In this love letter to reading, curated by Pandora Sykes in aid of the National Literacy Trust, bestselling and beloved writers share their favourite books: the ones they hold most dearly, that they return to time and again and that helped make them the writers they are.WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM : NICK HORNBY * RUTH OZEKI * ANN PATCHETT * BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH * MARIAN KEYES * ELIZABETH STROUT * DEBORAH LEVY * TESSA HADLEY * ELIF SHAFAK * GEORGE THE POET * LEILA SLIMANI * ALI SMITH * DEREK OWUSU * DOLLY ALDERTON * PARIS LEES * JOJO MOYES * PAUL MENDEZ * SEBASTIAN FAULKS * DIANA EVANS * MEENA KANDASAMY * LISA TADDEO * NIKESH SHUKLA * TAIYE SELASI * MONICA ALI * NINA STIBBE * CALEB AZUMAH NELSON * ELIZABETH DAY * SARA COLLINS * DAMON GALGUT * NAOISE DOLAN * WILLIAM BOYD * EMMA DABIRI * FATIMA BHUTTO * KIT DE WAAL

There are only a few productive things a man can do once he picks up a sword. And the very lowest of these is to become an adventurer, like Lenk and his companions. For the right price, no deed is too dirty, no task is too dangerous, no foe too ferocious. Not even a demon.From wars ancient and terrible, wounds are bleeding. From seas deep and fathomless, demons are rising. From the mouth of hell, the Kraken Queen is calling. And all that stands between the damned and the mortal world are a pack of degenerates and the steel they carry.Seas will rise. Heaven will fall.Now, for the first time the breakout trilogy by Sam Sykes is collected in one volume.

An outcast mage caught between two warring empires must either save the world or destroy everything she loves in the second novel of an epic fantasy trilogy.Sal the Cacophony — outlaw, outcast, outnumbered — destroys all that she loves. Her lover lost and cities burned in her wake, all she has left is her magical gun and her all-consuming quest for revenge against those who stole her power and took the sky from her.When the roguish agent of a mysterious patron offers her the chance to participate in a heist to steal an incredible power from the famed airship fleet, the Ten Arrows, she finds a new purpose. But a plot to save the world by bringing down empires swiftly escalates into a conspiracy of magic and vengeance that threatens to burn everything to ash, including herself.For more from Sam Sykes, check out:The Grave of Empires:Seven Blades in BlackTen Arrows of IronBring...

Imagine a school where you meet your own unicorn and have amazing adventures together! That's what happens for the girls at Unicorn Academy on beautiful Unicorn Island.Isla, her unicorn Buttercup and their friends are determined to find evil Ms Willow before she can drain any more magic into the Frozen Lake. But Valentina is behaving oddly, and it's not just because the head of the academy is her aunt. Does she know something about Ms Willow that the others don't?Have you read the other Unicorn Academy stories?:Sophia and RainbowScarlett and BlazeAva and StarIsabel and CloudLayla and DancerOlivia and SnowflakeRosa and CrystalAriana and WhisperMatilda and PearlFreya and HoneyViolet and Twinkle

om her birthright as a child, Brianna's only crime was to be born a necromancer in a world that mandates their execution. Rather than see his innocent child killed, her father, the King of Belm

My sweet captive doesn't like to be touched. She will learn. She no longer has the right to refuse. She flinches at the sight of my scarred face, but the way she whimpers and trembles makes perverse pleasure stir within me. I captured the little FBI agent while she was trying to take down my drug empire, and I can't allow that. My pretty hostage possesses a stubborn streak and sharp mind, but her clever brain is no match for my iron will. I'll stop at nothing to claim her virgin body, no matter how many deviant punishments I have to devise for her. No one will ever touch her again—especially not my cruel brother. Samantha is mine to keep and protect. Mine to play with and punish. All mine.

A deal struck in a dark place set an outlaw mage on the path to revenge. And now that it’s led to places even darker, she and everyone she knows may pay the price for her bargain in the final novel of “an unforgettable epic fantasy” trilogy (Publisher’s Weekly). Sal the Cacophony has made few friends, but many enemies. Many, many enemies. When her magic was taken from her, she cried out for revenge. And a power she never understood promised her vengeance. A deal for a bloody price was made. And now the bill has come due. In one of the last free cities of the burned-out ruin of the Scar, Sal’s many foes—old and new—have hunted down her and her few allies—willing and otherwise — and all her plans to save them might not be enough. One last stand. One more story. One final blade to be drawn.For more from Sam Sykes, check out:The Grave of...

Imagine a school where you meet your own unicorn and have amazing adventures together! That's what happens for the girls at Unicorn Academy on beautiful Unicorn Island.Have you read the other Unicorn Academy stories?:Sophia and RainbowScarlett and BlazeAva and StarIsabel and CloudLayla and DancerOlivia and SnowflakeRosa and CrystalAriana and WhisperAnd look out for:Freya and HoneyViolet and Twinkle

Two darkly domineering alpha males. One sets my body on fire. The other makes me tremble. But they say I don't have to choose. They both want me. Together. The three of us. I was meant to be theirs: Joseph, my sweet first love, and Marco, his dark and dangerous best friend. After Marco steals me away one night, Joseph is waiting for me. They say they can't let me go, or their enemies might hurt me. I know Joseph and Marco are dangerous men, but being with them doesn't feel wrong. When they hold me in their arms, I feel safe, cherished. If I give myself to them, can they protect me? Or will staying close to them put me in more danger than ever?

When your best friend is a unicorn, magical adventures are guaranteed! Imagine a school where you meet your own unicorn and have amazing adventures together! That's what happens for the girls at Unicorn Academy on beautiful Unicorn Island.Evie and Sunshine are on a quest to find a treasure hidden in the grounds of Unicorn Academy. They're a great team, even if they are both a little accident-prone!But their accidents are getting stranger. Things are even starting to explode! Is someone trying to stop them from finding the treasure? Or could these explosions be linked to Sunshine's magic?With a glittery cover and beautifully illustrated throughout by Lucy Truman, Unicorn Academy is the perfect series for 7+ readers who love magic and adventure.Check out the other titles in this series: Sophia and Rainbow, Ava and Star, Aisha and Silver, Lyra and Misty and many more!

'Vain trifles as they seem, clothes have, they say, more important offices than to merely keep us warm. They change our view of the world and the world's view of us.' - Virginia Woolf Anna is in her sixties with her dream job and the man to match. Claire is a fourty-six-year-old philanthropist with a picture-perfect family. And then there is Molly, who has seen more strife in her twenty years than anyone should, but has more love to give than most. When their lives are turned upside down, these women must discover how to start over amid a world of pain. Guided by Suitability, a clothing an styling service for disadvantaged women, Anna, Claire and Molly find the courage to rebuild their lives – with a few outfit changes along the way. Inspired by the experiences of the women behind the charity Dress for Success, The Changing Room proves that sometimes losing everything leads you towards freedom, and that hope can be found even in...

A novella set in Sam Syke's fantasy world, which begins with Seven Blades in Black, where an outcast mage is caught between two warring empires.For more from Sam Sykes, check out:Seven Blades in BlackThe Affinity for Steel TrilogyTome of the UndergatesBlack HaloThe Skybound SeaBring Down HeavenThe City Stained RedThe Mortal TallyGod's Last Breath

Lenk can barely keep control of his mismatched adventurer band at the best of times (Gariath the dragon man sees humans as little more than prey, Kataria the Shict despises most humans, and the humans in the band are little better). When they're not insulting each other's religions they're arguing about pay and conditions. So when the ship they are travelling on is attacked by pirates things don't go very well. They go a whole lot worse when an invincible demon joins the fray. The demon steals the Tome of the Undergates - a manuscript that contains all you need to open the undergates. And whichever god you believe in you don't want the undergates open. On the other side are countless more invincible demons, the manifestation of all the evil of the gods, and they want out. Full of razor-sharp wit, characters who leap off the page (and into trouble) and plunging the reader into a vivid world of adventure this is a fantasy that kicks off a series that could dominate the second decade of the century.

Imagine a school where you meet your own unicorn and have amazing adventures together! That's what happens for the girls at Unicorn Academy on beautiful Unicorn Island. Freya and Honey are having great adventures at Unicorn Academy. Freya is brilliant at inventing things, and Honey loves exploring. Strange things are happening at the school. When Freya and Honey stumble upon a hidden tunnel and decide to investigate, they will need all their skills to make it back safely...Have you read the other Unicorn Academy stories?:Sophia and RainbowScarlett and BlazeAva and StarIsabel and CloudLayla and DancerOlivia and SnowflakeRosa and CrystalAriana and WhisperMatilda and PearlAnd look out for:Violet and Twinkle

Lenk and his companions must finally turn away from fighting each other for their own survival and look to saving the entire human race. A demon has risen from beneath the sea and where it came from thousands could follow. And all the while an alien race is planning the extinction of humanity.

After achieving her dream job, Dr. Holly Bell is determined not to let anything get in the way. And a hot affair with a superstar athlete is most definitely getting in her way.Nate Carter, star baseball player has the world in the palm of his baseball glove, until he meets the beautiful and brainy Dr.But when the doctor starts changing the rules, Nate realizes he might be playing for keeps.Book One in the USA Today Bestselling Philadelphia Patriots SeriesWill she be willing to play his game?Dr. Holly Bell has finally achieved her dream: working as a cardiac surgeon at a prestigious children's hospital. She's totally dedicated to her patients, and she won't let anything or anyone get in her way. And a hot affair with a superstar athlete is most definitely getting in Holly's way.Nate Carter, star pitcher for the Philadelphia Patriots, has the world in the palm of his glove. He thinks he has everything he wants--until he meets the beautiful and brainy Dr. Bell. Nate is totally up for a hot, no-strings affair, and Holly turns out to be the hottest.But when a stalker goes after Holly, Nate has to risk everything, including his career, to protect the woman who means more to him than he ever thought possible. The award-winning Philadelphia Patriots SeriesPrequel: Fastball (Maddie & Jake)Book One: Hardball (Holly & Nate)Book Two: Bigger Than Beckham (Martha & Tony)Book Three: Curveball (Taylor & Ryan)Book Four: Payoff Pitch (Teddy & Noah)Book Five: Scoring Position (Kate & Nick)

Acclaimed author Sam Sykes returns with a brilliant new epic fantasy that introduces an unforgettable outcast magician caught between two warring empires. Her magic was stolen. She was left for dead.Betrayed by those she trusts most and her magic ripped from her, all Sal the Cacophony has left is her name, her story, and the weapon she used to carve both. But she has a will stronger than magic, and knows exactly where to go.The Scar, a land torn between powerful empires, where rogue mages go to disappear, disgraced soldiers go to die and Sal went with a blade, a gun, and a list of seven names.Revenge will be its own reward.For more from Sam Sykes, check out:The Affinity for Steel TrilogyTome of the UndergatesBlack HaloThe Skybound SeaBring Down HeavenThe City Stained RedThe Mortal...

The Tome of the Undergates has been recovered, and the gates of hell remain closed. Lenk and his five companions set sail to bring the accursed relic away from the demonic reach of Ulbecetonth, the Kraken Queen, but their ship crashes upon an island made of the bones left behind from a war long dead. And it appears that bloodthirsty alien warrior women, fanatical beasts from the deep and heretic-hunting wizards are the least of their concerns. Haunted by their pasts, plagued by their gods, tormented by their own people, their greatest foes may yet be themselves. The reach of Ulbecetonth is longer than hell can hold.

The genetic history of the dog is a sensational example of the co-evolution of two species, man and wolf, to each other's mutual benefit. But how did this ancient partnership begin? To answer this question, Professor Bryan Sykes identifies tantalising clues in the recently mapped genetic makeup of both species. Sykes paints a vivid picture of the dog as an ancient and essential ally. While undoubtedly it was the mastery of fire, language and agriculture that propelled Homo sapiens from a scarce, medium-sized primate to the position we enjoy today, Sykes crucially credits a fourth element for this success: the transformation of the wolf into the multi-purpose helpmate that is the dog. Drawing upon archaeology, history and genetics, Sykes shows how humans evolved to become the dominant species on Earth, but only with the help of our canine companions.

______________________________'Sharp and observant writing ... A manifesto for the millennial woman.' Evening StandardModern life is full of choices. We're told that happiness lies within and we can be whoever we want to be. But with endless possibility comes a feeling of restlessness; like we're somehow failing to live our best life. What does doing it right even look like? And why do so many women feel like they're getting it wrong?From faster-than-fast fashion to millennial burnout, the explosion of wellness to the rise of cancel culture, Pandora Sykes interrogates the stories we've been sold and the ones we tell ourselves. Wide-ranging, thoughtful and witty, How Do We Know We're Doing It Right? explores the anxieties and myths that consume our lives and the tools we use to muddle through.So sit back and take a breath. It's time to stop worrying about the answers ­- and start delighting in the...

Just like many of us, Dr. Queen Shamala Sykes was once led down the long and winding path of soul exploration as she sought deeper answers to questions like, "Who am I?" and "What is my purpose?" Dr. Sykes, an ordained minister and a metaphysical practitioner, relies on the symbolism of the butterfly to share poetic expressions about the soul. In a five part collection, Dr. Sykes examines the meaning of the soul and shares the importance of soul awareness. According to Dr. Sykes, "Using ancient wisdom and a daily practice of meditation are sure ways to connect you with your soul, your gifts and your talents." Blackbutterfly Soul Song interlaces symbolism with poetic expressions that will help guide anyone searching for transformation and renewal to find the answers to life's most complex questions. "Breathtaking! This book evokes the spirit of the Self and highlights the purpose of the Soul. The words of the ancestors, combined with the author's words,...

When your best friend is a unicorn, magical adventures are guaranteed! Imagine a school where you meet your own unicorn and have amazing adventures together! That's what happens for the girls at Unicorn Academy on beautiful Unicorn Island.Phoebe and Shimmer are having a brilliant time at Unicorn Academy. They're always on the lookout for excitement and adventure! On a school trip to the coast, a freak weather event puts everyone in danger. Shimmer's magic might be able to save them - but they'll have to think fast and be very brave!With a glittery cover and beautifully illustrated throughout by Lucy Truman, Unicorn Academy is the perfect series for 7+ readers who love magic and adventure.Have you read the other Unicorn Academy stories?Sophia and RainbowScarlett and BlazeAva and StarIsabel and CloudLayla and DancerOlivia and SnowflakeRosa and CrystalAriana and WhisperMatilda and PearlFreya...

"Wives Like Us made me laugh so hard I actually knocked over my lamp. Can a book be so wickedly smart, so effortless, so chic and hilarious that you would stumble through the night to find a new lightbulb just so you can keep reading way past your bedtime? In a word, yes." —Kevin KwanTake a grand English country house, one (heartbroken) American divorcee, three rich wives, two tycoons, a pair of miniature sausage dogs and one (bereaved) butler; put them all into the blender and out comes the impossibly funny Wives Like Us, the new novel from the best-selling author of Bergdorf Blondes and Party Girls Die In Pearls, Plum Sykes.If you think the English countryside is all green wellies, muddy Land Rovers and grey-haired ladies in tweed, then you've never visited 'The Bottoms.'Welcome to the rose-strewn county of Oxfordshire, and the tony Cotswold villages of Little Bottom, Middle Bottom, Great Bottom, and Monkton Bottom,...

A standalone epic fantasy novella starring Sal the Cacophony, who Pierce Brown called a "protagonist for the ages," from Sam Sykes' widely acclaimed Seven Blades in Black and Ten Arrows of Iron. Sal the Cacophony does not make friends. When you have a magic gun, a trusty blade and rogue mages to hunt, you don't need them. Sal the Cacophony makes enemies. And when her hunt leads to a town on the edge of nowhere, she finds them in spades: an unassuming mage with a secret, a vengeful bandit queen with ideals and steel to spare, and a colossal, centuries-old beast who has decided now is the best time to migrate.Sal the Cacophony could be their savior. But as everyone eventually learns, Sal's "salvation" is usually worse.

"She's yours now." With those three words, my boss gives me a gift: permission to kidnap and keep the woman I've wanted for years. Ever since we were teenagers, I've denied my desire for Sofia. Despite her father's involvement in running our cocaine empire, Caesar Hernández has carefully sheltered her from the brutal realities of our world. She's always been far too innocent and pure for me to drag her out of her charmed life and into my depravities. But Caesar chose to betray my ruthless boss, Adrián Rodríguez. He'll have to prove his loyalty once again if he doesn't want any harm to come to his precious daughter. I have her now, and he's well aware of my sadistic proclivities. I tried to save her from this, but I can't fight my savage nature when Sofia is in my home and under my command. She'll learn to obey me unquestioningly if she wants to earn any of her freedoms back. Sofia's going to be my good girl, fulfilling all the dark...

Imagine a school where you meet your own unicorn and have amazing adventures together! That's what happens for the girls at Unicorn Academy on beautiful Unicorn Island.Rosa is over the moon to be starting school at Unicorn Academy. She can't wait to go on a big adventure with her amazing unicorn, Crystal. When the magical map stops working, Rosa is sure a secret trip to the glittering cavern holds the answer. But to find out, she and Crystal must learn how to work as a team - fast!

In the new Somershill Manor mystery, Lord Oswald de Lacy makes a devastating confession to his dying mother. But will he gain the forgiveness he seeks, or destroy his family?England, November 1370. Oswald de Lacy, Lord of Somershill Manor, makes a devastating confession to his dying mother. But will he gain the forgiveness he seeks—or destroy his family? In 1349, Oswald, the third son of the de Lacy family, was an eighteen-year-old novice monk at Kintham Abbey. Sent to collect herbs from the forest, Oswald comes across a terrified village girl. Frenzied with fear, she runs headlong into a swollen river. Oswald pulls her broken and bruised body from the water and returns her to the local village, only to discover that several other women have disappeared. A heinous killer is at work, but because all of the missing women come from impoverished families without influence, nobody seems to care. Oswald vows to find this killer himself—but as...

Imagine a school where you meet your own unicorn and have amazing adventures together! That's what happens for the girls at Unicorn Academy on beautiful Unicorn Island. Ariana loves hanging out at the Unicorn Academy stables and looking after her beautiful unicorn, Whisper. She just hopes that their differences won't stop them bonding! All the animals are leaving the Verdant Forest, and everyone is worried. Ariana and Whisper will need all their courage to protect their friends and bring the animals safely home... Have you read the other Unicorn Academy stories?: Sophia and RainbowScarlett and BlazeAva and StarIsabel and CloudLayla and DancerOlivia and SnowflakeRosa and Crystal

Meet Andrew: French teacher, writer and long-distance cyclist. Now, meet Reggie, his bike. With two European cycling adventures already under his belt, Andrew was ready for a new challenge. Exchanging his job as a teacher in Oxfordshire for an expedition on Reggie the bike, he set off on his most daring trip yet: a journey from Tarifa in Spain to Nordkapp in Norway – from Europe's geographical south to its northernmost point. Join the duo as they take on an epic journey across nearly 8000 km of Europe, through mountains, valleys, forests and the open road, proving that no matter where you're headed, life on two wheels is full of surprises.

Imagine a school where you meet your own unicorn and have amazing adventures together! That's what happens for the girls at Unicorn Academy on beautiful Unicorn Island.Violet and Twinkle adore Unicorn Academy.They are determined to look after the school and beautiful Unicorn Island - if only Twinkle could discover her power!An adventure across a frozen lagoon leads Violet, Twinkle and their friends into terrible danger.As day turns to a frosty night, can Twinkle discover her magic in time to lead a daring rescue?Have you read the other Unicorn Academy stories?:Sophia and RainbowScarlett and BlazeAva and StarIsabel and CloudLayla and DancerOlivia and SnowflakeRosa and CrystalAriana and WhisperMatilda and PearlFreya and Honey

​A standalone epic fantasy novella starring Sal the Cacophony, who Pierce Brown called a "protagonist for the ages," from Sam Sykes' widely acclaimed The Grave of Empires trilogy. Sal the Cacophony solves problems no one else can. Because she's caused more than a few herself. And the pursuit of such a problem from her past has brought her to a frontier town held together in the face of disaster through strength alone. But both the town and Sal will learn that strength alone can't save everyone.   They called her for help. Unfortunately for them, she answered.For more from Sam Sykes, check out:The Grave of Empires:Seven Blades in Black Ten Arrows of Iron Three Axes to FallThe Gallows Black The Iron Dirge Dream of the Falling AxeBring Down Heaven:The City Stained Red The Mortal Tally God's Last BreathThe...

1988 is the era, Detroit is the scene, and crack is the movement. It's a time when young black men can become self-made millionaires seemingly overnight by selling dope. The crack era has become to Blacks what Prohibition was to the Italians—a time to get over! It's a time that inspires generations of street dreamz. . . Fresh out of high school, young Wink has but one thing on his mind—rollin' fresh. Infatuated by all the trappings of the game, Wink and his B-boy crew jump head first into the ills of the drug trade, determined to taste the good life. As they pay their dues and the unforgiving streets harden their hearts, they learn that all dreams aren't worth livin', and nothing lasts forever, not even friendship.

I've never been a failure. I don't allow myself to make mistakes. I've lived my life to painstaking perfection. Until now. I can't seem to get anything right. And when you work for the FBI, mistakes can cost lives. Busting BDSM club Decadence for drug trafficking is my chance to prove myself. And no pushy Dominant is going to throw me off my game, not even sinfully sexy club owner Derek Carter. I have to keep him close in order to uncover his secrets, but keeping him close to my body while guarding my heart is proving more difficult than I ever imagined. He might just be my biggest mistake yet. Warning: This book contains scenes of BDSM. **

From the bestselling authors of The Knockoff, an outrageously funny novel about one woman's attempt—through clay diets, naked yoga, green juice, and cultish workout classes—to win back her career, save her best friend, and lose thirty pounds. When Janey Sweet, CEO of a couture wedding dress company, is photographed in the front row of a fashion show eating a bruffin—the delicious lovechild of a brioche and a muffin—her best friend and business partner, Beau, gives her an ultimatum: Lose thirty pounds or lose your job. Sure, Janey has gained some weight since her divorce, and no, her beautifully cut trousers don't fit like they used to, so Janey throws herself headlong into the world of the fitness revolution, signing up for a shockingly expensive workout pass, baring it all for Free the Nipple yoga, sweating through boot camp classes run by Sri Lankan militants and spinning to the screams of a Lycra-clad instructor with rage issues. At a...

After a lifetime of being sheltered, I decided to study abroad in St. Petersburg to push myself out of my comfort zone. Dimitri definitely fits the bill. He's gorgeous, mysterious, and everything I never knew I wanted.I'm willing to give him my innocence, but he demands more. When it's time for me to return to America, he won't let me go. My lover becomes my captor, my tormentor. He wants all of me, even if that means pushing me to my breaking point. And he won't stop until he owns my body and soul.

Martha Winston loves her job but her life goes sideways when she inherits a pro soccer team frm her dad. Former British soccer hero Tony Branch wants to add Martha’s team to his sports empire. When Martha turns him down flat, he’s determined to change her mind by any means necessary. If that includes using the sexual heat flaring between them, Tony is more than willing to play a game of seduction.

Once at the center of the American conservative movement, bestselling author and radio host Charles Sykes is a fierce opponent of Donald Trump and the right-wing media that enabled his rise.In How the Right Lost Its Mind, Sykes presents an impassioned, regretful, and deeply thoughtful account of how the American conservative movement came to lose its values. How did a movement that was defined by its belief in limited government, individual liberty, free markets, traditional values, and civility find itself embracing bigotry, political intransigence, demagoguery, and outright falsehood? How the Right Lost its Mind addresses:*Why are so many voters so credulous and immune to factual information reported by responsible media?*Why did conservatives decide to overlook, even embrace, so many of Trump's outrages, gaffes, conspiracy theories, falsehoods, and smears?*Can conservatives govern? Or are they content merely to rage?*How can the right...

DEEPER THAN ANY OCEAN . . . All Holly Tyler wants is a fantastic career, a not-too-committed relationship, and a city where there are no painful memories. Instead, she's called back to her hometown of Seashell Bay to help with her family's struggling general store. It's a town where everyone knows everyone, and where one man could sink Holly's careful plans.Deputy Sheriff Micah Lancaster has wanted Holly for as long as he can remember. He knows she has a life on the mainland-and a boyfriend-and that there's no real future with her. But now Holly is back and the attraction still flickers between them, a promise of something more. Their desire is stronger than any undertow . . . and once it pulls them under, it won't let go.

 Book 12 in the USA Today Bestselling Impossible Series Dexter Scott is in love. The only problem is, Katie is falling for another man. As his heart breaks, he turns to sex as his drug of choice to numb the pain. Can Dex learn to let go of his feelings for Katie, or will his obsession cause him to miss out on his chance to find true love? Note: This novella contains scenes from the Impossible Series in Dex's point of view. It is a prequel to his full-length novel, Hero.**

Bryan Sykes, the world's first genetic archaeologist, takes us on a journey around the family tree of Britain and Ireland, to reveal how our tribal history still colours the country today.In 54BC Julius Caesar launched the first Roman invasion of Britain. His was the first detailed account of the Celtic tribes that inhabited the Isles. But where had they come from and how long had they been there? When the Romans eventually left five hundred years later, they were succeeded by invasions of Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and Normans. Did these successive invasions obliterate the genetic legacy of the Celts, or have very little effect?After two decades tracing the genetic origins of peoples from all over the world, Bryan Sykes has now turned the spotlight on his own back yard. In a major research programme, the first of its kind, he set out to test the DNA of over 10,000 volunteers from across Britain and Ireland with the specific aim of answering this very question: what is our...

Imagine a school where you meet your own unicorn and have amazing adventures together! That's what happens for the girls at Unicorn Academy on beautiful Unicorn Island. Layla can't believe how lucky she is to be at Unicorn Academy! She adores her lively unicorn, Dancer, though she's too nervous to go jumping and riding fast like their friends. When the trees around Sparkle Lake start dying, Layla must find her courage and take Dancer on a thrilling adventure to find the cure!

She comes. The skies bleed. The earth groans. The sea howls. . . .The world is rent asunder as the Kraken Queen claws her way from hell. And the only ones standing in her way are a young man with a piece of steel and a voice in his head, his many companions, and their many, many problems. As Lenk journeys to the island of Jaga, the tomb of Ulbecetonth, he is hunted--by enemies, by the woman he loves, by the demon he has to kill, by an army of any number of bloodthirsty purple berserkers, savage lizardmen, vicious monsters, and colossal demons.In the lands where sky and sea have forgotten they were ever separate, Lenk and his companions' destinies await at the tip of a sword and the mouth of hell.

In Hot Number, by V.K. Sykes, a geeky math professor determined to have a wild week in Las Vegas soon runs into trouble with a hard-nosed but very sexy casino security chief. The ensuing mayhem leads to a whole lot of fun and romance.

From the best-selling author of The Seven Daughters of Eve, a perfect book for anyone interested in the genetic history of Britain, Ireland, and America.One of the world's leading geneticists, Bryan Sykes has helped thousands find their ancestry in the British Isles. Saxons, Vikings, and Celts, which resulted from a systematic ten-year DNA survey of more than 10,000 volunteers, traces the true genetic makeup of the British Isles and its descendants, taking readers from the Pontnewydd cave in North Wales to the resting place of the Red Lady of Paviland and the tomb of King Arthur. This illuminating guide provides a much-needed introduction to the genetic history of the people of the British Isles and their descendants throughout the world.

A major national media event when published in hardcover, this delicious follow-up to Bergdorf Blondes was an immediate New York Times bestseller and confirmed Plum Sykes' status as a literary superstar.Sylvie Mortimer has just married and is blissfully happy with The Divine New Husband, Hunter. Sylvie's new friend, Lauren Blount, is very rich, very young, very thin, very pretty -- and very, very divorced. The most reckless and glamorous of Manhattan's Debutante Divorcee set, Lauren captivates Sylvie, the group's token newlywed. But while Lauren sets out on a morality-lite, orgasm-heavy "Make Out Challenge," Sylvie discovers her marriage isn't exactly an Eternity ad -- especially when the city's most notorious Husband Huntress zeros in on her spouse.The Debutante Divorcee delivers all the wit and charm that made Bergdorf Blondes a smash hit.

When the 'Iron Curtain' descended across Europe, Dieter Wiedemann was a hero of East German sport. A podium finisher in The Peace Race, the Eastern Bloc equivalent of the Tour de France, he was a pin-up for the supremacy of socialism over the 'fascist' West. Unbeknownst to the authorities, however, he had fallen in love with Sylvia Hermann, a girl from the other side of the wall. Socialist doctrine had it that the two of them were 'class enemies', and as a famous athlete Dieter's every move was pored over by the Stasi. Only he abhorred their ideology, and in Sylvia saw his only chance of freedom. Now, playing a deadly game of cat and mouse, he plotted his escape.In 1964 he was delegated, once and once only, to West Germany. Here he was to ride a qualification race for the Tokyo Olympics, but instead committed the most treacherous of all the crimes against socialism. Dieter Wiedemann, sporting icon and Soviet pawn, defected to the other side.Whilst Wiedemann fulfilled his...

My father gave me to him as a bargaining chip, as though I was nothing more than flesh to be traded. I hate him for that, and I hate the man who took me: Javier Santiago, a member of the violent Latin Kings. Even though I don’t want to belong to him, he is fiercely possessive of me. And when his ownership is threatened, his enemies aren’t the only ones to suffer. He says my freedom is the price for my safety. I think he just wants to keep me all for himself.

How do you live by the rules if you don't know what they are? Amber has lost her memory and the only clues to her identity are a mobile phone in her pocket and a beautiful amber necklace around her neck. This intriguing and surprising novel for teenage girls will have readers gasping with disbelief as the truth about Amber is revealed...

Young Lord Somershill flees England for the wonders of Venice, where he becomes involved in a bizarre murder investigation that plunges him into the depths of this secretive medieval city.It's 1358, and young Oswald de Lacy, Lord Somershill, is delayed in Venice as he awaits a pilgrim ship to the Holy Land. While the city is besieged by the King of Hungary, Oswald stays at the house of an English merchant, and soon comes under the spell of this decadent and dazzling island state that sits on the edge of Europe—where East meets West.But Oswald has secrets. He is running away from something in England—a shadow that still haunts him, no matter how much he consoles himself with the delights of Venice. When he finds a dead man at the carnival, he is dragged into a murder investigation that draws him deep into the intrigues of this paranoid, mysterious city.From the dungeons of the Doge's Palace to the convent-brothel of Santa Lucia, Oswald...

The first authorized biography of one of the past century's greatest and most influential artists.Born in 1937, David Hockney grew up in a northern English town during the days of postwar austerity. Despite universally hard times, the seed of Hockney's imagination found fertile ground, at first being drawn to his father wielding a paintbrush while refurbishing bicycles and prams and then further spurred by outings to the theater and the movies. While good at most subjects in school, Hockney quickly gravitated to art as the only topic he really cared for and soon enrolled in a local art college before moving on to the Royal College of Art. Bursting onto the scene at the Young Contemporaries exhibition, Hockney was quickly heralded as the golden boy of postwar British art and a leading proponent of Pop art. From that point there was no turning back. The sixties proved an incredibly productive decade for Hockney as he traveled from London to New York to...

Techbitch is the wickedly witty and acutely observed novel from Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza about how to keep up in a tech-obsessed world.Imogen Tate, editor-in-chief of Glossy magazine, is a legend in the fashion world. But when she returns from a sabbatical to find her twenty-six-year-old former assistant, Eve Morton, behind her desk, she realises times are changing.Armed with a business degree, naked ambition and an iPhone, Eve announces she has been brought in to turn Imogen's beloved magazine into an app. With herself at the helm.In this terrifying new world, Imogen is almost invisible. In place of her team of dedicated staff is a constantly evolving line of twenty-something bloggers at their desks day and night ('Only losers need sleep!'), amateur snaps instead of elegant photo shoots, and a URL address in place of Imogen's glossy pages.But Imogen isn't ready to give up her hard-earned career without...

In December 2016, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved their iconic "Doomsday Clock" thirty seconds forward to two and a half minutes to midnight, the latest it has been set since 1952, the year of the first United States hydrogen bomb test. But a group of scientists—geologists, engineers, and physicists—has been fighting to turn back the clock. Since the dawn of the Cold War, they have advocated a halt to nuclear testing, their work culminating in the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which still awaits ratification from China, Iran, North Korea—and the United States. The backbone of the treaty is every nation's ability to independently monitor the nuclear activity of the others. The noted seismologist Lynn R. Sykes, one of the central figures in the development of the science and technology used in monitoring, has dedicated his career to halting nuclear testing. In Silencing the Bomb, he tells the inside story behind scientists' quest for... In December 2016, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved their iconic “Doomsday Clock” thirty seconds forward to two and a half minutes to midnight, the latest it has been set since 1952, the year of the first United States hydrogen bomb test. But a group of scientists—geologists, engineers, and physicists—has been fighting to turn back the clock. Since the dawn of the Cold War, they have advocated a halt to nuclear testing, their work culminating in the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which still awaits ratification from China, Iran, North Korea—and the United States. The backbone of the treaty is every nation’s ability to independently monitor the nuclear activity of the others. The noted seismologist Lynn R. Sykes, one of the central figures in the development of the science and technology used in monitoring, has dedicated his career to halting nuclear testing. In Silencing the Bomb, he tells the inside story behind scientists’ quest for disarmament. Called upon time and again to testify before Congress and to inform the public, Sykes and his colleagues were, for much of the Cold War, among the only people on earth able to say with certainty when and where a bomb was tested and how large it was. Methods of measuring earthquakes, researchers realized, could also detect underground nuclear explosions. When politicians on both sides of the Iron Curtain attempted to sidestep disarmament or test ban treaties, Sykes was able to deploy the nascent science of plate tectonics to reveal the truth. Seismologists’ discoveries helped bring about treaties limiting nuclear testing, but it was their activism that played a key role in the effort for peace. Full of intrigue, international politics, and hard science used for the global good, Silencing the Bomb is a timely and necessary chronicle of one scientist’s efforts to keep the clock from striking midnight. Lynn R. Sykes is Higgins Professor Emeritus of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. He is renowned for his contributions to the science of seismology, especially plate tectonic theory. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States.

Dimitri Abramovich ruined my life the night he abducted me. My friends freed me, but that couldn't reverse the damage to my soul. I need redemption. I need vengeance. I'll kill the head of the Russian Mafia if it's the last thing I do, no matter what the cost.I've tracked him to London, and I'm so close to taking him out. If he doesn't take me first. We're engaged in a game of cat and mouse. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure I'm the mouse.When my quest for revenge causes me to cross paths with sexy MI5 agent Hugh Sullivan, I have no choice but to seduce him to keep him blind to my mission. But I can't keep my operation secret forever, and he won't stand for my reckless vigilante methods. If I want to stay on the case, he demands my complete honesty... and my obedience.

 An Impossible Series short story companion to *Knight* Three years after Smith rescued Lydia from enslavement, he has finally helped her heal from the emotional scars left on her soul. She's ready to commit to her Master forever, sealing their bond with marriage. You are cordially invited to Smith and Lydia's wedding!**

Snake Circle draws the remarkable Snake Dreaming trilogy to a close as we accompany Sykes on the final stage of her journey - this time to Harvard University. It is a vivid recounting of Sykes' experience as the first Australian Black to graduate with a doctorate, and of her growing confidence as she thrives in the new environment of Harvard. It also passionately tells of her relationships with those she loves, such as MumShirl and her children, and the ongoing run-ins she has with the bureaucracy and politicians along the way. A moving and exuberant conclusion to a story that began as a tale of brutalisation.What The Critics Said About Snake Cradle and Snake Dancing:'Snake Cradle and Snake Dancing are enough to suggest that Sykes' three-volume memoir may well become an Australian classic.' - Sun-Herald'Once begun, readers should be made aware that Snake Dancing is the kind of book which tugs at you to read it...

"A Maggie Robinson book is like the best kind of chocolate: delicious and totally addictive!" —Vanessa Kelly, USA Today bestselling authorIn Maggie Robinson's sparkling new series, the quaint village in Gloucestershire is where the wayward sons and daughters of Great Britain's finest families come for some R&R—and good old-fashioned "rehab". But sometimes they find much more . . .No one at Puddling-on-the-Wold ever expected to see Sarah Marchmain enter through its doors. But after the legendary Lady's eleventh-hour rejection of the man she was slated to marry, she was sent here to restore her reputation . . . and change her mind. It amused Sadie that her father, a duke, would use the last of his funds to lock her up in this fancy facility—she couldn't be happier to be away from her loathsome family and have some time to herself. The last thing she needs is more romantic distraction . . .As a local baronet's son, Tristan Sykes is all...

Acclaimed author Sam Sykes returns with the second thrilling novel in his Bring Down Heaven series.The heart of civilization bleeds.Cier'Djaal, once the crowning glory of the civilized world, has gone from a city to a battlefield and a battlefield to a graveyard. Foreign armies clash relentlessly on streets laden with the bodies of innocents caught in the crossfire. Cultists and thieves wage shadow wars, tribal armies foment outside the city's walls, and haughty aristocrats watch the world burn from on high.As his companions struggle to keep the city from destroying itself, Lenk travels to the Forbidden East in search of the demon who caused it all. But even as he pursues Khoth-Kapira, dark whispers plague his thoughts. Khoth-Kapira promises him a world free of war where Lenk can put down his sword at last. And Lenk finds it hard not to listen.When gods are deaf, demons will speak.

THE TOME OF THE UNDERGATES HAS BEEN RECOVERED......and the gates of hell remain closed. Lenk and his five companions set sail to bring the accursed relic away from the demonic reach of Ulbecetonth, the Kraken Queen. But after weeks at sea, tensions amidst the adventurers are rising. Their troubles are only beginning when their ship crashes upon an island made of the bones left behind from a war long dead.And it appears that bloodthirsty alien warrior women, fanatical beasts from the deep, and heretic-hunting wizards are the least of their concerns. Haunted by their pasts, plagued by their gods, tormented by their own people, and gripped by madness personal and peculiar, their greatest foes may yet be themselves.The reach of Ulbecetonth is longer than hell can hold.      

Imagine a school where you meet your own unicorn and have amazing adventures together! That's what happens for the girls at Unicorn Academy on beautiful Unicorn Island.Isabel loves racing around Unicorn Academy with her wonderful unicorn, Cloud. She can't wait for him to discover his magic power!Someone has cast a bad spell on Sparkle Lake. Isabel and Cloud will have to learn to trust each other as they go on a dangerous adventure to save the school...Have you read the other Unicorn Academy stories?:Sophia and RainbowScarlett and BlazeAva and StarAnd look out for:Layla and DancerOlivia and Snowflake

Imagine a school where you meet your own unicorn and have amazing adventures together! That's what happens for the girls at Unicorn Academy on beautiful Unicorn Island.Olivia is so happy to be at Unicorn Academy. She hopes her sweet unicorn, Snowflake, will discover her magic before graduation day!Everyone is busy decorating Unicorn Academy for the graduation ball, but it looks like someone is trying to ruin the party. It's up to Olivia and Snowflake to save the day - and the school!

Shaia "Shy" Ratani is a clever rogue who makes her living outside of strictly legal methods. While hiding out in the frontier city of Yanmass, she accepts a job solving a nobleman's murder, only to find herself sucked into a plot involving an invading centaur army that could see the whole city burned to the ground. Shy could stop that from happening, but doing so would involve revealing herself to the former friends who now want her dead. Add in an aristocratic partner with the literal blood of angels in her veins, and Shy quickly remembers why she swore off doing good deeds in the first place.Based on the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.With more than a million players worldwide, Pathfidner is the world's most popular tabletop RPG.

A gripping new romantic suspense from USA Today Bestselling author V.K. SykesThe brutal murder of her twin sister drove Amy Robitaille into a career as a homicide detective for Palm Beach County. When a serial killer targets the wives of local baseball players, Amy has more than just a professional interest at stake—her only surviving sister fits the profile of the other victims. Amy’s hell-bent on catching the killer, not only to protect her sister but to destroy the demons haunting her since the death of her twin.Baseball star and former soldier Luke Beckett has just retired from the game and is looking to move on with his life. When he’s asked to consult on the serial killer case for the local police, he finds the challenge he needs—despite the objections of lead detective Amy Robitaille. But Luke has no intention of backing away from the job and every intention of getting to know the intriguing detective.Amy has no time to babysit a celebrity consultant while trying to catch a serial killer. But Luke is not the man she assumed him to be and he threatens to become a powerful distraction. That’s the last thing she needs, especially when the killer starts closing in on her family. But without Luke’s help, Amy stands to lose everything.From the Inside FlapBook One in Palm Beach County Homicide About the AuthorV.K. Sykes is really two people - Vanessa Kelly and Randy Sykes, a husband and wife team who write USA Today Bestselling contemporary romance. The second book in their Philadelphia Patriots Series of sports romances won the Kindle Book Review Best Indie Books of 2012 Contest, in the romance category. Vanessa also writes award-winning, Regency-set historical romance for Kensington Zebra under her own name. Her first novel, Mastering the Marquess, hit the shelves in April 2009, and she was subsequently named by Booklist as one of the "new stars of historical romance."

In the sequel to the critically acclaimed Plague Land, we return to Somershill Manor, where an ominous legend takes hold of hearts and minds as children begin to disappear.Oswald de Lacy is growing up fast in his new position as Lord of Somershill Manor. However, there is still the same amount of work to be done in the farms and fields, and the few people left to do it think they should be paid more—something the King himself has forbidden.Just as anger begins to spread, the story of the Butcher Bird takes flight. People claim to have witnessed a huge creature in the skies. A new-born baby is found impaled on a thorn bush. And then more children disappear. Convinced the bird is just a superstitious rumor, Oswald must discover what is really happening. He can expect no help from his snobbish mother and his scheming sister Clemence, who is determined to protect her own child, but happy to neglect her step-daughters.From the plague-ruined villages of...

"A rollicking murder mystery. . . . a wildly entertaining romp. . . . Laugh? I died."—VogueThe New York Times bestselling author of Bergdorf Blondes takes us back to the decadent 1980s in this comic murder mystery set in the tony world of Oxford University.It's 1985, and at Oxford University, Pimm's, punting, and ball gowns are de rigeur. Ursula Flowerbutton, a studious country girl, arrives for her first term anticipating nothing more sinister than days spent poring over history books in gilded libraries—and, if she's lucky, an invitation to a ball. But when she discovers a glamorous classmate on a chaise longue with her throat cut, Ursula is catapulted into a murder investigation. Determined to bag her first scoop for the famous student newspaper Cherwell, Ursula enlists the help of trend-setting American exchange student Nancy Feingold to unravel the case. While navigating a whirl of black-tie parties and secret dining...

Snake Dancing is the second volume of Roberta Sykes' three volume autobiography, Snake Dreaming. It chronicles Roberta's increasing politicisation and involvement in the Black movement to the time of her invitation from Harvard to take up postgraduate study in the United States.Struggling to overcome the effects of her ordeals in Snake Cradle, Roberta Sykes gradually moves into the national spotlight as a writer and as First Secretary of the Aboriginal Embassy set up in a tent on the lawns of Parliament House. She details the dangerous, demanding and sometimes lonely life of an itinerant activist, and brings a human perspective to events that were often headline news around the world.Snake Dancing is essential reading for those wishing to understand the complex nature of interaction between the races in Australia's recent history. The first volume of her autobiography, Snake Cradle, won the 1997 Age Book of the Year and the 1998 Nitta...