Showing titles in Coming of Age

Mary hears on the radio that the British warship her husband is on has sunk, leaving few survivors. Waiting for daybreak to bring news, Mary escapes into memories of her past. Sincere and engaging - a ‘hot-water bottle’ novel - Mariana by Monica Dickens is full of sharply remembered detail...

You’re a disappointment to everyone. You’re a far cry from beautiful - and your thoughts are ugly too. You seem bound to fail, bound to break. But you know what it is to laugh with your best friend, to feel the first tentative tingles of attraction, to take exquisite pleasure in the affront of your unruly body. You just need to find your place. From dead pets and crashed cars to family traumas and misguided love affairs, Susannah Dickey's revitalising debut novel plunges us into the private world of one young woman as she navigates her rocky way to adulthood.

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER This "powerful, mesmerizing story” (People) is an unflinching look into the abyss of slavery, from the acclaimed Nobel Prize winner. With an afterword by the author and a new introduction by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers. “A masterwork...

Amanda King and Tess Cuffe are strangers who share the same Georgian house, but their lives couldn't be more different. Amanda seems to have the perfect life. But the reality is a soulless home, an unfaithful husband and a very lonely heart. While Tess has spent a lifetime hiding and shutting her heart to love. But if they can open up to one another, these two women may just learn that sometimes letting go is the first step to moving forward and new friendships can come from the most unlikely situations.

A semi-famous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country from LA to NY. Thirty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the freeway, beds down in a nondescript motel and immerses herself in a temporary reinvention that turns out to be the start of an entirely different journey.

Cambridge, 1994. Professor Don Lamb is a revered art historian at the height of his powers, consumed by the book he is writing about the skies of the Venetian master Tiepolo. However, his academic brilliance belies a deep inexperience of life and love. When an explosive piece of contemporary art is installed on the lawn of his college, it sets in motion Don's abrupt departure from Cambridge to take up a role at a south London museum. There he befriends Ben, a young artist who draws him into the anarchic 1990s British art scene and the nightlife of Soho.

Blake and Lucy were once inseparable - two girls bound by secrets, dares, and the kind of friendship that cuts deeper than blood. Until the day everything shattered. Years later, Blake's life is collapsing, and the only way to fix it is to confront the past she's tried so hard to forget. She forces herself to reach out to Lucy in a letter, a first step toward redemption. But as Blake begins to write, unsettling memories surface. Shadows she thought she'd buried twist into new shapes. And she starts to wonder: What if the strange little girl didn't stay little?

As read on BBC Radio 4 A Sunday Times Best Book of the Year An Observer Best Debut of the Year 'Compassionate, lyrical and full of devilment' - Louise Kennedy, author of Trespasses 'A joy . . . vivid, loving and genuinely funny' - The Sunday Times 'I didn't want it to ever end' - Jennie Godfrey...

A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK, THE PERFECT READ FOR SPRING 2026. 'A deliciously messy peek behind the crown: scandal, heartbreak, treachery' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Everything I love in a holiday read' REESE WITHERSPOON 'A backstage pass to all the royal secrets' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Smart, juicy and...

Jake has fallen head over heels for Dandelion. The only problem? Dandelion is dead. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– PICKED AS A BOOK TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2026 BY ELLE, VOGUE...

Penguin Audio presents Eve of Man by Giovanna and Tom Fletcher, read by Charlotte Ritchie and Josh Dylan. AGAINST ALL ODDS, SHE SURVIVED. THE FIRST GIRL BORN IN FIFTY YEARS. THEY CALLED HER EVE . . . Described by Tom and Giovanna as an unconventional love story set in a dystopian future, Eve of...

Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory. For fifty years, she has trained to slay wyrms – but none have appeared since the Nameless One, and the younger generation is starting to question the Priory's purpose. To the north, in the Queendom of Inys, Sabran the Ambitious has married the new King of Hróth, narrowly saving both realms from ruin. Their daughter, Glorian, trails in their shadow – exactly where she wants to be. The dragons of the East have slept for centuries. Dumai has spent her life in a Seiikinese mountain temple, trying to wake the gods from their long slumber.

A taut and powerful exploration of the complexities of female friendships and the fragile ties that hold us together. Perfect for fans of Alison Espach and Curtis Sittenfeld ***** Five friends, twenty years, one reunion trip. As undergrads, Gregg, Reba, Hillary, Bella, and Carson formed the kind...

Winner of The British Book Awards Fiction Audiobook of the Year The Number One Sunday Times Bestseller A Selection of Dua Lipa's Service95 Bookclub 'Beautiful and moving, a gay Romeo and Juliet set in the brutal world of Glasgow’s housing estates' – The Observer From the Booker Prize-winning...

Midwife Jess knows she’ll never have a baby of her own, but she’s determined to still be a mum. So Jess decides to foster, providing love and support for children who desperately need it - something Jess never had as a child when she was in foster care. Jess loves caring for the precious babies who come into her life, but letting them go again breaks her heart every time - can she really be a mum after all?

The Story of a New Name follows Elena Ferrante's critically acclaimed My Brilliant Friend, featuring Lila and Elena. The two protagonists are now in their 20s, and marriage appears to have imprisoned Lila. Meanwhile Elena continues her journey of self-discovery.

Funny, heart-warming and ultimately triumphant, The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr by Frances Maynard is a story for anyone who doesn’t quite fit in – and for everyone who chooses not to. Perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. 'Wonderful' – Rosie Walsh, author of...

I’m just a simple girl who likes dessert. And sexy men. And social media. So starting an anonymous video channel called The Sexpert as a side hustle to make up for my low-paying marketing job at Le Man Magazine seemed like a perfectly sensible career decision. Until we went viral, my boss accused my anonymous personality of stealing his idea, and now my super sexy new boyfriend, Andrew, is out to get me. Her. Me. Whatever.

As executioner within Verendal, Finn takes on more responsibility, especially now that he’s saved the kingdom from repeated attack. When protests erupt within Verendal, those from the poorer sections clashing with Archers, Finn finds himself investigating a very different kind of crime than he’s ever pursued, one that might involve witchcraft that he doesn’t understand. This time, his usual tactics might not be enough. Finn must find those responsible before the city falls into chaos, but it might be too late to keep the violence from spreading throughout the kingdom.

'I inhaled this novel. Utterly believable, immersive and heartfelt. I loved it' JENNIE GODFREY 'Wonderful. A masterpiece. I adored it' SOPHIE COUSENS 'A timeless tragedy, a story of the intricacies and illusions of true love' CHRIS WHITAKER 'I didn't want this book to end. 10/10' VOGUE WILLIAMS...