Humorous fiction

Book SynopsisA masquerade ball brings together an NFL player and a penniless princess in this smart and sexy romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills.Levelheaded Francesca Lane never thought she’d miss her own wedding. But when her fiancé betrays her, she puts on her wedding dress and ditches the altar for a masquerade ball—at an exclusive lifestyle club.There, she meets unknown-to-her NFL star Tuck Avery, dressed as a prince and hiding behind a mask—he’s there to celebrate his birthday. For one night, Francesca and Tuck indulge in a wickedly incognito affair. No names. No strings. And the masks don’t come off.Unfortunately, Francesca realizes quickly that her masked prince is the wealthy jock who lives in the penthouse of her apartment building. His hobbies include parties and supermodels—or so the tabloids say. Getting tangled up with a shallow jerk is the last thing Francesca needs right now, so she vows to keep Tuck from recognizing her (not that she’s his type anyway).But fate has a teeny-tiny trick up her sleeve…a plus sign on a pregnancy test. Can this tormented prince accept love, or will he push his princess away forever?

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Book SynopsisFrom The Astronaut and the Star author Jen Comfort comes a wildly electric romance about two musicians who collide on the stage of a Nevada opera house.Self-professed diva Erika Greene has it all: a starring role on Broadway, legions of fans, spectacular natural talent. But after an accident on stage leaves her face scarred and her career in shambles, Erika retreats to Paris, Nevada, where she’s inherited a ramshackle opera house in desperate need of some TLC.Erika pours her savings into the building, but it’s not enough to stave off casino developer Raoul Decomte’s avaricious gaze. With foreclosure imminent, she leases the space to some unexpected tenants: a German hair metal band, fronted by glam rock god Christof Daae.Erika is tempted by Christof’s low-slung leather pants—and even more so by his ambitious drive to make Nacht Musik international superstars—but he’s off-limits. The rest of his band thinks he’s still dating their beloved keyboardist, who is conveniently not present on this jaunt to the American Southwest. When Erika finds out Christof’s been unceremoniously dumped and is trying to keep it under wraps, she makes a deal to keep his secret…for a price, of course.Christof is desperate to hold the rest of the band together after his keyboardist’s departure, but he can’t maintain the charade forever. Nor can he resist the opera house’s mysterious proprietor, who tempts him with midnight singing lessons. It isn’t long before sensuous nighttime interludes turn into smoldering backstage encounters.But can their newly ignited passion survive the searing light of day? Or will their beautiful duet turn into a brokenhearted power ballad for one?

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Book SynopsisIn the follow-up to the visionary Hospital, Yang Wei discovers that there’s more to the mysterious hospital than meets the eye—and none of it is as it seems. Yang Wei wakes to find himself still a patient at the hospital. Somehow, he’s aged decades overnight and is confined to the geriatric ward on a massive Hospital ship as it floats along a bloodred sea full of unsightly things. But human remains and sea nymphs are perhaps nothing compared to the goings-on belowdecks. The doctors are nowhere to be found, replaced by a procession of medical robots from whom, of course, no information can be gleaned. So Yang Wei, along with a small group of patients—all just as aged as he is—venture out to explore the uncharted depths of the ship and the answers that are surely hidden within. As they delve deeper into both the ship and why they’re on it, every uncovered secret comes with its own questions. The only thing Yang Wei can be sure of is that the more he learns, the less he understands…and the less he truly wants to know.Trade Review“The bizarre twists and disturbing wrongness are compelling and reminiscent of other postmodern classics.” —Booklist

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Book SynopsisFrom New York Times bestselling author Elle Casey comes the first book in the sexy Red-Hot Love Series. Fiery, free-loving Amber Fields has just discovered she’s the daughter of a 90s rock legend. The bright lights of New York City are a world away from her quiet life in Maine, but Amber is determined to get answers—and give her absent father a piece of her mind. When she tracks down her father’s band in Manhattan, answers seem hard to come by, and what she does find doesn’t add up with the stories she was told as a child. And then there’s the band’s replacement lead guitarist Ty Stanz. He’s sexy and intriguing for sure, but Amber is not falling for a brooding, prickly rocker. He seems to know exactly the right buttons to press to provoke her. Amber is no fan girl, and Ty sees her as an unwelcome distraction. On the surface they are worlds apart. Each is tied to the band for very different reasons, but the more time they spend together the hotter things get. Is their red-hot love meant to last?

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Book SynopsisA million reasons to go home. One hot reason to stay. From New York Times bestselling author Elle Casey comes the second book in the sexy Red Hot Love Series. Emerald Collins is nothing like her strong-willed sister Amber. When she found out her father was a member of the legendary rock group Red Hot, sensitive Em was determined to carry on as normal—she had no interest in finding out more about her dad or leaving her quiet sanctuary in Maine. But while visiting Amber in New York, Em meets Sam, a tortured, sexy, and utterly unsuitable musician. Sam and Em are used to life behind the scenes but their undeniable attraction is about to put them right in the spotlight. When Sam reveals a shocking secret about his past, Emerald has to make a choice. Will she follow her head and return home or is the magnetism between them and the excitement of the big city enough for her to follow her heart?

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Book SynopsisIn Loretta Nyhan’s warm and witty Amazon Charts bestselling novel, a widow discovers an unexpected chance to start over—right in her own backyard. Paige Moresco found her true love in eighth grade—and lost him two years ago. Since his death, she’s been sleepwalking through life, barely holding on for the sake of her teenage son. Her house is a wreck, the grass is overrun with weeds, and she’s at risk of losing her job. As Paige stares at her neglected lawn, she knows she’s hit rock bottom. So she does something entirely unexpected: she begins to dig. As the hole gets bigger, Paige decides to turn her entire yard into a vegetable garden. The neighbors in her tidy gated community are more than a little alarmed. Paige knows nothing about gardening, and she’s boldly flouting neighborhood-association bylaws. But with the help of new friends, a charming local cop, and the transformative power of the soil, Paige starts to see potential in the chaos of her life. Something big is beginning to take root—both in her garden and in herself.Trade Review“Endearingly quirky…Emotional yet funny…Confronting grief, change, and a new way of being, Nyhan’s lovely story captures the rejuvenating power of hard work that can start right in the backyard.” —Publishers Weekly “Charming…Nyhan has fun with a bubbly satire of business culture.” —Kirkus Reviews “On the surface, this is a sweet novel about aging, grief, and redemption. But Nyhan (All the Good Parts, 2016), who has experienced loss herself, shares very insightful observations. She reminds readers that comfort and hope can come in the most unexpected encounters if the heart is open.” —Booklist “For the two years since her husband’s death, Paige has been concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other…Nyhan uses details from her own personal tragedy to harness the pain, tenderness, and empowerment of Paige’s transformation in Digging In.” —Associated Press “A warm story of new beginnings and getting over loss…This is a powerful and uplifting story.” —Parkersburg News and Sentinel “Full of life, vitality, and humor, the messy side of life, the things that aren’t pretty…Wise, witty, and affecting.” —Novelgossip “[Loretta Nyhan’s] novels are emotional for sure, but they still manage to deal with tough themes in an upbeat and hilarious way…By the end of the book, you’re left in a place of healthy, hopeful bliss, a place only Nyhan could take us to.” —The Suspense is Thrilling Me “This is a vision of love, hope, and pressing onward even when it doesn’t seem possible…Highly recommended.” –USA Today’s Happy Ever After “A compelling blend of grief, humor, and change, Digging In by Loretta Nyhan is an impressively original and entertaining read from cover to cover.” —Midwest Book Review “Nyhan has done it again! Her characters captivate and her gift for vivid prose shines in this roller coaster of a tale. My hope is that it leaps from the page to the big screen! Any reader with a heart won’t want it to end!” —Nicole Waggoner, author of Center Ring and The Act “I want to scream my love for this book from the rooftops. What a delightful, funny, authentic, wise story about the healing power of gardening and the struggle to root yourself in the untilled land of grief. With a full cast of unique characters, Digging In is a must-read for anyone seeking pure entertainment.” —Barbara Claypole White, bestselling author of The Perfect Son “I loved this one! Tender and sweet and hilarious. Packed full of wise moments, with a fresh take on what it is to experience grief. The characters seemed so lifelike I caught myself considering Googling one of them to see what she was up to in her life now! Hilarious take on split-generation offices—hipsters vs the shoulder pad brigade. Recommend this read to anyone.” —Virginia Franken, author of Life After Coffee “Digging In is the loveliest novel. The title is perfect—a metaphor for digging deep. It is the story of a woman who has been brought to her knees by the loss of her husband, the love of her life. Now absolutely everything is on the line, her job, her relationship with her teenage son, and her will to live, hangs in the balance. The unique and surprising—even to her—ways she recovers had me turning the pages, and yet I wanted to linger. In her own inimitable warm, witty, and compassionate style, Loretta Nyhan has written a wise and poignant story of recovery from grief. I loved this book.” —Barbara Taylor Sissel, author of The Truth We Bury and Faultlines

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Book SynopsisFrom Elizabeth LaBan, the acclaimed author of The Restaurant Critic’s Wife, comes a captivating and very funny novel about a wife and mother’s fall from grace, and why keeping up appearances is not her biggest secret. Tabitha Brewer wakes up one morning to find her husband gone, leaving her no way to support herself and their two children, never mind their upscale Philadelphia lifestyle. She’d confess her situation to her friends—if it wasn’t for those dreadful words of warning in his goodbye note: “I’ll tell them what you did.” Instead, she does her best to keep up appearances, even as months pass and she can barely put food on the table—much less replace a light bulb. While she looks for a job, she lives in fear that someone will see her stuffing toilet paper into her handbag or pinching basil from a neighbor’s window box. Soon, blindsided by catastrophe, surprised by romance, and stunned by the kindness of a stranger, Tabitha realizes she can’t keep her secrets forever. Sooner or later, someone is bound to figure out that her life is far from perfect.Trade ReviewA POPSUGAR Winter Must-Read Selection “LaBan has written an amazingly heartbreaking yet uplifting story of a mother who is left with nothing and expected to keep going. Readers of Jennifer Weiner and Jane Green will want to try this one.” —Booklist “Not Perfect is a witty and relatable look at the secrets we keep and the quest for perfection.” —POPSUGAR “Not Perfect has a lively rom-com vibe to it—there is romance and humour and LaBan has created a likeable cast of characters...” —Toronto Star “If you haven’t read Elizabeth LaBan, her latest novel, Not Perfect, is the perfect place to start. It’s a domestic mystery starring Tabitha Brewer, a suburban housewife who wakes up one morning to find her husband gone and her life changed forever. Tabitha is a wonderfully relatable heroine, and you’ll cheer her on, despite the fact she has a few secrets—or maybe because of them! I love this book!” —Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author “Not Perfect is near perfect. Warm, but not cloying. Moral, but not preachy. A beautiful meditation on redemption.” —Kathy Cooperman, bestselling author of Crimes Against a Book Club “With humor and elegance, Elizabeth LaBan explores the burden of perfection and the futility of seeking it in Not Perfect. Funny and real, poignant and charming, Tabitha is a delight as she falls from grace, from perfect mother and wife to pilfering food and money to keep her family afloat, until she realizes that perfect is overrated. This novel is a gift for anyone who has struggled to wear a mask or keep up an appearance, which is essentially all of us.” —Amulya Malladi, bestselling author of A House for Happy Mothers and The Copenhagen Affair “Not Perfect is a captivating story about keeping up appearances, written with a perfect blend of humor and drama. Tabitha is delightfully human and flawed, and her struggle to preserve the balance of her world in the face of her missing husband (where is Stuart, anyway?) is highly relatable. A fun read that manages to also be thought-provoking.” —Kerry Anne King, author of Closer Home and I Wish You Happy “Not Perfect is a bighearted exploration of motherhood, image, and what really matters most.” —Emily Cavanagh, author of The Bloom Girls

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Book SynopsisFrom Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Tracy Brogan comes a sweet, funny Trillium Bay romance about moving on, creating your best self, and discovering the true meaning of love.After her scandalous May-December romance comes to an end, baby of the family Lilly Callaghan returns home to Trillium Bay braced for the torrent of ?I told you sos? from her sisters and the rest of the tiny island community. Floundering both personally and professionally, she?s at an emotional crossroads but determined to figure out her next best steps.When a surprise job offer from her house-flipping sister reacquaints Lilly with handsome, free-spirited Wenniway Island transplant Matt Eastman, Lilly wonders if she?s ready for a new romance. Then she meets Hollywood heartthrob Jayden Pierce, who is filming a movie on the island, and she?s certain of it?but with whom? She?s caught the attention of both men, and both men have caught hers. So what?s a girl to do?Earnest Matt shares her love of the close-knit island community, while surprisingly down-to-earth Jayden encourages her to live life outside her comfort zone. As the flirtatious triangle sets the town talking, Lilly must choose: Does she want to plant forever roots in Trillium Bay with Matt? Or follow a man who makes love stories for a living? Two very different men. Two very different futures. But deep down, Lilly knows that only one holds the promise of her kind of perfect.

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Book SynopsisIf you love entertainment that makes you laugh out loud while highlighting the absurdity in issues that are actually pretty serious, then you'll be a big fan of this illustrated satirical fiction that is a poignant illustrated story about an aging woman's life as she reflects on passing her years in anonymity. 'Doris? You asked me who was Doris?' And then I remembered. 'Doris was the woman who worked one of our cash registers at FoodWorld, forever and maybe even longer. But nobody knew a thing about her, or even wanted to because she was plain as a post, always kept to herself, with buttoned lip saying nothing. And then we guessed one day she must be dead because for a whole week she wasn't there at the Cash. Till we heard rumor she'd left behind her house to someone she'd never known, who'd found in the house this journal full of crazy stories Doris had written, and piles and piles of drawings and paintings so fantastic you'd never believe anyone could see herself like that. The secret life of Doris Melnick! The woman not one of us knew though she'd been there all that time. So what does that mean, I wonder?' - Statement by Alice Geerson, FoodWorld clerk

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Book SynopsisBoy meets Girl, Boy marries Girl, and years later Boy mysteriously disappears in this Gordon Lish–style novel.The boy and the girl have been married for decades, mostly getting along as they go about their lives. But one day, like thousands of people around the world, the boy vanishes, and the girl is left to wait, wonder, and worry. Will he return? Who might she be if she moves on without him?This is a world where every morning the cat gets fed and the coffee gets made, but also one in which God sometimes lives in the garage – she likes to sleep on the freezer – and gigantic words can fall from the sky. Not Anywhere, Just Not cracks open the small dramas of our lives to show the dread and wonder inside all of us."Ken Sparling is a brilliant writer and this book, like all his books, is a beauty. Sparling chronicles the times I fear most—the moments of loneliness, of loss, of ennui—and somehow makes them seem worthwhile, even wondrous, and often flat-out funny. His work makes life look livable, which makes him a wizard to me." – Derek McCormack, author of Castle Faggot"A gorgeous rendition of the domestic uncanny, Not Anywhere, Just Not is an ostensibly quiet book that slowly and carefully unnerves and unsettles you--both because of its precise swapping out of reality and because of just how familiar it so often seems. All of us, Sparling seems to say, are on the verge of vanishing at any moment." – Brian Evenson, author of Song for the Unraveling of the WorldTrade Review"In Ken Sparling’s sixth novel, people sometimes just disappear. And when they reappear, they can’t quite say where they’ve been. When this happens to one half of a middle-aged couple, the partner who remains frets about his eventual return. Bordering magic realism and absurdity, Not Anywhere, Just Not is sure to be a metaphysical delight." – Andrew Woodrow-Butcher, Quill & Quire '2023 Spring Fiction Preview'"Not Anywhere, Just Not is a rhythmic, brooding novel in which a woman whose life was intertwined with her husband’s searches for an identity after his loss." – Kristen Rabe, Foreword Reviews' Book of the Day"It is a pleasure to read something that has ideas, that poses questions and that desires participation from the reader." – Kris Rothstein, Subterrain

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Book Synopsis"Brief, brilliantly written, and kissed by a sense of the absurd....like a much lazier, Mexico City version of Dostoevsky's Underground Man."—John Powers, Fresh Air“Daniel Saldaña París knows how to talk about those other tragedies populating daily life: a boring, unwanted marriage; mind numbing office work; family secrets. He builds on those bricks of tedium a greatly enjoyable and splendidly well-written suburban farce.” —Yuri HerreraRodrigo likes his vacant lot, its resident chicken, and being left alone. But when passivity finds him accidentally married to Cecilia, he trades Mexico City for the sun-bleached desolation of his hometown and domestic life with Cecilia for the debauched company of a poet, a philosopher, and Micaela, whose allure includes the promise of time travel. Earthy, playful, and sly, Among Strange Victims is a psychedelic ode to the pleasures of not measuring up.Daniel Saldaña París (born Mexico City, 1984) is an essayist, poet, and novelist whose work has been translated into English, French, and Swedish and anthologized, most recently in Mexico20: New Voices, Old Traditions, published in the United Kingdom by Pushkin Press. Among Strange Victims is his first novel to appear in the United States. He lives in Montreal, Quebec.Trade Review"Great fun are the jabs at academia, Mexico City and the dusty town where the action, or inaction, moves after Rodrigo meets Marcelo, a Spanish cretin with a Ph.D. in aesthetics. These flameless flâneurs humph and hump, personifying urban malaise." —New York Times Sunday Book Review “Full of odd twists and surprises. Among the high points are Saldaña París' exasperated but affectionate paeans to 'the immense, beautiful city' that is Mexico's capital. Though a study of slothfulness and its discontents, a welcome book on which the author has clearly expended energy.” —Kirkus “The English debut by the young and talented Daniel Saldaña Paris, Among Strange Victims is the definitive millennial existentialist novel of Mexico City.” —The Culture Trip “The novel takes some bizarre turns as Marcelo leads Rodrigo into experiments involving drugs, tequila, hypnosis and more, all in the name of transformation. If the young man’s notion of radical change is to take part in his life rather than observe it from afar, he’s off to a good start.” —New York Times “Saldaña París’s first novel to be translated Stateside is a leisurely story of slacking off that’s nicely conveyed in a sharp, cynical tone. . . . Read this messy, shaggy picaresque for its ample page-by-page pleasures, which include devilishly clever syntax, a charming tendency to digress, and satisfying flashes of Rodrigo and Marcelo getting their act together.” —Publishers Weekly "Brief, brilliantly written, and kissed by a sense of the absurd....like a much lazier, Mexico City version of Dostoevsky's Underground Man." —Fresh Air “MacSweeney’s brilliant English translation of this odd, Kafkaeque and conniving novel is not to be missed.”—The Guardian "Partnership is important, says this young, slacker, thirtysomething Mexican writer, even if it’s only with a hen in a vacant lot." —The Rumpus “It’s a novel that sneaks up on you in the best possible way.” —Vol. 1 Brooklyn “Daniel Saldaña París’s Among Strange Victims... is, despite the questions surrounding the Latin American canon, a natural successor in the Latin American oeuvre. Saldaña París eases forward from the Crack and McOndo movements, yet still evokes the hues of Julio Cortázar’s Hopscotch. But, perhaps most crucially, Among Strange Victims still wonders what this Latin American-ness could mean.” —Full Stop The real life absurdities surrounding Trump’s visit are definitely stranger than the fictional absurdities Rodrigo faces, though I can’t help but wonder if somehow these narratives are cosmically linked. Daniel Saldaña París’ pulse on the Mexican psyche feels that precise, that honest, that timely.” —Ploughshares "The novel teases and revises questions about how to live a meaningful life with agency by turning them into a thought experiment that Saldana París handles with formal invention and a Millennial twist." —Words Without Borders “Daniel Saldaña Paris’ first novel to be translated into English is an expertly composed, leisurely read that sucks you in but never spits you out. . . . this book is a must-read.” —Largehearted Boy “For all Saldaña París' sharp wit, Among Strange Victims is about waking up to the world's brighter possibilities.” —NPR “Although its stylized narrative can be an acquired taste, `Among Strange Victims’ is deceptively affecting.” —Star Tribune “It’s a novel that comes at you from odd angles, making a memorable impression as it goes.” —Vol. 1 Brooklyn "In an easygoing, oddly entrancing style, París presents a meandering plot . . . but the events of the narrative pale in comparison to the surprising pleasure of the thoroughly offbeat prose. . . . Pari's has mastered the art of spinning an outlandish, entertaining tale." —Booklist “It is impossible to read Among Strange Victims without being charmed by its wit and disarmed by its fierce and mysterious languor. In this novel, Daniel Saldaña París asks how one should cope with the impossible burden of living your own life—and gives a graceful riddle of an answer that will linger with you long after the book is done.” —Alexandra Kleeman “Translator Christina MacSweeney has done an excellent job bringing the intelligent vitality of Paris’s prose into English. . . What has happened to the life of the artist, Among Strange Victims asks. Why do we so often build critical distances between ourselves and our lives? And how can we bridge those gaps?” Electric Literature “Saldaña París is a Montreal-based poet, essayist, and novelist, born in Mexico City, and, as this darkly humorous and thoughtful novel — both in the sense of being contemplative and packed full of an onrush of thoughts — proves, is a welcome infusion of vitality into North American literature.” —Bookslut “... there is something uncannily Pitolean about this novel. And that is a very good thing.”—Three Percent “Daniel Saldaña París’s Among Strange Victims, translated by Christina MacSweeney, immediately pulls the reader into its universe. It does so with such thorough and seamless skill that the reader becomes a victim of this strange, off-kilter world.” —Cleaver Magazine “[Among Strange Victims is] an impressive work by a talented young writer.” —Largehearted Boy “As I read [Among Strange Victims], I felt I was witnessing a great performance. It reminded me a little of young Mozart showing off at the emperor’s golden harpsichord, giggling and improvising variations on Salieri’s welcome march, startling all the wigged and powdered Viennese stiffs. And I sensed something desperate and inflamed in the writing too, as though the author assumed all along that nobody would ever read his book. That’s probably what I like most about it—the cocky, indulgent, nihilistic virtuosity.” —BOMB “Quirky and absurd, it’s a funny, shambling look at the benefits (and drawbacks) of living life at your own lazy pace.” —Men’s Journal "Saldaña París writes with a gifted and confident prose that is as much the star of this singular novel as its unforgettable characters and delighting plot. This young Mexican writer (and poet, too) is surely one to watch, and if Among Strange Victims is but a harbinger of what’s to come, then Saldaña París may well have a long, fruitful, and fantastic career ahead of himself.” —Jeremy Garber “Critics have drawn comparisons between París’s latest novel (his first to be translated in the United States) and the work of his blockbuster predecessor, Roberto Bolaño.” —Brooklyn Magazine “Daniel Saldaña París, following in the tradition of di Lampedusa, shows that non-writers—that is to say, those who don’t exclusively cultivate what’s known as a literary life—are the ones who make the best books.” —Mario Bellatin “I rewrote the first forty pages of Among Strange Victims several times over two years before finding the right tone for it. It started being a very serious, philosophical novel, but with each new version it became more and more humorous.” —The Quarterly ConversationTable of ContentsThe Third Person Fundamental Considerations on Something The Shrubs of the Terrestrial Sphere The Future of Art Epilogue

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Book SynopsisPraise for Dylan Hicks: "Hicks is a terrific writer who can craft a simile with the best of them." --Kirkus Reviews "The joy in Hicks' debut arises less from plot than from the writing itself: nuanced, ingenious, perceptive, funny." --The Star Tribune "Do yourself a favor and read this smart, tender book. The characters will haunt you with their longing, and inspire you with their sweet, caustic wit." --Sam Lipsyte Archer is a semi-celebrated novelist and sex-toy heir. His best friend, John, is as earnest as Archer is feckless. John's girlfriend, Sara, envies Archer's writing career. And Sara's roommate, Lucas, wishes he'd never lost his girlfriend to the man. Money, friendship, and resentment unspool in the conversations we have as we're coming of age and coming to grips. Dylan Hicks is a writer and musician. His first novel, Boarded Windows, was published in 2012, along with a companion album of original songs, Dylan Hicks Sings Bolling Greene. His journalism has appeared in the Village Voice, the New York Times, the Guardian, the Star Tribune, and elsewhere. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Nina Hale, and their son, Jackson.Trade Review"Hicks, a Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter, is winningly deft with language. From the opening paragraph, neither commas nor em dashes can rein in his enthusiasm for the craft of storytelling, which Hicks embraces with contagious energy and sharp humor." --New York Times Sunday Book Review "[A] sprightly tale about friendship and courtship, money, love, assorted complications--and writers. Felicitous characters and a scrumptious plot make Hicks' second novel refreshing and fun." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review "[Amateurs is] a sharply observed and very funny novel ... [Hicks] has perfect pitch." --The Guardian, "Dylan Hicks: 'Are millennials concerned about selling out any more?'" "An improbable and wildly enjoyable mix of a comedy of manners, a road-trip story, and a slacker coming-of-age tale. Hicks manages to turns what could easily have made readers stumble--multiple protagonists in multiple time lines--into a winning narrative style... Though the story lines themselves are engaging, it is Hicks' ear for dialogue, humor, and detail that makes the novel shine." --Booklist "A bright, perceptive story about friends trying with mixed results to wrestle with the pressures of adulthood... Hicks does a near-perfect job tracing each character's evolving needs, desires and resentments over the course of seven years." --Los Angeles Times "[T]heir games of one-upmanship, their tete-a-tetes, give the novel a fun repartee, in addition to highlighting Hicks's ear for dialogue." --Heavy Feather Review "These plot lines...are meticulously woven together to create for the reader a sensation of precarious narrative convergence." --Brooklyn Rail "The setup of Hicks' novel is the stuff of classic comic fiction; the minute details and anxieties that surround its characters, however, are what endures." --Star Tribune "Hicks [ ... ] has fashioned a droll commentary about ambition among the would-be literati and has written some of the funniest prose in recent years."--Kenyon Review Online "Amateurs is an ambitious and accomplished novel that appears to be relaxed and easy-going. It is generously plotted and peopled, but I never sensed the author's effort or ambition." --Extreme Legibility "Here's the kind of book--ironic but humane, erudite yet playful--that makes you want to read it in big chunks." --Minnesota Monthly "The other thing that Dylan Hicks does so well--he's a marvelous writer." --KUOW, "The Record" review "Hicks can time a plot fuse perfectly." --Atticus Reviews "Dylan Hicks' second novel Amateurs is one of the most fun books I have read all year, an unforgettable coming of age story." --Largehearted Boy "Hicks' strengths lie in fastidious detail and witty dialogue; both abound in this book." --Crave Online "Supremely elegant, accurately human, unceasingly funny ... Amateurs is a sublime literary treat by our hinterland Anthony Powell. In a kinder world, there would be a new book by 'Hicksy' every year." --Ed Park, author of Personal DaysTable of ContentsPrologue Part One: Prenuptial Part Two: Postnuptial

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Book SynopsisVondel Translation Prize ShortlistA gripping academic novel about deception and self-deception, ambition, the love of history as entertainment, and the hunt for the perfect enemy. Josip Brik, larger-than-life pop philosopher, Hitler studies expert, and TV historian, has always found himself more attracted to the fictional representation of history than to history itself. When Brik falls from a hotel window in Amsterdam, the number one mourner is Friso de Vos, a young academic who has been Brik’s right-hand man. However, Friso is forced to watch from the sidelines as his countryman Philip de Vries, whom he has never heard of, is interviewed again and again in the newspapers, and even on TV, about “his mentor,” Josip Brik. When a large symposium for historians is organized in Vienna, Friso sees his opportunity to set the record straight and begins to impersonate Philip, with dangerous and hilarious results. With a playful mix of literary and pop culture references, this novel immerses us in the world of the global intelligentsia, where the truth counts for less than what is said about it. Joost de Vries has written a biting academic satire, an absurd and exceptionally intelligent tale.

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Book SynopsisA collection of funny and thought-provoking poems inspired by surprising facts that will appeal to poetry lovers and poetry haters alike, from the author of the essay collection The Unreality of Memory, “a work of sheer brilliance, beauty, and bravery” (Andrew Sean Greer) Known to be both “casually brilliant” (Sandra Newman) and a “ruthless self-examiner” (Sarah Manguso), acclaimed writer Elisa Gabbert brings her “questing, restless intelligence” (Kirkus Reviews) to a new collection of poetry. By turns funny and chilling, these poems collect strange facts, interrogate language, and ask unanswerable questions that offer the pleasure of discovery on nearly every page: How does one suffer “gladly,” exactly? How bored are dogs? Which is more frightening, nothing or empty space? Was Wittgenstein sexy? The poems in this collection are earwormy, ultracontemporary, essayistic, aphoristic, and philosophical—invitations to eavesdrop on a mind paying attention to itself. Normal Distance is a book about thinking and feeling, meaning and experience, trees and the weather, and the boredom and pain of living through time.

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