Narrative theme: coming of age

Book SynopsisNOW AN EMMY-NOMINATED HULU ORIGINAL SERIES • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A stunning novel about the transformative power of relationships” (People) from the author of Conversations with Friends, “a master of the literary page-turner” (J. Courtney Sullivan). ONE OF THE TEN BEST NOVELS OF THE DECADE—Entertainment WeeklyTEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—People, Slate, The New York Public Library, Harvard CrimsonAND BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, O: The Oprah Magazine, Time, NPR, The Washington Post, Vogue, Esquire, Glamour, Elle, Marie Claire, Vox, The Paris Review, Good Housekeeping, Town & Country Connell and Marianne grew up in the same small town, but the similarities end there. At school, Connell is popular and well liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation—awkward but electrifying—something life changing begins.A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years at university, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. And as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other.Normal People is the story of mutual fascination, friendship and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find that they can’t. Praise for Normal People “[A] novel that demands to be read compulsively, in one sitting.”—The Washington Post “Arguably the buzziest novel of the season, Sally Rooney’s elegant sophomore effort . . . is a worthy successor to Conversations with Friends. Here, again, she unflinchingly explores class dynamics and young love with wit and nuance.”—The Wall Street Journal “[Rooney] has been hailed as the first great millennial novelist for her stories of love and late capitalism. . . . [She writes] some of the best dialogue I’ve read.”—The New YorkerTrade Review“[Rooney] has invented a sensibility entirely of her own: sunny and sharp, free of artifice but overflowing with wisdom and intensity. . . . The novel touches on class, politics, and power dynamics and brims with the sparky, witty conversation that Rooney’s fans will recognize.”—Vogue “A future classic.”—The Guardian“Rooney is a tough girl; her papercut-sharp sensibility is much more akin to writers like Rachel Kushner, Mary Gaitskill, and the pre–Manhattan Beach Jennifer Egan. . . . Normal People is a nuanced and flinty love story about two young people who ‘get’ each other, despite class differences and the interference of their own vigorous personal demons. But honestly, Sally Rooney could write a novel about bath mats and I’d still read it. She’s that good and that singular a writer.”—Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s Fresh Air “[Rooney] has written two fresh and accessible novels. . . . There is so much to say about Rooney’s fiction—in my experience, when people who’ve read her meet they tend to peel off into corners to talk.”—Dwight Garner, The New York Times“[Rooney’s] two carefully observed and gentle comedies of manners . . . are tender portraits of Irish college students. . . . Remarkably precise—she captures meticulously the way a generation raised on social data thinks and talks.”—New York Review of Books“Normal People tackles millennial concerns with nineteenth-century wit . . . the millennial generation would no doubt be happy to accept her as its spokesperson were she so inclined.”—Elle“I’m transfixed by the way Rooney works, and I’m hardly the only one . . . like any confident couturier, she’s slicing the free flow of words into the perfect shape. . . . She writes about tricky commonplace things (text messages, sex) with a familiarity no one else has.”—The Paris Review“Funny and intellectually agile . . . [combines] deft social observation—especially of shifts of power between individuals and groups—with acute feeling . . . [Rooney is] a master of the kind of millennial deadpan that appears to skewer a whole life and personality in a sentence or two.”—Harper’s Magazine“Beautifully observed . . . crackles with vivid insight into what it means to be young and in love today.”—Esquire“I went into a tunnel with this book and didn’t want to come out. Absolutely engrossing and surprisingly heart-breaking with more depth, subtlety, and insight than any one novel deserves. Young love is a subject of much scorn, but Rooney understands the cataclysmic effects our youth has on the people we become. She has restored not only love’s dignity, but also its significance.”—Stephanie Danler, author of Sweetbitter“Masterfully done. The quality of Rooney’s writing, particularly in the psychologically wrought sex scenes, cannot be understated as she brilliantly provides a window into her protagonists’ true selves.”—BookPage (starred review)

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Book SynopsisAll the twisted games are back as Devil''s Night returns in this dark romance from New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas, now with bonus material.Buried in the shadows of the city, there?s an abandoned hotel called The Pope, surrounded by a mystery about the hidden twelfth floor and the guest who never checked out. Banks knows the local legend, but Kai Mori believes the myth around the hotel. He and his friends think they know her, think they can scare her, but Banks knows something they don?t.Even though she struggles to hide everything she feels when Kai looks at her, the person he seeks is much closer than he?ll ever realize.She?ll never reveal her secret. This Devil?s Night, Kai will be the hunted one.But Banks doesn?t know what Kai had to turn into to survive three years in prison. He wants the hotel, its guest, and his life back. But the more he?s around Banks, the more Kai realizes this new version of himself is exactly who he was meant to be.Kai?s seen her hideaway. It?s time for Banks to see his.

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Book SynopsisNamed Book of the Month Club's Book of the Year, 2017Selected one of New York Times Readers’ Favorite Books of 2017Winner of the 2018 Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Boy In the Striped Pajamas, a sweeping, heartfelt saga about the course of one man's life, beginning and ending in post-war IrelandCyril Avery is not a real Avery -- or at least, that's what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn't a real Avery, then who is he?Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamourous and dangerous Julian Woodbead. At the mercy of fortune and coincidence, he will spend a lifetime coming to know himself and where he came from - and over his many years, will struggle to discover an identity, a home, a country, and much more.In this, Boyne's most transcendent work to date, we are shown the story of Ireland from the 1940s to today through the eyes of one ordinary man. The Heart's Invisible Furies is a novel to make you laugh and cry while reminding us all of the redemptive power of the human spirit.

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Book SynopsisAn emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. “Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes…” Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. It’s 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California’s first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world’s first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes. Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it’s too late.Trade ReviewA Texas Center for the Book Great Read Selection “A delightful read.” —The New York Times Book Review “West with Giraffes is truly a fun read…I [can’t] imagine a reading list that would not contain Lynda Rutledge’s astonishing novel.” —Old Naples News “Every year I find at least one book that soars above all the others. This year West With Giraffes is that book.” —Florida Times Union “A flawless novel.” —Austin American-Statesman “A perfect balance between history and fiction.” —POPSUGAR “[A] larger-than-life story about the power of both animal magnetism and human connection…witty, charming, and heartwarming.” —Booklist

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Book Synopsis#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Saving the world is a test no school of magic can prepare you for in the triumphant conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate.FINALIST FOR THE HUGO AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Paste, Publishers WeeklyThe one thing you never talk about while you’re in the Scholomance is what you’ll do when you get out. Not even the richest enclaver would tempt fate that way. But it’s all we dream about: the hideously slim chance we’ll survive to make it out the gates and improbably find ourselves with a life ahead of us, a life outside the Scholomance halls. And now the impossible dream has come true. I’m out, we’re all out—and I didn’t even have to turn into a monstrous dark witch to make it happen. So much for my great-grandmother’s prophecy of doom and destruc

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"As unsettling as it is enthralling, These Violent Delights will engulf you: first in the intoxication of obsession, then in its toxic consequences. Micah Nemerever's debut is a beautiful portrait of intimacy, desperation, and the damage that damaged hearts can cause. It shattered me." — Robin Wasserman, author of Girls on Fire and Mother Daughter Widow Wife “Nemerever does a crafty job of slowly ratcheting up the tension.... A clever novel of manners.” — New York Times “These Violent Delights is an utterly captivating fever dream of a novel whose tone and atmosphere will haunt you long after you finish. More haunting still is the skill with which Micah Nemerever reveals to us the lengths we will go to in order to be known, to be seen, to be understood. A thrilling first novel.” — Brandon Taylor, author of Real Life "A startling debut by a heady talent." — Michael Upchurch, Seattle Times “It’s only a matter of time before things start to explode in this enthralling, unpredictable thriller.” — Patrick Rapa, Philadelphia Inquirer "Nemerever's darkly shrewd debut exists in that hazy liminal space between desire and obsession, where the vagaries of a relationship come shaded with the constant threat of cruelty." — Michelle Hart, O Magazine.com “Few novelists make an impression as quickly and effectively as Micah Nemerever does in his stirring debut, an explosively erotic and erudite thriller. Kicking off with an electrifying prologue… readers will keep turning pages in desperate pursuit of the tension-breaking relief that can only come from seeing the story to its conclusion.” — Stephenie Harrison, BookPage “Nemerever’s debut tackles obsession, destruction, sex, and the intersection of all three…. Nemerever’s prose is haunting and beautiful, powerful, and twisted… it will keep you up at night, turning page after page.” — Jen St. Jude, Chicago Review of Books “[An]intense and beautiful thriller.” — Literary Hub “A gorgeous and wickedly smart novel. I was so seduced by the dazzling love story of these two vulnerable young men I became an unwitting accomplice in their swerve toward violence. Nemerever has created a rich, engrossing, and morally complex book filled with dark truths and dangerous delights.” — Christopher Bollen, author of A Beautiful Crime “Readers who need some thrill in their life will find this page-turner very binge-able. Micah Nemerever showcases a lot of skills on the pages, but it is the intricate plotting that propels this novel forward.” — Adam Vitcavage, Electric Lit “Nemerever has done something extraordinary in his debut novel. He’s mixed eloquent and vivid writing with psychological depth and an addictive plot…. Akin to Bronte’s Wuthering Heights… the intensity of Paul and Julian’s climatic moment at the novel’s end [is] a moment worthy of Emily Bronte herself.” — Mikey Byrd, Lambda Literary “[A] dark, inspired debut…. Fans of Patricia Highsmith will definitely want to take note of this promising writer.” — Publishers Weekly “Visceral, intimate, and all-consuming, this gutsy debut is both intellectual and fiercely animal. A chilling exploration into desire and infatuation that questions how well we ever really know our lovers—or ourselves. Nemerever’s propulsive, crystalline language and gutting insights make the pages fly by, hurtling you toward the inevitable, astounding ending.” — Julia Fine, author of What Should Be Wild “An impressive, ambitious debut that raises the right questions about what we talk about when we talk about love between men... Nemerever’s novel does difficult, critical work in confronting the ritualized violence that so often characterizes male relationships.” — Mel Magazine “These Violent Delights is a captivating portrait of alienation and loneliness with the cool gaze of a Highsmith novel. Punctuated by arpeggios of violence and rage, Micah Nemerever has crafted a thrilling page-turner anchored in an examination of desire, love, and moral inquiry.” — Patrick Cottrell, author of Sorry to Disrupt the Peace "Intense and beautiful." — Crime Reads “Nemerever’s ability to precisely dissect… complex states of mind makes him an author worth watching.” — Passport Magazine

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Book SynopsisWhen kids start disappearing from Quinn Calvet's small town inupstate New York, her Instagram posts about them start to blow up. But rumours, conspiracies and claims run rampant online, andbefore she knows it, Quinn is in the centre of a nightmare thatmight be more terrifying and deadly than anyone knows...

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Book SynopsisFrom bestselling author of the romantasy sensation The High Mountain Court comes A River of Golden Bones, the first riveting, enchanting novel in an all-new romantic fantasy shifter trilogy, which begins a journey of self-discovery, romance, and adventure for a young heir as she/they comes out of hiding to save their sister from a malicious, powerful sorceress and her dangerous sleeping curse.A sleeping curse. A fallen court. A secret twin.Twins Calla and Briar have spent their entire lives hiding from the powerful sorceress who destroyed their kingdom...and from the humans who don't know they are Wolves. Each twin has their own purpose in life: Briar's is to marry the prince of an ally pack and save the Golden Court. Calla's purpose is to remain a secret, her twin's shadow . . . the backup plan.No one knows who Calla truly is except for her childhood friend and sister's betrothed the distractingly handsome Prince Grae. But when Calla and Briar journey out of hiding for Briar's wedding, all of their well-made plans go awry. The evil sorceress is back with another sleeping curse for the last heir to the Golden Court.Calla must step out of the shadows to save their sister, their kingdom, and their own legacy. Continuing to hide as a human and denying who she truly is, Calla embarks on a quest across the realm, discovering a whole world she never knew existed. Outside the confines of rigid Wolf society, Calla begins to wonder: who could she be if she dared to try?Full of adventure, love, gender exploration, and self-discovery, A River of Golden Bones follows Calla's journey through treacherous Wolf kingdoms, monster-filled realms, and the depths of their own heart in this thrilling romantic fantasy.

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Book SynopsisA Literary Hub Best Book of Year • A Crime Reads Best Debut of the Year • A Newsweek 25 Best Fall Books • A Philadelphia Inquirer 10 Big Books for the Fall • An O Magazine.com LGBTQ Books That Are Changing the Literary Landscape • An Electric Lit Most Anticipated Debut • A Paperback Paris Best New LGBTQ+ Books To Read This Year Selection • A Passport Best Book of the MonthThe Secret History meets Lie with Me in Micah Nemerever''s compulsively readable debut novel—a feverishly taut Hitchcockian story about two college students, each with his own troubled past, whose escalating obsession with one another leads to an act of unspeakable violence.When Paul enters university in early 1970s Pittsburgh, it’s with the hope of moving past the recent death of his father. Sensitive, insecure, and incomprehensible to his grieving family, Paul feels isolated and alone. When he meets the worldly Julian in his freshman ethics class, Paul is immediately drawn to his classmate’s effortless charm.Paul sees Julian as his sole intellectual equal—an ally against the conventional world he finds so suffocating. Paul will stop at nothing to prove himself worthy of their friendship, because with Julian life is more invigorating than Paul could ever have imagined. But as charismatic as he can choose to be, Julian is also volatile and capriciously cruel, and Paul becomes increasingly afraid that he can never live up to what Julian expects of him.As their friendship spirals into all-consuming intimacy, they each learn the lengths to which the other will go in order to stay together, their obsession ultimately hurtling them toward an act of irrevocable violence.Unfolding with a propulsive ferocity, These Violent Delights is an exquisitely plotted excavation of the depths of human desire and the darkness it can bring forth in us.

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Book SynopsisThere was once a man who thought he could do anything, even be a woman. So he acquired a baby, changed its diapers and fed the damn thing three times a night. He did all the housework, was deferential to men, and got worn out. But he had a brother, Jack Cleverfellow, who hired a wife and got it all done.

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Book SynopsisThe consequence of one terrible night changes a group of young people's lives forever. Night Road is an unforgettable story from the internationally bestselling author of The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah.'Movingly written and plotted . . . you’ll keep turning the pages until the last racking sob' – Daily MailLexi and Mia are inseparable from the moment they start high school. Different in so many ways – Lexi is an orphan and lives with her aunt on a trailer park, while Mia is a golden girl blessed with a loving family, and a beautiful home. Yet they recognize something in each other which sets them apart from the crowd, and Mia comes to rely heavily on Lexi’s steadfast friendship.Mia’s beloved, and incredibly good-looking, twin brother Zach, finds life much less complicated than his sister. He'd always sailed through life easily achieving whatever he, and his family, wanted and expected Trade ReviewMovingly written and plotted with the heartless skill of a Greek tragedy, you’ll keep turning the pages until the last racking sob. * The Daily Mail *Hannah masterfully details the unraveling of a family. * People magazine *Hannah is superb at delving into the characters’ psyches and delineating nuances of feeling. * The Washington Post *A moving coming-of-age story. * Heat *Unforgettable. * Easy Living *A gripping, emotional read. * SHE magazine *Night Road is one special book that can transform the lives of readers by influencing how they think about certain important life issues . . . the entire range of human emotions are explored in this hopeful book about the triumphant power of the human spirit in the process of forgiveness. * New York Journal of Books *A rich, multilayered reading experience, and an easy recommendation for book clubs. * Library Journal (starred review) *A story of sibling love, friendship and loss. I cried a lot. * Look magazine *Night Road is like a guilty pleasure. It’s a more grown-up, present-day version of The O.C. and is about a group of young people, who’ve something terrible happening in their lives. The book is basically about the consequence of this one terrible night and how it changes their lives forever. * Saturday Magazine, Daily Express *One night can alter a lifetime and twins Mia and Zach and their friend Lexi discover how hearts can be broken, loyalties challenged and hopes dashed in the blink of an eye. * The Sun *A gripping tale of family, love, grief and forgiveness from New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah. * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisWinner of a 2015 Gourmand Cookbook Award For FictionShortlisted for the 2015 ABIA Matt Richell Award for New WriterChristmas Livingstone has formulated ten top rules for happiness that she lives by: Nurturing the senses every day, doing what she loves, sharing joy... but the most important for her rules is absolutely no romantic relationships!Her life is good as the owner of the enchantingly seductive shop, The Chocolate Apothecary. In her shop she can explore the potential medicinal uses of chocolate that make people happy. Her friends surround her and her role as a fairy godmother to her community allows her to share her joy. What she doesn't need is a handsome botany ace who knows everything about cacao to walk into her life...Or does she...The Chocolate Apothecary is a glorious novel of a strong creative woman discovering that you can't always play life by the rules.Trade ReviewI loved it - a perfect blend of sweet and spice. * Jenny Colgan on The Tea Chest *You will want to move into the wonderful world of Josephine Moon's The Tea Chest - it is so self-assured, so beautifully written, so evocative with its sense of place and smell. Really glorious on every level. And what a cracking story. * Cathy Kelly on The Tea Chest *It's feel-good commercial fiction with a lot of sensual description and a happy ending. * Sydney Morning Herald *

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Book Synopsis A disturbing and powerful psychological thriller about a girl who must piece together the mystery of her kidnapping Trade Review“Unflinchingly honest and brilliantly conceived. This book will haunt you” Lauren Myracle, New York Times Bestselling author of Shine and Bliss

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Book SynopsisThe Advocate’s Best Gay Novel of 2019 A New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice O, The Oprah Magazine’s Best LGBTQ Books That''ll Change the Literary Landscape in 2019 The Wall Street Journal’s Ten Books You’ll Want to Read this Spring Out''s Best Queer Books of April 2019 TheSkimm’s LGBTQ+ books to celebrate Pride “Stunning and heart-gripping.” —André Aciman, author of Call Me By Your Name The award-winning, bestselling French novel by Philippe Besson—“the French Brokeback Mountain” (Elle)—about an affair between two teenage boys in 1984 France, translated with subtle beauty and haunting lyricism by the iconic and internationally acclaimed actress/writer Molly Ringwald. We drive at high speed along back roads, through woods, vineyards, a

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Book SynopsisBut for the darkest individuals, there is no redemption: you come back as a kehok, a monster, and are doomed to be a kehok for the rest of time.Unless you can win the Races. After a celebrated career as an elite kehok rider, Tamra became a professional trainer.Trade Review"Durst imbues a thrill-filled story about monster racing with impressive thematic depth and a refreshing spectrum of female characters […] Durst consistently defies expectations in both plot and characterization while exploring sophisticated themes of found family, integrity, and morality. This excellent epic fantasy will appeal to adult fans of Tamora Pierce and Megan Whalen Turner." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “National Velvet with monsters and a big helping of palace intrigue, Race the Sands is monstrous (literally), heartwarming, and empowering in equal measure. An incredibly fun and inspiring read.” — Katherine Arden, New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and The Nightingale “Sarah Beth Durst is one of the most prolific authors I know, yet each of her beautiful stories is infused with exciting action and fully rounded characters whose struggles are both relatable and fantastical. Race the Sands is a fast-paced adventure that will have you falling in love with its heroines and the monsters they ride.” — Peter V. Brett, New York Times bestselling author of The Demon Cycle? "RACE THE SANDS is not only a blistering rush through a brilliantly credible and original fantasy landscape, it's the story of resolve, family, and personal destiny we all need. Highly recommended." — Julie E. Czerneda, author of THE GOSSAMER MAGE "Race The Sands is a rousing standalone fantasy adventure....If you're in the mood for monsters or racing or a primarily female cast surviving against all odds, Race The Sands delivers on all counts, in one delightful package that doesn't require a series commitment!" — Fantasy Book Critic "Durst’s latest delivers the same sweeping prose and lush worldbuilding as her “Renthia” series, with strong female protagonists and lively supporting characters. This compelling fantasy will please fans and engage new readers." — Library Journal

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Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR BBC ONE DRAMA STARRING HAYLEY ATWELL AND MATTHEW MACFADYENIn spring of 1905 in England, a brief romance between Helen Schlegel and Paul Wilcox ends badly, their two very different families are brought into collision. The liberal, intellectual Schlegels, who had hoped never to see the capitalist, pragmatic Wilcoxes again, learn that Paul''s family are moving from their country estate - Howards End - to a flat just across the road.As the lives of the Schlegels and the Wilcoxes become increasingly entangled, Helen befriends Leonard Bast, a man of lower social status. His presence further inflames the families'' political and cultural differences, which are brought to a head in a fatal confrontation at Howards End.Considered by some to be E. M. Forster''s finest work Howard''s End blends humour and lyricism in this classic exploration of British class and character.

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Book Synopsis2018 NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION''S 5 UNDER 35 HONOREEA fevered, lyrical debut about two young women drawn into an ever-intensifying friendship set against the stark, haunted landscape of the Sonoran desert and the ecstatic frenzy of New York City.Ahlam, the daughter of a Palestinian refugee and his Israeli wife, grows up in the arid lands of desert suburbia outside of Phoenix. In a stark landscape where coyotes prowl and mysterious lights occasionally pass through the nighttime sky, Ahlam’s imagination reigns. She battles chronic fever dreams and isolation. When she meets her tempestuous counterpart Laura, the two fall into infatuated partnership, experimenting with drugs and sex and boys, and watching helplessly as a series of mysterious deaths claim high school classmates.The girls flee their pasts for New York City, but as their emotional bond heightens, the intensity of their lives becomes unbearable. In search of love, ecstasy, oblivion, and belonging, Ahlam and Laura’s drive to outrun the ghosts of home threatens to undo them altogether.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 1962 National Book Award and one of Time magazine's 100 Best English-Language Novels, Walker Percy's debut The Moviegoer is an American masterpiece and a classic of Southern literature. Insightful, romantic, and humorous, it is the story of a young man's search for meaning amid a shallow consumerist landscape. Binx Bolling, a young New Orleans stockbroker, fills his days with movies and casual sex. His life offers him nothing worth retaining; what he treasures are scenes from The Third Man or Stagecoach, not the personal experiences he knows other people hold dear. On the cusp of turning thirty, however, something changes: At Mardi Gras, he embarks on a quest for some form of authentic experience. The consequences of Binx's quest, on both himself and his unstable cousin Kate, prove outrageous, absurd, moving, and indelible.Featuring an afterword by Paul Elie, this new edition of The Moviegoer cements Walker Perc

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Book SynopsisLiza Klaussmann was born in New York but lives in London. She is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Tigers in Red Weather and Villa America.Trade Review'It’s hard to know where to start a review of this startling debut novel because Tigers in Red Weather is absolutely packed with plot . . . anybody who enjoys Mad Men will almost certainly like this book . . . heady, page-turning stuff — the intelligent beach read of the summer.' Sunday Times‘Postwar America, beautiful and damaged people, secrets and lies and passions and martinis and the smell of something rotting beneath the fragrance of summer . . . an immensely gripping and well-told tale of two generations . . . It is part of the considerable pleasure of this novel that much of it reminds you of other stories, in prose and film. You are on familiar but never stale territory, and you read on with the growing conviction that a nasty surprise lies around the corner.’ Guardian‘What an unexpectedly brilliant read this is. It starts off all Stepford Wives and Valley of the Dolls and ends up somewhere in the territory of Jeffrey Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides or Donna Tartt's The Secret History . . . This is an ambitious undertaking for a first novel but Klaussmann really pulls it off, turning an elegant period piece into a creepy psychological thriller . . . A wonderfully clever, chilling summer read.’ Independent on Sunday'Tigers in Red Weather yokes literary craftmanship to a strong, engaging plot . . . The stakes are raised with artful subtlety over the course of the novel . . . The final sequence, told by a relative outsider, is impressively disquieting and concludes this arresting debut with a flourish of ventriloquism’ Literary Review ‘A scintillating look at a gilded but dysfunctional family grappling with lies, secrets and conspiracies . . . The voices of the five main characters ramp up the tension with languorously graceful prose, perfectly mirroring the book's long, dangerous summers.’ Marie Claire‘The novel you should be tucking into your beach bag this summer is Klaussmann’s excellent Tigers In Red Weather . . . Flipping back and forth across a couple of decades, it gracefully tracks the currents souring the intoxicating cocktail of money, sex, heat, boredom and beauty that constitutes the lives of the wealthy on Martha’s Vineyard following World War II. With a conscious nod to F Scott Fitzgerald, it’s a clever, sensual thriller that combines a smidgen of Klaussmann’s family history with a clear-eyed perspective on the multi-faceted nature of families and the emotional duplicity of the rich.’ Metro'Summers are made for novels like Liza Klaussmann's debut, a sophisticated page-turner, where danger and pain throb in every tight-lipped silence, every casually cruel remark, every misinterpreted gesture . . . Hemingway['s] influence is apparent in the simplicity of her language and observations . . . I read it the first time in one sitting, and envy anyone about to start it, with that delicious pleasure ahead of them.' Sunday Telegraph'Two things set this enjoyably creepy book apart from your average beach read. The plot and pacing are expertly managed . . . But the real selling point is the writing, which is minimalist and evocative at the same time.' Observer‘Tragedy, betrayal and passion . . . A riveting, intelligent read’ Stylist

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Book Synopsis“Suspenseful…emotionally compelling. I found myself eagerly following in a way I hadn’t remembered for a long time, impatient for the next twist and turn of the story.—NPRAn Afghan American woman returns to Kabul to learn the truth about her family and the tragedy that destroyed their lives in this brilliant and compelling novel from the bestselling author of The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, The House Without Windows, and When the Moon Is Low.Kabul, 1978: The daughter of a prominent family, Sitara Zamani lives a privileged life in Afghanistan’s thriving cosmopolitan capital. The 1970s are a time of remarkable promise under the leadership of people like Sardar Daoud, Afghanistan’s progressive president, and Sitara’s beloved father, his right-hand man. But the ten-year-old Sitara’s world is shattered when communists stage a coup, assassinating the president and Sitara’s entire family. Only she survives. Smuggled out of the palace by a guard named Shair, Sitara finds her way to the home of a female American diplomat, who adopts her and raises her in America. In her new country, Sitara takes on a new name—Aryana Shepherd—and throws herself into her studies, eventually becoming a renowned surgeon. A survivor, Aryana has refused to look back, choosing instead to bury the trauma and devastating loss she endured. New York, 2008: Thirty years after that fatal night in Kabul, Aryana’s world is rocked again when an elderly patient appears in her examination room—a man she never expected to see again. It is Shair, the soldier who saved her, yet may have murdered her entire family. Seeing him awakens Aryana’s fury and desire for answers—and, perhaps, revenge. Realizing that she cannot go on without finding the truth, Aryana embarks on a quest that takes her back to Kabul—a battleground between the corrupt government and the fundamentalist Taliban—and through shadowy memories of the world she loved and lost. Bold, illuminating, heartbreaking, yet hopeful, Sparks Like Stars is a story of home—of America and Afghanistan, tragedy and survival, reinvention and remembrance, told in Nadia Hashimi’s singular voice.Trade Review“Hashimi’s narrative is telenovela-good—daring adventurers, deadly secrets, family drama, the beloved dead, a politician-in-the-making, true love, and more.” — Booklist (starred review) “The question of whether Sitara can go home again is the existential and physical journey Hashimi conjures, in a story at once surreal and deeply rooted in the history of Afghanistan’s modern turmoil and ancient enchantment.” — NPR “A fascinating epic tale.” — New York Post “Thrilling and moving” — Booklist “The novel is an elegiac tribute to family and civilization—fragile collective entities that should be cherished while they still hold.” — BookPage

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Book SynopsisBabitz’s talent for the brilliant line, honed to a point, never interferes with her feel for languid pleasures. —The New York Times Book ReviewA new reissue of Babitz’s collection of nine stories that look back on the 1980s and early 1990s—decades of dreams, drink, and glimpses of a changing world. Black Swans further celebrates the phenomenon of Eve Babitz, cementing her reputation as the voice of a generation.With an introduction by Stephanie Danler, bestselling author of Sweetbitter.On the page, Babitz is pure pleasure—a perpetual–motion machine of no–stakes elation and champagne fizz. —The New Yorker

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times No.1 BestsellerThe sequel to Jessie Burton’s million-copy bestseller The Miniaturist, The House of Fortune returns to Nella's mysterious family in historic 18th-century Amsterdam for a story of fate and fortune.‘Elegant, atmospheric, compelling. I absolutely loved it’ - Marian Keyes, author of Again, Rachel‘A book of beauty and insight . . . awe-inspiring. Burton is a master storyteller’ - Elizabeth Day, author of Magpie1705. In the golden city of Amsterdam Thea Brandt is turning eighteen, and she is ready to welcome adulthood with open arms. At the city’s theatre, the love of her life awaits her, but at home all is not well – her father Otto and Aunt Nella argue endlessly, and the Brandt family are selling their furniture in order to eat. On Thea’s birthday, also the day that her mother died, the secrets of the past begin to overwhelm the present.Nella is desperate to save the family and maintain appearances, to find Thea a husband who will guarantee her future, and when they receive an invitation to Amsterdam’s most exclusive ball, she is overjoyed – perhaps this will set their fortunes straight.But, as Thea discovers new miniatures, Nella’s fears are realized. Eighteen years after she first entered the family’s life, the miniaturist may have plans of her own . . .The House of Fortune is a glorious, sweeping story of ambition, secrets and dreams, and one young woman’s determination to rule her own destiny.Trade ReviewA more than worthy sequel to The Miniaturist. Elegant, atmospheric, compelling. I absolutely loved it -- Marian Keyes, author of Again, RachelA book of beauty and insight . . . awe-inspiring. Burton is a master storyteller . . . I felt I could see, smell, live and breathe every page . . . a delight for anyone who is about to read it -- Elizabeth Day, bestselling author of The Party and MagpieClever and satisfying . . . Burton is an acute observer . . . A worthy sequel, mature and thoughtful * Guardian *Satisfying . . . a moving celebration of the possibilities for change and regeneration in life * Sunday Times *A joyous read: compassionate, wise and fabulously immersive . . . a beguiling, tender sequel . . . Brilliant * i *Sumptuous, elegant and atmospheric * Prima *The most beautiful book you'll read this year. A spectacular achievement . . . [it] will break your heart and put it back together again . . . Shining, sinuous, truly a marvel -- Kate WilliamsElegant historical suspense * Grazia *Returning to the world of her bestselling The Miniaturist, Jessie Burton’s tale of a curious young woman in 18th-century Amsterdam finds her at the top of her game * Observer *A satisfying, page-turning romp with a heroine to root for * Sunday Express *Beautifully crafted and brimming with historical detail * Sunday Post *Fans of The Miniaturist are in for a treat with this sequel * Red *The mysterious writing draws in any curious reader * The Herald *

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Book SynopsisA New York Times bestseller • Nominated for the National Book Award for Fiction • Ocean Vuong’s debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, a first love, and the redemptive power of storytellingNew York Times Readers Pick: 100 Best Books of the 21st Century “A lyrical work of self-discovery that’s shockingly intimate and insistently universal…Not so much briefly gorgeous as permanently stunning.” —Ron Charles, The Washington Post“This is one of the best novels I’ve ever read...Ocean Vuong is a master. This book a masterpiece.”—Tommy Orange, author of There There and Wandering StarsOn Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family’s history that

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Book SynopsisA funny, poignant and unforgettable novel about Frank - one of the most lovable and unusual characters you'll ever meet.For some boys fitting in means standing outMeet Frank - he isn't like other kids. Intrepid explorer, sartorial connoisseur; he's as strange as he is brilliant. But Frank discovers the hard way that people don't like brilliant and they hate strange. What Frank longs for - aside from a father - is a friend. Meet Mimi - a reclusive literary legend and mother to Frank. Mimi has been holed up in her Bel Air mansion for years, keeping her secrets and hiding Frank from a cruel world. Until Alice.Meet Alice - the level-headed young woman charged with looking after Mimi's unusual son. In so doing, Alice discovers what it really means to love someone. And she finds a part of herself she never knew was missing. Funny, poignant and unforgettable, this novel - like Frank - is a one-off creation you'll fall in love with.Trade ReviewSit back...and enjoy the show. * New York Times Book Review *Hilarious, poignant and full of unexpected gems. * Huffington Post *Delightful. You will laugh out loud. * Slate *Johnson's magnificently poignant, funny, and wholly original debut goes beyond page-turner status. Readers will race to the next sentence. And the next. Her charming, flawed, quietly courageous characters, each wonderfully different, demand a second reading while we impatiently await the author's second work. -- starred review * Library Journal *Readers will find themselves captivated. * People Magazine *Witty dialogue, irresistible characters, and a touch of mystery make this sweet debut about a quirky Hollywood family an enjoyable page-turner. * Booklist *Johnson's magnificently poignant, funny, and wholly original debut goes beyond page-turner status. Her charming, flawed, quietly courageous characters, each wonderfully different, demand a second reading. * Library Journal *The curious incident of where'd you go, Salinger. * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisTwenty years as an army brat and Ember Howard knew, too. The soldiers at the door meant her dad was never coming home. What she didn't know was how she would find the strength to singlehandedly care for her crumbling family when her mum falls apart. Then Josh Walker enters her life. Hockey star, her new next-door neighbour, and not to mention the most delicious hands that insist on saving her over and over again. He has a way of erasing the pain with a single look, a single touch. As much as she wants to turn off her feelings and endure the heartache on her own, she can't deny their intense attraction. Until Josh's secret shatters their world. And Ember must decide if he's worth the risk that comes with loving a man who could strip her bare.

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Book SynopsisThe TikTok sensation Twisted Palace, the third in the #1 New York Times bestselling The Royals series, now in a new special edition with bonus material!From mortal enemies to unexpected allies, two teenagers try to protect everything that matters most.These Royals will ruin you…Ella Harper has met every challenge that life has thrown her way. She’s tough, resilient, and willing to do whatever it takes to defend the people she loves, but the challenge of a long-lost father and a boyfriend whose life is on the line might be too much for even Ella to overcome.Reed Royal has a quick temper and even faster fists. But his tendency to meet every obstacle with violence has finally caught up with him. If he wants to save himself and the girl he loves, he’ll need to rise above his tortured past and tarnished reputation.No one believes Ella can survive the Royals. Everyone is sure Reed will destroy them all.Th

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewPraise for The Ice Lion"With this engrossing series launch, Gear conjures a vivid postapocalyptic world.... This mesmerizing adventure through a world destroyed by climate change is sure to have readers hooked." —Publishers Weekly"Gear brings her vast knowledge of prehistoric cultures to this climate-fiction tale with beautiful and engaging worldbuilding.... A loose, beautiful tapestry of a tale." —Kirkus Reviews"Written by both a master storyteller and scientist, it’s a chilling tale of a different climate change." —Amazing Stories"The icy setting, with its mountains and ocean, provide a cold backdrop to the warmth of the peoples, whose lives are going to be inescapably altered when paths cross and the past is excavated." —Whiskey with my Book

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Book SynopsisAn "effervescent" (Rachel Lynn Solomon) Christmas LGBTQIA+ New Adult RomCom, perfect for fans of Schitt's Creek and Red White & Royal Blue.Bring a little joy to the world?Not today, Santa.Matthew Prince is young, rich, and thoroughly spoiled. So what if his parents barely remember he exists and the press is totally obsessed with him? He's on top of the world. But one major PR misstep later, and Matthew is cut off and shipped away to spend the holidays in his grandparents' charming small town hellscape. Population: who cares?It's bad enough he's stuck in some festive winter wonderland-it's even worse that he has to share space with Hector Martinez, an obnoxiously attractive local who's unimpressed with anything and everything Matthew does.Just when it looks like the holiday season is bringing nothing but heated squabbles, the charity gala loses its coordinator and Matthew steps in as a saintly act to get home early on good behavior...with Hector as his maddening plus-one. But even a Grinch can't resist the unexpected joy of found family, and in the end, the forced proximity and infectious holiday cheer might be enough to make a lonely Prince's heart grow three sizes this year.People Are Raving About Timothy Janovsky:"This book made my queer heart so very full and deeply happy."-Anita Kelly"A cinematic daydream guaranteed to steal your heart."-Julian Winters"Wonderfully upbeat and sweet."-Suzanne Park"Full of hope and heart."-Alexandria Bellefleur"[A] fresh, sweet, and swoony love story that blends coming-of-age comedy with the nuances of exploring sexual identity."-Alison Cochrun

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER ? A beautiful, arresting story about race and the relationships that shape us through life by the legendary Nobel Prize winner?for the first time in a beautifully produced stand-alone edition, with an introduction by Zadie Smith?A puzzle of a story, then?a game.... When [Morrison] called Recitatif an ?experiment?she meant it. The subject of the experiment is the reader.? ?Zadie Smith, award-winning, best-selling author of White TeethIn this 1983 short story?the only short story Morrison ever wrote?we meet Twyla and Roberta, who have known each other since they were eight years old and spent four months together as roommates in St. Bonaventure shelter. Inseparable then, they lose touch as they grow older, only later to find each other again at a diner, a grocery store, and again at a protest. Seemingly at opposite ends of every problem, and at each other''s throats each time they meet, the two women still cannot deny the deep bond their shared experience has forged between them.Another work of genius by this masterly writer, Recitatif keeps Twyla''s and Roberta''s races ambiguous throughout the story. Morrison herself described Recitatif, a story which will keep readers thinking and discussing for years to come, as an experiment in the removal of all racial codes from a narrative about two characters of different races for whom racial identity is crucial. We know that one is white and one is Black, but which is which? And who is right about the race of the woman the girls tormented at the orphanage?A remarkable look into what keeps us together and what keeps us apart, and how perceptions are made tangible by reality, Recitatif is a gift to readers in these changing times.

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Book SynopsisA collection of urgent, thrilling and original stories from the award-winning, bestselling author of The Slap and Barracuda. Love, sex, death, family, friendship, betrayal, tenderness, sacrifice and revelation... This incendiary collection of stories from acclaimed writer Christos Tsiolkas takes you deep into worlds both strange and familiar, and introduces you to characters that will haunt you long after you have turned the final page.Trade ReviewThe best writing you are likely to come across on the shifting boundaries between love and friendship... A blistering, accomplished collection * Independent *As compelling to read as a novel... A contemporary storyteller working at the very top of his game * Guardian *An engrossing, powerful, disturbing collection * Independent on Sunday *Raw and powerful * Evening Standard *Not just an impressive talent but an appalling one * Sunday Times *Acclaim for The Slap:'A cool, calm, irresistible masterpiece' Chris Cleave'The Slap is nothing short of a tour de force' Colm Tóibín'Honestly, one of the three or four truly great novels of the new millennium' John Boyne 'As addictive as the best soap opera' Daily MailAcclaim for Barracuda:'Tsiolkas writes with compelling clarity about the primal stuff that drives us all: the love and hate and fear of failure... A brilliant, beautiful book. If it doesn't make you cry, you can't be fully alive.' (Sunday Times)'I finished Barracuda on a high: moved, elated, immersed... This is the work of a superb writer who has completely mastered his craft but lost nothing of his fiery spirit in so doing. It is a big achievement.' * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisInternational Bestseller“Emotional . . . sinks its hooks into you from the very first sentence.” —Marie Claire“Perfect for fans of Room, this heartbreaking but important novel . . . reminds readers that hope can be found in even the darkest moments.” —Real SimpleFirst grader Zach Taylor is in his classroom when a gunman enters the school auditorium and the unthinkable happens, irrevocably changing the very fabric of this close-knit community.  While Zach's mother pursues a quest for justice, and Zach’s father retreats into his work, Zach finds solace in the healing world of books and art. Armed with his new insights, and the optimism and stubbornness only a child could have, Zach becomes determined to help the adults in his life rediscover the universal truths of love and compassion they need to pull them through their darkest hour.A dazzling, tenderhearted debut about

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Book SynopsisFinalist for the Pulitzer PrizeNew York Times Bestseller A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick A New York Times Book Review Notable Book TIME Magazine''s 100 Must-Read Books of 2019 Named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, The Washington Post; O: The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Vogue, Refinery29, and BuzzfeedAnn Patchett, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of

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Book SynopsisThe Testimony of Talieson Jones is a lyrical and acutely perceptive coming-of-age tale about faith, doubt and growing up, from Rhidian Brook, the accalimed author of The Aftermath.Taliesin Jones is a boy on the brink of adulthood, faced for the first time with life''s biggest questions.Taliesin''s life is falling apart: his mother has run off with her hairdresser, his father''s temper is out of control and his brother has been ominously mute for weeks. Even more distressing than Taliesin''s dysfunctional family are his classmates'' claims that God does not exist. Deeply troubled by life''s uncertainty, the boy seeks answers in the unlikely figure of Billy Evans, an old man with an exceptional - possibly even miraculous - talent.The Testimony of Taliesin Jones is an extraordinary novel, exploring the space between childhood and adulthood, between belief and doubt.''A beautiful meditation on childhood... and a panacea for a cTrade ReviewA beautiful meditation on childhood... and a panacea for a cynical age * The Times *You'll find yourself seduced by the quiet power of the Welshman's prose, the subtlety of his narrative technique, with its onion-skin layers of meaning, sympathy and revelation * Time Out *Touching, humorous and poetic * Literary Review *Brook's debut is one of quiet miracles... implictly in the marvellous way he is able to convince us of the power of faith * Sunday Times *The accomplished patterns and Brook's easy style form a readable and poetic first novel * Guardian *Subtle and sublime. Brook's novel is far out of the ordinary run... * Western Mail *As fresh as spring water * Daily Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis''A charming and brilliantly entertaining novel... shot through with the light-hearted Nesbit touch'' Penelope Lively, from the introductionWhen did two girls of our age have such a chance as we''ve got - to have a lark entirely on our own? No chaperone, no rules, no...No present income or future prospects, said Lucilla.It''s 1919 and Jane and her cousin Lucilla leave school to find that their guardian has gambled away their money, leaving them with only a small cottage in the English countryside. In an attempt to earn their living, the orphaned cousins embark on a series of misadventures - cutting flowers from their front garden and selling them to passers-by, inviting paying guests who disappear without paying - all the while endeavouring to stave off the attentions of male admirers, in a bid to secure their independence.''To come upon any Nesbit today, hitherto unread... is like receiving a letter from a friend whom you have belTrade ReviewShe, of all the writers I have ever read, has given me over the years the most complete satisfaction -- Noel CowardShe had an economy of phrase, and an unparalleled talent for evoking hot summer days in the English countryside -- Noel StreatfieldA charming and brilliantly entertaining novel... shot through with the light-hearted Nesbit touch -- Penelope Lively, from the introductionTo come upon any Nesbit today, hitherto unread, ...is like receiving a letter from a friend whom you have believed dead * New York Times *A wry, charming delight of a book * The Pool *

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Book Synopsis“I LOVE this book, as a reader, and I always enjoy teaching it. In the midst of current conversations and conflicts (Black Lives Matter and the responses to it, for example), its importance as a truly ‘American’ novel only grows.”—Anita Guynn, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

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Book SynopsisEdna O''Brien''s wonderful, wild and moving novel shocked the nation on its publication in 1960. Adapted for the stage by the author, The Country Girls, the play, is a highly theatrical and free-flowing telling of this classic coming of age story.This new edition of The Country Girls was published to coincide with its UK premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre in June 2017.

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Book SynopsisSELECTED FOR STYLIST'S FICTION YOU CAN'T MISS IN 2022 - 'AN ESSENTIAL READ' NAMED AS A BOOK OF 2022 BY ESQUIRE, STYLIST, SHEERLUXE AND FOYLES 'A stone-cold masterpiece by a shocking new talent' OLIVIA LAING It’s four in the morning, and our narrator is walking home from the club when they realise that it’s February 29th – the birthday of the man who was something like their first love. Piecing together art, letters and memory, they set about trying to write the story of a doomed affair that first sparked and burned a decade ago. Ten years earlier, and our young narrator and a boy named Thomas James fall into bed with one another over the summer of their graduation. Their ensuing affair, with its violent, animal intensity and its intoxicating and toxic power play will initiate a dance of repulsion and attraction that will cross years, span continents, drag in countless victims – and culminate in terrible betrayal. At Certain Points We Touch is a story of first love and last rites, conjured against a vivid backdrop of London, San Francisco and New York – a riotous, razor-sharp coming-of-age story that marks the arrival of an extraordinary new talent. 'Lauren John Joseph writes with such wit, glamour, and style! I haven’t read a book that so powerfully evokes what it’s like to be a wild young artist among other wild young artists since the Bright Young Things' TORREY PETERS, author of Detransition, Baby 'Lauren's debut novel is so exciting. The writing is so fresh, funny and gripping - and carries the trademark wit that I have always loved from Lauren' TRAVIS ALABANZA 'The struggle to find ones place in the world as an artist and lover, creating self and culture as you go along - At Certain Points We Touch captures this fleeting, dazzling moment with glamour and heart' MICHELLE TEA Trade ReviewA stone-cold masterpiece, which in its scope, frankness and ambition reminds me of The Line of Beauty, retooled for the 21st century. By turns libidinous, hilarious, melancholy and full of feeling, it reveals Lauren John Joseph as a shocking new talent -- OLIVIA LAINGA moving portrait of youth, friendship and first love * OBSERVER, Debut Novelists of 2022 *Described as “a stone-cold masterpiece – The Line Of Beauty retooled for the 21st century” by writer Olivia Laing, this is the story of a destructive love affair played out over years and cities that’s going to be an essential read * STYLIST, Books you can't miss in 2022 *Lauren John Joseph writes with such wit, glamour, and Style! I haven’t read a book that so powerfully evokes what it’s like to be a wild young artist among other wild young artists since the Bright Young Things were publishing -- TORREY PETERS, author of Detransition, BabyLauren's debut novel is so exciting. The writing is so fresh, funny and gripping - and carries the trademark wit that I have always loved from Lauren -- TRAVIS ALABANZAThis vivid debut novel has a live current running through its pages ... An impressive debut with lines that linger with on the page * ESQUIRE, Books of the Year 2022 *The struggle to find ones place in the world as an artist and lover, creating self and culture as you go along - At Certain Points We Touch captures this fleeting, dazzling moment with glamour and heart -- MICHELLE TEAAt Certain Points We Touch is as much a love letter to the glamour and glory of countercultural nightlife as a self-aware sendup of its absurdities and deprivations. This novel is a rollicking study of the stubbornness, irrationality, and dysfunction of the human heart, with prose as extravagant and daring as a Rococo gown. I would spend as many pages with this narrator as Lauren John Joseph cares to write -- KIM FU, author of Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st CenturyA riotous coming-of-age story that marks the arrival of a bold new writer * SHEERLUXE *A searing debut * HARPER'S BAZAAR *

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Book SynopsisThirty-something Parisian artist Billie is working towards her next exhibition when she receives the news that her mother, with whom she has had no contact for years, has drowned in the river near her nursing home. In an attempt to understand the circumstances of her death, she returns to V, the village where she grew up in the parched, sun-drenched hills above the Mediterranean. When she arrives there, Billie finds herself reliving memories of another river drowning, 20 years earlier, memories she had tried to obliterate. What happened to Billie's dear friend Lila back then, at the age of 16, and why is Billie stalked by guilt? Sunlight Hours paints a picture of three generations of women, united by the secrets of a river.Trade ReviewA paticularly well-done opus which marries sharp writing, narrative depth and an original subject - L'Express (France)The book's strings are pulled one by one to unfurl untold secrets, and, like a thriller, the book becomes impossible to put down - Femmes Magazine (Luxembourg)

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Book SynopsisReaders LOVE One Puzzling Afternoon:'I loved it. I loved it. I loved it''Wow . . . one of my books of the year''A beautiful and touching novel that will completely grab you''Edie Green is one special character & I think I'll remember her for a long time yet''What a beautiful, emotional, intriguing, touching novel''I loved this and finished it in one sitting. It truly is glorious'A captivating mystery perfect for fans of Joanna Cannon and Elizabeth is Missing. On a suburban street filled with secrets, 84 year old Edie Green must look back into the past to discover what happened to her friend Lucy, who went missing years before . . .Selected as an Indie Book of the Month..It is 1951, and at number six Sycamore Street fifteen-year-old Edie Green is lonely. Living alone with her eccentric mother - who conducts seances for the local Ludthorpe community - she is desperate for something to shake her from her dull, isolated life.When the popular, pretty Lucy Theddle befriends Edie, she thinks all her troubles are over. But Lucy has a secret, one Edie is not certain she should keep . . .Then Lucy goes missing.2018. Edie is eighty-two and still living in Ludthorpe. When one day she glimpses Lucy Theddle, still looking the same as she did at fifteen, her family write it off as one of her many mix ups. There's a lot Edie gets confused about these days. A lot she finds difficult to remember. But what she does know is this: she must find out what happened to Lucy, all those years ago . . .'A captivating and poignant book, I was completely hooked. You can't help but fall for Edie' Marianne Cronin, author of 100 Years of Lenni and Margot'This is such a delicate web of a book, a mystery deftly woven with tension and compassion. Edie is a heartbreaking figure, struggling to catch her last memories before they're blown away forever - her quest/plight is absorbing and extremely poignant' Beth Morrey, author of Saving Missy'Completely captivating. A real page-turner' Louise Hare'Marvellous . . . a special gem of a book, a perfectly executed double timeline mystery with a twist you don't see coming' Inga Vesper, author of The Long, Long Afternoon'Beautifully written . . . the perfect book for lovers of Elizabeth Is Missing, but has its own distinct voice and charm' Jo Leevers, author of Tell Me How This Ends'An uplifting, bittersweet story with a page-turning mystery at its heart . . . I was drawn in to Edie's world from the very first page. Beautifully atmospheric and endearing'' Freya Sampson'An intriguing, unsettling mystery told over a dual timeframe by one of the most endearing lead characters you'll come across this year. Utterly compelling, darkly unnerving and a joyful masterclass in storytelling, Emily Critchley's debut adult novel hits the mark on so many levels' LoveReading Debut of the Month'This truly unique story blends past and present in a way that feels real. Great atmosphere and even better characters' Lucy Gilmore, author of The Lonely Hearts Book ClubTrade ReviewBeguiling . . . Beautifully written, this dual-timeline mystery draws you in and keeps a tight hold. * Heat Magazine *Gripping . . . heartbreaking. * Fabulous magazine, The Sun *Full of depth and humanity, One Puzzling Afternoon is a beautifully written novel that really tugs at the heartstrings. * Culture Fly *A captivating and poignant book, I was completely hooked. You can't help but fall for Edie. * Marianne Cronin, author of 100 Years of Lenni and Margot *Completely captivating. A real page turner. Eighty-two year old Edie is a wonderful protagonist, desperate to solve the mystery of her friend's disappearance sixty years earlier. * Louise Hare *This is such a delicate web of a book, a mystery deftly woven with tension and compassion. Edie is a heartbreaking figure, struggling to catch her last memories before they're blown away forever - her quest/plight is absorbing and extremely poignant. * Beth Morrey, bestselling author of Saving Missy *Marvellous . . . a special gem of a book, a perfectly executed double timeline mystery with a twist you don't see coming. One Puzzling Afternoon has one of the most unusual and endearing protagonists in recent crime fiction. In this dual time-line novel, Emily Critchley wonderfully weaves together a modern crime narrative with the sunny, idyllic childhood memories of her protagonist. Post-war nostalgia is perfectly evoked - until the darkness at the edges of Edie's and Lucy's story draws is quickly like a summer storm. As Edie slowly unveils the lies and secrets surrounding Lucy's disappearance, she must confront difficult memories of her own childhood, and the terrors it held. One Puzzling Afternoon is a dark and delightful lock box of riddles, secrets and memories. A spellbinding novel that enchants and unnerves in equal measure. * Inga Vesper, author of The Long, Long Afternoon *An uplifting, bittersweet story with a page-turning mystery at its heart. Emily Critchley writes about ageing and memory with huge warmth and compassion, and I was drawn in to Edie's world from the very first page. A beautifully atmospheric and endearing book. * Freya Sampson *A beautifully written book about trying to hold on to all that is important, including memories of a much-missed best friend . . . The style reminded me a little of of Clare Chambers, with its poise and time-specific feel. It's the perfect book for lovers of Elizabeth Is Missing, but has its own distinct voice and charm. A lovely combination of a cracking story and a host of characters you want to reach out and hug. * Jo Leevers, author of Tell Me How This Ends *I absolutely loved it . . . A charmingly addictive dual timeline mystery, filled with quirky characters, and rich in 1950s nostalgia, this book had me hooked from the first chapter and wouldn't let me go until I had pieced together the puzzle of Edie's past. * Neil Alexander, author of The Vanishing of Margaret Small *An intriguing, unsettling mystery told over a dual timeframe by one of the most endearing lead characters you'll come across this year. Utterly compelling, darkly unnerving and a joyful masterclass in storytelling, Emily Critchley's debut adult novel hits the mark on so many levels. A gripping mystery, with heart-warming characters, One Puzzling Afternoon manages to keep the full range of emotions in play - you'll cry, you'll chuckle and there are times you won't dare turn the page. * Lovereading Debut of the Month *

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