticated Capture Teams sent to find them. Any Zero that beats FUSION will receive $3million in cash. If Cy's system prevails, he wins a $90 billion-dollar contract with the CIA to develop FUSION and revolutionize surveillance forever.
ZERO ALTERNATIVES
For contestant Kaitlyn Day, the stakes are far higher than money, and her reasons for entering the test more personal than Cy could have ever imagined. Kaitlyn needs to win to get what she wants, and Cy will stop at nothing to realize his ambitions. They have no choice but to finish the game and when the timer hits zero, there will only be one winner…
Going Zero, a high-concept thriller from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten. Erase yourself. The hunt has begun. Perfect for fans of I Am Pilgrim and The Circle.
TWO HOURS TO VANISH
Ten people have been carefully selected to Beta test a ground-breaking piece of spyware. Pioneered by tech-wunderkind Cy Baxter, FUSION can track anyone…
Rosie Royce is trying to live her best life. Really, she is.
But it seems like life hasn't gotten the memo. It's been six years since childhood sweetheart Wes Preston jumped on a plane and never looked back, and Rosie spends most nights spooning her laptop. If she has to swipe on one more bloke posing with a sedated tiger, she'll scream.
An impulse move to the idyllic country town of Mudgee is the fresh start Rosie needs, as she trades in her high-pressure marketing career for a laidback gig in local radio. Hell, she may even meet one of those dreamy farmers she's seen on TV.
But the universe isn't done messing with Rosie just yet. Her new job comes with a handsome but infuriating co-host, Dr Markus Abrahams, while a school reunion brings Wes back into her orbit.
When Rosie's work whisks her to vibrant, chaotic India - well and truly out of her comfort zone - a world of possibility opens up.
Does 'never ever' really have to be forever? Or is Rosie finally ready to risk everything for a second shot at love?
Rosie Royce is trying to live her best life. Really, she is.
But it seems like life hasn't gotten the memo. It's been six years since childhood sweetheart Wes Preston jumped on…
A mother disappears from a busy festival on a warm spring night.
Her baby lies alone in the pram, her mother’s possessions surrounding her, waiting for a return which never comes.
A year later, Kim Gillespie’s absence still casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather to welcome a new addition to the family.
Joining the celebrations on a rare break from work is federal investigator Aaron Falk, who begins to suspect that all is not as it seems.
As he looks into Kim’s case, long-held secrets and resentments begin to come to the fore, secrets that show that her community is not as close as it appears.
Falk will have to tread carefully if he is to expose the dark fractures at its heart, but sometimes it takes an outsider to get to the truth . . .
A mother disappears from a busy festival on a warm spring night.
Her baby lies alone in the pram, her mother’s possessions surrounding her, waiting for a return which never…
You've never met anyone like her…
Antonia Scott is special. Very special. She is not a policewoman or a lawyer. She has never wielded a weapon or carried a badge, and yet, she has solved dozens of crimes.
But it's been awhile since Antonia left her attic in Madrid. The things she has lost are much more important to her than the things awaiting her outside.
She also doesn't receive visitors. That's why she really, really doesn't like it when she hears unknown footsteps coming up the stairs.
Whoever it is, Antonia is sure that they are coming to look for her.
And she likes that even less.
You've never met anyone like her…
Antonia Scott is special. Very special. She is not a policewoman or a lawyer. She has never wielded a weapon or carried a badge, and yet,…
Welcome to HMP Ashcroft. An institution run by a corrupt governor whose determination to impose his will at any cost will have far-reaching consequences on all the inmates.
Within these walls, friendships are forged that will last beyond a sentence, but some inmates can turn in the blink of an eye, because that's all part of being locked up. In here you are kept from your loved ones and forced into a surrogate family with women you wouldn't even look at on the outside, let alone call friends. But at Ashcroft, Alliances can mean everything.
Each one of these women has their own story to tell and their own penance to deal with. But whilst they fight for their rights on the inside, who is looking after their family, their friends and children on the outside. Whilst they battle to survive in a closed off world what's happening in the real world.
At Ashcroft there's always a price to be paid, and for some it's high, but these women are prepared to pay anyway they can…
Welcome to HMP Ashcroft. An institution run by a corrupt governor whose determination to impose his will at any cost will have far-reaching consequences on all the inmates.
Within…
Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Begin Again is an unforgettable novel of love and starting again.
As usual, Andie Rose has a plan: transfer to the hyper competitive Blue Ridge State and chase her lifelong goal of becoming an iconic self-help figure. All it will take is ruthless organization, hard work, and her trademark unrelenting enthusiasm to pull it all together.
But the moment Andie arrives, her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated and she meets Milo who disrupts all her ideas about love and relationships.
Sometimes, when all your plans are rubble at your feet, you find out what you're made of.
Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Begin Again is an unforgettable novel of love…
From Marcus Collins, strategist to Apple, Nike and Beyonce, discover the powerful force behind what we buy, what we do, and who we want to be…
We all try to influence others in our daily lives. We are all marketers, whether you are a manager motivating your team, an employee making a big presentation, an activist staging a protest or a company executive selling the next big thing. In For the Culture, Marcus Collins argues that the most powerful vehicle for influencing behavior is true cultural engagement. To inspire communities, we first need to think hard about how we appeal to their values and what we will contribute to their culture.
With a deep perspective based on a century's worth of data, Collins breaks down the many ways in which culture influences behavior. Using captivating stories from his own life as a top marketer - including spearheading digital strategy for Beyonce, working with iTunes and Nike+ on their collaboration, and designing ads for McDonalds - he shows readers how they can do the same. Full of memorable examples, from 1960s hippy culture to the enduring success of Patagonia, For the Culture offers the essential tools for creating lasting engagement and influence.
From Marcus Collins, strategist to Apple, Nike and Beyonce, discover the powerful force behind what we buy, what we do, and who we want to be…
We all try to influence others in…
What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey?
Britain. The near-future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills – the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.
But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is monitoring every aspect of our personal lives, tracking every word, every minor disagreement . . . and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honour and obey.
Black Mirror meets thriller with a dash of Naomi Alderman’s The Power.
What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey?
Britain. The near-future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills – the Sanctity of Marriage Act,…
Pip Fallow was born in the coal-miner's cottage where his family of eight lived, in a village near Durham. Pip was destined to join his father down the pit, but the closure of his village's mine in the 1980s saw him at the back of the dole queue like the rest. This is Pip's story of being 'dragged up proppa', living by his wits, working and travelling the world before finally settling a few miles from where he grew up.
A lot has been written about the red wall in recent years but Pip Fallow has lived it. This is his account of some of the most important issues affecting Britain today; from levelling-up and the north-south divide, to social mobility and class, and the devastating social upheaval caused by decades of deindustrialization and government neglect. Showing how broken promises of the past impact his village and the politics of today.
This is the memoir of a man who left school illiterate, but has now written a book. The story of a lost generation who were prepared for a life that had disappeared by the time they were ready for it, of communities with once strong social ties that have now disintegrated, and a way of living that simply no longer exists in Britain today.
Pip Fallow was born in the coal-miner's cottage where his family of eight lived, in a village near Durham. Pip was destined to join his father down the pit, but the closure…
Martin O’Neill is one of the most fascinating and respected figures in football. In On Days Like These, he tells the story of his remarkable career.
For the first time, Martin O’Neill reflects on one of the most varied and successful football careers in the British Isles. With a journey spanning over fifty years, Martin dives into the exhilarating highs of trophies, promotion and World Cup fights – and the painful lows of fan confrontations, boardroom drama, relegation scraps and getting fired.
Read fascinating stories from his journey as a player, his breakthrough with Distillery in Northern Ireland, to joining Brian Clough’s legendary Nottingham Forest team as it rose from the Second Division all the way to winning back-to-back European Cups.
Go behind-the-scenes on his international career for Northern Ireland, playing alongside and getting to know the Belfast Boy himself, George Best.
Then, Martin delves into his work as a manager, including his celebrated leadership of Celtic – retaking dominance from Rangers in his very first Old Firm match.
And on more recent times, lessons are learned in England – as he led Wycombe from Conference to the League, and Leicester City and Aston Villa to unprecedented highs – before joining forces with Roy Keane and taking the Republic of Ireland to the second round of the Euros for the first time in their history.
Written by Martin himself with his trademark honesty and humour, On Days Like These is an insightful and captivating autobiography from a true icon of football – and a must-read for any fans of the beautiful game.
Martin O’Neill is one of the most fascinating and respected figures in football. In On Days Like These, he tells the story of his remarkable career.
For the first time, Martin…
Just like the best walks, The Joy of Walking takes you on a journey with lots to surprise and enjoy along the way. Through the best of classic writing, this inspiring anthology shows how the simple act of walking goes to the heart of life itself.
Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning pocket size classics, this edition is edited and introduced by Suzy Cripps.
Whether walking through awe-inspiring countryside or weaving your way through crowds in the hustle and bustle of great cities, we take thousands of steps a day. Finding meaning in movement can be difficult in today’s frenetic world. This may seem like a modern problem, but putting one foot in front of the other is something that authors have been writing about for centuries. Some like Gaskell, Wordsworth and Whitman extol the virtues of walking in the countryside, be it on one’s own connecting with nature or as the means to really good conversation with friends. Others like Dickens and E. M. Forster explore the thrill and dangers of moving about the city, by day or by night.
In The Joy of Walking you’ll find a wealth of essays, poetry and fiction celebrating and exploring the joy of walking.
Just like the best walks, The Joy of Walking takes you on a journey with lots to surprise and enjoy along the way. Through the best of classic writing, this inspiring anthology…
A moving, unflinching memoir of hard-won success, struggles with addiction, and a lifelong mission to give back.
When Michael K. Williams died on 6 September 2021, he left behind a career as one of the most electrifying actors of his generation. From his star turn as Omar Little in The Wire to Chalky White in Boardwalk Empire to Emmy-nominated roles in HBO’s The Night Of and Lovecraft Country, Williams inhabited a slew of indelible roles that he portrayed with a rawness and vulnerability that leapt off the screen. Beyond the nominations and acclaim, Williams played characters who connected, whose humanity couldn’t be denied, whose stories were too often left out of the main narrative.
At the time of his death, Williams had nearly finished a memoir that tells the story of his past while looking to the future, a book that merges his life and his life’s work. Mike, as his friends knew him, was so much more than an actor. In Scenes from My Life, he traces his life in whole, from his childhood in East Flatbush and his early years as a dancer to his battles with addiction and the bar fight that left his face with his distinguishing scar. He was a committed Brooklyn resident and activist who dedicated his life to working with social justice organisations and his community, especially in helping at-risk youth find their voice and carve out their future. Williams worked to keep the spotlight on those he fought for and with, whom he believed in with his whole heart.
Imbued with poignance and raw honesty, Scenes from My Life is the story of a performer who gave his all to everything he did – in his own voice, in his own words, as only he could.
A moving, unflinching memoir of hard-won success, struggles with addiction, and a lifelong mission to give back.
When Michael K. Williams died on 6 September 2021, he left behind…
The Gardener’s Year is a charming and light-hearted insight into the life of an amateur gardener. Structured loosely around what to plant, grow or cultivate each month, Karel Capek takes us on a rollicking journey through a year in his own small garden.
Complete and unabridged. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, pocket-sized classics with ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition features lively black and white illustrations by Czech artist Josef Capek and is translated by M. and R. Weatherall.
From making puddles with an untamable hose to sowing luxuriant weeds instead of grass, Capek reveals how a gardener grows into his surroundings ‘spurred on by each new failure’. Subverting the tradition of a ‘how to’ gardening book, he teaches his readers about the magic of seeds, the perils of planting vegetables and the thrilling surprises of a rock garden. As the year progresses and frail buds turn from flowering stems to drooping bulbs and falling leaves, Capek’s small garden buzzes with life, wisdom and humour.
The Gardener’s Year is a charming and light-hearted insight into the life of an amateur gardener. Structured loosely around what to plant, grow or cultivate each month, Karel…
Nerds are so hot. Especially battle–robot–building nerds.
When Bel accidentally reveals a talent for engineering at school, she’s forced into joining the robotics club. Enter Mateo Luna, perfect on paper – captain of the football team and the robotics club – who recognizes Bel as a potential asset, even if they couldn’t be more different. And as the nights of after–school work grow longer, Bel and Teo realize they've made more than just a combat–ready robot for the championship: they’ve made a connection themselves.
But with graduation approaching, their differences and what they want for their futures, threatens what they’ve built together. Can they survive Nationals without breaking their robots – or their hearts?
Nerds are so hot. Especially battle–robot–building nerds.
When Bel accidentally reveals a talent for engineering at school, she’s forced into joining the robotics club. Enter…
When You Get The Chance is a heartwarming read from Emma Lord, the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese Witherspoon YA Book Club pick You Have a Match.
Nothing will get in the way of Millie Price's dream of becoming a Broadway star. Not her lovable but super introverted dad, who raised Millie alone since she was a baby, or her drama club rival, Oliver, who is the very definition of Simmering Romantic Tension.
Millie needs an ally. And when an accidentally left-open browser brings Millie to her dad's embarrassingly moody LiveJournal from 2003, Millie knows just what to do — find her mum.
But how can you find a new part of your life and expect it to fit into your old one without leaving any marks? And why is it that when you go looking for the past, it somehow keeps bringing you back to what you've had all along?
When You Get The Chance is a heartwarming read from Emma Lord, the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese Witherspoon YA Book Club pick You Have a Match.
Nothing will get…
