The short life of A.J.A. Symons (1900-41) was described by his biographer as an intricate and largely harmless confidence trick. His many interests included the collection of musical boxes and rare books as well as the study and practice of forgery; they left him time to edit an anthology of Edwardian verse and compose studies of H.M. Stanley and other notable figures. He is remembered for The Quest for Corvo, one of the most remarkable biographies ever written, and for co-founding the Wine and Food Society.

A. J. A. Symons

A. J. Liebling, born in Manhattan in 1904, joined the staff of the New Yorker in 1935 and contributed innumerable articles to the magazine throughout his lifetime, on subjects ranging from food to boxing and France to horse racing. As a war correspondent during the Second World War, he reported from France, England and Algeria, and participated in the Normandy landings. In later life he married the writer Jean Stafford, his third wife. He died in 1963.

A. J. Liebling

A. J. Rosen is an author of YA fantasy novels and is an ambassador for Wattpad, known as @agatharoza. Entwined is her first novel.

A. J. Rosen

A. K. Davidson

A. O. Scott has been a film critic at the New York Times since 2000. His writing has appeared in many other publications, including the New York Review of Books, Slate, the New Yorker and the Nation. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism in 2010, Scott is currently Distinguished Professor of Film Criticism at Wesleyan University. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York. 
 
@aoscott

A. O. Scott

A.S. Byatt (1936-2023) was a novelist, short-story writer and critic of international renown. Her novels include Possession (winner of the Booker Prize 1990), the Frederica Quartet and The Children’s Book, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction. She was appointed CBE in 1990 and DBE in 1999, and was awarded the Erasmus Prize 2016 for her ‘inspiring contribution to life writing’ and the Pak Kyongni Prize 2017. In 2018 she received the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award.

A. S. Byatt

A. T. Williams won the George Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2013 for his book A Very British Killing: The Death of Baha Mousa. He lives in Warwickshire.

A. T. Williams

A. W. Chase

Dubbed ‘The new queen of spy fiction’ by the Guardian newspaper, and ‘the real thing’ by the Washington Post, A.C. 'Ava' Glass is the CWA Dagger-shortlisted author of Alias Emma (The Chase), The Traitor and The Trap. The Traitor was a 2023 Richard and Judy Bookclub pick. Alias Emma was a Barnes and Noble book of the month. A former crime reporter and communications consultant, for five years Ava worked closely with spies. Her time in that world fascinated her, and the people she met back then inspire every book she writes.

A.C. Glass

A.E. Housman

Arthur Edward Waite was the designer and co-creator of the now famous Rider Waite Tarot deck. 
 
An American-born British poet and scholarly mystic, his strong interest in all esoteric matters - divination, magic, Kabbalism, alchemy and Freemasony - led to him penning a number of books. These include the Key to the Tarot, The Book of Ceremonial Magic and A New Encyclopedia of Freemasony.

A.E. Waite

A.E. Warren is the author of the Tomorrow's Ancestors series, which consists of Subject Twenty-One, The Hidden Base, The Fourth Species and The Final Rising. 
 
After spending eight years working as a lawyer, she began to write in the evenings and early mornings as a form of escapism from life in a very small cubicle with lots of files. She self-published her first novels in her spare time, which were picked up by Del Rey UK which is the science fiction/fantasy imprint of Penguin Random House. 
 
 She is an avid reader, occasional gamer and fair-weather runner. She lives in the UK with her husband, daughter and hopefully, one day, a wise border terrier named Austen.

A.E. Warren

A.G.D. Maran

A.J. Ayer

A.J. Cronin

A K Benedict writes crime and speculative fiction in a room filled with clowns, mannequins and Doctor Who figures. Her first novel, The Beauty of Murder, was nominated for an eDunnit award and is in development for a major 8-part TV series by Company Pictures. Her second, Jonathan Dark or The Evidence of Ghosts, came out in February 2016. She's written Torchwood audio dramas for Big Finish and her short stories have featured in anthologies including Great British Horror and Best British Short Stories. She lives in St Leonards-on-Sea with her dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford.

A.K.Benedict

A. L. Kennedy has twice been selected as one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists and has won a host of other awards – including the Costa Book of the Year for her novel Day. She lives in Essex.

A.L. Kennedy

A.M. Ellis is a speculative fiction author and lover of everything steeped in myth and mystery. Her stories often lean into diverse voices, not only in her identity as a Black woman, but in exploring neurodivergence and mental health. A proud introvert and nostalgic gamer, she lives in Maryland, USA, with her husband and three children.

A.M. Ellis

A.N. Wilson was born in 1950 and educated at Rugby and New College, Oxford. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he holds a prominent position in the world of literature and journalism. He is an award-winning biographer and a celebrated novelist, winning prizes for much of his work. He lives in North London.

A.N. Wilson

A. T. Emerald lives with her husband and baby daughter in Nottinghamshire. She discovered her love of writing in 2020 and has not shut up about enemies to lovers ever since. She loves iced matcha, torrid love confessions with knives pressed to throats (fictional, of course) and does not accept bills for any therapy her books might incur.

A.T. Emerald

A.W. Priest

A.B.C. Merriman-Labor was a barrister, writer and munitions worker born in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1877. His published works include A Series of Lectures on the Negro Race and The Story of the African Slave in a Nutshell. He also edited two editions of the Handbook of Sierra Leone. He arrived in the UK in 1904 to study law. In 1907, he organised a centenary commemoration of the abolition of the slave trade in Westminster Abbey. He later embarked on an 'entertainment-lecture' tour called Life and Scenes in Britain, travelling across thousands of miles of West, South West and Central Africa, which he expanded on to create Britons Through Negro Spectacles.

ABC Merriman-Labor

AJ Cronin

AJ Molloy

Aabria Iyengar is an American actress and author.

Aabria Iyengar

Aaliya Jaleel is a freelance illustrator, designer, and visual development artist, currently majoring in Animation at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is also the illustrator of Under My Hijab and Muslim Girls Rise. You can visit her online at www.aaliyamj.com.

Aaliya Jaleel

Aaron Allston

After more than fifteen years of experience as a clinical psychotherapist, Dr Aaron Balick has taken the amazing insights from psychology and psychotherapy out of the consultation room and made them accessible to the wider world. 
 
He has been an ‘agony uncle’ for many years for both CBBC and BBC Radio 1, as well as on television, including BBC Worldwide, BBC 3 and BBC Learning.

Aaron Balick

Aaron Carroll

Aaron Dignan is the founder of The Ready--a global organizational transformation and coaching practice--that helps companies large and small adopt new forms of self-organization and dynamic teaming. Clients include Johnson &amp; Johnson, Microsoft, Lloyds Bank, Citibank, Boeing, Mailchimp, Airbnb, Dropbox, and charity: water. 
 
He is also the founder of Murmur--a SaaS startup that helps teams scale culture through the magic of working agreements. The Murmur platform will allow every team on the planet to define and share their ways of working. 
 
Dignan is the author of Brave New Work (2019) and Game Frame (2011), co-host of the Brave New Work podcast, and a friend to misfit toys.

Aaron Dignan

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Jeremy Clarkson

These days, you might know him better as a tractor-driving Gentleman Farmer, but Jeremy Clarkson wasn't always a horny-handed son of the soil. 
 
Not at all . . . 
 
Back in the day Jeremy was far more likely to be found gunning around the world in a haze of burnt rubber and petrol fumes. But life as a globe-trotting petrol-head also meant he was forced endure more than his fair share of foolishness, frustration and downright bafflement. And, while Jeremy may not a patient man, you have to ask why anyone should have to consider issues as diverse and perplexing as: 
 
- The downsides of relaxing in a bath of crude oil 
- Why fishing is for people who hate their kids 
- Whether there are noise-cancelling headphones with the power to silence James May 
- Why saving the planet means soggy paper straws and no more children 
- What to do about the rambler who stole his marrow 
 
But as puzzling and exasperating as life on the road often seemed to be, you could always count on Jeremy to set the world to rights with a rare wit and unique understanding. And at full throttle. Just don't expect it to all go smoothly . . .

Can You Make This Thing Go Faster?

Big Narstie

Mans here to help you help yourself. 
 
Real talk. One thing you've got to know about advice: there are two types. Sometimes the people who give the most advice to others are the last people you should be listening to. They just love the sound of their own voice. No matter what the problem is, they'll just say: 'Believe in yourself, you can do anything.' And then ... well, then there's the kind of advice that's just the truth. That's the sort of advice you might get from this book, and I'll warn you sometimes the truth ain't pretty. 
 
In these pages I'm gonna tell you some of my story and show you how you can change yours: how to survive school, how to get a job, how to deal with family, friends, love and PAIN. How to live your own life, not someone else's.

How to Be Narstie

Real talk on humble starts, big dreams and beating the odds

Lost Voice Guy

Lee Ridley

- 'A truly eye-opening book from a fantastic comedian.' ADAM KAY 
- 'The funniest book I've read in years.' DAVID WALLIAMS 
_______________ 
 
Lee Ridley won the hearts and minds of the nation on Britain's Got Talent. Now the much-loved comedian opens up on what it's like to be him. I'm Only In It for the Parking is a wonderful journey through Lee's extraordinary life, by way of the people who like to pray for him, the comparisons with Stephen Hawking, some perilous falls, some epic fails and more information about Lee's private life than you probably need. This is the wickedly funny story of the stand-up who struggles to stand up, but who learns to finds his feet. The Geordie without the accent. The entertainer who really can't speak at all, but who has something important to say. 
 
What readers are saying: 
 
***** 'Such a brilliant and honest book.' 
***** 'The funniest book I've read this year.' 
***** 'Written with poignancy and humour.' 
***** 'Had me laughing out loud all the way from start to finish.'

I'm Only In It for the Parking

Everything I know about life, laughter and disability

Life and laughter from the priority seats

Mike Tucker

Gavin Rymill

Richard Atkinson

Know your enemy. 
 
The Daleks are the most evil creatures ever created - genetically engineered mutants encased in a machine that is optimised to kill. They hate all other life forms and will stop at nothing to destroy those who stand in their way - their single-minded imperative? To become the dominant species in the universe. 
 
The Dalek Combat Training Manual collates intelligence gathered by Time Lords over centuries of raging wars through time and space, and is invaluable to anyone engaging the Daleks in battle. It furnishes the user with an in-depth guide to their construction, their strategies and how they are to be ultimately defeated. Discover full schematics of Dalek spacecraft, insights into the Dalek factions, a history of the Time War, detailed analysis of their creator Davros, and much more. 
 
This manual is the definitive guide to one of the most feared races in the Whoniverse.

Doctor Who: Dalek Combat Training Manual

Hallie Rubenhold

SOON TO BE STREAMED ON NETFLIX 
 
By the Baillie Gifford prize-winning and No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of THE FIVE 
 
'A fascinating expose of the seamy side of eighteenth century life' MAIL ON SUNDAY 
'Rubenhold's pages practically reek with smelly, pox-ridden Georgian Soho' GUARDIAN 
------------------------------------------------------- 
In 1757, a down-and-out Irish poet, the head waiter at the Shakespear's Head Tavern in Covent Garden, and a celebrated London courtesan became bound together by the publication of a little book: Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies. This salacious work - detailing the names and 'specialities' of the capital's sex-workers- became one of the eighteenth century's most scandalous bestsellers. 
 
Yet beyond its titillating passages lies a glimpse into the lives of those who lived and died by its profits - a tragicomic opera of the Georgian era, motivated by poverty, passionate love, aspiration and shame. 
 
In this modern and visceral narrative, historian Hallie Rubenhold reveals the story behind Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies, and the legion of ordinary women whose lives in the sex trade history has chosen to ignore. 
 
'Scrupulously researched' DAILY TELEGRAPH 
 
'Crackles with drama and tension' GUARDIAN 
 
'Compelling and ingenious' INDEPENDENT 
 
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING: 
 
'This book is an absolute 'must'-read for any person interested in English social history' 5 **** 
'Fascinating' 5 **** 
'Brilliant. Full of intelligent insight which brings this period to vibrant life' 5 **** 
________ 
 
**BUY THE AUTHOR'S BRAND NEW WORK, STORY OF A MURDER** 
'Terrific' Ian Rankin 
'I dare you to put it down' Lucy Worsley 
'Fascinating' Val McDermid

The Covent Garden Ladies

the book that inspired BBC2’s ‘Harlots’

Tommy Tiernan

In nearly three decades as a performer, Tommy Tiernan has never wanted to play it safe. So, when it came to doing a chat show, he threw out the rule book: going in blind, not knowing who would turn up. It could be a global star, like Adam Clayton, or a statesman like Michael D Higgins, or someone unknown to Tommy (and most of his audience), like autism awareness activist, Ciara-Beth Ní Ghríofa or geneticist Aoife McLysaght. It's high-wire stuff and makes for electrifying viewing. Winging It brings together twenty-one extraordinary interviews from The Tommy Tiernan Show - a mix of the profound, the profane, the funny and the moving. 
 
Tommy's belief in honest conversation is at the heart of Winging It. Whether getting to grips with the finer points of boxing with World Champion Kellie Harrington or preserving history with archivist Catriona Crowe. Or talking God with old friend Michael Harding or mental health with Blindboy Boatclub. Or sitting with moments of pain in conversations about grief (Bob Geldof), FGM (Ifrah Ahmed) or drinking (Paul McGrath). It's all about curiosity, bravery and a willingness to listen. 
 
Winging It includes material that did not make the TV screen and the interviews are as gripping to read as they were to watch.

Winging It

Twenty-one extraordinary interviews from The Tommy Tiernan Show

Jonathan Morris

Penny CS Andrews

Lee Johnson

You're going to need a bigger sofa... 
 
Doctor Who's biggest and most comprehensive monster guide yet, The Monster Vault takes you on the ultimate tour of the Whoniverse, discovering and cataloguing every wonderful and terrifying creature the Doctor has ever encountered. 
 
From the notorious Daleks, to evil Stenza warrior Tzim-Sha and the ancient Thijarians, The Monster Vault features in-depth profiles on each monster, showing the Doctor's most dangerous enemies in their natural habitat and unveiling their secret histories. You will also discover how monsters were created and designed, behind-the-scenes secrets, unseen details from the original scripts, case studies and rare artwork. 
 
This lavish and visually stunning book provides an unrivalled wealth of information, allowing you to explore the rich history of Doctor Who and expand your knowledge and understanding of characters old and new.

Doctor Who: The Monster Vault

Richard Osman

Alan Connor

Do you know how many post boxes there are in the UK? Could you guess how many times the word 'goat' appear in the King James Version of the bible? Fancy playing a game of charades where all of the books, films and plays are entirely made up? 
 
Now, look around the room. Is anyone there the kind of person who’ll say ‘I just don’t understand this’, when faced with something that’s not just perfectly easy to understand, but is ... well, fun? 
 
Ask them to leave. 
 
Have they gone? Good. 
 
Now welcome inside the House of Games ... 
 
Featuring questions based on some of the most loved rounds from the hit BBC2 show, including Roonerspisims, Venn Will I Be Famous?, Dim Sums and Answer Smash, Richard Osman’s House of Games Quiz Book is the ultimate test of wit, wisdom and imagination. 
 
Curated by Richard Osman and Alan Connor and featuring over 50 new and exclusive games to try out, this is your chance to step inside the House of Games and pitch your trivia skills against your family and friends. 
 
Quirky, unique and exactly the right amount of silly, House of Games contains hours of guaranteed fun!

Richard Osman's House of Games

101 new & classic games from the hit BBC series

Jon Sopel

Welcome to the White House. 
 
At the heart of Washington, there is a circus. It's raucous, noisy and full of clowns. Reporting on it is a daily cacophony. Four major stories can blow up and blow out before breakfast, and political weather systems are moving at warp speed. The one thing absent from the weather forecast is the tranquil eye of the storm. That we never see. 
 
In A Year at the Circus: Inside Trump's White House, BBC North America Editor, Jon Sopel, takes you inside Trump’s West Wing and explores the impact this presidency has had on the most iconic of American institutions. Each chapter starts inside a famous Washington room, uncovering its history and its new resonance in the Trump era. 
 
You are invited to step inside the Oval Office where Trump called for loyalty from FBI Director James Comey, and experience life as a reporter in the Briefing Room, where the tense relationship between the media and the President is played out. Guiding you through these rooms, Jon reveals the inner workings of the Trump White House and details the key moments and conversations that have unfolded within its walls. 
 
From Kim Jong-un and Kavanaugh to Merkel and the Mueller Inquiry - this is your insider guide to the Washington Circus. Roll up, roll up ...

A Year At The Circus

Inside Trump's White House

Tim Vine

Tim Vine and the Great British public are the stars of this side-splitting radio chat show, featuring his trademark wonderful wordplay, quickfire gags and silly songs 
 
‘Full of laugh-out-loud moments … Vine's razor sharp wit and warmth shine through’ Radio Times 
 
Internationally acclaimed master of the one-liner Tim Vine travels the length and breadth of Britain on a quest to hear the funny, strange and surprising life stories of his live audience – while simultaneously taking the opportunity to showcase his world-famous jokes and preposterous songs. 
 
In these two sparkling series, he is confronted with a death-defying parachutist, a guest with an interesting technique for warding off foxes, an office worker who was inadvertently responsible for half of Welwyn Garden City being closed to the public and a man undergoing some unusual physiotherapy. Plus, there’s an encounter with an anaconda, a quiz about trifle, an impromptu laughter yoga workshop, at least two jokes about chickens and musical entertainment ranging from an imaginary country song to a maritime sing-a-long. 
 
Also included are two ‘SummerTim Specials’, recorded at Cromer Pier and the Edinburgh Festival, and three festive special episodes complete with a sackful of Yuletide jokes, alternative traditional songs and fiendishly silly seasonal games – as well as a former air hostess from the land of Santa Claus and a budding Widow Twanky... 
 
Cast and credits 
Presented by Tim Vine 
Produced by Richard Morris 
A BBC Studios production 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 30 June-21 July 2016 (Series 1), 26 December 2016 (The Tim Vine Christmas Chat Show), 12 September-17 October 2017 (Series 2), 21 August 2018 (SummerTim Extra Special), 25 December 2018 (Christmas Special 2018), 29 August 2019 (SummerTim Extra Special Edinburgh Festival), 26 December 2019 (Christmas Special 2019)

The Tim Vine Chat Show

Series 1 and 2 plus specials

Liza Tarbuck

I am genuinely distracted by everything, and I don't think I'm alone in this. I consider my love of distraction a thing to be cherished. 
 
Like the annuals of my youth, this book is filled with puzzles, activities and mental musings. I hope that every page tickles your fancy. This book might be a perfect conversation starter at a dinner table, or the last thing you're flipping through before bed. I promise that you'll laugh at least once. 
 
So here we go. I am passing my distractions on to you.

I An Distracted by Everything

Hardie Grant Books

In need of a bit of pep from the queen of drag? RuPaul is here for you in this pocket collection of positivity. Learn how to love yourself, find your family and serve up some rose-tinted realness with quotes that cover everything from self-confidence to superstardom. Full of laughter, colour and creativity, this little book will help you make every day your most fabulous moment yet.Use all the colours, touch all the toys and lick all the candy! Do it all!Fulfillment isn&rsquo;t found over the rainbow &ndash; it&rsquo;s found in the here and now. Today I define success by the fluidity with which I transcend emotional land mines and choose joy and gratitude instead.That is the key to navigating this life &ndash; don&#39;t take it too seriously. That&#39;s when the party begins.What it says on your driver&rsquo;s license isn&rsquo;t really who you are &ndash; you are something much greater than that.When you become the image of your own imagination, it&rsquo;s the most powerful thing you could ever do.

Pocket Positivity: RuPaul

The Life-affirming Philosophy of a Drag Superstar

Jason Barlow

Guaranteed to rev the engines of car fans everywhere. 
 
Supercars are the purest and most extreme expression of automotive performance there is - and no one knows the territory better than the TopGear team. With ever-increasing power outputs, radical new designs, and eye-popping price tags, this book is a celebration of the supercar in all its fabulous glory. 
 
Supercars also brings this incredibly fast-moving, hi-octane world bang up to date. The world's best writers and photographers explore the latest developments in thrilling style - from the new generation of pure-electric cars that have raised the bar for zero emissions performance, to the crazy machines hell-bent on breaking the 300mph barrier ... this is TopGear Supercars. Buckle up. Are you ready?

Top Gear Ultimate Supercars

John Finnemore

John Finnemore presents the eighth series of his multi-award-winning Souvenir Programme 
 
‘The best sketch show in years, on television or radio’ Radio Times 
 
John Finnemore, creator and star of Cabin Pressure and John Finnemore’s Double Acts, is back with Series 8 of his highly acclaimed radio sketch show, winner of the Academy Silver Award, a Broadcasting Press Guild award and two BBC Audio Drama awards. 
 
In these six episodes, John cooks a particularly good lasagne, Noah gets some bad news about the ark, we hear a legendary swansong, and there’s some helpful guidance on the etiquette of ‘Thank Yous’ – as well as a look into the devastating consequences of World Peace. Plus, there’s some merry names, some handy mnemonics, an epiphany and a show that will make you feel like a princess – whether you want it to or not. And, well… since you ask him whether he believes in ghosts… 
 
Hailed by The Daily Telegraph as ‘funny enough to make even the surliest cat laugh’, John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme also features his regular ensemble cast of Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Simon Kane, Lawry Lewin and Carrie Quinlan.

John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme: Series 8

The BBC Radio 4 comedy sketch show

Alex Horne

Build yourself a box and think outside of it. Your time starts now … 
 
In the TV show and on my marriage certificate, my job description is ‘Taskmaster’s Assistant’. That’s what I do and it’s an honour. I like Taskmaster a lot. And, of course, I love The Taskmaster. He’s mountainous. If you feel in any way the same as me then you should enjoy this paperback version of the official Taskmaster book. 
 
There are tasks for you, your friends and your family. There are new tasks, secret things and sneaky tricks. And there is one swear word. So it’s almost exactly like being on the show. 
 
Good luck. Make good choices. Let’s do Him proud. 
 
 
 
Alex Horne 
Taskmaster’s Assistant

Taskmaster

220 Extraordinary Tasks for Ordinary People

Whatever life throws at you, Arnie has the answer. 
 
Do you revere the legend that is Arnie? 
Do you agree that the best activities for your health are pumping and humping? 
Do you trust that if it bleeds, you can kill it? 
 
Then this is the book for you. 
 
Be inspired by the no-nonsense life philosophy of Arnold Schwarzenegger, through his best and most ridiculous motivational quotes. 
 
And remember: Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer.

What Would Arnie Do?

Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter

Au Revois! 
 
The name’s Trotter, Derek Trotter, and the world of business is my speciality. When it comes to the art of closing deals I’ve been around the track more times than a lurcher. Not only have I been there, done it and bought the t-shirt, I’ve gone back round to do it again, printed my ownt-shirts, knocked ‘em out at ridiculously low prices and cut the competition out of the market. 
 
But the commodities game ain’t all champagne and skittles. It’s a rocky road full of potholes, speed cameras, people who don’t indicate, mouthy cyclists, and all sorts of obstacles designed to get on your tits. You Know It Makes Sense is the definitive business guide, designed pacifically to help steer you in the right direction. Packed full of insider knowledge, tips and warnings, think of it as your personal stat-nav on the corporate highway. 
 
And whether you’re a Director, middle management, a junior staff hotshot, or the one that fetches the sandwiches, it will help you get to where you’re going.

You Know it Makes Sense

Lessons from the Derek Trotter School of Business (and life)

In November 2016 we woke up to the news that the forthright presenter of a popular television programme had become the most powerful man on the planet. His name, sadly, was not Jeremy Clarkson, but we might not have been any more surprised if it had been. 
 
 Because the world seems to have taken a decidedly odd turn since Jeremy last reflected on the state of things between the covers of a book. But who better than JC to help us navigate our way through the mess? 
 
 And while he's being trying to make sense of it all he's discovered one or two things along the way, including 
 
- The disabling effects of being vegan 
- How Blackpool might be improved by drilling a hole through it 
- The problem with meditation 
- A perfect location for rebuilding Palmyra 
- Why Tom Cruise can worship lizards if he wants to 
 
 It's all been a bit unsettling. 
 
 But don't worry. If You'd Just Let Me Finish is Clarkson at his best. He may be as bemused, exasperated, amused and surprised as the rest of us, but in a world gone crazy, thank God someone has still got his head screwed on ...

If You’d Just Let Me Finish

John Esmonde

Bob Larbey

Meet Surbiton’s most famous residents; Tom, Barbara, Margo and Jerry. 
It is Tom Good's 40th birthday and he feels thoroughly unfulfilled. If only he can discover what 'It' is, and if he can, will his wife Barbara agree to do 'It' with him? 
The subsequent and sudden transformation of the Goods’ home into a smallholding causes consternation for Margo and Jerry next door, and they decide it’s their duty to interfere... 
 
So begins The Good Life, the much loved classic sitcom starring Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Paul Eddington and Penelope Keith. 
 
The escapades of the mismatched next-door neighbours whose friendship is constantly being tested to the limits are collected here with thirty hilarious episodes from the much loved BBC television series. 
 
Series One: Plough Your Own Furrow, Say Little Hen, The Weaker Sex?, Pig’s Lib, The Thing In The Cellar, The Pagan Rite, Backs To The Wall. Series Two: Just My Bill, The Guru of Surbiton, Mr Fix-It, The Day Peace Broke Out, Mutiny, Home Sweet Home, Going to Pot. Series Three: The Early Birds, The Happy Event, A Tug of the Forelock, I Talk To The Trees, The Wind-Break War, Whose Fleas Are These?, The Last Posh Frock. Series Four: Away From It All, The Green Door, Our Speaker Today, The Weaver’s Tale, Suit Yourself, Sweet and Sour Charity, Anniversary. The Specials: Silly But It’s Fun…, When I’m 65.

The Good Life: The Complete Collection

Sally Wainwright

Anne Choma

The real Anne Lister, and the official companion to the hit BBC series created by Sally Wainwright and starring Suranne Jones. 
 
In Gentleman Jack, historian and series consultant Anne Choma draws from the explosive diaries of Anne Lister to recreate the life and times of one of the most fascinating figures of the 19th century. Anne’s remarkable diaries, partly written in a secret code, detailed her innermost thoughts on everything from sex, menstruation and money to relationships, politics and society. As Choma shows, they have opened up a previously unknown world to us. 
 
Fearless, charismatic and determined to explore her lesbian sexuality, Anne forged her own path in a society that had no language to define her. This is the real Gentleman Jack, following Anne from her crumbling ancestral home in Yorkshire to the glittering courts of Denmark as she resolves to put past heartbreak behind her and find herself a wife. The official companion to the first series, it also features unpublished journal extracts decrypted for the first time, as well as a foreword by series creator Sally Wainwright.

Gentleman Jack

The Real Anne Lister The Official Companion to the BBC Series

Victoria Wood

Dinnerladies is a classic BBC sitcom based around the lives of the staff of the canteen at Manchester factory HWD Components. Written by and starring Victoria Wood a Brenda, these eight classic TV episodes are brilliantly funny, where the jokes fly as thick and as fast as granary torpedoes. 
Along with the day to day feeding the faces of folk, the canteen staff Bren, Twink, Jean (and all the others!) have to contend with the arrival of a Royal on site, a Japanese-themed party complete with costumes, and the controversial delivery of new uniforms. And will Tony finally succumb to Brenda's advances? 
 
With a wonderful cast including Victoria Wood, Celia Imrie and Thelma Barlow also star in this trayful of comedy from the BBC hotplate. 
 
Episode list: 
Monday 
Royals 
Moods 
Party 
Catering 
Minnellium 
Gravy 
Toast 
 
Please note that sound quality may vary due to the archive nature of these recordings 
 
Produced by Adam Fowler 
A BBC Studios production

Dinnerladies: A BBC Collection

8 Classic TV Soundtracks

Jesse Armstrong

Sam Bain

What's the secret to JP's sexual prowess? How does Howard beat the buffet every time? What does Vod really think about drink, drugs and Salman Rushdie? And will Kingsley's diary spill his true feelings for Josie? (hopefully not as stomach-churning as Oregon's sext messages with Professor Shales ... ) 
 
This is a real guide to the first year of student life - the one the preachy official brochures and prospectuses don't tell you about. From UCAS applications to moving into a student house, from freshers' week to choosing courses and, more importantly, friends, the book records every detail - disgusting, exciting, tragic and triumphant - as the young ones stumble through university life. A scrap book of diary entries, emails, manifestos (including Howard's Rules for Everything) and guidelines it is crammed with saucy text messages, music playlists, facebook profiles, essays, poems, photos, drawings and paintings, as well as the housemates' musings on life, uni and everything. 
 
From Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, the acclaimed writers of Peep Show, this is the ultimate companion to Fresh Meat, the Best New British Comedy of 2011, starring Jack Whitehall, Robert Webb and Joe Thomas.

Fresh Meat

The Essential Guide for New Undergraduates/the Future Unemployed

All of time and space…where do you want to start? 
 
Governed by Time Lord technology, the TARDIS Type Forty is the most powerful craft in the universe and this comprehensive fully illustrated manual holds the key to its operation. 
 
The appearance of the Doctor's TARDIS, both inside and out, has changed many times over the years, and this manual features every incarnation – including the latest version for the Thirteenth Doctor. The manual covers the console with fully labelled detailed schematic diagrams for each function, the ship’s famous chameleon circuit, as well as floorplans, specifics of dematerialisation, the use of force fields and tractor beams and much more. 
 
Complete with case studies of the wonder-craft in action, taken from the TARDIS’s many trips through space and time, this manual is an essential guide to the wonders of the Whoniverse.

Doctor Who: TARDIS Type 40 Instruction Manual

No Such Thing As A Fish

Random House presents The Audiobook of the Year 2018, written and read by the team behind hit podcast No Such Thing as a Fish; James Harkin, Jane Hill, Dan Schreiber, Andrew Hunter Murray and Anna Ptaszynski. 
 
Think you know what happened in 2018? Think again. 
 
Following hot on the heels of the success of The Audiobook of the Year (or, more precisely, twelve months later), The Audiobook of the Year 2018 bravely delves behind the headlines to sniff out the best and most bizarre facts of the past 12 months. 
 
Compiled and written by the creators of the award-winning hit comedy podcast No Such Thing As A Fish, all of whom are researchers for QI, it will establish - among other things - that: 
 
· Britain’s first robot shop assistant was sacked after a week 
· Donald Trump claimed the US sells F52 planes to Norway, even though F52 planes only exist in the game Call of Duty 
· During the Winter Olympics, it was so windy during the Women's Slopestyle Final that every single competitor was blown off her snowboard. 
· A snail racing competition in Plymouth was postponed because the snails were too 'sluggish' to take part. 
 
Ranging from the distinctly offbeat to the wonderfully ludicrous - from the South Africans who were rationed to just one toilet flush per day, to the Nutella riots spreading across France, via the Miami bitcoin conference that stopped accepting bitcoin - The Audiobook of the Year promises a fact for every occasion and will prove the perfect Christmas gift for all trivia buffs.

The Audiobook of The Year (2018)

__________ 
‘My favourite geeks. Hilarious. Sideways. Brilliant.’ Tim Minchin 
 
In a year dominated by Russian collusion and Brexit confusion, The Book of the Year returns with another dose of barely believable yet wholly unimpeachable facts and stories from the past twelve months. 
 
Every week for the past four years, Dan, James, Anna and Andy – the creators of the award-winning, chart-topping comedy podcast No Such Thing As A Fish – have wowed each other and millions of their listeners with the most astonishing trivia they have learned over the previous seven days. Now, once again, they have put down the microphones, picked up their pencils, and transformed a year’s worth of weird and wonderful happenings into one uplifting book that you won’t be able to put down. 
 
Discover how Peruvian mummies affected the World Cup, and why Love Island contestants are experts in game theory – as well as hundreds of stories that may have passed you by entirely, including the news that: 
 
· NASA sent a man with a fear of heights to the International Space Station. 
· An ice hotel in Canada caught fire. 
· Mark Zuckerberg’s private data was compromised while he was talking to Congress about compromised data. 
 
From Kim Jong Un’s personal potty to Jeremy Corbyn’s valuable vegetables, The Book of the Year 2018 is an eye-opening tour of yet another incredible year you didn’t know you’d lived through.

The Book of the Year 2018

Your Definitive Guide to the World’s Weirdest News

Ben Elton

"This does indeed deserve comparisons with Blackadder" Radio Times 
 
"A knockabout, well-researched take on the working and domestic life of Shakespeare." The Guardian 
 
It’s the 1590s. William Shakespeare – brought to life on screen by the inimitable David Mitchell – is at the start of his career. But no one is taking him seriously. In London, he is mercilessly mocked by his rivals and at home in Stratford he is belittled by his sullen teenage daughter. 
 
Yet he is determined to find an ending for his newest creation Romeo and Juliet. Luckily, inspiration is forthcoming. The trials and tribulations of his closest friends and family reveal the plot twists he’d been missing. And not only for this famous tragedy but for many of his finest plays. 
 
With sparkling wordplay, hilarious gags and his trademark wit, Ben Elton celebrates the great William Shakespeare and reveals the startling stories behind the playwright’s best-known plays.

Upstart Crow

Christel Dee

Simon Guerrier

Meet the women who run the Whoniverse. 
 
From Sarah Jane Smith to Bill Potts, from Susan Foreman to the Thirteenth Doctor, women are the beating heart of Doctor Who. Whether they’re facing down Daleks or thwarting a Nestene invasion, these women don’t hang around waiting to be rescued – they roll their sleeves up and get stuck in. Scientists and soldiers, queens and canteen workers, they don’t let anything hold them back. 
 
Featuring historical women such as Agatha Christie and Queen Victoria alongside fan favourites like Rose Tyler and Missy, The Women Who Lived tells the stories of women throughout space and time. Beautifully illustrated by a team of all-female artists, this collection of inspirational tales celebrates the power of women to change the universe.

Doctor Who: The Women Who Lived

Amazing Tales for Future Time Lords

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Buffy has your back. 
 
Empowering, inspiring and full of badass Buffy attitude, this little book is packed with the Chosen One’s awesome words of wisdom and killer advice. Whether you’re fighting vampires and saving the world, or not, life can get tough. And when it gets tough, you need to slay, the Buffy way. 
 
So, whether you’re dealing with heartache or homework, family drama, bad bosses, anxiety over what to wear, unreliable BFFs or a full-on existential crisis, Buffy has it covered. She’ll guide you through the Hellmouth and out the other side. Because, she’s been there.

How to Slay the Buffy Way

Badass Buffy Attitude and Killer Life Advice

Jack Waley-Cohen

RY CLV RNGH? Can you find the connection between Gandalf, Sherlock Holmes, David Brent and Ford Perfect? 
 
 Only Connect is the ultimate test of knowledge and lateral thinking. Since 2008 the fiendishly difficult quiz show has been challenging contestants to find connections between apparently unrelated clues. 
 
 The Only Connect Quiz Book collects over 200 of the most entertaining and perplexing challenges from the team behind the BBC’s hugely popular quiz show - including many new (never broadcast) questions. Covering each of the show’s four rounds – Connections, Sequences, the Connecting Wall and Missing Vowels – and with introductions from presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell, here is your chance to put your own sleuthing and quizzical knowledge to the Only Connect test.

Only Connect: The Official Quiz Book

Jenny T Colgan

Short stories that are bigger on the inside. 
 
 Join the women of the Whoniverse for five thrilling Doctor Who adventures by Sunday Times bestselling author Jenny T. Colgan. 
 
Ashildr, a young Viking girl, died bravely helping the Doctor save the village she loved – so the Doctor used alien technology to bring her back to life. Ashildr became immortal and, since that day, has kept journals to chronicle her extraordinary life. 'The Triple Knife' is a glimpse into the life of a woman who lived longer than anyone ever should – and lost more than she can even remember. 
 
'Picnic at Asgard' drops in on another woman of the Whoniverse who never fails to find herself too far from danger and excitement. And when you’re married to a Time Lord, what more can you expect? This adventure, extracted from her journal, reveals still more about the legendary River Song. 
 
'Into the Nowhere' follows the Eleventh Doctor and Clara as they land on an unknown alien planet. To the Doctor’s delight and Clara’s astonishment, it really is unknown. It’s a planet the Doctor has never seen. It’s not on any maps, it’s not referenced on any star charts or in the TARDIS data banks. It doesn’t even have a name. What could be so terrible here that has been erased? 
 
This collection also includes two further adventures 'All The Empty Towers' and 'A Long Way Down' – a short story never published in volume form before.

Doctor Who

The Triple Knife and Other Doctor Who Stories

A Private Thriller

A series of children's modern classic novels by renowned 20th century children's writers. All the titles in this series have the A Puffin Book logo, contemporary-style covers, and child-friendly endnotes.

A Puffin Book

A Ripley Novel

A Slice of the Moon

A Victorian Mystery

A Walk in...

A Women’s Murder Club Thriller

A chef Paul Delamare Mystery

Aberrations

Across the Universe

Actiphons

Adelia Aguilar

Adrian Mole

Adventures in Time

Aftermath

Against War

Age of X

Agent 21

Agent Z

Detective Aidan Waits is a troubled junior detective haunted by his past. Facing an uncertain future, and disconnected from his history, DC Waits and his partner, Detective Inspector Peter 'Sutty' Sutcliffe work on Manchester's streets to uncover the city's worst criminals among the grime of the underworld.

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