HarperCollins Publishers

'Savage and funny black humour at its best' Time Out Muriel Axon is about to re-enter the lives of Colin Sidney, hapless husband, father and schoolmaster, and Isabel Field, failed social worker and practising neurotic. It is ten years since her last tangle with them, but for Muriel this is not time enough. There are still scores to be settled and truths to be faced — not to mention a certain amount of vengeance to be wreaked.

Unravel the meaning, origin, and usage of over 6,000 phrases from book and film titles, idioms and cliches, to nicknames, slogans and quotations with this modern and entertaining guide to wonderful phrases by one of the world’s best-known wordsmiths. The ideal replacement or complement to that tatty old copy of Brewer's Phrase and Fable most of us have about the house, A Word in Your Shell-Like is an entertaining look at both familiar and unfamiliar phrases by one of the key world authorities in English language reference. The articles also contain discussion of meaning, origin and usage. Who was originally 'sold down the river'? Have you been told to 'Naff off'? Find out of whom it was said 'he couldn't chew gum and fart at the same time', who the 'catcher in the rye' was, and what it means to be 'caught between wind and water'. Few other word reference books are likely to increase your store of knowledge with such fun.

Now fully revised and updated, this Spanish dictionary offers up-to-date coverage of today's language, with more than 115,000 entries and translations in a compact, reliable, and portable edition.

Faced with a blank slate after Oceanic flight 815 crashes, moneyed Ivy League student Bernard Cross reinvents himself once again — just as he had done in Sydney before his deceit was revealed. When tragedy strikes, Bernard must trust his fellow castaways with the truth.

Previously published as «Rosie Dunne» this delightfully enchanting novel about what happens when two people who are meant to be together just can't seem to get it right is written by the gifted author of the widely acclaimed, bestselling «PS, I Love You.»

Splendid and sumptuous historical novel from this internationally bestselling author, telling of the early life of Katherine of Aragon. We think of her as the barren wife of a notorious king; but behind this legacy lies a fascinating story. Katherine of Aragon is born Catalina, the Spanish Infanta, to parents who are both rulers and warriors. Aged four, she is betrothed to Arthur, Prince of Wales, and is raised to be Queen of England. She is never in doubt that it is her destiny to rule that far-off, wet, cold land. Her faith is tested when her prospective father-in-law greets her arrival in her new country with a great insult; Arthur seems little better than a boy; the food is strange and the customs coarse. Slowly she adapts to the first Tudor court, and life as Arthur's wife grows ever more bearable. But when the studious young man dies, she is left to make her own future: how can she now be queen, and found a dynasty? Only by marrying Arthur's young brother, the sunny but spoilt Henry. His father and grandmother are against it; her powerful parents prove little use. Yet Katherine is her mother's daughter and her fighting spirit is strong. She will do anything to achieve her aim; even if it means telling the greatest lie, and holding to it. Philippa Gregory proves yet again that behind the apparently familiar face of history lies an astonishing story: of women warriors influencing the future of Europe, of revered heroes making deep mistakes, and of an untold love story which changes the fate of a nation.

Critically acclaimed, award-winning biography of CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and the brilliant group of writers to come out of Oxford during the Second World War. C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and their friends were a regular feature of the Oxford scenery in the years during and after the Second World War. They drank beer on Tuesdays at the Bird and Baby, and on Thursday nights they met in Lewis' Magdalen College rooms to read aloud from the books they were writing; jokingly they called themselves The Inklings. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien first introduced The Screwtape Letters and The Lord of the Rings to an audience in this company and Charles Williams, poet and writer of super-natural thrillers, was another prominent member of the group. Humphrey Carpenter, who wrote the acclaimed biography of J.R.R. Tolkien, draws upon unpublished letters and diaries, to which he was given special access, in this engrossing story.

Presents the fictional diary of Maybell Brumby, a wealthy American widow who arrives in London in 1932 and discovers that an old school friend is in town: Bessie Wallis Warfield. Maybell and Wally are made for one another. One has money and a foothold in high society. The other has ruthless ambition and enough energy to power the National Grid.

This is a splendid, new, magical adventure from Diana Wynne Jones, set in the worlds of Chrestomanci. Conrad is young, good at heart, and yet is apparently suffering from the effects of such bad karma that there is nothing in his future but terrible things. Unless he can alter his circumstances well, quite frankly, he is doomed. Conrad is sent in disguise to Stallery Mansion, to infiltrate the magical fortress that has power over the whole town of Stallchester, and to discover the identity of the person who is affecting his Fate so badly. Then he has to kill that person. But can any plan really be that simple and straightforward? Of course it can't! And things start to go very strangely for Conrad from the moment he meets the boy called Christopher. This is trademark DWJ; packed with laugh-aloud humour, insane logic, spot-on observations, organised chaos, and all wrapped up in a rattling good adventure which oozes magic from every seam.

The first book in a trilogy from the author of the Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies. Young Nevare Burvelle is the second son of a second son. Traditionally in Gernia, the firstborn son is heir to the family fortunes, the second son bears a sword and the third son is consecrated to the priesthood.

Set in Whitechapel in 1888, The Tea Rose is a tale of a love lost and won, of a family's destruction, of murder and revenge — and one young woman's quest to escape the poverty of her childhood and make her fortune in the tea trade. Fiona Finnegan is the spirited, ambitious daughter of an Irish dock worker. She longs to break free from the squalid lanes and alleys of Whitechapel, where she has a job in a tea factory. With the love of her life, Joe Bristow, she dreams of escaping the poverty and opening her own tea shop. But one by one her dreams fall apart as her father is killed in a dock accident, Joe is seduced by another woman, and her mother is viciously murdered — a suspected victim of Jack, the Ripper. Devastated, her life in tatters, Fiona flees to New York where she sets up home with her alcoholic uncle. Slowly, she builds his small grocery shop into a thriving tea house, and her new life flourishes. After years of hard work, she establishes herself as the head of her own powerful tea empire. But she cannot forget London — or Joe. Convinced that her father was murdered by his brutal employer, Fiona vows to seek revenge and ruin him once and for all. Making her way back to the streets of her impoverished childhood, Fiona must start her fight again. From the bleak poverty and filthy back streets of London to the glossy sophistication of Fifth Avenue, from East End dock workers to New York socialites, The Tea Rose is a charming, heart warming and ultimately life-affirming novel.

This is a rebranded edition of this uniquely helpful guide to all areas of English grammar, illustrated with examples from today's language. Collins Gem English Grammar provides up-to-date and accessible guidance through the intricacies of English grammar in a format that is conveniently sized, durable, and simple to use. The book is divided into sections dealing with the different parts of speech. Each grammatical point is clearly described in a user-friendly format that combines explanations on the left-hand page with examples from modern English on the right-hand page. Providing clear, concise explanations, it features a clear layout with colour. It also offers an accessible approach to English grammar.

Created by the writers of Sex and the City, this book provides an explanation of male behaviour that is designed to stop women wasting their time after men who aren't into them, and help them to find men who really are. It aims to show that men don't want to tell women when they're not interested — and women don't want to hear it anyway.

Simple Simon, Little Miss Muffet, Humpty Dumpty, and all the Mother Goose favorites are here in this timeless collection. With fifty-one lively rhymes, The Tall Book of Mother Goose is the perfect book for sharing.

The cat's pajamas, the bee's knees, and the whole nine yards rolled into one, this true feast for wordlovers delightfully skewers commonly accepted word origin myths and etymological «folk tales.» From the bawdy to the sublime, Quinion's explanations and delightful asides truly prove that the «proof is in the pudding.»

Brochure design is critical in the world of marketing and graphic design, yet can be challenging to execute successfully. The Big Book of Brochures is an extraordinary visual collection featuring work from top designers around the globe. It offers hundreds of ideas, pages of inspiration, and loads of advice for professional graphic designers and students alike. This book provides ideas on corporate and product literature, annual reports and direct marketing, and new media, providing a wellspring of ideas for designers creating client brochures. It offers recommendations for choosing type, layout, photo treatments, and much more. Covering a variety of styles, from classic to modern, sophisticated to conceptual, The Big Book of Brochures is an indispensable brainstorming resource for any designer looking to create innovative, high-quality brochures.

This book presents a complete collection of Tolkien's essays, including two on Beowulf, which span three decades beginning six years before The Hobbit to five years after The Lord of the Rings. The seven 'essays' by J.R.R. Tolkien assembled in this new paperback edition were with one exception delivered as general lectures on particular occasions; and while they mostly arose out of Tolkien's work in medieval literature, they are accessible to all. Two of them are concerned with Beowulf, including the well-known lecture whose title is taken for this book, and one with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, given in the University of Glasgow in 1953. Also included in this volume is the lecture in English and Welsh; the Valedictory Address to the University of Oxford in 1959; and a paper on Invented Languages delivered in 1931, with exemplification from poems in the Elvish tongues. Most famous of all is On Fairy-Stories, a discussion of the nature of fairy-tales and fantasy, which gives insight into Tolkien's approach to the whole genre. The pieces in this collection cover a period of nearly thirty years, beginning six years before the publication of The Hobbit, with a unique 'academic' lecture on his invention (calling it A Secret Vice) and concluding with his farewell to professorship, five years after the publication of The Lord of the Rings.

Brilliantly funny, Louise Rennison's fabby third book on the confessions of crazy but lovable Georgia Nicolson. Now in gorgey new paperback and guaranteed to have the nation laughing their knickers off! Jas said, Well, what happened? And I said, Well, it was beyond marvy. We talked and snogged and then he made me a sandwich and we snogged and then he played me a record and then we snogged. So it was like! Yeah! a snogging fest. Sacre bleu! Jas looked like she was thinking which is unusual and scary. I said, But then this weird thing happened. He had his hands on my waist, standing behind me. Oo-er! D-accord. Anyway, I turned round and he sort of leaped out of the way like two short leaping things. Was he dancing? No! I think he was frightened of being knocked out by my nunga-nungas! Then we both laughed like loons on loon tablets (i.e. a lot).

This work continues the most ambitious and imaginative epic fantasy since The Lord of the Rings. Bloodthirsty, treacherous and cunning, the Lannisters are in power on the Iron Throne in the name of the boy-king Tommen. But fear and deceit are in the air: their enemies are poised to strike. The Martells of Dorne seek vengeance for their dead, and the heir of King Balon of the Iron Isles, Euron Crow's Eye, is as black a pirate as ever raised a sail. Across the war-torn landscape of the Seven Kingdoms, Brienne the Beauty (thus named in mockery of her great size and strength) seeks for Sansa Stark, having vowed to protect Sansa from the wrath of Queen Cersei, Tommen's power-hungry mother. Meanwhile apprentice Maester, Samwell Tarly brings a mysterious babe in arms south to the Citadel from the cruel frozen north where the sinister Others threaten the Wall! A Feast for Crows brings to life dark magic, complex political intrigue and horrific bloodshed. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel and the coldest hearts.

A heart-warming tale of courage and warmth, set against the backdrop of the Second World War, about an abandoned village, a lifelong friendship and one very adventurous cat! 'Classic Morpurgo brilliance' — Publishing News. Something's up. Something big too, very big. At school, in the village, whoever you meet, it's all anyone talks about. It's like a sudden curse has come down on us all. It makes me wonder if we'll ever see the sun again. It's 1943, and Lily Tregenze lives on a farm, in the idyllic seaside village of Slapton. Apart from her father being away, and the 'townie' evacuees at school, her life is scarcely touched by the war. Until one day, Lily and her family, along with 3000 other villagers, are told to move out of their homes — lock, stock and barrel. Soon, the whole area is out of bounds, as the Allied forces practise their landings for D-day, preparing to invade France. But Tips, Lily's adored cat, has other ideas — barbed wire and keep-out signs mean nothing to her, nor does the danger of guns and bombs. Frantic to find her, Lily makes friends with two young American soldiers, who promise to help her. But will she ever see her cat again? Lily decides to cross the wire into the danger zone to look for Tips herself! Now, many years later, as Michael is reading his Grandma Lily's diary, he learns about 'The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips' — and wonders how one adventurous cat could still affect their lives sixty years later.

This New York Times bestseller by the lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is a compelling story of the price of success and excess, dedication and debauchery, intrigue and integrity, and recklessness and redemption that could only come from the world of rock.

The third volume in the acclaimed Emperor series, in which Conn Iggulden brilliantly interweaves history and adventure to recreate the astonishing life of Julius Caesar — an epic tale of ambition and rivalry, bravery and betrayal, from an outstanding new voice in historical fiction. THE GATES OF ROME, THE DEATH OF KINGS and now THE FIELD OF SWORDS tell the powerful, dramatic story of the friendship and enmity between the two men who ruled the Roman world. Following the defeat of the Spartacus rebellion, Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus, who have been sent to run the Roman colonies in Spain, return to challenge powerful senators to become one of the Consuls of Rome. Political opposition, family quarrels, armed rebellions and corruption make this a highly contemporary scene, fuelled by the intrigue of the major characters, who are now developing as full adults. As he takes the legions north into mighty battles with the Gallic tribes, the imperious stand of Caesar and the leadership of his men, his new friendships with fellow leaders and his overwhelming ambition, begin to separate him from Brutus, the great swordsman and warrior. Their long friendship reveals ominous cracks under the strain. Although the Gallic conquests lead to Caesar's triumphal entry into Britain, the victories on the battlefield cause political rivalries at home, and ultimately the famous choice is presented to Caesar and Marcus Brutus. They must choose whether to cross the Rubicon — together or singly — and to take the fight to Rome itself. Conn Iggulden is a brilliant storyteller. Characters jostle for space in the crowded streets, on the battlefields and in the corridors of the Senate. The friendship and rivalry between Caesar and Brutus provides compelling reading. Each book in the EMPEROR series causes readers to return to the previous novel, and ensures they also look forward hugely to the next.

A new paperback edition, never before published in the UK, written and illustrated by the one and only Dr. Seuss. This Hilarious book tells the story of a bored indecisive boy who is urged by a string of Hunches — that come in the guise of bizarre furry creatures — first to do this and then to do that until, finally, he follows the Munch Hunch and goes for lunch!

Sara Shepard hat an der New York University studiert und am Brooklyn College ihren Magisterabschluss in Creative Writing gemacht. Momentan lebt sie mit ihrem Mann in Tucson, Arizona. Sara Shepard wuchs in den Vororten Philadelphias auf; ihre Zeit dort hat die Pretty Little Liars — Serie inspiriert.