- Table View
- List View
Leading Lady: A Memoir of a Most Unusual Boy
by Charles BuschA poignant, deliciously anecdotal account of a talented artist's Oz-like journey in the worlds of Off-Broadway, Broadway, and HollywoodThe Tony Award-nominated writer of The Tale of the Allergist&’s Wife and the long-running hit Off-Broadway play Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, and a Sundance Festival award winner, Charles Busch has created a unique place in the entertainment world as a playwright, LGBT icon, drag actor, director, and cabaret performer, with his extraordinary gift for both connecting with and channeling the leading ladies of show business. In wonderfully readable chapters, by turns comic and moving, Charles writes how ever since his mother's death when he was seven, he has sought out surrogate mothers in his life. In his teens, Charles moved to Park Avenue in Manhattan to live with his Auntie Mame-like Aunt Lil, who encouraged and nourished Charles&’ talents and dreams, and eventually he discovered his gifts for writing plays and performing as a male actress.Busch also shares his colorful and sometimes outlandish interactions with film and theatrical luminaries including the hilarious comedian Joan Rivers (who became a mother figure to Charles after Aunt Lil&’s death), Angela Lansbury (who attended her first Passover seder with Charles), Rosie O&’Donnell, Claudette Colbert, Valerie Harper, Kim Novak, and many others. Full of both humor and heart and featuring rare photos, Leading Lady is for readers of entertainment books as well as anyone who enjoys real-life stories of artists who break the mold, ditch the boundaries, and find their own unique way to sparkle.
Scenes of a Graphic Nature: 'A perfect page-turner' (Dolly Alderton) from the bestselling author of The Rachel Incident
by Caroline O'DonoghueTHE RACHEL INCIDENT - Caroline O'Donoghue's bestselling new novel* - is out nowCharlie's life isn't going forward - so she's decided to go back After a tough few years floundering around the British film industry and experimenting with amateur pornography, Charlie and her best friend Laura take a trip to her familial home on an island off the west coast of Ireland. Her father's health is rapidly declining and this could be the last chance to connect with her roots. But events on the island cause Charlie to doubt her father's childhood stories - and then there's her complicated relationship with Laura. Pursuing the truth will shatter everything she thought knew - but is that what it takes to grow up?'A gorgeous exploration of the messy and fragile nature of friendship and all the many forms of love' IRISH TIMES'A darkly humorous, keenly observed blend of millennial drift and murder mystery from a razor-sharp writer' RED'Witty, tender and insightful' GUARDIAN'A perfect page-turner. I loved it' DOLLY ALDERTON'Wonderful. Had me gripped' MARIAN KEYES*The Rachel Incident was a #2 bestseller in Ireland in June 2023
Straight Acting: The Many Queer Lives of William Shakespeare
by Will Tosh'Engrossing, enlightening and hugely entertaining'SARAH WATERS, author of Fingersmith'Brilliant - so vivid and so sharp, fantastically clever and consistently fascinating'KATHERINE RUNDELL, author of Super-InfiniteWas Shakespeare gay? The answer is both simpler and more complex than you might think . . .Shakespeare's work was profoundly influenced by the queer culture of his time - much of it totally integrated into mainstream society. From a relentless schooling in Latin and Greek homoeroticism, to a less formal education on the streets and in smoky taverns, from the gender-bending of the early comedies to the astonishingly queer literary scene that nurtured Shakespeare's sonnets, this is a story of artistic development and of personal crisis.Straight Acting is a surprising portrait of Shakespeare's queer lives - his own and those in his plays and poems. It is a journey back in time and through Shakespeare's England, revealing a culture that both endorsed and supressed same-sex desire. It is a call to stop making Shakespeare act straight and to recognise how queerness powerfully shaped the life and career of the world's most famous playwright.'Magisterial and saucy . . . This fresh account kickstarts the queer canon of English literature: Shakespeare won't go back in the closet again'EMMA SMITH, author of This Is Shakespeare
Straight Acting: The Many Queer Lives of William Shakespeare
by Will Tosh'Engrossing, enlightening and hugely entertaining'SARAH WATERS, author of Fingersmith'Brilliant - so vivid and so sharp, fantastically clever and consistently fascinating'KATHERINE RUNDELL, author of Super-InfiniteWas Shakespeare gay? The answer is both simpler and more complex than you might think . . .Shakespeare's work was profoundly influenced by the queer culture of his time - much of it totally integrated into mainstream society. From a relentless schooling in Latin and Greek homoeroticism, to a less formal education on the streets and in smoky taverns, from the gender-bending of the early comedies to the astonishingly queer literary scene that nurtured Shakespeare's sonnets, this is a story of artistic development and of personal crisis.Straight Acting is a surprising portrait of Shakespeare's queer lives - his own and those in his plays and poems. It is a journey back in time and through Shakespeare's England, revealing a culture that both endorsed and supressed same-sex desire. It is a call to stop making Shakespeare act straight and to recognise how queerness powerfully shaped the life and career of the world's most famous playwright.'Magisterial and saucy . . . This fresh account kickstarts the queer canon of English literature: Shakespeare won't go back in the closet again'EMMA SMITH, author of This Is Shakespeare
Chlorine: A Novel
by Jade SongIn the vein of The Pisces and The Vegetarian, Chlorine is a debut novel that blurs the line between a literary coming-of-age narrative and a dark unsettling horror tale, told from an adult perspective on the trials and tribulations of growing up in a society that puts pressure on young women and their bodies… a powerful, relevant novel of immigration, sapphic longing, and fierce, defiant becoming.Ren Yu is a swimmer. Her daily life starts and ends with the pool. Her teammates are her only friends. Her coach is her guiding light. If she swims well enough, she will be scouted, get a scholarship, go to a good school. Her parents will love her. Her coach will be kind to her. She will have a good life.But these are human concerns. These are the concerns of those confined to land, those with legs. Ren grew up on stories of creatures of the deep, of the oceans and the rivers. Creatures that called sailors to their doom. That dragged them down and drowned them. That feasted on their flesh. The creature that she’s always longed to become: the mermaid.Ren aches to be in the water. She dreams of the scent of chlorine, the feel of it on her skin. And she will do anything she can to make a life for herself where she can be free. No matter the pain. No matter what anyone else thinks. No matter how much blood she has to spill.
The Archive Undying (The Downworld Sequence #1)
by Emma Mieko CandonWar machines and AI gods run amok in The Archive Undying, national bestseller Emma Mieko Candon's bold entry into the world of mecha fiction.WHEN AN AI DIES, ITS CITY DIES WITH IT WHEN A CITY FALLS, IT LEAVES A CORPSE BEHIND WHEN THAT CORPSE RUNS OFF, ONLY DEVOTION CAN BRING IT BACK When the robotic god of Khuon Mo went mad, it destroyed everything it touched. It killed its priests, its city, and all its wondrous works. But in its final death throes, the god brought one thing back to life: its favorite child, Sunai. For the seventeen years since, Sunai has walked the land like a ghost, unable to die, unable to age, and unable to forget the horrors he's seen. He's run as far as he can from the wreckage of his faith, drowning himself in drink, drugs, and men. But when Sunai wakes up in the bed of the one man he never should have slept with, he finds himself on a path straight back into the world of gods and machines. The Archive Undying is the first volume of Emma Mieko Candon's Downworld Sequence, a sci-fi series where AI deities and brutal police states clash, wielding giant robots steered by pilot-priests with corrupted bodies. Come get in the robot.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Darkhearts: A Novel
by James L. SutterPerfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Red, White, & Royal Blue, Darkhearts is a hilarious, heartfelt, enemies-to-lovers romance about love, celebrity, and what happens when the two collide.When David quit his band, he missed his shot at fame, trapped in an ordinary high school life while his ex–best friend, Chance, became the hottest teen pop star in America.Then tragedy throws David and Chance back into contact. As old wounds break open, the boys find themselves trading frenemy status for a confusing, secret romance—one that could be David’s ticket back into the band and the spotlight.As the mixture of business and pleasure becomes a powder keg, David will have to choose: Is this his second chance at glory? Or his second chance at Chance?
I'll Give You the Sun
by Jandy NelsonA New York Times bestseller • One of Time Magazine&’s 100 Best YA Books of All Time • Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award • A Stonewall Honor BookThe radiant, award-winning story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, Becky Albertalli, and Adam Silvera"Dazzling." —The New York Times Book Review"A blazing prismatic explosion of color." —Entertainment Weekly"Powerful and well-crafted . . . Stunning." —Time Magazine&“We were all heading for each other on a collision course, no matter what. Maybe some people are just meant to be in the same story.&” At first, Jude and her twin brother are NoahandJude; inseparable. Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude wears red-red lipstick, cliff-dives, and does all the talking for both of them. Years later, they are barely speaking. Something has happened to change the twins in different yet equally devastating ways . . . but then Jude meets an intriguing, irresistible boy and a mysterious new mentor. The early years are Noah&’s to tell; the later years are Jude&’s. But they each have only half the story, and if they can only find their way back to one another, they&’ll have a chance to remake their world. This radiant, award-winning novel from the acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.
The Eloquence of Desire
by Amanda Sington-Williams“I have just stumbled onto the nicest surprise” - Susan Abraham “I grew up in Singapore and Malaysia in the 1950s. This book evoked a whole world of sights, smells and sounds. It captured the fear and uncertainty of the times and the very needed stiff upper lips. I recall vividly traveling from Singapore to Ipoh in an armored car and stopping at each armed checked post. Other than that, this was an engrossing read and extremely well done. I found my book club recommendation for this year!” - Genene Cote, Reviewer, USA “For those who know me, giving a book a 5 is something I don’t do. My belief is if a book receives a 5 rating, it better be worthy of a Nobel Prize in literature. The Eloquence of Desire is one such book. Ms. Sington-Williams has written a book that flows rhythmically, lyrically, like poetry or a song, but touches on every facet of human nature. This ... story will grip your heart and bring your emotions to the foreground. I don’t think anyone will come away from this story untouched.” - Romance Writers United. The book Set in the 1950s, The Eloquence of Desire explores the conflicts in family relationships caused by obsessive love, the lost innocence of childhood and the terror of the Communist insurgency in Malaya. Richly descriptive and well-researched, the story told by Amanda Sington-Williams unfolds as George is posted to the tropics in punishment for an affair with the daughter of his boss. His wife, Dorothy, constrained by social norms, begrudgingly accompanies him while their twelve year old daughter Susan is packed off to boarding school. Desire and fantasy mix with furtive visits, lies and despair to turn the family inside out with Dorothy becoming a recluse, George taking a new lover, and Susan punishing herself through self-harm. The Eloquence of Desire is written in Sington-Williams’ haunting and rhythmical prose.
Tell Me More
by Jaymie WagnerThe day Kaylee O’Connell meets a cute redheaded girl in her college O-chem class, she has no idea she’s found the love of her life.Rachel Nikolides loves to learn about all kinds of strange and interesting things, and Kaylee loves to listen to her info dump. Eight years later, the flames are still burning between them, but how sexy can to a trip to the local flea market be?
Criminalized Lives: HIV and Legal Violence (Q+ Public)
by Alexander McClellandCanada has been known as a hot spot for HIV criminalization where the act of not disclosing one’s HIV-positive status to sex partners has historically been regarded as a serious criminal offence. Criminalized Lives describes how this approach has disproportionately harmed the poor, Black and Indigenous people, gay men, and women in Canada. In this book, people who have been criminally accused of not disclosing their HIV-positive status, detail the many complexities of disclosure, and the violence that results from being criminalized. Accompanied by portraits from artist Eric Kostiuk Williams, the profiles examine whether the criminal legal system is really prepared to handle the nuances and ethical dilemmas faced everyday by people living with HIV. By offering personal stories of people who have faced criminalization first-hand, Alexander McClelland questions common assumptions about HIV, the role of punishment, and the violence that results from the criminal legal system’s legacy of categorizing people as either victims or perpetrators. Note: A regrettable error appears on page 22. The number 240 should be 206 when referring to the number of people prosecuted in relation to allegations of HIV nondisclosure. This will be fixed in future reprints.
Making Love with the Land: Essays
by Joshua Whitehead#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLERFINALIST FOR THE HILARY WESTON WRITERS' TRUST PRIZE FOR NONFICTIONMuch-anticipated non-fiction from the author of the Giller-longlisted, GG-shortlisted and Canada Reads-winning novel Jonny Appleseed.&“Thrillingly cerebral. . . . Delivered with virtuoso aplomb.&” —The New York TimesIn the last few years, following the publication of his debut novel Jonny Appleseed, Joshua Whitehead has emerged as one of the most exciting and important new voices on Turtle Island. Now, in this first non-fiction work, Whitehead brilliantly explores Indigeneity, queerness, and the relationships between body, language and land through a variety of genres (essay, memoir, notes, confession). Making Love with the Land is a startling, heartwrenching look at what it means to live as a queer Indigenous person "in the rupture" between identities. In sharp, surprising, unique pieces—a number of which have already won awards—Whitehead illuminates this particular moment, in which both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples are navigating new (and old) ideas about "the land." He asks: What is our relationship and responsibility towards it? And how has the land shaped our ideas, our histories, our very bodies?Here is an intellectually thrilling, emotionally captivating love song—a powerful revelation about the library of stories land and body hold together, waiting to be unearthed and summoned into word.
Beware of Psychics Box Set
by Holly DayHaving a psychic ability should make life easier, but it isn't always the case.In this box set, you'll meet three men with amazing abilities that could've made their lives great, but instead of making things easier, they cause trouble. Either they have to hide what they can do, or they can't control it. But maybe there is happiness to be found even for an out-of-luck psychic?Contains the stories:How to Hook a Vampire: A vampire on guard. A psychic on the run. A cabin with one bed. Jameson trusted the wrong person and hides in his uncle's fishing cabin. Harland comes back after having fed only to find his home inhabited, and no one is happier than him that he didn't snack on the sleeping man when it turns out he’s his boss' nephew. But how long before danger finds them in the cabin?The Bear Claw: In a world where everyone is either dominant or submissive, Shiro doesn’t have many choices. As a sub, any dom coming to his bakery can give him orders. Pitch wants a mate, but he won’t settle for anything but a true mate. As an alpha shifter, he can have his pick, but his true mate is hiding in the kitchen of a bakery and refuses to see him. How many cups of coffee will it take to lure him out?Batshit Bassel: Some people perform miracles, others serve soup. Bassel is a psychic with no control over his powers. He'll never work wonders, but he can serve soup. Thor lost his sister and became the guardian of his nephew, but his life doesn't have room for a cub. Bassel aches for the little boy cloaked in grief and the growling bear he lives with, but will soup be enough to ease their sorrows?
Animal God
by R. G. HendricksonForever-young Oscar, in a present-day prison cell, tells a story from his early life. As Diver, one of the first Homo sapiens, he’s the sole survivor of our people when our original home, Lake Makgadikgadi, dries up. Searching in vain for others, desperately lonely, he encounters a stranger with burning eyes, whose uncommon beauty calms Diver’s fears.Fiery-eyed Geb is a godlike being allied with animals. At first, he’s charged with orchestrating Diver’s death. Nothing personal, he likes Diver, but duty comes first. For the moment, Diver is the last of our kind, and Geb is tasked with keeping it that way.Before Diver outwits the prehistoric animals sent to kill him, Geb shows him their lives through the animals’ own eyes. When he defeats the animals, Diver regrets their loss. This opens Geb’s heart. He works to earn Diver’s trust, a difficult task considering their history and Geb’s spiritual constraints.Courting Diver, Geb forsakes his duty and makes a big sacrifice to prove his love. Diver learns the secret of how our people might resurface, and Geb promises to always be with him.In his cell, Oscar suffers a flawed romance, gives his blood for experiments, and meets a strange computer program, John Doe, struggling with amnesia. This AI being loves Oscar’s story of two ancient enemies becoming lovers and saving humanity. When John remembers his lost identity, he helps Oscar escape.
Reinvented
by Alexandra CaluenAt going-on-fifty, patent filing specialist Santo is the recently divorced single dad to a sixteen-year-old with Broadway ambitions. He’s thrilled to learn his new coworker Martin is close to his age, also gay, and also a single dad. At the very least, they might turn into good work friends.Before many weeks pass, Santo and Martin are much more than work friends. Their teenagers, who go to the same high school, quickly bond. Having school and workplace in common takes a lot of the juggling out of trying to date in Los Angeles.Meanwhile, Santo’s support helps Martin cope as an adoptive father to a niece still grieving her parents. He’s creating a new version of himself for this role. Will his turbulent entry into parenthood open a door to a future full of love?
The Sea Turtles
by Faye WorthingtonAt thirty, Lindsay Ramone loves herself. How couldn’t she? She’s smart, beautiful, and enjoys acting and creating scenes. She has a good life. A positive life. And fortunately, she’s overseen by two very close and special people.Lindsay is monetarily cared for by her wealthy uncle, a best-selling novelist who finds his niece similar to himself. Both suffer from mental illness, particularly depression. Lindsay’s uncle sends her numerous healthy checks, creating an easy lifestyle for her.Lindsay’s second caregiver is her best friend, Jilly Joey Finn, a professional online product surveyor. They’ve known each other since the ninth grade. Jilly has always been an emotional rock and a strong support for Lindsay.When Lindsay has the most electrically emotional and fascinating day in late August with Jilly, a dark and depressing day sneaks up on her. As predicted, Lindsay falls into a temperamental, dark depression. Mental illness begins to eat her alive, again.Lindsay has a few mechanisms of resistance to help her mental illness: therapy tools, swimming naked with the sea turtles, and Jilly’s affections. But maybe Jilly has been crossing the line with her friendly holding ... at least lately she has. Now Lindsay wants to find out exactly why.
A Shore Thing
by Joanna LowellA delightfully queer Victorian love story, featuring a boldly brash trans hero, the beguiling botanist who captures his heart, and a buoyant bicycle race by the British seaside — from the author of The Duke Undone.Former painter and unreformed rake Kit Griffith is forging a new life in Cornwall, choosing freedom over an identity that didn't fit. He knew that leaving his Sisterhood of women artists might mean forfeiting artistic community forever. He didn&’t realize he would lose his ability to paint altogether. Luckily, he has other talents. Why not devote himself to selling bicycles and trysting with the holidaymakers?Enter Muriel Pendrake, the feisty New-York-bound botanist who has come to St. Ives to commission Kit for illustrations of British seaweeds. Kit shouldn&’t accept Muriel&’s offer, but he must enlist her help to prove to an all-male cycling club that women can ride as well as men. And she won't agree unless he gives her what she wants. Maybe that's exactly the challenge he needs.As Kit and Muriel spend their days cycling together, their desire begins to burn with the heat of the summer sun. But are they pedaling toward something impossible? The past is bound to catch up to them, and at the season&’s end, their paths will diverge. With only their hearts as guides, Kit and Muriel must decide if they&’re willing to race into the unknown for the adventure of a lifetime.
A Product of Genetics (and Day Drinking): A Never-Coming-of-Age Story
by Jess H. GutierrezA frank, raucous, and bawdy collection of essays about coming of age through the oddest jobs, misadventures in queer love, and endearing parenting fails This is a perfect book for a very imperfect generation. Millennials were the kids who wore slap bracelets and jeans so low rise they could see one another's colons, and they are now adults wondering, Is everyone else as messed up as I am? In her book, Jess shares relatable tales of a woman who feels like a dumpster fire even with a seemingly ideal set up with a fire-captain wife, three kids, and a mortgage. Highlights include roller-derby catastrophes, a disastrous first night on the job at a lesbian bar, narrow escapes from wild animals, and fond memories of sending printed thirst-trap photos via mail to the lover in Australia she met on the early Internet. Readers will soon cheerfully discover that Jess&’s voice is infectious, her stories are off-the-wall, and her references are deeply and delightfully millennial.
Ennek Trilogy (Ennek Trilogy #3)
by Kim FieldingProsperity comes at a price. In Praesidium, that price is freedom. Strict laws and a harsh penal code ensure ordinary criminals become bond-slaves. But the most serious traitors are turned over to the wizard to be suspended in a dreamless frozen state known as Stasis. Miner is one such criminal, suspended forever—until Ennek, the youngest son of Praesidium&’s Chief, stirred by the horror of Miner&’s fate, sets him free. Ennek has always skirted the edge of the law. Now he finds himself a fugitive, friend of a traitor. He and Miner must rely on each other if they are to overcome the challenges facing them. Though their deepening relationship offers them both support, Miner grapples with the consequences of his enslavement, while Ennek struggles to control his newfound wizard powers. Seeking balance for themselves and their world, they learn the greatest challenges sometimes come from very close to the heart.
Liebe ist herzlos (Liebe ist #2)
by Kim FieldingKlein, aber oho – das könnte Detective Nevin Ngs Motto sein. Auch ein harter Start ins Leben hat ihn nicht davon abhalten können, jetzt beim Portland Police Bureau seine Pflicht zu erfüllen und für seine Mitmenschen da zu sein, wann immer sie ihn brauchen. Er lässt sich nichts gefallen und ist nicht an einer Beziehung interessiert. Bis er zu einem alten Herrn gerufen wird, der von Unbekannten zusammengeschlagen wurde. Und Nevin dort den reichen und etwas steifen Vermieter des Opfers kennenlernt. Der Bauunternehmer und Immobilienmanager Colin Westwood ist mit all dem aufgewachsen, wovon Nevin nie zu träumen gewagt hätte – Geld im Überfluss und einer Familie, die ihn liebt und unterstützt. Vielleicht sogar etwas zu viel, denn Colin litt als Kind an einer schweren Krankheit und seine Familie hat immer noch nicht begriffen, dass er mittlerweile ein erwachsener Mann ist, der sich um sich selbst kümmern kann. Colin ist sehr wohl an einer Beziehung interessiert, aber bisher ist daraus nie etwas geworden. Deshalb hat er beschlossen, sich in Zukunft vielleicht mit dem zufriedenzugeben, was ihm über den Weg läuft. Weniger Erwartungen, aber dafür mehr Aufregung. Bis er Zeuge eines – oder sogar mehrerer – fürchterlichen Verbrechen wird. Darauf war er nicht vorbereitet gewesen. Obwohl sie unterschiedlicher nicht sein könnten, fliegen die Funken, wann immer Colin und Nevin sich begegnen. Aber Funken haben keine lange Lebenserwartung, vor allem nicht angesichts der wenigen Gemeinsamkeiten zwischen den beiden Männern und der immer brutaleren Machenschaften, mit denen sie konfrontiert werden. Die Frage ist, ob sie das Herz und die Kraft haben, diese Funken dauerhaft zum Leuchten zu bringen.
Make It Count: My Fight to Become the First Transgender Olympic Runner
by CeCé TelferAN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH PICK By turns harrowing and hopeful, MAKE IT COUNT is the inspiring story of the first openly transgender woman to win a NCAA title, following her traditional upbringing in Jamaica, her fight to become a US citizen, and her efforts to achieve her Olympic dreams. CeCé Telfer is a warrior. The first openly transgender woman to win an NCAA championship, she has contended with transphobia on and off the track since childhood. Now, she stands at the crossroads of a national and international conversation about equity in sports, forced to advocate for her personhood and rights at every turn. After spending years training for the 2024 Olympics, Telfer has been sidelined and silenced more times than she can count. But she's never been good at taking no for an answer. MAKE IT COUNT is Telfer's raw and inspiring story. From coming of age in Jamaica, where she grew up hearing a constant barrage of slurs, to beginning her new life in Toronto and then New Hampshire, where she realized what running could offer her, to living in the backseat of her car while searching for a coach, to Mexico, where she trained for the US Trials, this book follows the arc of Telfer's Olympic dream. This is the story of running on what feels like the edge of a knife, of what it means to compete when you're not just an athlete but treated like a walking controversy. But it's also the story of resilience and athleticism, of a runner who found a clarity in her sport that otherwise eluded her—a sense of being simply alive on this earth, a human moving through space. Finally, herself.
The Global Fight Against LGBTI Rights: How Transnational Conservative Networks Target Sexual and Gender Minorities (LGBTQ Politics)
by Phillip M. Ayoub Kristina StoecklAn in-depth look at the global movement to curtail LGBTI rights—and how the LGBTI movement responds to itIn the past three decades, remarkable progress has been made in numerous countries for the rights of individuals marginalized due to their sexual orientation and gender identity. The advancements in LGBTI rights can largely be attributed to the tireless efforts of the transnational LGBTI-rights movement, forward-thinking governments in pioneering nations, and the evolving human rights frameworks of international organizations. However, this journey towards equality has been met with formidable opposition. An increasingly interconnected and globally networked resistance, backed by religious-nationalist elements and conservative governments, has emerged to challenge LGBTI and women's rights, even seeking to reinterpret and co-opt international human rights law.In The Global Fight Against LGBTI Rights, authors Phillip M. Ayoub and Kristina Stoeckl investigate this complex landscape, drawing from over a decade of in-depth fieldwork and over 240 interviews with LGBTI activists, anti-LGBTI proponents, and various state and international organization actors. The authors explore the mechanisms and strategies employed by the conservative transnational movement, seeking to understand its composition and the construction of its agenda.With a wealth of empirical evidence and insightful analysis, this book is a valuable resource for scholars, policymakers, activists, and anyone interested in understanding the ongoing global battle for LGBTI rights.
Cicada Summer: A Novel
by Erica McKeenA woman, her grandfather, and her lover quarantine in the remote lakeside wilderness—where their world splits apart at the seams. In the summer of 2020, with a heat wave bearing down and a brood of periodical cicadas climbing into the trees, Husha mourns the recent death of her mother while quarantining with her ailing grandfather, Arthur, at his lakeside cabin in remote Ontario. They’re soon joined by Husha’s ex-lover, Nellie, who arrives without explanation to complete their trio. Also among them is a strange book, discovered by Husha while cleaning out her mother’s house. When she, Arthur, and Nellie begin to read it together, they learn that her mother’s last missive was a short story collection, crawling with unsettling imagery and terrifying transformations. As the stories bleed into their cloistered life in the cabin, they must each reckon with loss, longing, and what it means to truly know another person. Incantatory and atmospheric, Cicada Summer is a dazzlingly original novel about how we grieve and care for one another.
Four Squares
by Bobby FingerFrom the beloved author of The Old Place comes a tender, funny, and fresh novel about a gay writer in New York City whose life is irrevocably altered, and then again thirty years later.In 1992, on his thirtieth birthday, Artie Anderson meets the man who will change his life. Artie spends his days at a tedious advertising job, finding relief in the corner of New York City he can call his own, even as the queer community is still being ravaged by HIV. But when his birthday celebration brings Artie and his friends to his favorite bar, a chance encounter with Abe, an uptight lawyer and Artie&’s opposite in almost every way, pushes Artie to want, and to ask for, more for himself.Thirty years later, Artie is stunned when Halle and Vanessa, Abe&’s daughter and ex-wife, announce they are moving across the country. Artie has built a lovely, if small, life, but their departure makes Artie realize that he might be lonelier than he previously thought. When a surprising injury pushes Artie into the hands of GALS, the local center for queer seniors, a rambunctious group of elders insist on taking him under their wing.Alternating between both timelines, Four Squares is an intimate look at what it means to find community at any age. With humor and compassion, it honors the enduring power of queer friendship, its history, and how essential it is to keep those stories alive.
Hood Wellness: Tales of Communal Care from People Who Drowned on Dry Land
by Tamela J. Gordon&“A funny, thought-provoking, and profound memoir about the intersection of Blackness and health. Gordon&’s vision of a more just future feels both inspiring and possible.&” — Kirkus Starred ReviewWhat does self-care look like when struggling to make ends meet, living with a disability, or navigating intersectional marginalization? How can you prioritize well-being while divesting from systems built to destroy you? The answer: Hood Wellness, a groundbreaking exploration that challenges the oppressive systems deeply rooted in health and wellness industries in the United States. In a world where self-care is critical to survival, Gordon offers a revolutionary perspective that celebrates individuals' unique privileges, challenges, and desires. By defying the norms of multi-billion-dollar industries, Hood Wellness illuminates the possibilities that emerge when we prioritize well-being while divesting from harmful structures. Hood Wellness is also a deep exploration of people forced to overcome harrowing circumstances with little more than communal support and the will to get well. From terminal illness and police violence to embracing gender identity in a society that's attacking trans and queer rights, each story reflects America's extreme political, racial, and gender climates. Gordon challenges everything we think we know about wellness by calling out the wellness industry's inability to include those outside the margins of white, heteronormative identities. She lays plain that self-care as we know it is mostly just surface-level "cute," and communal care is the call-to-action that America needs. Drawing on elements of memoir, self-help, humor, critical race theory, and devastatingly honest storytelling, Gordon guides readers on a transformative journey toward a new paradigm of wellness. This compelling book serves as a beacon, empowering individuals to cultivate resilience and self-love in today's world. As Gordon shares her personal odyssey, she intertwines the stories of others, revealing her profound discoveries, triumphs, and passions related to self-care. Hood Wellness introduces readers to an inclusive and accessible self-care primer and an approach to well-being that holds the potential to bring about profound change in their lives.