Kate Atkinson's Behind the scenes at the museum - Emma Parker

The "Continuum Contemporaries" series is designed to be a source of ideas and inspiration for members of book clubs and reading groups, as well as for literature students at school, college and university. The series aims to give readers accessible and informative introductions to 30 of the most popular, most acclaimed and most influential novels of recent years. A team of contemporary fiction scholars from both sides of the Atlantic has been assembled to provide a thorough and readable analysis of each of the novels in question. The books in the series all follow the same structure, which features: a biography of the novelist, including other works, influences and, in some cases, an interview; a full-length study of the novel, drawing out the important themes and ideas; summaries of how the novel was received upon publication and how it has performed since publication, including film or TV adaptations and literary prizes; a wide range of suggestions for further reading, including websites; and a list of questions for reading groups or students to discuss.