Colorless ​Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

Yann Martel - Life ​of Pi
After ​the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, one solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific.The crew of the surviving vessel consists of a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan, a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger and Pi - a 16-year-old Indian boy.The scene is set for one of the most extraordinary pieces of literary fiction of recent years. Yann Martel's Life of Pi is a transformative novel, a dazzling work of imagination that will delight and astound readers in equal measure. It is a triumph of storytelling and a tale that will, as one character puts it, make you believe in God.

Molly McAdams - Taking ​Chances
Eighteen ​year old Harper has grown up under her career Marine of a father's thumb. Ready to live life her own way and experience things she's only ever heard of from the jarheads in her father's unit; she's on her way to college at San Diego State University. Thanks to her new roommate, Harper is introduced to a world of parties, gorgeous guys, family and emotions. Some she wasn't expecting yet, and others she never knew she was missing. She finds herself being torn in two as she quickly falls in love with her boyfriend Brandon, and her roommate's brother Chase. Covered in tattoos, known for fighting in the Underground and ridiculously muscled...they're exactly what she was always warned to stay away from, but just what she needs. Despite their dangerous looks and histories, both adore and would do anything for Harper, including stepping back if it means she's happy. Her first year away is turning out to be near perfect, but one weekend of giving in to heated passion will change everything. Due to sexual situations and language, this is Mature YA/New Adult. Recommended for ages 17+

Jennifer Weiner - In ​Her Shoes
Meet ​Rose Feller. She's thirty years old and a high-powered attorney with a secret passion for romance novels. She has an exercise regime she's going to start next week, and she dreams of a man who will slide off her glasses, gaze into her eyes, and tell her that she's beautiful. She also dreams of getting her fantastically screwed-up little sister to get her life together. Meet Rose's sister, Maggie. Twenty-eight years old, drop-dead gorgeous and only occasionally employed, Maggie sings backup in a band called Whiskered Biscuit. Although her dreams of big-screen stardom haven't progressed past her left hip's appearance in a Will Smith video, Maggie dreams of fame and fortune -- and of getting her dowdy big sister to stick to a skin-care regime. These two women with nothing in common but a childhood tragedy, shared DNA, and the same size feet, are about to learn that their family is more different than they ever imagined, and that they're more alike than they'd ever believe. In Her Shoes -- Jennifer Weiner's follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut, Good in Bed -- observes Rose and Maggie, the brain and the beauty, as they make journeys of discovery that take them from the streets of Philadelphia to Ivy League libraries to a "retirement community for active seniors" in Boca Raton. Along the way, they'll encounter a wild cast of characters -- from a stepmother who's into recreational Botox to a small, disdainful pug with no name. They'll borrow shoes and clothes and boyfriends, and make peace with their most intimate enemies -- each other. Funny and poignant, richly detailed and wrenchingly real, In Her Shoes will speak to anyone who has endured the bonds of big -- or little -- sisterhood, or longed for a life different from the one the world has dictated, and dreamed of trying something else on for size.

David Lodge - Deaf ​Sentence
_Being ​deaf is less an affliction than a sentence..._ Retired Professor of Linguistics Desmond Bates is going deaf. Not suddenly, but gradually and - for him and everyone nearby - confusingly. It's a bother for his wife, Winifred, who has an enviably successful new career and is too busy to be endlessly repeating herself. Roles are reversed when he visits his hearing-impaired father, who won't seek help and resents his son's intrusions. And, finally, there's Alex. Alex is a student Desmond agrees to help after a typical misunderstanding. But her increasingly bizarre and disconcerting requests cannot - unfortunately - be blamed on defective hearing. So much for growing old gracefully...

Marisa de los Santos - Falling ​Together
What ​would you do if an old friend needed you, but it meant turning your new life upside down? Pen, Will, and Cat met during the first week of their first year of college and struck up a remarkable friendship, one that sustained them and shaped them for years - until it ended abruptly, and they went their separate ways. Now, six years later, Pen is the single mother of a five-year-old girl, living with her older brother in Philadelphia and trying to make peace with the sudden death of her father. Even though she feels deserted by Will and Cat, she has never stopped wanting them back in her life, so when she receives an email from a desperate-sounding Cat asking her to meet her at their upcoming college reunion, Pen goes. What happens there sends past and present colliding and sends Pen and her friends on a journey across the world, a journey that will change everything.

Katie Fforde - A ​Perfect Proposal
Sophie ​Apperly has been supporting herself since she left school, but as far as her academic family are concerned she's never had a 'proper' job. And because she's currently in between work she's despatched to look after Uncle Eric while his housekeeper is away. Here, whilst tidying his papers, she discovers a document relating to family business in America. Driven mad by her family and wanting to prove herself to them and bring in some much-needed income for them all, when her best friend Milly invites her over to New York she jumps at the chance - what's more she's lined up some nannying work for her to pay her way. However, she's hardly been in the country five minutes before disaster strikes. She suddenly finds herself with no work, nowhere to stay and very little money. Luckily Milly has a corner in her tiny apartment she can camp out in. A jaunt to an art gallery opening throws her into the path of Matilda - a grand old lady who is delighted to find someone who comes from the same part of the world as she grew up in. She is very taken with Sophie and invites her to her house in Connecticut for Thanksgiving. But Matilda's grandson Luke is very suspicious of Sophie - what exactly does this English girl want, is she after her grandmother's money? - and he's determined to nip this growing friendship in the bud.

Maggie O'Farrell - The ​Hand That First Held Mine
A ​gorgeously written story of love and motherhood, this is a tour de force from one of our most acclaimed and best loved novelists. When the sophisticated Innes Kent turns up by chance on her doorstep, Lexie Sinclair realises she cannot wait any longer for her life to begin, and leaves for London. There, at the heart of the 1950s Soho art scene, she carves out a new life for herself, with Innes at her side. In the present day, Elina and Ted are reeling from the difficult birth of their first child. Elina, a painter, struggles to reconcile the demands of motherhood with sense of herself as an artist, and Ted is disturbed by memories of his own childhood, memories that don't tally with his parents' version of events. As Ted begins to search for answers, so an extraordinary portrait of two women is revealed, separated by fifty years, but connected in ways that neither could ever have expected.

Anthony Capella - The ​Various Flavours Of Coffee
It ​was a cup of coffee that changed Robert Wallis’s life --- and a cup of very bad coffee at that. The impoverished poet is sitting in a London coffeehouse contemplating an uncertain future when he meets Samuel Pinker. The owner of Castle Coffee offers Wallace the very last thing a struggling young artiste in fin de siècle England could possibly want: a job. But the job Wallis accepts --- employing his palate and talent for words to compose a “vocabulary of coffee” based on its many subtle and elusive flavors --- is only the beginning of an extraordinary adventure in which Wallis will experience the dizzying heights of desire and the excruciating pain of loss. As Wallis finds himself falling hopelessly in love with his coworker, Pinker’s spirited suffragette daughter Emily, both will discover that you cannot awaken one set of senses without affecting all the others. Their love is tested when Wallis is dispatched on a journey to North Africa in search of the legendary Arab mocca. As he travels to coffee’s fabled birthplace --- and learns the fiercely guarded secrets of the trade --- Wallis meets Fikre, the defiant, seductive slave of a powerful coffee merchant, who serves him in the traditional Abyssinian coffee ceremony. And when Fikre dares to slip Wallis a single coffee bean, the mysteries of coffee and forbidden passion intermingle…and combine to change history and fate.

Murakami Haruki - Világvége ​és a keményre főtt csodaország
A ​talányos című regény cselekménye két szálon fut. Páratlan és páros fejezetei talán egymásról mit sem tudva és egymás elébe vágva fonódnak össze, hogy minden fordulat a meglepetés erejével hasson. A krimiszerű stílusban megírt, szenvtelen, ironikus hangvételű „keményre főtt csodaország" indul előnnyel. Matematikus-numerátor főhősének nincs neve, noha az író az ő ürügyén mondja a magáét, miközben a csodaország mélységeibe és bonyolult, megtévesztő kalandokba sodorja őt. A „Világvége" a lélek elszivárgásának lírai története, amely az önmagukba visszatérő belső erővonalak mentén kering jövő, lélek, emlékek és akarat nélküli emberek társaságában. Csodaország hősét sorsa kíméletlenül tereli a párhuzamos világ felé, és kalandjai végén be is lép az ismeretlenbe. De hogy mi vár rá, az sejtelem marad. A filozófiai, történelmi, biológiai, régészeti esszébetétekkel váltakozó kalandtörténet Murakamira jellemző módon bővelkedik irodalmi illusztrációkban, zenei utalásokban, rejtelmes világában békésen megfér egymás mellett Bob Dylan és Dosztojevszkij.

Miyuki Miyabe - Tűzember
Miyuki ​Miyabe Japán legismertebb misztikus thriller írónője. Könyveit Japánban több millió példányban adták el, és számos irodalmi díjjal jutalmazták. A szerző bűnügyi regényeiben a japán társadalom sötét oldalát vizsgálja. Ha a Tűzember világába lépünk, kegyetlen világba kerülünk. Számoljunk le illúzióinkkal. Az, hogy a modern Tokió lüktet köröttünk, nem segít. Nem véd meg senki, sem a modern elektronika, sem a rendőrség. A fiatalkorú bandák ellen tehetetlen a törvény. De a Tűzember világa számukra is kegyetlen világ. Amit a törvény nem tehet, azt megteszi egy titkos szervezet, az Őrzők társasága. Ők maguk a bíróság, ők a törvény, és ők a hóhérok is. Tagjaik között akarják tudni Dzsunkót is, a különleges képességekkel megáldott vagy megvert fiatal lányt. Dzsunkót, aki lángra lobbantja azokat, akik másokat bántanak. Dzsunkót, aki évek óta folytatja magán háborúját az alvilág ellen. Hajmeresztő utazásra indulunk az igazság nevében. Csak egy baj van. A lányban a bosszú és a kötelességtudat mellett él a lelkiismeret is… Miyuki Miyabe regénye amilyen izgalmas, olyan elgondolkodtató. Vagyis nagyon.

Kanehara Hitomi - Pirszinget ​a kígyónak
Egy ​fiatal lány húsba vágó története, aki alámerészkedik Tokió sötét bugyraiba. A regényben a tizenkilenc éves Luit megbabonázza új barátja, Ama kettévágott kígyónyelve, és révületében nekivág az élet túloldalára vezető útnak. Tokió utcáin a fájdalom átszüremlik az örömbe. Megismeri Ama barátját, Sibát, a tetováló mestert, akinek hideg szemei pusztító titkokat sejtetnek. Mikor Ama és Siba vakmerő viselkedése veszélyes következményekbe torkollik, Lui válaszút előtt találja magát: jó és gonosz, élet és halál, szerelem és gyűlölet között. A könyv kritikusai és olvasói körében egyaránt osztatlan sikert aratott, csak Japánban több mint egymillió példányban kelt el, számos nyelvre lefordították és Kanehara irodalmi hírességé vált saját hazájában. Pirszinget a kígyónak című műve meghozta húszéves alkotójának az Akutagava-díjat is, Japán legnagyobb irodalmi elismerését, melynek ő volt az egyik legfiatalabb kitüntetettje.

Melina Marchetta - Saving ​Francesca
Francesca ​is stuck at St. Sebastians, a boys' school that's pretends it's coed by giving the girls their own bathroom. Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an an impossibly dorky accordion player. The boys are no better, from Thomas who specializes in musical burping to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can't seem to stop thinking about. Then there's Francesca's mother, who always thinks she knows what's best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, alone, and without an inkling who she really is. Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, her social life and—hardest of all—herself.

Murakami Haruki - A ​kurblimadár krónikája I–III.
Tokió ​külvárosában egy Okada Toru nevű munka nélküli fiatalember először csak felesége elveszett macskája keresésére indul, idővel aztán rádöbben, hogy a felesége is elhagyta. A város békés felszíne alatt rejtőző föld alatti világba keveredve különös ismeretséget köt egy testvérpárral, akik a görög szigetvilág két tagjáról kapták a nevüket. A szomszédban lakó bolondos lány révén beavatást nyer a parókakészítés rejtelmeibe, egy nyugalmazott tiszt pedig a mandzsúriai háború tapasztalatait osztja meg vele. A zenekedvelő és rezignált Toru titokzatos állást vállal az inkognitójukat messzemenőkig őrző Szerecsendiónál és Fahéjnál, s eltűnt háziállatának és házastársának felkutatása miatt szó szerint sötét és mély kútba kell alászállnia. Murakami valóságot és misztikumot ötvöző regényének felzaklató történeteit az elbeszélés szenvtelen nyugalma ellensúlyozza, feszült kíváncsiságot ébresztve az olvasóban, aki az események sodrásának engedve képtelen letenni a könyvet. A lapok közül pedig minduntalan kihallatszik a világ mozgásban tartásáért felelős, láthatatlan kurblimadár hangja: gíííííííí...

Joanne Harris - Peaches ​for Monsieur le Curé
It ​isn't often you receive a letter from the dead. When Vianne Rocher receives a letter from beyond the grave, she has no choice but to follow the wind that blows her back to Lansquenet, the village in which eight years ago, she opened up a chocolate shop. But returning to her old home, Vianne is completely unprepared for what she is to find there. Women veiled in black, the scent of spices and peppermint tea - and there, on the bank of the river Tannes, facing the church, a minaret.

Koushun Takami - Battle ​Royale
In ​an alternative future Japan, junior high students are forced to fight to the death! L to R (Western Style). Koushun Takami's notorious high-octane thriller is based on an irresistible premise: a class of junior high school students is taken to a deserted island where, as part of a ruthless authoritarian program, they are provided arms and forced to kill one another until only one survivor is left standing. Criticized as violent exploitation when first published in Japan--where it then proceeded to become a runaway bestseller--Battle Royale is a Lord of the Fliesfor the 21st century, a potent allegory of what it means to be young and (barely) alive in a dog-eat-dog world. Made into a controversial hit movie of the same name, Battle Royale is already a contemporary Japanese pulp classic, now available for the first time in the English language. A group of high school students are taken to small isolated island and forced to fight each other until only one remains alive! If they break the rules a special collar blows their heads off. Koushun Takami's brutal, high-octane thriller is told in breathless. blow-by-blow fashion. Battle Royale is a contemporary Japanese pulp classic now available for the first time in English.

Murakami Haruki - Tánc, ​tánc, tánc
Az ​egész világra kiterjedő, rejtélyes "call girl" szolgálat alkalmazottainak halála borzolja a rendőrség nyomozóinak idegeit. Felbukkan egy fiatal újságíró, aki korábban személyes viszonyt ápolt az áldozatokkal. Az egzisztenciális hullámvölgyben tengődő férfit elhagyja a felesége, s még a macskája is távozik az élők sorából, így ő egy neves író és egy közismert fotóművésznő lánygyermekével, amolyan pesztraként, Hawaiira utazik, hogy rendezze és rendszerezze gondolatait az 1980-as évek kapitalista piacgazdasága által privátmagányba taszított emberiségről. A fiatalember képzeletvilágának múltjában lakozó Birkaember közben tanácsokkal látja el a rock- és popzene, általában a populáris kultúra bűvöletében élő újságírót: A boldogság jobbára elérhetetlen, alkalmazkodni kell a világhoz... ügyesen kell táncolni, mindig csak táncolni! A sikeres volt iskolatárs, aki filmszínészként rajongókkal körülvéve éli a sztárok életét, eközben a szófukar, életunt fiatalember szabad, korlátoktól mentes sorsát irigyli, s szívesen elcserélné vele a sajátját. A régi Delfin Szálló helyére épült új, modern hotel labirintusában, akár az életben, könnyű eltévedni, a múlt árnyaival szembetalálkozni, miközben a kiutat az éledő szerelem jelentheti. Gyilkosságok, magány, siker, a lét elviselhetetlensége, szerelem, barátság - az egyes életutak talán nem véletlenül kereszteződnek. A könyv lapjain minden megtörténhet. Murakami regényében mindazok az erények és jellegzetes alakok megjelennek, amelyek korábbi írásaiban világszerte kivívták az olvasók tetszését, és a kritika elismerő figyelmét. Az egzisztencialista indíttatású, az emberi lét sorskérdéseivel számot vető elbeszélő és szerző ezúttal sem okoz csalódást.

Ryu Murakami - Coin ​Locker Babies
Two ​babies are left in a Tokyo station coin locker and survive against the odds, but their lives are forever tainted by this inauspicious start. As they grow up, they join the ranks of Toxitown: a district of addicts, freaks and prostitutes. One becomes a bisexual rock star and looks for his mother, while the other one, an athlete, seeks revenge. This savage and stunning story unfolds in a surrealistic whirl of violence.

David Lodge - Small ​World
The ​unbridled greed, pettiness, buffoonery and intellectual gobbledegook in the world of higher scholarship are the topics of this thorough and thoroughly funny "roman à English department". It's interesting for a couple of reasons, aside from its humour and lampoonery: it's an insider's view of things--always the best kind--and it takes its old- fashioned time telling a story, complete with reasonable digressions about the state of literary criticism and what may or may not be a realistic view of the academic life.

Freya North - The ​Way Back Home
_One ​summer, something happened that changed everything forever…_ We were who we were, the children of Windward – a little ragtaggle tribe defining the ethos and eccentricity of the place… Born and brought up in an artists’ commune in Derbyshire, Oriana Taylor had freedom at her fingertips in a home full of extraordinary people. The Bedwell brothers, Malachy and Jed, shared their childhood and adolescence with Oriana. In the rambling old house and tangled grounds, their dreams and desires could take wing unchecked. But too much freedom comes at a price. Something happened the summer they were fifteen. And now, having been gone eighteen years, Oriana is back. This is their story.

Haruki Murakami - Kafka ​on the Shore
Kafka ​on the Shore follows the fortunes of two remarkable characters. Kafka Tamura runs away from home at fifteen, under the shadow of his father's dark prophesy. The aging Nakata, tracker of lost cats, who never recovered from a bizarre childhood affliction, finds his pleasantly simplified life suddenly turned upside down. Their parallel odysseys are enriched throughout by vivid accomplices and mesmerising dramas. Cats converse with people; fish tumble from the sky; a ghostlike pimp deploys a Hegel-spouting girl of the night; a forest harbours soldiers apparently un-aged since WWII. There is a savage killing, but the identity of both victim and killer is a riddle. Murakami's new novel is at once a classic tale of quest, but it is also a bold exploration of mythic and contemporary taboos, of patricide, of mother-love, of sister-love. Above all it is an entertainment of a very high order.