A charming, uplifting debut novel-full of humor and depth-that has taken readers around the world by surprise. Everyone has a story to tell. But does Janice have the power to unlock her own?She can't recall what started her collection. Maybe it was in a fragment of conversation overheard as she cleaned a sink? Before long (as she dusted a sitting room or defrosted a fridge) she noticed people were telling her their stories. Perhaps they had always...

Seventeen-year-old Shae and her friends journey to the mysterious land of Gondal in search of a dangerous magical book that could alter the fabric of the world, but as they cross the borders, they discover a world ruled not by magic but technology and industry--one fraught with perils of its own.

Determined to seek his fortune, Percival Taylor leaves behind his sleepy hometown and sets out to become a legendary pirate-- if only anyone would allow him anywhere near a ship! He means to win the heart of the beautiful Tuppence Magrathia Paddock, who has mistaken him for a pirate rogue out of one of her romantic books. Percival eventually finds himself captain of a broken-down ship, complete with a crew of reluctant pirates, a jilted fiancée,...