We’re giving you an exclusive peek at what’s in store for your book shelves in 2009.
Remember, you saw them here first . . .
And since it’s the end of the year we’ve rounded up our absolute favourite reads of the past twelve months. Just click here to take a look at the best books of 2008. Happy reading!
HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2009!
The Concubine’s Secret by Kate Furnivall
(Summer 2009)
The much-anticipated sequel to Kate’s spellbinding The Russian Concubine. China, 1929. For years Lydia Ivanova believed her father was killed by the Bolsheviks. But when she learns he is captive in Stalin-controlled Russia, the fiery-haired girl is willing to leave everything behind – even her Chinese lover, Chang An Lo. Journeying with her half brother Alexei, she begins a perilous search that will lead her to a truth she could never have imagined . . .
What My Best Friend Did by Lucy Dawson
(Spring 2009)
Lucy’s second novel after the totally compulsive His Other Lover, believe us when we tell you this one’s even better. What My Best Friend Did is shocking and exhilarating; women’s fiction with sharp edges. When Alice meets Gretchen for the first time, it’s like the friendship is meant to be. But Gretchen has a dark secret, which – like ticking time bombs in her hand – won’t stay hidden for ever. The explosion may teach them both more than they ever wanted to know about how female friendships can go wrong . . .
Summer Sisters
Judy Blume
From bestselling author Judy Blume (yes, really!) comes an extraordinary novel of reminiscence and awakening. In the words of one of our (many) Blume fans: ‘I am thrilled that in 2009 Sphere will be publishing Judy Blume’s Summer Sisters. Judy Blume was like the older sister I never had, the person who told you everything you needed to know about boys, bras and battling through adolescence. Reading Summer Sisters was like meeting up with an old friend and realising how much you’d missed them. It’s an emotional page-turner about two girls, Vix and Caitlin, whose worlds should ordinarily never collide. Vix is seduced by the reckless Caitlin, and after spending a summer with her and her family, life can never be the same again. They share everything: intimate secrets, the excitement of first love, tragic bereavement and that most painful of life’s lessons – the heartbreak of growing apart . . .
How to Lose a Husband and Gain a Life by Bernadette Strachan
(Spring 2009)
We’re so excited about Bernadette’s new novel. This is sparkling, sharp, addictive women’s fiction, packed full of wit and warmth. To the casual eye, Ruby Gallagher has the perfect life: adoring husband, Manny; a stunning home and a fresh designer outfit every day of the week. But when it all falls suddenly and dramatically apart, Ruby has to lean on somebody she’s never relied on before: herself. Is there life after Manny? Only one way to find out . . .
Before We Say Goodbye and I’ll Be There For You by Louise Candlish
(Summer and Spring 2009)
Two fabulous novels from Louise Candlish, after her brilliant bestsellers Since I Don’t Have You and The Second Husband.
Before We Say Goodbye is the story of Olivia, whose mother leaves her a note when she dies: ‘Follow your heart,’ it says, ‘and put right my mistake’. Years ago, Maggie did everything in her power to end a love affair between the teenage Olivia and her stepbrother-to-be, Richie. Tormented by the memories her mother’s letter stirs, Olivia makes the decision to find the boy she loved all those years ago. But she has a family and a life of her own now, and the journey into the past is a dangerous one she will have to make alone . . .
I’ll Be There For You (previously published as Sisters Avenue) tells the story of Hannah and Juliet Goodwin, best friends since childhood. But when Juliet’s boyfriend Luke is killed just as Hannah marries the affluent Michael, the divide between the two sisters is suddenly too painful to bear. While Hannah prepares for the birth of her first child, Juliet begins to neglect her job, her health, and all those who love her the most. Hannah is the last person she’d appeal to for help. But then she finds herself drawn into a secret betrayal – one that threatens to destroy Hannah’s happiness before she even has a chance to enjoy it . . .
The World’s Worst Wife by Polly Williams
(Summer 2009)
Polly’s back with her best book yet – this is intelligent, sophisticated, very funny women’s fiction. Think you’re a handful? Meet Sadie Drew, who thinks she may actually be the world’s worst wife. She only needs to walk into a room to make it untidy. There are always leeks liquefying in her fridge. And her three-year-old son is now the love of her life. But when she starts to suspect her husband is cheating, Sadie has to up her game. Can she transform herself into the perfect wife? And ultimately is this a game worth winning?
Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend by Jenny Colgan
(Spring 2009)
Full of warmth and humour, this is the charming new comedy from the fabulous Jenny Colgan. Sophie Chesterton is a girl about town – she knows all the right people, goes to all the right parties, and wears all the right clothes. But after one shocking evening her life is changed for ever. Scraping a living as an assistant to a ‘glamour’ photographer; living in a hove on the Old Kent Road with four smelly boys; eating baked beans from the can – this is one spectacular fall from grace. Sophie is desperate to get her life back – but does a girl really need diamonds to be happy?
In Bed With edited by Jessica Adams, Imogen Edwards-Jones, Maggie Alderson and Kathy Lette
(Spring 2009)
The perfectly provocative way to see in the New Year, In Bed With is a collection of unashamedly sexy stories by your favourite women novelists, including Ali Smith, Adele Parks and Esther Freud, writing under their X-rated pseudonyms (a combination of their first pet and their street). So who are Pom Pom Paradise and Minxy Malone? Tutty Monmouth or Sunset Proudfoot? Can you work out who wrote what? Slip under the covers with a good book. Satisfaction guaranteed.
The Mind Gym: Relationships by The Mind Gym
(Spring 2009)
Bestselling brand The Mind Gym is back with more lessons on how to think differently. Whether it’s the boss, clients, friends or lovers, getting relationships right matters. This book shows how to make yours shine. Drawing on the latest research and the experience of 500,000 people who use The Mind Gym, Relationships reveals how to: be loved, respected and even obeyed; build trust in moments that lasts for years; turn an angry argument into an unbreakable bond; get on with people who don’t get on with anyone else; and repair a broken relationship so it’s stronger than ever.
Rules by Jane Beaton
(Spring 2009)
The second book in the fantastic Downey House school series, following on from the fabulously successful Class. Over the summer, Maggie has put her flirtation with David behind her and agreed to marry Stan. Knee-deep in tulle, she can’t wait to get back to work in Cornwall. But the moment she sees David again she realises it’s going to be harder to forget him than she thought . . .