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A Dark Matter (The Skelfs #1)
by Doug JohnstoneThree generations of women from the Skelfs family take over the family funeral home and PI businesses in the first book of a taut, gripping page-turning and darkly funny new series.‘An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertones’ Herald Scotland‘Gripping and blackly humorous’ Observer‘I was addicted from the first page; gripping, gritty and darkly funny as hell’ Erin Kelly‘A Dark Matter showcases a writer at the peak of his powers, except that with every book, Doug Johnstone just gets better’ Val McDermid_________________Meet the Skelfs: well-known Edinburgh family, proprietors of a long-established funeral-home business, and private investigators…When patriarch Jim dies, it’s left to his wife Dorothy, daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah to take charge of both businesses, kicking off an unexpected series of events.Dorothy discovers mysterious payments to another woman, suggesting that Jim wasn’t the husband she thought he was. Hannah’s best friend Mel has vanished from university, and the simple adultery case that Jenny takes on leads to something stranger and far darker than any of them could have imagined.As the women struggle to come to terms with their grief, and the demands of the business threaten to overwhelm them, secrets from the past emerge, which change everything…A compelling, tense and shocking thriller and a darkly funny and warm portrait of a family in turmoil, A Dark Matter introduces a cast of unforgettable characters, marking the start of an addictive new series._________________‘A fiendish mystery that is also deeply moving and laced with suitably dark humour … set to be one of the books of the year’ Mark Billingham'Emotionally complex, richly layered and darkly funny. An addictive blend of Case Histories and Six Feet Under’ Chris Brookmyre‘This dark but touching thriller makes for a thoroughly enjoyable slice of Edinburgh noir’ Mary Paulson-Ellis‘This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief, as the three tough but tender main characters pick up the pieces and carry on: more, please’ Guardian‘A tense ride … strong, believable characters’ Kerry Hudson, Big Issue‘They are all wonderful characters: flawed, funny, brave — and well set up for a series. I wouldn’t call him cosy, but there’s warmth to Johnstone’s writing’ Sunday Times
The Dark Side of Stand-Up Comedy (Palgrave Studies in Comedy)
by Patrice A. Oppliger Eric ShouseThis book focuses on the “dark side” of stand-up comedy, initially inspired by speculations surrounding the death of comedian Robin Williams. Contributors, those who study humor as well as those who perform comedy, join together to contemplate the paradoxical relationship between tragedy and comedy and expose over-generalizations about comic performers’ troubled childhoods, addictions, and mental illnesses. The book is divided into two sections. First, scholars from a variety of disciplines explore comedians’ onstage performances, their offstage lives, and the relationship between the two. The second half of the book focuses on amateur and lesser-known professional comedians who reveal the struggles they face as they attempt to hone successful comedy acts and likable comic personae. The goal of this collection is to move beyond the hackneyed stereotype of the sad clown in order to reveal how stand-up comedy can transform both personal and collective tragedies by providing catharsis through humor.
Deacon King Kong: The New York Times Bestseller
by James McBride‘Deacon King Kong is deeply felt, beautifully written and profoundly humane; McBride’s ability to inhabit his characters’ foibled, all-too-human interiority helps transform a fine book into a great one’ The New York Times Book Review‘A hilarious, pitch-perfect comedy set in the Brooklyn projects of the late 1960s. This alone may qualify it as one of the year’s best novels.’ The Washington Post From the winner of a National Book Award and author of The Good Lord Bird, soon to be a TV series starring Ethan HawkeThe year is 1969. In a housing project in south Brooklyn, a shambling old church deacon called Sportscoat shoots – for no apparent reason – the local drug-dealer who used to be part of the church’s baseball team. The repercussions of that moment draw in the whole community, from Sportscoat’s best friend – Hot Sausage – to the local Italian mobsters, the police (corrupt and otherwise), and the stalwart ladies of the Five Ends Baptist Church. DEACON KING KONG is a book about a community under threat, about the ways people pull together in an age when the old rules are being rewritten. It is very funny in places, and heartbreaking in others. From a prize-winning storyteller, this New York Times bestseller shows us that not all secrets are meant to be hidden, and that the communities we build are fragile but vital. ______________________What Goodreads readers are saying:***** ‘Deacon King Kong is one of those novels whose brilliance sneaks up on you. I haven’t been this pleasantly surprised by a book in a while.’***** ‘I do believe I just finished one of my all time favorite books. I loved every minute spent with Sportcoat and his community. A good old fashioned yarn shot through with truth, spirit, and humor. I LOVED it!’***** ‘This book was a balm for my soul, a portrait of a black church community circa 1969 with sweet characters (well, most of them), interconnections that stretch back decades, and a plot with more than one mystery at its heart.’***** ‘"Deacon" has the texture of folk lore and fable mixed with the unexpected rhythms of jazz and the noisy streets of late 1960s Brooklyn.’***** ‘The ending was one of those where you clutch your heart and want to hug the book (or your Kindle).’
Dead Lies Dreaming: A Novel of the Laundry Files (Laundry Files Ser. #10)
by Charles StrossIn a world where magic has gone mainstream, a policewoman and a group of petty criminals are pulled into a heist to find a forbidden book of spells that should never be opened.A new adventure begins in the world of the Laundry Files.Dead Lies Dreaming presents a nightmarish vision of a Britain sliding unknowingly towards occult cataclysm . . .
Dear Emmie Blue: The gorgeously funny and romantic love story everyone’s talking about this summer 2020!
by Lia Louis'Sweet, sparkling and heartwarming' LINDSEY KELK'The British Marian Keyes' LAURA PEARSON'A sweet, poignant tale of love and friendship. I loved it' BETH O'LEARY'The new Eleanor Oliphant. I loved every moment' BELLA OSBOURNE'Funny, clever and romantic' STACEY HALLS'My heart felt too big for my chest the entire time' LOUISE O'NEILL'Beautifully captures the heartache. Loved it' ANSTEY HARRISEmmie Blue has a secret...A long time ago, Emmie Blue released a red balloon with a secret message hidden inside - and against all odds, across hundreds of miles of ocean, it was found on a beach in France by a boy called Lucas.Fourteen years later, on the eve of her thirtieth birthday, Emmie hopes that Lucas is finally about to kiss her. She never expected him to announce that he was marrying someone else!Suddenly Emmie's dreams are shattered and the one person in her life she can rely on is slipping through her fingers. But what if Lucas isn't her forever? What if her love story is only just beginning...Don't miss the love story that everyone is talking about this summer! Perfect for fans of Beth O'Leary, Josie Silver and Cecelia Ahern.
Death in Her Hands: A Novel
by Ottessa MoshfeghA triumphant blend of horror, suspense and pitch-black comedy, from the Booker-shortlisted authorWhile on her daily walk with her dog in the nearby woods, our protagonist comes across a note, handwritten and carefully pinned to the ground with stones. Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body. Shaky even on her best days, she is also alone, and new to this area, having moved here from her long-time home after the death of her husband, and now deeply alarmed. Her brooding about the note grows quickly into a full-blown obsession, as she explores multiple theories about who Magda was and how she met her fate. Her suppositions begin to find echoes in the real world, and the fog of mystery starts to form into a concrete and menacing shape. But is there either a more innocent explanation for all this, or a much more sinister one – one that strikes closer to home?In this razor-sharp, chilling, and darkly hilarious novel, we must decide whether the stories we tell ourselves guide us closer to the truth or keep us further from it.**AN EVENING STANDARD BEST BOOK TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2020**
Death in Her Hands: A Novel
by Ottessa MoshfeghA triumphant blend of horror, suspense and pitch-black comedy, from the Booker-shortlisted authorWhile on her daily walk with her dog in the nearby woods, our protagonist comes across a note, handwritten and carefully pinned to the ground with stones. Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body. Shaky even on her best days, she is also alone, and new to this area, having moved here from her long-time home after the death of her husband, and now deeply alarmed. Her brooding about the note grows quickly into a full-blown obsession, as she explores multiple theories about who Magda was and how she met her fate. Her suppositions begin to find echoes in the real world, and the fog of mystery starts to form into a concrete and menacing shape. But is there either a more innocent explanation for all this, or a much more sinister one – one that strikes closer to home?In this razor-sharp, chilling, and darkly hilarious novel, we must decide whether the stories we tell ourselves guide us closer to the truth or keep us further from it.**AN EVENING STANDARD BEST BOOK TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2020**
A Del of a Life: The hilarious new memoir from the national treasure
by David Jason___________________________NOW AVAILABLE: the hilarious and heartfelt new autobiography from the national treasure Sir David Jason ''So lithe,' they say. 'So spry and sparkling. So uncannily youthful. How on earth do you do it?'Well, what can I tell you? An hour of tai chi first thing in the morning, an HIIT work-out with my personal trainer, a bowl of steamed kale and a handful of almonds for lunch, and then two hours of yoga in the afternoon followed by an ice bath - this is a routine which I'm sure would work miracles for anyone of any age, although I can't be entirely sure because I haven't myself adopted any aspect of it at any point. Fortunately, during my life and career I have been given all sorts of advice and learned huge amounts from some great and enormously talented people. I've been blessed to play characters such as Derek Trotter, Granville, Pop Larkin and Frost, who have changed my life in all sorts of ways, and taught me lessons that go far beyond the television set. And I've worked a few things out for myself as well, about friendship, ambition, rejection, success, failure, adversity and fortune.With any luck, some of these thoughts and observations will chime with episodes and challenges you have faced, or are facing, in your own life. And if they don't... well, hopefully, at the very least you'll get to have a good old laugh at my expense. So lean back, pour yourself a glass, and try not to fall through the bar flap . . .'___________________________'There are British telly icons and then there is [...] Sir David Jason. This book is such gold ... an absolute delight' ZOE BALL'An absolute delight ... a romp with so much detail. Offers wisdom in difficult times ... like being invited into his living room' BBC BREAKFAST'It's beautifully written ... so conversational and chatty ... it's so lovely and warm' CHRIS MOYLES
The Den of Danger (Rory Branagan (Detective) #6)
by Andrew CloverMeet RORY BRANAGAN – he eats bad guys for breakfast. Well, not ACTUALLY. But he IS the best detective in town. Sixth in a hilarious comedy-crime series for readers of 8+.
Deny All Charges (The Fowl Twins #2)
by Eoin ColferThe second book in the blockbusting new series from the bestselling author of Artemis Fowl.
Department of Mind-Blowing Theories: Science Cartoons
by Tom GauldA dog philosopher questions what it really means to be a 'good boy'. A virtual assistant and a robot-cleaner elope. The undiscovered species and the theoretical particle face existential despair. Just as he did with writers, poets and literary classics in Baking with Kafka, Gauld now does with hapless scientists, nanobots, and puzzling theorems - with comic strips funny enough to engage science boffins and novices alike.
Destination Wedding
by Diksha BasuTina wants to feel Indian. Really Indian. Not Indian in the sense of attending a yoga class in Brooklyn, in the country her parents moved to to make a new life for themselves. She wants to know the real India, only whenever she visits, people take her to bars and restaurants and boutiques that could be anywhere in the world. She gets her chance to get to know the country when she heads to Delhi for her glamorous cousin Shefali's week-long wedding, with her best friend Marianne, her parents and her mother's all-American boyfriend in tow. Navigating a world of Delhi playboys, models, dating agencies for widows, and wedding guests with personal bodyguards, Tina is determined to have an authentic Indian experience, now if only someone would tell her what that was...
Destiny Calling: Book 3 (Embassy of the Dead)
by Will MabbittThe Afterlife is at peace. Things are quiet at the Embassy. Jake's life is - as much as it can be - back to normal. Not for long...The peace-loving king of demons is about to pass to the void, to be replaced by his son, a vain and spiteful demon who the Afterworld Authorities know is hell-bent on chaos.The Prince must be killed and Jake is selected for the task, much to his dismay and faithful sidekick Cora's disgust. It is his destiny.But all is not as it seems. A rebel faction at work in the Afterworld has its own agenda, the demon prince has unusual powers and both Jake and Cora will uncover a stunning secret about themselves that changes everything. With destiny calling, which path will they choose?
Diary of a Murderer: And Other Stories
by Kim Young-haKim Byeongsu is losing his mind. Quite literally. He keeps forgetting the little things in life, like basic words, whether or not he has a dog, the last time he killed someone...In his prime, Byeongsu was one of the best murderers around, spending years obsessively trying to perfect his technique, only killing in the pursuit of artistry. And then he gave it all up to be a dedicated father to his adopted-daughter, Eunhui. Now though, suffering from the onset of dementia, he decides to come out of retirement one last time and for one final target: his daughter's boyfriend, who he believes is a serial killer just like him. After all, it takes a one to know one.In other dark and glittering tales, an affair between two childhood friends questions the limits of loyalty and love; a family disintegrates after a baby son is kidnapped and recovered years later; and a wild, erotic pursuit of creativity might just come at the expense of all sanity.'Filled with the kind of sublime, galvanizing stories that strike like a lightning bolt, searing your nerves' Nylon
Diary of a Void: A hilarious, feminist debut novel from a new star of Japanese fiction
by Emi Yagi'One of the most intriguing new novels of the summer.' IndependentFor the sake of women everywhere, Ms Shibata is going to pull off the mother of all deceptions...A prizewinning, thrillingly subversive debut novel from a new star of Japanese fiction, perfect for readers of Convenience Store Woman and Breasts and Eggs'Always expect the unexpected when you're not expecting.' Sloane Crosley'Darkly funny and surprisingly tender.' Kirsty LoganAs the only woman in her office, Ms Shibata is expected to do all the menial tasks. One day she announces that she can't clear away her coworkers' dirty cups - because she's pregnant and the smell nauseates her. The only thing is . . . Ms Shibata is not pregnant.Pregnant Ms Shibata doesn't have to serve coffee to anyone. Pregnant Ms Shibata isn't forced to work overtime. Pregnant Ms Shibata can rest, watch TV, take long baths, and even join an aerobics class for expectant mothers. But she has a nine-month ruse to keep up. Before long, it becomes all-absorbing, and with the help of towel-stuffed shirts and a diary app that tracks every stage of her 'pregnancy', the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve.Diary of a Void will keep you turning the pages to see just how far Ms Shibata will go.Translated from the Japanese by David Boyd and Lucy North
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #15)
by Jeff KinneyIn The Deep End, book 15 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series from #1 international bestselling author Jeff Kinney, Greg Heffley and his family hit the road for a cross-country camping trip, ready for the adventure of a lifetime. But things take an unexpected turn, and they find themselves stranded at a campsite that's not exactly a summertime paradise. When the skies open up and the water starts to rise, the Heffleys wonder if they can save their vacation - or if they're already in too deep. And don't miss Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure, an all-new fantasy from Greg's best friend - the follow-up to the instant #1 bestseller Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal.
Diary of an MP's Wife: Inside and Outside Power
by Sasha SwireWhat is it like to be a wife of a politician in modern-day Britain? Sasha Swire finally lifts the lid. For more than twenty years she has kept a secret diary detailing the trials and tribulations of being a political plus-one, and gives us a ringside seat at the seismic political events of the last decade. A professional partner and loyal spouse, Swire has strong political opinions herself - sometimes more 'No, Minister' than 'Yes'. She detonates the stereotype of the dutiful wife. From shenanigans in Budleigh Salterton to state banquets at Buckingham Palace, gun-toting terrorist busters in pizza restaurants to dinners in Downing Street sitting next to Boris Johnson, Devon hedges to partying with City hedgies, she observes the great and the not-so-great at the closest of quarters. The results are painfully revealing and often hilariously funny. Here are the friendships and the fall-outs, the general elections and the leadership contests, the scandals and the rivalries. Swire showed up, shored up and rarely shut up. She also wrote it all down. Diary of an MP's Wife is a searingly honest, wildly indiscreet and often uproarious account of what life is like in the thick of it.
The Dinosaur that Pooped a Pirate
by Tom Fletcher Dougie PoynterDanny and Dinosaur sailed out to sea on a ship that was crooked and old.With a map in Dan's hand of a faraway land, where a pirate had buried his gold . . .So begins this hilarious new rhyming adventure for Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter's much-loved characters Danny and Dinosaur, brought to laugh-out-loud life by preposterously talented illustrator Garry Parsons. It's a poop-fuelled picture book extravaganza - a rollicking, read-aloud delight, packed with action and adventure, pirates and peril and some very silly surprises!This is a brilliant book for children new to this ridiculously funny picture book series, and a must-read for all those who loved The Dinosaur that Pooped Christmas, The Dinosaur that Pooped a Planet, The Dinosaur that Pooped the Past, The Dinosaur that Pooped the Bed and The Dinosaur that Pooped a Princess.
Dirt: Adventures in French Cooking
by Bill Buford‘A chomping, romping, savoury tour de force: by turns hilarious, and seriously thought provoking’ Simon SchamaFor most of his adult life, Bill Buford had secretly wanted to find himself in France, in a French kitchen, having mastered the art of French haute cuisine. And where better than Lyon, the most Frenchly authentic of cities and the historic gastronomic capital of the world? There were a few obstacles: he didn’t speak a word of French, he had no formal training, he didn’t know a soul in Lyon, and his wife and two twin toddlers currently lived in New York City. So begins Bill Buford’s vivid, hilarious, intimate account of his five-year odyssey in French cuisine. After realising that a stage in France was the necessary first step, he moves with his young family to Lyon. Studying at L’Institut Bocuse, cooking at the storied, Michelin-starred La Mère Brazier, enduring the endless hours and exacting rigeur of the kitchen, Buford becomes a man obsessed – with proving himself on the line, proving that he is worthy of the gastronomic secrets he is learning, proving that French cooking actually derives from (mon dieu!) the Italian. As he befriends the local baker, attends a pig slaughter, and gradually earns the acceptance of the locals and his fellow chefs, Buford comes to understand the true grit, precision and passion of the French kitchen. Warm, insightful and richly entertaining, Dirt is a feast of a book, which is sure to become a classic of food writing on France.
Do Not Disturb the Dragons
by Michelle RobinsonTwo intrepid girls go from ladies-in-waiting to knights-in-action when they rip up the rule book and go searching for adventure!Wondermere is the luckiest kingdom in the land, all thanks to the dragons that nest on top of the castle. Nobody wants them to fly away, so everyone has to FOLLOW THE RULES and make sure everything STAYS THE SAME to keep the dragons HAPPY.Princess Grace HATES the rules. They stop her doing everything she loves, like PLAYING TROLL-O and WEARING TROUSERS and training to be a BRAVE KNIGHT. Why do boys get all the FUN! Determined to prove that the rules are a LOAD OF OLD SWAMP ROT, Grace and her sister Princess Portia secretly enter the year's BIGGEST TROLL-O TOURNAMENT. A couple of rule-breakers couldn't possibly disturb the dragons … could they? Cheeky, charming and laugh-out-loud funny, the debut young fiction series from bestselling picture book author Michelle Robinson is chock-full of chuckles (and grumpy unicorns). Perfect for fans of Cressida Cowell, Pamela Butchart and Emer Stamp.
Do You Love Bugs?
by Matt RobertsonCrawly! Hairy! Maybe a bit scary? Snails slime upside down. Eeek! Worms can somersault and butterflies smell like cake. YUM. Wait, don't eat them... Because bugs are truly BRILLIANT! Matt Robertson's quirky text and sweet yet hilarious illustrations show exactly why minibeasts can be truly awesome in their own unique way. The book includes 14 hilarious globally inclusive, bug-tastic spreads, featuring worms, bees, beetles, dragonflies, butterflies, moths, grasshoppers, spiders, ants, snails and stick insects. Find out how honey bees make their honey, why moths always fly around lamps and how bombardier beetles protect themselves from hungry predators. There's something new to learn about each bug. Did you know that stick insects can dance? Or that butterflies can smell like cake? And guess what? A grasshopper will spit on you if it gets angry! So always be good to grasshoppers, give spiders a smile not a screech and never get angry at ants! There are so many more fun facts to uncover about our tiny furry and slimy friends.
Doctor Who: Knock! Knock! Who's There? Joke Book
by Chris Farnell Dan GreenClimb aboard the TARDIS for a journey through space, time, and comedy in the official Doctor Who joke book!-What do we want? -TIME TRAVEL! -When do we want it? -THAT'S IRRELEVANT! Packed with a dimensionally transcendent TARDIS-load amount of jokes, gags and riddles, this is the official Doctor Who joke book! Remember: it's funnier on the inside!
Dog Diaries: Camping Chaos! (Dog Diaries #5)
by Steven Butler James Patterson'A perfect story to tickle the funny bone of any young reader!' MEGAN RIXI can’t wait to get to the most magical place in the world—THE WOODS! Just imagine all the adventures…· Doggy-paddling in the lake· Barking at raccoons· And my quest to find the greatest stick in the universe!But all my best plans are ruined when Iona Stricker—the most miserable, cruel, and obedience-loving human you could ever hope not to meet—shows up, making any fun impossible.Until… a canine criminal, escaped from POOCH PRISON, sneaks into the camp and changes everything!This vacation might be fun after all!
Dog Gone
by Rob BiddulphA brand-new, wonderfully waggy story of one dog day afternoon, from the genius behind the #DrawWithRob phenomenon and the bestselling and award-winning Blown Away!
Dog Mindfulness: A Pup's Guide to Living in the Moment
by Sam HartRepeat this mantra to yourself whenever you’re feeling anxious: "I flow from a place of grace."Peace. Gratitude. Concentration. Stillness. Serenity. Composure. Focus.Whether they’re honing their powers of concentration (have you ever seen anyone focus on something so intently as a mutt with a bone?), being in the moment (a snooze is so much more satisfying when you really appreciate the snooze), or taking time to explore their senses (all those bottoms aren’t going to sniff themselves), dogs are paragons of mindfulness. So maybe they’re not always quite as composed or graceful as they’d like, but at least they’re trying – and we could all learn a lot from these enlightened pups.