Daunt Books: 10 books

There are 1.2 billion people living in India; more than 1.2 billion stories in one country. A man living on a tea plantation in the Nilgiri Hills realises he’s in love with his daughter-in-law; a young family eagerly awaits the launch of Shakti-Cola; a chronically anxious yoga retreat manager struggles...

If you’ve ever stayed with dull people during what is alleged to be the festive season, you’ll know a good dose of Saki is the only cure. These Christmas stories present Saki at his inimitable, satirical best as he addresses the most perilous aspects of the holiday period: visiting dull...

Take a stroll through London with Virginia Woolf as your guide in this beautifully illustrated book. Virginia Woolf relished any opportunity for a stroll around London. She found great pleasure in observing the city and its people - noticing the subtle details that others often miss. In this...

From the arrival of his first ancestor in Dublin in 1560, Simon Loftus traces the fascinating story of his family’s heritage in Ireland - piecing together fragments of legend and biography that span over 350 years of Irish history. The background is the colonial conquest of Ireland and the...

In these extraordinary stories Mark Twain takes us from the sleepy banks of the Mississippi, through frontier towns, and across the deserted gold plains of California. We encounter his countryfolk in all their bizarre variety: a cannibalistic ex-senator, a compulsive gambler, phoney travelling salesmen,...

Step into the boarding houses and furnished rooms of New York City, or take a stroll around the park. Observe the tumult and glitter of Broadway on a Saturday night, and browse the silken stockings in Manhattan’s most exclusive store. Hop onto the Coney Island ferry to join the lovesick shop-girl,...

The future is here. India has just sent its first spacecraft to the moon, and the placid city of Mysore is gearing up for its own global recognition with the construction of HeritageLand - Asia’s largest theme park. From behind the formidable gates of Mahalakshmi Gardens to the shanty houses on...

A collection of eighteen deliciously disturbing tales by Saki, the Edwardian master of the short story. Saki’s sharp satire pierces the polite veneer of country house parties, hunting meets and evenings round the pianola. Wild beasts stampede through the drawing room, servants suffer murderous delusions...

Paul Watkins spent six years as a crewman on a deep-sea fishing boat. This novel tells his story. The coast of New England: beautiful but savage, where storms can whip up out of nowhere, and the wrecks wash up on the beach. James Pfeiffer, a young college dropout, is initiated into the gruelling...

Found at the corner of Goodge Street, a goose and a black felt hat. Mr Henry Baker can have the same by applying at 6.30 this evening at 221B, Baker Street. It’s the 27th of December and Sherlock Holmes has a new mystery to solve. Who is the unlucky owner of the festive goose dropped on Tottenham...