Megan Carroll

This ground-breaking anthology features the compelling and courageous memoirs of eighteen queer Arab writers – some internationally bestselling, others using pseudonyms. Here, we find heart-warming connections and moments of celebration alongside essays exploring the challenges of being LGBTQ+ and Arab.

From a military base in the Gulf to loving whispers caught between the bedsheets; and from touring overseas as a drag queen to a concert in Cairo where the rainbow flag was raised to a crowd of thousands, this collection celebrates the true colours of a vibrant Arab queer experience.

Writer and journalist Marianne Eloise was born obsessive. What that means changes day to day, depending on what her brain latches onto: fixations with certain topics, intrusive violent thoughts, looping phrases. Some obsessions have lasted a lifetime, while others will be intense but only last a week or two.

Obsessive, Intrusive, Magical Thinking is a culmination of a life spend obsessing, offering a glimpse into Marianne’s brain, but also an insight into the lives of others like her. From death to Medusa, to Disneyland to fire, to LA to her dog, the essays explore the intersection of neurodivergence, fixation and disorder, telling the story of one life underpinned and ultimately made whole by obsession.

The year is 1897, and Peggy Devona can speak with ghosts.

She hides her gift from those afraid of a girl with such powers, terrified of the secrets the dead could reveal through her. But when her best friend is accused of murdering her rich mistress, Peggy knows only she – a whisperling – can save her.

Peggy escapes to her uncle’s psychic emporium in the city, seeking out new ghosts to help her solve Sally’s case.

Yet time is running out, and each step towards uncovering the truth also brings Sally one step closer to the gallows. . .

A ghostly adventure in a dark and dangerous Victorian world, perfect for fans of Emma Carroll, Robin Stevens, and Jenni Spangler.

Hiba Noor Khan is also the winner of the Indie Book Award, the Week Junior Book Award, the Jhalak Children’s & YA Prize and The Diverse Book Award.

Three best friends are born on the same day under miraculous circumstances. But by their twelfth birthday, Jahan, Ravi and Lakshmi’s lives are about to change forever. The British announce Indian independence and draw lines of Partition that tear apart the country, and the friends. One of them flees, one of them disappears, and the other is left wondering, could a miracle bring them back together?

Pam Weaver has written more than fifteen books and is a Sunday Times bestselling author.

Jenny starts her training as a nanny, but does she have what it takes and will her family survive without her?

It is 1962 and 17-year-old Jenny is finally able to train for her dream job as a nanny. The residential training is tough Matron takes no prisoners but Jenny bonds with her two roommates, Bernice and Rita, and loves helping the children.

If only her family life could be so happy her brother, Maurice, is a wrong’un and seems to have some hold over her father, and Jenny has never got over the sudden disappearance of her mother.

Finally, Jenny gets her first nanny job, heading for the bright lights of London at the dawn of the Swinging Sixties. Suddenly she is thrust into the lifestyle of the rich at a household in the affluent West End, working for a family whose busy lifestyle means that their child is neglected.

Can Jenny heal their family – and her own?

One damsel + one wolf + many, many, many frogs = DISTRESS

Gloriously fun, romantic and feel-good, discover a 21st century London fairytale with an unforgettable twist . . .

Bella Marble is a true, hopeless, despairing romantic. Above all things, even above her wish to be a writer, she wants love.

But when her beautiful best friend moves out of their flat share to live with the most boring ogre in history, and her perfectly paired parents tell her their own love story is coming to an end, Bella’s illusions of a happily ever after start to shatter. If they can’t find ‘the one’, what chance does she have?

Disenchanted, Bella throws herself into looking for love in all the wrong places. London may be fresh out of knights in shining Armani, but it’s got a surplus of frogs – and as Bella learns, kissing frogs can be extremely fun.

But Bella is forgetting the essential rule of all fairytales.

There is nothing more powerful than a first kiss . . .

Liv Granger has been flailing through life since her teens. When her brother, Joe, announces his engagement to his long-term boyfriend, Liv realises that she has never been able to commit to anything – a career, a fixed address, a relationship – and she may, in fact, be a massive loser.

With the help of Joe and Henry, her oldest friend, Liv comes up with the Loser List: ten tasks to change her life. The most challenging – three dates with the same person. After each increasingly disastrous date, Henry is always there to the rescue. Has what she’s been looking for been right in front of her the whole time?

Between restraining her mother’s wedding planning and doing everything in her power to not be her father’s wingman for his various short-lived girlfriends, Liv learns that the path to self-improvement needs to start with a little self-acceptance…

A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy for fans of Sophia Money-Coutts, Sarah Hogle and Sally Thorne.

Racing was a solo sport. Until now.

Georgia is making history in the F1 world as the lead racer of the first all-female team. Already at the top of her game, she wants to win the World Driver’s Championship – but that means proving herself among the men.

Luca’s racing career has been quite different; a whirlwind of fame and women, but his love for racing is starting to wane. After a reckless yacht incident, he now faces losing his precious Hermes seat.

While at a club post-race, Georgia and Luca fatefully cross paths. Although it was only a drunken, meaningless kiss: the paparazzi strike, and the fans love it. With the best PR either of them have had, their teams urge to continue a fake romance until the end of the season.

But how far will they go for their careers and reputation? And will they be crossing the finishing line together?

After a difficult break-up, my six-year-old Daisy is finally settling into life in two homes. She’s spending more time with her dad, his wealthy and glamorous partner Kirsty, and her new stepsisters, Amelia and Freya. She seems happier. More relaxed. Like she’s finally found her place.

It should be everything I ever wanted for her. So why does it feel like I’m losing her?

Then Daisy confesses something that stops me cold. Something I can’t ignore. That Amelia isn’t kind. Behind closed doors, she’s cruel. Violent even.

Everyone says it’s just normal sibling tension. A bit of jealousy. But the more I try to dismiss it, the harder it becomes to shake the feeling that something is deeply, dangerously wrong.

What would you do if your child told you they were being hurt by someone you trusted? Would you risk everything to protect them – even if no one believes you?

Shelley Fitzgibbon has it all – three beautiful children, a charismatic, successful husband and the life of her dreams. Then her husband Charlie disappears, leaving behind more than just a business in crisis . . .

When Charlie’s estranged mother Vera opens her door to the broken family, secrets from the past begin to emerge that reveal there’s more to the Fitzgibbons than meets the eye. As Shelley struggles to keep her family together, she begins to wonder if she ever knew the man she married . . .

Is blood always thicker than water? Maybe Charlie’s family are simply better off without him . . .

When life goes rogue, roll for romance…
Avid role-playing gamer Morgan is on a quest – to step out of her comfort zone and become her own knight in shining armour.

Jack, the group’s loveable cleric character, is also looking to rewrite a more exciting story for himself.

When they and their friends plan a Renaissance Faire adventure, Morgan and Jack embrace the magic of their alter egos – is it possible they might just fall for each other in real life too?

Whether you are at the start of your journey or have been on the wild ride of gender introspection for a long time, this guide is here to help you thrive as your authentic – and most fabulous – non-binary self. With personal stories, valuable insights and interactive sections, this inspiring book covers a wide range of topics, including mental health, pleasure, fashion, understanding your past, allyship privilege and self-expression.

Written with warmth and unapologetic humour, and with bold illustrations throughout, Ben Pechey has created the ultimate safe space for you to embrace your non-binary life and start living.

Pomegranate Sky is an evocative story of love and lies set against the turmoil of post-revolutionary Tehran. An impressive debut novel, Pomegranate Sky won the inaugural Virginia Prize for Fiction (2009).

Sometimes, just keeping on going makes you a hero.

Eight-year-old Max is counting to a million. Normally, school or having anything interesting to do would get in the way, but school is shut and everyone has to stay home because the UK is in its first lockdown. Max’s dad works at the hospital and counting helps Max with missing him, but as the pandemic progresses and Max’s grandad journeys through his own battle with the virus, what starts as a distraction turns into record-breaking effort that brings Max’s community together.

Suitable for readers aged 7 up, this funny, uplifting story reflects the experiences shared by so many during the Covid pandemic and celebrates how ordinary people accomplish epic things.

I am Inês Bretão and I am 18 years old. Now that I am finally an adult and soon to be married, I feel like my real life is about to begin. I have decided to document everything that happens to me, for my children and my grandchildren…

As Sarah Lacey reads the scrawled handwriting in her great-aunt’s journal on a trip to Portugal, she discovers a life filled with great passion, missed chances and lost loves – memories that echo Sarah’s own life. Because Sarah’s marriage is crumbling, her love for her husband ebbing away, and she fears the one man she truly loves was lost to her many years ago…

But hidden within the faded pages of the journal is a secret Inês has kept locked away her entire life, and one final message for her beloved niece – a chance for Sarah to change her life, if she is brave enough to take it.

This new science series is a breath of fresh air, explaining key elements of science in a fun, straightforward way. Tom Adams’s engaging, lighthearted text is perfectly complemented by the humorous, comic-book style illustrations of new talent Thomas Flintham. In Molecule Mayhem, explore atoms, elements, molecules, reactions, radioactivity and other aspects of chemistry, with interactive novelties and instructions for seven engaging experiments to try at home.

Eadie, Joy and Maureen are all doing their bit to help Britain win the war. Their work at Priddy’s munitions factory is dangerous and gruelling, but undoubtedly necessary.

However, when an explosion at the factory almost kills several of the workers, the girls decide it’s time to find another way to contribute.

Joy sees an advertisement in the newsagents, seeking Hop Pickers in Hampshire, accommodation provided. They leave Gosport, ready for a new adventure. But what they discover about each other and the people they meet over the summer, will change their lives forever.

A heart-warming saga about friendship, love and the hardest days of war. Perfect for fans of Elaine Everest and Pam Howes.

When orphaned Jake Harding is sent away from his adoptive home aged just seven, he does not understand why – especially as his adopted brother, Toby, is kept by their mother.

Forced to make his own way in the world, Jake falls in with a gang of petty thieves, who make their living lifting valuables from those who are better off. At sixteen, he crosses paths with the charismatic Johnny Cooper and his nemesis George Payne, and risks making an enemy when he attracts the attention of George’s beautiful daughter Rebecca.

Johnny Cooper is a rogue with a heart of gold. He senses a kindred spirit in Jake and a talent he could put to good use if Jake worked for him. However, Jake is determined to make something of himself so that no one can ever reject him again. But as he forges his own path, he cannot escape the reach of Johnny, George and their network of cronies, all of which will have far reaching consequences for Jake’s future in ways he could never have imagined.

Christmas in the picturesque village of Willowbrook should be dreamy – twinkling fairylights, snow in the air, and a busy time for Amélie in the repair workshop she owns, restoring furniture and mending treasured objects for locals to give as Christmas gifts. But in the tiny community, Amélie keeps bumping into her ex, Jack – and it’s killing her festive feeling.

Jack and Amélie were perfect for each other… until one day they weren’t. And when Jack’s attempt at reconciliation goes wrong, he finds himself locked in Amélie’s van.

Driving to her aunt’s house in the South of France, Amélie thinks she’s finally going to get some peace over the festive period, but like it or not, she’ll now be spending Christmas trapped on holiday with Jack. Could it help unwrap the secret to why they split up? Or will it be a gift they’d rather exchange?

Curl up with your perfect Christmas read from Sophie Claire. A wonderfully cosy, second-chance enemies-to-lovers festive romance, perfect for fans of Phillipa Ashley, Jo Thomas and Sarah Morgan.

Lily Clare is the adopted daughter of the rector of Hewinghall. She has never been able to resist taking in waifs and strays. She brings home hungry cats, broken-winged birds, and one day, a filthy girl she finds starving and exhausted in the Hewinghall woods: Jess Henefer.

Lily is fiercely protective of Jess, protecting her from the servants’ hostility and providing her with employment. But Lily, with her strange coloured eyes and her mysterious parentage, has never quite belonged in the smug world of Victorian Norfolk society. As they reach maturity, it is Jess who must become Lily’s protector.

A haunting saga set in Victorian Norfolk, perfect for fans of Iris Gower and Rosie Harris.