Fiction Genres

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the author of The House of the Spirits, this epic novel spanning decades and crossing continents follows two young people as they flee the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in search of a place to call home.

In his notebooks, day after day, he makes a clear and careful record of its wonders: the labyrinth of halls, the thousands upon thousands of statues, the tides that thunder up staircases, the clouds that move in slow procession through the upper halls. On Tuesdays and Fridays Piranesi sees his friend, the Other. At other times he brings tributes of food to the Dead. But mostly, he is alone.

Messages begin to appear, scratched out in chalk on the pavements. There is someone new in the House. But who are they and what do they want? Are they a friend or do they bring destruction and madness as the Other claims?

Lost texts must be found; secrets must be uncovered. The world that Piranesi thought he knew is becoming strange and dangerous.

The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.

Penal Colony No. 74 , AKA White Eagle, lies some 600 kilometres north of Yekaterinburg in Russia's Sverdlovskaya Oblast. Imprisoning the country's most brutal criminals, it is a winter-ravaged hellhole of death and retribution . And that's exactly why the Englishman is there.  Six years ago, Raglan was a soldier in the French Foreign Legion engaged in a hard-fought war on the desert border of Mali and Algeria. Amid black ops teams and competing intelligence agencies, his strike squad was compromised and Raglan himself severely injured.  His war was over, but the deadly aftermath of that day has echoed around the world ever the assassination of four Moscow CID officers; kidnap and murder on the suburban streets of West London; the fatal compromise of a long-running MI6 operation.  Raglan can't avoid the shockwaves. This is personal. It is up to him to finish it and it ends in Russia's most notorious penal colony. But how do you break into a high security prison in the middle of nowhere? More importantly, how do you get out?

Ravaged by years of war and civil conflict, Britain has changed its name to Airstrip One and become part of Oceania – one of the three totalitarian blocks dominating the world – ruled by a mysterious leader called Big Brother who keeps the population in thrall through strict surveillance and brutal police repression. In a society where the individual is suppressed and turned into an “unperson” for not conforming, and where not only personal thought, but also historical record and language itself are constantly being manipulated by the ruling regime, Ministry of Truth worker Winston Smith tries to make sense of the rebellious thoughts and passions that are stirring inside him, and finds himself impotent against the inexorable machine that surrounds him and threatens to crush him at any time.

Arguably the greatest dystopian novel of all time and the most influential post-war work of fiction – which enriched the English language with words such as “Newspeak”, “doublethink” and “thoughtcrime” – Nineteen Eighty-Four is a riveting read and a groundbreaking exploration of mass surveillance, censorship and mind control, which has a deep resonance with the world we live in.

This strange and lovely parable, written as much for adults as for children, and beautifully illustrated by the author, has become a classic of our time. The narrator, an air pilot, tells how, having made a forced landing in the Sahara Desert, he meets the little prince. The wise and enchanting stories the prince tells about the planet where he lives with three volcanoes and a haught flower, about the other planets and their rulers, and about his fight with the bad seeds, make him an entrancing, unforgettable character. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was a novelist and professional air pilot. He wrote The Little Prince a year before his death in 1944. DESCRIPTION ON BACK JACKET OF THIS EDITION: When a pilot crash-lands in the Sahara Desert he meets a stranger - a little prince - who has arrived on Earth from an entirely different planet. By listening to the prince's stories and his questions about the world, it becomes clear to the pilot that truths about life can reveal themselves in the most unlikely of places. Translated into 180 languages and selling over 80 million copies, this beautiful and wise tale of childhood innocence will delight readers of all ages. This edition also includes Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's charming original illustrations.

Titles in this set:

1. Earthquakes & Tsunamis
2. Sun Moon and Stars
3. Living in Space
4. Storms and Hurricanes
5. Volcanoes
6. Astronomy
7. The Solar System
8. Your Body
9. Planet Earth
10. Weather

Description:

Earthquakes & Tsunamis
This is a fantastic addition to the popular Beginners series, providing an informative introduction to the fascinating world of earthquakes for young readers. There are clear explanations of the science behind different types of earthquakes and their effects, including tsunamis and landslides. This title features real-life earthquakes, and describes how people are kept safe and rescued when disaster strikes. Striking colour photographs and step-by-step illustrations engage readers with the subject matter. This title is developed with a reading expert from Roehampton University to help young readers grow in confidence

Sun, Moon and Stars
What is the Sun made of? How did astronauts get to the Moon and what did they find there? For children beginning to read on their own, this book is an exciting introduction to space. Includes vivid, full-colour illustrations and photographs on every page, and easy-to-read text specially written with the help of a reading expert.

Living in Space
How do astronauts travel into space? Where do they live when they get there? What do they do all day? In this book, you'll find the answers and lots more amazing facts about living in space. This non-fiction series aims to encourage children to access the wonder of the world around them. The easy-to-read text has been specially written with the help of a reading expert.

Storms and Hurricanes
How do astronauts travel into space? Where do they live when they get there? What do they do all day? In this book, you'll find the answers and lots more amazing facts about living in space. This non-fiction series aims to encourage children to access the wonder of the world around them. The easy-to-read text has been specially written with the help of a reading expert.

Volcanoes
Did you know that somewhere in the world, a volcano is erupting right now? In this fascinating book, you can read about amazing eruptions and find out about fiery lava rivers, deadly ash clouds, steaming springs and much more.

Astronomy
A straightforward book telling you all a beginner needs to know about the planets, stars, moons, nebulae, galaxies, asteroids and more, through easy-to-read text, full-colour photographs and step-by-step visual explanations. Recommended websites accessed via Usborne Quick links provide further online resources.

The Solar System
What is the surface of Mars like? Why does Venus glow in the dark? How do scientists explore faraway planets? Beginner readers can find answers to these questions and more in this colourful information book.

Your Body
Have you ever wondered what's inside you? Take a tour around your amazing body and find out what your heart and lungs do, how you see and hear, where food goes and lots more.

Planet Earth
What makes planet Earth so special? It's the only planet to have anything living on it for a start. But it also has fiery volcanoes, magnificent mountains, scorching deserts and icy landscapes. Find out all about it in this fantastic book.

Weather
What makes the wind blow? How can rain sometimes be red? Why are tornadoes like vacuum cleaners? You'll find out the answers and lots more about weird and wonderful weather in this fascinating book. Usborne Beginners are colourful information books for children beginning to read on their own.

Bourne is Back.
...and in the crosshairs of every intelligence agency on the planet.

New York Congresswoman Sofia Ortiz has been assassinated – and it looks like Jason Bourne was the rogue gunman responsible.

Ortiz was about to blow the whistle on a scandal that could tie one of the most powerful tech companies in the country to Treadstone, the shadowy government agency that trained Bourne, and to something even more sinister. If he is to clear his name, Bourne is going to have to get to the bottom of the conspiracy Ortiz was killed to protect.

It won't be easy: alone, on the run, with enemies at every turn, Bourne will have to put all his skills to the test – and uncover some new ones.

The second book in the Harry Potter series, illustrated in brilliant full colour by the iconic design house MinaLima and featuring eight interactive paper-engineered elements, including the Weasleys' Burrow! Prepare to be dazzled by this edition of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, designed and illustrated by MinaLima. With over 150 full-colour illustrations and eight exclusive, interactive paper-engineered elements, readers can travel via the Floo Network, encounter the Whomping Willow, reveal the spiral staircase to Dumbledore's office and even pull Mandrakes from their pots! This spectacular edition is the perfect gift for Harry Potter fans of all ages, a wonderful addition to any collector's bookshelf and an enchanting way to introduce this beloved series to a new generation of readers.

WO EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE. A LOVE THAT DRAWS THEM TOGETHER. A LOSS THAT THREATENS TO TEAR THEM APART. On a summer's day in 1596, a young girl in Stratford-upon-Avon takes to her bed with a sudden fever. Her twin brother, Hamnet, searches everywhere for help. Why is nobody at home? Their mother, Agnes, is over a mile away, in the garden where she grows medicinal herbs. Their father is working in London. Neither parent knows that Hamnet will not survive the week. Hamnet is a novel inspired by the son of a famous playwright: a boy whose life has been all but forgotten, but whose name was given to one of the most celebrated plays ever written.