Recommended Reads
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A Mother, An Artist and the Red Lights in Amsterdam
Imagine discovering one day that your beloved mother or your precious daughter had worked—or is still working—behind a red-lit window in Amsterdam’s Red Light District, where sex work is entirely legal.
This book explores the struggle to come to terms with the unimaginable.
The life of Lihi van Dijk, a young arts student living in Amsterdam, has never been sweeter. She has everything: unique artistic talent, stunning beauty, a loving partner, his five-year-old daughter whom she has adopted as her own, a warm and supportive family, and a circle of devoted friends who all call her ‘The Princess’.
But all of that is about to change, unravel, and fall apart when everyone discovers that the previous summer, unbeknownst to anyone, Lihi worked in the Red Light District.
Her loved ones all turn their backs on her, abandoning her and burning every bridge—everyone except her little girl.
As loneliness and despair close in, Lihi returns to the Red Light District in Amsterdam, the one place where no one will judge her.
There, in a world painted in shades of red, black, and grey, caught between painting and selling her body to strange men, Lihi finds her way back to her loved ones, her family, and to herself.
This is a story about motherhood and art, about pain and distress, about love and friendship, and the hope that tomorrow morning the sun will shine on a green and blossoming world, illuminating a new path toward goodness and well-being.
It’s said that it’s always darkest just before dawn. This is Lihi’s story: in the darkness and in the sunrise.
£11.99 -
Hoonamajabies - A Collection of Adult Short Stories
Ever wondered what if superheroes went on a date, you got your revenge on an ex-partner, got chased by hit men on your wedding weekend, or had a nightmare trip to the Oscars? Worry no more because this latest book from the mind of PJ Aitken will grip you from the first page and not let go. The successful author of The Run has written a no-holds-barred attempt to stay busy during the pandemic and let his mind wander into magical, wonderful and hilarious genre-bending worlds, one short story at a time.
There will be something for everyone amongst the countless stories within this single volume. Action, comedy, romance, horror and science fiction are only some of the genres you will experience before the final page. You will laugh, cry, scream and accidentally wet yourself flying through this thrill read. Sometimes at the same time! By the end you too will be screaming Hoonamajabies!
£9.99 -
Along The Eagle's Way
With vivid prose and compelling characters, Along the Eagle’s Way offers a captivating glimpse into Biblical times. The destinies of Linus Flavian, Maria of Magdala, and their son, Marcus, play out in this dramatic first-century story that spans the extremities of the known world of that time, from Britannia to India.
The Roman Empire is rising to its Flavian height while a fledgling religious sect of Judaism reconciles itself with the mystery of its crucified leader, Joshua of Nazareth. Growing from a clash between nationalistic Judaism and a messianic universalism, followers from Saul of Tarsus to Simon Cephas take the fledgling faith out to the Gentile world on the trading routes of the House of Arimathea. Their witness, however, differs from the very personal understanding of divinity that Maria believes that she learnt from her lover, the crucified Lord. She passes this legacy on to her son, Ben Joshua, a child whom Joshua never knew. Ben Joshua finds this message enhanced when he travels to India as a partner in the House of Arimathea—but his survival is anything but certain.
Longley's prose skilfully navigates a complex and intricate narrative. An intriguing read and a great alternative telling of a very old story.
– Portland Book Review
The politics of faith are as complex as the politics of nations. Exploring the politics of Judaism and the will of the Empire throughout the first century as well as many challenges to personal faith, Along the Eagle’s Way is a riveting read that should prove hard to put down.
– Midwest Book Review
£16.99 -
Alien Being Human
Alien Being Human searches via a quasi-Gonzo-style of writing to stretch the notions and ideals of what it ‘is’ to be human whilst engaging with, and in, ‘identity’, the ‘who’, ‘what’ and ‘should’ I—that is ‘me’—‘be’ in this artificial intelligence-meets-human and manufactured-beings pandemonium. Set in the 2050s, which is the end result of an AI-driven affliction decades long in the development of a borderless world.
A machination-driven hostile environment is what has been forced on Mother Earth.
Other—how does one say?—‘Assemblies’ have begun to live on Earth and ‘they’ are many types of beings. The problem is the manufactured beings, or ‘droids’ as they are colloquially referred to by those chasing them down and bringing them ‘into line’, or if not possible, have ‘them’ ‘ended’. Call it what you will. Possibly… no, certainly, droids are getting smarter. Infused-AI? And more to the point, ‘they’, the droids, seem to be evolving ‘feelings’—and there is another undertone beginning to happen; some humans, or purebreds, as they are known, are suggesting droids now have a ‘soul’. Surely not! Perhaps? What! Impossible! No! Surely not? Incredible! Down there on Mother Earth droids have had help ‘evolving’ by one particular recalcitrant pure-breed scientist and it is he who has made them think, consider, contemplate, nuance, be proactive, and… plan. How does one arrest such a situation? How do you outwit the sagacious? How do you outwit an evolved being—a droid—that has become ‘wiser’?
£10.99 -
My Grandpa
This story My Grandpa is a heartwarming celebration of a grandpa who likes to fix stuff. He likes gardening, he builds, he plays, he is a collector, he loves to paint, in fact there is nothing he can’t do! But most importantly, he loves his grandchild and there is a special bond between them. This is a playful, rhyming tribute to all the caring grandpas.
£8.99 -
Not Listening
Not Listening is the story of a young boy who doesn’t listen to his parents or siblings and many troubles befall him as a result. He is a typical lad who lives life to the full and has no time to stop and listen.
The boy’s family despairs of their son and brother and eventually they need to come to grips with the problem that affects the whole family.
£8.99 -
The Daydreamer and the Dragon
ELLA MIGHT BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM HER SIBLINGS. BUT IS BEING DIFFERENT SUCH A BAD THING?
Ella loves art, wears comfy clothes, and enjoys climbing trees. A daydreamer at heart, Ella’s interests are a little different from everyone else’s, though some people don’t seem to appreciate her creative personality. Especially not her big sister, Madison.
Always hoping to get her big sister’s acceptance, Ella endures Madison’s meanest words even when they hurt her feelings. And Madison never fails to say something unkind whenever she can. But after her big sister’s bullying and mean words pull Ella’s last straw, Ella is forced to speak up for herself and expose Madison for the nasty dragon she is.
It’s not about being like everyone else. It’s about being yourself and embracing your differences. That’s what Ella learns when her world of sadness transforms with a life-changing surprise. And after she finally gets the support of the one person she always hoped to impress, Ella learns what it’s like to feel complete.
Join Ella and her siblings as they learn a valuable lesson about accepting each other’s differences and being supportive!
£9.99 -
Jessica BunnyDuck Learns to Swim
Jessica BunnyDuck can’t wait for her first swimming lesson! But when her bright red rubber ring flips her upside down in the village pond, she learns that new skills take practice.With Mummy Duck’s help and plenty of determination, Jessica discovers she can paddle just as well as her siblings Rosie, Posie, and Peter!
£8.99 -
Jessica BunnyDuck Goes Out to Play
Now that Jessica Bunny Duck can swim, there’s no stopping her adventures! When a swing ride over the pond goes wrong, Jessica makes a splash landing right on the Frog family’s Sunday stroll. But that’s not the biggest surprise of the day!After racing her siblings to Nanny and Grandad Duck’s cottage, Jessica proves she might not be the best swimmer yet, but she’s certainly the fastest runner – and the quickest to reach the strawberry jam!A delightful tale about growing up, making mischief, and finding your own special talents.
£8.99 -
A Tale of Two Queens
In a kingdom where tradition reigns supreme, King Ahosepe Sai Kodjoe I of the Abante Kingdom decides to defy societal norms. Faced with pressure from his council of elders to conform to the customary ‘rite of the Akaam River’ and select a wife from the most beautiful and best of Abante maidens, his decision to marry Asantewaa, a slave girl from the house of the influential Obirempon, defies all expectations. This union presents a unique set of challenges to Ahosepe and Asantewaa, challenging the established order of things, setting the stage for an inimitable and compelling story of love, loyalty, and the clash between the old ways and the winds of change.
£12.99 -
Sam Hunter and the Case of the Missing Watch
Sam Hunter is a nine-year-old boy, or as he would have it, nine years and four months old. That was very important to someone who was counting down the days until he was in double figures. He was your average nine-year-old boy who loved exploring the woods behind his home and playing football with his mates. But his main passion was watching detective series and films on the TV and reading detective novels. His favourite was The Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes, and he was always on the lookout for a good mystery to solve. One day he hoped he could be a famous detective solving crimes.
His opportunity to solve a big mystery comes a lot sooner than he thought, as on his way home, one snowy Christmas Eve, he meets an elf named Evilo.
He is whisked off to the North Pole to help Evilo and all her elf friends try to find Santa’s (or Papa Nick as they call him) missing magic watch, without which he will not be able to deliver all the Christmas gifts to all the boys and girls around the world and Christmas will be, for the first time ever, ruined.
Using his detective skills and help from Evilo, it is a breathtaking race against time to find the watch and return it to Papa Nick before “Elf Time” runs out.
£7.99 -
The Stoneman
A mental transmission for a soul’s translation—a heart’s transformation in Turquoise.
The Stoneman stands to smash the status quo: daring to build rather than destroy, to bridge systems of separation. An outcast rebel with misfit classification, he targets societal change to uplift humanity and forge true connection.
At his journey’s heart lies a girl he loves deeply—yearning not just for her understanding but to love her as profoundly as he’s understood. Together with their quietly radical ideas, they ignite a revolution of body, mind, and soul, demolishing walls around human hearts.
Yet life brings cruel setbacks. Threatened by challenges that derail his path, the Stoneman’s resolve is tested to breaking point. This rare gem remains unshaken—energised by empathy, fuelled by encouragement. What is the true source of his strength? With a steadfast friend’s support, he forges joy from adversity, turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones.
A story of moments crystallised in time: some seized, others slipping through our grasp. A prayer that when precious chances pass, fortune may spin the wheel again.
So, come! Sing heart-songs with the Stoneman—and discover what dreams may be.
£7.99
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