The Renaissance

1. Paul , Kidby

Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld

Go behind the scenes of the iconic Discworld series with this beautiful, illustrated hardback, the perfect gift book for any fantasy fan this holiday season.'It's still magic, even if you know how it's done' SIR TERRY PRATCHETTSir Terry Pratchett was one of the world's best-loved and bestselling fantasy writers, author of the iconic Discworld series. Now, for the first time, go behind the scenes of the incredible partnership between Pratchett and his 'artist of choice', Paul Kidby.This stunning new book shows how the Discworld was brought to visual life - from the earliest sketches to the final magnificent masterpieces - and how Terry and Paul absorbed influences from art and pop culture, fusing them into the Discworld landscape.Whilst Terry was the undisputed creative fountainhead, for three decades Paul has been the artistic force taking the people, places and piece of man-eating luggage from Terry's ever-fertile imagination right into our world.And, in a special final chapter, Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld also outlines the images that we never got to see - the early covers of the great unwritten novels, taken from the world before their time.Packed full of hitherto unseen art and the real stories behind it, this is a unique insight into one of the greatest literary partnerships.'Paul Kidby has enriched us Discworld readers by visualizing the landscapes of our imagination . . . he has paved roads that allow us to walk throughout Discworld' from the Foreword by Colin Morgan

1. Leigh Bardugo

The Familiar

1. Noel , Malcolm

Forbidden Desire in Early Modern Europe

Forbidden Desire is a pioneering study of the history of male-male sex in the whole of Early Modern Europe, including the European colonies and the Ottoman world.

1. Maggie O'Farrell

Hamnet

WINNER: WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTIONWINNER: FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR, BRITISH BOOK AWARDSWINNER: BOOKS ARE MY BAG READER'S CHOICE AWARDAS FEATURED ON BBC2'S BETWEEN THE COVERSSHORTLISTED: AN POST IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR, WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION

1. Andrew Graham Dixon

Caravaggio

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio lived the darkest and most dangerous life of any of the great painters. This book presents the readings of Caravaggio's pictures, which show how he created their drama, immediacy and humanity, and how completely he departed from the conventions of his time.

1. Alison , Weir

Six Tudor Queens 1. Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen

Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen by bestselling historian Alison Weir, author of The Lost Tudor Princess, is the first in a spellbinding six novel series about Henry VIII's Queens. Alison takes you on an engrossing journey at Katherine's side and shows her extraordinary strength of character and intelligence. Ideal for fans of Philippa Gregory and Elizabeth Chadwick. 'Shatters the many myths about Henry VIII's long-suffering first wife' Tracy Borman'Weir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life' GuardianA Spanish princess. Raised to be modest, obedient and devout. Destined to be an English Queen.Six weeks from home across treacherous seas, everything is different: the language, the food, the weather. And for her there is no comfort in any of it. At sixteen years-old, Catalina is alone among strangers.She misses her mother. She mourns her lost brother.She cannot trust even those assigned to her protection.KATHERINE OF ARAGON. The first of Henry's Queens. Her story.History tells us how she died. This captivating novel shows us how she lived. Praise for Alison Weir and Katherine of Aragon: 'A tender understanding of and genuine sympathy for this proud, much-loved and honourable Queen. . . I was gripped [from] start to finish' Mavis Cheek'Well-researched and engrossing' Good Housekeeping'Yet again, Alison Weir has managed to intertwine profound historical knowledge with huge emotional intelligence, to compose a work that throws light on an endlessly fascinating historical figure. Yet her real gift in all of this is making it feel so fresh and alive' Earl Spencer'Alison Weir clearly admires her heroine . . . meticulously researched' The Times'This exquisite book charts the rise and fall of Henry VIII's first wife, Katherine. . . A fascinating insight into this period of our history. Weir's undeniable strength is her immaculate description, enabling the reader to be transported back to Tudor England' Sun'Weir manages to untangle the complex web of 16th-century politics, shown through Katherine's duties as ambassador, and her astute reading of the games being played. This adds greatly to the heft of the character, demonstrating what a competent woman she was becoming' Herald Scotland'Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen is a true tour de force. Finely crafted, this novel is wonderful historical fiction and an outstanding introduction to the Six Tudor Queens series' Queen Anne Boleyn Blog'Known for bestselling historical biographies, Alison Weir is in command of her detail . . . her handling of Katherine's misery and dignified response to her predicament is very touching' Elizabeth Buchan, Daily Mail