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After Sappho
by Selby Wynn SchwartzIt’s 1895. Amid laundry and bruises, Rina Pierangeli Faccio gives birth to the child of the man who raped her – and who she has also been forced to marry. Unbroken, she determines to change her name; and her life, alongside it. 1902. Romaine Brooks sails for Capri. She has barely enough money for the ferry, nothing for lunch; her paintbrushes are bald and clotted... But she is sure she can sell a painting – and is fervent in her belief that the island is detached from all fates she has previously suffered.... In 1923, Virginia Woolf writes: I want to make life fuller – and fuller.Sarah Bernhardt – Colette – Eleanora Duse – Lina Poletti – Josephine Baker – Virginia Woolf... these are just a few of the women sharing the pages of a book as fierce as it is luminous. Lush and poetic; furious and funny; in After Sappho, Selby Wynn Schwartz has created a novel that celebrates the women and trailblazers of the past – their constant efforts to push against the boundaries of what it means, and can mean, to be a woman – that also offers hope for our present, and our futures.
My Mind To Me A Kingdom Is
by Paul StanbridgeIn My Mind To Me A Kingdom Is, the extraordinary follow-up to his prize-winning novel Forbidden Line, Paul Stanbridge tells us about remarkable things.He tells us about the plains of Doggerland, lost under the North Sea. He tells us about ancient horses, carved into chalk hillsides. He tells us about the mysteries of trees.My Mind to Me A Kingdom Is is a book bursting with the joy of discovery, the beauty of the world, and the rich, warm pulse of life.It is also a book about death.In 2015, Paul’s brother took his own life, leaving behind pitifully few possessions and an irreducible complex of questions. In his search for answers, Paul discovers that facts can be the opposite of truth, and that to see something fully, we must sometimes look away.Blending fiction and memoir, knowing and unknowing, love and loss, My Mind To Me A Kingdom Is is a heartbreaking and generous exploration of grief. A beautiful and painful tribute to Paul’s brother, it stands alone.
Box Hill: A Story of Low Self-esteem
by Adam Mars-JonesOn the Sunday of his eighteenth birthday, in 1975, Colin takes a walk on Box Hill, a biker hang-out. There he accidentally trips over Ray, a biker napping under a tree – and that’s where it all starts. This transgressive, darkly affecting love story between men, winner of the 2019 Fitzcarraldo Editions Novel Prize, is a stunning novel of desire and domination by one of Britain’s most accomplished writers. ‘I very much enjoyed Box Hill. It is a characteristic Mars-Jones mixture of the shocking, the endearing, the funny and the sad, with an unforgettable narrator. The sociological detail is as ever acutely entertaining.’ — Margaret Drabble
Queer Cocktails: 50 Cocktail Recipes Celebrating Gay Icons And Queer Culture
by Dog 'n' BoneRaise a glass to the LGBTQ+ community.This collection of cocktail recipes celebrates queer culture and pays tribute to the great gay icons of our time. Try your hand at mixing a Bloody Mariah (Carey), Cider Minelli or (Stephen) Fry Martini and get your tastebuds tingling. With recipes inspired by Madonna (La Isla Bonita Iced Tea), Freddie Mercury (Tequila Queen), Harvey Milk (The Land of Milk and Honey) and more, there’s plenty to keep all cocktail movers and shakers busy and thirsts well and truly quenched – we'll drink to that!
Music's Cult Artists: A Guide To Music's Cult Artists--from Punk, Alternative, And Indie Through To Hip Hop, Dance Music, And Beyond
by John RiordanLove music? Love illustration? Want to know more about some of the best musicians ever to record – from Bowie and the Beastie Boys to The Smiths and St. Vincent? Then A Guide to Music's Cult Artists is for you.
The Little Book of Pride: The History, the People, the Parades
by Lewis LaneyCelebrate the LGTBQ community with this small but perfectly formed guide to Pride.What began as a protest for gay rights following the Stonewall riots of 1969 in New York has grown to become a global celebration of LGBTQ culture. In the 50-odd years since the original protest, and what is now widely accepted to be the first Pride march – Christopher Street Liberation Day, 1970 – Pride events are now attended by millions each year, celebrating how far we’ve come, recognising where we have to go and highlighting important causes in the queer community.The Little Book of Pride is a concise look at everything you need to know about Pride, revealing the history, the key people involved, the best Pride events around the world, inspirational quotes from famous queers, Pride facts and a fun Pride survival guide.
Be Drag Fabulous: How to Live Your Best Drag Queen Life
by Katie MockridgeBringing together life advice and gorgeous illustrations inspired by some of the best drag queens from all over the world, this book will have you sashaying your way to success.Whenever you need life advice, just think: WWADQD – What Would A Drag Queen Do? Containing 75 essential lessons, Be Drag Fabulous will show you how to become the most spectacular version of yourself.Containing gorgeous illustrations by Katie Mockridge, this little book of drag wit and wisdom has you covered on all aspects of life, from fashion and self-care, beauty, friendships and work and brings together the best drag queens from around the world.Make your world you very own catwalk and learn how to channel your charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. Condragulations, this is the first step in becoming drag fabulous. The perfect gift for fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
So Lucky (Handheld Modern Ser. #2)
by Nicola GriffithWinner of the Washington State Book Award 2019 ‘A compact, brutal story of losing power and creating community … So Lucky is beautifully written, with a flexible, efficient precision that embodies the protagonist’s voice and character.’ New York Times Book Review ‘A short, fast-paced whirlwind of a novel ... Spine tingling and in places downright terrifying.’ ― Independent Mara Tagarelli is on top of her world. She’s the head of a multimillion-dollar AIDS foundation, an accomplished martial artist, and happily married. She has never met a problem she can’t solve — until suddenly she can’t solve any of them. In a single week her wife leaves her, she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and she loses her job. Now everything begins to feel like a threat. At first, she thinks it’s just her newfound sense of vulnerability. Then she realises the threat of violence is real, deadly, and heading straight for her. Nicola Griffith’s So Lucky is fiction from the front lines, incandescent and urgent, a narrative juggernaut that rips through sentiment to expose the savagery of the experience of becoming disabled and dismissed. Originally published by Farrar Straus Giroux on 15 May 2018, this is the exclusive UK edition, with three bonus essays by Nicola Griffith, about writing So Lucky, disability, ableism, and #criplit. Nicola Griffith’s previous novels have won the Nebula, Lambda, Tiptree and Premio Italia awards, among others.
So Lucky (PDF)
by Nicola GriffithWinner of the Washington State Book Award 2019 ‘A compact, brutal story of losing power and creating community … So Lucky is beautifully written, with a flexible, efficient precision that embodies the protagonist’s voice and character.’ New York Times Book Review ‘A short, fast-paced whirlwind of a novel ... Spine tingling and in places downright terrifying.’ ― Independent Mara Tagarelli is on top of her world. She’s the head of a multimillion-dollar AIDS foundation, an accomplished martial artist, and happily married. She has never met a problem she can’t solve — until suddenly she can’t solve any of them. In a single week her wife leaves her, she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and she loses her job. Now everything begins to feel like a threat. At first, she thinks it’s just her newfound sense of vulnerability. Then she realises the threat of violence is real, deadly, and heading straight for her. Nicola Griffith’s So Lucky is fiction from the front lines, incandescent and urgent, a narrative juggernaut that rips through sentiment to expose the savagery of the experience of becoming disabled and dismissed. Originally published by Farrar Straus Giroux on 15 May 2018, this is the exclusive UK edition, with three bonus essays by Nicola Griffith, about writing So Lucky, disability, ableism, and #criplit. Nicola Griffith’s previous novels have won the Nebula, Lambda, Tiptree and Premio Italia awards, among others.
One Last Song: you're never too old to change your tune
by Nathan EvansA gentleman called Joan lands up in a care home, like a colourful, combustible cocktail… ticking. A gentleman called Jim doesn't know what's hit him… everything about his new neighbour is triggering. Battle begins. May the best man win. But beneath antics and antique armour plating, what are both hiding? Maybe they've more than a wall in common? Might they even be batting for the same team? An uproarious and uplifting romantic comedy about grey liberation. "One Last Song is a necessary love story, both profoundly moving and profoundly optimistic. It will almost inevitably infiltrate your heart." – Martin Sherman "An absolute delight. Touching, powerful, punchy, funny and sweet." – David Shannon
Easier Ways to Say I Love You
by Lucy FryA memoir on love, lust and attachment: one woman’s remarkable and candid account of transforming a difficult and uncomfortable love triangle into an honest polyamorous relationship.Lucy Fry’s story opens with the heady and impassioned affair she embarked on during her wife’s pregnancy. It is a relationship that appears to be unstoppable, perhaps even addictive, despite guilt and self questioning. With intense and unflinching honesty, she takes us on a compelling journey from childhood trauma and addiction to sobriety, from infidelity to ethical non-monogamy, and—perhaps most intensely of all—from her fear of parenthood to her exquisite joy at having a son.L and B’s love for their new baby, ‘The Boy’, changes the dynamic once again. They fumble through early parenthood, in a way that many will recognise, while at the same time trying to fathom and fashion a unique journey of their own.
A Dark Matter (The Skelfs #1)
by Doug JohnstoneThree generations of women from the Skelfs family take over the family funeral home and PI businesses in the first book of a taut, gripping page-turning and darkly funny new series.‘An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertones’ Herald Scotland‘Gripping and blackly humorous’ Observer‘I was addicted from the first page; gripping, gritty and darkly funny as hell’ Erin Kelly‘A Dark Matter showcases a writer at the peak of his powers, except that with every book, Doug Johnstone just gets better’ Val McDermid_________________Meet the Skelfs: well-known Edinburgh family, proprietors of a long-established funeral-home business, and private investigators…When patriarch Jim dies, it’s left to his wife Dorothy, daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah to take charge of both businesses, kicking off an unexpected series of events.Dorothy discovers mysterious payments to another woman, suggesting that Jim wasn’t the husband she thought he was. Hannah’s best friend Mel has vanished from university, and the simple adultery case that Jenny takes on leads to something stranger and far darker than any of them could have imagined.As the women struggle to come to terms with their grief, and the demands of the business threaten to overwhelm them, secrets from the past emerge, which change everything…A compelling, tense and shocking thriller and a darkly funny and warm portrait of a family in turmoil, A Dark Matter introduces a cast of unforgettable characters, marking the start of an addictive new series._________________‘A fiendish mystery that is also deeply moving and laced with suitably dark humour … set to be one of the books of the year’ Mark Billingham'Emotionally complex, richly layered and darkly funny. An addictive blend of Case Histories and Six Feet Under’ Chris Brookmyre‘This dark but touching thriller makes for a thoroughly enjoyable slice of Edinburgh noir’ Mary Paulson-Ellis‘This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief, as the three tough but tender main characters pick up the pieces and carry on: more, please’ Guardian‘A tense ride … strong, believable characters’ Kerry Hudson, Big Issue‘They are all wonderful characters: flawed, funny, brave — and well set up for a series. I wouldn’t call him cosy, but there’s warmth to Johnstone’s writing’ Sunday Times
The Closer I Get
by Paul BurstonA compulsive, disturbingly relevant, twisty and powerful psychological, social-media thriller …NUMBER ONE BESTSELLERLONGLISTED for the Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize‘Another dark banger from the Orenda Books stable … A brilliant, twisty cat-and-mouse book about fandom and obsession’ Erin Kelly‘Brilliantly twisty. I loved it’ Lisa JewellTom is a successful author, but he’s struggling to finish his novel. His main distraction is an online admirer, Evie, who simply won’t leave him alone.Evie is smart, well read and unstable; she lives with her father and her social-media friendships are not only her escape, but everything she has.When she’s hit with a restraining order, her world is turned upside down, and Tom is free to live his life again, to concentrate on writing.But things aren’t really adding up. For Tom is distracted but also addicted to his online relationships, and when they take a darker, more menacing turn, he feels powerless to change things. Because maybe he needs Evie more than he’s letting on.A compulsive, disturbingly relevant, twisty and powerful psychological thriller, The Closer I Get is also a searing commentary on the fragility and insincerity of online relationships, and the danger that can lurk just one ‘like’ away…‘A gripping ride through the heartlands of need and hurt. Even at his most thrilling, Paul Burston never loses his sense of real pain and suffering’ Philip Hensher'As perfect a thriller as you'll read all year' Caz Frear‘This book will make you rethink your social media obsession. Dangerous from page one, lit by bursts of black humour, ultimately honest about the frailty of ego and the masks we all wear. Terrifically readable’ Sarah Hilary‘A sucker-punch of a twist that took my breath away! Absurdly gripping, and enough to unnerve anyone who has ever spent any time online’ Angela Clarke‘So good. Such brilliant characters. Great premise and a thrilling read' Nina Pottell, Prima'Chillingly recognisable. A delicious tour de force' Alex Marwood'Compelling, creepy and completely believable' Mel McGrath'Dark, devious and with a growing sense of dread' Neil Broadfoot'Brilliantly written, tense and compelling' Amanda Jennings'Dark twisty fiction at its very best' SJI Holliday'One of the best books you'll read this year' Ed James'Effortlessly readable, intensely chilling. That ending floored me' Chris Whitaker'Unsettling. Taut. Menacing. Burston puts the killer into killer twist' Jonathan Harvey'Witty and insightful' Susie Boyt'Brilliant, chilling, totally awesome writing' Miranda Dickinson‘An absolute stunner … with a deliciously twisted ending’ Lisa Hall‘The tension is almost unbearable. The twist is gut-wrenching. The book is a masterpiece in sustained suspense and smart literate contemporary horror’ Derek Farrell‘ Keeps you hooked in with plenty of twists. I suspect it will be a big read this summer’ Fiona Sharp‘It’s about a gay novelist who becomes the target of an online stalker and is dark, thought-provoking, and totally riveting. As comebacks go, it’s on a par with Madonna bursting out of a giant disco ball in a pink leotard!’ Matt Cain‘Gripped and Terrified by Paul Burston’s new novel, bloody hell!!!’ Rowan Coleman‘A fiercely provocative novel, and as well as being a boldly entertaining read, it really, really made me think’ LoveReading
Cage (Reykjavik Noir #3)
by Lilja SigurdardottirDrugs, smuggling, big money and political intrigue in Iceland rally with love, passion, murder and betrayal until the winner takes all … in the masterful, explosive conclusion to the award-winning Reykjavík Noir trilogy…***Guardian Book of the Year***‘Tough, uncompromising and unsettling’ Val McDermid‘One of the darkest and most compelling series in modern crime fiction … Tackling topical issues, the book will tell you a great deal about why the world’s in the state it is, while never neglecting its duty to entertain’ Sunday Express ‘A tense thriller with a highly unusual plot and interesting characters’ The Times_________________The prison doors slam shut behind Agla, when her sentence ends, but her lover Sonja is not there to meet her.As a group of foreign businessmen tries to draw Agla into an ingenious fraud that stretches from Iceland around the world, Agla and her former nemesis, María find the stakes being raised at a terrifying speed.Ruthless drug baron Ingimar will stop at nothing to protect his empire, but he has no idea about the powder keg he is sitting on in his own home.At the same time, a deadly threat to Sonya and her family brings her from London back to Iceland, where she needs to settle scores with longstanding adversaries if she wants to stay alive._________________‘Cage is the muted and more credible conclusion to a wayward, but diverting trilogy that began with Snare (2017) and continued with Trap (2018) — ironic titles for essentially escapist fiction … Compassion beats complexity every time’ The Times‘In keeping with a lot of Icelandic fiction, Cage is written in a clean, understated style, the author letting the reader put together the emotional beats and plot developments. Smart writing with a strongly beating heart’ Big Issue‘Deftly plotted though and with a forensic attention to the technicalities of stock exchange manipulations and drug running techniques’ Crime Time‘With shocks and surprises in store, and that oh so satisfying end, Cage provoked, chilled, and thrilled me’ LoveReading‘A novel about survival, about scheming, it’s about self-preservation and about clinging to a vestige of decency in a screwed up world. Superbly translated by Quentin Bates, who knows the language, the country, the people and crime writing intimately. Cage is a pacy thriller; you will find yourself invested in the story’ New Books Magazine‘An emotional suspense rollercoaster on a par with The Firm, as desperate, resourceful, profoundly lovable characters scheme against impossible odds’ Alexandra Sokoloff‘Clear your diary. As soon as you begin reading … you won’t be able to stop until the final page’ Michael Wood‘Zips along, with tension building and building … thoroughly recommend’ James Oswald‘The intricate plot is breathtakingly original, with many twists and turns you never see coming. Thriller of the year’ New York Journal of Books
Good Samaritans (Detective Sergeant Pace Series #1)
by Will CarverShortlisted for Best Independent Voice at the Amazon Publishing Readers’ AwardsLonglisted for the Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize THRILLER OF THE YEAR in GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH AND DAILY EXPRESS‘Totally addictive. Like Fight Club, only darker’ S.J. Watson‘I loved this book. Dark and at times almost comical, a great blend of crime thriller and the darkest imaginable domestic noir’ Sarah PinboroughDark, deviant and disturbing domestic noir … one of the most entrancing, sophisticated and page-turning psychological thrillers of the year…One crossed wire, three dead bodies and six bottles of bleach…Seth Beauman can’t sleep. He stays up late, calling strangers from his phonebook, hoping to make a connection, while his wife, Maeve, sleeps upstairs. A crossed wire finds a suicidal Hadley Serf on the phone to Seth, thinking she is talking to The Samaritans.But a seemingly harmless, late-night hobby turns into something more for Seth and for Hadley, and soon their late-night talks are turning into day-time meet-ups. And then this dysfunctional love story turns into something altogether darker, when Seth brings Hadley home…And someone is watching…Dark, sexy, dangerous and wildly readable, Good Samaritans marks the scorching return of one of crime fiction’s most exceptional voices.‘So dark, so cool’ Lisa Howells, Heat Magazine‘Will Carver’s invigoratingly nasty novel … is a bleak vision of life: not the whole truth of it, thank god, but true enough to impart to the reader the thrill of genuine discomfort, presented with the chilly conviction of Simenon’s most unflinching romans dues and just as horribly addictive’ Jake Kerridge, The Telegraph‘Carver weaves these strands together for an unsettling but compelling mixture of the banal, the horrific and, at times, the near-comic, wrong-footing the reader at every turn’ Laura Wilson, Guardian‘In this frantic read in sheer overdrive, Carver appeals to the worst voyeur in all of us and delivers the goods with a punch and a fiendish sense of pace and dark humour … my type of noir’ Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time‘Must Read!’ Daily Express‘Beautiful, gripping and disturbing in equal measure, a postcard from the razor’s edge of the connected world we live in’ Kevin Wignall‘Possibly the most interesting and original writer in the crime-fiction genre, and I've loved his books for years. Good Samaritans is his best to date – dark, slick, gripping, and impossible to put down. You'll be sucked in from the first page’ Luca Veste‘Oh My God, Good Samaritans is amazing. I’m a little in love with your writing Will Carver’ Helen FitzGerald, Author of The Cry‘Sick … in the best possible way. Will Carver delivers a delicious slice of noir that will have you reeling’ Michael J. Malone‘If you’re looking for a genuinely creepy thriller, checkout Good Samaritans… completely enthralled’ Margaret B Madden‘Dark, edgy, disturbing, shocking and sexy. It’s also highly original and one of the best thrillers of the year … You need to read this book’ Michael Wood’A twisted, devious thriller’ Nick Quantrill'A dark and addictive novel that felt deliciously sexy to read, like I should read it where no one could see’ Louise Beech‘A pitch dark, highly original, thrilling novel. If you’re a fan of Fight Club, you’ll love this’ Tom Wood‘A provocative, heady, unique, challenging read and it is absolutely blimmin wonderful!’ LoveReading
Trap (Reykjavik Noir #2)
by Lilja SigurdardóttirHigh-stakes jeopardy presides when young mother is forced into smuggling cocaine, in a dark and original, nail-bitingly fast-paced thriller from one of the queens of Icelandic Noir…‘Tough, uncompromising and unsettling’ Val McDermid‘Tense and pacey, this intriguing mix of white-collar and white-powder crime could certainly be enjoyed as a standalone, but I would suggest reading its excellent predecessor, Snare, first’ Laura Wilson, GuardianHappily settled in Florida, Sonja believes she’s finally escaped the trap set by unscrupulous drug lords. But when her son Tomas is taken, she’s back to square one … and Iceland.Her lover, Agla, is awaiting sentencing for financial misconduct after the banking crash, and Sonja refuses to see her. And that’s not all … Agla owes money to some extremely powerful men, and they’ll stop at nothing to get it back.With her former nemesis, customs officer Bragi, on her side, Sonja puts her own plan into motion, to bring down the drug barons and her scheming ex-husband, and get Tomas back safely. But things aren’t as straightforward as they seem, and Sonja finds herself caught in the centre of a trap that will put all of their lives at risk…Set in a Reykjavík still covered in the dust of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, and with a dark, fast-paced and chilling plot and intriguing characters, Trap is an outstandingly original and sexy Nordic crime thriller, from one of the most exciting new names in crime fiction.‘A tense thriller with a highly unusual plot and interesting characters’ Marcel Berlins, The Times‘With characters you can’t help sympathising with against your better judgement, Sigurdardottir takes the reader on a breathtaking ride … Stylish, taut and compelling’ Jon Coates, Daily Express‘Pacey and tense, Trap is full of delicious carnage that could translate well to the screen’ New Zealand Listener‘This is a searing portrait of the less salubrious parts of the Icelandic psyche as well as a riveting thriller’ Sunday Express‘Tense, edgy and delivering more than a few unexpected twists and turns’ The Times Crime Club'Sharp shocks of chapters hit with increasing energy ... a towering powerhouse of read and I gobbled it up in one intense sitting’ Liz Robinson, LoveReading‘The intricate plot is breathtakingly original, with many twists and turns you never see coming. Thriller of the year’ New York Journal of Books‘Sigurdardottir provides a skillful combination of Nordic noir, hardboiled financial thriller and high-octane narco drama, filled with sympathetic characters that you can’t help identifying with even as they break the law’ Crime Fiction Lover‘The action is fast, helped by the short chapters switching us from one set of characters to another, the villains ruthless, and the undercover world of Iceland vividly evoked. A treat for fans’ Promoting Crime‘Smart, ambitious and hugely satisfying’ Eva Dolan‘An enthralling tale of love and crime’ Michael Ridpath‘Zips along with tension building and building’ James Oswald'An emotional suspense rollercoaster on a par with The Firm’ Alexandra Sokoloff‘Compelling … this is prime binge-reading’ Booklist‘The suspenseful Trap takes full advantage of its fresh setting and is a worthy addition to the icy-cold crime genre popularized by Scandinavian noir novels’ Foreword Reviews
The Lion Tamer Who Lost
by Louise BeechShortlisted for the Sapere Books ‘Most Popular Romantic Fiction’ Award at the 2019 RNA AwardsLonglisted for the Polari PrizeA heartbreaking, breathtakingly beautiful love story with an unforgettable tragedy at its heart, from the critically acclaimed, award-winning author of Maria in the Moon and Call Me Star Girl‘Beech eloquently conveys their feelings and longings and sets atmospheric, vividly drawn scenes that transport the reader from grey and damp England to the searing heat of the lion reserve …The Lion Tamer Who Lost will touch the most hardhearted of readers with its persuasive, well-drawn and memorable characters’ Daily Express'A devastating, tender and powerful story love story, beautifully and bravely told. You will lose your heart to this book. I adored it’ Miranda DickinsonBe careful what you wish for…Long ago, Andrew made a childhood wish, and kept it in a silver box. When it finally comes true, he wishes he hadn’t…Long ago, Ben made a promise and he had a dream: to travel to Africa to volunteer at a lion reserve. When he finally makes it, it isn’t for the reasons he imagined…Ben and Andrew keep meeting in unexpected places, and the intense relationship that develops seems to be guided by fate. Or is it? What if the very thing that draws them together is tainted by past secrets that threaten everything?A dark, consuming drama that shifts from Zimbabwe to England, and then back into the past, The Lion Tamer Who Lost is also a devastatingly beautiful love story, with a tragic heart…‘A stirring novel, beautifully written, reminiscent of the early work of Maggie O’Farrell’ Irish Times‘Fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine will love it’ Red Magazine‘An excruciatingly passionate love story… In its surprising turns and lovely particulars … A beautiful text’ Foreword Reviews‘This book really got under my skin as a beautiful portrait of love, loss and longing’ Irish Sunday Independent'An incredible, poignant piece of work. Louise Beech had cemented her place as one of Britain’s finest modern storytellers’ John Marrs'A beautiful, honest and tender love story that I won’t forget for a long time …Their love had me trapped in its spell, their tragic moments had me sobbing like a baby … A triumph’ Fionnuala Kearney‘A beautifully crafted book’ Carol Lovekin‘Louise Beech has totally blown me away with her storytelling’ Madeleine Black‘I adored this beautiful and inspiring book’ Kate Furnivall‘Already one of my favourites of 2018’ LoveReading‘Storytelling at its finest. Louise Beech is a beguiling wordsmith. Prepare to be hooked’ Amanda Prowse‘Digs deep emotionally, but is funny and feel-good, too’ Fiona Mitchell‘A stunning and very brave book’ Gill Paul‘The setting alone makes this book worth a read’ S. E. Lynes‘Heartfelt and wry’ Ruth Dugdall‘Louise Beech is a natural-born storyteller with an elegance about her writing that never fails to move me’ Michael J. Malone‘There are times when you finish reading a book and know that part of it will stay with you always. This will be one of those books’ Claire Allan‘It put me in mind of John Irving. It’s that feeling of being in the hands of a master storyteller and just trusting him or her so completely’ Laura Pearson’Vivid, passionate and exquisitely told, this love story will live on in my heart for a very long time to come. A poignant, surprising and all-consuming read’ Katie Marsh
Defense Of An Other
by Grace MeadDefense of an Other begins in the French Quarter with a day in the life of a young lawyer named Matt Durant gone horribly awry. After a few beers, Matt works up the courage to visit a gay bar, where he meets a stranger named Joey Buckner. When Matt and Joey duck into an alley behind the bar to take a leak, three drunks target them for a hate crime and beat up Joey, which forces Matt to attack and kill one of the men. Matt is then arrested for murder, thrown in Orleans Parish Prison and calls his boss for help, forcing him out of the closet. The novel then follows the course of his trial and explores its consequences. Defense of an Other is the debut novel from a trans, practicing lawyer born and raised in Louisiana, who graduated from Dartmouth College and then became the Editor-in-Chief of the University of Chicago Law Review. Her seventeen year career has included a one-year clerkship for the appellate court with jurisdiction over Louisiana federal trial courts and 16 years of civil litigation. Heavily influenced by political fiction like Bryce Courtenay’s The Power of One, in Defense of an Other southern storytelling meets the gritty legal realism of Law & Order.
Permafrost
by Eva BaltasarPermafrost’s no-bullshit lesbian narrator is an uninhibited lover, a no-hope employee, and a some-time suicidal student of her own dislocated self. As she tries to break out of the roles set for her by a controlling, overprotective mother, a relentlessly positive sister, and a society which imposes a gut-wrenching pressure to conform, she contemplates the so-called will to live when that life is given, rather than chosen. Attempting to bridge the gap between the perennially frozen reaches of her outer shell and the tender core of her being, watching her relationships with family fracture and her many lovers come and go, the protagonist’s reservations about staying alive become ever more pressing.Passionate, urgent and breathtakingly forthright, this fiction debut from Catalan poet Eva Baltasar was a word-of-mouth hit in its own language and is a gift for readers in English.
Against Memoir: Complaints, Confessions, And Criticisms
by Michelle Tea‘I must find my own complicated junkie to have violent sex with. In 1994, nothing seemed like a better idea, save being able to write about it later.’ Michelle Tea is our exuberant, witty guide to the hard times and wild creativity of queer life in America. Along the way she reclaims SCUM Manifesto author Valerie Solanas as an absurdist, remembers the lives and deaths of the lesbian motorbike gang HAGS and listens to activists at a trans protest camp. This kaleidoscope of love and adventure also makes room for a defence of pigeons and a tale of teenage goths hustling for tips at an ice creamery in a ‘grimy, busted city called Chelsea’. Unsparing but unwaveringly kind, Michelle Tea reveals herself and others in unexpected and heartbreaking ways.Against Memoir is the winner of the 2019 PEN Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay. Best known as writer of fiction and memoir, this is the first time Tea’s journalism has been collected. Delivered with her signature candour and dark humour, Against Memoir solidifies her place as one of the leading queer writers of our time.
Sorry to Disrupt the Peace: A Novel
by Patty Yumi CottrellHelen’s adoptive brother has killed himself. Helen’s adoptive family is estranged. Helen has decided that she alone is qualified to launch a serious investigation into her brother’s suicide and to ‘be a supportive beam of light' for her adoptive parents. Compulsive, unstable, likeable, and high energy, Helen is hard work for the people in her life, and she may not be as useful at home as she expects. Sorry to Disrupt the Peace is a dark comedy about loss, grief, solitude, and ghosts.
Snare (Reykjavik Noir #1)
by Lilja SigurdardóttirFirst in the Reykjavik Noir TrilogyAfter a messy divorce, attractive young mother Sonia is struggling to provide for herself and keep custody of her son. With her back to the wall, she resorts to smuggling cocaine into Iceland, and finds herself caught up in a ruthless criminal world. As she desperately looks for a way out of trouble, she must pit her wits against her nemesis, Bragi, a customs officer, whose years of experience frustrate her new and evermore daring strategies. Things become even more complicated when Sonia embarks on a relationship with a woman, Agla. Once a high-level bank executive, Agla is currently being prosecuted in the aftermath of the Icelandic financial crash.Set in a Reykjavík still covered in the dust of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, and with a dark, fast-paced and chilling plot and intriguing characters, Snare is an outstandingly original and sexy Nordic crime thriller, from one of the most exciting new names in crime fiction.'A tense thriller with a highly unusual plot and interesting characters' Times'This first novel of a planned trilogy is stylish, taut and compelling and a film adaptation is in the pipeline. With characters you can’t help sympathising with against your better judgement, Sigurdardottir takes the reader on a breathtaking ride’ Daily Express‘Snare will ensnare you’ Marie ClaireA taut, gritty, thoroughly absorbing journey into Reykjavik’s underworld’ Christine Tran, Booklist‘Lilja Sigurdardottir delivers a diabolically efficient thriller with an ultrarealistic plot … We cannot wait for Sonja’s next adventure’ L’Express‘A smart, ambitious, and hugely satisfying thriller. Striking in its originality and written with all the style and poise of an old hand. Lilja is destined for Scandi super stardom’ Eva Dolan‘For a small island, Iceland produces some extraordinary writers, and Lilja is one of the best. Snare is an enthralling tale of love and crime that stays with you long after you have turned the last page’ Michael Ridpath‘Zips along, with tension building and building … thoroughly recommended’ James Oswald‘Crisp, assured and nail-bitingly tense, Snare is an exceptional read, cementing Lilja’s place as one of Iceland’s most outstanding crime writers’ Yrsa Sigurdardottir‘Clear your diary. As soon as you begin reading Snare, you won’t be able to stop until the final page’ Michael Wood‘Snare is a great read and the finale is both shocking and unexpected … a Wizard-of-Oz ending, without the laughs. Terrific and original stuff' Max Easterman, European Literature Network
The Other Twin
by L. V. HayWhen India falls to her death from a bridge over a railway, her sister Poppy returns home to Brighton for the first time in years. Unconvinced by official explanations, Poppy begins her own investigation into India’s death. But the deeper she digs, the closer she comes to uncovering deeply buried secrets.Could Matthew Temple, the boyfriend she abandoned, be involved? And what of his powerful and wealthy parents, and his twin sister, Ana? Enter the mysterious and ethereal Jenny: the girl Poppy discovers after hacking into India’s laptop. What is exactly is she hiding, and what did India discover…?A twisty, dark and sexy debut thriller set in the winding lanes and underbelly of Brighton, centring around the social media world, where resentments and accusations are played out, identities made and remade, and there is no such thing as the truth.‘Sharp, confident writing, as dark and twisty as the Brighton Lanes’ Peter James‘Superb up-to-the-minute thriller. Prepare to be seriously disturbed’ Paul Finch‘Crackles with tension’ Karen Dionne‘This chilling, claustrophobic tale set in Brighton introduces an original, fresh new voice in crime fiction’ Cal Moriarty‘The writing shines from every page of this twisted tale … debuts don’t come sharper than this’ Ruth Dugdall‘A cracker of a debut! I couldn’t put it down’ Paula Daly
Exquisite
by Sarah StovellShe loves me. She loves me not.Bo Luxton has it all – a loving family, a beautiful home in the Lake District, and a clutch of bestselling books to her name.Enter Alice Dark, an aspiring writer who is drifting through life, with a series of dead-end jobs and a freeloading boyfriend.When they meet at a writers’ retreat, the chemistry is instant, and a sinister relationship develops…Or does it?Breathlessly pacey, taut and terrifying, Exquisite is a startlingly original and unbalancing psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page.‘The characters are so untrustworthy you wont know what to believe, but you won’t put it down till you’ve found out. A superb debut’ Sunday Mirror'Cunningly constructed and gorgeously written, this is outstanding’ Express'It’s a remarkable debut in the crowded psychological thriller field, written with great sureness of touch and tone' Times Crime Club‘Slickly claustrophobic, this arch story of obsessive, forbidden love taken to the extreme will have you squirming in your seat’ Sarah Pinsborough‘Whip-smart, lushly written and truly page-turning … Sarah Stovell is a thrilling talent’ Holly Seddon‘A moving, gripping story … twists keep coming till the very last page. I loved it’ Erin Kelly‘Addictive, terrifying and beautifully written, Exquisite is up there with the best psychological thrillers I’ve ever read. Fucking awesome’ Chris Whittaker
Columbia Road: Of Blood and Belonging
by Linda WilkinsonA compelling memoir of family secrets and personal discovery - as characterful, rich and visceral as the East End itself.'Where I am going has little beauty. No landscape to take the breath away, no cultural highlights of note, just a street of Victorian shops and houses to which I now know I undoubtedly belong.' Linda Wilkinson's childhood was spent on the dusty, pungent workaday streets of Columbia Road. Sundays brought the flower market and visits to the pub with her flamboyant, ancient grandmother, who would seat Linda on the bar while she sang. Surrounded by poverty and love, eccentricity and endurance - in a borough of refugees, craftsmen, working men and the odd crook - Linda watched carefully and absorbed the secrets and frailties of the adults around her. A career spent in haematology, specialising in the diagnosis of blood disorders, brought Linda hard against the limits of both science and her watchful self. She would have to come back home before she could begin again. An extraordinary tale of belonging and awakening.'An astonishingly accomplished memoir, vividly written and evoking both a time that has changed for ever and a place that is transforming in front of our eyes. Written with a complete lack of self-regard and great originality. I'm a fan.' Julie Christie