Top list: Lifestyle and hobby

A feel-good tale of unlikely friendship, community and learning to live life in the slow lane, perfect for fans of Clare Pooley and Hazel Prior

Daniel isn’t used to living life in the slow lane. So when he finds himself unexpectedly jobless and back in his old Cornish hometown, he can’t sit still.

Hazel used to be adventurous too. But now widowed and in her eighties, she barely leaves the house. When she sees an advert for Daniel’s new walking club, she grabs at the chance of some excitement.

Daniel’s heart sinks when he sees that the only person who’s turned up for his walking club is the crazy old lady from two doors down. But what he doesn’t expect is to discover that Hazel is one of the most fascinating people he’s ever met . . .

A gorgeous, warm and uplifting story about friendship, community, adventure and the joy of walking.

How much do you know about Japan? Whether you're planning a visit or are just fascinated by Japanese culture, you'll enjoy learning all about the country famous for kitten cafes, Samurai and the Sky Tree. In this fascinating audiobook, narrator Charles King talks us through over one hundred amazing facts, from interesting information about the country's climate and geography to famous figures from history. For anyone wanting to find out more about Japan, a modern country yet one steeped in history and tradition, this is the perfect book.

Nancy Warren presents Book 8 in the Vampire Knitting Club series.

Emmeline Duncan presents Book 1 in the Ground Rules Mystery series.

The life and career of the legendary developer celebrated as the "godfather of computer gaming," and creator of Civilization.

Over his four-decade career, Sid Meier has produced some of the world's most popular video games, including Sid Meier's Civilization, which has sold more than 51 million units worldwide and accumulated more than one billion hours of play. Sid Meier's Memoir! is the story of an obsessive young computer enthusiast who helped launch a multibillion-dollar industry. Writing with warmth and ironic humor, Meier describes the genesis of his influential studio, MicroProse, founded in 1982 after a trip to a Las Vegas arcade, and recounts the development of landmark games, from vintage classics like Pirates! and Railroad Tycoon, to Civilization and beyond.

Articulating his philosophy that a video game should be "a series of interesting decisions," Meier also shares his perspective on the history of the industry, the psychology of gamers, and fascinating insights into the creative process, including his rules of good game design.

A unique collaboration from two of America’s leading artists that explores the fascinating and hidden history of the plant world.

In this witty, deeply original book, the renowned novelist Jamaica Kincaid offers an ABC of the plants that define our world and reveals the often brutal history behind them.

Kara Walker, one of America’s greatest visual artists, illustrates each entry with provocative, brilliant, enthralling, many-layered watercolors.

There has never been a book like An Encyclopedia of Gardening for Colored Children—so inventive and surprising about what our gardens reveal.

This audiobook contains a supplemental PDF.

'Armed with a squash racket and enormous will, Maria Toorpakai has risen from the turmoil of tribal life in Pakistan to become not only a world-class athlete, but a true inspiration, a pioneer for millions of other women struggling to pave their own paths to autonomy, fulfilment and genuine personhood' Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner

Maria Toorpakai Wazir has lived her life disguised as a boy, defying the Taliban, in order to pursue her love of sport. Coming second in a national junior weightlifting event for boys, Maria decided to put her future in her own hands by going in disguise. When she discovered squash and was easily beating all the boys, life became more dangerous.

Heart-stopping and profoundly moving, Maria shares the story of her long road and eventual triumph, pursuing the sport she loved, defying death threats and following her dream.

Continue the adventures of witch Lucy Swift and her undead knitting club in this collection of cozy mysteries, including Lace and Lies, Bobbles and Broomsticks, and Popcorn and Poltergeists.

Auri Kananen, or Aurikatariina, is an expert in house cleaning and an international social media influencer with over 15 million combined followers. This guide teaches pros and those with junk pile homes to transform their living space from disaster to sanctuary.

Mystery Unraveled: A Paranormal Puzzle

Lucy Swift, witch and knitting shop owner, thought her biggest challenge at a marketing course in Oxford would be untangling the enigma of consumer behavior, not a murder mystery. But amid the hallowed halls, someone is weaving a deceptive web that leaves Lucy second-guessing her senses. It's all fun and games until a corpse appears in her dormitory, silent and still—definitely not an illusion.

Now, with her best friend Jennifer and her black cat familiar Nyx at her side, Lucy must stitch together clues with the help of her nocturnal companions, the vampire knitting club, who are more adept at needles than neck-biting. Can Lucy and friends solve this crime, or will the killer strike again, leaving only silence and secrets in their wake?

Embark on a bewitching tale of twists, turns, and turmoil where the line between charming spells and chilling crimes is as fine as a strand of yarn. Cables and Conjurers is a self-contained paranormal cozy mystery, laced with humor and a knotty plot that promises to keep you guessing—and giggling—until the very end. No sex or gore, just good clean murderous fun.

IRISH SODA BREAD MURDER by CARLENE O'CONNOR: There's very little time left before her wedding, but nonetheless Tara Meehan is helping out at her Uncle Johnny's salvage mill for the day. The event promises to deliver a real pot of gold until Rose's biggest rival shows up. It's up to Tara to identify the deadly baker before another victim ends up chasing the rainbow straight into a grave . . .

AN IRISH RECIPE FOR MURDER by PEGGY EHRHART: To celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year, the Arborville, New Jersey, Advocate is sponsoring a soda bread–baking competition. But when a town councilman acting as a judge keels over after sampling an entry, the party atmosphere dies just as quickly. Now it's up to Bettina and her Knit and Nibble knitting club bestie, Pamela Paterson, to find the killer responsible for the murderous morsel.

MRS. CLAUS AND THE SINISTER SODA BREAD MAN by LIZ IRELAND: When April Claus arrives in Cloudberry Bay, Oregon, to check on her flooded inn, her biggest worry is to keep everyone from realizing her three companions—Jingles, Juniper, and Butterbean—are elves. But soon enough she has more serious worries—it looks like her hapless caretaker Ernie has been storing stolen goods at the inn! It's up to April to uncover the killer before she spends St. Patrick's Day in the county jail!

The More of Less: Streamline Your Life and Discover Freedom through Minimalism

Unleash the Power of Less for a Life of Abundance

In a world that often equates more with success, "The More of Less: Streamline Your Life and Discover Freedom through Minimalism" emerges as a beacon of profound wisdom. This audiobook is your invitation to embark on a transformative journey, one that celebrates simplicity, unburdens the soul, and reveals the true meaning of abundance.

Minimalism isn't just about decluttering your physical space; it's a philosophy that touches every facet of life. Within this audiobook, you'll explore the art of mindful living, where you learn to distinguish between what truly enriches your life and what merely clutters it.

Here's what awaits you on your path to abundance:

🌱 The Joy of Less: Discover the sheer liberation that comes from shedding the excess—whether it's physical possessions, overwhelming commitments, or the incessant noise of modern life.

🧘‍♀️ Mindful Living: Embrace the power of mindfulness as you learn to be present in each moment, finding joy in the simple things and deepening your connection with yourself and others.

💡 Clarity of Purpose: Clarify your life's purpose and values, allowing them to guide your choices and decisions, leading to a more meaningful and fulfilling existence.

🌏 Sustainable Living: Explore how minimalism extends to your impact on the environment, fostering a sense of responsibility and stewardship for our planet.

🪔 Freedom Found: Unshackle yourself from the burdens of consumerism and the never-ending pursuit of more. Discover the true freedom that arises from having less but experiencing more.

This audiobook is your compass to a life of abundance that defies conventional wisdom. It empowers you to reclaim your time, your space, and your sense of self.

Prepare to embrace the profound wisdom of less, as you discover the boundless abundance that simplicity brings. Are you ready to embark on a life-cha

Nancy Warren presents Book 5 in the Vampire Knitting Club series.

Everything® cookbooks are a popular choice for home cooks looking for fresh, original recipes that only taste you’ve spent all day in the kitchen. But now we’ve collected fifty of our most delicious, freezer-ready recipes. Here’s all you need to get started making tasty, satisfying recipes from Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken to Hot Fudge Sundae Pie.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From the #1 internationally bestselling author of Glucose Revolution, a four-week, four-step program for living a healthier, happier life with balanced blood sugar including over 100 recipes, an interactive workbook, and the guidance to make the “new science of nutrition…practical for everyone” (Robert H. Lustig, MD, MSL, New York Times bestselling author of Fat Chance).

Do you suffer from cravings, chronic fatigue, or sugar addiction? Do you sometimes wake up in the morning feeling unable to face the day? Most of the population is stuck on a glucose roller coaster.

In her first book, the instant #1 internationally bestselling Glucose Revolution, Jessie Inchauspé offered a revolutionary framework for healing through science-backed nutrition hacks. Now, in The Glucose Goddess Method, she shares the “best practical guide for managing glucose to maximize health and longevity” (David Sinclair, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Lifespan) with this four-week program to incorporating the principles of how to avoid glucose spikes into your everyday life.

Complete with 100 recipes and an interactive workbook, you are guided through four simple, science-proven ways to steady your blood sugar, gaining boundless energy, curbing your cravings, clearing your skin, slowing your ageing process, and sleeping better than you ever have before. You will create positive new habits for life. The best part? You won’t be counting calories and can still eat all the foods you love.

Insight Guide Indonesia is an essential guide to one of the world's last tourism frontiers, a far-flung archipelago of rainforests, volcanoes, vivid festivals and teeming cities, all brought to life through evocative photography. Our inspirational Best of Indonesia section highlights the unmissable sights and experiences, while a comprehensive Travel Tips section gives you all the practical information you need to plan your trip.

Colourful magazine-style features offer a unique insight into the incomparable Balinese festivals, unique Sulawesi wildlife and colourful batik fabrics. A detailed Places section, with full-colour maps cross-referenced to the text, guides you from the jungles of darkest Borneo to the beaches of Bali, the ancient trading ports of Java and the spice islands to the primeval Papuan highlands.

Insight Guide Indonesia now includes the Walking Eye app, free to download to smartphones and tablets on purchase of the book. The Indonesia app includes our independent selection of the best hotels and restaurants, plus activity, event and shopping listings.

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides has over 40 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce around 400 full-color print guide books and maps as well as picture-packed eBooks to meet different travelers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture together create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

'Insight Guides has spawned many imitators but is still the best of its type.' - Wanderlust Magazine

Story of a saga video games...

If the Dark Souls series managed to seduce players and journalists, it was mainly by word of mouth. It was such a great success that Dark Souls 2 was named “Game of the Year” 2014 by the vast majority of gaming magazines and websites. To date, this saga is one of the most important in the gaming industry. The odd thing is that these games are well known for their difficulty and their cryptic universe. This publication narrates the epic success story, but also describes its gameplay mechanics and its specific lore across more than 300 pages. Characters, plots and the scenario of the three Souls (Demon's Souls, Dark Souls and Dark Souls II) are deciphered by Damien Mecheri and Sylvain Romieu, who spent a long year studying these dense and enigmatic games down to the smallest detail.

The serie Dark Souls and her spiritual father Demon's Souls will not have secrets for you anymore!

EXTRACT

"In May 2014, Hidetaka Miyazaki succeeded Naotoshi Zin as president of FromSoftware, after the studio was purchased by Kadokawa Shoten. This was a highly significant promotion for the person who had led the company’s most successful project, Dark Souls. And yet, he did not lose from view what had attracted him to the field: an insatiable creative drive. In spite of his new status within the studio, one of the conditions he requested and was granted was to remain creative director of his new project: Bloodborne. This allowed him to successfully design this spiritual successor to the first Souls game, while also assuming his new responsibilities. Given his drive to work and create, it is not surprising how quickly Miyazaki moved up through the ranks."

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Passionate about films and video games, Damien Mecheri joined the writers team of Gameplay RPG in 2004, writing several articles for the second special edition on the Final Fantasy saga. He continued his work with the team in another publication called Background, before continuing the online adventure in 2008 with the site Gameweb.fr. Since 2011, he has come aboard Third Éditions with Mehdi El Kanafi and Nicolas Courcier, the publisher’s two founders. Damien is also the author of the book Video Game Music: a History of Gaming Music. For Third Éditions, he is actively working on the “Level Up” and “Année jeu vidéo” collections. He has also written or co-written several works from the same publisher: The Legend of Final Fantasy X, Welcome to Silent Hill: a journey into Hell, The Works of Fumito Ueda: a Different Perspective on Video Games and, of course, the first volume of Dark Souls: Beyond the Grave.

Curious by nature, a dreamer against the grain and a chronic ranter, Sylvain Romieu is also a passionate traveler of the real and the unreal, the world and the virtual universes, always in search of enriching discoveries and varied cultures. A developer by trade, he took up his modest pen several years ago to study the characteristics and richness of the marvelously creative world of video games. He writes for a French video game site called Chroniques-Ludiques, particularly on the topic of RPGs, his preferred genre.

In his darkest depression, one idea brought Christian Lewis out of the depths - and into a new life. Finding Hildasay, read by the author, is a brutal and beautiful true story of depression, survival, walking, and the meaning of home.

‘Now I was finally out of the force of the wind, my body began to warm – the part where the real pain sets in. I’d felt it plenty of times before on this journey, but this time it was different. As I began to regain feeling in my fingers and toes, it burned so strongly that I just sat in tears of pain.’

Ex-paratrooper Christian Lewis had hit rock bottom, suffering with depression so severe he would shut himself in his bedroom for weeks. Then while surfing – his only respite – he cast his eyes along the coastline and realized it was the only place he really wanted to be.

Making an impulsive decision to set himself a challenge – walk the entire coastline of the UK – Chris gave himself a few days to rustle up a tent and walking boots, then left for good with just a tenner in his pocket and two days’ worth of food. Little did he know at the time just how long it would take to cross the finish line – and the encounters that lay ahead that would turn his life around.

Five years later, Chris has navigated the West Coast, Northern Ireland, the hard-rock cliffs of Scotland and the perimeters of the Scottish Islands . He spent three months on an uninhabited island called Hildasay, where there was no fresh water or food. It was there, the most barren his route had become, that the more pride and respect he found within himself – and the more remarkable his journey became. Happiness and hope was just around the corner.

**NOW AN AMAZON PRIME TV SERIES STARRING CHRIS PRATT**

'Take my word for it, James Reece is one rowdy motherf***er. Get ready!' CHRIS PRATT

A woman boards a plan in Burkina Faso having just completed a targeted assassination for the state of Israel. Two minutes after takeoff her plane is blown out of the sky.

6000 miles to the east, James Reece watches the names and pictures of the victims cross cable news. One face triggers a distant memory of a Mossad operative attached to the CIA years earlier in Iraq, a woman with ties to the intelligence services of two nations, a woman Reece thought he would never see again…

In a global pursuit spanning four continents, James Reece will enlist the help of friends new and old to track down her killer and walk right into a trap set by a master sniper, a sniper who has enlisted help of his own…

The 5th in the bestselling James Reece series, from former Navy SEAL Jack Carr. If you loved Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Peter James's Roy Grace or Michael Connelly's Mickey Haller, you will love James Reece!

Praise for Jack Carr:

‘A propulsive and compulsive series. Jack Carr’s James Reece is the kind of guy you’d want to have in your corner. A suspenseful and exhilarating thrill-ride. Jack Carr is the real deal’ Andy McNab

'This is seriously good . . . the suspense is unrelenting, and the tradecraft is so authentic the government will probably ban it – so read it while you can!' Lee Child

'With a particular line in authentic tradecraft, this fabulously unrelenting thrill-ride was a struggle to put down' Mark Dawson

'Gritty, raw and brilliant!' Tom Marcus

‘So powerful, so pulse-pounding, so well-written – rarely do you read a debut novel this damn good’ Brad Thor

'Carr writes both from the gut and a seemingly infinite reservoir of knowledge in the methods of human combat. Loved it!' Chris Hauty

'A powerful, thoughtful, realistic, at times terrifying thriller that I could not put down. A terrific addition to the genre, Jack Carr and his alter-ego protagonist, James Reece, continue to blow me away' Mark Greaney

'Thrilling' Publishers Weekly

**THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**

A Scotsman’s guide to the extraordinary tapestry of the land, history, folklore and stories of his homeland.

From the majestic beauty of the wild Scottish landscape to the hidden traces of its history waiting to be uncovered in every town and village, Andrew McAlindon is enthralled by the country he is lucky enough to call home. As one of Scotland’s busiest tour guides in real life and online, Andy travels around the country to ancient sites such as castles, cemeteries, burial chambers and prisons, celebrating the history, folklore, superstitions and the fascinating people that make Scotland so unique.

Lochs and Legends is Andy’s love letter to Scotland, a love that began when he landed a part on the worldwide phenomenon Outlander, and led to him dedicating his life to learning more about the true star of the show – Scotland. A social media sensation as Andy the Highlander, his first book opens up Scotland’s secrets to anyone, even if they can only explore it from the comfort of their armchair. It invites you to time travel with Andy, walking in the footsteps of kings and queens, lairds and ladies, murderers, farmers, poets, invading armies, and everyday folks like himself. It is Scotland as you’ve never seen it before.