New Release Books by Matt Haig

DO YOU A) Know a human? B) Love a human? C) Have trouble dealing with humans? IF YOU''VE ANSWERED YES TO ANY OF THE ABOVE, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU Whether you are planning a high level of human interaction or just a casual visit to the planet, this user-guide to the human race will help you translate their sayings, understand exotic concepts such as ''democracy'' and ''sofas'', and make sense of their habits and bizarre customs. A phrase book, a dictionary and a survival guide, this book unravels all the oddness, idiosyncrasies and wonder of the species, allowing everyone to make the most of their time on Earth.

The sequel to the Sunday Times bestseller The Truth Pixie; an uplifting, illustrated story about beating back-to-school nerves

The bestselling, award-winning author of The Midnight Library offers his funniest, most devastating dark comedy yet, a “silly, sad, suspenseful, and soulful” (Philadelphia Inquirer) novel that’s “full of heart” (Entertainment Weekly). When an extra-terrestrial visitor arrives on Earth, his first impressions of the human species are less than positive. Taking the form of Professor Andrew Martin, a prominent mathematician at Cambridge University, the visitor is eager to complete the gruesome task assigned him and hurry home to his own utopian planet, where everyone is omniscient and immortal. He is disgusted by the way humans look, what they eat, their capacity for murder and war, and is equally baffled by the concepts of love and family. But as time goes on, he starts to realize there may be more to this strange species than he had thought. Disguised as Martin, he drinks wine, reads poetry, develops an ear for rock music, and a taste for peanut butter. Slowly, unexpectedly, he forges bonds with Martin’s family. He begins to see hope and beauty in the humans’ imperfection, and begins to question the very mission that brought him there. Praised by The New York Times as a “novelist of great seriousness and talent,” author Matt Haig delivers an unlikely story about human nature and the joy found in the messiness of life on Earth. The Humans is a funny, compulsively readable tale that playfully and movingly explores the ultimate subject—ourselves.

When Barney’s feline fantasy comes true, the fur starts flying in this darkly hilarious and heartwarming tale. Cats have it made. They laze in sun patches, are showered with affection by loving humans, can cough up hairballs wherever they want, and never have to wonder why their dad disappeared one day and never came back. It’s clearly much easier to be a cat than to be a middle school boy. So when Barney Willow wishes he could be a cat, and gets his wish, he should be thrilled. Except he’s not. He discovers that not all cats are cute and cuddly, and some of them are downright evil. He discovers that his own mother can’t see past the whiskers to recognize her darling son. Worst of all, he discovers that his life is in grave danger…and he doesn’t have eight lives to spare.

Struggling with overwork and parenting angst, English village doctor Peter Radley endeavors to hide his family''s vampire nature until their daughter''s oddly satisfying act of violence reveals the truth, an event that is complicated by the arrival of a practicing vampire family member.

Order THE COMFORT BOOK. Available now! THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER The world is messing with our minds. Rates of stress and anxiety are rising. A fast, nervous planet is creating fast and nervous lives. We are more connected, yet feel more alone. And we are encouraged to worry about everything from world politics to our body mass index. – How can we stay sane on a planet that makes us mad? – How do we stay human in a technological world? – How do we feel happy when we are encouraged to be anxious? After experiencing years of anxiety and panic attacks, these questions became urgent matters of life and death for Matt Haig. And he began to look for the link between what he felt and the world around him. Notes on a Nervous Planet is a personal and vital look at how to feel happy, human and whole in the twenty-first century.

Audreyâe(tm)s father taught her that to stay human in the modern world, she had to build a moat around herself; a moat of books and music, philosophy and dreams. A moat that makes Audrey different from the echoes: sophisticated, emotionless machines, built to resemble humans and to work for human masters. Daniel is an echo âe" but heâe(tm)s not like the others. He feels a connection with Audrey; a feeling Daniel knows he was never designed to have, and cannot explain. And when Audrey is placed in terrible danger, heâe(tm)s determined to save her. ECHO BOY is a powerful story about love, loss and what makes us truly human.

Tom Hazard has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old, but he''s been alive for centuries -- performing with Shakespeare, exploring the high seas with Captain Cook, and sharing cocktails with Fitzgerald. Now, he just wants an ordinary life.

A BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS—SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE Journey to the edge of magic Amelia Wishart was the first child ever to receive a Christmas present. It was her Christmas spirit that gave Santa the extra boost of magic he needed to make his first trip around the world. But now Amelia is in trouble. When her mother falls ill, she is sent to the workhouse to toil under cruel Mr. Creeper. Without a whiff of kindness to keep Amelia going, her spirit begins to drain away. Meanwhile, up at the North Pole, magic levels dip dangerously low as Christmas approaches, and Santa knows that something is gravely wrong. If he’s going to save Christmas, he might just need some help . .

A "chilling, riveting, heartbreaking" (The New York Times Book Review) novel of parental turmoil, from Matt Haig, the New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Library and How to Stop Time. Terence Cave, owner of Cave Antiques, has already experienced the dual tragedies of his mother''s suicide and his wife''s murder when his teenage son, Reuben, is killed in a grotesque accident. His remaining child, Bryony, has always been the family''s golden girl and Terence comes to realise that his one duty in life is to "protect" her from the world''s dark forces. But as he starts to follow his grieving daughter''s movements and enforce a draconian set of rules, his love for Bryony becomes a possessive force that leads to destruction. The Possession of Mr. Cave is a chilling investigation into the relationship between adults and teenagers -- and a captivating, tautly paced story that chronicles one man''s descent into madness.

Eleven-year-old Nikolas—nicknamed “Christmas”—has received only one toy in his life: a doll carved out of a turnip. Still, he tries hard to believe in happiness, living with his father in the second smallest cottage in all of Finland. Then one day his father goes missing, and Nikolas must travel to the North Pole to save him. Along the way, Nikolas befriends a surly reindeer, bests a troublesome troll, and discovers a hidden world of enchantment in the frozen village of Elfhelm. But the elves of Elfhelm have troubles of their own: Christmas spirit and goodwill are at an all-time low, and Nikolas may be the only person who can fix things—if only he can reach his father before it’s too late. . . . Sparkling with wit and warmth, A Boy Called Christmas is a cheeky new Christmas classic-in-the-making from acclaimed author Matt Haig and illustrator Chris Mould.

Original stories from Fanny Blake, Elizabeth Buchan, Rowan Coleman, Jenny Colgan, Philippa Gregory, Matt Haig, Veronica Henry, Andy McNab, Richard Madeley and John O''Farrell - with special anniversary recipes from The Hairy Bikers. A young woman with memories of D-Day and a life both dangerous and exciting A father and son with a shared birthday and deeply held secrets A single mum taxi driver, whose envy for the rich couple on their way to the Ritz soon changes The unlikely marriage, born in the depths of war The Tudor wife receives the ghostly message, ''Never marry a dangerous man'' An agoraphobic widower, unable to visit his wife''s grave The Elvis impersonator who finds hope for a new romance with Marilyn Monroe The ex soldiers burdened with the consequences of one bad decision The long-held memories of a wartime tragedy The anniversary supper which changed the world... THE ANNIVERSARY - a collection of the very best short fiction around.

When Troll-Son runs away from home, he decides to leave the Shadow Forest behind and move in with his idol, Samuel Blink. Samuel isn''t thrilled with the idea of hiding a runaway troll, especially one who copies everything he does, even (ugh!) using his toothbrush. But should Samuel return Troll-Son to the Shadow Forest? After all, he''s running from something . . . what danger still lurks there? This engaging adventure showcases Matt Haig''s wry sense of humor, drawing readers deeper into the imaginative world introduced in Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest.

The story of a family in crisis and the loyal dog that holds them together, from the author of How To Stop Time and Reasons to Stay Alive. "Matt Haig has an empathy for the human condition, the light and the dark of it, and he uses the full palette to build his excellent stories." —Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods Meet Prince, the canine narrator of this tragi-comic tale of family life. As with all Labradors, he has devoted his entire existence to preserving the happiness and security of his human masters. Not that his human masters realise this, of course. After all, when the Hunter family rescued him, they had no idea that they were the ones who were really being saved. But as events unfold Prince realises he’s got his work cut out. The trouble is that while he has no problem in remembering his duty, the Hunters themselves seem to have greater difficulty remembering theirs. Of particular concern is Adam Hunter, who forgets his responsibilities as a father and husband when he becomes sexually attracted to a young and flirtatious aromatherapist. Then there’s Kate, Adam’s wife. As Prince watches her increasingly neurotic behaviour he detects something is wrong and decides to sniff out the source of the trouble. What he eventually discovers is a treacherous secret that could tear Adam, Kate, and their two children apart. The Labrador Pact explores the hidden dangers of family life from the perspective of the only family member who gets to see everything – the knee-high, four-legged observer in the corner of the room. Through Prince’s eyes (and nose) we come to realise the secrets which hold families together and which, once dug up, can lead to their destruction.

A ghost story with a twist, from Matt Haig, the New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Library. "Matt Haig has an empathy for the human condition, the light and the dark of it, and he uses the full palette to build his excellent stories." —Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods Philip Noble is an eleven-year-old in crisis. His pub landlord father has died in a road accident, and his mother is succumbing to the greasy charms of her dead husband''s brother, Uncle Alan. The remaining certainties of Philip''s life crumble away when his father''s ghost appears in the pub and declares Uncle Alan murdered him. Arming himself with weapons from the school chemistry cupboard, Philip vows to carry out the ghost''s relentless demands for revenge. But can the words of a ghost be trusted any more than the lies of the living?

Funny and captivating fantasy from rising star Matt Haig! Samuel and Martha''s new life with their Aunt Eda in Norway is filled with rules, but most important is rule number nine: NEVER ''UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES'' GO INTO THE FOREST. Sure their Uncle Henrik disappeared in the forest ten years ago, but it can''t be the forest''s fault-can it? Samuel is skeptical until he finds an unusual book, The Creatures of Shadow Forest, which describes the fantastic and sinister creatures supposedly living there. Could Aunt Eda be right? Samuel discovers the truth about the forest''s dangerous secrets when Martha becomes lost in the forest, and it''s up to him to save her.

Derek Landy, Philip Reeve, Joseph Delaney, Susan Cooper, Eleanor Updale, Jamila Gavin, Mal Peet, Matt Haig, Berlie Doherty, Robin Jarvis and Sam Llewellyn have come together to bring you eleven ghost stories: from a ghost walk around York; to a drowned boy, who''s determined to find someone to play with; to a lost child trapped in a mirror, ready to pull you in; to devilish creatures, waiting with bated breath for their next young victim; to an ancient woodland reawakened. Some will make you scream, some will make you shiver, but all will haunt you gently long after you''ve put the book down.

Samuel Blink is the hero of this story, but he doesn''t know it yet. Right now, he and his sister Martha are in the back of his parents car. He has no idea a giant log is about to fall from the sky and change his life forever.

Brand success = business success. A simple equation, but identifying those winning qualities is not easy. To achieve this goal, author Matt Haig applies a range of criteria including financial success, longevity, technological advancement, new product development, work place revolution and mass communication. The result is a comprehensive, entertaining and illuminating collection. From Adidas to Zippo, we''re guided through a gallery of some of the world''s best-known names and given a rare insight into the secret of their success. With comments from brand managers, psychologists, academics and other experts, Brand Success is a great resource for brand managers, marketers and students. For the rest of us, it''s simply a great read.

What do Coca-Cola, McDonald''s, IBM, Microsoft and Virgin have in common? Yes, they are all global giants, but what they are less recognized for are all those branded products they''ve launched that have bombed - spectacularly and at great cost. Brand Failures takes a riveting look at how such disasters occur. In this new updated edition of the classic Matt Haig''s best-selling book, we''re given the inside story of 100 major brand blunders that make for jaw-dropping reading. He describes the brands that have set sail with the help of multi-million dollar advertising campaigns only to sink without a trace. From acknowledged brand mistakes made by successful blue-chip companies to some lesser know but hilarious bomb-shells, he reveals what went wrong in every case and provides a valuable checklist of lessons learnt. A tour of Matt Haig''s fascinating hall of failure will alert you to potential dangers and show you how to ensure a long, healthy life for your brand.