HarperCollins Independent Thinking: Summer 12

Recommended new books for independent booksellers

Summer 2012

HarperCollins

Independent Thinking See inside for independent exclusive offers, signed books and author events

Contents Children’s Books.......................................................4 Summer Paperbacks: Fiction Choice................14 New Fiction..............................................................18 Summer Paperbacks: Non-Fiction Choice..... 24

Including Biography, Nature, History, Travel & Adventure

New Non-Fiction................................................... 26 Book orders: To order any of the books featured in this brochure or to take advantage of our independent exclusive offers, please contact your local HarperCollins sales representative, email us at independentthinking@harpercollins.co.uk or call HarperCollins customer service on 0844 576 8120.

@HCindythinking To receive our monthly newsletter and advance reading copies email ‘JOIN’ to independentthinking@harpercollins.co.uk

Visit our blog HCindythinking.co.uk

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Welcome to the summer edition of HarperCollins Independent Thinking. This is a fantastic season for children’s books, with new titles from Will Hill, Garth Nix and Darren Shan plus paperbacks from Louise Rennison, Lauren Child and Michael Morpurgo. Lots of our authors will be available for bookshops events and others will be signing copies for independent bookshops –the icons throughout the brochure highlight promotional activity for each book. For further details contact your HarperCollins sales representative or email us at independentthinking@harpercollins.co.uk.

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Children’s Boooks | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

A Confusion of Princes Garth Nix

“ Easily one of the best SF books I’ve read in a long while.”

Children’s Books

Read and recommended by Lorna Duncanson, Events Officer from Seven Stories, NewcastleUpon-Tyne.

A Confusion of Princes is a first-hand account of Prince Khemri’s three deaths. Taken from his parents as a baby he is one of thousands of children modified and trained to become a Prince of the Empire. Dreaming of commandeering a Warship and becoming the heir successor to the Emperor, Khemri is in for a rude awakening; life isn’t going to go exactly the way he wants. Instead, upon graduating he meets his Master of Assassins and just barely survives the first assassination attempt on his life. But with 10 million other Princes out there it won’t be the last.

Garth Nix’s writing is superb as always, his straight forward descriptive language places you right in the centre of the action without ever breaking the pace of the writing. I loved Khemri’s developing character, as his initial arrogant attitude and belief in the Empire slowly gave way to a questioning, more compassionate nature, paving the way for the exploration of his relationships with others, particularly Raine and Haddad. This might be a stand-alone novel but I hope it’s not the only story from the Empire, with 17 million systems in the Galaxy there is a wealth of Worlds for Nix to explore.

£6.99 PB 17th May 978-0-00-729835-8

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Seven Stories is Britain’s only gallery and archive that celebrates the wonderful world of children’s books. www.sevenstories.org.uk

Children’s Books | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

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Insurgent Veronica Roth

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Veronica Roth’s debut novel Divergent continues to be a huge hit with readers, attracting a phenomenal volume of praise and recommendation, with everyone all eagerly awaiting the second part of the trilogy.

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“Divergent is a thrill ride. The mixture of drama, mystery, suspense, and romance is perfect. I can’t wait for the sequel.” Karinsbooknook.com “Hard to put down… I soon found myself desperate to know what happens next.” Eatingbender.com “I did not want to join the bandwagon… I tried hard. And I failed. Like it or not, I’m a big fan and I am eagerly awaiting its sequel.” Muggle-born.net The wait is nearly over! This May Insurgent, the thrillingly dark sequel to Divergent is published. War looms in this dark dystopian world and Tris must fight against all odds to discover the truth that can save her and the people she loves. Sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge – and the choices she makes will have devastating and unexpected consequences.

£6.99 PB 1st May 978-0-00-744292-8

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Also guaranteed to grab the EVENTS attention ofPOSsci-fi and dystopian fans this summer

Partials Dan Wells

Unravelling Elizabeth Norris

Set in a world where people have been all but wiped out by a virus.

A powerful action sci-fi adventure for teen fans of 24 and The X Files.

£6.99 PB

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Children’s Boooks | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

Gangsta Granny David Wallaims PROOF

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“Anyone who thinks that all grannies do is wear mauve and play Scrabble will laugh out loud.”

Telegraph Magazine Coming

School’s out!

Books the kids will all be reading this summer.

If your customers can’t wait for the paperback of Gangsta Granny, why not recommend David’s other great titles The Boy in the Dress, Mr Stink and Billionaire Boy!

in paperback this autumn

Palace of the Damned Darren Shan £6.99 PB 26th April 978-0-00-731593-2

New paperback jacket to come

Also published in paperback in August

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Brothers to the Death Darren Shan

Department 19: The Rising Will Hill

Ruby Redfort: Look Into My Eyes Lauren Child

The pulse-pounding sequel to Department 19! Amazing author Will Hill will be out on the road again to promote The Rising.

“Clues, gadgets, secret HQs, a heist, explosions…and a supply of jelly doughnuts. What more could adventure-loving girls want?” Sunday Times

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Larten faces the worst and final betrayal in the fourth and final instalment of the epic saga of Larten Crepsley.

The paperback of part three, Palace of the Damned, is also available in May. £12.99 HB 26th April 978-0-00-731594-9

HarperCollins Children’s Books

Children’s Books | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

More from Morpurgo!

A Midsummer Tights Dream Louise Rennison “Louise Rennison has done it again! Tallulah is even funnier, warmer, and sweeter than her cousin Georgia Nicolson.”

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Michael Morpurgo’s amazing year continues with the re-release of two books re-imagining the lives of legendary figures; Joan of Arc (Sparrow) and Robin Hood (Outlaw).

This is followed by the paperback release of Little Manfred, his wonderful story inspired by an artefact from the Imperial War Museum.

£6.99 PB 5th July 978-0-00-715685-6

HarperCollins Children’s Books

Secret Agent Splat Rob Scotton To solve a mystery, Splat musters up his courage and rises to the challenge as Secret Agent Splat! £6.99 PB 26th April 978-0-00-746338-1

HarperCollins Children’s Books

Little Manfred Michael Morpurgo

Sparrow Michael Morpurgo

Outlaw Michael Morpurgo

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7th June 978-0-00-733967-9

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Check out HarperCollins Children’s Books YouTube Chanel – there’s some fantastic Michael Morpurgo videos you can add to your shop website or Facebook page

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Children’s Boooks | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

It will break your heart, only to put it back together again…

A Brighter Fear Kerry Drewery Recommended by Michael Jones, HarperCollins Head of Local Sales and Marketing.

It is surprisingly rare for a book to absorb you so quickly and effortlessly into its world and characters, so that what started out as a quick dip before bed becomes an accidental all-nighter. Even more surprising when the backdrop is Baghdad, during the invasion of Iraq and the fall of Saddam Hussein. So for me this book was a real find. From cracking the spine and reading the first line – where bombs thunder down on Baghdad each night – this book had me hooked.

Teenage girl Lina is searching for her mother, love and, ultimately, her place in the ever-changing landscape.

Her life is in turmoil; her mother is taken from the family for refusing to work for Saddam; her father risks everything as a translator for the US army and Lina finds herself falling for a US soldier who offers her the chance of a new life. Punchy, pacy and passionate, it is beautifully written and the characters well observed.

The prose is sharp and, despite the sometimes tragic and horrifying events and the effect the war had on people’s lives, it also manages to be upbeat, hopeful and shine a light on the darkest of hours.

£6.99 PB 7th June 978-0-00-744657-5

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A contemporary fairytale set against the backdrop of the Iraq war.

Children’s Books | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

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A Dog Called Homeless Sarah Lean Sarah Lean introduces her new novel A Dog Called Homeless.

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When I was a teacher, I sponsored a pupil for a day’s silence. I thought she was brave – being quiet was not her strong point. At lunchtime she came into the classroom chatting, having given up because she missed talking to her friends.

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But I couldn’t stop thinking, what sort of person could stop talking and what was so important that they would? Cally Fisher is a determined girl. She has every reason to be. She has lost someone important, and is losing everybody else. And when you’ve found something so valuable, what’s the point of talking if nobody believes you anyway?

We got our first puppy just before I wrote this story.

Harry is much smaller and naughtier than Homeless, and likes to sit at my desk or on my neighbour’s motorised scooter when he feels like it. But he taught me about that special relationship people have with their dogs. Which is why I think anyone who loves their pet will enjoy Cally’s story, especially people who like surprising endings.

£6.99 PB 26th April 978-0-00-745503-4

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I’m very proud of Cally for what she did and so excited that we get to share her story with you. It still makes me cry (and I wrote it!) because every time I forget, it’s all about the dog called Homeless. You should read it and find out why.

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Children’s Boooks | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

Awesome Animals: The funniest fiction from prize-winning authors!

The Awesome Animals books are proving a big hit with young readers who love these hilarious stories starring the wildest of wildlife. Favourite characters such as Rory the rockhopper penguin, Uncle Fearless, and the intrepid meerkat pups are joined in July by Ping - a panda who lives with his mum and twin sister An on the Wolong nature reserve in China. Ping craves adventure and excitement but unfortunately he is a panda… and pandas do pretty much nothing except eat bamboo for around 14 hours a day and poo up to 40 times! In August readers will meet Quickpaw Cassidy and friends – raccoons ready to drive the raiding ‘Hole-in-the-Tree gang’ away from their town.

Panda Panic and Raccoon Rampage are sure to delight younger readers this summer.

Available Now

Meerkat Madness Flying High Ian Whybrow 978-0-00-744161-7

Panda Panic Jamie Rix

Coming Soon

5th July 978-0-00-746768-6

NEW FOR 2012

More Meerkat Madness Ian Whybrow

Raccoon Rampage: The Raid Andrew Cope

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2nd August 978-0-00-746266-7

Penguin Pandemonium Jeanne Willis

Meerkat Madness Ian Whybrow

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All titles in the series are £4.99 PB

Children’s Books | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

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Paddington Races Ahead Michael Bond Paddington Bear has been delighting adults and children alike with his earnest good intentions and humorous misadventures for over fifty years. This summer, the beloved classic bear from Darkest Peru is back in this fantastically funny, brand new illustrated novel from master storyteller Michael Bond.

£10.99 HB 26th April 978-0-00-745884-4

HarperCollins Children’s Books

Somehow Paddington Bear always manages to find himself in unusual situation, so it is no surprise when he gets into a spot of bother with some shaving cream, causes a London bus to be evacuated, and is mistaken for a famous Peruvian hurdler by a film crew. There’s never a dull moment when a certain bear is around!

“My legs are a bit short for the pole vault!”

Paddington

Also available this summer

Paddington Goes for Gold Michael Bond

£6.99 PB 5th July 978-0-00-742773-4

HarperCollins Children’s Books

In this hilarious picture book, Paddington is in high competitive spirits when he and the Browns take part in a local family sports event – but as ever nothing goes as planned. Will the sports day end in sticky results for Paddington, or a gold medal?

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Children’s Boooks | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

The Hueys in The New Jumper Oliver Jeffers New from internationally bestselling, and awardwinning author/illustrator Oliver Jeffers, creator of How to Catch a Star and Lost and Found, The Hueys is a hilarious story about individuality.

The thing about the Hueys is that they are all the same… They all look the same, think the same and do the same things. Until one day, Rupert does something unusual, something the other Hueys have never seen before - he knits himself a new jumper...

How will the other Hueys react?

£10.99 HB 26th April 978-0-00-742065-0

Oliver Jeffers has created another enchanting picture book with a subtle humour that is guaranteed to be enjoyed by adults as well as children.

Our Independent

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Children’s Book of the Month for

May

RRP£10.99

Offer Price £7.99

Also available this summer

Stuck Oliver Jeffers Delightful chaos ensues when a young boy gets his kite stuck in a tree in this hilarious book with a wonderful surprise ending! £6.99 PB 26th April 978-0-00-726389-9

HarperCollins Children’s Books

Children’s Books | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

Our Independent Children’s Book of the Month for

August RRP£10.99

Offer Price £7.99

2nd August 978-0-00-725867-3

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Also available this summer

Wagtail Town: Lulu and the Best Cake Ever!

Emma Chichester Clarke

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A brilliant new series for young children - come on down to Wagtail Town where every day is an adventure!

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Lily and Blue Kangaroo – a friendship forever!

£6.99 PB 7th June 978-0-00-742515-0

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Come to School Too, Blue Kangaroo!

Emma Chichester Clarke

Emma Chichester Clark is one of the best-loved children’s book illustrators in the UK, known for her outstanding Blue Kangaroo series. Come to School Too, Blue Kangaroo!, the eighth title in this hugely popular series featuring Lily and her loveable soft toy, sees the inseparable duo starting at a new school with surprising results. Lily thinks Blue Kangaroo is worried about going to school but, secretly, he can’t wait to explore and try new things – which is just as well, because the fun lasts even longer than he expected! This is a wonderfully reassuring story for children who are about to start school for the first time, or who are moving from one school to another.

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New Summer Paperbacks | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

Summer Paperbacks: Fiction Choice

A Perfectly Good Man Patrick Gale Patrick Gale returns to his beloved rugged Cornish coastline to interrogate and lay bare the lives of a community conflicted over their priest’s involvement in an assisted suicide. £7.99 PB 24th May 978-0-00-746508-8

The Art of Fielding Chad Harbach Henry Skrimshander, shy and out of his depth, has a talent for baseball that borders on genius. But sometimes it seems that his only friend is Mike Schwartz – who champions the talents of others at the expense of his own. Then, one fateful day, Henry makes a mistake – misthrows a ball. And everything changes… £8.99 PB 26th April 978-0-00-737445-8

“It’s left a little hole in my life the way a really good book will.” Jonathan Franzen “An intricate, poised, tingling debut.” Tea Obreht

New Summer Paperbacks | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

£7.99 PB 2nd August 978-0-00-745798-4

Birdy William Wharton A tender and tragic story of a young man’s war experiences, blurring and twisting fantasy and reality with his obsession with birds and flight.

The Death of Eli Gold David Baddiel The last ‘Great Man’ reminisces about his life, holding court from his death bed with numerous ex-wives and children from previous relationships in attendance. Tender, and of course richly comic.

“An English as much as an American tale, a comedy as much as an elegy … heartbreaking.” Independent

£7.99 PB 5th July 978-0-00-742444-3

£8.99 PB 7th June 978-0-00-727084-2

Care of Wooden Floors Will Wiles In this darkly comic debut, snowballing disasters complicate a period house-sitting for a friend.

Waiting for Robert Capa Susanna Fortes “A gorgeously written novel about the real-life romance between war photographers Robert Capa and Gerda Taro during the Spanish Civil War. A compelling story that combines the personal traumas of war.” A. D. Miller, author of Snowdrops

£7.99 PB 10th May 978-0-00-741093-4

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New Paperbacks | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

Pantheon Sam Bourne

Great summer beach reads

A frantic search through war-time England leads to America, and the discovery of one of the darkest secrets of the Second World War. £7.99 PB 5th July 978-0-00-741364-5 Harper

The Time of my Life Cecelia Ahern A warm and poignant novel exploring what happens when you stop paying attention to your life.

Conqueror Conn Iggulden “Iggulden…tells an absolutely cracking story… the pace is nail-biting and the set dressing magnificent.” The Times

£7.99 PB 10th May 978-0-00-735045-2 Harper

£7.99 PB 978-0-00-727115-3 Harper

Portrait of a Spy Daniel Silva “Allon is the 21st century Bond. If you haven’t read Silva before, try Portrait of a Spy - and then go back and read the series.” Daily Mail £7.99 PB 21st June 978-0-00-743331-5

Rumours Freya North

Sparks fly as colourful local characters fight over the potential development of a stunning Georgian estate. £7.99 PB

Harper

21st June 978-0-00-732670-9

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New paperback jacket to come

19th July

New Paperbacks | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

The Underside of Joy Seré Prince Halverson

£7.99 PB 10th May 978-0-00-743891-4 Harper

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When an absent mother returns to claim the children she deserted, their step mother must decide whether she is, after all, the best mother for her children. A searing novel asking moral as well as maternal questions.

“Camilla Lackberg is probably the hottest female writer in Sweden at the moment… Lackberg’s job is to make the reader pleasurably uncomfortable – one of her ironclad skills.” Independent

New paperback jacket to come

The Drowning Camilla Lackberg £7.99 PB 19th July 978-0-00-741953-1 Harper

Death of Kings Bernard Cornwell £7.99 PB 24th May 978-0-00-733180-2

This is the making of England magnificently brought to life by the master of historical fiction.

Harper

The third instalment of the fabulous Giordano Bruno series.

“It has everything – intrigue, mystery and excellent history.” Kate Mosse

£7.99 PB 16th August 978-0-00-731778-3 Harper

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Sacrilege S.J. Parris

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New Fiction | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

New Fiction Our Independent Book of the Month for

May

RRP£20.00

Bring up the Bodies Hilary Mantel

Offer Price £15.00

In Bring up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel has turned her attention to the downfall of Anne Boleyn, a story at the heart of Tudor history, and in Mantel’s hands, every bit as illuminating, terrifying and utterly compelling as one might expect. Like its predecessor, Wolf Hall, it is hard to think of anything in contemporary fiction quite like it, and it will certainly delight her many fans all over the world.

£20 HB 10th May 978-0-00-731509-3

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Following her ManBooker Prize win, interest in Hilary’s writing has grown and grown, invigorating sales of her backlist. To help independent bookshops make the most of this opportunity we have produced a set of POS for instore displays and also have a limited number of exclusive signed first editions of Bring up the Bodies available. For further details contact your HarperCollins rep or email us at independentthinking@ harpercollins.co.uk

New Fiction | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

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Communion Town Sam Thompson Tash Aw, Author of The Harmony Silk Factory introduces Communion Town.

£14.99 HB 5th July 978-0-00-745476-1

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Communion Town is one of those rare creatures – a first novel that combines ambition with humanity. In a powerfully sustained feat of imagination, an entire city is recreated – but where are we? It is a world where violence and beauty collide, where different lives ghost past each other, offering echoes of places past and present. At various points I thought I was in a weird post-apocalyptic New York, at other times a city of faded grandeur – Prague, perhaps? It doesn’t really matter. In its rendition of dislocation and longing and terror, Communion Town resembles pretty much every city I’ve ever known (with the exception of squeaky-clean Singapore). Communion Town is a finely-tuned work with a distinctive voice that comes to us pretty much fully-formed, while offering plenty of promise. It is a strange, remarkable work.

Another Country Anjali Joseph Recomended by Mark Richards, Editor, Fourth Estate.

£12.99 HB 7th June 978-0-00-746277-3

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Eighteen months ago, in July 2010, Anjali Joseph appeared in the Telegraph’s list of ‘20 Best Novelists under 40’. We were very pleased about her inclusion in the list, and it turned out to be an auspicious beginning; the book went on to win both the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Betty Trask Prize (both for first novels), and the Vodafone Crossword Award (the ‘Indian Booker’), as well as being shortlisted for a number of other prizes.

We publish her second novel, Another Country, in June this year, and it amply rewards the faith of those juries.

It is, in brief, about growing up and finding your place in the world; or, as the novel puts it, “to enter the world and leave behind the selfish days of youth.” Anjali is, I truly POS believe, a writer who is worthy of your support.

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New Fiction | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

Brand New Fantasy City of Dragons Robin Hobb Return to the world of the Liveships Traders and journey along the Rain Wild River in the third instalment of high adventure from the author of the internationally acclaimed Farseer trilogy.

Wondrous things await in the fabled city of Kelsingra, a city built for dragons and their Elderling keepers.

Already, rumours of the city’s discovery have floated down the Rain Wild River and reached adventurers, pirates and fortune hunters who are all coming in droves to pillage what they can from the city. Once the rest of the world knows about the riches the city contains, nothing will ever be the same again.

£20 HB 23rd April 978-0-00-727380-5

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“In today’s crowded fantasy market Robin Hobb’s books are like diamonds in a sea of zircons.”

George R. R. Martin

Also available this summer

The Inheritance Robin Hobb A collection of novellas and stories from Robin Hobb, including work written under her pseudonym, Megan Lindholm. £8.99 PB 30th April 978-0-00-744634-6

New Fiction | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

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King of Thorns Mark Lawrence Mark Lawrence introduces King of Thorns, sequel to Prince of Thorns.

Readers and reviewers repeatedly identify three things about Prince of Thorns – firstly the power and beauty of its prose, secondly the shocking violence and amoral nature of its protagonist, and thirdly the surprising youth of Prince Jorg. King of Thorns is a progression rather than a formulaic repeat. Prince Jorg is older, his world view develops, and whilst he neither seeks nor attains redemption, he does grow.

£14.99 HB 16th August 978-0-00-743903-4

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King of Thorns is in many ways a more sophisticated book than its predecessor but, whatever its literary merits, it maintains the trilogy’s high energy and murderous pace. As Jorg says, all paths to the throne require that you walk on bodies. Like Prince of Thorns this book is an ungentle one, shot through with the blackest humour, and if the reader doesn’t laugh then cry, I’ve not done my job.

This book was not written for a demographic or aimed at meeting any common set of fantasy elements – it’s the story I needed to tell. For me, the writing pageby-page and line-by-line is as important as the story chapter-to-chapter. I hope what marks it out is a level of passion and honesty uncommon in the genre.

Also available this summer

£7.99 PB 12th April 978-0-00-742363-7

Prince of Thorns Mark Lawrence The first volume in Mark Lawrence’s powerful fantasy trilogy – original, absorbing and challenging.

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New Fiction | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

Seating Arrangements Maggie Shipstead

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A startlingly fresh, original and compulsively readable first novel

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Maggie Shipstead introduces her new novel Seating Arrangements.

I once knew someone who was in a minor bicycle accident on the island of Nantucket. He was pedalling home from a tennis match, taking practice swings with his racquet as he rode (what could possibly go wrong?), and was struck by a golf cart. The man driving the cart, a caddy at a local club, would not apologize for the accident, and this omission completely and utterly blew my friend’s mind: a stranger’s departure from the rules of politeness and accountability was enough to make the world seem alarmingly topsy-turvy, devoid of rules and justice.

Indeed, at least to my mind, the world is devoid of rules and justice, but this isn’t a conclusion most people arrive at while wearing tennis whites.

£12.99 HB 24th May 978-0-00-742521-1

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This little incident (a stitched leg, a feeling of bafflement) planted the seed of a character whose sense of self is at once rigid and fragile, who needs and expects everyone around him to live by a code of conduct he dictates for them, and I wrote a short story about a man named Winn Van Meter, the troubled father of a pregnant bride. Two years later, alone except for my dog, I lived on Nantucket for eight months—mostly the cold, grey months that aren’t conducive to either bicycling or tennis—and expanded the story into Seating Arrangements.

New Fiction | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

Coming this September

The Nightmare Lars Kepler Writing duo Lars Kepler introduce their follow-up to The Hypnotist.

The Nightmare is quite different from our début, The Hypnotist, and that’s our plan: you never know what to expect from Lars Kepler. With The Nightmare we wanted to write a really fast-paced thriller. For us, it is important to find a core in our stories that attracts us, makes our hearts beat faster, a mystery that we need to know more about.

£12.99 HB 13th September 978-0-00-741447-5

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As writers, our greatest source of inspiration is film.

Just like watching a movie, we want the reader to completely immerse themselves within the book.

That’s how it feels when we write. We want the readers to see everything with their own eyes, fall in love, hide along with the hunted, open their holster, pull out a black Glock and feel the weight, the recoil, the stinging spray of gunpowder on the hand.

The Nightmare is about highly dangerous contracts that you should not sign; contracts that cannot be broken, even by death. Those who want to break the contract must reap their worst nightmare. It is meant to be a roller coaster. When you have finished reading, you will feel that you have awoken from a terrifying dream.

Available this summer

£7.99 PB 24th May

The Hypnotist Lars Kepler

978-0-00-735912-7

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“The thriller that’s taking Europe by storm… ferocious, visceral storytelling that wraps you in a cloak of darkness. It’s stunning.” Daily Mail

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New Summer Paperbacks | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

Target Tirpitz Patrick Bishop

Summer Paperbacks: Non-Fiction Choice

The Tirpitz was Hitler’s greatest weapon; the largest battleship in Europe. The fear it inspired would stoke an Allied obsession: to sink the Tirpitz, at any cost. It would take a raid by the R.A.F., under the command of one of the heroes of the Dambusters to destroy it. However, despite his achievements, Willie Tait consistently shunned the spotlight and, until now, his story has never been told. £7.99 PB 19th July 978-0-00-731924-4

HarperPress

Simon: The Genius in my Basement Alexander Masters

£8.99 PB 21st June 978-0-00-724339-6

The eccentric living below Alexander Masters’ flat stomps around in his littered rooms, eating disgusting food and carrying a decaying sports bag he never lets out of his clutches. But he is also one of the greatest mathematical prodigies of the twentieth century.

This is a humane book about the frailty of brilliance, and a happy man.

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New Summer Paperback | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan Alan Partridge

£7.99 PB 26th April 978-0-00-744918-7

Harper

A literary tour de force, I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan charts the incredible journey of one of our greatest broadcasters – Alan Partridge, a man with a fascinating past and an amazing future.

“As a parody of celebrity autobiography, it’s sound; but as a sustained piece of comic EXTRA PROOF DISCOUNT OutSIGNED EVENTS writing, it’s outstanding.”

Time

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The Queen: Elizabeth II and the Monarchy [Jubilee edition] Ben Pimlott £12.99 PB 10th May 978-0-00-747662-6

An updated edition of Ben Pimlott’s classic biography of the Queen to mark the Diamond Jubilee.

HarperCollins

The Bicycle Book Bella Bathurst

£8.99 PB 26th April 978-0-00-730589-6

HarperPress

“Bathurst’s joyful freewheel through the world of bicycles and the people who ride them not only affirms her as an elegant chronicler of quirky subjects, but fills a gap in the pantheon of cycling literature… The Bicycle Book is unique in appealing to both cycling nuts and those of us who mean to dust off the flat-tyred two-wheeler.” Economist

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New Non-Fiction | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

New NonFiction Our Independent Book of the Month for

July

RRP£20.00

Amy, My Daughter Mitch Winehouse

In this intimate account of Amy Winehouse’s life, music, and untimely death, her father Mitch Winehouse gives readers full access to his daughter’s private life in the midst of her immensely public triumphs and tragedies. Amy, My Daughter takes the reader through her mischievous early years, her rise to stardom and her much publicised struggles with addiction. The book brings the many layers of her life together – the personal, the private and the public – to create a fitting tribute to his much-loved daughter.

Using exclusive extracts from his personal diary, Mitch discusses shocking and concerning events in his daughter’s life that will tug at the heartstrings of Amy’s fans across the globe. Featuring never-beforeseen photos of Amy, taken from the family album, Amy, My Daughter promises to be the definitive account of an iconic figure.

£20 HB 5th July 978-0-00-746389-3

HarperCollins

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All proceeds will be donated to The Amy Winehouse Foundation, the charity that Mitch has established in Amy’s name to help children and young adults facing difficulty and adversity in their lives.

New Non-Fiction | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

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Farther Away Jonathan Franzen Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom received a recordbreaking 32 ‘Book of the Year’ nominations in the UK press and was nominated Number 1 in Time Magazine’s Best Fiction Books of 2010. In Farther Away, Franzen returns to non-fiction with a collection of essays and speeches exploring themes that have long preoccupied him, including examining his mixed feelings about the suicide of his friend and rival David Foster Wallace. This collection, written mostly in the past five years, shows Franzen as a powerful social critic and self-investigator.

£16.99 HB 7th June 978-0-00-745951-3

Our Independent Book of the Month for

June

RRP£18.99

Offer Price £14.99

£18.99 HB 7th June 978-0-00-738726-7

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Michael Morpurgo: War Child to War Horse Maggie Fergusson Michael Morpurgo, the former Children’s Laureate, author of War Horse and now household name familiar to adults and children alike, never envisioned this life for himself. Instead, the unbookish young Michael Morpurgo dreamt of being an army officer rather than a bestselling author. His own surprising story, which is not without the same tinge of sadness found in his books, is told in a unique collaboration with Maggie Fergusson; with Michael responding to each biographical chapter with a story.

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New Non-Fiction | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

Did they actually climb Everest?

The Last Hours on Everest Graham Hoyland

The men lifted oxygen sets onto their backs, then they turned towards the mountain and stamped off into history.

On the 6th June, 1924, George Mallory and Sandy Irvine disappeared into the mists of history, attempting to climb Everest. Mallory’s body was discovered high on Everest in 1999 but the discovery did little to disway the myths about what happened to Mallory and Irvine on the mountain. It was Graham Hoyland’s evidence that led to the discovery of the body and it will be his evidence that will lead to the discovery of Sandy Irvine’s. £20 HB 23th May 978-0-00-745575-1

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Hoyland combines his personal experience of being the 15th English man to climb Everest, the physical evidence found on the mountain and an insight into the hearts and minds of the two climbers, to produce the most detailed and compelling reconstruction of what happened after the two English climbing legends left the camp on that fateful day and the answer to that most intriguing of questions – did they actually climb Everest?

New Non-Fiction | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

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Colonel Gaddafi’s Hat Alex Crawford

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Introduced by Hannah MacDonald, Publisher, Collins

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A portrait of the last gasps of Gaddafi’s regime, Crawford’s book is also an extraordinary insight into modern political conflict and the nature of modern journalism.

£14.99 HB 29th March 978-0-00-746730-3

Collins

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Sky News’ Special Correspondent Alex Crawford became a household name in August when she was the first reporter to broadcast live from Green Square in Tripoli. The euphoric, chaotic, risky atmosphere of those moments was conveyed across the world and Alex, a veteran correspondent of many conflicts, reached an unprecedented level of global exposure.

This book is a gripping account of those months, a portrayal of a people seized by change, a city unhinged by risk. It is also the most heart-stoppingly absorbing account of conflict reporting I have read for a very long time. From the excitement of revolution in Green Square to the desperation of a city hospital a few streets away, Alex tells a story that reveals both the famous and the hidden facets of the Libyan story. Deprived for years by a corrupt regime, doctors with inadequate equipment and insufficient drugs struggle as the bloody hospital corridors fill up with children caught in gun fire and young men caught up in the fervour of liberation. Whilst upstairs, pristine and silent lies Gaddafi’s own show ward…

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“This is an extraordinary piece of writing. It will engage and move you – and raise your pulse dangerously.”

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New Non-Fiction | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

Unlock the mysteries of British wildlife

Springwatch British Wildlife Springwatch Team

The perfect year-round companion to Britain’s rich and diverse natural heritage, from the hosts of Britain’s most watched nature programme.

£20 HB 24th May 978-0-00-746286-5

Collins

In this year-round introduction to the wildlife of our gardens and cities, the Springwatch Team provide descriptions, photographs, facts and secrets about the birds, mammals and plants that can all be encountered on the British Isles. A combination of enthusiam and expertise make the Springwatch Team the ideal guides to the natural world. This new book illuminates how the wildlife of Britain live, where to find them, why they do what they do and how we can learn to appreciate them.

New Non-Fiction | HarperCollins Independent Thinking | Summer 2012

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Titian Sheila Hale

The first biography, in over 100 years, of the artist studied by generations of the greats, from Rubens to Manet. £30 HB 19th July 978-0-00-717582-6

HarperPress

During his career, which spanned more than seventy years, Titian was notorious for disregarding authority and was an international celebrity by his late fifties.

He captured the beautiful and evocative background of Venice in its ‘Golden Age’ but is often seen as having artistically transcended his own time. Despite being patronised by the Hapsburgs, the Pope and Charles V, less than half of his two hundred pictures survive.

The Last Highlander Sarah Fraser

One of Scotland’s most colourful characters and the greatest double-agent of the age.

£20 HB 10th May 978-0-00-722949-9

HarperPress

Simon Fraser was one of Scotland’s most notorious and romantic figures and the last nobleman to be executed for treason. A shrewd and calculating soldier of unlimited ambition, his was a life packed with plotting and doubledealing. Fraser acted as a spy for both the Stuarts and the Hanoverian Georges, claimed to be both Protestant and Roman Catholic and spent time as a wanted outlaw. A gripping, accessible non-fiction adventure about the man who died a martyr for an independent Scotland.