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Portraits at the Palace of Creativity and Wrecking: A John Murray Original
by Han Smith'Kaleidoscopic and beguiling . . . A singular and thrilling debut that shows what happens when objective truth and meaning are drowned in the shifting river of history and politics' ANDREW McMILLAN'Insightful, affecting and assured . . . Written with a poetry as defamiliarising as it is rich' OISÍN FAGAN'Strange, intriguing, exhilarating' CAMILLA GRUDOVA'Extraordinary' ADAM ZMITHThe almost daughter is almost normal, because she knows how to know and also not know.She knows and does not know, for instance, about the barracks by the athletics field, and about the lonely woman she visits each week. She knows - almost - about ghosts, and their ghosts, and she knows not to have questions about them. She knows to focus on being a woman: on training her body and dreaming only of escape.Then, the almost daughter meets Oksana. Oksana is not even almost normal, and the questions she has are not normal at all.Portraits at the Palace of Creativity and Wrecking is the story of a young woman coming of age in a town reckoning with its brutal past, for readers of Milkman and A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing.
Who's Afraid of Gender?
by Judith ButlerNational Bestseller. Named a Best Book of 2024 (so far) by NPR, Harper's Bazaar, W, and Esquire, and a Most Anticipated Book of 2024 by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, Los Angeles Times, ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Kirkus, Literary Hub, Autostraddle, The Millions, Electric Literature, and them. "A profoundly urgent intervention.” —Naomi Klein "A timely must-read for anyone actively invested in re-imagining collective futurity.” —Claudia RankineFrom a global icon, a bold, essential account of how a fear of gender is fueling reactionary politics around the world. Judith Butler, the groundbreaking thinker whose iconic book Gender Trouble redefined how we think about gender and sexuality, confronts the attacks on “gender” that have become central to right-wing movements today. Global networks have formed “anti-gender ideology movements” that are dedicated to circulating a fantasy that gender is a dangerous, perhaps diabolical, threat to families, local cultures, civilization—and even “man” himself. Inflamed by the rhetoric of public figures, this movement has sought to nullify reproductive justice, undermine protections against sexual and gender violence, and strip trans and queer people of their rights to pursue a life without fear of violence.The aim of Who’s Afraid of Gender? is not to offer a new theory of gender but to examine how “gender” has become a phantasm for emerging authoritarian regimes, fascist formations, and transexclusionary feminists. In their vital, courageous new book, Butler illuminates the concrete ways that this phantasm of “gender” collects and displaces anxieties and fears of destruction. Operating in tandem with deceptive accounts of “critical race theory” and xenophobic panics about migration, the anti-gender movement demonizes struggles for equality, fuels aggressive nationalism, and leaves millions of people vulnerable to subjugation.An essential intervention into one of the most fraught issues of our moment, Who’s Afraid of Gender? is a bold call to refuse the alliance with authoritarian movements and to make a broad coalition with all those whose struggle for equality is linked with fighting injustice. Imagining new possibilities for both freedom and solidarity, Butler offers us a hopeful work of social and political analysis that is both timely and timeless—a book whose verve and rigor only they could deliver.
Camp Damascus
by Chuck TingleINSTANT USA TODAY & INDIE BESTSELLER!A Bram Stoker Award Nominee and CALIBA Golden Poppy Award finalist!A Best Book of 2023 (Vulture) and a Best Horror Book of 2023 (Esquire, Library Journal)!An Indie Next Pick!“A joyful, furious romp through dark places, Tingle proves he's as good at fear as he is at love.” ―T. Kingfisher, bestselling author of What Moves the DeadFrom beloved internet icon Chuck Tingle, Camp Damascus is a searing and earnest horror debut about the demons the queer community faces in America, the price of keeping secrets, and finding the courage to burn it all down.Welcome to Neverton, Montana: home to a God-fearing community with a heart of gold.Nestled high up in the mountains is Camp Damascus, the self-proclaimed “most effective” gay conversion camp in the country. Here, a life free from sin awaits. But the secret behind that success is anything but holy.And they’ll scare you straight to hell.Also by Chuck Tingle:Bury Your GaysAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Home Field Advantage
by Dahlia AdlerIn Dahlia Adler's Home Field Advantage, a sweet and funny f/f romance from the author of Cool for the Summer, a cheerleader and the school's newest quarterback are playing to win, but might lose their hearts in the process.Amber McCloud’s dream is to become cheer captain at the end of the year, but it’s an extra-tall order to be joyful and spirited when the quarterback of your team has been killed in a car accident. For both the team and the squad, watching Robbie get replaced by newcomer Jack Walsh is brutal. And when it turns out Jack is actually short for Jaclyn, all hell breaks loose.The players refuse to be led by a girl, the cheerleaders are mad about the changes to their traditions, and the fact that Robbie’s been not only replaced but outshined by a QB who wears a sports bra has more than a few Atherton Alligators in a rage. Amber tries for some semblance of unity, but it quickly becomes clear that she's only got a future on the squad and with her friends if she helps them take Jack down.Just one problem: Amber and Jack are falling for each other, and if Amber can't stand up for Jack and figure out how to get everyone to fall in line, her dream may come at the cost of her heart.Dahlia Adler's Home Field Advantage is a sparkling romance about fighting for what - or who - you truly want.
Kings Rising (The Captive Prince Trilogy #3)
by C. S. PacatThe stunning conclusion of worldwide phenomenon—from the boldly original author of Captive Prince and Prince&’s Gambit.&“I fell in love with the writing, the characters, [and] the story.&”—V.E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling authorHis identity now revealed, Damen must face his master Prince Laurent as Damianos of Akielos, the man Laurent has sworn to kill. On the brink of a momentous battle, the future of both their countries hangs in the balance. In the south, Kastor's forces are massing. In the north, the Regent's armies are mobilising for war. Damen's only hope of reclaiming his throne is to fight together with Laurent against their usurpers. Forced into an uneasy alliance the two princes journey deep into Akielos, where they face their most dangerous opposition yet. But even if the fragile trust they have built survives the revelation of Damen&’s identity—can it stand against the Regents final, deadly play for the throne?
Prince's Gambit: Volume Two (The Captive Prince Trilogy #2)
by C. S. PacatThe second novel in the critically acclaimed Captive Prince trilogy from global phenomenon C. S. Pacat.With their countries on the brink of war, Damen and his new master, Prince Laurent, must exchange the intrigues of the palace for the sweeping might of the battlefield as they travel to the border to avert a lethal plot. Forced to hide his identity, Damen finds himself increasingly drawn to the dangerous, charismatic Laurent. But as the fledgling trust between the two men deepens, the truth of secrets from both their pasts is poised to deal them a final devastating blow...
Girlcrush: The #1 Sunday Times Bestseller
by Florence Given'Dark, funny and wild.'- Chloe Ashby, author of WET PAINT'As ballsy as you'd hope' - Grazia'The words just sizzle off the page' - Glamour'Another triumph for feminism' - Red'Set to be one of the best books of 2022' - Red'A thrilling, bisexual romcom that doubles as a smart skewering of social media' - Evening Standard'... enjoyable first novel...' '...easy-to-read story...' - Independent'... the voice of her generation' '... the face of the future' - The Times Magazine'It's Carrie Bradshaw's columns in Sex and the City on steroids.' - The Times'Everything is IMMEDIATE. Emphasised.' - The Times'It's a kind of rags-to-unexpected-riches-to-devastating-realisation-back-to-older-wiser-rags type tale, almost 18th century in progression, except set in a thoroughly modern, even slightly futuristic world where life online is even more all consuming than we know it now.' - Sunday Independent'A hot debut novel with a dash of relatable existential dread' - Cosmopolitan'Seriously hot' - Cosmopolitan'Girlcrush is a funny, filthy and furious exploration of sexuality, identity and the expectations on us all. It's a rare combination - a page turner with a message.' - Daisy Buchanan'It feels like a ball of energy coming right for you. I loved this debut.' - Emma GannonGIRLCRUSH is a dark feminist retelling of Jekyll & Hyde by bestselling author Florence Given.In Given's debut novel, we follow Eartha on a wild, weird and seductive modern-day exploration as she commences life as an openly bisexual woman whilst also becoming a viral sensation on Wonderland, a social media app where people project their dream selves online.The distance between her online and offline self grows further and further apart until something dark happens that leads her into total self-destruction, forcing Eartha to make a choice; which version of herself should she kill off?Warning this book does include storylines that some readers may find triggering.*Also by Florence Given*Women Don't Owe You Pretty
The Colony Box Set (The Colony #3)
by J. TomasThis collection combines both books in J. Tomas's successful gay dystopian YA romance,The Colony:Rebellion: In the Colony, Aine’s life was decided at birth. The girl next door is his Other, whom he will marry one day. As long as he continues to take his pills, life will be good and he will be safe. But when he accidentally drops one, he learns he has feelings for Kyer, his best friend. Another boy.Revolution: Aine and Kyer escaped the Colony, but it doesn’t take long for them to tire of living outside its walls. Aine decides to return and, as the next Overseer, bring about some much-needed changes. But breaking back in proves even harder than breaking out. They must dodge Officers, evade Monitors, and convince the people they deserves better. Will anyone listen?
Throne of Waves
by Alexander VerlangenSequel to Throne of ShadowsBasil seeks vengeance. Zeus has killed and hurt everyone who matters to him. When the gods host an academy to find the next generation of gods, Basil secures an invitation with one goal in mind. Destroy Zeus at any cost.Unfortunately, Poseidon is far too attractive to be ignored. The god of the sea is dedicated to wooing Basil. Basil swears he can keep secrets from the alluring god, destroy Zeus, and find his happily ever after. Can Basil have it all when the gods are both plotting for and against him?
The First Breath of Spring
by Shawn BaileyGrocery owner Griffin Reed is a little hesitant about renting the apartment next to his to a nineteen-year-old young man with a two-year-old son. But from the moment he sees this blue-eyed, blond-haired angel standing outside his screened-door, Griffin feels maybe he should put his doubt aside and give Charles Martin and his equally angelic son Charlie a chance at a stable home.Charles Martin never knew his parents and grew up in foster care. So when he accidently gets a young woman pregnant, Charles makes a promise to himself to not let his son share his fate of getting passed from one foster family to another because Charlie’s mother thinks they’re too young to be parents. With the help of a social service worker, his best friend’s family, and a kindly landlord, Charles gets the chance to prove he is a responsible human-being.A few months after Charles settles into his new apartment, a devastating epidemic hits the world, forcing Charles and Charlie to hunker down with his landlord, a man he barely knows who has gone out of his way to prove love can conquer all.
Cedric Moves On
by Tim MeadLaw student Cedric Jones suffers a horrendous car accident which robbed him of his recent memories, including the fact he has a lover. When Ced opens a bottle of aftershave, it triggers memories of Tim, but it's too late as Tim has already moved on.Still haunted by his broken relationship, the newly qualified lawyer attempts to start fresh with a new job in a new town. He winds up working in a small law office in Colby, Ohio. The new job and town also leads to Ced finding new friends. One such friend hopes to make a deeper connection with Cedric, but given past events, Cedric is unwilling to commit.On a trip to the Toledo Museum of Art, Ced encounters a very tall man, and senses an immediate connection to him. However, Ced doesn't get the man's name and, after exchanging a few pleasantries, they walk off in different directions.Despite having a safe desk job in a quiet backwater, Cedric finds himself kidnapped at gunpoint and driven to a remote location. Thanks to his indomitable paralegal who raises the alarm, the cops are called and Ced is rescued by the local cops and the FBI. The latter is in the form of SAC Bart McName, the mysterious man from the museum.Can Cedric move on with Bart, or will he be forever haunted by his past?
Three Wishes and a Miracle
by Mere RainAelred hasn't been outside the monastery since his parents donated him as a child. He knows he shouldn't want more than this life of prayer, but he dreams of the far-off lands spoken of in the Bible. When a wealthy patron leaves a chest of treasures to be catalogued, Aelred is fascinated by their beauty. Most beautiful of all is the strange man who appears from nowhere and claims to be a djinn ... with wishes for Aelred!Aelred is sure the djinn is a demon sent to lure him into damnation. There is nothing a monk ought to wish for. He has no use for riches. And he certainly shouldn’t wish for earthly pleasures. He shouldn’t even be thinking about the djinn’s offers, magical or carnal. But not thinking about the djinn grows more and more difficult as they spend time together, and the djinn’s stories awaken Aelred’s longing for adventure ... and for love.The djinn tells Aelred he can have what he desires. But are his promises truth or temptation?
Flipping for Her
by Alex WintersThe last place Eden Sampson wants to be right now is home. Not that it ever felt that way, of course, but the time has come to finally sell the old homestead and seek closure from her dysfunctional, borderline abusive childhood. With contracts galore hanging in the balance back at her influencer management group in Nashville, Eden’s impatient to get the house remodeled and on the market, once and for all. That is, until she meets her sexy young house stager.Scout Mackenzie is excited for her new gig, staging one of the last legacy properties she’s had her eyes on ever since starting her business years earlier. But when she comes face to face with Eden, an ice queen of a client, the job takes an unexpected turn in more ways than one.Now both women must decide which comes first: their romantic lives or making a living. For these two High Stakes Heroines, choosing love over their bank accounts will be a costly decision ...
The Palgrave Handbook of African Men and Masculinities
by Ezra Chitando Kopano Ratele Obert Bernard Mlambo Sakhumzi MfecaneThis handbook provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary overview of key theoretical and analytical approaches, topics and debates in contemporary scholarship on African masculinities. Refusing to privilege Western theoretical constructs (but remaining in dialogue with them), contributors explore the contestations around and diversities within men, masculinities and sexualities in Africa; investigate individual and collective practices of masculinity; and interrogate the social construction of masculinities. Bringing together insights from scholars across gender studies, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, history, literature and religion, this book demonstrates how recognizing and upholding the integrity of African phenomena, locating and reflecting on men and masculinities in varied African contexts and drawing new theoretical frameworks all combine to take the discourse on men and masculinities in Africa forward. Chapters examine a range of issues within the context ofmasculinities, including embodiment, sport, violence, militarism, spirituality, gender roles, fatherhood, homosexuality, health and work. This handbook will be valuable reading for scholars, researchers, and policymakers in Masculinity Studies, and more broadly Gender Studies, as well as Africana Studies.
Ellipses: A Novel
by Vanessa LawrenceSet in the glossy world of New York City media, this sharp and witty debut novel follows a young woman caught in a toxic mentorship with an older, powerful executive as she grapples with career, belonging, and the complexity of modern relationships in the digital age.Named a Best Book of 2024 So Far by Vogue, Elle, and Electric LitOne of Autostraddle's Most Anticipated Queer Books for Spring 2024 One of Chill Subs's 38 Books We Can't Wait to Read When cosmetics mogul Billie rolls down her town car window and offers Lily a ride home from a glitzy Manhattan gala, Lily figures this could be a useful professional connection. She&’s heard of Billie&’s storied rise as a business titan, the product of white New England privilege and one of the few queer women in a corner suite. Billie could be just the jolt Lily needs to manifest her next step. A magazine writer, Lily interviews influencers, actresses, and fashion designers for her publication&’s stylish pages, all while navigating office microaggressions. Stalled at work, she worries that her dream print career will soon succumb to the rise of social media. She is at a standstill, too, in her relationship with her girlfriend Alison. And Lily feels unable to voice her authenticity when others&’ sliding perceptions of her mixed race and bisexual identity repeatedly drown her out. Charming and hyperconfident, Billie seems invested in mentoring Lily out of her slump, from the screen of her phone. But their text exchanges and Billie&’s relentless worldview begin to consume Lily&’s life. Eager to impress her powerful guide, Lily is perpetually suspended in an ellipsis, waiting for those three gray dots to bloom into a new message from Billie. Ellipses explores one woman&’s struggle for wholeness, in a world shaped by digital half-lives and aspirational fantasies. In the end, this stunning debut novel reveals the rewards and challenges of forging an uncharted path on one&’s own terms.
Girlcrush: The #1 Sunday Times Bestseller
by Florence Given'Dark, funny and wild.'- Chloe Ashby, author of WET PAINT'As ballsy as you'd hope' - Grazia'The words just sizzle off the page' - Glamour'Another triumph for feminism' - Red'Set to be one of the best books of 2022' - Red'A thrilling, bisexual romcom that doubles as a smart skewering of social media' - Evening Standard'... enjoyable first novel...' '...easy-to-read story...' - Independent'... the voice of her generation' '... the face of the future' - The Times Magazine'It's Carrie Bradshaw's columns in Sex and the City on steroids.' - The Times'Everything is IMMEDIATE. Emphasised.' - The Times'It's a kind of rags-to-unexpected-riches-to-devastating-realisation-back-to-older-wiser-rags type tale, almost 18th century in progression, except set in a thoroughly modern, even slightly futuristic world where life online is even more all consuming than we know it now.' - Sunday Independent'A hot debut novel with a dash of relatable existential dread' - Cosmopolitan'Seriously hot' - Cosmopolitan'Girlcrush is a funny, filthy and furious exploration of sexuality, identity and the expectations on us all. It's a rare combination - a page turner with a message.' - Daisy Buchanan'It feels like a ball of energy coming right for you. I loved this debut.' - Emma GannonGIRLCRUSH is a dark feminist retelling of Jekyll & Hyde by bestselling author Florence Given.In Given's debut novel, we follow Eartha on a wild, weird and seductive modern-day exploration as she commences life as an openly bisexual woman whilst also becoming a viral sensation on Wonderland, a social media app where people project their dream selves online.The distance between her online and offline self grows further and further apart until something dark happens that leads her into total self-destruction, forcing Eartha to make a choice; which version of herself should she kill off?Warning this book does include storylines that some readers may find triggering.*Also by Florence Given*Women Don't Owe You Pretty
Heavyweight: A Family Story of the Holocaust, Empire, and Memory
by Solomon J. BragerA moving and provocative graphic memoir exploring inherited trauma, family history, and the ever-shifting understanding of our own identities, for readers of Gender Queer and I Was Their American Dream.Solomon Brager grew up with accounts of their great-grandparents’ escape from Nazi Germany, told over and over until their understanding of self was bound up with the heroic details of their ancestors’ exploits. Their great-grandmother related how her husband, a boxing champion, thrashed Joseph Goebbels and cleared beer halls of Nazis with his fists, how she broke him out of an internment camp and carried their children over the Pyrenees mountains. But that story was never the whole picture; zooming out, everything becomes more complicated.Alongside the Levis’ propulsive journey across Europe and to the United States, Brager distills fascinating research about the Holocaust and connected periods of colonial history. Heavyweight asks us to consider how the patterns of history emerge and reverberate, not as a simple chain of events but in haunting layers. Confronting the specters of violence as both historian and descendent, this book is an exploration of family mythology, intergenerational memory, and the mark the past makes on the present.In conversation with works by Rebecca Hall, Nora Krug, Rutu Modan, and Leela Corman, Heavyweight will contribute to the collective work of Holocaust studies and the chronicle of woven human stories.
Creep \ Creep (Spanish edition): Acusaciones y confesiones
by Myriam GurbaDe la aclamada autora de Mean (Mala onda), una de las escritoras que con más ferocidad han explorado la identidad latinx desde una perspectiva interseccional, llega esta implacable e incisiva colección de ensayos que confronta la opresión dominante e insidiosa, y la toxicidad que se ha colado en la sociedad: tanto en los libros, las escuelas y los hogares como en los sistemas que la perpetúan. Un creep puede ser una figura singular, un villano que obliga a las cosas a hacer ruido por la noche. Pero creep es también lo que hace la niebla: acecha para realizar su trabajo sucio, silenciar los gritos, ocultar la verdad y encubrir a aquellos que rondan en su interior. Creep es la sociología informal de Gurba sobre los creeps, una profunda exploración dentro de los oscuros recovecos de las tradiciones tóxicas que asolan a los Estados Unidos y dan vida a los agresores que invaden nuestros libros, escuelas y hogares. A través de una crítica cultural a modo de ensayos personales, Gurba explora las formas en las que la opresión se propaga colectivamente y sostiene ecosistemas que distribuyen de manera injusta el sufrimiento y la muerte prematura de los más vulnerables. Sin embargo, identificar individuos, grupos sociales y culturas creep es sólo la mitad del proyecto de este libro: la otra mitad consiste en examinar cómo nosotros, en tanto individuos, comunidades e instituciones, podemos desafiar los creeps y deshacer la niebla que pretende cegarnos.Con implacable agudeza, humor áspero y un estilo atrevido y despiadado, Gurba implica a todos y todo; desde Joan Didion hasta su antiguo agresor, desde los estereotipos mexicanos hasta el sistema carcelario, nadie saldrá indemne.---From talented Mexican American writer, story-teller, and visual artist Myriam Gurba comes a brand-new collection of essays that seek to redefine what a "creep" is, via cultural criticism disguised as personal essays and seek to redefine accountability, illuminating how social groups create, strengthen, perpetuate, and protect hierarchies which ensnare, harm, and sometimes even kill the subjugated.Myriam’s new book is an essay collection entitled CREEP (and Other Essays), which aims to be an informal sociology of creeps. Though the term may instantly evoke images of the Harvey Weinsteins of the world—and they are by no means outside of Myriam’s scope—these essays range far and wide to zero in on lesser-known and unexpected creeps like William Burroughs, Joan Didion, the criminal justice system, the public education system, and, yes, even our own publishing industry. Each essay a bullet, Myriam targets and identifies individual creeps, creepy social groups, and creepy cultures. But that’s only half of the book’s taxonomic project. The other half is examining how individuals, communities, and institutions challenge creeps and creepiness. The essays in CREEP—cultural criticism disguised as personal essay—seek to redefine accountability, illuminating how social groups create, strengthen, perpetuate, and protect hierarchies which ensnare, harm, and sometimes even kill the subjugated. The collection also maps oppression not as an act, but as an environment—the very water we’re swimming in, the air we breathe—that unfairly distributes suffering and premature death to those minoritized by gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, immigration status, age, poverty, and other exploitable differences. Of course, Myriam does it all in the distinctive campy style for which she has become known, propelled by aggressive Chicana wit and an insatiable urge to tip sacred cows.
The Abyss: A Novel
by Fernando VallejoFinally, the Colombian Fernando Vallejo’s masterpiece, The Abyss, is available in English in a stunning translation by Yvette Siegert Winner of the Rómulo Gallego Prize, The Abyss is a caustic masterwork of incredible power and force, an unforgettable autobiographical work of queer fiction. The novel tells about the demise of a crumbling house in Medellín, Colombia. Fernando, a writer, visits his brother Darío, who is dying of AIDS. Recounting their wild philandering and trying to come to terms with his beloved brother’s inevitable death, Fernando rants against the political forces that cause so much suffering. Vallejo is the heir to Céline, Thomas Paine, and Machado de Assis. He hurls vitriolic, savagely funny insults at his country (“I wipe my ass with the new Constitution of Colombia”) and at his mother (“the Crazy Bitch”) who has given birth to him and his many siblings. Within this firestorm of pain, Fernando manages to get across much beauty and truth: that all love is painful and washed in pure sorrow. He loves his sick brother and the family’s Santa Anita farm (the lost paradise of his childhood where azaleas bloomed); and he even loves his country, now torn to shreds. Always, in this savage masterpiece about loss—as if in the eye of Vallejo’s hurricane of talent—we are in the curiously comforting workings of memory and of the writing process itself, as, recollecting time, it offers immortality.
Hombrecito: A Novel
by Santiago Jose SanchezA novel by a brilliant new voice, Hombrecito is a queer coming-of-age story about a young immigrant&’s complex relationships with his mother and his motherlandIn this groundbreaking novel, Santiago Jose Sanchez plunges us into the heart of one boy&’s life. His mother takes him and his brother from Colombia to America, leaving their absent father behind but essentially disappearing herself once they get to Miami.In America, his mother works as a waitress when she was once a doctor. The boy embraces his queer identity as wholeheartedly as he embraces his new home, but not without a sense of loss. As he grows, his relationship with his mother becomes fraught, tangled, a love so intense that it borders on vivid pain but is also the axis around which his every decision revolves. She may have once forgotten him, disappeared, but she is always on his mind.He moves to New York, ducking in and out of bed with different men as he seeks out something, someone, to make him whole again. When his mother invites him to visit family in Colombia with her, he returns to the country as a young man, trying to find peace with his father, with his homeland, with who he&’s become since he left, and with who his mother is: finally we come to know her and her secrets, her complex ambivalence and fierce love.Hombrecito—&“little man&”—is a moving portrait of a young person between cultures, between different ideas of himself. From an extraordinary new talent, this is a story told with startling beauty and intensity, a story for anyone searching for home, searching for a way to love.
Hot Summer
by Elle EverhartSparks fly when a young woman finds herself cast on a Love Island-inspired reality show and has to choose between her heart and her strategy in this sizzling new queer romantic comedy from the beloved author of Wanderlust.This summer, things are about to heat up.Cas Morgan has spent years of her life watching Hot Summer, the hit reality dating show that pairs together a bunch of sexy singles in an exotic island location. Like the rest of the TV-watching UK public, she&’s captivated by the hot contestants, outrageous fights, and hilarious banter. But she never quite thought she&’d be a part of it, until her company secures a partnership with the production team behind the show, and Cas is handpicked as a contestant. She won&’t get any extra help making it through the eight weeks in the hot Cypriot sun, but if she does well and makes it to the finals, her long-awaited promotion will be secured.Cas is ready to spend the summer trying to make herself more likeable to win over the voting public—and, if not likeable, then at least iconic. But just as she steps into the villa, her entire plan goes off course. She&’s instantly smitten with fellow contestant, Ada, who shockingly appears to be on the show to find a genuine relationship, one Cas can't give. Ada is gorgeous and charming, and seems to like Cas exactly as she is, sharp-edges and all. Cas isn't used to the side of herself Ada brings out, and when their connection becomes undeniable—and Cas's own standing in the villa precarious—she's torn between listening to her heart or sticking to her strategy.
Saints of Storm and Sorrow: The Stormbringer Saga (The Stormbringer Saga)
by Gabriella BubaIn this fiercely imaginative Filipino-inspired fantasy debut, a bisexual nun hiding a goddess-given gift is unwillingly transformed into a lightning rod for her people's struggle against colonization.Perfect for fans of lush fantasy full of morally ambiguous characters, including The Poppy War and The Jasmine Throne.María Lunurin has been living a double life for as long as she can remember. To the world, she is Sister María, dutiful nun and devoted servant of Aynila's Codicían colonizers. But behind closed doors, she is a stormcaller, chosen daughter of the Aynilan goddess Anitun Tabu. In hiding not only from the Codicíans and their witch hunts, but also from the vengeful eye of her slighted goddess, Lunurin does what she can to protect her fellow Aynilans and the small family she has created in the convent: her lover Catalina, and Cat's younger sister Inez.Lunurin is determined to keep her head down—until one day she makes a devastating discovery, which threatens to tear her family apart. In desperation, she turns for help to Alon Dakila, heir to Aynila's most powerful family, who has been ardently in love with her for years. But this choice sets in motion a chain of events beyond her control, awakening Anitun Tabu's rage and putting everyone Lunurin loves in terrible danger. Torn between the call of Alon&’s magic and Catalina&’s jealousy, her duty to her family and to her people, Lunurin can no longer keep Anitun Tabu&’s fury at bay.The goddess of storms demands vengeance. And she will sweep aside anyone who stands in her way.
The Lions' Den
by Iris Mwanza"An evocative, touching, and--in multiple senses--moving portrait of Zambian life and politics at a moment of great transformation. And in the tradition of Zambian storytelling, it shows us, it teaches us, how ordinary people like Grace, in extraordinary circumstances and under persistent forces of oppression, can neverthless extend and bend the arc of justice." —Namwali Serpell, author of The Furrows: An ElegyA missing boy. A corrupt system. A case that could change everything…When young queer dancer Wilbess &“Bessy&” Mulenga is arrested by corrupt police, fresh-from-the-village rookie lawyer Grace Zulu takes up his cause in her first pro bono case. Presented with a freshly beaten client, Grace protests to the police and gets barred from accessing Bessy, who then disappears from the system—and the world—without a trace. As she fights for justice for Bessy, Grace must navigate a dangerous world of corrupt politicians, traditional beliefs, and deep-seated homophobia. With the help of a former freedom fighter and the head of her law firm, who&’s rallying for one last fight as AIDS takes its toll on him, Grace brings together a coalition of unions, students, and political opposition to take on the corrupt administration of President Kaunda. But will justice prevail in the face of such overwhelming odds? The Lions' Den is a gripping and enduring novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. With unforgettable characters and a thrilling plot, Iris Mwanza has announced herself as a major new talent in fiction.
Six of Sorrow
by Amanda LinsmeierSixteen years ago, six girls were born on the same day—and now, on their birthday, one of them is missing. From the author of Starlings comes a story about small-towns, friendships, and the terrifying things your parents don't tell you, that's perfect for fans of Yellowjackets.For most of her life, Isabeau and her five best friends were inseparable—amazingly enough, the six girls even shared a birthday. Then a rift caused their friendships to fracture, and Iz lost everyone except Reuel, the only one who didn&’t abandon her.Until now. The night of their sixteenth birthday, Isabeau leaves Reuel sitting on her front porch and heads home—and in the morning, Reuel is missing. She&’s gone for two days, and when she reappears, there&’s something wrong with her. She&’s sick. Really sick. And she doesn&’t remember anything that happened while she was gone.If there&’s any bright side to the situation, it&’s that Reuel&’s peculiar disappearance brings the six girls back together. Their sisterhood feels as strong as it was years ago, but when another one of them disappears, they all agree that they must have more in common than simply their birthday. They all feel it. Something&’s been waiting for them, and that something has come to claim them one by one.Deep in their bones, they know—it&’s just a matter of time until they they&’re all taken. And if they don&’t save themselves, no one will.
Please Stop Trying to Leave Me: A Novel
by Alana SaabAn "engrossing, affecting, and singular" (Publishers Weekly) debut novel about love, family, queerness, and losing your mind in the modern world.While god is sending her signs through Instagram and Spotify demanding she break up with her girlfriend, Norma meets with a new therapist for one reason: she really needs to write again. With only one chapter missing in her manuscript, Norma is desperate to know if she needs to leave her girlfriend in order to write The Last Story. The new therapist diagnoses Norma with Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder, but Norma isn&’t having it. It&’s just Oblivion. Haunted by SSRI side effects and life becoming less hazily fictional by the day, Norma has never felt crazier. Does anyone else see the world&’s poorly crafted plotline? Like, who even wrote this story? Norma begins sharing her manuscript with her therapist, hoping to connect the dissociative dots once and for all—or at least enough so that Google ads stop giving her panic attacks. But soon Norma is questioning everything she&’s ever believed about life, writing, and love. And then there&’s Norma&’s girlfriend, the one with a crack of light in her eyes. Could she be Oblivion&’s antagonist, the manuscript&’s savior? Or is she just a human? Told alternately through Norma's barely fictional fiction and her crackling stream of consciousness, Please Stop Trying To Leave Me is an honest, comedic, horrifying, and heart-wrenching story about existing in today&’s world, challenging all we&’ve been taught about the distance between fiction and reality, sanity and insanity, mental illness and healing.