Killing a bird with his slingshot as a boy, William Bellman grows up a wealthy family man unaware of how his act of childhood cruelty will have terrible consequences until a wrenching tragedy compels him to enter into a macabre bargain with a stranger in black. Reprint.

A #1 New York Times bestseller, The Thirteenth Tale is part contemporary, part historical with mysterious threads about family secrets and the magic of books and storytelling weaving the two together. All children mythologize their birth . . . So begins the prologue of reclusive author Vida Winter's collection of stories, which are as famous for the mystery of the missing thirteenth tale as they are for the delight and enchantment of the twelve that do exist. The enigmatic Winter has spent six decades creating various outlandish histories for herself. Now old and ailing, she at last wants to tell the truth about her extraordinary past. She summons biographer Margaret Lea, a young woman who is struck by a very curious parallel between Winter's life and her own. As Vida exposes the history she meant to bury for good, Margaret is mesmerized. It is a tale of gothic strangeness, of a remote estate, feral children, a governess, a ghost, and a devastating fire. In this love letter to reading, Diane Setterfield will keep you guessing, make you wonder, move you to tears and laughter and, in the end, deposit you breathless yet satisfied back upon the shore of your everyday world.

From the instant #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “eerie and fascinating” (USA TODAY) The Thirteenth Tale comes a “swift and entrancing, profound and beautiful” (Madeline Miller, internationally bestselling author of Circe) novel about how we explain the world to ourselves, ourselves to others, and the meaning of our lives in a universe that remains impenetrably mysterious. On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation? These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed. Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their ingenuity to solving the puzzle of the girl who died and lived again, yet as the days pass the mystery only deepens. The child herself is mute and unable to answer the essential questions: Who is she? Where did she come from? And to whom does she belong? But answers proliferate nonetheless. Three families are keen to claim her. A wealthy young mother knows the girl is her kidnapped daughter, missing for two years. A farming family reeling from the discovery of their son’s secret liaison stand ready to welcome their granddaughter. The parson’s housekeeper, humble and isolated, sees in the child the image of her younger sister. But the return of a lost child is not without complications and no matter how heartbreaking the past losses, no matter how precious the child herself, this girl cannot be everyone’s. Each family has mysteries of its own, and many secrets must be revealed before the girl’s identity can be known. Once Upon a River is a glorious tapestry of a book that combines folklore and science, magic and myth. Suspenseful, romantic, and richly atmospheric, this is “a beguiling tale, full of twists and turns like the river at its heart, and just as rich and intriguing” (M.L. Stedman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Light Between Oceans).

Speaker, writer, and producer Trey Anthony breaks it down, giving black women a relatable voice and personalized "keeping it real" to-do list on how to practice self-love and self-care. Therapy is not just for white women-no matter what your momma told you! After a lifetime of never truly relating to the personal development experts because of the color of her skin, Trey Anthony has written the book she needed to read as a black woman trying to navigate a world filled with unique challenges that often acts like she doesn't exist. On the outside Trey Anthony was the overachieving, reliable, and strong black woman she was raised to be, but on the inside the pressure of sacrificing her own needs to please others was building. When her grandmother and mother raised her strong, they also unknowingly taught her that self-love and expressing emotions were weak, creating an unhealthy dynamic that had Trey facing burnout and rock bottom. In Black Girl in Love (with Herself), Trey breaks down the lessons and tools that she used to heal her life, including how to: • Set clear and healthy boundaries-even with the people who raised you • Quit being the family ATM • Sort out who is a real friend, and who is just there for parties and gossip • Confront microaggressions at work without missing a beat • Forget who black women are "supposed" to be And fall in love with yourself!

A compulsively readable psychological thriller set in New York and at Oxford University in which a group of six students play an elaborate game of dares and consequences with tragic result It was only ever meant to be a game played by six best friends in their first year at Oxford University; a game of consequences, silly forfeits, and childish dares. But then the game changed: The stakes grew higher and the dares more personal and more humiliating, finally evolving into a vicious struggle with unpredictable and tragic results. Now, fourteen years later, the remaining players must meet again for the final round. Who knows better than your best friends what would break you? A gripping psychological thriller partly inspired by the author's own time at Oxford University, Black Chalk is perfect for fans of the high tension and expert pacing of The Secret History and The Bellwether Revivals. Christopher J. Yates' background in puzzle writing and setting can clearly be seen in the plotting of this clever, tricky book that will keep you guessing to the very end.

For computer scientist Rob Clarke, the days are becoming increasingly uneasy at the Embudo Population Institute as its recently hired director pushes forward on a new contraceptive virus designed to limit human reproduction. But with the hiring of Melinda Lanier, a beautiful new researcher who seems able to manipulate both his body and his mind, his troubles suddenly turn physical as well. As they work together, Melinda steers Rob’s attention toward the thin dividing line between science and magic, and urges him to embrace the godlike powers that come from crossing it. With their relationship growing closer, he becomes increasingly isolated—first gradually, and then suddenly—from everything in his world but work and Melinda. Her control over him continues to grow, her power undeniable, culminating in a magical flight through the night sky to a strange and terrifying ritual in a mysterious mountain cavern. Afterward, the scientist in Rob seeks out answers, slowly uncovering the reality of his experience and realizing the age-old sexual powers that have made him a victim of Melinda and her world. But then. . . . The Embudo Institute remains. Its dark work of reducing population for the good of humanity goes on. Just keep doing your job, Rob is told. But knowing what he does now, what future can he choose?

Barry the Penguin’s Black and White Christmas is a Christmas musical adventure complete with fantastic songs and beautiful illustrations by Matt Rowe. Barry is a penguin detective with enough gumption to carry him from one end of the earth to the other and back again, with Kung Fu skills to boot! When Father Christmas is kidnapped by the evil Bedbug Queen on Christmas Eve, it looks like Christmas will be destroyed forever. Only the chosen one, a girl called Phoebe, can save him, and it’s up to Barry to find her and whisk her away on a quest involving penguin prophecies, cryptic elves, and crazy nuns that live in the centre of the earth. But Phoebe hates Christmas. Will Barry convince her to help him? Will they reach Father Christmas before midnight strikes? Will they have the power to stop the evil Bedbug Queen? Featuring unforgettable new songs, this is a superbly original, comical story about the importance of friendship, trust and believing in yourself. The book is accompanied by an audio CD with word-for-word narration, sound effects, and character voices and songs performed by a fantastic West End cast. Children can follow the story and sing along to the irresistible music. Based on the musical by Lesley Ross and John-Victor, Perfect Pitch bring you this alternative Christmas tale narrated by Dr Who’s Christopher Eccleston, a musical in a book like no other.