Book of the week

Grace and Tom have a strong marriage, a comfortable home, and a beautiful baby daughter. But when Chloe turns three, her life is claimed by Sepsis — a cruel and indiscriminate disease.

A storm orphan, Ruby Flynn, is rescued from a tiny cottage on the Atlantic coast and educated by nuns in preparation for a life in service. Appointed as a nursery maid, Ruby experiences a dangerous attraction to Lord FitzDeane.

It’s the beginning of the end for the people of Earth, as gigantic alien war machines deploy heat rays and noxious gas to destroy everything in their path. Will humanity survive?

Jim lived a double life — an undercover agent amongst spies and radicals in Cold War London. Haunted by her father’s past, his daughter Sam quits university to find out the truth and locate her missing boyfriend — the one person she can trust.

Containing amusing examples of awful grammar, this Sunday Times bestseller is the go-to grammar guide. Leave those split infinitives and dangling modifiers behind, as you ascend to grammatical greatness.

This condensed history of the cosmos offers a complete and comprehensible timeline of life, the universe, and everything. It breaks down big history into accessible parts for everyone to enjoy.

Overused, meaningless and — to be perfectly honest — irritating, clichés are a thorn in the side of everyday English. Lifting the lid on why they should be avoided at all costs, esteemed journalist Nigel Fountain thinks outside the box, sharing his blue sky thinking on how to avoid clichés like the plague. After all, it’s not rocket science.

This award-winning collection of nine short stories explores the impact of American violence, American shame, and the actions and emotions of humans pushed to the brink.

The former poet laureate of Spokane, Washington paints a portrait of herself in different selves: a lost child, a lonely adolescent, a teacher, a daughter, a friend, a wife, and a mother.

The four poetry collections that launched the career of award-winning writer Lucille Clifton, plus her haunting memoir ‘Generations’ are collated here in one essential volume.