Entertainment Books

Dive into thousands of new and classic records, with topics as diverse as rollercoasters, robots, movie props and gaming.  The theme of this year's edition is the Blue Planet, so take the plunge with our opening chapters, as we encounter bizarre and deadly sea creatures, swim through the largest coral reefs and explore the seabed for shipwrecks. Rod Hunt's fourth and final cover in his collectable series also conjures an aquatic wonderland packed with record holders - how many can you spot?  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781913484385 • Author: Guinness World Records • Publisher:  Guinness World Records Limited • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  256 • Dimensions:  22.8 x 1.8 x 30.4 cm

Back in 1922, when Howard Carter first smashed his way into the tomb of long-dead Egyptian King Tutankhamun, the guttering candle in his hand illuminated a scene of unimaginable splendour. “Can you see anything?” asked Lord Carnarvon.“Yes! Wonderful things!” responded a breathless Carter. ast forward just over a century, and any adventurer opening a copy of Viz - The Barber’s Pole will be similarly astounded by the comedy gold they will find haphazardly piled up within its covers. Because just like the tomb of an Egyptian Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, the 226 pages within its stout and glossy covers are packed with priceless treasures. It’s the sort of 24-carrot comedy gold that has made Viz the country’s fourth* or fifth** favourite humorous magazine (* ** possibly sixth) for well over four decades…  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781916421943 • Author: Viz Magazine • Publisher:  Diamond • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  226 • Dimensions:  23.6 x 2.2 x 30.3 cm

Now including the top astronomical places to visit, star festivals and the latest on star parties in Britain and Ireland, the new 2024 edition is totally up-to-date for exploring the wonder of the night skies, month-by-month and day-by-day. Whether you're a seasoned astronomer or just starting out, Philip's Stargazing 2024 is the only book you'll need. Compiled by experts and specially designed for easy and daily use, Stargazing 2024 acts as a handily illustrated and comprehensive companion. Includes 12 updated sky charts for year-round astronomical discovery, Month-to-Month information. Daily Moon Phase Calendar, highlighting special lunar events throughout the year and planet Watch for ideal viewing days in 2024. Find the best places to experience Dark Skies, along with the latest on Star Festivals and Star Parties and the top places to visit for astronomical insights. With expert advice and insight throughout from internationally renowned Prof Nigel Henbest, a special article on the use of filters for astro-photography by expert Robin Scagell, the complete calendar of major astronomical events, including the Top 20 Sky Sights of 2024 and Jargon Buster, explaining common or confusing terms, the planets' movements explained from solar and lunar eclipses to meteor showers and comets.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781849076517 • Author: Nigel Henbest • Publisher:  Philip's • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  96 • Dimensions: 14.9 x 14.9 x 21 cm

Ripley's Believe It or Not! will amaze and astound children and adults alike with thousands of strange stories, unusual feats and hair-raising oddities from around the world. Bursting with thousands of extraordinary facts and accompanied by lists, stunning photography, infographics, and the science behind some of the weirdest stories, Ripley's Believe It or Not! will entertain, inform and flabbergast you with stories of people who are pushing the boundaries. This year's annual takes the reading experience to the next level with mini games, interactive video content, quizzes, secrets to be unlocked and many more innovative features. No Christmas is complete without it. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781529916607 • Author: Ripley • Publisher:  Penguin Books Ltd • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  256 • Dimensions: 23.5 x 2.2 x 30.5 cm

Another year on the Diddly Squat Farm and Jeremy is still knee-deep in mud and endless challenges. Welcome back to Clarkson's Farm. Since taking the wheel three years ago Jeremy's had his work cut out. And it's now clear from hard-won experience that, when it comes to farming, there's only one golden rule: Whatever you hope will happen, won't. Enthusiastic schemes to diversify have met with stubborn opposition from the red trouser brigade, defeat at the hands of Council Planning department, and predictable derision from Kaleb - although, to be fair, even Lisa had doubts about Jeremy's brilliant plan to build a business empire founded on rewilding and nettle soup. And only Cheerful Charlie is still smiling about the stifling amount of red tape that's incoming... But he charges by the hour. Then there are the animals: the sheep are gone; the cows have been joined by a rented bull called Break-Heart Maestro;. the pigs are making piglets; and the goats have turned out to be psychopaths. But despite the naysayers and (sometimes self-inflicted) setbacks, Jeremy remains irrepressibly optimistic about life at Diddly Squat. Because It's hard not to be when you get to harvest blackberries with a vacuum cleaner. And, after all, it shouldn't just be Break-heart Maestro who gets to enjoy a happy ending...  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780241674895 • Author:  Jeremy Clarkson • Publisher:  Michael Joseph • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  192 • Dimensions: 15.2 x 2.6 x 23.6 cm

This book will score a major-league success with sport obsessives and casual fans alike... Any true fan knows that the porcelain umpire’s chair is an ideal place to put your sporting knowledge to the test. This compendium of fun activities and quiz questions will have you spotting the difference at Wembley, finding a lost helmet at Lord’s, and going for gold in Olympic omniscience. From bestselling author and professional brain-teaser Hugh Jassburn, this illustrated puzzle book includes a range of challenges relating to football, rugby, tennis, cricket, athletics, golf, boxing, basketball, rowing, snooker and more. Pit your wits against such quiz questions as these: What is the lowest darts score you can’t achieve with a single dart? In 1981 Muhammad Ali retired from boxing – what was his career record? What is Tiger Woods’ real first name? Who was the first cricket player to score a century and take ten wickets in a test match? What sport has four letters, is played all around the world, and begins with a “t”? Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781786852687 • Author: Hugh Jassburn • Publisher:  Summersdale • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  112 • Dimensions: 14.8 x 1.7 x 14.6 cm

My mate was selling a television cheap because the volume was broken. I couldn’t turn it down. What’s black and white and bad all over? These jokes! Groaning with silly gags, classic wisecracks, naff knock-knocks, poor puns and lame one-liners, this book will make you cry until you laugh. Warning: Includes adult content. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781787830288 • Author: Sid Finch • Publisher: Summersdale • Format: Paperback • Pages: 96 • Dimensions: 14.8 x 10.5 cm

Whether you are a new or longtime Formula 1 fan, here is your ultimate, unofficial armchair companion to the popular Netflix series Formula 1: Drive to Survive, providing deeper insight into the players, tech, and history that drive the show’s plot points. F1 expert Stuart Codling is your guide to all things F1. The Formula 1 Drive to Survive The Unofficial Companion is a feature-rich guide that takes you beyond the series’ personalities and off-track drama to present further context. Topics covered include: Where relevant, Codling relates content to specific seasons and episodes, providing even more context for the reality series. The visuals include scores of action and off-track photos. The result is a visually stunning guide to accompany a wildly popular TV series, and an engaging history spanning seventy-plus years of the world’s most popular motorsport. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780760386668 • Author: Stuart Codling  • Publisher:  Motorbooks • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  192 • Dimensions: 21.84 x 1.65 x 27.56 cm

The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope. In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history. Written with remarkable candour and humour, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.   Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781398522527 • Author:  Britney Spears • Publisher:  Gallery UK • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  288 • Dimensions:  15.3 x 2.45 x 23.4 cm

The long-awaited return of the comedy national treasure... Blockbusters, Baywatch… Mastermind, Moonlighting… Porridge, Parkinson… Peter Kay takes you on a journey into the wonders of TV –back to the days when Dusty Bin was a household name, Robin of Sherwood was a pin-up and the Brookside siege was the event of the year. For a young telly-loving Peter growing up in Bolton, TV meant Sunday bath nights with a black-and-white portable, the unbridled excitement of the new Christmas TV guide and his elderly neighbour’s inconvenient hearing problem. Here, for the first time, he collects his TV memories and adventures together in this brilliant book. Join Peter as he finds success on the small screen, leaving his own unique footprint in the golden age of TV: from making tea at Granada Studios and marching along to ‘(Is This the Way to) Amarillo’ to hanging out in the Rovers Return, having run-ins with Bernard Manning and starring in possibly the worst Doctor Who episode of all time. You’ll go behind the scenes of the legendary Phoenix Nights, take The Road to Nowhere with Max & Paddy and discover how Peter created his BAFTA-winning performance in Car Share. So sit back and enjoy a journey through the wonderful world of television. Endearing, sidesplittingly funny and utterly unforgettable – T.V. sees Peter Kay at his vivid, nostalgic and hilarious best.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780008623319 • Author: Peter Kay • Publisher: HarperCollins • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  320 • Dimensions:  15.9 x 3.6 x 24 cm

From declaring my love to Vanessa Redgrave to being fed cockroaches by Steve Buscemi, from turnip-based comedy with Blackadder to being farted on by Arnold Schwarzenegger, from Graham Norton's sofa to Alan Cumming's campervan, my life has been (and continues to be) a riotous adventure. Oh Miriam! has been such a constant refrain in my life, said in all kinds of tones - laughs, surprised gasps and orgasmic sighs (I'm hoping for all those from you as you read on!) - that it had to be the title of this book. And with a castlist that stretches from Churchill to di Caprio, Dahl to Dietrich, Princess Margaret to Maggie Smith, I've got so much more to tell you and so much more to say. My chapters range from 'How to Stay Married' to 'Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down'. Discover how to break the thickest conversational ice; why swearing is actually good for you (though not on the Today programme); the unexpected things I actually learnt at school and what my Spice Girl name would be. Not to mention my Tale of the Unexpected and my very own Vagina Monologue. Buckle up and join me on another unforgettable adventure, but this time through my heart and head...  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781399803359 • Author: Miriam Margolyes • Publisher:  John Murray • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  336 • Dimensions: 15.29 x 1.78 x 23.39 cm 

There's whiskers in the whiskey! Cats love a drink! When you're not looking, your kitty is busy getting liquored up. This book gathers the best photos of cats getting buzzed off booze and looking pawfully pitiful the morning after. And to aid your appreciation, these snaps of sordid and sozzled pussycats have been paired with hilarious captions telling us what their meowing actually means. Bottoms up! Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781800070202 • Author:  Charlie Ellis • Publisher:  Summersdale • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  96 • Dimensions:  14.73 x 1.65 x 14.61 cm

A fully illustrated book of tongue-in-cheek advice for cat parents who struggle to tame their cat's inner beast. Having a cat can be such a joy. Little compares to the delight of cuddles on the couch, the sound of gentle purring, or the fun of playtime. But what do you do when your furry friend starts scratching all the furniture, ruining the flower beds, stealing your food and generally wreaking havoc? Luckily, this entertaining guide is here with top tips and tricks to tame your cat when the wild beast comes out, so you can spend more time giving head scritches and less time worrying about the state of your curtains.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781800077126 • Author:  Sam Hart • Publisher:  Summersdale • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  96 • Dimensions:  11.94 x 1.65 x 15.88 cm

Two years before the events of Stranger Things Season 4, Eddie Munson-Hellfire Club leader, metalhead, and Hawkins outcast-has one shot to make it big. Hawkins, Indiana-for most, it's simply another idyllic, manicured all-American town. But for Eddie Munson it's like living in a perpetual Tomb of Horrors. Luckily, he only has a few more months to survive at Hawkins High. And what is senior year, really, but just killing time between Dungeons & Dragons sessions with the Hellfire Club and gigs with his band? It's at the worst dive bar in town that Eddie meets Paige, someone who has pulled off a freaking miracle. She escaped Hawkins and built a wickedly cool life for herself working for a record producer out in Los Angeles. Not only is she the definition of a badass-with a killer taste in music-she might be the only person that actually appreciates him as the bard he is instead of the devil incarnate. But the best thing? She's offering a chance for him to make something of himself, and all he needs is to get her a demo tape of Corroded Coffin's best songs. Just one problem: Recording costs money. Money Eddie doesn't have. But he's willing to do whatever it takes: even if that means relying on his old man, Al Munson. His dad just stumbled back into his life, with another dubious scheme up his sleeve, and yet Eddie knows this is his only option to make enough dough in enough time. It's a risk, but if it pays off he will finally have a one-way ticket out of Hawkins. Eddie can feel it: 1984 is going to be his year.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781529150261 • Author: Caitlin Schneiderhan • Publisher: Del Rey • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  288 • Dimensions: 16.2 x 2.8 x 24 cm

A hilarious parody of The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse! Because it's been a bit of a trying time, hasn't it? You now know that your five-year-old is better at maths than you. And English. And at not crying during work. And the only way to get through it with a smile has been to buy all the booze and try to remember how to do 'going out'. But don't worry, here to paper over all the cracks is a touching book, full of tender animal friends, pretty pictures and not too many words. A book for our times - to remind us of the precious joys of having all the family together, non-stop, twenty-four hours a day. Owning it will make you happy. Giving it to other people will make you seem kind. Reading it will remind you that you're nearly out of gin.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781789465686 • Author:  Guy Adams  • Publisher:  John Blake • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  96 • Dimensions: 12.5 x 1 x 18.5 cm

Fastest wins. Your adventure starts now... This is a race. It is not a race against the clock, because that would be a far easier race. Clocks can be fast, but clocks never win races. It's nearly always humans, sometimes horses and occasionally dogs. This is a race against your fellow Taskmaster players. You are competing against everyone else who is reading this book. All you've got to do is find The Taskmaster's Head first. This is a race with many twists and turns, that requires very little running, much sideways thinking and quite a lot of patience. Thankfully, there will be a shedload of tasks along the way to distract you. There are tasks to do on your own, tasks to do with your family and friends, and tasks for bigger groups too. Some of these distractions may slow you down, but some may help you get where you need to go. As always, enjoy them, do your best, make good choices. So get going. Take on the tasks. All the information you need is in the book... Alex Horne, Taskmaster's Assistant Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781529916539 • Author: Alex Horne  • Publisher: Ebury Spotlight • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  240 • Dimensions: 16.2 x 2.5 x 22.2 cm

Throughout my life, I have encountered fear and I know how much it has stopped me in my tracks. I want every woman to be able to move forward, to feel empowered at every stage of their lives. This manual includes all the advice you might expect. Whether you need help with how to dress, defining your style, finding out the colours that suit you or understanding the right beauty routine for the skin you have now, FEARLESS contains it all. But the most important thing that I have come to know is that life is not just about how we look – it’s about gaining the knowledge we need to navigate whatever life throws at us. So, I’ve included a life section to share what I’ve learned along the way, the everyday barriers that impact my confidence and how I feel. In each chapter I set you a practical challenge, because there is a big difference between reading and action – it is action that propels us and allows us to make positive change in your own life. To represent the different ages, shapes, styles and attitudes I cover, the inspiring Trinny Tribers from around the world have all come together to share too. I very much hope this book will help and inspire you. I look forward to sharing this new journey with you. We can all thrive and live fearlessly. With practical fashion, beauty, health, and life advice, everyone will be able to transform their self-confidence, to look and feel great in a holistic and inspiring, yet achievable way.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780008605438 • Author: Trinny Woodall  • Publisher:  HQ • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  352 • Dimensions:  19 x 3.4 x 24.1 cm

Alan Rickman remains one of the most beloved actors of all time across almost every genre, from his breakout role as Die Hard's villainous Hans Gruber to his heart-wrenching run as Professor Severus Snape, and beyond. His air of dignity, his sonorous voice and the knowing wit he brought to each role continue to captivate new audiences today. But Rickman's artistry wasn't confined to just his performances. Rickman's writing details the extraordinary and the ordinary in a way that is anecdotal, indiscreet, witty, gossipy and utterly candid. He takes us behind the scenes on films and plays ranging from Sense & Sensibility, the Harry Potter series, Private Lives, My Name Is Rachel Corrie and many more. The diaries run from 1993 to his death in 2016 and offer insight into both a public and private life. Here is Rickman the consummate professional actor, but also the friend, the traveller, the fan, the director, the enthusiast: in short, the real Alan Rickman. Here is a life fully lived, all detailed in intimate and characteristically plain-spoken prose. Reading the diaries is like listening to Rickman chatting to a close friend.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781838854805 • Author:  Alan Rickman  • Publisher:  Canongate Books • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  496 • Dimensions:  12.9 x 3 x 19.8 cm

Short, quick-fire jokes have been popular for centuries. Indeed the world’s oldest surviving joke book, the Philogelos, which was written in Ancient Greek, contains this classic doctor joke: Patient: “Doctor! When I wake up I’m all dizzy. Then after half an hour I feel fine.” Doctor: “Well, wait half an hour before waking up.” Meanwhile in Rome, they had a gag for every occasion, from senate orations and lavish feasts to throwing Christians to the lions. A Cicero stand-up gig was the hottest ticket in town. Shakespeare readily slipped one-liners into his comedies, while medieval jesters used pithy quips to amuse the royal court, well aware that if the joke backfired and somehow offended the monarch, their next audience might be with the executioner. “Dying on stage” carried a more sinister meaning for comedians in those days. It’s not hard to see why one-liners remain in vogue with today’s comedians. They are easy to remember, quick to deliver and if one gag dies on its feet, the next is waiting in the wings, hopefully to a better reception. Here is a compilation of the best one-liners around – a heady mix of old and new favourites, Dad jokes, thoughtful musings, corny puns and witty observations, covering a vast range of topics from families to fish, money to music, relationships to religion and technology to travel. They can be used to brighten up business conferences where the delegates are as tired as the sandwiches; dinner parties where the conversation is threatening to slide into a discussion about spreadsheets; seemingly interminable Zoom calls; and, of course, speeches at weddings that are so emotional that even the cake is in tiers. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781802471212 • Author: Geoff Tibballs • Publisher: Ad Lib Publishers Ltd • Format: Paperback • Pages: 136 • Dimensions: 19.7 x 12.8 x 0.8cm

Dogs love a drink! When you're not looking, your four-legged friend is busy knocking them back. This book gathers the best photos of dogs getting buzzed off booze and looking pawfully pitiful the morning after. And to add to your amusement, these snaps of hedonistic and hazy hounds have been paired with hilarious captions telling us what their barking is all about. Raise a glass to these howl-raisers! Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781800070219 • Author:  Charlie Ellis • Publisher:  Summersdale • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  96 • Dimensions:  14.73 x 1.65 x 14.61 cm