English books

Peony has neither seen nor spoken to any man other than her father, a wealthy Chinese nobleman. Nor has she ever ventured outside the cloistered women's quarters of the family villa. As her sixteenth birthday approaches she finds herself betrothed to a man she does not know, but Peony has dreams of her own. Her father engages a theatrical troupe to perform scenes from The Peony Pavilion, a Chinese epic opera, in their garden amidst the scent of ginger, green tea and jasmine. 'Unmarried girls should not be seen in public,' says Peony's mother, but her father allows the women to watch from behind a screen. Here, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man and is immediately bewitched. So begins her unforgettable journey of love, desire, sorrow and redemption.

Perfect for the fans of Easy by Tammara Webber and The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines. It’s summer in Sussex County and things are heating up for Brenna, Jake and Saxon. Golden couple Brenna and Jake are worlds apart. Brenna’s in Ireland on a creative writing course and Jake’s in New York, meeting his real family, who are super wealthy and seriously obnoxious. Sex and getting drunk are pretty much all Saxon’s life is about, until he runs his allowance dry and is sent to the middle of nowhere to learn some real life lessons. He might just be surprised by what he learns… It’s a summer full of romance, breaking up, making up, and looking to the future. But who will end up with who, and will all that unresolved chemistry finally get put to bed? Slow Twitch is the third title in the Brenna Blixen series.

Lord Miles Vorkosigan, youngest Imperial Auditor to be appointed by the Emperor since the Time of Isolation, has a problem all his new power can't solve: unrequited love for the beautiful Vor widow Ekaterin Vorsoisson. Ekaterin is violently allergic to marriage as a result of her first exposure.

The Virus Is Back. The Clock Is Ticking. And This Time, The Whole World Is At Risk ... A Gripping Thriller About The Search For A Lethal Contagion - perfect for fans of Tess Gerritsen and Michael Crichton 'Brilliantly written, with amazing characters...a totally superb read.' Two years on from uncovering a terrifying conspiracy of rogue scientists, all Kate Maddox wants is to lead a normal life with her partner Paul and son Jack. But then a face from the past turns up, bringing chilling news. A devastating new strain of the virus that killed Kate's parents is loose in L.A. - and when a bomb rips through a hotel killing many top scientists, it becomes clear someone will do anything to stop a cure being found. While Paul goes on the hunt for answers, Kate finds herself in a secret laboratory in the heart of California, desperately seeking a way to stop the contagion. But time is running out and soon it will be too late to save their loved ones, themselves, and the world... 'Brilliantly written, with amazing characters...a totally superb read.'

Every night I'd lie there in bed and look out at the hills behind our house, listening. I knew there'd be consequences. Actions meant reactions. Sunrises meant sunsets. My fear was too permanent, lasting longer than eyeliner, something I wore every day and didn't wash off. Quinlan Lacey's life is a red carpet of weird fashions, hip bands, random parties, and chilling by the pool with her on-and-off BFF Libby. There's also her boring job (minimum wage), a crushed-out coworker (way too interested), her summer plans (nada), and her parents (totally clueless). Then one night she meets gorgeous James, and Quinn's whole world turns crazy, Technicolor, 3-D, fireworks, whatever. But with good comes bad and unfortunately, Quinn's new romance brings with it some majorly evil baggage. Now, to make things right, she has to do a lot of things wrong (breaking and entering, kidnapping, lying, you name it). There's normal, and then there's paranormal, and neither are Quinlan's cup of Diet Coke. Staying sane, cool, in love, and alive isn't so easy breezy.

An arresting, gripping novel of dark relationships and even darker moralities: introducing a remarkable new voice in crime fiction Winner of the ITV3 Crime Thriller Book Club Best Read Award; shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Dagger for Best Debut Crime Novel of the Year and the Saltire Scottish First Book of the Year Award, longlisted the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for Best Thriller of the Year, longlisted for the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year Award. A twenty-nine-year-old man lives alone in his Glasgow flat. The telephone rings; a casual conversation but behind this a job offer. The clues are there if you know to look for them. He is an expert. A loner. Freelance. Another job is another job but what if this organisation wants more? A meeting at a club. An offer. A brief. A target: Lewis Winter. It's hard to kill a man well. People who do it well know this. People who do it badly find out the hard way. The hard way has consequences. An arresting, gripping novel of dark relationships and even darker moralities, The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter introduces a remarkable new voice in crime fiction. The second book in the Glasgow Trilogy How A Gunman Says Goodbye will follow soon.

Reese and David are not normal teens-not since they were adapted with alien DNA by the Imria, an extraterrestrial race that has been secretly visiting Earth for decades. Now everyone is trying to get to them: the government, the Imria, and a mysterious corporation that would do anything for the upper hand against the aliens. Beyond the web of conspiracies, Reese can't reconcile her love for David with her feelings for her ex-girlfriend, Amber, an Imrian. But Reese's choice between two worlds will play a critical role in determining the future of humanity, the Imria's place in it, and the inheritance she and David will bring to the universe. In this gripping sequel to Adaptation, Malinda Lo brings a thoughtful exploration of adolescence, sexuality, and "the other" to a science-fiction thriller that is impossible to put down.