Narrative theme: coming of age

Book Synopsis'Intelligent, moving and darkly comic . . . taking us deftly from serious explorations of trauma and consent to riotously funny scenes of modern life'The Sunday Times'Tipped to be THE hit book of 2022'Daily Mail'A riveting read about heartbreak, shame and self-acceptance' Red Magazine, Rising Stars of 2022'Dazzling . . . one of those novels where you think you're exploring someone else's pain, only to realise you're exploring your own'Heat, Read of the Week'A really beautiful portrayal of female friendship'Times Radio'Absorbing and clever . . . I fell in love with Mathilda'Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of The Last Act of Love'Full of heart, wit and feeling'Caroline O'Donoghue, author of Promising Young Women'Utterly brilliant'Otegha Uwagba, author of We Need to Talk About Money'A glorious new talent has arrived'Emma Gannon, author of Olive'Poignant, haunting (and hilarious!) . . . A clear-eyed heroine for a new generation'Sam Baker, author of The Shift'Fizzes with energy, rage and love, burrowing deep into those experiences that define us at our core'Jessica Moor, author of Keeper'Will be read for years by any and all young women looking for a friend'Scarlett Curtis, author of Feminists Don't Wear Pink (and other lies) There is something wrong with Mathilda.She's still reeling from the blow of a gut-punch break up and grieving the death of a loved one. But that's not it. She's cried all her tears, mastered her crow pose and thrown out every last reminder of him. But that's not helping.Concerned that she isn't moving on, Mathilda's friends push her towards a series of increasingly unorthodox remedies. Until the seams of herself begin to come undone. Tender, unflinching and blisteringly funny, What a Shame glitters with rage and heartbreak, perfect for fans of Emma Jane Unsworth, Dolly Alderton and Holly Bourne. Trade ReviewAn intelligent, moving and darkly comic debut, taking us deftly from serious explorations of trauma and consent to riotously funny scenes of modern life - it's like Fleabag with a sprinkling of the occult. * The Sunday Times *Tipped to be THE hit book of 2022 * Daily Mail *Affecting, clever and blisteringly humorous... a riveting read about heartbreak, female shame and self-acceptance -- Sarra Manning * Red Magazine *Hits the nail on the head . . . above all it's a really beautiful portrayal of female friendship. -- Laura Hackett * Times Radio *Dazzling . . . By turns funny, sharp, raw and overwhelming, this is one of those novels where you think you are exploring someone else's pain, only to realise you are actually exploring your own -- Read of the Week * Heat *Alternately haunting and hilarious . . . an original and zeitgeisty story about grief, friendship, secrets, shame and self-acceptance. * Daily Mail *It's LOL, ever-so-relatable and will also have you weeping into a snotty tissue. Love, love, love * Cosmopolitan *A modern story of grief and loss * Refinery29 *Bergstrom's prose, and especially the core dynamic of Mathilda and her friends (a coven of voice notes and anxious love) has a sweet verisimilitude that is delightfully frank, (re)inscribing warmth and intimacy for warmth and intimacy's sakes. And if it all seems a bit familiar - the millennial hodgepodge of tarot, bad dates, housemates and female trauma - well, maybe this is also the point. Maybe these stories are more common than we want to believe. * The Skinny *Absorbing and clever . . . I fell in love with Mathilda -- Cathy RentzenbrinkRaw and unexpected and weird and utterly brilliant -- Otegha UwagbaAs soon as I finished the final page of What a Shame a deep ache set in. Written by one of the cleverest and boldest writers I've ever read, it is a powerful, beautiful, fascinating novel that will be read for years by any and all young women looking for a friend. I already miss Mathilda. -- Scarlett CurtisComparisons to Sally Rooney are inevitable, but this heartfelt, sharp-yet-tender novel earns its own place in the spotlight -- Erin KellyWhat A Shame weaves eternal themes of grief and heartbreak against a modern canvas that is clear and recognisable. There's a piercing sense of what happens when your tragedy becomes your anecdote, and your anecdote becomes tiring to the people around you. Full of heart, wit and feeling, Bergstrom is a new voice but sure to be an enduring one. -- Caroline O'DonoghueA brilliant debut -- Cariad LloydRaw, poignant, haunting (and hilarious!)... In Mathilda, Bergstrom has created a clear-eyed heroine for a new generation. -- Sam BakerTruly captivating, blisteringly funny, so clever and perceptive and beautifully written. It made me want to voicenote all my friends immediately. I loved it! -- Lauren BravoA book that simultaneously punches you in the gut and makes you snort with laughter. It's beautifully raw in its delivery. A glorious new talent has arrived -- Emma GannonDark, nuanced and provocative, this is a sterling debut that fans of Caroline O'Donoghue, Holly Bourne and Emma Jane Unsworth are sure to love. Mathilda's chilling - but ultimately redemptive - story will stay with me. -- Laura Jane WilliamsRazor-sharp, compelling and darkly funny. An extraordinary novel that will stay with me for a long time. -- Laura KayWhat a Shame fizzes with energy, rage and love, burrowing deep into those experiences that define us at our core. Bergstrom writes with wit and wisdom, and Mathilda's voice is ever-incisive, fresh and compelling. -- Jessica MoorI fell hard for Mathilda and her tale of heartache, grief and acceptance. Like most of us, she's a bit weird and a bit wild, and you'll be so glad you met her. -- Laura PearsonA wry and zeitgeisty look at grief, heartbreak and the fix-you industry, What a Shame asks whether we can ever expect closure from our worst and most secret pain and fear. A must-read for anyone who has ever felt defined by a break-up. -- Harriet WalkerCrackles with wit and emotional insight . . . so good on tangled webs of feeling, the power of female friendships, and hope -- Emma HughesDark, complex and very funny. A dazzling debut about the power of self-belief, sisterhood and letting go -- Hannah ToveyA book that beautifully balances the light and the dark. I loved spending time with Mathilda, a heroine who's funny, wise, wonderfully weird and brave, and who feels like a friend. -- Chloë AshbyTender, searingly honest and widely vulnerable. I couldn't stop reading -- Angela ScanlonAn absolute corker - tender, sexy and weird. I can't wait to see what she writes next -- Michelle ThomasMy favourite kind of book: the kind that you can't help but race through, leaves you immediately devastated when you finish it and envious of everyone who has yet to read it. -- Dr SophA painfully exquisite book, by a unique talent that has single handedly rewritten the narrative of female shame -- Camilla PangAbigail Bergstrom's assured debut is a forensic excavation of the female psyche - on friendship, grief, and the secrets we keep to survive. -- Laura BaileyA beautiful, raw story of self-acceptance and shame that haunted me until I finished the last page. Reading Abigail's debut captured the pain and release that comes with laughing at a funeral. I swallowed the story in big gulps and will push it towards my friends. An ambitious, beautifully balanced novel that manages to strike laughter and heartache in equal measure. -- Abigail Mann[A] wry, poignant meditation on female shame, healing and friendship * Culture Whisperer *What a Shame is an absorbing experience; the story is strange yet brilliant . . . it's dark and raw and funny, with a woman on an emotionally engulfing journey at its centre . . . like Sorrow and Bliss on acid . . . A real gem. * Well Read with Anna Bonet *Abigail Bergstrom's darkly funny debut is a sharply observed account of a group of young women finding their way and discovering that they are more powerful than they imagined * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis'Exceptional debut' - Tommy Orange, New York Times David has a mind that never stops running. He reads Dante and Moby Dick, he sinks into Hemingway and battles with Milton. But on Florida's Gulf Coast, one can slip into deep water unconsciously.At the age of fourteen, David runs away from home to pursue a girl. He tries crack cocaine for the first time and is hooked instantly. Over the course of the next decade, he fights his way out of jail and rehab, trying to make sense of the world around him - a sunken world where faith in anything is a privilege. He makes his way to a tenuous sobriety, but it isn't until he takes a literature class at a community college that something within him ignites.All Day is a Long Time is a spectacular, raw account of growing up and managing, against the odds, to carve out a place for hope. David Sanchez's debut resounds with real force and demonstrates the redemptive power of the written word.Trade ReviewThis book has it all . . . the voice is so insightful, so poetic, so absolutely alive to the world, that you won't be able to put it down. David Sanchez is a wonder, an important, essential new voice. -- JUSTIN TORRES, author ofWe The Animals (October 2021)David Sanchez has poured all of himself into this debut, a terrifying, moving and profound exploration of the liminal space between addiction and connection. -- KAREN RUSSELL, author of Swamplandia! (October 2021)With unflinching, razor-sharp precision, David Sanchez guides us through the labyrinthine heart of addiction and recovery. Wild, brutal, and tender, All Day is a Long Time is a novel of devastating truth and beauty. -- PATRICIA ENGEL, author of Infinite Country (October 2021)To call this a novel of addiction would be like calling The Sound and the Fury a novel of regret - yes, each is that, but each is also so much more . . . This beautiful poem of a book. -- NICK FLYNN, author of The Reenactments and Another Bullshit Night in Suck City (October 2021)This journey into the mind of a young addict is like nothing I've ever read - a terrifying, and often ecstatic, struggle for survival. It's an obsessive world of chemical equations and philosophical conundrums, an attempt to reckon with a breathless descent into madness. Sanchez's hero looks the devil in the eye and returns to tell a death-defying tale of redemption. -- CHRIS RUSH, author The Light Years (October 2021)David Sanchez's first novel - brilliant, lyrical, hilarious, heartbreaking- is the definitive handbook to hell and back. I haven't read anything as toughly vulnerable since Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son. A stunning debut. -- CRISTINA GARCIA, author of Dreaming in Cuban (October 2021)David Sanchez has written the rarest kind of novel. His subject matter, spanning so many aspects of contemporary American pain, is incredibly important, but it is his beautifully constructed sentences which make the narrative sing. -- GARRARD CONLEY, author of Boy Erased (October 2021)This exceptional debut is not a cautionary tale about the perils of drugs, but it certainly is the story of so many people right now, and it somehow leaves us with hope. What's more, the rare if dark gems found along its ocean floors, all sharp and brittle and made of base desire, let us glean a part of what's at the heart of addiction itself. -- Tommy Orange * New York Times *A semi-autobiographical novel of trauma and addiction offers hope for narrator, author and reader...This is raw, semi-autobiographical fiction at its most painfully honest... in David's quieter moments, when Sanchez's writing has a fine, almost hallucinatory quality, it's also a thought-provoking portrait of the vulnerability present in family life and how easily that can turn into damage... Literature has saved him. * The Observer *

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Book SynopsisThis is raw, semi-autobiographical fiction at its most painfully honest' Observer'Brilliant, lyrical, hilarious, heartbreaking' Cristina GarcíaDavid is only fourteen when he first tries crack cocaine. He is instantly hooked, and spends the next decade fighting his way out of jail and rehab. Though he reaches a tenuous sobriety, it is only when he takes a literature class at the local community college that something within him ignites.Set on Florida's Gulf Coast, All Day Is a Long Time is a spectacular account of what it takes to return from the brink to the world around us. In this unforgettable debut, David Sanchez demonstrates the importance of hope, and the redemptive power of the written word.'A wonder, an important, essential new voice' Justin TorresTrade ReviewThis book has it all . . . the voice is so insightful, so poetic, so absolutely alive to the world, that you won't be able to put it down. David Sanchez is a wonder, an important, essential new voice. -- JUSTIN TORRES, author ofWe The Animals (October 2021)David Sanchez has poured all of himself into this debut, a terrifying, moving and profound exploration of the liminal space between addiction and connection. -- KAREN RUSSELL, author of Swamplandia! (October 2021)With unflinching, razor-sharp precision, David Sanchez guides us through the labyrinthine heart of addiction and recovery. Wild, brutal, and tender, All Day is a Long Time is a novel of devastating truth and beauty. -- PATRICIA ENGEL, author of Infinite Country (October 2021)To call this a novel of addiction would be like calling The Sound and the Fury a novel of regret - yes, each is that, but each is also so much more . . . This beautiful poem of a book. -- NICK FLYNN, author of The Reenactments and Another Bullshit Night in Suck City (October 2021)This journey into the mind of a young addict is like nothing I've ever read - a terrifying, and often ecstatic, struggle for survival. It's an obsessive world of chemical equations and philosophical conundrums, an attempt to reckon with a breathless descent into madness. Sanchez's hero looks the devil in the eye and returns to tell a death-defying tale of redemption. -- CHRIS RUSH, author The Light Years (October 2021)David Sanchez's first novel - brilliant, lyrical, hilarious, heartbreaking- is the definitive handbook to hell and back. I haven't read anything as toughly vulnerable since Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son. A stunning debut. -- CRISTINA GARCIA, author of Dreaming in Cuban (October 2021)David Sanchez has written the rarest kind of novel. His subject matter, spanning so many aspects of contemporary American pain, is incredibly important, but it is his beautifully constructed sentences which make the narrative sing. -- GARRARD CONLEY, author of Boy Erased (October 2021)This exceptional debut is not a cautionary tale about the perils of drugs, but it certainly is the story of so many people right now, and it somehow leaves us with hope. What's more, the rare if dark gems found along its ocean floors, all sharp and brittle and made of base desire, let us glean a part of what's at the heart of addiction itself. -- Tommy Orange * New York Times *A semi-autobiographical novel of trauma and addiction offers hope for narrator, author and reader...This is raw, semi-autobiographical fiction at its most painfully honest... in David's quieter moments, when Sanchez's writing has a fine, almost hallucinatory quality, it's also a thought-provoking portrait of the vulnerability present in family life and how easily that can turn into damage... Literature has saved him. * The Observer *

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Book Synopsis'A magnificent love story, to be savoured like a delicious meal' Le ParisienFor fans of Antoine Laurain, When All is Said and Julie and Julia comes this emotional and heartwarming story of love between a father and son, told through their shared passion for food.For thirty years, Julien has lived with the question as to why his mother, Helene, suddenly walked out on him and his father - and why his father Henri refused to ever speak of her again.Now, as he sits by his father's bedside preparing to say goodbye, Julien remembers his father's long-lost notebook: a gift from Helene in which he jealously kept the recipes that made him the renowned chef of the Relais Fleuri restaurant.Julien is determined to find this last link to the father he so fiercely loves, and the mother he has never forgotten. But can the secrets to his father's cooking finally help him understand the other secrets Henri has kept all these years?Readers love The Little French Recipe Book'Rich, scrumptious, bittersweet, The Little French Recipe Book is a wonderful novel dipped in a mix of nostalgia, love, and secrets' Meggy'Heartwarming and a beautiful trip down memory lane' Jacky'A poignant and heartwarming book that kept me hooked and crave the food described' Anna Maria'My mouth positively watered with the descriptions of the food . . . If you have already discovered the novels of Antoine Laurain you will love this as well' Linda'What a treat for all lovers of French cooking, a vivid story with the bonus of lovely recipes spiced with a twist of mystery' JoanTrade ReviewLike a French meal - elegant, perfectly-paced and satisfying -- Anne YoungsonJacky Durand's debut novel is a love letter to family, memory and the art of French cooking, as authentic and satisfying as the recipes it describes. I devoured this poignant and evocative feast of a book, which explores the complex, bittersweet ingredients of the relationship between a father and son. -- Fiona ValpyI devoured this bittersweet debut novel set in a small town near Dijon ... an affecting tale with terroir recipes thrown in * Saga *A lovely emotional story. * My Weekly Special *A bittersweet book * Woman *

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Book Synopsis'A subversive debut... Her spiky prose style provocatively undercuts received narratives about the "American dream" from the immigrant's perspective' Guardian'Unforgettable... Rarely does a book sharpen how you see the world around you, but American Fever does just that. It dazzled me on every page' Julie Buntin, author of Marlena*The winner of an Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature*On a year-long exchange programme in rural Oregon, sixteen-year-old Hira must swap Kashmiri chai for volleyball practice and understand why everyone around her seems to dislike Obama. An unforgettably witty narrator, Hira finds herself stuck between worlds. The experience is memorable for reasons both good and bad; a first kiss, new friends, racism, Islamophobia, homesickness. Along the way Hira starts to feel increasingly unwell until she begins coughing up blood, and receives a diagnosis of tuberculosis, pushing her into quarantine and turning her newly-established world upside down.'Marks the debut of a thrilling new global voice' Peter Ho Davies'Completely engrossing . . . Amna's prose moves along quickly and Hira's appraisal of the people and places she encounters is sharp and untarnished by tact' DawnTrade ReviewA subversive debut . . . It is the sharpness, and surprise . . . that makes Dur e Aziz Amna's coming-of-age, coming-to-America debut novel stand out . . . The highly quotable Hira is a force to be reckoned with. Her spiky prose style provocatively undercuts received narratives about the 'American dream' from the immigrant's perspective. -- Sana Goyal * Guardian *What comes sharply into focus in this beautifully written debut, is that we can never leave the past behind -- Jane Shilling * Daily Mail *American Fever is the unforgettable story of a teenage girl in a year of transformation. Dur e Aziz Amna navigates the choppy waters of adolescence with blistering insight and humour, and exquisitely captures the way we can long for home while yearning to escape it. Rarely does a book sharpen how you see the world around you, but American Fever does just that. It dazzled me on every page. * Julie Buntin, author of Marlena *"The one thing I shouldn't ever do was take an American's word on America." Good point: take Dur e Aziz Amna's word instead. In this sharply observed twist on the classic coming-to-America story, we find an America recognizable in all its generosity, cruelty, and sometimes-well-intentioned bumbling. And we find a brilliant exploration of the sacred, scary moment when a girl comes into the wider world. * Benjamin Moser, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of Sontag: Her Life and Work *Brave, tender-hearted, and painfully bittersweet, American Fever is a sharply observed debut that announces Dur e Aziz Amna as a brilliant new voice. * Fatima Farheen Mirza, author of A Place for Us *In American Fever, Dur e Aziz Amna gives us an unforgettable South Asian protagonist - clever, clear-spoken, equal parts brash and vulnerable - navigating the mores of illness, separation and small-town America. Charming, fearless and politically aware, American Fever is a novel that will stay with you for a long time. * Sarah Thankam Mathews *American Fever is an extraordinarily assured and gripping debut. The intelligence, humour and longing of Hira's voice, as she negotiates what it means to belong to a place, will certainly stay with me * Aysegül Savas *Hira's is a voice I won't soon forget; her biting intelligence, her irreverence, and her wit blazes through this riveting, brilliant novel which stuns in its insights, its sensitive understanding of the complexities of identity, of what home means, and what it means to exist within a globalized world. A searing debut. * Aamina Ahmad, author of The Return of Faraz Ali *A poetic, memorable novel. I loved it. Hira is a marvellous creation - American Fever marks the arrival of a hugely promising writer. * Mirza Waheed *A loving and unflinching exploration of home and homeland, the ways they make and unmake us, how they feed us and also eat away our insides. Amna's crystalline prose reflects and refracts, dazzles and captivates. * Nawaaz Ahmed, author of 'Radiant Fugitives', finalist for the PEN-Faulkner Award *American Fever is a fresh, fierce bildungsroman - a story of homesickness and adolescent ache, not to mention a biting meta-commentary on what we expect from immigrant narratives. It's a relief to witness America as Hira does, seeing it clearly as an absurd, flawed nation that is all too often, as Hira says, a concept on whose behalf immigrants are unreasonably asked to testify. * Sanjena Sathian, author of GOLD DIGGERS *American Fever is a beautifully written book . . . Hira [is] a narrator whose insight and skepticism is addictive . . . Excellent * Tribune Magazine *Hira is a compelling, emotionally astute narrator . . . Hira's freshness in the way she assesses the world and herself while skewering the inconsistencies of those around her makes for a layered read . . . Amna's debut novel showcases her adeptness in tackling some of the big migration questions of home and identity within the context of her insightful young protagonist's complex experiences * Booklist *This is a funny and affecting novel, understated but powerful, a wonderful new spin on the coming-of-age story. A smart, charming debut. * Kirkus Reviews *An utterly hypnotic, witty and brilliant novel about young Hira's journey across two oceans... Dur E Aziz Amna's virtuosic way with language kept me enthralled the whole way through. This book is a necessary next-leveling of diasporic consciousness, the unraveling of borders between homeland and newfound home that happens inside of us. * Tanaïs, author of IN SENSORIUM *American Fever is an exhilarating juxtaposition of discovery and nostalgia. With great humour and fine attentiveness, Dur e Aziz Amna captures the feverish excitement and confusion of America from the point of view of a young outsider, questioning our assumptions about relationships, politics, food, clothes, illness, grief and beyond. It's a fast-paced yet contemplative story of malaise and opportunity, intercultural (mis)understanding, and transgenerational debt. Every page is filled with the zest of life that makes you want more. * Kit Fan, author of DIAMOND HILL *Fierce, razor-sharp, poignant, and rendered with fiery wit and deep empathy for human foibles, American Fever is a powerful tale of exile, identity, and belonging in our complex world. * Vikram Paralkar, author of NIGHT THEATER *A gripping debut on a journey that so many young people embark on but very little is written about with such audacity, skill and compassion. The narrative toggle between teenage and adult Hira adds depth to an already evocative book. * Zeba Talkhani *Gorgeous... Amna is a bold storyteller skilled at blending character, plot, and the kind of existential crises that keep us up at night. Her debut novel, American Fever-as propulsive as it is lyrical, as hilarious as it is sobering-is, above all, an irresistible read from an impressive new literary voice. * Michigan Quarterly Review *Completely engrossing . . . Amna's prose moves along quickly and Hira's appraisal of the people and places she encounters is sharp and untarnished by tact. At times, her wit and judgement land like the crack of a whip and leave you both laughing and uncomfortable. -- Mariam Tareen * Dawn *When I finished reading the novel, I was filled with gratitude for finding this brilliant voice from our country at the start of her career . . . Dur e Aziz Amna is a writer that every Pakistani should be reading. * The News *Prose that dances with charge and potency . . . American Fever firmly puts Amna on the literary map as a sharp young voice to look out for. Its striking cast of characters, both Pakistani and American, stand out in their pugnacious individuality, and its potent themes are woven through the story with genuine subtlety -- Anandi Mishra * Los Angeles Review of Books *

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Book Synopsis'A subversive debut' GUARDIAN'Prose that dances with charge and potency' LOS ANGELES REVIEW OF BOOKS*WINNER of a 2023 ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR LITERATURE and a 2023 SOUTH ASIA BOOK AWARD*On a year-long exchange programme, sixteen-year-old Hira must swap the bustle of urban Pakistan for church and volleyball practice in rural Oregon. Stuck between two worlds, her experience of America is sometimes freeing, sometimes painful, often quite painful. And while she faces racism and Islamophobia, she also makes new friends and has her first kiss.But when her new life is blown apart by a shocking health crisis, Hira's sense of belonging is overturned once again - forcing her to consider her place in the world.'Marks the debut of a thrilling new global voice' Peter Ho Davies, author of The FortunesTrade ReviewA subversive debut . . . It is the sharpness, and surprise . . . that makes Dur e Aziz Amna's coming-of-age, coming-to-America debut novel stand out . . . The highly quotable Hira is a force to be reckoned with. Her spiky prose style provocatively undercuts received narratives about the 'American dream' from the immigrant's perspective. -- Sana Goyal * Guardian *What comes sharply into focus in this beautifully written debut, is that we can never leave the past behind -- Jane Shilling * Daily Mail *American Fever is the unforgettable story of a teenage girl in a year of transformation. Dur e Aziz Amna navigates the choppy waters of adolescence with blistering insight and humour, and exquisitely captures the way we can long for home while yearning to escape it. Rarely does a book sharpen how you see the world around you, but American Fever does just that. It dazzled me on every page. * Julie Buntin, author of Marlena *"The one thing I shouldn't ever do was take an American's word on America." Good point: take Dur e Aziz Amna's word instead. In this sharply observed twist on the classic coming-to-America story, we find an America recognizable in all its generosity, cruelty, and sometimes-well-intentioned bumbling. And we find a brilliant exploration of the sacred, scary moment when a girl comes into the wider world. * Benjamin Moser, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of Sontag: Her Life and Work *Brave, tender-hearted, and painfully bittersweet, American Fever is a sharply observed debut that announces Dur e Aziz Amna as a brilliant new voice. * Fatima Farheen Mirza, author of A Place for Us *In American Fever, Dur e Aziz Amna gives us an unforgettable South Asian protagonist - clever, clear-spoken, equal parts brash and vulnerable - navigating the mores of illness, separation and small-town America. Charming, fearless and politically aware, American Fever is a novel that will stay with you for a long time. * Sarah Thankam Mathews *American Fever is an extraordinarily assured and gripping debut. The intelligence, humour and longing of Hira's voice, as she negotiates what it means to belong to a place, will certainly stay with me * Aysegül Savas *Hira's is a voice I won't soon forget; her biting intelligence, her irreverence, and her wit blazes through this riveting, brilliant novel which stuns in its insights, its sensitive understanding of the complexities of identity, of what home means, and what it means to exist within a globalized world. A searing debut. * Aamina Ahmad, author of The Return of Faraz Ali *A poetic, memorable novel. I loved it. Hira is a marvellous creation - American Fever marks the arrival of a hugely promising writer. * Mirza Waheed *A loving and unflinching exploration of home and homeland, the ways they make and unmake us, how they feed us and also eat away our insides. Amna's crystalline prose reflects and refracts, dazzles and captivates. * Nawaaz Ahmed, author of 'Radiant Fugitives', finalist for the PEN-Faulkner Award *American Fever is a fresh, fierce bildungsroman - a story of homesickness and adolescent ache, not to mention a biting meta-commentary on what we expect from immigrant narratives. It's a relief to witness America as Hira does, seeing it clearly as an absurd, flawed nation that is all too often, as Hira says, a concept on whose behalf immigrants are unreasonably asked to testify. * Sanjena Sathian, author of GOLD DIGGERS *American Fever is a beautifully written book . . . Hira [is] a narrator whose insight and skepticism is addictive . . . Excellent * Tribune Magazine *Hira is a compelling, emotionally astute narrator . . . Hira's freshness in the way she assesses the world and herself while skewering the inconsistencies of those around her makes for a layered read . . . Amna's debut novel showcases her adeptness in tackling some of the big migration questions of home and identity within the context of her insightful young protagonist's complex experiences * Booklist *This is a funny and affecting novel, understated but powerful, a wonderful new spin on the coming-of-age story. A smart, charming debut. * Kirkus Reviews *An utterly hypnotic, witty and brilliant novel about young Hira's journey across two oceans... Dur E Aziz Amna's virtuosic way with language kept me enthralled the whole way through. This book is a necessary next-leveling of diasporic consciousness, the unraveling of borders between homeland and newfound home that happens inside of us. * Tanaïs, author of IN SENSORIUM *American Fever is an exhilarating juxtaposition of discovery and nostalgia. With great humour and fine attentiveness, Dur e Aziz Amna captures the feverish excitement and confusion of America from the point of view of a young outsider, questioning our assumptions about relationships, politics, food, clothes, illness, grief and beyond. It's a fast-paced yet contemplative story of malaise and opportunity, intercultural (mis)understanding, and transgenerational debt. Every page is filled with the zest of life that makes you want more. * Kit Fan, author of DIAMOND HILL *Fierce, razor-sharp, poignant, and rendered with fiery wit and deep empathy for human foibles, American Fever is a powerful tale of exile, identity, and belonging in our complex world. * Vikram Paralkar, author of NIGHT THEATER *A gripping debut on a journey that so many young people embark on but very little is written about with such audacity, skill and compassion. The narrative toggle between teenage and adult Hira adds depth to an already evocative book. * Zeba Talkhani *Gorgeous... Amna is a bold storyteller skilled at blending character, plot, and the kind of existential crises that keep us up at night. Her debut novel, American Fever-as propulsive as it is lyrical, as hilarious as it is sobering-is, above all, an irresistible read from an impressive new literary voice. * Michigan Quarterly Review *Completely engrossing . . . Amna's prose moves along quickly and Hira's appraisal of the people and places she encounters is sharp and untarnished by tact. At times, her wit and judgement land like the crack of a whip and leave you both laughing and uncomfortable. -- Mariam Tareen * Dawn *When I finished reading the novel, I was filled with gratitude for finding this brilliant voice from our country at the start of her career . . . Dur e Aziz Amna is a writer that every Pakistani should be reading. * The News *Prose that dances with charge and potency . . . American Fever firmly puts Amna on the literary map as a sharp young voice to look out for. Its striking cast of characters, both Pakistani and American, stand out in their pugnacious individuality, and its potent themes are woven through the story with genuine subtlety -- Anandi Mishra * Los Angeles Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisA warm and bittersweet novel about love, loneliness, coffee and the pitfalls of an ill-advised selfie, perfect for fans of Monica Heisey, Nora Ephron and Katherine Heiny.'Moriarty's uplifting debut has much in common with Ephron's classic novel Heartburn, covering as it does long-term love, casual sex and heartbreak.' IRISH INDEPENDENT'Delightful . . . entertaining, often funny, but also makes you think about relationships, loneliness, and how to find out who you really are' IRISH EXAMINER'A perfect literary romcom that is compelling and warm without missing out the vagaries of Grindr, drunken nights out and the loneliness of London.' KATE SAWYER'An insightful and utterly believable take on the emotional and practical realities of opening up a relationship . . . A beautiful, understated novel about connection, self-discovery and trying to get by. Highly recommended' ATTITUDE'A super-fun must-read - we finished it in one sitting!' CLOSER'A candid, funny romcom' BBC SOUNDS'So refreshing and compelling, I can't wait to buy copies for everyone I know. Hard recommend!' LUCY VINE'Such a warm writer that every word glows on the page' HANNAH TOVEY'I loved spending time with this whole cast of characters . . . a witty, warm, contemporary read' NIAMH HARGAN'An absolute delight of a book. You will totally fall in love with Eoin' OLIVIA BEIRNE'Hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure' KIRSTY EYRE'An absolute treat. I adored every minute.' HANNAH DOYLE******Meet Eoin. Eoin is doing great. He's 27, gainfully employed and in a long-term relationship with his boyfriend Rich. Okay, so his best friend Jax is diving into yet another disastrously bad relationship and Eoin's going to be the one dealing with the eventual fallout. And his boss at the café, Rebecca, seems to have vanished, so somehow Eoin's left managing the place. And to be honest, he's not got much else going on. But still, he's got his boyfriend Rich - steady, sensible and dependable Rich. That is, until Eoin's world is turned upside down when Rich announces that he wants an open relationship. Terrified of losing the man he loves, Eoin reluctantly agrees to this new arrangement, and stumbles into the world of dating with no strings attached.What could go wrong?******READERS ARE LOVING SOUNDS LIKE FUN:'I stayed up until midnight to binge read this in one go' READER REVIEW, 5*'An utterly gorgeous read with a compelling lead who had me rooting for him on every page' READER REVIEW, 5*'I gobbled this story up in just two sittings and will certainly recommend all my rom com loving pals pick it up' READER REVIEW, 5*'A witty and wise stroll through London's contemporary gay scene, bulging with humour and really great characters that I'm missing already' READER REVIEW, 5*'A fun and heartwarming read, with a depth of feeling that I perhaps wasn't fully expecting before I started' READER REVIEW, 5*Trade ReviewMoriarty skilfully brings Eoin, with all his hang-ups and doubts, to life . . . A warm-hearted and good-humoured tale of trying to find where you fit. -- The TimesCertainly, Moriarty's uplifting debut has much in common with Ephron's classic novel, Heartburn, covering as it does, long-term love, casual sex and heartbreak. * Irish Independent *Moriarty perfectly captures the sometimes wasteland years of your 20s . . . It is one of Moriarty's talents to gradually reveal the charm of the world and characters he has created. Chief attraction is Eoin himself, who is a mixture of wit, touching humility, and burgeoning self-confidence, which combine to make him an extremely endearing hero . . . His supporting cast of quirky co-workers, possible love interests, one-night stands through Grindr, and friends hosting knitting circles, are well drawn and hugely entertaining. I was so drawn in I abandoned an entire day to reading it, just-one-more-chaptering my way through until I found I had completed the thing. * Irish Independent *Delightful . . . entertaining, often funny, but also makes you think about relationships, loneliness, and how to find out who you really are . . . laugh out loud funny at times . . . Sounds Like Fun is fun - it's also a novel which captures the differing ways individuals deal with loneliness, full of characters the reader will care about. * Irish Examiner *Full of wit, soul-searching and poignant observations on queer life... A warm and bittersweet novel -- Irish Country MagazineMoriarty has created a real living, breathing person that I want to protect at all costs, so much so that I found myself annoyed when I got to the end because I knew the rest of Eoin's life would have to be left up to the imagination . . . an excellent exploration of modern-day relationships along with that mid-to-late-twenties crisis so many people have as they try to figure out what they want their future to be. * Writing.IE *I was utterly charmed by this debut . . . a coming of age story that is compelling and warm without missing out the vagaries of Grindr, drunken nights out and the loneliness of London. A perfect literary romcom -- Kate SawyerI adored Sounds Like Fun and tore through it. It felt so refreshing and compelling, and the characters are all so well written and relatable. I can't wait to buy copies for everyone I know - hard recommend! -- Lucy VineSo refreshing, with characters that make you whoop and cheer throughout. Moriarty is such a warm writer, every word glows on the page. -- Hannah ToveyI raced through it in one sitting and loved spending time with this whole cast of characters . . . a witty, warm, contemporary read -- Niamh HarganWarm and welcoming, Moriarty's debut has the effortless informality of a friend confessing his reluctant foray into an open relationship . . . If you enjoyed Kate Davies' In At The Deep End, this book should indeed sound like fun! -- Lily LindonA heartfelt novel offering an insight into modern relationships, loneliness in your twenties and finding your place in the world. -- Somewhere For UsTotal brilliance. Eoin is charming and instantly relatable - not to mention laugh-out-loud hilarious at times. It's impossible not to fall in love with this book! -- Beth ReeklesAn absolute delight of a book. You will totally fall in love with Eoin. I read it in two sittings - it's that good! -- Olivia BeirneHilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure, this is a refreshing, honest and real take on a traditional romance with an ending of agency and hope that I loved. A delight to read. -- Kirsty EyreSounds Like Fun is an absolute treat. A pacy plot with plenty of laughs and a cast of characters who jump from the page. I adored every minute. -- Hannah DoyleSets itself apart from the crowd - its message is that happiness is often found in being brave, in departing from the comfortable and in asking difficult questions of yourself and those around you. It is refreshing to read a queer novel about people who are basically enjoying life and who come to important, and life-changing, realisations without having to endure some spectacular tragedy or suffering -- Daniel BarnesI adored this. It's funny yet poignant. Eoin's work life and friendships feel utterly authentic. * Irish Examiner *Moriarty's debut explores modern dating and the loneliness that people in their twenties feel as they try to make their way in the world. It's a witty, wise and sincere novel that offers a fresh take on queer life and open relationships * Culturefly *

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Book SynopsisTHE INSPIRATION FOR THE OSCAR-NOMINATED MOTION PICTURE 'JOJO RABBIT'NOMINATED FOR 6 ACADEMY AWARDS INCLUDING BEST PICTURE AND BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAYThis extraordinary novel is seen through the eyes of Johannes, an avid member of the Hitler Youth in the 1940s. After he is severely injured in a raid, he discovers his parents are hiding a Jewish girl called Elsa behind a false wall in their large house in Vienna. His initial horror turns to interest, then love and obsession. After the disappearance of his parents, Johannes finds he is the only one aware of Elsa's existence in the house, the only one responsible for her survival. Both manipulating and manipulated, Johannes dreads the end of the war: with it will come the prospect of losing Elsa and their relationship, which ranges through passion and obsession, dependence and indifference, love and hate.This gripping, masterful work examines truth and lies at both political and personal levels, laying bare the darkest corners of the human soul.Trade ReviewEnthralling throughout... * My Weekly *A vivid and deeply compelling novel, Caging Skies is an existential battle of moral and ethical extremes. Christine Leunens is an adept and eloquent storyteller -- Georgia Hunter * New York Times bestselling author of We Were the Lucky Ones *The good-natured humour and quirkiness of the film and the drama of the novel are quite fun to contrast, and both are impactful in their own right. * Cherwell *The best part of this interesting novel is its ability to show parts of our history which others dismiss: why suffering can make some people more sensitive but others more cruel, and how a war, such an outrage to human dignity, blurs the line between the victorious and defeated * Elle *Leunens said the film showed moviegoers that "we have a choice, are we going to go back to this kind of thinking ... superior, inferior ... or are we going to move on and bring more love and compassion to our relationships?" * Guardian *Totally compelling * Woman's Weekly (NZ) *Leunens has an ear for language and the ability to create a vividly sensual world for her characters that I found highly satisfying -- Cushla McKinneyA novel that breaks all the rules. In spite of this, or maybe because of it, the result is a disturbing and gripping novel that has haunted me ever since I finished reading it. * New Zealand Books *Disturbing, moving, eminently readable - this is a story you won't be able to put down * My Weekly *. . . a novel about Hitler's Third Reich without equal * Design Observer *

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Book SynopsisWhat REALLY happened at Turtle Lake? You think you know. Think again.California, 2003A thirteen-year-old girl disappears from a party at Carlsbad's Turtle Lake. Discovered on the trunk of a nearby cottonwood tree is the word 'LIAR' graffitied in blood.What you know . . . Three teenagers went to the lake that night but only two came back. Later, they confess to murdering their friend.. . . is only part of the storyBut did they really kill her? And if not, why say they did?Told across two timelines and tapping into a horrific crime, All the Little Liars is a novel about sisterly love and toxic friendship that asks: how much would you sacrifice to belong?PRAISE FOR ALL THE LITTLE LIARS:'A jaw-dropping twist' ABIGAIL DEAN'Heathers meets Charles Manson in this tale of good girls gone bad. I loved it' IAN RANKIN'I couldn't put it down' SHARI LAPENA'Incredible characters, amazing story and a twist that blew my mind' 5* READER REVIEW'A hands down five-star triumph' JANICE HALLETT'What a read!' 5* READER REVIEW 'Fantastically addictive' JOHN MARRS'A proper page turner!' 5* READER REVIEW'Heady and haunting' LIZZY BARBERTrade ReviewHeathers meets Charles Manson in this tale of good girls gone bad. I loved it! * Ian Rankin *All the Little Liars is a thriller with a jaw-dropping twist and real heart. Victoria Selman uncannily captures the terror and isolation of being a teenage girl -- and just like with Truly, Darkly, Deeply, she'll keep you on your toes until the very last page * Abigail Dean *I couldn't put it down * Shari Lapena *Two sisters, three friends, one murder . . . this is a thousand cuts above your average killer thriller. Selman aims straight for the twisted humanity at the core of a crime and finds the heart behind the headlines. Brilliantly written with an insight as sharp as cut glass. A hands down five star triumph! * Janice Hallett *With All The Little Liars Victoria Selman deftly follows up her psychological thriller hit Truly, Darkly, Deeply. When a teenage girl vanishes from a small town lake party, the resulting trauma casts its shadow over multiple lives and across the span of years. Told with twisty, narrative sleights-of-hand, this is another darkly evocative thriller * Vaseem Khan *Flew through it in 24 hours. Fantastically addictive, the absolute definition of bingeable. Emma Cline's The Girls meets Gillian Flynn's Dark Places in a heady mix of deception and whodunit. Loved it even more than Truly, Darkly, Deeply * John Marrs *Victoria Selman has woven the darkest of tales in All The Little Liars. Knockout twist just when you think you're on solid ground and great pace. Brava! * Fiona Barton *All the Little Liars hooks its talons into you and won't let go. A heady and haunting thriller about sisterhood, friendship and that desperate teenage need to belong. Victoria Selman is a force to be reckoned with * Lizzy Barber *A rich masterpiece . . . There's a reason that Victoria is a bestseller. She's aced it. Again * James Delargy *A tantalising take on toxic friendships, and just how far people will go for those they love. You'll want to clear your diary for this one * Robert Scragg *An exquisitely crafted and haunting tale of killer teenage angst * Sarah Sultoon *Atmospheric and disturbing, All the Little Liars follows the case of a teenage girl murdered at a lakeside party. Her friends confess to her killing but are they telling the whole truth? Selman immerses you in a shocking crime and just when you think you have your bearings, everything alters. Dark, absorbing and utterly brilliant * Heather Critchlow *All The Little Liars has it all: friendships, lies and paranoia. If you are a fan of psychological suspense, this one is for you! * Mari Hannah *Spellbindingly tense * Financial Times *All the Little Liars is a first-rate thriller. Spellbinding, taut and brilliantly constructed. Once you start, you won't be able to stop * B. P. Walter *Gripping, terrifying and just that little bit creepy to keep you on edge, it's thriller writing as it should be. A true triumph * Jonathan Whitelaw *Fans of the author's previous creepy thriller, Truly, Darkly, Deeply, will love it * Woman & Home *This is a clever and compassionate novel * Literary Review *I was gripped * Prima *Creepy and compelling * Mail on Sunday *A nifty blend of cold-case thriller and psychological thriller * Sunday Times *Easily one of my favourite thrillers of the year * Culture Fly *[Selman] has a knack for disturbing and emotional states of mind * Crime Time *Impossible to put down * Daily Mail *A first-rate thriller with an unforgettable twist -- Editor's Pick * Yours *If you loved the shock ending of the author's previous creepy thriller, Truly, Darkly, Deeply, you'll enjoy the slick twist in the middle of this one * Woman's Weekly *A rollercoaster ride * Sunday Post *A proper mind-boggling thriller * Sun *If you loved Big Little Lies and Gone Girl, dive into this dark and disturbing story of toxic relationships * Peterborough Telegraph *[A] thriller version of What Maisie Knew * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisHe could be anywhere else . . . but he's right here, with meFalling in love wasn't on Emma's agenda for her year abroad at Dunbridge Academy, the boarding school where her parents once met. Here she wants to find out where her father disappeared to when he left their family all those years ago. She has no time for distractions.But when she meets fellow student Henry, Emma knows she's in trouble. During secret midnight parties and moonlit walks through the old school buildings, feelings grow between them, and Emma feels powerless to resist. But Henry has a girlfriend and Emma doesn't want her heart broken . . .Discover the new, heart-pounding romance series that's perfect for anyone who loves Hannah Grace, Elsie Silver and LJ Shen. 'I am absolutely obsessed with this book!' 5* reader review'I laughed and I cried' 5* reader review'Incredible, I couldn't put it down' 5* reader review18+ content

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2023SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2023AN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT NOVEL OF THE YEARIt’s time to dance, to love, to be free…‘Mesmerising’ BERNARDINE EVARISTO, author of Girl, Woman, Other‘Fabulous’ MAGGIE O'FARRELL, author of Hamnet‘Beautiful’ CALEB AZUMAH NELSON, author of Open WaterYamaye lives for the weekend, when she can go raving with her friends at The Crypt, an underground club on the outskirts of London. Then everything changes. Yamaye meets Moose, who she falls deeply in love with, and who offers her the chance of freedom and escape.After their relationship is brutally cut short, Yamaye goes on a dramatic journey of transformation that leads her to Jamaica, where past and present collide with explosive consequences.***A SUNDAY TIMES BEST NOVEL AND GUARDIAN BEST FICTION BOOK OF 2023***‘A wonderfully literary, musical and original novel about a culture and era that rarely makes the pages of fiction’ TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT‘Scorching… We follow Yamaye through love, loss and peril, as she chases her dreams and connects with her heritage’ GUARDIAN‘Ambitious, atmospheric… A novel of passion and anger’ SUNDAY TIMES‘A rich and rhythmic story about love and music’ ITrade ReviewRemarkable... In terms of sheer lyrical force it stands head and shoulders above most debuts * Daily Telegraph *I was blown away by Fire Rush - an exceptional and stunningly original novel by a major new writer... Her mesmerising, imaginative and incantatory writing leaves us swaying to the bass of the visceral rhythms she so powerfully describes. By the end of the novel, I felt charged and changed and already longed to reread it -- Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author of GIRL, WOMAN, OTHERFew have channelled so well the skittering beats and transcendent air of dub music as Crooks does in her semi-autobiographical debut... Startlingly vivid reading * Daily Telegraph, *Summer Reads of 2023* *A heady swirl of a novel that pulls the reader in from the first page... A fabulous, absorbing read -- Maggie O'Farrell, author of THE MARRIAGE PORTRAITA window into the dub scene at the time, with rhythmic, lyrical writing and a story about raving, love and the impact of police violence... Both a page turner and a literary novel... Truly remarkable * Vogue *

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Book SynopsisMorgan Flowers just wants to hide. Raised by their neurodivergent father, Morgan has grown up haunted by the absence of their mysterious mother Zoe, especially now, as they navigate their gender identity and the turmoil of first love. Their father Julian has raised Morgan with care, but he can't quite fill the gap left by the dazzling and destructive Zoe, who fled to Europe on Morgan's first birthday. And when Zoe is dumped by her girlfriend Brigid, she suddenly comes crashing back into Morgan and Julian's lives, poised to disrupt the fragile peace they have so carefully cultivated.Through it all, Julian and Brigid have become unlikely pen-pals and friends, united by the knowledge of what it's like to love and lose Zoe; they both know that she hasn't changed. Despite the red flags, Morgan is swiftly drawn into Zoe's glittering orbit and into a series of harmful missteps, and Brigid may be the only link that can pull them back from the edge. A story of betrayal and trauma alongside queer love and resilience, ALL THE THINGS WE DON'T TALK ABOUT is a celebration of and a reckoning with the power and unintentional pain of a thoroughly modern family.

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Book SynopsisA "big-hearted, lively, and expansive portrait of a family" that follows a neurodivergent father, his nonbinary teenager, and the sudden, catastrophic reappearance of the woman who abandoned them (Claire Lombardo, New York Times bestselling author).Morgan Flowers just wants to hide. Raised by their neurodivergent father, Morgan has grown up haunted by the absence of their mysterious mother Zoe, especially now, as they navigate their gender identity and the turmoil of first love. Their father Julian has raised Morgan with care, but he can't quite fill the gap left by the dazzling and destructive Zoe, who fled to Europe on Morgan's first birthday. And when Zoe is dumped by her girlfriend Brigid, she suddenly comes crashing back into Morgan and Julian's lives, poised to disrupt the fragile peace they have so carefully cultivated.Through it all, Julian and Brigid have become unlikely pen-pals and friends, united by the knowledge of what it's like to love and lose Zoe; they both know that she hasn't changed. Despite the red flags, Morgan is swiftly drawn into Zoe's glittering orbit and into a series of harmful missteps, and Brigid may be the only link that can pull them back from the edge. A story of betrayal and trauma alongside queer love and resilience, ALL THE THINGS WE DON'T TALK ABOUT is a celebration of and a reckoning with the power and unintentional pain of a thoroughly modern family.

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Book SynopsisJourney Prize winner Shashi Bhat?s "powerful, surprising and terrifying" (Rufi Thorpe) story about a high school student''s traumatic experience and how it irrevocably alters her life, for fans of 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, Girlhood, and Pen15. Bright, hilarious, and sensitive fourteen-year-old Nina spends her spare time reading Beowulf and flirting with an internet predator. She has a vicious crush on her English teacher, and her best friend Amy is slowly drifting away. Meanwhile, Nina?s mother tries to match her up with local Indian boys unfamiliar with her Saved by the Bell references, and Nina?s worried father has started reciting Hindu prayers outside her bedroom door. Beginning with a disturbing incident at her high school, The Most Precious Substance on Earth tells stories of Nina?s life from the ?90s to present day, when she returns to the classroom as a high school teacher with a haunting secret and discovers that the past is never far behind her. Darkly funny, deeply affecting, unsettling, and at times even shocking, Shashi Bhat?s irresistible novel-in-stories examines the relationships between those who take and those who have something taken. The Most Precious Substance on Earth is a sharp-edged and devastating look at how women are conditioned to hide their trauma and suppress their fear, loneliness, and anger, and an unforgettable portrait of how silence can shape a life.

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Book SynopsisSet against the quiet and unassuming city of Huntsville, Texas, Jack "Meadowlark" Johnson, and his teenage son, Cooper embark on a journey of epic proportions. Told over the course a single day, this electrifying graphic novel recounts Cooper's struggle to survive the increasingly catastrophic consequences of his father's mistakes and the dangers they have brought home to his estranged family. As Cooper and his father desperately navigate cascading threats of violence, they must also grapple with their own combative, dysfunctional, but loving relationship.Drawing on inspiration from the authors' childhoods in Texas, their relationships with their own sons and from ancient myths like The Odyssey that resonate throughout the ages, this contemporary crime noir is a propulsive coming-of-age tale of the shattering transition into manhood. While both father and son strive to understand their place in the world and each other's lives, tension and resentment threaten to boil over. As emotionally evocative as it is visually stunning, this captivating graphic novel will appeal to fans of Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men and Terrence Malick's Badlands.

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Book Synopsis Take the ride of your life with this dangerous romance overflowing with dark humor, intense heat, and tangible angst--the second spinoff novel after 44 CHAPTERS ABOUT 4 MEN, the book that inspired the hit Netflix original series SEX/LIFE. Ronald “Knight” McKnight was obsessive. Possessive. Downright psychopathic. But that didn't stop BB Easton from falling in love with him. . . or from falling apart when he joined the Marines. As he left, Knight told her to “find someone better,” but she didn't. She found Harley instead. Harley James was a fun, flirty, tattooed mechanic whose face was as angelic as his secrets were sinful. He taught BB how to live again. How to laugh again. But would he teach her how to love again? Over Knight's dead body.   'Raw, scorching, and totally addictive, Speed is an adrenaline-fueled ride.' —Jamie Shaw, author of Mayhem To view a comprehensive content warning, please visit the author's website.  

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Book SynopsisA GMA Buzz Pick!A Most Anticipated Book by Essence · The Millions · Atlantic Journal Constitution · Bustle · BookPage · Nashville Scene A Best Book of February by Washington Post · NylonIn this glittering triptych novel, Suzette, Maple and Agnes, three Black women with albinism, call Shreveport, Louisiana home. At the bustling crossroads of the American South and Southwest, these three women find themselves at the crossroads of their own lives. Suzette, a pampered twenty-year-old, has been sheltered from the outside world since a dangerous childhood encounter. Now, a budding romance with a sweet mechanic allows Suzette to seek independence, which unleashes dark reactions in those closest to her. In discovering her autonomy, Suzette is forced to decide what she is willing to sacrifice in order to make her own way in the world.Maple is reeling from the unsolved murder of her free-spirited mother. She flees the media circus and her judgmental grandmother by shutting herself off from the world in a spare room of the motel where she works. One night, at a party, Maple connects with Chad, someone who may understand her pain more than she realizes, and she discovers that the key to her mother's death may be within her reach.Agnes is far from home, working yet another mind-numbing job. She attracts the interest of a lonely security guard and army veteran who's looking for a traditional life for himself and his young son. He's convinced that she wields a certain "magic," but Agnes soon unleashes a power within herself that will shock them both and send her on a trip to confront not only her family and her past, but also herself.This novel, told in three parts, is a searing meditation on grief, female strength, and self-discovery set against a backdrop of complicated social and racial histories. Nobody's Magic is a testament to the power of family-the ones you're born in and the ones you choose. And in these three narratives, among the yearning and loss, each of these women may find a seed of hope for the future.

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Book Synopsis"The magic here is not the supernatural kind, but rather an attention to the grace of the ordinary. It is the magic of watching these women come into their power."-New York Times"There's romance and a familial drama and examinations of identity, and though there's nothing quite supernatural, it creates a magic entirely its own." - Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See HereIn this glittering triptych novel, Suzette, Maple and Agnes, three Black women with albinism, call Shreveport, Louisiana home. At the bustling crossroads of the American South and Southwest, these three women find themselves at the crossroads of their own lives. Suzette, a pampered twenty-year-old, has been sheltered from the outside world since a dangerous childhood encounter. Now, a budding romance with a sweet mechanic allows Suzette to seek independence, which unleashes dark reactions in those closest to her. In discovering her autonomy, Suzette is forced to decide what she is willing to sacrifice in order to make her own way in the world.Maple is reeling from the unsolved murder of her free-spirited mother. She flees the media circus and her judgmental grandmother by shutting herself off from the world in a spare room of the motel where she works. One night, at a party, Maple connects with Chad, someone who may understand her pain more than she realizes, and she discovers that the key to her mother's death may be within her reach.Agnes is far from home, working yet another mind-numbing job. She attracts the interest of a lonely security guard and army veteran who's looking for a traditional life for himself and his young son. He's convinced that she wields a certain "magic," but Agnes soon unleashes a power within herself that will shock them both and send her on a trip to confront not only her family and her past, but also herself.This novel, told in three parts, is a searing meditation on grief, female strength, and self-discovery set against a backdrop of complicated social and racial histories. Nobody's Magic is a testament to the power of family-the ones you're born in and the ones you choose. And in these three narratives, among the yearning and loss, each of these women may find a seed of hope for the future.

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Book SynopsisA former beauty queen faces the secrets of her past—for herself and the sake of her family’s future—in a heartfelt novel about fate, choices, and second chances. Everything seemed possible in the summer of 1951. Back then Betty Stern was an eighteen-year-old knockout working at her grandparents’ lakeside resort. The “Catskills of the Midwest” was the perfect place for Betty to prepare for bigger things. She’d head to college in New York City. Her career as a fashion editor would flourish. But first, she’d enjoy a wondrous last summer at the beach falling deeply in love with an irresistible college boy and competing in the annual Miss South Haven pageant. On the precipice of a well-planned life, Betty’s future was limitless. Decades later, the choices of that long-ago season still reverberate for Betty, now known as Boop. Especially when her granddaughter comes to her with a dilemma that echoes Boop’s memories of first love, broken hearts, and faraway dreams. It’s time to finally face the past—for the sake of her family and her own happiness. Maybe in reconciling the life she once imagined with the life she’s lived, Boop will discover it’s never too late for a second chance.Trade Review“This novel of first loves and second chances will resonate with fans of historical fiction authors such as Beatriz Williams or Lauren Willig.” —Library Journal “The Last Bathing Beauty is a pitch-perfect summer read, starring Betty ‘Boop’ Stern, a plucky heroine with a tackle box full of secrets and enough regret for a lifetime. Using dual timelines, Nathan expertly unravels the events that derailed Betty’s sparkling future in 1951 and continue to haunt her even as an eighty-four-year-old woman. Full of characters that shine and told with compassion and humor, this is women’s fiction at its best.” —Sonja Yoerg, Washington Post bestselling author of True Places “Amy Sue Nathan is a true storyteller, and The Last Bathing Beauty is her best book. It’s an epic tale of family, secrets, loss, marriage, betrayal, friendships, laughter, and regrets.” —Cathy Lamb, author of Julia’s Chocolates and All About Evie “The Last Bathing Beauty is a gorgeous story about how life doesn’t always work out the way we want it to, but if we’re willing, we can still make it a great life. This book ripped at my heart in the best possible way, and I won’t forget it. Told across three generations of smart, determined, compassionate women, The Last Bathing Beauty is the loveliest of stories about the sacrifices and triumphs that come from being a daughter, wife, mother, and friend.” —Juliet McDaniel, author of Mr. & Mrs. American Pie “For those who believe in happily ever after, Amy Sue Nathan’s The Last Bathing Beauty is a real winner. She has spun a heartfelt tale about romance, heartbreaks, friendship, and the wisdom that comes from living a life with no regrets. Told with tenderness and humor, readers will love this journey back in time with Boop and the girls.” —Renée Rosen, bestselling author of Park Avenue Summer “In this reimagining of Dirty Dancing, Nathan demonstrates expert storytelling when we meet the charismatic Betty ‘Boop’ Stern as a young woman, and also as an eighty-four-year-old as she looks back on a difficult choice that altered the path of her glittering future. Told with empathy and lyrical prose, The Last Bathing Beauty is a winning tale of friendship, regret, and second chances with a ring of endearing and spirited women at its heart.” —Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling coauthor of Meet Me in Monaco “A thoroughly enjoyable, past-and-present tale of a life-changing summer and its echoes decades later. This story has it all—great characters, sensory-rich settings, and a sweet salute to believing in second chances. The finale will have you cheering.” —Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Last Year of the War “The Last Bathing Beauty is an emotionally gripping story that captivated me from page one. Amy Sue Nathan knows how to thread the past and present together in a way that readers won’t soon forget. A moving tale about second chances and the fathomless depths of true love.” —Tina Ann Forkner, author of Waking Up Joy

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Book SynopsisAn Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestseller. From New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde comes a gripping and emotional novel about friendship, motherhood, and the journey toward finding a place to call home. Brooke is a divorced single mom, financially strapped, living with her mother, and holding tight to the one thing that matters most: her two-year-old daughter, Etta. Then, in a matter of seconds, Brooke’s life is shattered when she’s carjacked. Helpless and terrified, all Brooke can do is watch as Etta, still strapped in her seat, disappears into the Los Angeles night. Miles away, Etta is found by Molly, a homeless teen who is all too used to darkness. Thrown away by her parents, and with a future as stable as the wooden crate she calls home, Molly survives day to day by her wits. As unpredictable as her life is, she’s stunned to find Etta, abandoned and alone. Shielding the little girl from more than the elements, Molly must put herself in harm’s way to protect a child as lost as she is. Out of one terrible moment, Brooke’s and Molly’s desperate paths converge and an unlikely friendship across generations and circumstances is formed. With it, Brooke and Molly will come to discover that what’s lost—and what’s found—can change in a heartbeat.Trade Review“A warm and clear-eyed look at what it means to be lost—and found. Fans of Hannah Beckerman and Meg Donohue will adore Brave Girl, Quiet Girl.” —Booklist “Gripping, emotional, fast-paced and fresh, Catherine Ryan Hyde’s latest novel is definitely one to read and share.” —Bookreporter

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Book SynopsisA powerful novel about the expectations of family—and the risks and liberation of defying them—by the Washington Post bestselling author of One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow. 1975. In the town of Rexburg, Idaho, aspiring artist Aran Rigby, his younger sister, Tamsin, and their two brothers are locked in orbit around their emotionally abusive father. Gad is the kind of man who soothes the failures of his own life by controlling the lives of others. But Aran and Tamsin are united in rebellion against their father. They understand each other. They have dreams beyond their small town. Arriving in Rexburg is Linda Duff, an outsider from Seattle hoping to plant new roots far from the bitter ones of her childhood. She’s quickly taken with Aran, in no small part because of his talent. But when they fall in love, Linda is drawn into a family more damaged than the one she left behind. She also becomes privy to a secret Aran and Tamsin share that could dismantle everything everyone holds dear. Upsetting the precarious balance in the Rigby home, Linda becomes an unwitting catalyst for the upheaval of Gad’s oppression. Now it’s time for them all to break free of the past, overcome the unforgivable, and find a new way forward—whatever the price.

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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 SynopsisFrom the author of A Lily in the Light comes a poignant story of innocence lost and what it means to grow up too fast. It’s 1965, and thirteen-year-old Gia, along with her older brother and cousins, are desperate to escape their sleepy, tree-lined neighborhood where nothing ever happens. The only thing Gia would miss is the surrounding marsh, where she feels at home among sea birds and salt water. But when one of Gia’s cousins brings drugs into their neighborhood, it sets off a chain of events that quickly turn dangerous. Everyone will be caught in the ripples, and some may be swept away entirely. Gia is determined to keep herself and her family afloat while the world is turned upside down around her. Can she find a way to hold on to the life she was so eager to leave behind, or will she have to watch it all disappear beneath the marsh forever? At turns heart-wrenching and hopeful, A Frenzy of Sparks explores a world where survival is the attempt to move forward while leaving pieces of your heart behind.Trade Review“A Frenzy of Sparks is a thoughtful exploration of family, heartache, and ultimately, carrying on. Set in the sixties in Queens—a time and place of intense transformation—Kristin Fields deftly tells the heartrending story of what addiction does to a family and exposes the dark underbelly of suburbia. Powerful and poignant—I didn’t want to leave the pages of this masterfully crafted book.” —Suzanne Redfearn, bestselling author of In an Instant “A deeply atmospheric novel that will have you turning the pages deep into the night, A Frenzy of Sparks is your next must-read.” —Catherine McKenzie, bestselling author of Hidden and I’ll Never Tell “Through the eyes of a naive girl precariously balanced on the brink of womanhood, Fields expertly portrays the brutal and crushing devastation of addiction without ever losing sight of all that is beautiful and good. Profoundly moving and insightful—a book club must-read!” —Kerry Anne King, bestselling author of Whisper Me This and Everything You Are “Kristin Fields evokes the rich historical landscape of Queens in the mid-1960s, then bravely sweeps away the mists of nostalgia to reveal the fragile, unforgettable core of her characters and her story. Both quietly powerful and agonizingly beautiful, A Frenzy of Sparks enchants readers into holding an unquestioning belief in a beautiful facade before stripping it away to allow the unvarnished truth to appear. Devastating, haunting, and poignant, this is one book you will not forget.” —Amber Cowie, author of Raven Lane

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Book SynopsisTo her followers, she advocates for an authentic and transparent life. In reality, she’s living a perfect lie. Wellness influencer Ava Maloney’s enormous success is based on total transparency, extolling the well-documented virtues of her full, balanced life. But the truth is, Ava’s social media platform is built on a lie. And her double life is beginning to take its toll. Escaping Los Angeles for a luxury wellness retreat on Martha’s Vineyard, Ava believes she can get everything back on track. No fans will be the wiser to the real reason for her visit. With the help of the other guests, staff, and a supportive local, Ava begins regaining control of her body, her mind, and her life. Except someone is onto her, threatening to expose the secret she’s hidden for so long. Ava was prepared to face her demons, but not publicly. Not yet. The fallout might also force Ava to finally reconcile who she’s been pretending to be with who she actually is—a woman discovering the real meaning of a full and balanced life.Trade Review“Raw and unflinching, this heartbreaking portrait of one glamorous social media influencer’s quest for physical perfection is insightful and moving, thanks to author Julia Spiro’s talent in proving the power of authenticity. The main character’s transformative journey to Island Wellness and Martha’s Vineyard delights with an insider tour of the sparkly New England island, a place where nature can heal the deepest wounds.” —Brooke Lea Foster, author of Summer Darlings

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Book SynopsisIn this coming-of-age thriller, a twelve-year-old boy’s spark of courage to question the harmonious wooded commune he calls home may burn down more than just his own illusions. Lucien has everything he needs: a loving mama, a library full of books, and House of Earth, a private school nestled safely in the woods of upstate New York. It’s where Lucien is taught the importance of living in harmony with nature and building a peaceful and sustainable future. But when his youthful curiosity draws him into town and to Gabrielle, a public-school student living a life wholly different from his own, Lucien’s inquisitiveness about life beyond the commune and questions regarding the events of 9/11 threaten to unbalance everything he thought he knew. Slowly, things begin to change at House of Earth. The outside world is off limits. Security measures tighten. New rules are put in place, and anyone who violates them is asked to leave and never spoken of again. As forbidden questions pile up, Lucien’s willingness to obey weakens. Continuing to meet Gabrielle in secret only reinforces his gnawing fear that something about his world is terribly wrong. Unable to remain silent any longer, Lucien will soon discover that looking for answers at House of Earth may be the most dangerous rule he can break.Trade Review“An Earth-loving collective turns sinister. Though Barkan never uses the word cult, House of Earth is chillingly evocative of many, and as the novel takes its darker turns, the end is both shocking and inevitable.” —Kirkus Reviews “With this haunting tale of innocence forever lost, Ross Barkan deftly explores how well-intentioned ideals, when taken to extremes, can lead to monstrous outcomes.” —Pitchaya Sudbanthad, author of Bangkok Wakes to Rain “The Night Burns Bright is mysterious and fascinating, a story that’s always told with the utmost urgency but also intriguingly eluding any sort of easy reach or classification. This is the sort of ambition all books should have.” —Will Leitch, author of How Lucky “Captivating from the very first page, The Night Burns Bright is a consummate thriller from the pen of a philosopher-poet. Barkan has done something wonderful, subtle, and brilliant here: in the character of Lucien—a young boy whose subjectivity is cast in the fires of 9/11—we find a contemporary Virgil, a trusted guide to the sweep of time, ruin, and the small beauties that have defined the early 21st century. Rarely has a character been such a fully-fleshed out, heartfelt, addictively readable historian of our times.” —Jordy Rosenberg, author of Confessions of a Fox

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Book SynopsisNavsari, India. Penniless and trapped in a loveless marriage, Nirmala spends her days anxiously caring for her sick young son, Varun. Looming over Nirmala’s impoverished home is an imposing mansion built by her grandfather, and from its balcony her cruel aunt scorns them, refusing to help in any way. But when a mysterious letter addressed to her long-dead father arrives from Zimbabwe, it opens a door to a past Nirmala never knew existed and a future she never imagined possible. If the contents of the letter can be believed, not only does she have family in Africa, but they might also hold the answers to a family mystery that spans three generations. While travelling to Zimbabwe might lead to a brighter future for Nirmala and her son, it could also reignite the bitter family feud that condemned her family to poverty. Nirmala is ready to risk it all to uncover the truth, but how will she cope when this journey changes her life forever?Trade Review“Tailor’s debut is both evocative and intriguing.” —Booklist “The Secret of Elephants is a novel of beauty, wisdom, and discovery. Prepare to fall in love with Vasundra Tailor’s writing, I know I did…” —Amanda Prowse, international bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner

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Book SynopsisIn this breezy novel from the author of Somebody That I Used to Know, one Iowa farm girl—a dead ringer for a global pop star—gets an unlikely shot at stardom. Will she choose fame…or the family farm? Red Morgan is fresh out of high school. With signature red curls and a remarkable singing voice, the bubbly teenager is a devoted daughter and big sister. The world should be her oyster. But Red already knows exactly where her future lies: the family farm in Orange City, Iowa. Zay-Zay Waters is at the top of her game. The Brooklyn-born singer has it all—talent, fame, even a smokin’ hot boyfriend. But life in the limelight isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when a video of Red singing in the mud—looking and sounding exactly like Zay-Zay herself—goes viral, the pop star begins to hatch a plan. Red is the key to Zay-Zay’s scheme. With much-needed money on the line, Red agrees to step into Zay-Zay’s famous shoes for one week. But when planned appearances start to go off script, Red may be in over her head. Can she really pull it off?Trade Review“An amiable fish-out-of-water story that engagingly explores the pitfalls of fame and celebrates young love.” —Kirkus Reviews “Davis, who is also an actor, believably depicts the sometimes outlandish realities of the lifestyles of the rich and famous in this Prince and the Pauper take.” —Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisIn this breezy novel from the author of Somebody That I Used to Know, one Iowa farm girl—a dead ringer for a global pop star—gets an unlikely shot at stardom. Will she choose fame…or the family farm? Red Morgan is fresh out of high school. With signature red curls and a remarkable singing voice, the bubbly teenager is a devoted daughter and big sister. The world should be her oyster. But Red already knows exactly where her future lies: the family farm in Orange City, Iowa. Zay-Zay Waters is at the top of her game. The Brooklyn-born singer has it all—talent, fame, even a smokin’ hot boyfriend. But life in the limelight isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when a video of Red singing in the mud—looking and sounding exactly like Zay-Zay herself—goes viral, the pop star begins to hatch a plan. Red is the key to Zay-Zay’s scheme. With much-needed money on the line, Red agrees to step into Zay-Zay’s famous shoes for one week. But when planned appearances start to go off script, Red may be in over her head. Can she really pull it off?Trade Review“An amiable fish-out-of-water story that engagingly explores the pitfalls of fame and celebrates young love.” —Kirkus Reviews “Davis, who is also an actor, believably depicts the sometimes outlandish realities of the lifestyles of the rich and famous in this Prince and the Pauper take.” —Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisEverything’s just perfect in Charlie’s life. Apart from all the things that are wrong. It’s been more than a decade since Charlie Trewin left her sleepy Cornish fishing village for the dazzling lights of London, vowing never to return. But when shocking news of her father’s death forces her back to Carncarrow, she’s confronted with everything she thought she’d left behind: the tragic loss of her mother, her father’s obsessive hoarding—and her own unresolved emotions about them both. At first Carncarrow seems like the same stuck-in-the-past, dead-end village Charlie escaped years ago. Nothing like London, where she’s built a wonderful new life: solid job, loving fiancé, and endless, boundless happiness. But as she sorts through her father’s stockpiled mementoes, she begins to rediscover the place she once called home—and realises that her life in London may not be as happy, happy, happy as she keeps telling herself. When her fiancé unexpectedly shows up in Carncarrow, her two complicated worlds collide. With the past and the present competing for her attention, can Charlie finally make her peace with her memories? And can she find a way to be truly happy on her own terms?

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Book SynopsisAll she wants is to be her best self. Is she ready? Absolutely. Does she know what to expect? Absolutely not. Anita is over her life in New York: her dead-end job, tiny studio apartment, self-obsessed friends, and overbearing mom. So she moves west to Los Angeles in search of a new career, enlightenment, and that nebulous target…wellness. She discovers an elite workout class called The Goddess Effect, run by a lifestyle guru named Venus who’s the very definition of #goals. One look at her Lululemon-clad acolytes sweating out their demons while dripping with confidence and Anita’s all in. When one of the class regulars takes Anita under her wing, Anita’s sure she’s found her people. But Anita’s not so smitten that she doesn’t wonder about a few things: an inexplicable invitation to a Goddess Effect retreat, a strange tradition of secret sharing, and whispers about “enhancements” that only Venus can provide. Anita is awakening to a terrifying epiphany: The Goddess Effect isn’t quite what it seems, and it may turn her world—and that of everyone around her—upside down.Trade Review“Mocking the wellness industry can seem like picking off low-hanging fruit, but Marikar elevates her story with wry humor and compassion.” —The Washington Post “Marikar successfully provides larger-than-life caricatures of wellness industry denizens and LA residents at large as well as an outrageous mystery waiting to be exposed.” —Kirkus Reviews “This is a funny and fresh coming-of-age tale. Recommended for readers of Elin Hilderbrand or Jennifer Weiner.” —Library Journal “The frothy exterior of Marikar’s debut hides a sharp bite that readers who enjoyed Leigh Stein’s Self Care will appreciate.” —Booklist “The Goddess Effect is a fall-on-the-floor funny, fresh, and modern take on one woman’s journey to hell and back—and by ‘hell and back,’ I mean a three-month stay in Los Angeles. Here, the devil smells of Santal 33, has hair that cascades in beachy waves, and wears this season’s Rick Owens. Our charming tour guide of Hades on the 405 is Anita Kathlikar, the hilarious love child of Bridget Jones and Lucille Ball who I didn’t know I needed but ended up loving more than I can tell you. Sheila Yasmin Marikar is a pitch-perfect comic genius who delivers a sparkling miracle of a book that left me asking: What exactly is my soul’s highest purpose and what exactly is the best Instagram filter for this picture of my power greens smoothie and collagen toast?” —Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians and Sex and Vanity “Fresh, bitingly modern, and laugh-out-loud funny, The Goddess Effect is more than a page-turner—it’s also razor-sharp commentary on the cult of wellness. I can’t wait to read more from this talented debut author.” —Andrea Bartz, bestselling author of We Were Never Here “Sheila Yasmin Marikar’s writing is prismatic…She had me laughing in one breath, cringing in the next, only to turn on a dime and knock the wind out of me with her honesty. The Goddess Effect skillfully sends up our current obsession with image, tech, and wellness, but at its heart is a timeless human truth: there’s nothing we won’t do to belong.” —Megan Angelo, author of Followers “Sheila Yasmin Marikar’s novel is a witty and compelling exploration of growth, identity, and power. The Goddess Effect is impossible to put down. Readers everywhere will root for Anita on her journey full of self-discovery and surprises. Told with a rare blend of humor and insight, this delicious story will captivate readers from beginning to end!” —Saumya Dave, author of What a Happy Family “I finished The Goddess Effect in a single sitting. Sheila Yasmin Marikar’s assured voice and incisive observations had me laughing out loud one moment and covering my mouth in shock the next. A stellar debut with the perfect number of twists, turns, and Lululemon references.” —Colleen McKeegan, author of The Wild One “Snappy, voyeuristic, and upsettingly relevant, The Goddess Effect takes us on a heart-pumping romp through the ‘cult’ of contemporary wellness. Either ironically or sincerely, if you’ve ever opted to add CBD to your oat milk latte, moon bathed a crystal, dropped $110 on a pair of yoga pants, cried under the mood lighting of a fauxspirational fitness class, or made any other questionable life decision in pursuit of self-actualization and belonging, you will feel both riveted and attacked by this incisive, page-turning tale.” —Amanda Montell, author of Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism and Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language “As a New Yorker who once moved to Los Angeles in search of herself, I know Anita’s inner struggle and yearn to prove something (anything?) all too well. Full of laughable bits on the LA erewhon-fueled lifestyle we all love to hate, this story will make you cringe, laugh, and most of all relate.” —Arianna Margulis, author of But Like Maybe Don’t?

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Book SynopsisAll she wants is to be her best self. Is she ready? Absolutely. Does she know what to expect? Absolutely not. Anita is over her life in New York: her dead-end job, tiny studio apartment, self-obsessed friends, and overbearing mom. So she moves west to Los Angeles in search of a new career, enlightenment, and that nebulous target…wellness. She discovers an elite workout class called The Goddess Effect, run by a lifestyle guru named Venus who’s the very definition of #goals. One look at her Lululemon-clad acolytes sweating out their demons while dripping with confidence and Anita’s all in. When one of the class regulars takes Anita under her wing, Anita’s sure she’s found her people. But Anita’s not so smitten that she doesn’t wonder about a few things: an inexplicable invitation to a Goddess Effect retreat, a strange tradition of secret sharing, and whispers about “enhancements” that only Venus can provide. Anita is awakening to a terrifying epiphany: The Goddess Effect isn’t quite what it seems, and it may turn her world—and that of everyone around her—upside down.Trade Review“Mocking the wellness industry can seem like picking off low-hanging fruit, but Marikar elevates her story with wry humor and compassion.” —The Washington Post “Marikar successfully provides larger-than-life caricatures of wellness industry denizens and LA residents at large as well as an outrageous mystery waiting to be exposed.” —Kirkus Reviews “This is a funny and fresh coming-of-age tale. Recommended for readers of Elin Hilderbrand or Jennifer Weiner.” —Library Journal “The frothy exterior of Marikar’s debut hides a sharp bite that readers who enjoyed Leigh Stein’s Self Care will appreciate.” —Booklist “The Goddess Effect is a fall-on-the-floor funny, fresh, and modern take on one woman’s journey to hell and back—and by ‘hell and back,’ I mean a three-month stay in Los Angeles. Here, the devil smells of Santal 33, has hair that cascades in beachy waves, and wears this season’s Rick Owens. Our charming tour guide of Hades on the 405 is Anita Kathlikar, the hilarious love child of Bridget Jones and Lucille Ball who I didn’t know I needed but ended up loving more than I can tell you. Sheila Yasmin Marikar is a pitch-perfect comic genius who delivers a sparkling miracle of a book that left me asking: What exactly is my soul’s highest purpose and what exactly is the best Instagram filter for this picture of my power greens smoothie and collagen toast?” —Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians and Sex and Vanity “Fresh, bitingly modern, and laugh-out-loud funny, The Goddess Effect is more than a page-turner—it’s also razor-sharp commentary on the cult of wellness. I can’t wait to read more from this talented debut author.” —Andrea Bartz, bestselling author of We Were Never Here “Sheila Yasmin Marikar’s writing is prismatic…She had me laughing in one breath, cringing in the next, only to turn on a dime and knock the wind out of me with her honesty. The Goddess Effect skillfully sends up our current obsession with image, tech, and wellness, but at its heart is a timeless human truth: there’s nothing we won’t do to belong.” —Megan Angelo, author of Followers “Sheila Yasmin Marikar’s novel is a witty and compelling exploration of growth, identity, and power. The Goddess Effect is impossible to put down. Readers everywhere will root for Anita on her journey full of self-discovery and surprises. Told with a rare blend of humor and insight, this delicious story will captivate readers from beginning to end!” —Saumya Dave, author of What a Happy Family “I finished The Goddess Effect in a single sitting. Sheila Yasmin Marikar’s assured voice and incisive observations had me laughing out loud one moment and covering my mouth in shock the next. A stellar debut with the perfect number of twists, turns, and Lululemon references.” —Colleen McKeegan, author of The Wild One “Snappy, voyeuristic, and upsettingly relevant, The Goddess Effect takes us on a heart-pumping romp through the ‘cult’ of contemporary wellness. Either ironically or sincerely, if you’ve ever opted to add CBD to your oat milk latte, moon bathed a crystal, dropped $110 on a pair of yoga pants, cried under the mood lighting of a fauxspirational fitness class, or made any other questionable life decision in pursuit of self-actualization and belonging, you will feel both riveted and attacked by this incisive, page-turning tale.” —Amanda Montell, author of Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism and Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language “As a New Yorker who once moved to Los Angeles in search of herself, I know Anita’s inner struggle and yearn to prove something (anything?) all too well. Full of laughable bits on the LA erewhon-fueled lifestyle we all love to hate, this story will make you cringe, laugh, and most of all relate.” —Arianna Margulis, author of But Like Maybe Don’t?

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A Freeman Award Winner for Young Adult Literature For two teens, falling in love is going to make a world of difference in this beautifully translated, bold, and endearing novel about love, loss, and the pain of racial discrimination. As a Korean student in a Japanese high school, Sugihara has had to defend himself against all kinds of bullies. But nothing could have prepared him for the heartache he feels when he falls hopelessly in love with a Japanese girl named Sakurai. Immersed in their shared love for classical music and foreign movies, the two gradually grow closer and closer. One night, after being hit by personal tragedy, Sugihara reveals to Sakurai that he is not Japanese—as his name might indicate. Torn between a chance at self-discovery that he’s ready to seize and the prejudices of others that he can’t control, Sugihara must decide who he wants to be and where he wants to go next. Will Sakurai be able to confront her own bias and accompany him on his journey?

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